Shiki (manga)

Shiki (屍鬼) is a horror novel by Japanese novelist Fuyumi Ono, originally published in two parts by Shinchosha in 1998, which is later reprinted in five parts in 2002. A manga series adapting the story is drawn by Ryu Fujisaki and currently serialized in Japanese monthly magazine Jump SQ. from December 2007 onwards. An anime adaptation by Daume began broadcasting on July 8, 2010 on Fuji Television. North American anime distributor Funimation Entertainment will simulcast the series on their online video portal.

Plot
The story takes place in a particularly hot summer in the nineties, in a small quiet village called Sotoba. A series of mysterious deaths begin to spread in the village, at the same time when a strange family moves into the long abandoned Kanemasa mansion. Ozaki Toshio, dean of the only hospital in Sotoba, initially suspects an epidemic. But as investigations continue and the deaths begin to pile up, he becomes convinced that they are the work of vampires plaguing the village. A young man named Yuuki Natsuno, who hates living in the village, begins to be pursued and surrounded by death.

Main characters
A 15 year old boy who lives and attends school in Sotoba. He hates living in the village and prefers to be in the city. Originally a city dweller, Natsuno reluctantly moves to Sotoba with his parents when they wanted a change of environment. He often exhibits a cold exterior, especially disliking Megumi Shimizu's presence, who has a crush on him. One of the two main protagonists in the series.
 * Natsuno Yūki/Koide (結城/小出 夏野)

The dean of the hospital in Sotoba, Toshio resigned from university hospital, returning to take up his father's position when he died. He is fondly given a nickname, "Waka-sensei", by his colleagues as well as the residents. Toshio has a dislike to both his mother and his late father, as both of them often put reputation of the Ozaki family before anything else. He is childhood friends with Seishin Muroi and Mikiyasu Yasumori. He is 32 years old and married, as well as being a chain smoker. He is baffled by the mysterious deaths and swears to solve the case and protect his village. One of the two main protagonists in the series.
 * Toshio Ozaki (尾崎 敏夫)

A 13 year old girl who moves into the Kanemasa mansion atop the hill with her family. She has a rare genetic disorder known as SLE, which leads her to stay inside her home during the day and only come out at night. She and her family are fans of the essays and novels written by Seishin Muroi, and is the reason they moved to Sotoba. Sunako dislikes people calling her name with the honorific "chan".
 * Sunako Kirishiki (桐敷 沙子)

Seishin is the local priest in Sotoba, as well as an author in writing novels. His latest work is called Shiki, which translated in English is called Corpse Demon. He has a sense of the supernatural and detects the presence of the real "shiki". He is childhood friends with Toshio Ozaki and Mikiyasu Yasumori. He is 32 years old, single, and once attempted to commit suicide in a drunken state during his university days.
 * Seishin Muroi (室井 静信)

A 15 year old girl attending the same school as Natsuno, Megumi also hates living in the village and longs for city life. She has a one-sided crush on Natsuno and often daydreams of a relationship with him. Megumi encounters the Kirishiki family in the beginning of the series, and disappears without a trace until the residents found her lying in the middle of the forest. She dies from a supposed complicated case of Anemia and is later revived as a shiki.
 * Megumi Shimizu (清水 恵)

Anime
An anime adaptation of the manga version of Shiki was first announced in Japan on December 2009, with the official website unveiled. Although Aniplex was listed as handling production for the anime, the website stated that the company will be in charge of distribution duties while Daume is responsible for the animation production. Gackt makes his first regular cast debut on Shiki, as revealed during Noitamina's late-night timeslot lineup.