The Japanese entertainment figure Gackt has announced on Sunday that he will play the role of Seishirō Kirishiki in the Shiki anime series. Gackt appeared in a pre-recorded video message during the Sunday press conference for Fuji TV's Noitamina late-night timeslot's lineup in 2010. The Shiki role will be Gackt's first role in the regular cast of a television anime series. The 22-episode anime adaptation of Fuyumi Ono and Ryu Fujisaki's manga will premiere in July.

The official website for the Shiki television anime series is now streaming a 84-second promotional video. The video first premiered during Sunday's press conference for Fuji TV's late-night Noitamina lineup in 2010. The anime adapts Fuyumi Ono and Ryu Fujisaki's Shiki horror mystery manga about an isolated mountain village, steeped in ancient traditions, whose population of 1,300 starts dying in droves due to mysterious causes. Eventually, it becomes clear that vampires are attacking the town. Ono had previously written the original novels for The Twelve Kingdoms and Ghost Hunt, while Fujisaki is best known for drawing the Hoshin Engi/Soul Hunter manga. The 22-episode anime will premiere in July with entertainment figure Gackt in the role of Seishirō Kirishiki.