Corona Coming Attractions has the scoop on the new Voltron show coming to Nicktoons:
The lions are sleek, and are recognizably Voltron.

• There’s an expanded, interracial team

• All five post-Sven pilots are there (with a probable Sven cameo)

• The show’s major villains will be returning

• Character design is similar to DC Universe shows like Justice League Unlimited

• There’s an all-new voice cast

See the Nickelodeon press release for more information.

Amazon now has Dragon Ball Z Kai available for pre-order. This version removes all of the filler episodes that were inserted so that the TV series would not get ahead of the manga. This version of the show will also air on Nicktoons in May.

I can’t wait to see how the changes come out in this version. Also, how did Cartoon Network miss out on this one? Nicktoons and Disney XD are quickly becoming my favorite destinations for Sci-Fi animation on TV.

Dragon Ball Z Kai: Season One, Part One

The Wii is not just for Bowling anymore! Nintendo and Netflix have partnered together to provide video streaming on the video game console. I’ve already been enjoying watching Netflix on the TiVo, but I like the interface on the Wii better. With the Tivo, you have to add shows to your instant queue first from a computer. With the Wii, you can browse all the categories from the comfort of your sofa.

The Wii isn’t capable of showing HD, so I’m not abandoning the TiVo just yet. It is also annoying that you have to use a disc to access Netflix on the Wii. But overall, it’s a great avenue for getting my animation fix!

It’s always fun to watch old Streamline Pictures anime becuase they seem to use the same 5 voices for all of their dubs. But I still enjoy Streamline Pics like 8 Man After. Plenty of good action, nice story and good animation that holds up pretty well today. I wish it could have been fleshed out into a full series, instead of an OAV.

The DBZ movies were fun just to see how the DBZ characters have evolved over time. Gohan, the litte kid with so much hidden power. Piccolo, (in Dead Zone) is training for a re-match with his nemisis Goku! And Goku, who hasn’t figured out the Super Saiyan thing yet, relies on his Kaiô-ken to fight his enemies.

Later, I plan to watch Voltron: Fleet of Doom. I’m still mad, reflecting on my elementary school days when all my friends came in and told me how cool it was to see BOTH Voltrons TOGETHER! Of course, I never saw that episode until I was an adult. I may watch some of my DC Animation DVDs too.

What are you watching over the holidays?

Funimation on Wednesday announced that the first episode of its hit anime series Witchblade is now available for free download from the U.S. iTunes Store. It’s available through October 26, 2008.

Read more at MacWorld

In a surprise move the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim has reduced the number of anime series in its Saturday night lineup.  Starting this Saturday, September 13th, Viz Media’s Bleach will lead off the Adult Swim block at 11pm (ET, PT) followed by an episode of FUNimation’s Fullmetal Alchemist.  The previous schedule, which had been announced on August 25th, featured four anime series–FUNimation’s Shin Chan (at midnight ET, PT) followed by Bleach, Bandai’s Code Geass and Media Blasters’ Moribito.

This is disappointing. Cartoon Network & Adult Swim were the most widely-available outlets for Anime in the US. CN/AS was my favorite network when I could watch DBZ, Gundam, Robotech, Inuyash and other Anime shows. Now, the only thing I watch is Bleach. What happened? Is it a shift in strategy at the network, or lack of quality Anime to show on the network? Let me know what you think.

Synopsis: For daredevil mountain climbers Goro Saruwatari and Jack “Lostman” Woodbridge, conquering the highest peeks on Earth is just the beginning. When a virtually limitless energy source is discovered on the moon, and the world’s space agencies join forces to launch a mining operation, Goro and Lostman see their next frontier. But can the super powers of the world really share such a valuable resource? As yet another war erupts in the Gulf, and shadowy government agencies vie for underhanded supremacy in this new frontier, our two adventurers must face their own hardships in their struggle to make their dreams of reaching the moon a reality.  Who will make it there first? Just how far are they willing to go?  What will be waiting for them when they get there?

Moonlight Mile (SRP $29.98 DVD) is a DVD-only anamorphic release including the first four episodes, presented in both English 5.1 and Japanese 5.1 with English subtitles.  Extras include clean opening animation, clean closing animation and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.

DVD Product Details

Volume:                              1 of 3

Running Time:     100 minutes

Age Rating:          TV MA (V, S, L)

CAT:                     DMLM/001

UPC:                     702727186929

Pre-Book Date:   1/22/2008

Street Date:          2/19/2008

Format:                 DVD

SRP:                     $29.98

Product specifications and content configuration subject to change.