Sankarea

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, Bābu, 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 run 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, 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.


Chihiro Furuya

Chihiro is the protagonist of the story who has a zombie obsession/fetish. He uses an old manuscript to make a "resurrection" potion so that he can bring his dead cat back to life as a zombie. He goes at an abandoned building at night after his pet cat Bābu's death. He performs his research of bringing the dead back to life in the old abandoned building, he sometimes see Rea going at the well near the building and shouting her problems about her lifestyle. He promised Rea that he'd take responsibility if she becomes a Zombie. After Rea moved to his residence he conducts research on preserving Rea's body on a tent in his own room. He wants his first kiss to be given by a female zombie which he experienced first hand when Rea kissed him due to lack of the herb used for the potion. He also experienced becoming a half-zombie, revealed after being stabbed by Dan'ichirō with a fencing sword. This is due to him being bitten by Rea after the kiss (although the effects were only temporal). He also enjoys seeing Rea dressed as a Bunny Girl or a Nurse. Despite the fact that he's not interested in living girls, he managed to fall in love with Rea when she was still alive, and confesses to her while Rea tries to devour him, which brings her to her senses. He tries to approach to her, however has difficulties given the incident and Rea's own embarrassment. He is named after Lucio Fulci.


Rea Sanka


Rea is the heroine of the story who steals and drinks some of the zombie potion made by Chihiro in an attempt to commit suicide because of years of sexual abuse by her father. She fails in the attempt but she resurrects as zombie when she accidentally falls of a cliff and dies. As a zombie, she lives together with Chihiro in order to know how it feels to become free from her father's chains. In chapter 12 she does some gestures and calls Mero "Mero-chan" similar to how Mrs. Furuya was remembered by Mero. She likes Chihiro and feels like she is bothering or interrupting Chihiro and Ranko's relationship although later Ranko encourages her that she should try harder, and does so albeit with embarrassment. She seems to understand Bābu and is also revealed to be so far the only zombie that Jogorō and Darin have seen to defy her insticts at the 2nd stage of zombification, possibly due to her having drunk the medicine before dying(which was suggested by Darin since no other zombie has drunk it before death). She's also physically strong as her body is no longer restrained by her brain as a result of her death.


Ranko Saoji

Ranko is the first cousin of Chihiro. Often called Wanko by Chihiro, at times she also keeps on saying that Chihiro should use "-san" after her name. She likes teasing Chihiro and Rea as well. She likes Chihiro and develops a rivalry with Rea. She eventually confesses to Chihiro but realizes before answering that he loves Rea, she is however fine with her unrequited love.


FURUYA FAMILY


Mero Furuya

Mero is the younger sister of Chihiro. Unlike Chihiro, she is obsessed with ghosts. She doesn't remember much about her mom except for the fact that her hands are wrapped in bandages. In some of her memories of her mom she remembered her mom asking how is her fever, her mom stated that she forgot that she can't tell temperature. She sees her mom's image in Rea accidentally calling her mom. It has been heavily implied in the manga that her mother may have actually been a zombie because of her not being to tell the temperature(just like Rea) and parting with the reason because she loves them a lot, possibly hinting at her trying to leave before her zombie instincts take over. She is named after George A. Romero.


Jogoro Furuya

Jogorō is Chihiro and Mero's grandfather also known as Professor Boil. He's the creator of the recipe for the Resurrection potion. He was a well respected professor in the United States researching zombies, and performed a multitude of experiments with them. He however left his research for unknown reasons, and although he still has great knowledge of zombies he rarely says something useful due to his old age.


Doon Furuya

Chihiro's father.


Babu

Bābu is Chihiro's pet cat that died in a car accident in three days before the start of the series, who was brought back to life by Chihiro while doing research of resurrection on him. Rea seems to understand Bābu as a zombie. Like Rea his body is not restrained by his brain and was able to kill a much bigger fox.