The Sunrise Ogikubo anime studio had adapted Katsuhiro Otomo and Shinji Kimura's Hipira-kun picture book as a children's television anime series last December, but it was shown with traditional 2D television technology. The computer-animated 3D footage will be screened at this month's event using Panasonic's new 3D Viera television and 3D-compatible DIGA Blu-ray Disc player.

The story of the picture book and anime follows a young vampire boy named Hipira who lives in Salta, an eternally dark city of vampires. He goes on a series of adventures with the rest of the town's residents.

Before Hipira-kun, Otomo created Akira, Steamboy, and Memories, and he directed or co-directed the anime for all of these. Kimura directed Deathtic 4 and drew backgrounds for the Angel's Egg, Akira, and Steamboy anime before illustrating the original Hipira-kun book and directing its anime version. Dark Horse Comics published the picture book in North America in 2005.

Source: animeanime.jp

Image © Katsuhiro Otomo, Mushroom, Shinji Kimura/Hipira-kun Production Committee