Sankarea

Ever since he was a child, zombie-obsessed Chihiro Furuya has wanted an undead girlfriend. Soon enough, his love for all things zombie comes in handy when his cat Baabu gets run over, prompting Chihiro to try to make a resurrection potion and bring him back to life. During his endeavor, he sees a rich girl named Rea Sanka yelling into an old well every day about her oppressive life. After meeting and bonding with her, Chihiro is convinced by Rea to persevere in saving Baabu. Eventually, he succeeds with the help of the poisonous hydrangea flowers from Rea's family garden.

Unaware of the potion's success and seeking to escape the burdens of her life, Rea drinks the resurrection potion, mistakenly thinking she will die. Though it doesn't kill her, the effects still linger and her death from a fatal accident causes her to be reborn as a zombie. With help from Chihiro, Rea strives to adjust to her new—albeit undead—life.

For a boy wanting a zombie girlfriend, this situation would seem like a dream come true. But in Sankarea, Chihiro's life becomes stranger than usual as he deals with Rea's odd new cravings and the unforeseen consequences of her transformation.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Sanka, Rea Main

Uchida, Maaya Japanese

Furuya, Chihiro Main

Kimura, Ryouhei Japanese

Baabu Supporting

Fukuen, Misato Japanese

Furuya, Mero Supporting

Iguchi, Yuka Japanese

Saouji, Ranko Supporting

Yahagi, Sayuri Japanese

Furuya, Jogorou Supporting

Saitou, Shirou Japanese

Sanka, Aria Supporting

Asano, Mayumi Japanese

Yasuda Supporting

Iwase, Shuuhei Japanese

Furuya, Doon Supporting

Ogino, Seirou Japanese

Sanka, Danichirou Supporting

Ishizuka, Unshou Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Tateishi, Kensuke Producer

Urasaki, Nobumitsu Producer

Takatori, Masashi Producer

Reviews

May 10, 2012

Stark700

Recommended

So imagine this. Close your eyes and picture yourself walking to school, having a great day, realizing that you just aced a test, talked to a boy/girl you like, ate a good meal, and come home. You go to your room to relax but the first thing you see is a zombie girl lying half-naked on your bed. You try to to tell yourself if this is reality or fiction but just can't seem to do it.

Honestly, that's the feeling I got when I first started watching this series. In other words, very surprising. Originally, I didn't have high expectation of this series. No, it ... is not because the series is tagged as “ecchi” by MAL or the fact that the main character has a zombie fascination (more like a fetish to be honest). However, after watching about half the series that aired already, I have a hope for this series as it surprised me quite a bit, for the better.

The story tells the young boy named Chihiro Furuya, who has a strange hobby, or more a fascination on zombies. Now, there's something you don't see or hear everyday. However, despite being strange as it sounds, it is what our our main character loves. His obsession with zombies can be traced to the point of obsession and even a fetish. Sounds strange right? I'm sure this would definitely be something strange even for any of us considered to be an otaku. The story continues on from there where he meets another girl, an idol, to be exact who later after unfortunate circumstances becomes what he "loves". As for our main heroine (or maybe anti-hero later? I mean, she's freaking dead already), she is an unique character. Despite being one of the most beautiful girl at school, she strives hard to gain “freedom” or to be free from her life. Most prominently, she tries to escape her circumstances at home because what goes beyond those doors are circumstances that some of us may puke or feel disgust about. It is definitely something I'm sure most of us don't want to be placed in our own circumstances in real life. (unless you like living in big mansions and get free tuition)

Then, we have other characters like Ranko Saōji (also known as Wanko). She is rather tomboyish judged by her attitude and appearance but there's some history between her and our zombie loving MC, a history that can be traced back to puppy love, zombie movies, and all that rest of good stuff. It would definitely be interesting to see what kind of rivalry or friendship she may later develop towards our school beauty, aka Rea.

Anyways, my impressions of story so far is great. Even the very first episode got me hooked like a zombie. The movement of the story so far is somewhat slow but easy to follow and as the series continues, we see some of the unraveling details such as Rea's background. More importantly, the tone of the story becomes darker (mixed in with comedy the same time) as we see what is going on behind the scenes of Rea's life. We also see the history between Ranko and Chihiro as well as childhood memories are treasure that most us should keep placed in our hearts.

As for the art, I'm not too impressed. Well, let's just say that when I first saw that Studio Deen was the studio involved for this, my hopes were dead like a zombie. However, after watching these first few episodes, I'm glad they proved me wrong. I like the style and art of the series so far even if it's a bit plain. After all, art isn't something that determines the overall enjoyment of a series. Don't believe me? Just ask Gurren Lagann. As for the sound and music, I think so far it does seem to fit. I mean, it's not something eerie like Shigofumi: Letters of the Departed but you'll notice it soon once you get into the series. There's also emotional music mixed in that reflects on some of the mood of the story. Then, there's the melody of comedic music thrown in during lighter atmospheres. Overall, I'd say that the soundtrack isn't something worth an Emmy Award but also compelling to the show.

Overall, I'm enjoying this series as it is so far. It's not something I'll be obsessed about as much as the main character for zombies but definitely enjoying it at an anime fan level. The story (although somewhat easy to predict) has drama with an emotional background mixed in with comedy and possible romance. The characters are appealing and the soundtrack fits well. My only concern at this point is Studio DEEN as it's definitely not my favorite anime studio of this world. But beyond that, I see potential for this rare little gem this Spring Season.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Nov 22, 2014

Monjoex

Mixed Feelings

~ this review contain spoiler ~

The first few episodes of this show really lead into what should have been a really decent story. The premise was there, the characters were there, but the follow through was very much less than ideal.

It’s a bit of trouble to explain without throwing in a couple of spoilers, so if you plan on watching this series and don’t want spoilers, stop here. You’ll see for yourself what I’m talking about when I say the execution was terrible. For those that don’t care much about ... spoilers, this will probably divert you away from this show.

The show starts off quite well, setting the plot up and introducing the characters. Given the plot summary, it’s pretty obvious that this girl dies. I won’t say how, but she does. Furuya never expected his little potion to actually work, but it does. Not only on his cat, but Rea as well. She had taken it in hopes that it would have the reverse effect on the living. Her father was too possessive and allowed her virtually no freedom whatsoever, so she had a death wish.

What happens from this episode forward is utterly ridiculous. You would think a zombie otaku like Furuya would be over joyed that he got his wish to date a zombie girl. The problem is, she is still very much herself and appears normal other than being a bit pale and having ungodly strength. Another issue is that rather than seeing romance come about, it actually focuses more on how Furuya can keep her body from decaying.

On top of this, they throw in an entire episode and a half revolving around Furuya’s childhood friend who is obviously jealous of Rea. The whole plot point here was unnecessary and could have been left out. I was rather bored throughout the entire sub plot.

All in all, I can only thank the heavens this show was only 12 episodes. Any more than that would have been unbearable. Although the show has its merits, it unfortunately doesn’t have it where it counts

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jul 15, 2012

Kyoanilover11

Not Recommended

Sankarea is an adaptation of Hattori Mitsuru's light novel series. Mostly, the anime stayed true to the manga and as such many of my issues to do with the show stemmed from the poorly written script.

*Please stop reading here if you have not seen the show and do not like spoilers*

Story: 4
The story is of a young sheltered girl trying to free herself from the clutches of her very strange family - namely an abnormally obsessed father and an indifferent mother. The main story itself was quite interesting but that is where the positive ends. In trying to establish a deeper story, Sankarea poorly ... spends its time revealing the back-story of some of its characters.

To begin, episode 7 which was dedicated to explain how Wanko developed feelings for the protagonist had issues. It begins by her crying as she runs alone in a cemetery. Viewers are left confused as to the reason she cries. Did she seriously just run into a cemetery to get scared? The point is, for a show that feeds the viewer information and does not employ undertones, this one scene is poorly explained.

Moving on, the show never makes clear if Chihiro's family is aware of Rea's 'zombie' circumstance. For most of the show, his Dad and sister seem confused as to why Rea chooses to only eat those hydrangea leaves, however in episode 9, it seems that Mero is fully aware that Rea is a zombie. On that note, did they seriously place that filler episode 9 in between the "climax" of the show? Talk about terrible sequencing.

The end of the show signaled the possibility of a second season but I cannot stress how poorly done it was. It did not create the cliff-hanger effect intended, instead it just left the audience feeling dumbfounded. Why would the director even end the show there instead of a bit earlier when some resolution was achieved (after Rea's Dad left)?

The scene where Chihiro fends off the dog to save Wanko was pathetic. The dog just stood there and barked without attacking for ages and was scared away by a little kid who looked like he could support the weight of the bat... unreal but effective in winning over Wanko's heart.

Besides that there was episode 10 about Rea's mother. But that will discussed more in the character section.

Art: 6
The art did not break new grounds. The background and scenery was good but the characters sometimes looked strange from angled shots. The use of changing weathers to create an atmosphere was over-used to the point that it didn't create the desired effect when it really mattered (episode 11).

There are also many inconsistencies in artwork that should not have been ignored. For instance, when Rea fell down and got up there were not wound marks left. Also when Chihiro was stabbed, where is the blood when Rea removes the blade from his body? Why is it that he only starts to bleed profusely once he has collapsed and finished his little "talk"? There is no suitable excuse given how much blood was poured earlier in the show when Rea "died".

Sound: 5
The voice actors did a decent job. Although it was probably hard for them because the characters were lacking in personality. The ending song was mediocre. While liking some other works by Nano.Ripe, the opening song may have been good, but did not seem to fit the show very well. The music in the show itself was just okay as it did not really enhance the feel of the show in any way.

Character: 1
I don't know if I have ever seen such a pitiful cast before. The characters are about as uninspired as the title of the show. There is zero character development, mainly because every character is one-dimensional. It is almost as if the characters were given one stereotypical role, and that is all they do, quite horribly though. It is difficult to relate or like any character in the show, because they are ultimately just empty shells. They may think or talk about their feelings but this does not give them extra depth. Additionally, these characters talk about responsibility and things they need to do. Yet none of these things seem to be very high in their agenda. Here is an example: How does Chihiro plan to preserve Rea's body? He decides to stop trying to look into books and follows his grandfather's advice to observe. What can possibly achieved from this is only noting down the rate Rea rots away. But I guess his pervy and lazy desires are satisfied in the process and so he sticks with it.

Strangely enough in episode 10, Rea's mother while wallowing in self pity and filled with tears she continues to watch on as her husband takes naked photos of his daughter. The servant who also knows of this does nothing to intervene. It seems that Aria does not feel enough anger nor does she have enough morality to stop the act. Also, the servant who knows of it does nothing as well... very strange that they aren't calling the child abuse hotline or something. Yes, the characters in Sankarea are unbelievable. Another example is when Chihiro gets stabbed, it doesn't seem to matter to all the maids watching. Their loyalty is truly commendable. Also, after getting up why didn't Chihiro just report Danichirou for assault, did he forgive that bastard after seeing how "cute" Rea was in a nurse outfit?

As per normal, the main character in a shounen is always dense but Chihiro was surprisingly sharp in episode 6 when he told Wanko "She's (Rea) not my girlfriend or anything" as a way to thank Wanko for donating some clothes. It's almost as if he knew Wanko's feelings in episode 6 but not in the rest of the show... Interesting.

Enjoyment: 2
Sankarea had potential but was poorly executed. It did not satisfy the genres listed. No horror, lack luster comedy, and little romance... If anything, this anime did not even present romance in the roundabout fashion that many shounen do.

The lack of real emotions and unlikable characters really made this show a difficult watch.

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

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	Poll: Sankarea Episode 2 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) tsubasalover - Apr 12, 2012	255 replies	by jairo3634 »» Dec 8, 4:30 AM
	Poll: Sankarea Episode 10 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) tsubasalover - Jun 7, 2012	161 replies	by kiro_phndng »» Aug 19, 7:56 AM
	Poll: Sankarea Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Jun 28, 2012	305 replies	by Ugenito »» Jul 20, 8:13 AM
	Poll: Sankarea Episode 3 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Yumekichi11 - Apr 19, 2012	268 replies	by 5hadow17 »» Mar 16, 12:09 PM
	Poll: Sankarea Episode 11 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) Stark700 - Jun 21, 2012	148 replies	by Archean-Return »» Oct 11, 2023 8:16 PM

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