Corona Coming Attractions has the scoop on the new Voltron show coming to Nicktoons:
The lions are sleek, and are recognizably Voltron.

• There’s an expanded, interracial team

• All five post-Sven pilots are there (with a probable Sven cameo)

• The show’s major villains will be returning

• Character design is similar to DC Universe shows like Justice League Unlimited

• There’s an all-new voice cast

See the Nickelodeon press release for more information.

Amazon now has Dragon Ball Z Kai available for pre-order. This version removes all of the filler episodes that were inserted so that the TV series would not get ahead of the manga. This version of the show will also air on Nicktoons in May.

I can’t wait to see how the changes come out in this version. Also, how did Cartoon Network miss out on this one? Nicktoons and Disney XD are quickly becoming my favorite destinations for Sci-Fi animation on TV.

Dragon Ball Z Kai: Season One, Part One

The Wii is not just for Bowling anymore! Nintendo and Netflix have partnered together to provide video streaming on the video game console. I’ve already been enjoying watching Netflix on the TiVo, but I like the interface on the Wii better. With the Tivo, you have to add shows to your instant queue first from a computer. With the Wii, you can browse all the categories from the comfort of your sofa.

The Wii isn’t capable of showing HD, so I’m not abandoning the TiVo just yet. It is also annoying that you have to use a disc to access Netflix on the Wii. But overall, it’s a great avenue for getting my animation fix!

According to Marvel.com, a new series, Ultimate Spider-Man will premiere Fall 2011 on Disney XD. Eric S. Rollman, President of Marvel Animation says “Ultimate Spider-Man will be a unique journey exploring our favorite web-slinger as he teams up with other fan favorite Marvel Super Heroes in never before seen stories with a new life filled with great challenges, new friends, intense action and character growth.”

There has not been any updates on the fate of Spectacular Spider-Man which is also shown on Disney XD. It seems that Ultimate will be replacement for Spectacular, which was produced by Sony Pictures. Ultimate will have big shoes to fill, as Spectacular Spider-Man was a well-written show with a fresh take on the Spider-Man franchise.

For years, I’ve complained how about most people in the US view animation as medium for children’s movies and TV shows (with comedy shows like the Simpsons and Family Guy being an exception.) With the latest Justice League feature debuting at #2, could we be finally coming around to accepting animation as venue for more mature features?

Bruce Timm, Dwayne McDuffie and the rest of the crew on Justice League Unlimited did an amazing job of writing smart and mature story lines, while working within the restrictions of a TV-Y7 rating. With the DC Comics Direct-To-Video releases, we get the opportunity to see what they can do without the TV rating restrictions. The results are awesome comic book adaptation presented as they should be.

The multiyear deal includes episodes of 1980s series “The Transformers” and “G.I. Joe.”

The $29.99 three-DVD set will include the original broadcast versions of all 16 episodes from the 1984 season in the intended story line order, with remastered picture and a new stereo soundtrack created from the original audio.

read more from Reuters.

It’s always fun to watch old Streamline Pictures anime becuase they seem to use the same 5 voices for all of their dubs. But I still enjoy Streamline Pics like 8 Man After. Plenty of good action, nice story and good animation that holds up pretty well today. I wish it could have been fleshed out into a full series, instead of an OAV.

The DBZ movies were fun just to see how the DBZ characters have evolved over time. Gohan, the litte kid with so much hidden power. Piccolo, (in Dead Zone) is training for a re-match with his nemisis Goku! And Goku, who hasn’t figured out the Super Saiyan thing yet, relies on his Kaiô-ken to fight his enemies.

Later, I plan to watch Voltron: Fleet of Doom. I’m still mad, reflecting on my elementary school days when all my friends came in and told me how cool it was to see BOTH Voltrons TOGETHER! Of course, I never saw that episode until I was an adult. I may watch some of my DC Animation DVDs too.

What are you watching over the holidays?

In a surprise move the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim has reduced the number of anime series in its Saturday night lineup.  Starting this Saturday, September 13th, Viz Media’s Bleach will lead off the Adult Swim block at 11pm (ET, PT) followed by an episode of FUNimation’s Fullmetal Alchemist.  The previous schedule, which had been announced on August 25th, featured four anime series–FUNimation’s Shin Chan (at midnight ET, PT) followed by Bleach, Bandai’s Code Geass and Media Blasters’ Moribito.

This is disappointing. Cartoon Network & Adult Swim were the most widely-available outlets for Anime in the US. CN/AS was my favorite network when I could watch DBZ, Gundam, Robotech, Inuyash and other Anime shows. Now, the only thing I watch is Bleach. What happened? Is it a shift in strategy at the network, or lack of quality Anime to show on the network? Let me know what you think.

Doomsday has sold 600,000 units since it was released, which is 30% ahead of Warners’ own internal predictions. New Frontier is also tracking ahead of expected preorders.

Read more from Toon Zone.