Sankarea: Undying Love (Episode 4) – A Normal… Girl

Chihiro is coming to terms with the fact that Rea died and then came back as a zombie. She seems to be putting on a brave face, especially as she’s now free of her father. He’s not quite ready to let go, though!

Sankarea: Undying Love (Episode 4) – A Normal… Girl

What happened?

Danichiro saw his beloved Rea die when she fell off the cliff. He was devastated. His entire world had just crumbled before his eyes. But then, she stood up and walked away with that Furuya boy! It’s all his fault. He took her away from him! Of course, Danichiro was looking to blame Chihiro after he basically pushed his own daughter off a cliff. This guy is absolutely delusional.

Meanwhile, Chihiro was coming to terms with Rea dying and then moving into his bedroom. She was excited at the possibilities, whereas Chihiro was still concerned that she died. Rea wanted to go shopping, visit a museum, basically all the things she couldn’t do when living under her father’s rule. Rea’s so excited that she grabs Chihiro and pushes him back. She leans in, but then they are interrupted by Ranko who is calling from outside.

Ranko was furious that Chihiro abandoned her in that tunnel and hasn’t checked up on her since. She’s going to come in, but Chihiro doesn’t want her to find Rea, so he goes out to talk. They head down to the river away from his home, which is where Ranko jumps on him and gives him a dressing down for what he did to her. That’s when Chihiro’s friends show up and they’re annoyed too.

Back at Chihiro’s home, Rea is getting restless. She’s also worried about who Ranko is. Does Chihiro have a girlfriend? Anyhow, she’s going to have a shower as it appears that no one is home. She’s not sure if a zombie can have a shower but she soon realises that she can’t feel hot or cold. Her shower is soon interrupted though by Chihiro’s grandfather who mistakes her for his dead wife…

When Chihiro gets home, he finds Rea lying on his bedroom floor wearing just a towel. She’s feeling stiff and is unable to move. That’s when Chihiro realises that she’s experiencing rigor mortis.

What did you think?

This episode raised some fascinating questions and showed us that becoming a zombie isn’t all that great. Rea appeared to lose control at one point and I dare say, this is only the beginning. However, the answer is starting Chihiro in the face. He saw Babu eat hydrangea leaves and then his eyes returned to normal. Surely, he just needs to get Rea to do the same.

However, I feel like this is the beginning of the downfall of Chihiro. He isn’t exactly a likeable character and he’s only getting worse. Unfortunately, it appears to be a choice between Danichiro and Chihiro for Rea and there’s always going to be a pretty clear winner there, and it’s not her father!

I like that it’s exploring the ideas of what it might be like to be a reanimated corpse. Rea doesn’t feel pain, or hot and cold, she doesn’t get sick. I wonder if she’ll need to sleep and eat. Of course, the downside of not feeling pain or heat sensations is that it’s very easy to do serious damage to your body, which would be a massive problem since her body can’t heal.

Episode highlights

Rea’s Gone!

A Boy’s Bedroom!

Ranko Returns!

Home Alone!

Stiff!

Other posts in the series

• Season One
  • Episode 1 – Once I… Become a… Zombie
  • Episode 2 – It was… Successful
  • Episode 3 – Sanka… Rea
  • Episode 4 – A Normal… Girl
  • Episode 5 – If She’s a Zombie… That Means…
  • Episode 6 – It’s Because I… Ran Into You
  • Episode 7 – Childhood… Friends…
  • Episode 8 – Counterfeit… Freedom…
  • Episode 9 – A Mother’s… Hand…
  • Episode 10 – Strong… Feelings…
  • Episode 11 – Nothing… Really… Special
  • Episode 12 – At That Moment… I…
  • Episode 13 – I, Too, Am… A Zombie…
• Discussions
  • Episode 1 – An Anime ZomRomCom!
  • Episodes 2-3 – A Real Stand-Up Guy!
  • Episodes 4-5 – Zombies like Boobs!
  • Episodes 6-7 – Love Triangle?
  • Episodes 8-9 – Cliffhanger Interruptus!
  • Episodes 10-11 – Family Bonding Time!
  • Episodes 12-13 – Tease of the Dead!
• Manga
  • Volume 1 – I Only Like Zombie Girls
  • Volume 2 – My Decomposing Girlfriend
  • Volume 3 – Fear the Foreigner
  • Volume 4 – We Always Eat the Ones We Love
  • Volume 5 – Boy, Medium Rare
  • Volume 6 – Cat Scratch Fever
  • Volume 7 – The Zombie Holy Land
  • Volume 8 – Daddy Dearest
  • Volume 9 – Lights, Camera, Resurrection!
  • Volume 10 – Cold Truths
  • Volume 11 – A Hearty Meal
• Character Analysis
  • Chihiro Furuya – Who Could Love a Zombie?
  • Ranko Saouji – The Curse of the Girl Next Door!
  • Rea Sanka – Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire!

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