Sankarea – 12 [END]
Even Rea didn’t know this is the last episode
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Whoa, this is the last episode already? I thought it was going to be thirteen episodes… Man, it’s actually ending. I can’t believe it. I’m just starting to have fun with Hawth boo boo. I hope there’s going to be a second season. No, OVAs don’t count as a second season. |
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So here we are, the conclusion to Sankarea! Last week wrapped up the issue with Dan’ichiro, and now we get a fireworks festival. I had fun too anaaga, we should tag again soon! So on to the show~ (Also, there’s an OVA released and another coming, so it’s not completely over just yet.) |
Rea shares a meal with the family, but their obliged kindness towards her leaves Chihiro slightly annoyed. He wants to take her to new places and experience new things by her side, but his responsibility for her body and life outweigh her own desire for a “normal” life. For Rea, just being able to walk around at night is fun compared to her past captivity. Their priorities soon diverge as Rea begins to look forward to the upcoming fireworks festival and Chihiro focuses on preserving her body. Mero, reserved as always, mentions to her brother that the girl upstairs, bound to his own worries, would like to go to school.
This is a serious episode. No weird caption
The fireworks, cancelled due to rain, are revived by Wanko’s desire to spend time with her cousin. Wanko helps to put Rea’s yukata on and soon after the cousin declares the zombie her rival. (wincest or necrowin are his options, basically) Rather then putting her enemy down, Wanko attempts to boost Rea’s confidence, because love should take precedence over her other problems … according to Wanko at least.
Manly sisfist is manly. Oh wait, no weird caption. Right.
The next day the duo end up back where they started, at the bowling alley where the potion was originally made. Rea opens up to Chihiro, revealing to him that she wants to live without regrets. He walks forward and Rea begins to fall to her zombie instincts. The anime closes with Chihiro pointing out that they both have contradicting outlooks, and one’s happiness could mean the unhappiness of the other (like Rea being “normal” by attending school, but also putting her body at risk). In the end he realizes that they can share in those feelings together, as she bites him on the mouth.
Sealed with blood
Picspam
The last episode was… Actually pretty good. Inb4 people start hating me for liking the ending. Yes, the ending was pretty abrupt, and there was no conclusion for the anime (I have to give it to DEEN for ending it like that even though the fans’ reaction to that “ending” will be obvious). But let’s think about it for a moment. Rea’s problem is not something that can be solved in a snap. Isn’t that the reason why Dan’ichiro went to America in the first place? Even the richest man in the city can’t solve Rea’s problem. It will take months and probably years for someone to come up with the solution. Well, ok, that’s probably not the reason why the anime ended like this. The manga is still ongoing, and the material to make this into a twenty-four episodes is not enough unless the anime has its own ending. Obviously they want to stick with the manga. I’m thankful though. It’s kind of hard to believe in original anime endings these days, and the abrupt ending gives room for a second season.
With the exception of the ending some might not like, the last episode was great for me. Episode twelve was able to bring the dark aura first few episodes Sankarea had, the Sankarea I liked. The characters have evolved into something better, and this can be said the most to Chihiro. It’s funny seeing how he was in deep in thought and serious when he wasn’t even like this at the first episode. His development can be clearly seen in this episode, and I like it. Rea has the same personality until now, but now that she’s experiencing different kinds of emotions (especially this episode), I believe her character will develop a lot, just like Chihiro’s. I can’t say the same with Wanko since she’s like a wave, can’t be read and all, but I guess her mood swing is her charm? IDK man, I’m not into Wanko and all even though she was nice. Still can’t get over her remark from episode eleven. Her conversation with Rea was great and all, but won’t it apply to herself as well? Telling Rea to go ahead and do what she want right now, doesn’t that mean that Wanko will do the same too? Does that mean that there will be more bitter remark about Rea’s abnormal existence? So yeah, the conversation was a great way to lift up Rea’s spirit, but it kind of backfires. Well, let’s see how the “rivalry” between the two will go. That’s not really the priority anyway since right now Chihiro needs to find a way to stop Rea’s deterioration. And to give Chihiro more headaches, Rea wants to do things Chihiro doesn’t want her to do. This man, this. Just when Chihiro finally wants to keep a girl, he has to face the fact that the girl is slowly rotting. Can he keep Rea “alive” while making her happy at the same time? And that can be known from the ongoing manga. Or future possibility of a second season. Hehe.
Sankarea has been an OK ride. There are things I like from it, but there are also things that overshadow the good ones. Sankarea started out strong with its somehow unique and dark premise. The idea of necrophilia and cute zombie is not new but also not common, so it was welcomed with open arms. Chihiro came out as a likeable protagonist even though he was not outstanding at first, and thankfully, his character developed into something that’s much more mature than how he was at first. Rea did not start as strongly as how Chihiro was, but her story is the starting point of Sankarea. So yeah, excused. And it’s not like Rea’s story was dramatic either. While it is not the most tragic thing out there (can tragedy be compared anyway? They’re all still tragic in the end anyway), it was something that most of the audience can relate with. That with Omata’s fabulous way of animating it, Rea’s story touched the audience’s hearts. Let’s mention Omata’s great way of directing the show again, especially the animation, which brings more charm to Sankarea. But then things start to go wrong after Rea’s revival. It shifts from something dark into a light-hearted romantic anime. Then it shifts back into its dark mood, then back to its light feeling. What’s with the shifts? Too much shifting is going on. It was irritating and annoying. And why was the issue in the Sanka family was forgotten? I hate how it was shown as a serious matter, then the anime decided to forget the pedophilia issue until the end. Annoying. Wanko’s character is somehow annoying too. She gave a strong first impression then degrades as a typical childhood friend that has zero chance of being with the male protagonist. But what’s more annoying is the fact that the author decided to use Wanko as something that trigger emotional conflict. From a nice girl into a bitch then a nice girl again? Poor Wanko is going through personality change just because of convenience’s sake. The same goes for Dan’ichiro. Really, if he became so passive in the last few episodes, then what was the point of depicting him as Lord Palpatine before? My emotion is wasted over nothing now. The more I think about it, the more I realize that Sankarea is not that great. Well, it wasn’t as great as I thought it would be. It was pretty enjoyable though, and it made my weekends fun. If there ever be a second season, I hope it will better than the first season. I hope. With Omata as the director again, of course.
They’ll have to hate me too then, anaaga, because I enjoyed the ending as well! (This week was a bit surprising actually because I was convinced Sankarea would run longer then 12 episodes.) With the Dan’ichiro plotline resolved for the most part I realized there were really only two ways the finale could be handled, either taking the anime-original route and wrapping up the decay issue or leaving the character’s futures up in the air. The former would have been suck-y (when are anime-original endings ever good?), but the latter turned out to be a satisfying way to confront the interpersonal problems within the cast while also leaving some of the plotlines open for us to speculate about, or venture into the manga to read.
The first of those interpersonal problems, the “tension” between Wanko and Rea, resulted in one of my favorite scenes of the entire series. Despite being “rivals”, as Wanko put it, there weren’t many scenes shared between the two involving any kind of conflict for their shared romantic interest. The zombie scene from episode 5 comes to mind, but that turned out to be more of a way of injecting Wank0-service into the show and further revealing the problems that come with being a zombie rather than actually dealing with the fact that they love the same guy. For the most part their rivalry has been isolated, be it Wanko getting frustrated at the bath or Rea’s feelings of being at a lower level compared to the girl who’s spent her whole life with Chihiro. This was the first time they ever came face to face alone (unlike last time, with their sanity in tact) and talked about the shared interest between them. You can look at Wanko’s remarks in two ways, the positive is the confidence she instilled in Rea to approach her feelings honestly, and the more negative is the sense of urgency she placed on their relationship. I’m not saying Wanko expects Rea’s body to decay and die, but she seems to also know it’s a possibility. My opinions of Wanko have been back and forth, but thanks to this scene I can say with confidence that I like her.
The resolution (or settlement, rather) to the other problem with regard to Chihiro and Rea was also handled well. What I loved was that Rea didn’t fall to what Chihiro wanted and stood her ground. She escaped confinement from her father, but would she be any better off confined by Chihiro because of his constant concern? In the end their relationship grew because Chihiro learned to let Rea live her life more freely and Rea learned that she’s not as weak as other people might assume. She can go to school and live a normal life, albeit with more things to worry about, but it’s a step in the right direction!
Sankarea sure has been an up-and-down experience! From the surprising twists and turns of the first three episodes to the laid back pacing of mid-series. I wouldn’t say there were any episodes that were bad, just less exciting than others. (Mero’s episode comes to mind, which I honestly kind of loved …) The only disappointment I have is that it’s over already. There are a handful of things that were hinted at but never really developed, like the crazy grandpa’s weirdly vast knowledge of zombies or Chihiro’s mom. A second season would be great, but I trust in anaaga’s words that there wouldn’t be enough material for a second cour. If the manga ever gets back on its feet, then maybe! If you’re reading this and wondering if you should give Sankarea a shot, I say go for it. The show is entertaining, though maybe not entirely fulfilling, and then there are the stunning visuals and very creative camera angles/lighting that never disappoint. Rea might not be the most interesting or strong female lead to come around this year, but Chihiro’s amusing personality and the subtle touches of horror more than make up for it.
See you next time!
About Tag Team
We live, laugh, enjoy and strictly believe on "more the merrier". When together, we usually come up with very chatty, conversation-based episodics and interesting posts.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
So another good anime concerning dead people comes to a close. I won’t hate any of you for liking the ending because I quite enjoyed it myself regardless of how abrupt. It gives way to the possibility of another season which would be gladly welcomed. Sankarea was rough around the edges with lack of character development among certain people and shifting the setting back and forth but it manages to pull through as a whole, so it deserves some praise.
Since the manga is ongoing, I hope there are chances to save Rea from decomposition because she’s too innocent to end up with such a fate. The fact she wasn’t a spoiled brat but a girl who wanted to be free and live like a normal girl makes me even more sympathetic. There’s no reason the daughter should have to suffer for the father’s stupid insecurities and pedophilia.
Ranko’s “advice” to Rea for a moment made her seem like AKB0048’s Chieri. Cold and heartless as a front but meant to be helpful in nature while acknowledging a rival and also saying she has no intention of giving up easily (Though it’s practically futile since Chihiro has no interest in normal girls). She was all over the place during the show but can be tolerated since she wasn’t annoying. Ranko was more like the big sister type than a cousin.
Seeing Chihiro and Rea actually being romantic was nice to watch and was also handled well. She may not be human anymore but at least she’s trying to make the best of the time she has left. Chihiro should get a medal for doing things he doesn’t want to and not act like an ass for it. He’s improved for someone so dense when it comes to other people feelings. I give him a 10 out of 10.
The Hydrangea must be losing their effect. Zombie impulse Rea is a lot sexier than when she’s in control of herself. It seems so much better, like when she attacked Ranko. I really missed it and will continue to miss it a lot. How can craving for human flesh make it look like she’s so overcome by lust? She was smiling and blushing. And I was surprised she pinned him down to feed on his blood. Vampires crave blood, zombies eat human flesh. So this is where confusion sets in. Not that both species are normal to begin with.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
So another good anime concerning dead people comes to a close. Don’t worry; I won’t hate any of you for liking the ending because I quite enjoyed it myself regardless of how abrupt. It gives way to the possibility of another season which would be gladly welcomed. Sankarea was rough around the edges with lack of character development among certain people and shifting the setting back and forth but it manages to pull through as a whole, so it deserves some praise.
Since the manga is ongoing, I hope there are chances to save Rea from decomposition because she’s too innocent to end up with such a fate. The fact she wasn’t a spoiled brat but a girl who wanted to be free and live like a normal girl makes me even more sympathetic. There’s no reason the daughter should have to suffer for the father’s stupid insecurities and pedophilia.
Ranko’s “advice” to Rea for a moment made her seem like AKB0048’s Chieri. Cold and heartless as a front but meant to be helpful in nature while acknowledging a rival and also saying she has no intention of giving up easily (Though it’s practically futile since Chihiro has no interest in normal girls). She was all over the place during the show but can be tolerated since she wasn’t annoying. Ranko was more like the big sister type than a cousin.
Seeing Chihiro and Rea actually being romantic was nice to watch and was also handled well. She may not be human anymore but at least she’s trying to make the best of the time she has left. Chihiro should get a medal for doing things he doesn’t want to and not act like an ass for it. He’s improved for someone so dense when it comes to other people feelings. I give him a 10 out of 10.
The Hydrangea must be losing their effect. Zombie impulse Rea is a lot sexier than when she’s in control of herself. It seems so much better, like when she attacked Ranko. I really missed it and will continue to miss it a lot. How can craving for human flesh make it look like she’s so overcome by lust? She was smiling and blushing. And I was surprised she pinned him down to feed on his blood. Vampires crave blood, zombies eat human flesh. So this is where confusion sets in. Not that both species are normal to begin with.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Sorry about the extra comment. The first one was eaten.
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
No problem Briar! Sometimes the spam monster gets a little anxious and eats more than he’s supposed to.
Ranko being compared to Chieri? I like it! (and would have never thought of it) Ranko has that big sister charm though like you said, which I think makes it easier for the receiver to take the harsh advice … maybe Chieri should take some notes? XD The futility of Ranko’s determination is a bit depressing when you think about it, and such is young love! /or so I’ve heard.
We shall award Chihiro the … BROTAG MEDAL. I agree though, his behaviors were very admirable, his ability to compromise for the sake of Rea’s happiness is not something to be overlooked.
Hm … maybe she’s part zombie, part vampire? XD I was surprised Chihiro walked away from the ordeal with only a cut and not a missing cheek, or something. You make a really good point though about control, perhaps her rashness as a zombie isn’t completely impulsive and is somewhat affected by her human emotions … or she’s just really bad at eating flesh heh.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That spam monster sure is an elusive and gluttonous beast indeed. We need to watch out for him.
Yeah, Ranko made me think of Chieri with her slightly condescending tone while trying to lighten up the situation for Rea’s sake. But Chieri can definitely take notes from Ranko about being a little nicer. It is depressing to see her love go unnoticed after years of determination. A lot like Ano Natsu’s Kanna.
We need a compromise. More male leads like Chihiro who are considerate but please leave out the part where he’s utterly dense towards people’s feelings.
Part zombie, part vampire? Hey hey! I like the sound of that. A new hybrid combination. But she seems a lot more vampire-like than zombie when her instincts kick in. Moreover by the fact other than having pale skin, she hasn’t stated decomposing yet, looking perfectly preserved. I’m surprised as well Chihiro hasn’t lost any limbs from that ordeal. Both vamps and zombies are basically reduced to simple minded beasts when hungry. Worse when it’s hunger mixed with emotions. Maybe Rea was just going for a taste test, liked it and saving him for later? Assuming that she has that amount of control.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
I’m somehow torn with the idea of a happy ending, because I will feel trolled if the ending is happy. The setting and circumstances are set up in such a way where one think that Rea will die either way, so having a logical and acceptable happy ending will be hard. The author needs to pull something impressive if he wants to give a happy ending.
After few days, I appreciate Wanko’s existence now, although she was done poorly. Her honesty is the reason why I like him, and she gives a different air from typical childhood friend trope. I love how she’s being such a realist, not even trying to avoid the matter of Rea’s decomposition (though it comes out offensive somehow). I think Rea and Wanko will develop a great friendship
I hate to take a Twilight theory, but I think this is the most logical conclusion so far. Edward Cullen lusts for Bella’s blood the most partly because of his feelings for her right? I think this can be applied to Rea as well, since so far she only reacts to Chihiro. Maybe her feelings to Chihiro triggers her zombie nature, and that makes her want to eat Chihiro, starting from drinking his blood first.
I’m actually relying on Twilight *run crying*
POWUH: Meta Resident and Yōko Fanboy with 1246 comments
After finishing Sankarea I took a look at the manga and apparently the festival never got canceled PLUS there was supposed to be another character. With how much the anime strayed away from the manga, I doubt we’ll get a second season.
Even so, yeah I can hear people screaming in agony that it’s ended in such a way (I would’ve loved Sankarea more if it didn’t stray from the manga so it opens up a bigger potential for a second season – no matter how long it’ll take to actually start on it) but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love episode 12 itself.
Like how you guys have mentioned, the character developments in Sankarea are beautiful and well done. The sad thing is, if I was to decide which anime was the best of the season, Sakamichi no Apollon would take the cake with Sankarea and Tsuritama very close behind.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The character developments were the strong points of the series while the story seemed to be wandering away sometimes. Rea staying positive in the face of her condition was refreshing. Others would have instantly drowned themselves in a panic. Sankarea was a good watch, not as great as Tasogare Otome x Amnesia but it was a watch.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I didn’t watch Tsuritama, but I’m with BB in putting Tasogare Otome x Amnesia ahead of Sankarea and Sakamichi no Apollon, but then I’d have to put Nazo no Kanojo X at the top for this season (you want character development? It’s got buckets and buckets). Really, tho, it seemed to be a great season for storytelling.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Yōko Fanboy with 1246 comments
Nazo no Kanojo is definitely up there for me as well but personally, I dropped Tasogare Otome x Amnesia. It didn’t interest me
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I strongly recommend another crack at it, Tofu. The anime is just plain awesome. The story starts off great (In actuality, begins in the second episode) but gets better about halfway through. Trust me, you’ll really like it once you marathon through it.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Yōko Fanboy with 1246 comments
I’ve gone around and seen positive reviews everywhere I went XD I guess I’ll give it another shot for you guys ^^
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Why are you not watching Tsuritama? *sob*
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
WHAAA- WE WERE BAMBOOZLED. I would have never guessed that wasn’t from the manga. Hm, for anime original content I have to say the non-festival fireworks scene wasn’t bad at all! It’s unfortunate they left out that new character though, and now I’m incredibly curious about who it could be … /*goes to manga*
Yes, I agree with you and Briar, loved the character development! ´▽｀ I guess that’s one of the plus sides of having a small cast.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
A second season is still a possibility since the ending leaves room for anything. The anime staff could just pull an anime-only episode where they introduce the new character or slip the new character’s introduction somewhere. I think they decided to take out the new character because of episode limit. Imagine if a new character is introduced in the last episode. Lots of people will flip their tables
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I also really liked the ending. It felt like a natural extension of where the show has been going, not anything forced or out of character. And it also wasn’t the kind of ending to give anyone a specific happy feeling, but more of a “Life Goes On” message. And yes, that still applies to Rea, who feels like she is living more than she ever has.
I do get the feeling that the majority of Chihiro’s growth came in this final episode. He’d been lagging behind throughout the show, despite being a main character, but made some big leaps after settling (for now) the conflict with Dan’ichiro.
And if there is a second season, I hope the Ranko that ended the season is the one that continues. It’s much easier to feel empathy for a character that’s honest and straightforward, than one that’s underhanded and uses sleazy tactics. I think that’s why most people felt really unhappy at her “I’m human” line from the previous episode. But encouraging Rea to try for Chihiro, instead of trying to run her off, was a much more acceptable way to go.
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
“Life Goes On”, that’s a really great way to describe the ending! (Sounds nice to say too. ´▽｀) I get the feeling a lot of people won’t like that however, there was a real lack of conclusiveness, but at the same time I’d say maybe those people are too dependable on the show to answer EVERY question and solve EVERY doubt. Though conclusive endings are nice, I sometimes love open endings like these because they leave us relying on our own imagination to picture where these two character’s lives will head. (tl;dr I guess what I’m trying to say is that an anime that allows US to do some of the thinking can be just as enjoyable as one that does it for us.)
“If” there is a second season? There sure better be! XD Ranko really was impressive this week, huh? I have to agree, despite having some questionable moments in the past she was finally up-front with Rea, and I liked that as well.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
There’s definitely a place for inconclusive endings. Using one here felt a lot more in keeping with the show, where it was at the end of episode 12, and with what the characters were doing. I think a lot of people don’t like inconclusive endings because they’re usually done so poorly, especially with harem shows (which this kinda was). Usually the reason for the inconclusive ending is the pathetic indecisiveness and stagnation of the main character, but this show averted that by showing Chihiro as not so much “indecisive” as “immature but growing”. That’s why I think this is more satisfying than if they’d ended it with a confession or something, because even if we don’t get the second season we so richly deserve, we can, as you say, let our imaginations carry the show forward for us, the way we want it to go. And yet, there is the opportunity for a second season, and there’s still the manga, which it sounds like they didn’t retconn, just selectively edited.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Chihiro’s character developed in every episode, but it was shown the most in this episode. I way he developed in every episode because he always try to do something for Rea in every episode, no matter how little it is (except those Mero and Wanko episodes of course). I find that very impressive since he was introduced as a laid-back character who doesn’t care about anything. Obviously he needs an incentive to be better, and Rea is that incentive
There better be a second season! Though after few days of calming down, I realized that Wanko was handled well in the last episode. I hate to accept this, but her “I’m human” line feels realistic somehow.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Saying this now, but Sankarea was actually REALLY good considering that it was DEEN.
Now for my usual complaining part. It started off excellently, but somehow it kind of… derailed part of the way through and it never was the same level of intriguing as it was in the first 3 or so episodes. There was always a miss somewhere. A prime example would be where Rea defied her father in that revealing bunnysuit. The execution and storyline were great, but the fact that she was wearing a freaking bunnysuit took away from it for me. They were trying to make a point, but the fan service distracted away from it. …Not that the anime could help it I guess, if they were following the manga, but still.
Now for the good parts, Ranko was actually pretty fun to watch as a love rival (as opposed to other anime out there). I liked her backstory. The characters for Sankarea and the imagery they used were great too. Overall, this was a fun show, but not something I would call perfect.
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
Right!? DEEN should produce more stuff like this~
The fanservice in that scene was a little … odd! I thought Rea had escaped the perversion of that mansion, but then she was thrown right back in. Although, compared to Chihiro’s whacky behavior in that scene maybe it wasn’t too out of place? XD I agree with you 100% though that the initial intrigue slowly died after the first 3 episodes. It might be a fault of setting a high standard. A lot of the tension and shock of those opening episodes seemed to fade away in ep. 4 when the lighthearted and comical aspects of the show kicked in. (EX. BOOB LOOFA)
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
I read a whole post somewhere about how her in the bunny suit was counterproductive since her whole struggle was about NOT being an object of attention, but she’s fighting for it in a bunny suit (obviously something made for attention grabbing). …That’s my largest influence for that argument anyways.
It did die a bit after the first couple episodes, but I stick by my statement that it wasn’t bad overall.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Now I finally realized what makes Dan’ichiro Arc somehow less excitable. THE FANSERVICE. They come out at the wrong times. Ugh.
But hey, this is DEEN. This is impressive for a DEEN
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
If only they would put more effort into their otome game adaptions. Maybe I’d stop hating on them.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
*sob* Hiiro no Kakera *sob* Hakuouki *sob*
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
BTW, for anyone who wants to get their Dan’ichiro hate on, the 00 prequel OVA is available around the internets. More Sankarea, but it lays it on pretty thick.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Which site exactly can we find the OVA? I think a lot of people would love to get their Dan’ichiro hate on. That guy is such a bastard.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Hiryuu and Evetaku joint project released the episode.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
What is the OVA about? The basic plot of it. I want to know whether it should be blogged alone or together with the second OVA
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
It’s a prologue of sorts involving Chihiro finding the book, Rea being a tad bit rebellious, and the two of them coincidentally meeting without either of them knowing who the other was at the time.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Doh, sorry for the multiple comments, but something was kinda bothering me about the ending sequence there.
When Rea gets cloudy eyed and zombie-ish, I was thinking from the rest of the series that it’s a reaction to her being low on hydrangea poison, basically hungry. That makes me think she’s not really in control of it at all. So the implication from that ending sequence kinda confuses me, because it *seemed* to imply that there was also a factor of Rea becoming overwhelmed with lovey-dovey feelings for Chihiro at that point and trancing out (thinking like Kanna in Koe de Oshigoto), rather than overwhelmed by “Braaaaainnnnnnzzzzz!!!!” zombie compulsions. Is that the feeling others get?
And when she had liplocked Chihiro before, the only thing that stopped it was Babu getting her out to the hydrangea patch. So what stopped it this time? If it was more of a lovey-dovey impulse, I guess when that passes, she’d get a little back to normal, but there really wasn’t a basis for that.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I agree. I get that feeling as well. Every time her impulses take over, it’s like she’s consumed by overwhelming lust rather than hunger. But you’d also have to take hunger into account because she was sniffing then licking Ranko and most likely was going to start eating her if Chihiro hadn’t gotten in the way.
There was no indication that she was truly in control of herself. Before Rea kissed Chihiro, she binded him with her arms so he couldn’t get away. Which implies something else could have happened to him afterwards. After all, this time, she tackled him, pinned him down, bit him and it looked like she was feeding on his blood.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Yeah, if so, that doesn’t really bode well for any kind of romantic future (not that they’d get to that in this kind of anime). “We start enjoying ourselves, and you turn into a literal monster!”
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Hmm.. it could be a start for a romantic setting, even if unusual. But if she starts that now, it was most likely develop into a habit. I wonder if Chihiro will like being continually fed on to appease Rea since he’s into zombie girls. In anime, the human x supernatural being relationship always seem to work out better and be more addictive to watch than the regular two human relationship. I mean, just look at Tasogare Otome x Amnesia, Rosario + Vampire and Moon Phase.
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
I mentioned this in my comment to Briar before, but I was speculating that perhaps when she’s in zombie-mode she retains pieces of her “normal” self, like memories and emotions. I haven’t read the manga so I can’t say anything for sure, but maybe there’s some type of internal struggle there? Like, the real Rea on the inside trying to contain the impulsiveness of the zombie Rea.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
So far in most zombie movies, when a person becomes a zombie, his humanity disappears and his natural instinct to eat meat takes over. My theory is that her zombie body responds to Rea’s hidden feeling for Chihiro, and that what makes her look so, um, aroused in her zombie state.
There’s also that Twiligh theory, where more love = more desire to eat
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 243 comments
Wow, that ending wa so abrupt that I didn’t realise it was an ending until someone told me so about a day later. I thought I’d just seen a cliffhanger leading into an epic finale with berserk Rea. Turns out it was the end, though. I’d pretend to be all butthurt and disappointed but I didn’t really expect anything. I kind of regret not dropping Sankarea because after a while I was just watching in the vain hope that it would at some point return to being that entertaining and intriguing show I was watching at the start. But instead I just wasted my watching what it was. Which was… dull as ditchwater, to be frank.
Anyway, the character of Mero (as well as Tsubaki’s sister in the final episode of MGX) got me thinking. Why is it in anime that when a mother dies that the female child of the house seems to take over their duties? I mean, it always seems to happen and nobody bats an eyelid despite it being clearly absolutely terrible parenting. It’s particularly jarring in an anime like Sankarea where a major theme is Rea losing her childhood to an abusive upbringing but nobody seems to care that Mero is being grossly deprived of hers by the callous and lazy men of her family. I mean, what kind of dick lets their eleven-year old daughter take on such responsibilities for your sake? Just sayin’.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think twofold: Because it’s expected in that culture and because it works well for the story. But think about how much the two people in particular you’re talking about are affected. Mero still has friends at school, she still has herself. Youko still had a normal life through high school, and if she didn’t go to college maybe it’s more because they couldn’t afford it than she was forced in any real sense of the word to ‘take care’ of Akira and their father. Are either of them really ‘grossly deprived’ of her childhood because of having to do chores like cooking and cleaning? I had to do that stuff, too. I really don’t think it’s as one sided as you think. When tragedy strikes a family (and losing parents is tragic), then the rest of the family adjusts to do what it can. It’s hard to argue that anyone has a ‘normal’ childhood situation after that kind of event.
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
I’ve seen that scenario a few times in anime before. (One of the female leads of Tari Tari, which just started airing, is in a similar situation, but her father takes on half the work which is nice to see for a change.) Like Highway said, I’m sure culture has a lot to do with it. I know very little about Japanese culture though so I’ll stay away from that topic. XD
As for the pacing!~ I do agree with you that the intrigue slowly withered away as the show went on. I guess it became a matter of getting entertainment from the characters or not, since all the focus was on them.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
I don’t know about other females, but I would do the same with Mero. I was actually like Mero once, when my mother was away in this trip for days. I try to take over her role (although not so much because there was also a maid). I did it automatically. It’s just because of my instinct.
And yes, culture too. When my mother was away, my father didn’t try to do anything because in our traditional culture, male family head usually don’t do housework. Thankfully, he does them now.
POWUH: iLurker with 12 comments
Hey I agree with many of your points but I want to say that the laid back pace of the middle episodes actually helped with the pacing of the entire series. it gave a lot of time for the characters to grow and highlight some of the finer points of the backstory. The ending was handled well considering that the manga is still ongoing but it makes it slightly open ended as well to how it will end. It makes an important statement to how confused Chihiro actually is and what the nature of his hope is. I feel like as viewers were allowed to impress upon him our feelings for how this will all turn out in the end because his statements at the end put him in a grey area.
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
Very true! Without some of those slower episodes (like the Wanko and Aria ones) there wouldn’t be as much attachment to those characters. Gah, I really want a second season to further develop those grey areas that you mentioned. (I’m slightly desperate … ><)