Ep 1. Once I... Become a... Zombie

In the first episode of Sankarea, titled "Once I...Become a...Zombie," we meet Chihiro Furuya, a high school student who is obsessed with zombies. He spends his time reading books about them, collecting zombie-related items, and dreaming of one day bringing a dead body back to life. His desire stems from his love for his deceased pet cat, Babu, whom he wishes he could bring back.

One day, Chihiro hears of a local spot where bodies are said to be buried. He decides to investigate and sneaks onto the property only to find a young girl, Rea Sanka, attempting to drink poison. He stops her and brings her back to his home, where he prepares an antidote for her. However, things quickly take a strange turn as Rea becomes aware of Chihiro's obsession with zombies and shares her own family's dark secret with him: her father has been experimenting with a potion that brings the dead back to life.

Rea and Chihiro form a bond as they share their respective desires - Rea seeking a way to escape her oppressive father and find true freedom, and Chihiro seeking a way to bring Babu back to life. As Rea begins to spend more time with Chihiro and his family, she finds herself drawn to his care and compassion - something she has never experienced from her own family. However, her father's experiments with the resurrection potion soon lead to tragic consequences, and Rea's own fate becomes uncertain.

As the episode progresses, we see a stark contrast between the lighthearted nature of Chihiro's obsession with zombies and the dark reality of Rea's situation. The animation style amplifies this juxtaposition, with brightly colored, cartoonish scenes depicting Chihiro's world and more muted, somber scenes showcasing Rea's struggles. The episode sets up a complex and compelling storyline, leaving viewers eager to see how Chihiro and Rea's relationship will develop, and what their fate will be in a world where the dead may not stay dead for long.