Tatami Galaxy author's comedy of shape-shifting raccoon-dogs designed by Zetsubou-Sensei's Kumeta

NIS America confirmed on Friday that it acquired The Eccentric Family anime series for retail release.

The comedy drama is set in Kyoto, where humans, tanuki (shape-shifting raccoon-dogs), and tengu (long-nosed goblins of Japanese folklore) intermingle. In the Shimogamo family of tanuki , Yasaburō lives for whatever strikes his fancy at the moment.

In this summer 2013 anime, P.A. Works adapted a novel by Tomihiko Morimi, the author of The Tatami Galaxy (Yojō-Han Shinwa Taikei) novel that previously inspired a 2010 television anime. Kôji Kumeta (Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, Joshiraku) provided the original character designs for Uchōten Kazoku — the first time he has done so for a project not based on one of his manga.

Takahiro Sakurai plays Yasaburō (pictured as the boy and girl in the center of the image), the Shimogamos' third-oldest son who sometimes takes the form of a high school girl. Junichi Suwabe plays Yaichirō (far right), the oldest son who is earnest but often weak-willed at the last moment. Hiroyuki Yoshino plays Yajirō, the second-oldest son who often assumes the shape of a frog and and goes off into seclusion by himself at a well. Mai Nakahara plays Yashirō (far left), the timid youngest son. Kikuko Inoue plays their mother (top left), an obsessed fan of the all-female theater troupe Takarazuka. Rounding out the main cast is Mamiko Noto as the bewitching girl Benten (topmost) who can be found floating carefreely in the skies.

Also in the cast is Ayane Sakura as Kaisei, Bon Ishihara as Sōichirō Shimogamo, and Hideyuki Umezu as Professor Akadama.

Masayuki Yoshihara (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex episode director, Eden of the East assistant director) made his television series directorial debut with this project. Shôtarô Suga (Lagrange - The Flower of Rin-ne, episodes of Darker than Black) was in charge of the scripts, and Kousuke Kawazura adapted Kumeta's designs for animation. Yoshiaki Fujisawa (Love Live! School idol project) is scoring the music.

Crunchyroll and Hulu have been streaming the anime online.

Thanks to Rukiia for the news tip