Sankarea

Sankarea
Cover of the first manga volume
さんかれあ
Genre	Romantic comedy
Manga
Written by	Mitsuru Hattori
Published by	Kodansha
English publisher	NA Kodansha Comics USA
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine
Original run	December 2009 – ongoing
Volumes	7 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed by	Mamoru Hatakeyama
Written by	Noboru Takagi
Music by	Yukari Hashimoto
Studio	Studio Deen
Licensed by	NA Funimation Entertainment UK MVM Films
Network	TBS
Original run	April 5, 2012 – June 28, 2012
Episodes	12 + 3 OVA (List of episodes)
Anime and Manga Portal

Sankarea (さんかれあ^?) is a romantic comedy manga written and illustrated by Mitsuru Hattori about a deceased girl who becomes a zombie. It is published in Japan by Kodansha. The manga has been serialized in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine since December 2009, with six complete volumes released as of 8 June 2012. An anime television adaptation by Studio Deen aired in Japan from April 5, 2012 to June 28, 2012.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Characters 2.1 Main characters 2.2 Furuya family 2.3 Other characters 3 Media 3.1 Manga 3.2 Anime 3.2.1 Episode list 4 Reception 5 References 6 External links

Plot

Chihiro Furuya is a male high school student with a keen interest in zombies, collecting zombie-related videogames, film and manga, and even to the point of desiring to "kiss a zombie girl". Following the death of his pet cat, Bābu, he attempts to revive it using an old manuscript, which describes the process of creating a potion for resurrection. At this time, he encounters a girl named Rea Sanka, who has run away from home. In an attempt to commit suicide, she drinks a sample of the "resurrection" potion which is created from the poisonous Hydrangea macrophylla flower, although this fails to kill her. Following an argument with her father, she falls from a cliff by accident and dies. However, as a result of the potion, she becomes a zombie who eats hydrangea leaves to survive

Characters

Main characters

Chihiro Furuya (降谷 千紘 Furuya Chihiro^?)

Voiced by: Ryōhei Kimura

Chihiro is the protagonist of the story who has a zombie obsession/fetish. He uses an old manuscript to make a "resurrection" potion so that he can bring his dead cat back to life as a zombie. He goes at an abandoned building at night after his pet cat Bābu's death. He performs his research of bringing the dead back to life in the old abandoned building; he sometimes see Rea going at the well near the building and shouting her problems about her lifestyle. He promised Rea that he'd take responsibility if she becomes a zombie. After Rea moved to his residence, he conducts research on preserving Rea's body on a tent in his own room. He wants his first kiss to be given by a female zombie, which he experienced firsthand when Rea kissed him, due to lack of the herb used for the potion. He also experienced becoming a half-zombie, revealed after being stabbed by Dan'ichirō with a fencing sword. This is due to Rea licking clean a wound that he acquires after she prevents him from being hit by a car (although the effects were only temporary). He also enjoys seeing Rea dressed as a Bunny Girl or a Nurse. Despite the fact that he's not interested in living girls, he managed to fall in love with Rea when she was still alive, and confesses to her while Rea tries to devour him, which brings her to her senses. He tries to approach to her; however, he has difficulties given the incident and Rea's own embarrassment. He is named after Lucio Fulci.

Rea Sanka (散華 礼弥 Sanka Rea^?)

Voiced by: Maaya Uchida

Rea is the heroine of the story who steals and drinks some of the zombie potion made by Chihiro in an attempt to commit suicide because of years of sexual abuse by her father. She fails in the attempt, but she resurrects as zombie when she accidentally falls of a cliff and dies. As a zombie, she lives together with Chihiro in order to know how it feels to become free from her father's chains. In chapter 12, she does some gestures and calls Mero "Mero-chan", similar to how Mrs. Furuya was remembered by Mero. She likes Chihiro and feels like she is bothering or interrupting Chihiro and Ranko's relationship, although later Ranko encourages her that she should try harder, and does so, albeit with embarrassment. She seems to understand Bābu and is also revealed to be so far the only zombie that Jogorō and Darin have seen to defy her instincts at the 2nd stage of zombification, possibly due to her having drunk the medicine before dying (which Darin suggested that no other zombie has done). She's also physically strong, since her body is no longer restrained by her brain as a result of her death. Her name is a pun on "sangria", the Japanese title of "Zombi 2".

Ranko Saōji (左王子 蘭子 Saōji Ranko^?)

Voiced by: Sayuri Yahagi

Ranko is the first cousin of Chihiro. Often called Wanko by Chihiro, at times she also keeps on saying that Chihiro should use "-san" after her name. She likes teasing Chihiro and Rea as well. She likes Chihiro and develops a rivalry with Rea. She eventually confesses to Chihiro, but realizes before answering that he loves Rea; however, she is fine with her unrequited love.

Furuya family

Mero Furuya (降谷 萌路 Furuya Mero^?)

Voiced by: Yuka Iguchi

Mero is the younger sister of Chihiro. Unlike Chihiro, she is obsessed with ghosts. She doesn't remember much about her mother except for the fact that her hands are wrapped in bandages. In some of her memories of her mother, she remembered her mother asking about her fever, stating that she forgot that she can't tell temperature. She sees her mother's image in Rea, accidentally calling her mother. It has been heavily implied in the manga that her mother may have actually been a zombie, due to her inability to tell temperature (like Rea) and parting with the reason that she loves them a lot, possibly hinting at her trying to leave before her zombie instincts take over. She is named after George A. Romero.

Jogorō Furuya (降谷 茹五郎 Furuya Jogorō^?)

Voiced by: Shirō Saitō

Jogorō is Chihiro and Mero's grandfather also known as Professor Boil. He's the creator of the recipe for the Resurrection potion. He was a well respected professor in the United States researching zombies, and performed a multitude of experiments with them. He however left his research for unknown reasons, and although he still has great knowledge of zombies he rarely says something useful due to his senility, which is hinted to be caused by his consumption of hydrangea leaves--which are poisonous. After discovering Rea in the shower, he mistakes her for someone by the name of Sada. He occasionally states how Sada has been resurrected but no one ever knows who he is talking about, considering that was not his wife's name. People then dismiss it as being caused by his senility.

Doon Furuya (降谷 呶恩 Furuya Doon^?)

Voiced by: Seirō Ogino

Chihiro and Mero's father and also the priest at the Shiryō-ji temple.

Yuzuna Furuya (降谷 柚菜 Furuya Yuzuna^?)

Voiced by: Yurika Hino

Chihiro and Mero's late mother, who died prior to the series. It is heavily implied that she was a zombie before she died.

Bābu (ばーぶ^?)

Voiced by: Misato Fukuen

Bābu is Chihiro's pet cat that died in a car accident three days prior to the start of the series, that was brought back to life by Chihiro while doing research of resurrection on him. Rea seems to understand Bābu as a zombie. Like Rea, his body is not restrained by his brain and was able to kill a much bigger fox. However, unlike Rea, he has not been able to stave off his zombie instincts.

Other characters

Dan'ichirō Sanka (散華 団一郎 Sanka Dan'ichirō^?)

Voiced by: Unshō Ishizuka

Dan'ichirō is the overprotective father of Rea. His love for his daughter is almost incestuous, and has a habit of taking pictures of his daughter, on her birthdays he would take a complete naked shot of his daughter. After being convinced by Chihiro about Rea's desire to live a life of a normal girl, he accepts Chihiro as Rea's protector. He also warned Chihiro that there should be no "sexual intercourse before marriage" possibly hinting that he accepts Chihiro as a man for his daughter. He later decides to leave for the United States, probably to find a way to cure Rea. He is named after Dan O'Bannon.

Aria Sanka (散華 亜里亜 Sanka Aria^?)

Voiced by: Mayumi Asano

Aria is Rea's stepmother. She used to be a maid for Dan'ichirō and was trained under a long-standing tradition in the Sanka family that future heirs are to marry the best of the maids. Dan'ichirō however met and married Rea's mother which he loved dearly until her death while giving birth to Rea. Although Dan'ichirō married Aria, he does not give her real attention instead watching over Rea, which has made their relationship a strained one at best. She secretly despises Rea due to how she's loved by everyone. She tried to seduce Chihiro after finding out Rea is zombie, but he rejected her.

Darin Arciento Kurumiya (来宮・ダリン・アーシェント Kurumiya Darin Āshento^?)

Voiced by: Aiko Kusumi

Jogorō Furuya's former assistant, who wishes to use Rea as a research subject. She has great knowledge of zombies but is still inferior to Jogorō's, although the fact that she's more reliable than Jogorō for information creates a give-and-take relationship with both Chihiro and Rea. Although she slowly begins to change this given that Rea treats her as a friend. She has a modified zombie owl named 18 (トワ Towa^?). She also works for Jogorō's former organization, ZOMA. She is named after Dario Argento and Japanese voice actress Ryōko Kinomiya.

Media

Manga

The original manga by Mitsuru Hattori began serialization in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine from December 2009. As of November 9, 2012, there have been seven volumes published.^[1] Kodansha have also licensed the series in North America under the title Sankarea: Undying Love.^[2]

No.	Japanese release date	Japanese ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	July 16, 2010[3]	ISBN 978-4-06-384341-5	June 11, 2013[4]	ISBN 978-1-61262-351-1
2	December 9, 2010[5]	ISBN 978-4-06-384412-2	August 13, 2013[6]	ISBN 978-1-61262-352-8
3	March 9, 2011[7]	ISBN 978-4-06-384453-5	October 29, 2013[8]	ISBN 978-1-61262-353-5
4	August 9, 2011[9]	ISBN 978-4-06-384529-7	—	—
5	February 9, 2012[10]	ISBN 978-4-06-384623-2	—	—
6	June 8, 2012[11]	ISBN 978-4-06-384682-9	—	—
7	November 9, 2012[1]	ISBN 978-4-06-384762-8	—	—

Anime

An anime television series based on the manga was announced in the October 2011 issue of Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine, and aired in Japan between April 5, 2012 and June 28, 2012.^[12] An original video animation episode was released with the limited edition sixth volume of the manga on June 8, 2012.^[13] The opening theme is "Figment" (絵空事 Esoragoto^?) by nano.RIPE while the ending theme is "Above Your Hand" by Annabel. The series has been licensed in North America by Funimation Entertainment.^[14] MVM Films has licensed the series in the United Kingdom.^[15]

Episode list

No.	Title	Original airdate
01	"If I... Became... a Zombie" "Watashi ga... Zonbi ni... Nattara" (私が…ゾンビに…なったら)	April 5, 2012
Chihiro Furuya is a zombie-loving otaku who becomes depressed when his pet cat, Bābu, dies after being hit by a car. Wanting to see him alive again, Chihiro looks into an old manuscript describing resurrection and starts doing experiments in an abandoned building. While there, he encounters a girl named Rea Sanka, who is depressed about how controlled her life is. When Rea learns that Chihiro had been eavesdropping on her secret rants, she decides to help him in his experiments, warming up to the idea that, if she were to become a zombie, Chihiro would take responsibility and look after her.
02	"I... Succeeded" "Seikō... Shiteta" (成功…してた)	April 12, 2012
As Rea climbs up a cliff edge to retrieve a plant for Chihiro to use in his resurrection formula, she recalls how she had always been restricted by her father, Dan'ichirō, who showed obsessive levels of love for her and kept her from making any friends. She finds a hydrangea plant to use in the formula, taking a small sample of it herself before feeding it to Bābu, though he doesn't appear to come back to life, prompting Chihiro to give up his experiments. As they part ways, Chihiro and his cousin, Ranko Saōji, discover that Bābu has indeed come to life while Rea, punished further by Dan'ichirō, decides to drink the formula she stole in the hopes of killing herself.
03	"Sanka... Rea" "Sanka... Rea" (さんか…れあ)	April 19, 2012
As Rea awakens to find her suicide attempt has failed, she overhears Dan'ichirō plotting to castrate Chihiro. As Rea sneaks out in order to warn Chihiro, Chihiro chases after the resurrected Bābu to a hydrangea field, where he spots Rea at the top of a cliff. As Dan'ichirō approaches her, Rea decides to stand against him before Bābu climbs up there as well. As Dan'ichirō prepares to attack Bābu, Rea takes the attack and is knocked off the cliff, tearing her stomach on a tree branch and dying. However, because of the potion she drank, she comes back to life as a zombie.
04	"A Normal... Girl..." "Futsū no... Onnanoko..." (普通の…女の子…)	April 26, 2012
Chihiro takes Rea back to his room, trying to keep her a secret from the others. As Chihiro goes out to apologize to Ranko, Rea has a brief encounter with Chihiro's grandfather, Jogorō. When Chihiro returns later that day, he finds Rea has become dazed and is showing signs of rigor mortis, bringing him to the realization that her corpse will rot if he doesn't do something soon.
05	"Being a Zombie... Means..." "Zonbitte... Koto wa..." (ゾンビって…コトは…)	May 3, 2012
As Chihiro tries to think of a way to preserve Rea's body, he hides her in his closet while he cleans the temple, where he hears from Jogorō that he was the one who originally made the resurrection potion. As Ranko looks in Chihiro's room for some DVDs, she is suddenly pounced on by Rea who starts fondling her. As Chihiro pulls Rea off of her, she grabs and kisses him.
06	"Because... I Met You" "Anata ni... Deaeta kara" (あなたに…出会えたから)	May 10, 2012
As Chihiro tries to explain things to Ranko, Rea follows Bābu to a field of hydrangea leaves and eats some, which helps her regain her senses and cure her rigor mortis. Jogorō explains to Chihiro that Rea needs to continue eating hydrangea leaves to avoid becoming a corpse, though mentions it is not a permanent solution. As Chihiro manages to convince his father to let Rea stay at their home, he begins recording his observations of her. As Chihiro and Rea take a walk that night, Rea ends up injuring Chihiro slightly while saving him from a car and begins curiously licking his wounds.
07	"Childhood... Friend..." "Osana... Najimi..." (おさな…なじみ…)	May 17, 2012
As Ranko gets Chihiro to help out with her family's deliveries, she recalls how she first met him and came to understand his obsession with zombies. After being saved by Chihiro from a stray dog, Ranko eventually came to fall in love with him. Back in the present, she attempts to kiss Chihiro but backs off and runs away, resolving to not lose to Rea.
08	"Fake... Freedom..." "Itsuwari no... Jiyū..." (偽りの…自由…)	May 24, 2012
As Chihiro continues his observations, Rea asks him to take her to the mall, unaware they are being tailed by some of Dan'ichirō's henchmen. As Chihiro goes to get some lunch, Rea is approached by Chihiro's classmate, Yasutaka, who tries to pull the moves on her. The henchmen move in to abduct Rea but she manages to fight them off with her zombie strength. However, the henchmen change their plans and abduct Chihiro instead, bringing him towards Dan'ichirō.
09	"Mother's... Hand..." "Haha no... Te..." (母の…手…)	May 31, 2012
This episode focuses on Chihiro's little sister, Mero. She and her classmates, Ichie Shinoda and Miko Yasaka, become curious about the strange actions of their teacher, Mizuki Yamanouchi, suspecting she may be a zombie. They soon learn Yamanouchi had been secretly keeping a pet crocodile and feeding it at school. Later, as they discuss stories about zombies, Mero recalls about her late mother who she remembered having cold hands. As she makes an offering to her grave, she runs into Rea, who ends up reminding her of her mother.
10	"Strong... Affections..." "Tsuyoi... Omoi..." (強い…思い…)	June 7, 2012
As Chihiro is strapped to a chair waiting for Dan'ichirō to call for him, he meets Dan'ichirō's wife and Rea's stepmother, Aria. Aria explains how she had joined the Sanka family as a maid in the hope of winning Dan'ichirō's love. However, Dan'ichirō instead fell in love with a 15-year-old girl who inevitably died after giving birth to Rea. Although Aria was eventually able to marry Dan'ichirō, he was more focused on Rea than her. Aria later learned the truth that Dan'ichirō's feelings for Rea are not because of fatherly love, but because of her resemblance to her mother. As Rea rushes towards the mansion, Chihiro is brought before Dan'ichirō, who becomes determined to protect Rea.
11	"It's... Nothing... Special..." "Tokubetsu... Nanka ja... nai..." (特別…なんかじゃ…ない…)	June 21, 2012
Dan'ichirō and Chihiro engage on a duel of fencing, and Rea arrives at her home looking for Chihiro. Dan'ichirō's maids capture her and started cosplaying her by maids. Using her zombie strength, Rea manages to escape and continues searching for Chihiro. At the fencing venue, Chihiro trash talks Dan'ichirō about being a nonsense father. Dan'ichirō, furious yet keeping his cool, pierces Chihiro and Rea suddenly arrives. Dan`ichirō was surprised of Chihiro's survival on the attack and Chihiro delivers a headbutt on Dan'ichirō. Dan'ichirō now intensely angry and attempts to slash Chihiro but Rea quickly parries Dan'ichirō's attack and reiterates her freedom. Chihiro lectures Dan'ichirō and reasons Rea's freedom. Impressed on Chihiro's words and promise, Dan'ichirō decides to let Rea stay on Chihiro and warns not to deflower her. After their conversation, Dan'ichirō left Japan and heads to America in search for the cure of Rea's ailment. Meanwhile at the Furuya residence, Chihiro wakes up and sees Rea wearing a nurse costume. Ranko arrives and introduces herself to Rea, posing as Chihiro's fiancee. Rea realizes based on the actions of Ranko towards Chihiro that she loves him.
12	"At That Moment... I..." "Ano Shunkan... Ore wa..." (あの瞬間…俺は…)	June 28, 2012
As Chihiro is still trying to find a way to preserve Rea's body, Rea expresses interest in a fireworks festival. As Mero mentions to Chihiro about how Rea wants to go to school, rain cancels the fireworks festival, though Ranko suggests that they hold a smaller fireworks session at the shrine. As Ranko helps Rea change into a yutaka, she confesses she is in love with Chihiro and wants Rea to be her love rival. As Rea decides to start going to school again, she suddenly enters a trance and jumps on Chihiro, biting his lip in the process.

OVA

No.	Title	Release date
00	"Fate is... Really..." "Unmeitte... Yatsu wa..." (運命って…ヤツは…)	June 8, 2012
Seven months before Chihiro first met Rea, he, his father, Mero and Ranko travel to Tohoku to help sort and move large book collection of father's brother. Along the way, they pass a bridge that seems familiar to Chihiro somehow, which leads him to question why he remembers so little about his mother, Yuzuna. Meanwhile, Rea, who had just finished middle school, faces abuse from Aria as she vents her drunken frustrations on her. As Chihiro helps clean up the books, he discovers a box containing a book about bringing back the dead. Despite being told it is worthless, Chihiro becomes interested in it and keeps it for himself. As Chihiro gets lost whilst trying to follow Ranko and Mero to a waterfall, he comes across an open air bath where he briefly encounters Rea before running off, which ends up smudging the book a little.
14	"Body of a Zombie... Heart of a..." "Mi wa Zonbi ni... Kokoro wa..." (身はゾンビに…心は…)	November 9, 2012
As Aria feels lonely without Dan'ichirō, she falls asleep in the bath. Meanwhile, Chihiro and his family discover a strange girl lying under their temple, who doesn't appear to want to say a word to anyone. When Rea searches for her when it is time for dinner, she is pushed down the stairs. The next day, they discover all the nearby hydrangea leaves have been torn apart, and later that night Rea spots the girl making a move on Chihiro. As Rea suspects the girl of being behind the incidents, the girl hits herself to place blame on Rea. As Chihiro backs Rea up on her suspicions, the girl reveals herself to be Aria who reigns hail down everywhere. The whole thing is perceived to be a dream by Aria, who fell asleep in the bath, and as a dream by Rea, who is surprised to find Chihiro had the same dream.
13	"I am... a Zombie, too..." "Wagahai mo... Zonbi Dearu..." (吾輩も…ゾンビである…)	November 30, 2012

Reception

According to Oricon, the complete third volume compilation of the manga sold 24,363 copies,^[16] while the fourth volume sold 44,120 copies (making it rank #19 of Japanese manga sales in mid-August 2011).^[17]

References

External links

• Sankarea (TV) (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Sankarea (manga) (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• STUDIO HAMI (Japanese)
• Sankarea anime official website (Japanese)