Adult Swim is marking its 25th anniversary with themed programming this week centered on a Robot Chicken 25th Anniversary Special that stages many of the block's strange characters aboard a Titanic-style cruise ship. The special includes cameos such as Fang from Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal and is available to stream on HBO Max, while Toonami segments have also been flagged as part of the anniversary lineup. Early viewer reactions are mixed: some praise the nostalgia and specific bits like a 21/24 scene, others criticize odd character choices, missing legacy figures, and jokes that do not land. Critics and fans pointed out a Toonami segment that highlighted Pikachu, which some said misrepresents Toonami's history with anime on Adult Swim. Creators and reviewers have produced recaps and video overviews that break down the special's references, continuity callbacks, and which legacy franchises are included or omitted. The event is generating fresh roundups and reviews that will shape how Adult Swim packages future anniversary retrospectives and themed nights.
![Henchmen 24 and 21 chilling out on the [as] cruise ship from the [as] 25th special.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:mqmzlieiwppx72wjxf4sty24/bafkreibk4vzl4kpojagtajcojqgv5o4vpmgjgnwjxujz3zl53q3h4iubre)
