In manga circles, Paru Itagaki is affectionately revered as a certified weirdo. Since her debut, the Beastars creator has built a reputation for crafting fearless, genre-bending stories that are unapologetically offbeat, exerting a magnetic pull that is bold and bizarre, yet impossible to tap the glass and see what wonders will never cease.
Science Saru, meanwhile, has quickly become an anime darling thanks to its own brand of visual chaos and thematic daring, with titles like Devilman Crybaby, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, and Dan Da Dan on its glittering resume. So when these two creative forces collided for the newly released anime adaptation of Itagaki’s manga, Sanda, it was less a question of “Will it be weird?” and more “How weird are we talking?”
Turns out: very. Sanda doesn’t just flirt with the bizarre—it attempts to out-freak Nightmare Before Christmas by pile-driving into a snowbank and daring to declare itself the new cross-holiday anomaly.
A chaotic blend of Christmas cheer, slasher horror, and gag comedy, Sanda delivers all of the above at a breakneck pace that feels like opening every door of an advent calendar at once, revealing a fresh, unhinged surprise with every scene packed into its premiere episode.
Sanda centers on a baby-faced middle schooler named Sanda Kazushige (Ayumu Murase), whose hapless, ordinary life takes a sharp turn when his crush, Shiori Fuyumura (Umeka Shoji) discovers his bizarre secret: he can transform into a burly Santa Claus whenever he gets “red on him”—a loophole she gleefully exploits by stabbing him.
What unfolds is a chaotic blend of Shazam and The Santa Clause, revealing Sanda bears a hereditary curse as a descendant of Saint Nick, magically compelled to grant children’s wishes whenever snow begins to fall (and the conditions above are met).
Shiroi’s wish isn’t some twisted, yandere-coded romance with Sanda—it’s a heartfelt plea to help her find her missing friend, Ichie Ono (Anna Nagase), who has been presumed dead. With Sanda’s help, Shiori hopes to reunite with Ichie in time for Christmas, honoring a promise they once made.
To test Sanda’s resolve as Shiori’s reluctant, underwear-clad Santa superhero, their first outing involves thwarting a school bombing (that she’s the mastermind behind). All of which is delightfully underscored with the soft, menacing hum of holiday carols.
Visually, Sanda stands out as one of the fall season’s most striking oddities, equal parts bizarre and magnetic. Itagaki’s flair for offbeat rom-coms and instantly legible character designs shines through, with each figure telegraphing their personality from the moment their faces appear on screen (which is especially helpful given the brisk pace of its premiere episode!).
From oversized saucer eyes and twitchy beady pupils to jagged silhouettes and wildly varied body types, every design—brilliantly realized by Science Saru’s Masamichi Ishiyama—seamlessly reinforces the show’s razor-thin tightrope walk between horror and slapstick, where every thrown glare could be a threat or a punchline.
What’s more, Sanda’s bold use of red—splashed across scenes like a visual siren—amplifies its off-kilter charm, pulling the viewer’s eye into a world still wrapped in mystery. As the story tiptoes deeper into its cursed Santa lineage, wish-granting compulsion, and surreal dream logic, each crimson accent feels like a breadcrumb leading us through a holiday fever dream and a murder mystery that’s only just begun to unfold.
Because, of course, there’s a murder mystery brewing underneath Sanda‘s unsuspecting premise. If Beastars taught fans anything, it’s that Paru loves herself a good whodunit, as well as scenic long walks through her enchanting, imaginative storytelling.
Yet, for all its aesthetic excess, Sanda’s ensemble channels the scrappy, chaotic charm of classic ragtag anime misfits, such as those in Akira Toriyama’s Dr. Slump or Rumiko Takahashi’s Urusei Yatsura. From what little its premiere showcases of its assortment of quirky “what’s-their-deal” characters gloriously make every kinetic interaction, be it comedic or menacing, pop with as much unpredictable delight to match its stunning visuals.
Itagaki may be pigeonholed as manga’s eccentric creative, but she doesn’t get enough credit as a deeply funny and emotionally resonant storyteller who knows how to build worlds that tickle your sides, punch you in the heart, and scratch your brain. And Sanda seems poised to unwrap its own dark secrets one episode at a time.
It also doesn’t hurt that Science Saru’s adaptation amplifies that ethos, turning Sanda into a series that feels tailor-made for Adult Swim’s Toonami anime block. It’s refreshingly unorthodox and hilarious, and just unsettling enough to keep viewers tapping their fingers to see what it’ll do next. And if its premiere is any indication, viewers are in for a chaotic, spellbinding ride.
Sanda is streaming on Prime Video.