Sanda

Sanda is like a headless chicken, shitting out golden eggs and walking around in confusion. There are a ton of very nice ingredients here but the cook doesn't really know what to do with them. Sanda presents you a very interesting setting exploring a very Japanese problem. The big idea behind this story is fresh for anime while fitting in the larger shonen formula by adding themes that make sense for this concept. Declining birth rates, adolescence, coming of age, confidence and becoming reliable for others. All in a world that is wonderful in its exaggeration of problems related to said ideas. The production is also stellar. Science SARU known for its bold style visually made Sanda into one of its kind looking anime, as if to match the interesting foundations of the story. The art style is wonderful, with fun character designs that may be off-putting to some, but are well executed and animated. The music is probably my favorite part. It is done perfectly, with some tracks fully embracing the connection to Santa Claus and Christmas. Of course voice acting is highly competent as well. Reading all this, you might think this will be great, they have high creative vision both visually and conceptually. Unfortunately outside the realm of concepts Sanda suffers quite a bit. Sure anime indeed delivers some nice explorations of maturity and adolescence but that is about it. The plot meanders slowly and aimlessly with a story that forces the main antagonist to be weirdly passive and lacks any sort of concrete long term goal. Believing in yourself and gaining the belief of others is basically the driving force behind this show which is unfortunate. World is interesting sure, but it is also very small. We have a school designed to hate Sanda while also having artificial roadblocks in the direct confrontation between hero and the villain. The whole school, besides the evil headmaster, lacks any teachers making that one character the source of all conflict which is weird. Only one out of three adults in the school is evil leading to this conflict being shallow. The fact that antagonist is outnumbered in his own school and is forced to be the lone force driving this struggle undermines the goal of making the place normal. This also extends to the students, with no teachers in the school it is really hard for the anime to show real effects of the flawed ideology governing their education. Sanda’s conflict is also hurt by this. He is forced to fight with temporary bad guys while prevented from actually fighting them (I will get back to it). This is why, when Sanda fights the headmaster, no one can ever really win. If hero wins he solves main problem of the show and headmaster can't really win cause this anime doesn't have anyone else who could fight against this system. It all would have benefited from this school being larger, having more bad teachers as well as giving more agency to the other characters. Speaking of characters, beside Fuyumura who is interesting and actually contributes to the fights this really isn't an inspiring sight. Even the protagonist isn't very interesting in terms of personality. It is important to mention here the vital mechanic that prevents Sanda from harming psycho kids. Where I am from Santa gives a stick instead of a present to naughty kids, but here it isn't the case and it is worth looking into. Show criticizes adults overprotective of children but does the same with Sanda for a long time. One could assume the idea anime points towards is that you need some balance in this spectrum but if so it fails at presenting this. Any kind of message of an adult that is supposed to take all of the children's anger and listen to them isn't worth it and if it was intended I fundamentally disagree. It may be controversial to say but hear me out, if a kid killed countless adults and intends to do the same with you… I won’t judge you for resulting to violence. I know, crazy stuff. Obviously this is fiction and you could point towards the above goals behind this no harming kids policy but there is one more big flaw coming with this approach. It creates a flood of fights where Sanda just stands there being shot. It's awkward, weird and boring beside two real fights that end with no interesting conclusion anyway. This weird conflict combined with the inability to fight the school system seriously makes most of the characters useless in actual fights. They have basically an assassin in this anime that can’t do anything. Fuyumura is carrying for a lot of the run time. As I said she sometimes contributes her character is interesting and she has a relationship with real drama! Basically the only person here who does. There is a lot of soul in Sanda and I really admire the originality, the looks and the soundtrack but at the end of the day writing did not deliver anything matching the potential behind this concept.

Sanda - When Christmas isn't a thing anymore, you have to be its figure to show children that there's still hope in Santa Claus. So...a Merry (not so) happy Christmas, I guess? I love it when personal inspirations can influence unique settings ever to grace the meaning of life, and that's not a skill that a lot of people have — to show that there's still an abundance of mystery behind it, even more so by translating that inspiration into a physical form, say, like a book or something. This is even more difficult when it comes to integrating both art and content together, which is something that most comic book authors try to do, no matter their origin. Regardless of the fame that comes around to gain publicity from the outside press, standing out is what ultimately makes or breaks the mould to achieve great success. However, in the name of success, which when related to Japan alone, the oversaturation of the AniManga industry becomes quite the lowbrow when you have too much of the same thing and less of a personal vision that truly makes you and your content different. And different is what one author chose to do and to turn it into a wild and wacky mess that still feels great to anticipate more and more. AND...if you didn't know any better, from the brilliant mind that brought us Baki the Grappler...erm, nope...oh, that's right: Beastars, mangaka Paru Itagaki is once again back onto the anime scene, bringing us one of her most recent and completed works with Sanda, starring not a timid grey wolf, but a boy who has got quite the curse navigating around the themes of adulthood and maturity, with compliments as an action comedy series. Declining birth rate, arranged marriages from infancy, near-total utilitarianism and restricted control of the people, and social status regardless of age — these are real-world problems that our modern society faces to this very day. Yet, in the world of Sanda, this isn't fantasy, it's reality slapped in their bare faces, as its alternate future of Japan has events like Christmas wiped off the calendar, never to be seen or realized again, and people live their lives as if it's just the mundane life on crack. Yet, for the 14-year-old short and young middle school boy Sanda Kazushige, who is said to be a descendant of the burly Santa Claus, he is the only one who still holds the tradition on its feet in a society that barely even knows what it is. However, that's not all lost hope on its feet, as one student would find out that by forcing Sanda to transform into his Santa Claus outfit as a request to find a missing person, it's not exactly great for first impressions, but the secret lives on, latching as both a friend of interest and to keep that secret from being exposed to the outside world. Together, both Sanda and the somewhat Legoshi-looking tall and lanky girl, Shiori Fuyumura, circumvent the true meaning of what it means to mature and make Christmas a reality once again. If you have seen or watched Beastars in that regard, the practicality and stark contrast of an anthropomorphic world that still lives by the society of the animal kingdom is already weird to begin with, and for the daughter of one of the most iconic mangaka of all time (Baki's mangaka, Keisuke Itagaki), this is truly her lifestyle: creating works that are, simply put, unorthodox, unique, and mesmerizing to experience. In fact, with Sanda as her newest creation at the time since the serialization of Beastars came to an end, Paru Itagaki was already sought after for her next work, which surrounds Christmas as its overarching theme and a human-focused story that would just be as divisive as her former series. However, after turning that story into a one-shot, which garnered quite the negativity, the mangaka herself was not fazed and continued to find an alternate direction to pivot to, this time targeting the younger audience with her desire to continue using Santa Claus as a narrative. And when you combine the younger generation with something like Christmas and Santa Claus, it naturally gets their attention as an appropriate season that creates an enjoyable timeframe for the story to flow better, and of all places where it could've been set, it's a renovated version of the Isetan Shinjuku department store as a tell-tale sign of her closely knit family. Therefore, the Christmas season set with her character of choice, Sanda Kazushige, being "a boy who believes in kindness, even when the world doesn't," sets the precedent of her series featuring the likeable protagonist that doesn't bow down to stereotypical traits, with his Santa Claus self being able to interpret people as children, and his transformation metamorphosis being based on the influence of the below-average crappy 2010 film, The Wolfman. The mind of a boy and a man that's all-in-one—it's very hard for one to live life in a normal state, let alone Sanda, who has to deal with his transformations, thanks to a seal that was once there but broken by Fuyumura when he comes into contact with something red (which blood is always a recurrence). As if that's not enough, the world that's diminished to censor the underlying truths, for someone with a small body and a big heart for the people around him, the notion of "childhood and adulthood" becomes quite the prominent aspect of play when it comes to Sanda's struggles, as well as the antagonists who are after his life. It's always a circumvention for Sanda when he either evolves or devolves into his child or adult self, as although he can certainly go back to his child self munching down jellybeans, it's the world around him that is in total darkness — the friends and enemies that he would make over the course of his lifetime, despite him having a golden heart and entrusting himself not to get violent against minors. And what a setting it truly is for the people that Sanda will meet in the course of the anime. Fuyumura, for one, is quite the whiplash; she's closer to a bona fide terrorist to get her way, but that's because the school that they're in, Daikoku Welfare Academy, has seen a disappearance case of a female student. And with Fuyumura having close ties towards her, it's natural that she would come to find Sanda by hook or by crook in order to find her best friend, Ichie Ono, who seemingly has violated one of the school's foundations to hit puberty and is on the target reticle of its commandeering headmaster, Hifumi Oshibu. As if that's not enough, with one of Sanda's roommates, Hitoshi Amaya, accidentally discovering the truth about him, alongside other characters that would come to thwart Sanda for his Santa Claus self. Amidst a crucial identity crisis, Sanda really has his hands full just trying to stay the hell alive in the Academy, where living the normal human life without the chance to hit puberty strikes a fear within him of ever seeing the light of day, where Christmas can be a thing once again. You know it best when Science SARU gets the opportunity to showcase their finest production work again and again, and although it hasn't been long since Dandadan Season 2 finished its run last season, any work that they have their hands on is a certified winner. Led by in-house director Tomohisa Shimoyama, the anime is an ooze in both action and expression, and no other studio does it like Science SARU, who is literally "monkeying around" in their creativity and intuition to deliver works of fine art. And for the director who expressed his fascination with the mangaka herself in terms of her artistic style, as well as legendary animator Yoshinori Kanada (who passed away in 2009 and from whom animators like Hiroyuki Imaishi and Masami Obari take inspiration), as a major inspiration, you'll instantly know that the series is given a lot of love, and for a very good reason: to deliver Sanda to none other than a pristine quality, because good is not good enough. To add to the allure of the anime, the music department, led by musician and…

Sanda is an anime that tries too hard to be something it isn’t. It attempts to explore deep themes of adolescence through an interesting near-future setting, while simultaneously presenting itself as a shounen action series whose protagonist is a 14-year-old boy who can transform into Santa Claus with superpowers. Originality isn’t the problem here, but the execution absolutely is. The concept doesn’t come together, and you’d honestly be better off watching something else. Before watching the show, I struggled to understand what it was even about. Santa? A murder mystery? A dystopian future? After finishing it, I understand why the premise was so unclear: the plot itself is a jumbled mess. The anime starts in one direction, then introduces new characters, factions, and goals, only to change direction again and again. As a result, it leaves behind countless loose ends. Many of these abandoned ideas could have been interesting if they had been explored properly and used to enrich the world-building. Instead, the series feels rushed and incomplete. Perhaps a 24-episode season would have helped. Additionally, the contrast between the anime’s ambitious themes and its utterly ridiculous core concept is jarring. The clash between thoughtful world-building and an absurd plot contributes heavily to the show’s messy identity. The central theme of “growing up” is also handled poorly in my view; it comes across less as introspective and more as a fetishization of children and their “beauty,” which made the experience uncomfortable and, frankly, off-putting. The main characters themselves are not terrible. Sanda is a fun protagonist, and there’s some entertainment to be found in watching his thought processes as a child forced into the role of Santa, and Santa forced into the body and mind of a child. While he isn’t particularly deep, he does effectively represent the idea of being caught between adulthood and childhood, which ties neatly into the anime’s themes. Fuyumura, however, is by far the strongest character in the series. She’s the only one whose thoughts, actions, and internal conflicts feel grounded and believable. Like Sanda, she embodies the burden of existing between childhood and adulthood, but does so in a far more compelling way. Unfortunately, many viewers on this site seem to dislike her, or even the anime itself, because of her character. This is largely due to her gender dysphoria and gayness, which some dismiss as the show being “too westernized.” I strongly disagree. These traits, unlike in western media, aren’t forced onto the viewer, instead they serve a clear narrative purpose. Fuyumura exists between identities: male and female, child and adult, which mirrors the show’s core themes remarkably well. The main antagonist, Ooshibu, is entertaining but shallow. He’s amusing, but completely underdeveloped. The rest of the cast fares worse: characters are either introduced as if they’ll be important, only to become irrelevant almost immediately, or they fall into the category of irritating, unhinged psycho-kids. The anime’s single saving grace, and the only reason I can justify giving it even a passable score, is its art. From the very first episode, the visuals are striking and consistently impressive. Character designs, facial expressions, backgrounds, framing, color usage, and animation quality are all excellent. The art perfectly establishes the dark, unsettling tone the series is aiming for and does a fantastic job of reinforcing each character’s personality and mood. It’s unique, stylish, and genuinely fantastic. Unfortunately, the sound design doesn’t live up to the same standard. The voice acting is serviceable but occasionally undermined by poor audio mixing. The OST has a few strong moments, mainly during action scenes, but is otherwise forgettable. I can’t recall noticing it outside of fights, which suggests either a lack of presence or poor implementation, neither of which is good. The soundtrack in episode one stood out to me initially, but it failed to maintain that level of impact later on. Ambient sounds and background audio were also unremarkable. One bright spot, however, is that both the OP and ED are bangers. Despite all of this criticism, I really enjoyed the beginning of the show. The first episode left me excited to see the rest, and the series maintained a decent standard for a short while before collapsing into the rushed, child-loving, and thematically confused mess it ultimately became. Finishing it left me with a sour taste, largely because the potential was clearly there. So, would I recommend Sanda? No. Unless you’re specifically interested in its art style, your time is better spent elsewhere. I won’t be watching a second season or picking up the manga. In the end, this anime is not more than a hard-to-follow, ridiculous story that takes itself far too seriously.

-🟠Fall 2025 Claus, but definitely not Santa Sanda isn't the worst anime I've ever watched, BUT it's definitely the most exhausting anime I've ever watched. It took me literally two months to watch all 12 episodes, and it was pure torture. Just as reading this far too long and overly chaotic review might be torture for someone......... Plot: "In a future where children are rare and Christmas has fallen into oblivion, student Shiori Fuyumura tries to find a missing friend. She believes her classmate, Kazushige Sanda, is a descendant of Santa Claus and can help her." I don't even know where to begin because too many things in this anime simply seem poorly written. The plot doesn't seem to have a sensible direction, the worldbuilding is flawed, and the characters, while mostly quite interesting, have numerous problems, ranging from one-dimensionality to inconsistent personalities. In addition, there's a disturbing thematic focus that seems out of place in an anime about children, their struggles, and Santa Claus wanting to help. Namely, it's about the rather significant sexualization of the Santa Claus motif, which literally borders on pedophilia, and too much focus on the conflict, which can be shortened to "oh, I'm 14 and I like girls my age, but at the same time I'm also a grown man whose job is to protect children." Okay... this wouldn't have to be bad if it weren't for the fact that this particular plot doesn't really have much content, which is why it's repetitive and doesn't develop in any interesting way, it seems to be mainly a generator of disturbing scenes. But from the beginning... Let's start with the fact that the very premise of the plot makes absolutely no sense. In the face of a demographic crisis, the state, and therefore the institutions responsible for children, are taking no logical steps to save the economy. Instead of doing everything possible to ensure the birth of as many children as possible who would then grow up and contribute to society, their actions are focused on spoiling children, giving them absolute freedom in matters such as MURDERING ADULTS, and simultaneously controlling them at every turn. This isn't focused on making children as valuable to society as possible, but rather on keeping them in a childlike state for as long as possible. Children can't experience trauma because it will change them emotionally, and they can't sleep because it will cause them to mature physically. So, yes, the state wants children just for the sake of having children... bruh *nonsense*. This has no logical justification in the plot (it's just because...it is) and manifests itself only in the main antagonist's personal obsession with youth. Additionally, what makes all these assumptions seem unreliable, despite determining many events, is the setting of the action, limited solely to a school whose rules are often unclear and unconvincingly expanded upon throughout the plot. The very theme of child control and society's obsession with youth doesn't resonate because the plot and worldbuilding don't sufficiently broaden our perspective on the topics discussed and often even sabotage them. Perhaps the worst part is that this supposed control of children is completely absent throughout the anime, which translates into a nonexistent tension in a series that attempts to be a kind of dystopia. Let's start with the fact that children in this anime are supposedly the most important treasure, there are few of them and despite supposed control, there is no care for their safety at all, absurd events where one of the students literally blows up the entire class (twice) and yet the world ignores it and it carries no consequences, the unrealistic scenario makes suspension of disbelief seem impossible and sabotages the themes of the series. Another thing that makes the events in this anime unengaging is the lack of sufficient adults and their related subplots to convincingly underpin all the themes surrounding the fear of puberty and hatred of adults. Instead, however, this anime often limits itself to exposition, where characters demonize adults, or worse, the school principal, who is truly the sole antagonist and "evil adult" who is the source of all evil and adult oppression. (Not counting the pseudo-antagonist, who, aside from a single fight, poses no threat because he gets an obvious but quite cool redemption arc.) Apart from the fact that this again simplifies the world, limiting it to a single antagonist wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if it weren't for the principal's shallow, over-the-top nature (for someone who carries most of the series' themes on his shoulders) and his strangely/inconsistently absent presence in the plot. He's absent, completely posing no threat or representing this mythical control of children; the stakes are zero, and thematic credibility is severely limited. Anime often doesn't focus on believably addressing its themes. This manifests itself in plots like "Children are genetically modified and don't need to sleep, yet they have to lie on a bed in the dark and pretend to be asleep" because children grow up while they sleep. They can even grow up in a single night of sleep. xDD It's unbelievable absurdity, and handled poorly. Because this anime has zero stakes and crappy worldbuilding, these kinds of rules, so crucial to some plots, are completely disregarded. Literally nothing stops children from sleeping, and as I mentioned earlier, when the characters are supposed to be pretending to be asleep, they can do whatever they want at night. We literally get a plot where our characters shoot guns all night long and no one does anything about it, because in a world that supposedly keeps children under a shelter, no one is watching over them. Another absurdity is the main principal's character. As if the credibility of the plot in this anime weren't already lacking, there's also the fact that a character has absolute power over the school, is a "reasonable adult," yet does nothing to combat the "cruel system." The anime completely ignores this and doesn't even try to explain this character's passivity. Plot consequences... This anime has a truly strange tendency to maintain the status quo at all costs despite constantly provoking situations that should change it. Let's assume the principal is a real threat and the issue of hiding the MC's identity from him is important. Every confrontation with him that leads to the MC's identity being exposed is saved by a Deus ex machine or simply completely senseless decisions by the principal. One time, his artificial eyes fall out seconds before he's supposed to see the MC's child form, and the next time, he defeats the MC in a fight and then completely gives up, forgoing the attempt to finish him off without any justification. All this nonsense is a significant part of the plot, but it doesn't accomplish anything beyond the confrontation between a boring, one-dimensional antagonist and the MC's boring slogans, only for everything to return to square one, which is most evident in the final episode. Furthermore, there's no significant development because I'm tired of it... There are no stakes because the MC is immortal, the world is empty in the sense that children, despite the dystopian and absurd realities, are "normal," and most children don't see the consequences of all this nonsense (of course, apart from a group of isolated or otherwise psychopaths who appear in the second half of the anime), adults are practically nonexistent as characters, the most important systemic limitations are absurd, and the rest is simply exposition that doesn't really mesh with the content this anime offers. Finally, three final issues... The MC, the rest of the characters, and the irresponsible/disturbing pedophile vibes are what make this anime seem like something worthwhile to me. So... The main character, who is the core of the story, is unfortunately also the hardest to watch becau…

Sanda is overflowing with really top-notch elements - an original premise with surprisingly strong themes that it takes seriously about adulthood and growing up. Its art style is expressive and stylized, it's setting is deeper than it seems on the surface, its characters are also relatively deep, its writing is good most of the time. Despite all those great ingredients, however, the total package never really comes together. I won't belabor that point - it manages a 7/10 with its components, but could've been an 8 or 9 if it had actually done anything with them. The thing that truly makes this review mixed is that the absolute climax of the show is based on a plot point that, without spoiling anything, is just really stupid and contrived. Failing to build to anything meaningful, the show then hinges its entire final episode on a single plot/character development that makes less than zero sense and just kinda collapses the entire project. I like Sanda, I do. It should be better than this. But it isn't. So I reluctantly declare Sanda, despite its many strengths... just ok, I guess. Kind of a letdown.

To its credit, SANDA is a very smart show. It explores a ton of concepts and themes beyond just being your average coming-of-age story: the interface between adulthood and childhood, gender identity, sexuality, perceived value of youthfulness, aging and death, declining birth rates, the responsibilities of adults. All of this is presented through a very clever reimagining of the Santa myth. It was a very interesting show to consume. At the same time, it was perhaps too smart for its own good? Its hard to put into words, but I feel like it needed to have more fun with itself. Not to say it took itself too seriously, or wasn’t silly, but I also felt like it could have been more playful with its concept. Suffice to say, I was never all that excited to watch the next episode, hence why it took me a while to finish it. It also sort of has a non-ending which essentially points you to read the manga…maybe we’ll get a season 2? 7/10

Sanda is a fabulously animated, fabulously voiced, and fabulously absurd romp through a Christmas-less and abhorrently chaste dystopian future. From first impressions I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes esoteric, excellently-animated, theatrical nonsense, à la Kill la Kill. But, I must warn you that it may not hold your attention for long. I'll explain in four main segments, outlined below: Animation/Visuals: Holy moly. Science Saru does the impossible every time. Fight choreography rarely is this well paced and shot, so if you love that sort of thing this is absolutely your thing. Nothing at a grand scale, but it's all super tight and lavishly animated. The backgrounds are simple but clean, but in fight scenes they usually take care to make a more interesting setting than you would otherwise expect. Finally, the mangaka, Paru Itagaki, is known for creating Beastars and that diversity of character design indeed appears here. Nothing too crazy, but you get lots of different stylized mouth, hair, and eye shapes that make the characters fun to look at. Fuyumura, for one, is simultaneously an assault on and delight for the senses. That hair is dumb as h*ck but boy does it work with her personality. Characters: These characters are good! They start strong and funny, and develop pretty naturally throughout the anime. The problem is their final trajectory appears 24 episodes out, and these guys only have enough budget for 12. That means that most of the development happens overnight (almost light puberty!) and still leaves the characters on a cliffhanger at the end. This run time is far too short to introduce and pay attention to this many d*ng fellows. While the setting is fairly absurdist and almost nothing is meant to be taken seriously, there are some standout plot-distractors that seriously bog down the pacing of the back half of the show, drawing time from the G.O.A.T., Fuyumura. That being said, the main protagonist is at least solid. His genuine interactions with his friends and coming to terms with his new role as a protector (who still deserves to be protected, himself) feel inspired and sweet. Though, like I said, the runtime (and excess focus on two obnoxious side characters; you know who you are, ladies) do not give him the time to develop. Themes: "Growing old is okay", "Being afraid to grow old is bad", and "Embrace your inner child" are... well, themes I suppose. The show shows this inner turmoil inside each of its leads, but seems afraid to commit to any of them shifting in their perspective. A clear example of this is with the gym teacher. He regrets how he lived his early years, and seems to be interested in altering his current habits, but we don't get a clear idea of how he might change moving forward. Our final image of him is almost exactly the same as when we first saw him: a disappointing, self-loathing adult. Personal Gripe: The ending did not make me happy, so that's too bad. I do, however, think that the reason it made me unhappy may be because it is a bad ending. Why? Well, it involves the 'system' the characters were fighting so hard against gaining one more win, without real closure on how the system will change. You may say that win was in service of forcing our characters to 'grow up', maintaining their childlike whimsy in the face of cruel adulthood and trauma, of a world that won't so easily bend, but to me it felt like a haphazard and strangely cruel knife-twist that only served to develop more drama between the leads. Shouldn't an anime about a boy battling tyranny as Santa Claus have a more fantastical ending? Why such a dark tone!? Oh, also, the lie thing never came up again or am I crazy!?? Ultimately, I fear this anime--much like the children trapped within it--had far more whimsy than the trapping system allowed. It was brimming with delightful characters and ideas, but ultimately didn't seem to know what to do with any of them. The most fitting theme for any watcher to pay attention to, one suggested by the show, is probably that the things we love the most can also hurt us the most. And you will love this anime; just also be prepared for it to disappoint you, too.

Though “masterpiece” sounds a little bit overrated, I personally loved the anime up until the first season of the manga adaptation. Firstly, the art style is wonderful, and I can't put into words how much I love it. It's somewhat fitting for the series how the characters vary in appearance and construction, resembling how everyone there is a different student. The storyline itself feels unique, with some interesting points and objectives that fit how the characters feel and their perspectives. And pointing out the characters, every single one of them is well explored; their traits are nicely worked out in the series, and they are not that black-or-white kind of characters — they are grey. The way they react to and think about situations fits pretty well with their position: teenagers, discovering themselves and others. I believe that people who like anime with a good or different art style, a nice, rich story with different concepts, and characters with deep relationships would love this anime.

I don't know who was more high, the person who created this story or those who managed to adapt it so exceptionally. Trying to explain the premise of Sanda is a bit difficult while sober, and writing this review would be very difficult in the same state as Paru Itagaki when she wrote it. You just need to know that the story is about a boy who can transform into Santa Claus. If you think that's already weird, then you haven't seen the anime. Without going into too much detail, believe me, the experience alone makes investing time in Sanda totally worthwhile. Sanda starts in a way that leaves you looking around, wondering what you just saw. As the story progresses, you start to understand the crazy stuff. You see how Santa's powers make sense according to the lore we all know. Up to this point, you're like, "Oh, look, Santa Claus defeating the bad guys, awesome, I'm in." And just when you think everything is fine, they throw in a twist that leaves you reeling. Suddenly, Santa Claus has to fight against an adult society that projects its desires and goals onto children. The idyllic world of children initially presented transforms into an oppressive society where children are mere livestock for the satisfaction of adults. The world has very clear and simple rules that benefit children at all times. Behind these rules is an adult world that only seeks to hoard the youth they no longer possess. Sanda makes many criticisms of modern society, the culture of cosmetic surgery, and the beauty standards established by large corporations. Director Ooshibu is the embodiment of everything that is wrong within the aesthetic world: undergoing numerous cosmetic surgeries to stay "young and beautiful," always desiring the youth of children, rejecting old age, and how these people only seek the praise of others. They criticize educational systems, where schools resemble prisons instead of schools. They examine how uniforms are used to represent prison chains. They criticize how students are made to look the same so they lack a sense of individuality or critical thinking. Sanda is full of criticism from every angle, but you might miss some of it because you're too busy watching that damn Santa fight against adultcentrism. In terms of the technical aspects and script, the entire Sanda staff contacted Paru Itagaki's distributor, as their adaptation only enhances the work. They understood the message and sought the best way to amplify it. From the lighting and color palettes to the camera work, everything was exactly where it needed to be. When the Sanda anime was announced, one probably wondered which studio would be the best fit for this story. Science Saru stepped up, and with all their experience in nonsensical stories, they delivered a knockout blow. After seeing the final result, I simply can't think of a studio that could deliver a better product. I want to highlight the aspect that surprised me the most: the camera work. It's rarely mentioned how well Saru handles framing, focus, and close-ups. He knows which angles and perspectives best convey ideas. He knows when to add elements to the frame, and also when less is more. Without a doubt, Saru delivered a piece of work that puts him on the map as a reliable studio. The best way to understand Sanda is to watch it sober; the best way to enjoy it is with a dose of magic mushrooms. Enjoy, and happy holidays.

I'd kind of been hoping for a Christmas show for years and I always figured that any sort of Christmas series would be mostly unfeasible unless it was of a particular genre. Sanda manages to be exactly that, though, and it surprised me when it popped up. I enjoyed this show a lot and a good part of that was because of Paru's very striking character designs. This is one of those shows where you can simultaneously tell that it's both animated by SARU and drawn by Paru Itagaki within minutes of watching and most of the time it makes this show an absolute blast to watch. Fuyumura in particular REALLY stands out (partially because she's really tall but) and, for me and I think a lot of others, ends up being quite a relatable character as the show progresses. Towards the end, I was a bit worried because it felt like the seasonal nature of the show might've been working against it. It didn't feel rushed, necessarily, but it did feel like it was rush*ing* to keep up the pace so that it could reach the conclusion it wanted by episode 12. This isn't really a problem for most of the show (Only really maybe the last two episodes), and it could just be me overanalyzing. But I think other than that it manages to be a wonderful Christmas show that's really easy to watch with a ton of likeable characters in a mostly an uncanny setting. Really enjoyed my time with it.

This is a good one. Recurring and relevant themes center around adulthood and what it means, childhood wonder and joy, mysticism and coming to terms with it, hope against oppression, totalitarian control and standing against it (please, don't go bashing people's limbs apart, it's a shounen after all), understanding your spaces, understanding trust, understanding conflicting and selfish desires, understanding sexuality, staying creative and unconventional, understanding yourself and your role in the world. Among others. Sanda is a home run that really handles itself maturely. It juggles a 14 year old's impulses with those of an immortal god-being well. It shows progress in every character every time they're shown on screen. It handles coming of age in an understandable and, of course, anime manner. When characters speak, they do so with reason. When people feel something, it's because it matters. Most of this highlights the human condition and it's really appreciated in this setting. The tone is relevant to modern society at large - declining birth rate, children being prized above all else, childhood wonder being erased by the system. If you have kids, as I do, you'll find this deeply resonant. What is school teaching? What is society versus conformity? What is tradition versus fantasy? What is hope versus totalitarianism? This is such a good show that handles all of that - believe it or not - well. Questioning one's self as the core of this show and, wow, does it handle it better than the rest of the flock. Usually, I'd go into negatives. FLCL's sequels sucked, etc. Here, it's not so much as negatives as things I can't really think of ways they'd improve of. I'm a big fan of the style and how it's all presented. The pace is solid and marches onward, not wasting a beat. People progress in meaningful ways and characters actually grow as they will. It's really good and only gets better when you have children because as a parent, you'll find yourself wondering many of the tones and settings presented here, yourself. Set yourself in the time you were 14 or 15, most characters are 14, and remember what it was like. Remember what you had to handle and watch this with an open mind. It's great. (Please, keep it up. I'll give a 10 if it doesn't end on a nonsense cliffhanger or ditch its current, relevant themes. That's as close as it'll get to Monster for me.) It's truly great. This is one of those shows you walk away from with introspection. It is understandable and relatable and I really appreciate its tone throughout the entire experience. Sanda explores maturity, death, coming of age, understanding yourself in the world, negotiation and compromise, the power of faith and belief, and more in an interesting and fun format. I truly appreciate this show for what it brings. Some folks may not appreciate how it ends - but there's the charm of it. It's a coming to terms with reality you don't get really anywhere else. This is a good one. Watch it.

this anime is such a unique coming-of-age story (haha get it). at first, the plot seems so insanely bizarre, its the main hook. but the WORLD BUILDING. its a fascinating look at a society that doesnt feel too far away; one where absolute beauty and youth is prioritised over health. so its not that weird. oh wait the main character is a descendent of santa claus and there exists a "saint nick pursuit unit". nevermind. but its the same mangaka as beastars... should be expected that it'd be insanely weird but written so so so well. - worldbuilding/concept as i said, the exploration of the future japanese society is created so masterfully. it feels so dystopian yet so familiar to our current society. its so good that its the only reason my rating isnt a 10. i just have so many questions about the logistics of it all even after finishing it. its simply fascinating - characters THE CHARACTERS ARE SO REALISTIC. a bunch of 14 year olds getting roped into crazy schemes blah blah but they arent weirdly emotionally mature - they are written to behave as actual kids!!! the anime explores the dichotomy between the innocence of these kids and the adult responsibilities they have due to the value placed on them by society and the santa-related escapades they get into. this is a point of contention, as some feel its overdone or sexualising the kids, but i think its framed pretty well from the perspective that sanda IS a 14 year old boy, of course hes gonna kiss a girl, and i feel its meant to make the audience uncomfy or dumbfounded at his actions. it also has sapphic yearning that is executed well, ANNDD a little exploration of gender, which dropped an aboslute banger of a line ("the gender i liked was the one unique to her"? TOO GOOD). and again, is framed perfectly from the perspective of 14 year old kids who have or have not gone through puberty. there also is actual character growth. sanda explores his identity as both a kid and as a grown man and fuyumura explores how immature she feels in her wishes. the personalities and banter between the main 3 are also fun and silly and i like them lots the villain is also so insane but is deeply intriguing... i almost feel he doesnt need an intense sentimental/unique backstory since its been shown that his mindset is the norm for adults in this world - art direction no notes the animation is stunning and the music has sm personality - ending the last episode didnt necessarily feel like a finale, but it was so beautiful and bittersweet and i think it reminded the viewer how young the kids are and all they've gone through, and that it is, in a weird way, a coming-of-age story. im really hoping it gets another season!! watch if you: - want commentary on our beauty-obsessed society, along with perceptions/stereotypes of age and how we treat kids - like bizarre plots - want realistic queer kids !! - like good animation/fights blah blah - want realistic integration of mcs in shonen being unbelievably young lol - want an unhinged antisocial teenage girl (fuyumura <3)

Sanda is by far one of the weirdest shows I’ve seen this year and it is all the better for it. It’s extremely theme-forward in its presentation, covering an impossibly wide range of topics centered around growing up, parenting methods, and the tried-and-true “let’s fix the declining birth rate,” with each new idea adding more and more layers of complexity to the central issue of how to raise children in an ever-complicating and ever-darkening world. Also the main character can transform into Santa Claus, which turns out to be way less silly and way more hype than you’re currently picturing, as this story’s version of Santa is essentially an immortal tank bent on bringing hope to children in need by punching the lights out of every naughty adult in his path. It’s giving My Hero Academia but with its own unique and incredibly bizarre flair, along with a bevy of complicated, emotionally-fraught teenagers trying to navigate a world that seeks to both overly-please and overly-control them. Of course, a premise this insane needs an equally bold production to match, and Science Saru was more than willing to step up to the plate and knock it out of the park. Whether it’s the brilliant adaptation of Paru Itagaki’s distinctive character designs or the balls-to-the-wall action set pieces with gorgeously animated moving backgrounds and hard-hitting choreography, this is easily one of the most underrated projects of the season purely on a visual level. While it may appear on the surface to be biting off more than it can chew, it’s that contradictory emotional maelstrom that makes this show so captivating in the first place, and I’ll definitely be asking Santa for a season 2 to see where the rest of the story goes from here.

There are very few works of fiction that genuinely understand what Christmas is about. Not the decorations, not the songs, not even nostalgia—but wonder, and the fragile, fleeting space where childhood belief still exists. Sanda is a rare modern work that captures that feeling, and in doing so, earns its place as legitimate Christmas fiction rather than a seasonal novelty. On the surface, Sanda may look unconventional for a holiday story, but beneath that is a deeply sincere exploration of what it means to protect children without robbing them of growth. The series uses myth not as spectacle, but as a moral framework—asking what happens when belief fades, when fear replaces wonder, and when adults decide that safety is more important than choice. These ideas are handled with surprising restraint and warmth, allowing the show to remain thoughtful rather than cynical. What elevates Sanda further is its use of contrast as storytelling. Bright visuals, gentle humor, and warmth are consistently paired with subtle discomfort—small inconsistencies, emotional restraint, and moments that feel slightly off. The show never announces this tension outright; instead, it invites the viewer to notice it. That unease is intentional, and it becomes the engine that drives reflection. Sanda rewards attentive viewers who are willing to sit with that feeling rather than dismiss it. The visual presentation and music quietly reinforce this approach. The score often feels like Christmas carols filtered through a darker register—familiar and comforting, but tinged with weight. It’s not background noise; it’s emotional subtext. The result is an atmosphere that lingers, encouraging contemplation rather than passive consumption. Most importantly, Sanda understands that Christmas stories are ultimately about passing something on—belief, kindness, courage, and the permission to grow up without fear. In that sense, it stands comfortably alongside classic holiday fiction, even if it arrives wearing very different clothes. This isn’t just a Christmas-themed anime. It’s the kind of story that wants to be revisited, year after year, as a reminder of why wonder matters in the first place. Sanda deserves to be watched not just once, but returned to—quietly, thoughtfully—as a modern Christmas tradition.

What must be said is, this show is not for the weak. To think that it's for children simply because the MC is a child and they're at a school is like saying happy tree family is for toddlers simply because of it's art style. let's be honest, the art style of sanda is somehow creepy, which the story itself... to not give a spoiler i must say, some parts of it are, not visually but psychologically creepy. the main attraction of the show though, is the philosophical side, which does say a lot about human behavior these days, especially in Japan, well, in the world really, where children's mindset are made to be more productive than creative, like, going a bit off topic, let's be honest, young people these days, like, let's say, those with the age between 15 to 25, well, actually more than that really, mostly care more about efficiency on getting money rather than doing things like, inventing something new or so. A sample from my own expertise, they want to study arts and/or craft simply because they want to get rich fast, not to express themselves, or do understand things aesthetically, or any other mindsets old artists and artisans have. For someone to then make a story that goes against the doctrine given to children these days, really is something worth appreciating really. for the negative side though, for those who know the original story of santa claus, i mean the red coated one, not st Nicholas, the lore in this story does become hilariously odd really, meaning, if you do know that the red santa claus we know today is a coca cola mascot, please ignore that fact.

A very interesting story concept combining adolescence, identity, fear of being old, and santa claus! (Still sad they didn't make the last eps airing on Christmas tho) From the very first eps, the whole premise are intriguing me and kept on giving me some storyline that i never seen before. With how obsessed people with youth and fear of being old? Tbh i can see why it can be a very interesting plotline. And combined it too with the tale of santa claus? Totally unique! The character design also really unique, i love it. The opening and ending also really well made. Animation and fighting choreo are amazing too. And scoring are absolutely masterpiece i love the scoring sm!!! Overall really recommend it, it's definitely unique but minus points are the ending which for me are pretty disappointing, very anticlimax imo

Sanda as a whole series I feel is a social commentary or observation of how society views both children & adults. One wants what the other has (in this case, Adults regaining their youth & children growing up). By using the Santa Claus tradition that is so well-known throughout our lives, within a society that has no knowledge of it/erased it, displays how they view themselves as a society. Sanda being the bridge between both adulthood & childhood showcases the struggles that both go through. Whether it's the fear of growing up/aging and wanting to return to your youth-filled childhood, Sanda lays bare that none need to have fear. That it's natural and that bith can coexist. Stepping away from analyzing the meaning for a bit, animation was really superb. Frames looked nice all around and artstyle is wacky but also contributes to adding layers and depth to the series. In my opinion, I thought it was a really interesting and great show. Even if you don't try to analyze this show and watch it as surface level, it still a lot of fun and really good. I'd totally recommend it. and it's my AOTS (anime of the season) ⭐️ <3 i loved it a ton

__Light summary__ Sanda follows the titular young boy “Sanda” who is from the ancient Santa bloodline, cursed (or blessed) to turn into a 40-year-old invincible man when he dons the color red. The twist is that he lives in a world with a declining birth rate where the existence of Santa has been actively covered up by the government, and children are coddled. __Animation and visuals__ Sanda is visually all right, and I'm particularly fond of the character designs, which feel unique and fun for even minor members of the cast. However, I felt that the animation at certain points lacked the visual dynamism that I've seen in other science saru productions like Dandadan and the Night is Short Walk on Girl. Below average for Saru is still quite impressive, but the result is a product placed above the pack but not towering over it. __Plot structure and worldbuilding__ The plot structure is where Sanda begins to fall apart, in my opinion, with an aimless impression being left by the lack of stakes, confusing and contradictory worldbuilding, and continual resets to the status quo. The show seems extremely dedicated to ensuring that, despite violent confrontation occurring, there is no disruption to daily life far past the point it’s sensible. This is something that can be suspended to a certain degree, but is made even stranger by the lack of integration of the school setting past the early arcs. Some of the show's minor points would show difficulty without this setting, but the constant straddling of the line makes things worse. In my opinion, they should’ve focused more on keeping things a secret or had it be an outlaw show that explored this dystopian society instead of flipping back and forth. Speaking of the society, throughout the show, what the intended social commentary is remains an enigma. The obvious assumption would be that “There are not a lot of children” would be a commentary on the historical fascination with the concept of a declining Japanese population and what could be done about this. Such an impression is supported by background details such as the presence of mandatory assigned marriage, but is completely contradicted in other areas where it’s implied that children are prevented from reaching reproductive capacity. Perhaps this population decline angle existed in service of a simpler theme of “society is obsessed with youth,” which is repeated throughout the show as well. However, if this is the case that is frankly far less interesting than anything else to be said. “People get too much plastic surgery” is far less interesting than anything else to be said about society's obsession with youth. This is a real shame, as I think there are interesting topics to be discussed about how the focus on young women as sexual objects, prone to decay, is entrenched in Western and Japanese society. Though ironically, Sanda contributes to this through two scenes, which, in my opinion, sexualize the underage characters unnecessarily for the sake of audience satisfaction. __Characters __ As mentioned earlier, many of the character designs are fun (especially Fuyamura’s); however, I think the show struggles to bring out the full depth of its cast. Characters undergo change throughout the story in response to their actions, but this is hampered by the non-responsiveness of the world. Specifically, one adult undergoes a major heart attack at risk to his own life, yet the consequences remain threatened, unexplored, and often played off as a bit of a joke. Sanda’s development faces similar issues with him being unable to take up the position that his arc naturally falls into, one of direct conflict with society, due to the show's insistence on maintaining a school life status quo. Perhaps these arcs will be able to continue in the next season, but I worry the weak worldbuilding implies this is simply not a point of interest for the writers. __X factor / Gimmick / Aura__ While it would seem that a show all about Santa Claus being buff, massive, and jumping around in underwear would have a significant hype factor, I found that the power set of the main character is frankly quite uninteresting and largely boils down to immortality. Something done far better by shows like Undead Unluck (where the main character just so happens to have a similar build). There are points where the show attempts to introduce new powers and forms, but they are largely uninteresting, and I feel that the issues presented by them could have been discussed through active character development. The same is true of the limitations placed upon the user of the powerset, which are inconsistent and vague to the point of removing them as a major fear. This isn’t a show killer, but it’s hard to ignore when it feels like so much of the content is riding on this gimmick, often to the detriment of the themes and worldbuilding. __Conclusions __ While I think there is potential in Sanda and its world, I found myself lacking thematic depth while watching the show. Perhaps this is something that would be improved in further seasons, but I don’t find myself holding my breath. If the idea of a naked old man jumping around is particularly funny to you, or if you are deeply concerned with the visual aesthetics of what it means to grow up, I think this is still worth checking. For me, I found myself enjoying it, but I cannot imagine rewatching Sanda or suggesting it actively to a friend in one year's time.

I was a little skeptical going into this show because I strongly dislike Beastars. To be honest, I was kind of only there out of morbid curiosity since I heard this was Paru Itagaki making yet another show just for one of her fetishes and I personally don't have a burly old man/Santa Claus fetish, so I didn't expect much going in. And you know what? Fair play, Paru Itagaki. I enjoyed this show quite a lot. I think part of my issue with Beastars (other than it being about anthro characters which were, quite frankly, disgusting to look at, which Sanda avoids by having human characters) is that I'm not really sure what it was going for other than "predator/prey", I felt Sanda was more clear in what it was trying to SAY and in that respect, I felt more of a connection to the themes of Sanda what with the declining birth rates all across the world and the obsession with youth and beauty. However I think this actually leads to my 2 biggest gripes about the show, to be honest. First... just Niko Kazao in general. Not only do I not like her as a character and find her annoying but one of the show's aspects is that they have arranged marriages. Which sure, okay, no problem with arranged marriages, we love arranged marriages, but it feels weird to me that the one arranged marriage/set-up couple we see... it just so happens to work out. Why exactly is Sanda cool with being hooked up with Niko? I get he's a 14-year-old boy but he liked Shiori and we're just... not going to question being hooked up to some random girl? Of all the fucked up things the adult world does to its children in this series, arranged marriages are okay and they work out fine? Even if you want to say "oh, Shiori's a lesbian, Sanda may like her but she doesn't have to like him" which I totally accept and I personally think Shiori's lesbian until further notice... I honestly think he had more chemistry with both Amaya and even Fumi? My second issue is that it spares no expense at making all of Sanda's relationships with his fellow kids seem weird because he can transform into a big strong old man. I get what they were TRYING to do here but it didn't work for me. Sanda in Santa mode is still a child, just in a man's body. Was his brain also supposed to magically turn into an [xx]-year-old's brain? Sanda also got Science Saru on the team and as per usual, Science Saru showed up and showed out. I think Orange was kind of handicapped with the anthro shit that makes up Beastars' characters because they can do good work (see: Trigun Stampede) but Saru never disappoints. It looks good and adapts Itagaki's style very well. I have my gripes with how the show covers its themes but I think it's got a lot of style, it does have Things to Say and decent commentary on Society when it wants to say something, and it's got (mostly, see Niko) likeable characters. If we aren't considering the Chainsaw Man movie as part of Fall, I would say this is my AOTS.

When you start watching this anime, the first thing that catches your eye is the character design and overall art style. The anime starts interesting enough to hook you in with its visuals and story. I also really liked the use of color throughout the show. The characters’ facial expressions, especially in emotional scenes, are very well done, and the voice acting is solid as well. The background music is nothing special, but the opening and ending are both good, both musically and visually. The story itself is good and creative. One of the biggest positives for me is how human interactions are written in this anime. In a lot of anime, relationships and interactions feel unrealistic, weird, or sometimes even cringy and questionable. Here, the interactions feel closer to real human behavior, and if you watch the anime, you will know what I mean. Overall, it was a good watch. In my opinion, this anime easily sits among the top 100, and I would recommend it to almost everyone, unless you really dislike teenage dramas and coming-of-age stories.