dbaranyi's Blog

Aug 12, 2014 2:45 PM
Anime Relations: Sankarea
Chapter 55 of “Sankarea” came out in the September 2014 issue of Bessatsu Shounen Magazine on pages 190-225. There are no colour pages, nor any illos or mention of the story on the issue's covers. The chapter title is “Sanka Rea” and the English second title is “Zombi2”. On the last page there is a notice stating that next month's issue will contain the final chapter.

The chapter starts out where chapter 54 concluded, with Chihiro grabbing Rea's arm, pulling her into his arms, and kissing her. But, as they kiss, Rea shifts her mouth and bites Chihiro on his bottom lip. This is followed by an image of blood cells flying off. Rea digs the nails of her left hand into Chihiro's back, tearing his shirt and gouging into him. While doing this she wonders to herself if she recognizes the “taste” and if it is “right” or “wrong”. Rea then pulls back from Chihiro, tearing off a piece of his lip in her teeth. Chihiro moans that it hurt.

All the while, the background has been subtly changing as flower petals fly in the air around the two. As Rea stares more closely at Chihiro things begin to become strange. Rea starts to ask Chihiro who he is, but Chihiro replies that it doesn't matter. Chihiro then asks Rea if by any chance, when they came together, was that her first kiss. Rea replies that it probably wasn't. Chihiro then asks Rea what her name is, but she can't remember.

They look out, see a full moon, and notice that the rain has stopped. Chihiro tells Rea that she will remember her name in the morning and that they should go out for some fresh air, which will also help her to remember. They walk along the swollen river in the dark. Chihiro then starts to accuse Rea of just being a “bitch” since she hasn't reacted since the kiss and also because of the way that she is walking around with her shirt unbuttoned. Rea pulls together her shirt and denies what Chihiro is saying.

A train goes over a bridge in the darkness and Chihiro says that they should return. Rea responds “yes” and they hold hands. But Rea suddenly thinks “stop” to herself (as her pupils return to her eyes). She remembers her pledge to “live without regrets”. She then thinks to herself that if they take that train they can go to the city for a little while.

The next scene shows Rea and Chihiro at the zoo. Rea is now wearing a nice dress and a hat. Chihiro is wearing a neat, clean t-shirt and jeans. Rea tells Chihiro that this is the first time that she has been to the zoo. Chihiro is surprised, but then Rea thinks about it and corrects herself, mentioning that she went to the zoo once on a school trip.

Later on they are walking together near a tower. Chihiro is now wearing a nice sports coat over his t-shirt and jeans. They sit together on a park bench and Chihiro asks Rea if she now remembers her name, but she still doesn't remember. Chihiro tells Rea if they walk together some more she is sure to remember, but Rea blurts out that she doesn't have much time. So Chihiro smiles at her and tells her that he really does know her name, and that her name is Sanka Rea.

Rea looks shocked and scared at hearing this. She starts to get a rapid series of memory flashes in which she starts to remember her time together with Chihiro. Rea finally responds and tells Chihiro that she now remembers his name too, and it is Furuya Chihiro.

Chihiro smiles again as he rubs his left thumb against the bitten spot on his lower lip. He shows the blood on his thumb and tells Rea that, as he suspected, letting her taste his blood would bring Rea's memory back. Rea starts to cry as she remembers more and more. She finally tells Chihiro that she remembers that she has loved him ever since they first met.

The page turns, and the scene changes back into the school lecture hall. Rea sits on the floor in her torn and bloody clothes, which are now even bloodier than before. She is sitting in a pool of blood and there is blood all around her on all of the benches. Rea suddenly looks out in surprise, with her face and in particular her chin, covered with blood. She looks around the empty lecture hall and calls out for Chihiro. There is no answer and Rea calls out again, pleading for Chihiro to answer her.

Rea looks at her hands which are covered with gore. She smells the blood that covers her and everything around her. She tastes the blood in her mouth. She cries out that she has eaten Chihiro and falls to the floor weeping.
Posted by dbaranyi | Aug 12, 2014 2:45 PM | 12 comments
RightSaidFred | Aug 15, 2014 10:43 PM
I'll survive :) Though I wish Vortex scans would get a move on...they're 4 chapters behind.

I wished they'd continue the anime. Such a great series deserves more.
 
dbaranyi | Aug 14, 2014 8:43 AM
I still think that the flood will have something to do with Rea's end - perhaps wash her away. (Certainly wash away the blood and gore and with it the evidence of what happened...)

We'll see in a month...

(It's too bad that "Sankarea" isn't getting the 2-episode per issue treatment like some of the other series in Bessatsu Shounen magazine. The wait is going to be painful.)
 
RightSaidFred | Aug 14, 2014 8:13 AM
Raws are incredible. So brother dbaranyi what do you think happens to Rea? Does Darin take her out? Does Rea end it herself? Does Babu finish her off- not sure Rea ended him. I could see Rea asking Darin to help her end it.
 
dbaranyi | Aug 14, 2014 5:52 AM
If you haven't looked at the raw scan, you really ought to...

http://mangahead.com/Manga-Raw-Scan/Sankarea/Sankarea-55-Raw-Scan

 
Rachmaninow | Aug 14, 2014 5:16 AM
Goosebumps. All over my body. What a chapter, fellow fans... what a chapter indeed...

Thanks, db, for making me feel as if seeing the scenes myself with your description. Kudos to you, my friend.
 
AnthonyS2596 | Aug 13, 2014 7:22 PM
Hope they animate this XD
 
RightSaidFred | Aug 13, 2014 1:50 PM
From your description it's pretty obvious she killed Chihiro . There's no knock out drug. She was in full zombie mode and now remembers because of Chihiro's blood. Awesome chapter. Loved it.
 
RightSaidFred | Aug 13, 2014 1:48 PM
That was awesome! It's a story about a Zombie, what else did you expect, a happy ending.....
 
dbaranyi | Aug 13, 2014 4:07 AM
I can't believe that Rea ate up Chihiro, her father and the cat, just from the point of view of "mass" alone. After all, Rea probably weighs something like 40-45 kilos while Chihiro is likely to be on the order of 60-70 kilos and her father 80-90 kilos. Rea isn't Luffy from One Piece (or Sakura from Urusei Yatsura) so I can't see her eating a couple of times her body weight.

My guess is that someone - probably Darlene - came in and gave Rea a pile of hydrangea leaves (along with the knockout drug that her father used to give to zombies) and slipped out Chihiro and Rea's father while Rea slept off the drug.

That leaves the question of the blood and gore - but I'm certain that author will provide some reasonable answer.

So the real question for the last chapter will be - just what will Rea's end be?
 
PieRatePEWPEW | Aug 12, 2014 8:09 PM
NONONONONONO!! This can't be happening!!!
 
dbaranyi | Aug 12, 2014 3:39 PM
I suspect that Chihiro was saved but I don't know where the blood and gore came from.
 
dchoy | Aug 12, 2014 3:14 PM
REALLY? IS THIS REALLY THE DIRECTION OF THE ENDING? Talk about depressing.
 
It’s time to ditch the text file.
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