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Paru Itagaki’s Sanda is not a typical shounen story, but has a narrative involving a cultural rebellion. The mangaka is known for creating a combination of brutal themes with beautiful imagery. Santa Claus will be featured in a never-before-seen avatar, transforming the holiday season into a terrifying authoritarian rule. Itagaki draws parallels from the real world, but overturns it in a manner that is both entertaining and brutal.
Sanda’s theme is pretty interesting with a dark background. In the hopes of making society return to normal, Shiori Fuyumura’s brutal method almost takes her classmate Kazushige Sanda’s life. What follows is something that the viewers will have never imagined in a thousand years. Since it revolves around Christmas and how a simple concept is completely overturned into something horrific and a controlled siege.
Spoilers Ahead!
Sanda Brings A Darker Kind Of Christmas
With Sanda releasing in the Fall of 2025, many fans might believe it to be a perfect watch for Christmas. Unfortunately, they will be shocked to know that Sanda will bring forth Christmas where joy has been lost and Santa Claus has turned into a myth. Christmas is a celebration for children, but with the world having only 0.1% children left, the system is more focused on regulating them by keeping them under a strict routine.
They are not allowed to wish for things or have a physical relationship with anyone. Even kissing among teenagers is banned, and they are made to believe that kissing before marriage will cause cavities. Every couple is predetermined from birth, and if anyone opts for something else, they will face the consequences. There are twisted personalities who are behind the shadows and keep an eye on everyone.
Joy and entertainment will be turned into rituals of obedience as bells will jingle to regulate authority rather than signifying celebrations. The color black is often associated with funerals, and red with Christmas, but in Sanda, red is worn in funerals, showcasing the darker side of a plot where people rarely talk about Christmas, with celebrating it being a distant dream.
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Santa Claus’ Return Brings Bloodshed In Sanda
Sanda takes place in 2080, where Christmas is only found in history books. Amidst the students of Daikoku Aigo Academy lies the descendant of Santa Claus, Kazushige Sanda, and his classmate, Shiori Fuyumura, who is searching for her best friend, Ono Ichie, who suddenly disappeared one day. Shiori’s mission led her to discover Sanda’s ties to Santa Claus and break the seal, making Sanda transform into Santa Claus. Instead of the typical chubby figure, Santa Claus is a muscular being with a chiselled body. Soon, the school authorities and the Red Coat organization discover the situation and start searching for Santa Claus.
This led to the beginning of a physical and psychological battle between the two. Santa Claus is there for the children, with his basic instincts being to fulfill their desires, while the authorities have a different perspective on children, believing Santa Claus will corrupt them. He acts as a weapon of liberation for the students. The festive season and glittering lights get turned into a battleground. Even the children are extremists who use different weapons, like knives, bombs, and tasers, to fulfil their motives.
In a twisted and dark world, where Santa Claus had been erased, children brought back the militarized Santa, giving rise to a dystopian struggle. On one side, it is Santa and his nature to bring a smile to everyone’s faces, and on the other side, it is the Red Coats and the school authorities, who use dark methods to maintain an authoritarian rule. With bloodshed bound to happen, there will also be psychological aspects that make the viewers question the situation. Sanda might be a shounen anime, but it does not stop it from giving off seinen vibes.
SANDA anime will be available to stream on Prime Video.
Priyanko is currently pursuing his Master’s in Economics. He loves to read manga or watch anime in his spare time. He is a massive fan of One Piece, Naruto, and Haikyu. Amidst the Great Pirating Era, he wishes to become the greatest Hokage, even though he is short.
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