I almost skipped the movie mention, because the only release I am aware of, Earth’s Final Hours, is a made-for-Syfy schlockfest that even the Syfy channel won’t admit to any more. If you have to have a movie this week, at least Freeloaders is silly fun, even if it isn’t genre.
TV does better, with Douglas Adam’s holistic detective Dirk Gently coming out. If you haven’t seen the show yet, it is quite true to the book. Also out, Dark Matters: Twisted but True is hosted by John Noble (the mad scientist from Fringe) and run on the Science Channel. considering the subject matter they made an excellent selection for the host.
In Anime, Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan is a story about a boy who is a middle school student by day, and a Yokai, or Spirit/Monster/Demon, by night. His grandfather is leader of the clan, and he must decide whether to take over in his grandfathers place, or become fully human and abandon his heritage. Hyakko: Complete Series is about a crazy school girl who makes robot clones of herself and creates havoc wherever she goes. You guessed it, Hyakko is a comedy.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a much more serious tale, following the struggles of two children and an adult who band together in their fight to return home to their families in the aftermath of a quake centered on Tokyo itself. They make their way through seemingly insurmountable obstacles past heartbreaking scenes without knowing if their families are even still alive.