Viz Media has announced the launch of the Blue Dragon anime series on the Cartoon Network.  Blue Dragon, which features character designs by Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z), is based on the exclusive X-Box 360 video game developed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of Final Fantasy.  The 51-episode Blue Dragon anime series from Studio Pierrot is rated for ages 7+ and is expected to debut on the Cartoon Network this May.

The Blue Dragon video game has sold over 200,000 units in Japan, which is spectacular considering the X-Box 360's meager share of the Japanese market (many gamers purchased the X-Box just to be able to play the Blue Dragon game).  With a manga series Blue Dragon Ral Grad (published here by Viz Media as Ral Grad) with art by the accomplished Takeshi Obata of Death Note fame, and a series of toys due out from Bandai (see 'Bandai Preps Anime Toys'), to say nothing of its video game connections, Blue Dragon is the kind of multi-media property with enormous take-off potential.