HBO Max has officially removed a beloved animated series from its catalog, forcing U.S. subscribers to watch it elsewhere.
The Cartoon Network classic Samurai Jack — which originally aired from 2001 to 2003 before being revived for a fifth and final season in 2017 on Adult Swim — became unavailable to stream in the U.S. going into July.
All five seasons were initially acquired by HBO Max in 2020. They are now only available to stream for free on Adult Swim’s website and app, though with ad breaks.
HBO Max’s decision has left many fans disappointed, with one declaring on X that the platform has “once again fumbled the ball.”
“This is a horrible decision,” a second decried. “Samurai Jack is a masterpiece that deserves to stay streaming right alongside Game of Thrones.”
“Why is HBO max nerfing their own platform omg,” a third questioned. “Removing good shows just to add some bum ass movies/shows.”
“This is your sign to only invest in physical media,” another commented, imploring others to “go grab that show in dvd or blu-ray from Amazon and tell HBO how you feel while helping support the show’s creators at the same time!”
Created by Genndy Tartakovsky, Samurai Jack followed the young samurai Jack on his quest to return to the past and undo the destruction caused by the evil wizard Aku, who had sent him into the future.
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It featured voice actors Phil LaMarr as the titular samurai, Mako Iwamatsu as the evil shapeshifting demon Aku, Grey DeLisle as High Priestess, the leader of the all-female cult Daughters of Aku, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Monkey Boy, a man raised by a tribe of peaceful white apes.
The series marked Tartakovsky’s second animated series for Cartoon Network, following his four-season Nineties classic Dexter’s Laboratory, considered to be the network’s first original series.
It is standard for major streaming platforms to routinely clear some of their offerings as a cost-cutting measure and to manage licensing agreements.
Recently, Netflix announced the much-adored comedy Gilmore Girls would be leaving its U.S. platform June 30 after 12 years.
“It’s a show? It’s a lifestyle. It’s a religion,” the streamer said on X at the time. “We are sorry to say that Gilmore Girls Seasons 1-7 will be leaving Netflix in the US on June 30. Raising a cup of coffee to every fan who visited Stars Hollow with us.”
The news devastated subscribers, prompting several to threaten to delete their accounts.
