Toku (TV channel)
Toku is an American pay television channel and streaming service owned by Olympusat and dedicated to broadcasting anime and East Asian programming.
It was launched on December 31, 2015, replacing Funimation Channel, after Funimation ended their partnership with Olympusat. Tristan Leostar is the content aggregator for the channel.
History
As Funimation Channel
Funimation Channel started out as a syndicated block on Colours TV, one of OlympuSAT's affiliate networks. Programs during this era were Dragon Ball, Negima!, Kodocha, The Slayers, Blue Gender, Kiddy Grade, Fruits Basket, Case Closed and YuYu Hakusho. The block was later discontinued in favor of a more successful expansion on subscription television.The Funimation Channel launched on September 29, 2005, as a joint venture between Funimation and Olympusat, it became the second 24-hour anime digital cable network in North America. Olympusat was the exclusive distributor of the channel.
On May 1, 2008, Funimation Channel became a 24-hour English-dubbed anime subscription network; the second of its kind in North America. Olympusat was chosen as the exclusive distributor of Funimation Channel. The service originally was available to a few cities via digital terrestrial television and was temporary-only as the channel was trying to gain a foothold in the already-crowded pay television landscape.
In May 2009, Funimation Channel continued its expansion on subscription providers launching on Comcast's VOD platform and offering two services - Free on demand and PPV on demand. The PPV VOD offers viewers a chance to watch titles prior to their DVD release.
As of September 27, 2010, Funimation launched an HD feed alongside existing VOD services. On February 16, 2012, Verizon announced that it will drop Funimation Channel from its Verizon FiOS service "on, or after March 15" due to "very low viewership". In response to reaction from its customers, Verizon returned Funimation Channel via VOD. Channel 262 remains on the FiOS system operated by Frontier Communications in some ex-Verizon territories. Cablevision's Optimum TV recently launched FUNimation Channel On Demand in the NY/NJ/CT Tri-State area. Adding this MSO increased FUNimation Channel's footprint to over 40 million households nationwide.
Funimation Channel's programming came from Funimation, Aniplex of America, Viz Media, Sentai Filmworks, Right Stuf Inc., NIS America, and the now-defunct Central Park Media and Enoki Films USA.
As Toku
On December 8, 2015, it was reported that the channel would change its name to Toku on December 31, 2015, and would start broadcasting live-action, grindhouse and independent East Asian movies. It was subsequently announced, on December 15, 2015, that Funimation would end its partnership with Olympusat, and announced plans to relaunch Funimation Channel in 2016.On March 14, 2016, Olympusat announced a localized version of Toku in Latin America, named Toku Español. However, as of 2022, the channel is yet to be launched in the region.
On July 25, 2016, it was announced that Toku was going to be launched in the FlixFling streaming service by early 2017, but to date, that never happened. On June 8, 2017, it was announced that Toku is available on Amazon Channels as a streaming service for members of Amazon Prime, offering channel content on demand for US$4.00 per month, after a 7-day free trial.
On August 23, 2017, Consolidated Communications added Toku on its channel line-up.
On May 22, 2018, Toku launches a beta version of its new streaming service WatchTOKU.com for the United States and Canada, which includes channel content and future releases, as well as embedded forums. The service, powered by Vimeo, costs either US$4.00 per month or US$40.00 per year. This is Toku's official debut outside the United States, being available for the first time in Canada.
Toku's programming comes from Media Blasters, Discotek Media, Tsuburaya Productions, MonoFilm Sales and other anime and movie licensors.
Availability
The linear channel is available on AT&T U-verse, Claro Puerto Rico, Hotwire Communications, Consolidated Communications, Sjobergs Inc., IFiber Communications and OptiLink; its HD feed has been available since the network's launch in 2015. The linear channel was previously available on Verizon FiOS.The VOD service is available on Optimum, Xfinity, Vubiquity, Frontier FiOS and Armstrong. The VOD service was previously available on Charter Communications and Massilion.
The channel is available in streaming through its WatchToku.com streaming service, as well as its Amazon Prime channel. It was formerly available on Go90.
Programming
Anime series
Current
Girl's High Gakuen Heaven: Boy's Love Hyper Green Green Jubei Chan: Secret of the Lovely Eyepatch Juden Chan Ladies versus Butlers! Night Head Genesis Princess Princess Ramen Fighter Miki Rio: Rainbow Gate! Strawberry Panic! Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars Yosuga no Sora Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs Yamibou After School Midnighters (short series) Darkness Boy Santa KowabonCheer or Sneer, Mr. Deer? World War Blue Queen's Blade: Wandering Warrior- ''The Ultraman''
Upcoming
Ikki Tousen: Dragon DestinyGenshikenDojin Work- ''Kujibiki Heart''
Former
.hack//QuantumA Certain Magical IndexA Certain Scientific RailgunAesthetica of a Rogue HeroAppleseed XIIIAquarionAquarion EvolAria the Scarlet AmmoB Gata H KeiBaccano!Baka and TestBaki the GrapplerBamboo BladeBasiliskBECK: Mongolian Chop SquadBen-ToBig Windup!Black Blood BrothersBlack ButlerBlack CatBlack LagoonBlassreiterBlood-CBlue GenderBoogiepop PhantomBurst AngelBuso RenkinCCase ClosedCasshern SinsCat Planet CutiesChaos;HeadChobitsChrome Shelled RegiosClaymoreCode: BreakerCorpse PrincessD.Gray-manD-Frag!DanganronpaDarker Than BlackDeadman WonderlandDevil May CryDragon AgeDragon BallDragonaut: The ResonanceEden of the EastEl Cazador de la BrujaErgo ProxyEureka SevenEureka Seven: AOFafner in the AzureFairy TailFractaleFreezingFruits BasketFull Metal Panic!Full Metal Panic? FumoffuFuture DiaryGa-Rei-ZeroGalaxy RailwaysGankutsuou: The Count of Monte CristoGood Luck Girl!GungraveGunslinger GirlHaganaiHaré+GuuHeaven's Lost PropertyHero TalesHeroic AgeHetaliaHigh School DxDHis and Her CircumstancesHoney and Clover- Hunter × Hunter (1999)Hyperdimension NeptuniaIkki TousenIs This a Zombie?JormungandJyu-Oh-SeiKamisama KissKarnevalKaze no StigmaKenichi: The Mightiest DiscipleKiddy GradeKodochaLucky StarLast Exile
- * Last Exile: Fam, the Silver WingLevel ELinebarrels of IronMaken-ki!Michiko and HatchinMonsterMoonPhaseMushishiMy Bride Is a MermaidNabari no OuNanaNegima! Magister Negi MagiNinja NonsenseOh! Edo RocketŌkami-san to Shichinin no NakamatachiOuran High School Host ClubPandalian Peach GirlPhantom: Requiem for the PhantomPing PongPrincess JellyfishRevolutionary Girl UtenaRideBackRobotics;NotesSamurai 7Samurai ChamplooSankareaSasami: Magical Girls ClubSchool RumbleSekireiSengoku Basara: Samurai KingsSerial Experiments LainShakugan no ShanaShangri-LaShigurui: Death FrenzyShikiShingu: Secret of the Stellar WarsSlayers
- * Slayers Evolution-R
- * Slayers Next
- * Slayers Revolution
- * Slayers TrySolty ReiSoul EaterSpice and WolfSpiral: The Bonds of ReasoningSuzukaTenchi Muyo! GXPTenchi Muyo! War on GeminarTetsuwan Birdy: DecodeThe Guyver: Bio-Booster ArmorThe Legend of the Legendary HeroesThe Sacred BlacksmithToTrinity BloodTsubasa: Reservoir ChronicleWitchbladexxxHolic
- ''Yu Yu Hakusho''
Live-action drama series
Shinobi GirlTOKU TalkUltraman Max Ultraman 80 Ultraman NeosUltraman NexusUltraseven X Flesh for the Beast: Tsukiko's Curse The Shaolin Warriors Neo Ultra Q Project X Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle Ultraman Zero: The Chronicle Guardian Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle: Never Ending Odyssey Angels The Legendary Outlaw Ultraman Leo Hot Girl Gridman the Hyper Agent Ultraman Ginga Ultraman Gaia Ultraman Ginga S Samurai Cat Ultraman Mebius Amazing Detective Di Renjie 2 Ultraman Cosmos The Complex Ghost Theater Ultraman X The Chronicle Of A Tai-Chi Master Ultraman Orb MirrormanUpcoming
Amazing Detective Di Renjie 3- ''Young Sherlock''
Anime films
After School MidnightersMazinkaiser SKLKiteKite LiberatorBayonetta: Bloody FateBlood-C: The Last DarkEden of the East: Paradise LostEden of the East: The King of EdenEvangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) AloneEvangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) AdvanceFafner in the Azure: Heaven and EarthFairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix PriestessFullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of MilosGrave of the FirefliesKing of ThornMass Effect: Paragon LostOblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic MirrorOrigin: Spirits of the PastRevolutionary Girl Utena: The MovieSengoku Basara: The Last PartyShakugan no Shana: The MovieSummer WarsTales of VesperiaTenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo in LoveTenchi the Movie 2: The Daughter of DarknessTrigun: Badlands RumbleUrusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer- ''Vexille''