AuraNightfall



AuraNightfall is an American adult-oriented programming block that airs nightly between 10PM and 6AM on NF. Its programming consists largely of Aura Television Productions-distributed series, mostly those aimed at adults, as well as anime. Since 2021, anime that would otherwise be aired dubbed on the daytime NF are sometimes aired subtitled as filler on the block. Its anime airings often compliment late-night AnimeCore Extra. The block launched in 2015.

On June 27th, 2021, AuraNightfall announced that its Saturday-night anime block would adopt the "AnimeNight" sub-branding beginning July 10th, 2021, reviving the name for Nicktoons Family's former anime block. The "AnimeNight" branding would be dropped at the end of June 2023, presumably to avoid confusion with sister channel NFCartoons' upcoming "NFCartoons Anime Night" block.

In January 2022, AuraNightfall announced it would gain the 10PM Saturday timeslot from Nickelodeon Family in April 2022 due to a then-upcoming uncut edition of Robot Warriors slated to premiere on the network.

On February 23rd, 2022, AuraNightfall hinted that it would move to Aura proper upon its parent network's Nickelodeon branding license expiration at the end of 2024. However, in November 2022, this move was cancelled as Aura decided instead to invest in first-run programming produced by third-parties for its titular network.

In July 2023, AuraNightfall would have its block extended by an hour to 9PM, with network executives hinting at the possibility of the block gaining an 8PM timeslot in the future.

Programming
Main article: List of programs broadcast by AuraNightfall

Original programming
The majority of AuraNightfall's original series are produced by Aura Television Studios (doing business as "NickFamily Studios" and "NFStudios" until 2024), having been the case since the premiere of Criminal Influences in 2017. Shows the studio worked on for the channel include Sellout Corp, Low Budget entries Washed-Up: A Low Budget Story and Recovery: A Low Budget Story, Journey to the Main Road, and Late-Night Variety.

AuraNightfall has also co-funded or been in the production committees for multiple anime titles, such as the 2022 re-adaptation of Papuwa, Onegai My Melody High School~, XIN, Magical Aichi, Tria, Cardrise Showdown, Racing Complex, and the reboot series for Monster Coins (with ReStart! being aired as an acquisition due to being made for TV Tokyo).

Sub-blocks
AuraNightfall experimented with blocks-within-a-block between 2019 and 2023. In 2019, AuraNightfall introduced both a retro-themed block and AniComi, intended to be extensions of the block. New episodes of the latter had been delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

AuraNightfall later introduced an anime sub-branding, "AnimeNight", for its Saturday-night anime lineup.

In 2022, AniComi was ended (with its two remaining series being spun-off into shows for AuraNightfall proper); reruns of AniComi-era episodes continue via Beta on AC|X, and would return to AuraNightfall in September 2023.

In 2023, the network's retro-themed block would be reduced to one hour following the end of DinoZaurs: The Series, and would be discontinued entirely once the syndication contracts to air That's Convenient and Versus both lapse in September. The "AnimeNight" branding would also be dropped from the network's Saturday-night anime lineup at the end of June 2023, presumably to avoid confusion with NFCartoons' "NFCartoons Anime Night" block.

April Fool's Day stunts

 * In 2022, AuraNightfall aired a previously-unannounced retelling of the OVA series Ayane's High Kick, the retelling of which was produced by Studio Aura and Nikkatsu with animation by Passione. The first episodes of Magical Aichi Mixin! and XIN season two were broadcast afterward. The lineup was re-broadcast at 3AM. Crunchyroll streamed the Ayane's High Kick retelling as it aired on U.S. television, alongside the YTV 2 version of the Magical Aichi Mixin! episode, while Flare+ simulcast the "sneak preview" of XIN season two.
 * An additional prank aired between 10PM and 12AM following Nickelodeon Family's sign-off, featuring episodes of Yumeiro Patissiere SP Professional, Shugo Chara Party!, and Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun in Japanese with subtitles in both English and the Jewel Land Language (despite the channel space having dropped Jewelpet in summer 2021).
 * In 2023, the first two episodes of Galactic Fighter Laserblaster were aired with an English dub that was separate from the official dub, the alternate dub being titled Galactic Fighter: The Origin.

Canada
From 2017 to 2020, YTV Family carried a nightly block of the same name, airing from 11PM to 2AM on Mondays through Thursdays in addition to a Sunday-night anime block briefly in 2019-20. Unlike the US block, the Canadian block wasn't aired every night due to contractual obligations regarding Toonami Canada and YTV Family Fridays. Following Corus' decision to rebrand YTV Family as YTV 2 and reduce the YTV Family branding to a daytime (and eventually morning) block, AuraNightfall Canada was merged into YTV 2 proper.

The brand would return to Canada as a French-language block on Aura Quebec upon said channel's launch. It is unknown whether the block would return to English Canada following the rebranding of YTV 2 into a relaunch of Aura Canada.

Worldwide


On February 23rd, 2022, during the 2022 NFUpfront Semi event, it was announced that AuraNightfall blocks would launch on Aura channels in Germany and Latin America. In addition, a new logo exclusive to said AuraNightfall feeds was also unveiled.

Schedule
Main article: AuraNightfall/Schedule

King of Games
In July 2022, AuraNightfall scrapped development of a tokusatsu series titled King of Games after initially ordering it for 2023. Intended as a tribute to Kazuki Takahashi, Nickelodeon Family executives and Yu-Gi-Oh! fans noted that the show seemed like it was trying to capitalize on Kazuki's passing. The series was to be filmed in Hokkaido before the show was scrapped. Reportedly, not long after scrapping the show, AuraNightfall decided to write-off expenses related to King of Games on their taxes.

On July 31st, 2022, AuraNightfall ordered further original scripted live-action projects for the block scrapped, except for Miss XV: Like Mother, Like Daughter, in the wake of the controversy related to King of Games. Like Mother, Like Daughter was eventually confirmed to only run for one season.

Nickelodeon Family has since announced that they would look for a replacement (subsequently picking up Magic Duo JewelMaker for a full series), and won't commit to trying to adapt Yu-Gi-Oh! into a live-action series in the foreseeable future.