Anime News Network has discovered that the Blood+ anime series, produced by Production I.G. and Sony's anime studio Aniplex, will be broadcast on the Cartoon Network (undoubtedly during the late night Adult Swim block).  The 50-episode Blood+ series, which aired in Japan from October 2005 to September 2006, is a sequel to Production I.G.'s anime feature, Blood: The Last Vampire, which was enormously successful here in the U.S. when it was released by Manga Entertainment in 2001 (see 'Blood: The Last Vampire Sets Manga Record').

For the Blood+ TV series it is Sony Pictures Television that controls North American rights, which has been a matter of concern for some anime fans given SPT's handling of other anime TV series such as the new Astro Boy and Cyborg 009, though getting Blood+ on the Cartoon Network is certainly a marketing coup. 

Given the popularity of vampire-themed anime series (and the truly creepy qualities of the Chiroptera), Blood+ is certainly a property to keep a close eye on.   It has the kind of highly detailed backstory (stretching back to the early 19th Century) that fans love, and it has spawned three different manga series and two novels, which, if the anime proves popular, should find their way to the North American market.