Sankarea: Undying Love (2012)
Zombie-obsessed Furuya is making a potion to reanimate his dead cat when he meets Rea. She’s about as miserable as a girl can get, thanks to her creepy, domineering father. When the pain becomes too much, she tries to commit suicide with a sip of Furuya’s weird elixir. The potion doesn’t kill her – but it does turn her into a zombie after she falls from a cliff. Now that Rea’s undead and ready to finally live, she hides out with Furuya, who’s always dreamed of having a zombie girlfriend. Their one-of-a-kind relationship comes with some challenges, like the fact that Rea is decomposing. Even worse, her freak-show dad is dangerously determined to get her back under his control. As Furuya fights to keep his ghoulfriend safe, Rea finds the secret to resurrecting her happiness: Live like you’re dying – even if you’re already dead.
- Mitsuru Hattori
- Noboru Takagi
- Mamoru Hatakeyama
Stars:
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Episode 1 - Once I… Become a… Zombie
Release Date: 2012-04-06When the family cat is accidentally killed, zombie buff Chihiro Furuya secretly tries to bring it back to life. After he overhears Rea Sanka shouting her frustrations down a well, Rea offers to help Chihiro, as they both keep each others’ secrets.
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Episode 2 - It Was… Successful
Release Date: 2012-04-13Rea continues to assist Chihiro’s attempt to reanimate Babu. She reveals her home life, including an unhealthy relationship with her father. The two of them decide to make one last attempt to bring Babu back to life, using a hydrangea blossom.
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Episode 3 - Sanka… Rea
Release Date: 2012-04-20Rea is grounded indefinitely for sneaking out at night, and her father decides to keep her home from school, for good measure. She sneaks out again anyway, and goes looking for Chihiro. Elsewhere, when Babu runs away, Chihiro and Ranko chase after him.
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Episode 4 - A Normal… Girl
Release Date: 2012-04-27Aria learns that Rea has run away, and Dan’ichiro vows to get her back. In Chihiro’s room, Rea sews up her wound, and the two of them each come to terms with her rebirth as a zombie. Free of her father, Rea reveals to Chihiro what she now wants from him.
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Episode 5 - If She’s a Zombie… That Means…
Release Date: 2012-05-04With Rea going through rigor mortis, Chihiro does his best to keep her hidden while attending to household chores. While trying to figure out how to preserve Rea’s body, Chihiro makes a startling discovery about his grandpa. Ranko learns more about Rea.
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Episode 6 - It’s Because I… Ran Into You
Release Date: 2012-05-11Rea’s strange behavior leads her to kiss Chihiro in front of Ranko. After Rea slips away, Chihiro learns some valuable information about the undead from his grandpa. Chihiro decides to start keeping a diary of his observations of Rea.
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Episode 7 - Childhood… Friends…
Release Date: 2012-05-18Chihiro spends his Sunday helping out with the Saoji family’s restaurant. Ranko tells the tale of the first time she met Chihiro. The two young children develop an unusual friendship between themselves as more about Ranko’s family is revealed.
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Episode 8 - Counterfeit… Freedom…
Release Date: 2012-05-25After Rea agrees to join the Furuya family in a meal, Chihiro becomes more interested in her dietary habits. At Rea’s insistence, he takes her to the mall to shop for clothes. Once there, however, Chihiro isn’t the only one who pays attention to Rea.
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Episode 9 - A Mother’s… Hand…
Release Date: 2012-06-01Mero and her two friends tell tales of their own brushes with zombies. Ichie tells of the creature that the art teacher keeps; Miko relates the story of an awful smell that led her to a house of horror. Mero’s story, however, trumps them both.
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Episode 10 - Strong… Feelings…
Release Date: 2012-06-08While being held hostage inside the Sanka mansion, Chihiro meets Aria. She discloses that she is Rea’s stepmother, and relates how she came to be married to Dan’ichiro. In the course of her tale, more about Dan’ichiro’s past is also revealed to Chihiro.
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Episode 11 - Nothing… Really… Special
Release Date: 2012-06-22Rea arrives home just as Dan’ichiro shows Chihiro into the fencing hall, where he is determined to settle things between them. Though detained by the maid staff, Rea is able to elude them, and rushes to save Chihiro, but is startled by what she finds.
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Episode 12 - At That Moment… I…
Release Date: 2012-06-29Chihiro begins to have second thoughts about his duty in looking after Rea’s welfare, and how little he can do for her. When plans to watch a fireworks show that Rea has her heart set on seeing fall through, the group comes up with an alternative.
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Episode 13 - I, Too, Am… a Zombie…
Release Date: 2012-11-30Despite their decaying bodies, Rea’s zombie power comes in handy both at school and at home, and Babu gets interested in another cat — although this particular feline is one of the living.