The last few weeks have been huge for Viz Anime & Kekkaishi! Excitement continues building in the subtitled version of the series here on Viz Anime, and last weekend Adult Swim broadcast the premiere episode of the English dub!

Kekkaishi spotlights compelling cool characters, in an intense yet fun-filled supernatural action adventure saga. It possesses all of the hallmarks of great anime. We are very excited to add Kekkaishi to the Adult Swim anime lineup for U.S. fans to enjoy!

As of today, the subtitled versions of episodes 1 - 13 are no longer available on Viz Anime, but the first dubbed episode is available for FREE in all of the following places:

- iTunes [click to download]

- AdultSwim.com [click to watch]

- Zune / Xbox Marketplace [Search for "Kekkaishi" on your Xbox console or Zune player]

- PlayStation Network [Look for the series under "Video > TV Shows > Anime > Viz Media"]

New episodes will continue airing on Adult Swim every Saturday night at 12:30AM (Eastern & Pacific time) right after FMA: Brotherhood. Check the Adult Swim schedule for details. Each week new dubbed episodes will be available for purchase from iTunes, Zune / Xbox, PlayStation Network a day or so after they air on Adult Swim, with Amazon Video-on-Demand sales coming soon. Each episode will also be available for a limited time on AdultSwim.com.

We launched another update of the vizanime.com site over this past weekend, with improvements in user comment displays, and a new poll function. Stay tuned because we're going to have fun with this new poll system over the next few months. And if you haven't caught up with the One Piece anime, our most recent addition to the site, now's the perfect time as episodes 1-114 are now up, and we continue with the current Impel Down storyline with episode 448 this week. This month also brings some exciting series into the fold, so stay tuned for those as well...

In Kekkaishi volume 20, the overarching theme of it seems to be the complex relationship between brothers. Yoshimori and Masamori have always been at odds. Perhaps all siblings are, as they compete with each other and for their parent's attention.

With the Sumimura brothers, the stakes are rather high. The two are in conflict over who is the true heir to the guardianship of the Karasumori Site. Yoshimori is pretty transparent about his feelings and thoughts, and he's the character we follow most closely in the story. We know what motivates Yoshimori: his desire to protect others. Plus, there's his secret love for Tokine. (Shhhh!) But even though we readers get glimpses of Yoshimori's life beyond what Masamori sees, he remains a mystery. What is the true motivation behind his actions and work with the Shadow Organization?

Despite their differences though, Yoshimori and Masumori look out for each other and are quick to rush to the other's aid.

Also in Kekkaishi volume 20, the Ogi brothers provide a contrast to the Sumimura brothers. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but let's just say that the Ogi clan sometimes sticks together a bit too much, and sometimes a bit too little...

Part of the conflict between Masamori and Yoshimori is that Masamori, as the older brother, thinks he should be the most powerful and competent. Older siblings might seem better at everything when you're younger, but don't worry. Once everyone grows up, these differences even out.

Siblings will always have different personalities, strengths, and weaknesses — no matter what their age. Even identical twins vary in their actions and choices. So I don't think there's really any point in competing. Instead, develop your individual talents and enjoy the balance provided by your sisters and brothers. Let your math-savvy brother help you with your geometry homework, and use your fashion sense to help your less visually-talented brother dress for his hot date!

I remember the day my big sister taught me how to draw a horse. She was six years older than me, and I was crying because she could draw better. In the end, lo and behold, I liked my horse drawing better! From that day on, I realized I wasn't inferior to her, just younger. Nowadays I still like my artwork better than my sister's, but she is a far better musician!

— Annette Roman, Kekkaishi manga editor
 

Joso! Ketsu! Metsu! Tenketsu! Welcome to Kekkaishi, the magical anime about two rival Kekkaishi (barrier masters) who go to school by day and fight supernatural beasts by night. VIZ Anime is proud to launch with a whopping 21 episodes of this comical yet action-packed anime today, with new episodes available on Mondays.