Как разобрать массив на переменные и записать в базу?

Получаю по api массив из данных

$array = array();
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, 'http://shikimori.org/api/animes/31637');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HEADER, false);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_USERAGENT, "User Agent");
if ($content = curl_exec($ch)) {
  $array = json_decode($content, true);  
}
curl_close($ch);
echo '<pre>';
print_r($array);

Массив

Array
(
    [id] => 31637
    [name] => Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri 2nd Season
    [russian] => Врата: Там бьются наши воины — Огнедышащие драконы
    [image] => Array
        (
            [original] => /images/anime/original/31637.jpg?1453660380
            [preview] => /images/anime/preview/31637.jpg?1453660380
            [x96] => /images/anime/x96/31637.jpg?1453660380
            [x48] => /images/anime/x48/31637.jpg?1453660380
        )
    [url] => /animes/31637-gate-jieitai-kanochi-nite-kaku-tatakaeri-2nd-season
    [kind] => tv
    [ongoing] => 1
    [anons] => 
    [status] => ongoing
    [episodes] => 12
    [episodes_aired] => 4
    [rating] => r
    [english] => Array
        (
        )
    [japanese] => Array
        (
            [0] => GATE（ゲート）自衛隊　彼の地にて、斯く戦えり　第２クール
        )
    [synonyms] => Array
        (
            [0] => Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There! Fire Dragon Arc
            [1] => Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite
            [2] => Kaku Tatakaeri - Enryuu-hen
            [3] => Gate Jieitai Kanochi Nite Kaku Tatakaeri 2nd Season
        )
    [aired_on] => 2016-01-09
    [released_on] => 2016-03-26
    [duration] => 23
    [score] => 8.17
    [description] => Second season of the [i]Gate[/i] anime. Adapts Enryuu-hen, and Douran-hen arcs.
    [description_html] => Second season of the Gate anime. Adapts Enryuu-hen, and Douran-hen arcs.
    [favoured] => 
    [thread_id] => 184926
    [world_art_id] => 0
    [myanimelist_id] => 31637
    [ani_db_id] => 0
    [rates_scores_stats] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [name] => 10
                    [value] => 231
                )
            [1] => Array
                (
                    [name] => 9
                    [value] => 99
                )
            [2] => Array
                (
                    [name] => 8
                    [value] => 84
                )
            [3] => Array
                (
                    [name] => 7
                    [value] => 35
                )
            [4] => Array
                (
                    [name] => 6
                    [value] => 15
                )
            [5] => Array
                (
                    [name] => 5
                    [value] => 3
                )
            [6] => Array
                (
                    [name] => 3
                    [value] => 1
                )
            [7] => Array
                (
                    [name] => 1
                    [value] => 1
                )
        )
    [rates_statuses_stats] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [name] => Запланировано
                    [value] => 2303
                )
            [1] => Array
                (
                    [name] => Смотрю
                    [value] => 2023
                )
            [2] => Array
                (
                    [name] => Просмотрено
                    [value] => 34
                )
            [3] => Array
                (
                    [name] => Отложено
                    [value] => 52
                )
            [4] => Array
                (
                    [name] => Брошено
                    [value] => 7
                )
        )
    [genres] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [id] => 2
                    [name] => Adventure
                    [russian] => Приключения
                    [kind] => anime
                )
            [1] => Array
                (
                    [id] => 1
                    [name] => Action
                    [russian] => Экшен
                    [kind] => anime
                )
            [2] => Array
                (
                    [id] => 38
                    [name] => Military
                    [russian] => Военное
                    [kind] => anime
                )
            [3] => Array
                (
                    [id] => 10
                    [name] => Fantasy
                    [russian] => Фэнтези
                    [kind] => anime
                )
        )
    [studios] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [id] => 56
                    [name] => A-1 Pictures Inc.
                    [filtered_name] => A-1 Pictures Inc.
                    [real] => 1
                    [image] => /images/studio/original/56.?1434707196
                )
        )
    [videos] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [id] => 11435
                    [url] => http://youtu.be/oPfeTTcZGhs
                    [image_url] => http://shikimori.org/images/31637
                    [player_url] => http://youtube.com/embed/oPfeTTcZGhs
                    [name] => 
                    [kind] => PV
                    [hosting] => youtube
                )
            [1] => Array
                (
                    [id] => 12579
                    [url] => http://youtu.be/TrwXsOTWUeU
                    [image_url] => http://shikimori.org/images/31637
                    [player_url] => http://youtube.com/embed/TrwXsOTWUeU
                    [name] => 
                    [kind] => PV
                    [hosting] => youtube
                )
        )
    [screenshots] => Array
        (
        )
    [user_rate] => 
)

Как его разобрать на переменные для записи в базу? + будет даже ссылка или информация куда копать в эту сторону

UPD: Пробовал разобрать массив и добавить их в базу вот так:

$name=($array["name"]);
$russian=($array["russian"]);
$kind=($array["kind"]);
$status=($array["status"]);
$episodes=($array["episodes"]);
$episodes_aired=($array["episodes_aired"]);;
$aired_on=($array["aired_on"]);
$released_on=($array["released_on"]);
$duration=($array["duration"]);
$description=($array["description"]);
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "root";
$password = "";
$dbname = "Animebase";
// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
} 
$sql = "INSERT INTO anime (name , russian , kind , status, episodes, episodes_aired, aired_on, released_on, duration, description ) VALUES('$name' , '$russian' , '$kind' , '$status', '$episodes', '$episodes_aired', '$aired_on', '$released_on', '$duration', '$description' )"or die("Ошибка…"); 
if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
    echo "New record created successfully";
} else {
    echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . $conn->error;
}
$conn->close(); 

В итоге всё вставляется вроде бы хорошо, кроме русских слов, вместо них вставляется ОÑомацу-Ñан Сравнение в таблице выбрано UTF8_General_ci

UPD2 добавил строку mysqli_set_charset($conn,"utf8"); русские символы отправились нормально