If you love a good tear-fest, ‘When Sato-kun Died’ is the best choice for you. The manga begins with a doomed premise and only makes the reader more and more melancholic as the chapters progress.

Now if I reveal that it is actually a zombie manga, would you be too shocked? Don’t be mistaken; it is not sad because of people dying and getting ripped to shreds; it’s sad because an awkward girl falls in love with her zombie classmate.

Yes, she falls in love AFTER he becomes a zombie. Quiet weird, isn’t it? If I was able to trigger your curiosity, then read on and give the mang a try!

When Sato-Kun Died Plot

Hozumi is a transfer student who faces trouble with socializing. One day she is shocked when the most popular guy at school, Sato, comes back as a zombie. This would have been terrifying normally, but in this particular town, rare cases like these happen. The zombies just follow their daily routine and can’t talk or show any emotions.

Sato-kun isn’t aggressive and just attends classes every day, and the two unexpectedly start bonding. Hozumi saves the zombie from getting bullied by others and feels like Sato is trying to faintly smile at her. She also helps Sato’s friend reconcile with him after they had a fallout.

As days pass, the zombie’s body starts deteriorating, and Hozumi fears he will disappear. We also find out that the two had actually met two years ago when Sato was going through a rough patch after his parents’ death. What transpired between the two on that day?

A forbidden romance begins between a shy girl and a zombie!

Release Date and More

‘When Sato-kun Died’ is a manga by Anna Yamagata that began serializing on August 18, 2023. It has a total of seven chapters, and the last chapter was released on December 17, 2021. It also received an extra eighth chapter which portrayed a ‘what if’ situation, to create an alternate ending for the manga.

The manga was supposed to be released as a four-koma but later got serialized. All the chapters have been compiled into a single volume.

Where to Read ‘When Sato-Kun Died’?

The ‘When Sato-kun Died’ manga is not available to read on any official website or app. You will not find it on Viz Media, Shonen Jump+, or MangaPlus. It is also not published in a physical form.

It has not been officially translated into English and is only available in Ebook format in Japan. You can find the ebooks by following the below links:

‘When Sato-kun Died’ Ending Explained

In chapter 7, the last chapter of ‘When Sato-kun Died,’ Sato’s background is explained. His parents always traveled for work, which is why he grew up self-sufficient and independent. However, his parents passed away at a young age, and he closed himself off.

When he met Hozumi for the first time, a dam broke inside him as he realized he could seek help just like others. Back to the present, Hozumi realizes how warm Sato makes her feel. She feels that she is too late and could have reached out to him before he became a zombie.

When she wakes up in his room, Sato is no longer to be found. It seems Ichihashi’s words have been proven true. Since Sato was losing control of his legs and had limited mobility, he had disappeared forever.

The extra chapter showed an alternate ending where Hozumi was 27 years old and years had passed. However, she discovered a queer boy who looked exactly like Sato. The boy confessed that he wasn’t Sato but had all the memories of the guy. He even had the same scars as Sato.

The manga has a bitter ending, but the readers can anticipate it from a mile away. So yes, attempt it only if you want to self-detonate.