Funimation Entertainment announced today that it had acquired broadcast, digital and home entertainment rights to the 13-episode Ikki Tousen anime series, which was produced by J.C. Staff and broadcast in Japan in 2003.  The first Ikki Tousen anime was previously released in the U.S. by Geneon, but when Funimation announced that it had acquired a number of Geneon series last summer (see “Funimation to Distribute Select Geneon Titles”), Ikki Tousen was not one of the series mentioned and in today’s announcement Funimation specifically noted that it had licensed the series directly from Enoki Films.

Tokyopop is publishing Yuji Shiozaki’s original Ikki Tousen manga series under the English title Battle Vixens.  The 14th and final volume in the series is due for release here on February 10th, 2009.  Shiozaki’s seinen manga followed the martial arts adventures of a number of well-endowed high school girls who are possessed by the spirits of warriors from the bloody Three Kingdoms period in China (roughly184 AD-280 AD). 

Like the manga, the Ikki Tousen anime series, which was originally released here by Geneon in 2007, is filled with fan service.  A second anime series, Ikki Tousen: Dragon Destiny, aired in Japan in early 2007.  In 2007 Media Blasters announced that it has acquired the rights to the 12-episode Dragon Destiny, but has not released any DVDs from the series.  A third Ikki Tousen series aired in Japan from June to August last summer.

Funimation also announced the test launch of its new streaming video service (funimation.com/video), which will offer hundreds of high quality, full length episodes, including many full series.  Episodes of Aquarion, Black Blood Brothers, Darker Than Black, Guyver, Gunslinger Girl II, Negima 2, Ouran High School Host Club, Romeo x Juliet, Sigurui: Death Frenzy, and STRAIN: Strategic Armored Infantry are currently available and new episodes will be rolled out each week including examples of series currently airing in Japan.  The videos can be streamed for free or downloaded for a fee.

The new site features a higher-quality video player, both subtitled and English-dubbed episodes, Flash video streaming, same-screen video playback (without a pop-up window), an expandable video player, and a lower lights feature.