is a romantic comedy manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 written and illustrated by Mitsuru Hattori

Mitsuru Hattori

is the pen-name of a Japanese manga author born in Mie Prefecture on October 8, 1977. He is mostly known for his series which was adapted into a 13 episodes anime series by the studio Artland....

 about a deceased girl who becomes a zombie

Zombie

Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...

. It is published in Japan by Kodansha

Kodansha

, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...

. The manga has been serialised in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine

Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine

is a Japanese monthly manga magazine published by Kōdansha. The magazine was started in september 2009 as a spin-off of another Kōdansha's magazine, Weekly Shōnen Magazine.- Series :- External links :* Official web site at Kodansha...

since December 2009, with four complete volumes released . A television anime series has also been announced.

Plot

The protagonist, Chihiro Furuya, is a male highschool student with a keen interest in zombies, collecting zombie-related videogames, film and manga, and even to the point of desiring to "kiss a zombie girl". Following the death of his pet cat, he attempts to revive it using an old manuscript, which describes the process of creating a potion for resurrection. At this time he encounters a girl named Rea Sanka, who has ran away from home. In an attempt to commit suicide, she drinks a sample of the "resurrection" potion which is created from a poisonous herb known as hydrangea macrophylla

Hydrangea macrophylla

Hydrangea macrophylla is a species of Hydrangea native to Japan. Common names include Bigleaf Hydrangea, French Hydrangea, Lacecap Hydrangea, Mophead Hydrangea, Penny Mac and Hortensia...

, however this fails to kill her. Following an argument with her father, she falls from a cliff by accident and dies; however as a result of the potion, she returns as a zombie. Though she becomes undead, she chooses not to consume human flesh, and rather survives on eating the hydrangea herbs.

Characters

Chihiro is the protagonist of the story who has zombie obsession/fetish.

Rea is the heroine of the story who becomes a zombie in order to become free from her father's chains thanks to Chihiro.

Ranko is the first cousin of Chihiro.

Mero is the younger sister of Chihiro. Unlike Chihiro, she is obsessed with ghosts.

Dan'ichirō is the overprotective father of Rea.

Manga

1. ISBN 978-4-06-384341-5, published on 16 July 2010
2. ISBN 978-4-06-384412-2, published on 9 December 2010
3. ISBN 978-4-06-384453-5, published on 9 March 2011
4. ISBN 978-4-06-384529-7, published on 9 August 2011

Anime

An anime television series based on the manga was announced in the October 2011 issue of Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine.

Reception

According to Oricon

Oricon

, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...

, the complete third volume compilation of the manga sold 24,363 copies, whilst the fourth volume sold 44,120 copies (making it rank #19 of Japanese manga sales in mid-August 2011).

External links

• Sankarea official website