[Arturro]

Originally Posted by monir

I agree with the above. She isn't going to turn around suddenly and start procuring feelings for a guy from the past right that instant and not while she is grieving..... No, the profound reason she said what needed to be said was because, while she doesn't see Takashi as a romantic interest, she still doesn't want to be the person responsible to push Takashi into a self righteous suicidal idiot. Her bond with Takashi goes beyond the romance. Yes, it's possible to form a bond between two opposite sex that doesn't have to have romance in it. Takashi was pretty much going to go and hack away the zombies because the girl of his affection still insist to be with her dead boyfriend rather than be with him. While Rei said all of those at the peak of her emotion, she still was sensible enough to come out of it and said what needed to be said to stop the self-destructing idiot.

It's Takashi who has been pathetic from the start to end of the episode as far as Rei was concerned. Takashi himself also knows how pathetic he is as he projects his thoughts while holding Rei in his embrace at the end.

Takashi doesn't want to be Rei friend - he loves her. Rei doesn't consider Takashi as her friend, but as her "childhood friend" - this is a difference. When you have a serious problems you goes to someone you trust - a friend, a lover or a family member. With her problems she went to Hisashi, not to Takashi. Takashi is someone close and dear to her, but not on the lover of friend level.

I hope comparing first episode of anime with first chapter of manga is not considered as spoilers, because differences between manga and anime are minimal. Just in case I put rest of this post in spoiler tags.

Spoiler:

IMO the biggest difference between manga and anime is how Takashi - Rei - Hisashi relations are shown. In first manga chapter we see "pinky promise", but we don't see confesion, nor we see Rei telling him "Takashi... I did have feelings for you back then... But you didn't return them." We just see Rei and Hisashi going out, and we know from discussion between Takashi and his friend Morita (in anime he is talking with Saya Takagi) he confessed and was rejected. Takashi also says: "Rei... is the one who wanted to go out with Hisashi". So Rei was the one who asked Hisashi, not the other way. Takashi also admitted Hisashi is a great guy.
When Rei accused Takashi killed Hisashi because of jealousy, Takashi, in his thoughts, admitted it's true!

There is a cliche in shounen manga/anime about first girl winning and about "female childhood friend" being in love with male protagonist. Rei is both - first girl shown and his "childhood friend". Because of this cliches Rei "must" be in "true love" with Takashi and her relation with Hisashi are considered as "betrayal" of "true love", a proof of her being a "slut". So I'm not surprised there is so many "Rei haters". I'm sorry to disappoint "Rei haters", there is another cliche used, called "unlucky childhood friend" Takashi is the unlucky one.