The Eccentric Family
Directed by: Masayuki Yoshihara
Written by: Ryou Higaki and Shotaro Suga
Voice cast: Takahiro Sakurai, Atsushi Ono, Ayane Sakura, Bon Ishihara, Hideyuki Umezu, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Junichi Suwabe, Kikuko Inoue, Kosuke Hatakeyama, Mai Nakahara, Mamiko Noto, Mutomu Kiyokawa, Nobuo Tobita, Ryoukichi Takahashi, Takehiko Higuchi.
Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation (YTV)
Air Dates: July 7, 2013 to September 29, 2013
Streaming Free on Crunchyroll

This summer, I had the distinct joy of discovering one of this year’s true gems of anime, The Eccentric Family. The production, directed by Masayuki Yoshihara, whose resume includes Angelic Layer, Dragonball-Z, and Ghost In the Shell-Stand Alone Complex among many others, ran live from July through September on Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation and was simulcast on Crunchyroll, where it now streams free for all users.

The Eccentric Family, or Uchoten Kazoku as it’s known by its Japanese title, takes place in modern day Kyoto and revolves around the trials and tribulations of the Shimogamo family, who are all tanuki, or raccoon dogs. Anyone who has seen Isao Takahata‘s film Tanuki War Pon-Poko knows that tanuki are shape-shifters and tricksters who have learned, somewhat reluctantly, to live among humankind. In this production, however, the tanuki are more than willing participants in society, although still somewhat cautious, and with good reason.

Kill la Kill, Episode 1
“If Only I Had Thorns Like A Thistle”¦”
Directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi
Written by Kazuki Nakashima
Voice Cast: Ami Koshimizu, Ryōka Yuzuki, Toshihiko Seki, Shinichiro Miki, Aya Suzaki, Tetsu Inada, Nobuyuki Hiyama, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Mayumi Shintani
Studio Trigger
Release Date: October 4, 2013
Streaming Free on Crunchyroll

For those anime fans that have been sleeping under a rock all summer, the anime series Kill la Kill has begun streaming on Crunchyroll this month. The series was heavily hyped this summer by fledgling animation studio Trigger, who produced the brilliant one-shot animation Little Witch Academia, also available on Crunchyroll.

Directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi of Gurren Lagann fame, Kill la Kill’s setting is Honnouji Academy, a post-apocalyptic neo-fascist school run by a militaristic student council under the command of its autocratic president, Satsuki Kiryuin. The school’s Disciplinary Committee Chair, Ira Gamagoori, enforces Kiryuin’s iron-fisted rule. “Fear is Freedom! Subjugation is Liberation!” Kiryuin declaims loudly from the parapets as the student body and faculty cower in abject terror below.

Neon Alley
24/7 Streaming Anime Network
Available on Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Launch Date: October 2, 2012
Viz Media
Price: $6.99 Monthly Membership

They say it takes a month to really get to know someone (okay, no one really says that, I just needed to set up this review, okay?). After a month, with any luck, all the quirks and vices that drive us to love or hate someone have began to bubble to the surface. It’s from there that we decide whether to keep the relationship going or not.

Streaming anime network Neon Alley and I have been courting for the past month, and I have got to tell you: things are looking good.

Neon Alley works like no other streaming anime service out right now. Unlike Crunchyroll or Hulu, Neon Alley runs exactly like any cable network with a full slot of programmed shows airing with episode one. It’s a novel idea that harkens back to the days of Cartoon Network’s Toonami.

Okay, a television network that plays all anime, not that special, right? Wrong, dead wrong [says while pointing an accusatory finger].

Love it or hate it, there’s more anime coming to the Marvel universe as Marvel and Sony Pictures Entertainment have announced Iron Man: Rise of Technovore, a feature-length film slated for release on DVD in Spring 2013. The story will be written by Brandon Auman, who previously worked on Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Iron Man Armored Adventures. The film is produced by Madhouse.

Iron Man: Rise of Technovore focuses on a confrontation between Iron Man and Ezekiel Stane, who develops new bio-technology that apparently outclasses the Iron Man armor. After Stane commits a terrorist attack and sets Tony up to take the fall, Iron Man must evade S.H.I.E.L.D. and find a way to clear his name.

The Wing Zero EP
By Richie Branson
Released date: March 20, 2012
Price: Free!

How many of you were fans of the anime Gundam Wing when it was show on Cartoon Network? I know there are a bunch of you out there. I was one of you, still am a fan in fact. The other day I decided to break out the DVDs and started watching the show all over again. It remains a decent show and may have been the first anime any of you ever watched. So, when we got word that there was a new mix-tape from artist Richie Branson based on the show, I just had to take a listen to it. So I’m here to tell you about The Wing Zero EP EP. Now, the good news about this is that the record is free to download right now from Branson’s webpage. The album is worth taking a listen to, especially at that price. It contains 13 tracks, six songs and seven instrumental tracks, and is pretty decent but not as good as I had hoped it would be.