This week, the Crunchyroll video streaming and media distribution site announced more initiatives.

Early in the week, a new production became available on the site, Organic Co. Ltd's Catblue: Dynamite, written and directed by Romanov Higa, a rising star in the industry. This English-dubbed 3D CG title, which appeared earlier this year at Italy's Future Film Festival, will be available on the "open pricing" system. It can either be watched for free directly on the Crunchyroll site, or downloaded.

Donations of $0.01 to $1.99 will allow PC HD download only; $2.00 to $4.99 will make the film available for PC HD download, iPod, and PSP formats; and donating $5.00 or more will snag access to all those formats plus a free Catblue: Dynamite sword.

The animation uses a 70s-style atmosphere to tell a story of a girl called "Blue," with cat ears and a tail, who uses her ability to see ghosts (along with a few other special talents) to help two friends who get caught up in a mob race to find a missing tape.

Crunchyroll's Head of Licensing, Rob Pereyda, states that members of his community will not only be able to download and watch this title, but "will also be able to directly help in the continuation and development of future Catblue: Dynamite anime." Meanwhile, Organic, a Tokyo company that started as a producer of manga- and anime-based collectibles and action figures, is pleased with the reception its first anime title is receiving, and looks forward to the merchandising opportunities that will grow out of the relationship.

Meanwhile, on October 3, Crunchyroll and GDH/Gonzo continued their own partnership and promised a same-day simulcast of the anime mecha, Linebarrels of Iron, as it launches its run in Japan. Crunchyroll has a huge community of mecha fans, according to CEO Kun Gao, so he views this run of the 24-episode series as a sort of win-win situation all around. With the simulcasts, as well as free online viewing and download-to-own options, he thinks illegal piracy activities can be curtailed, and the anime will become well-known very quickly, all over the world.

The episodes will appear on the website at 12:45 p.m. PST, presumably on Fridays since that's the day the first episode is appearing, to coordinate with their showing in Japan. Each one can be watched for free on the website, while download-to-own prices are $1.99/episode for PC only, or $2.99/episode for PC, iPod, and PSP formats.

This new series features a young man named Kouichi, who is injured by a falling satellite and awakens six months later with special powers. Some time afterward, a gigantic humanoid robot named "Linebarrel" appears, and together Kouichi and Linebarrel engage in many battles and adventures.

The anime is adapted from the nine-volume comic series that spanned 2005 to 2007, and the Crunchyroll press release describes it as "visually spectacular." With Gonzo's Blassreiter now coming to an end on the site, this new series will be a welcome addition to its offerings, and will please a great many mecha fans.