Anime SANDA, by Paru Itagaki, the creator of BEASTARSThe anime, however, is gaining attention with its unique world and new characters introduced, promising an action-packed and suspenseful adventure. Not only that, but the anime is also set to have a world premiere in Anime Expo 2025.
Story
SANDA described as a "Santa Claus action story" set in a future Japan, where the birthrate has plummeted and children have a higher social status than adults. To keep the population alive, the government implements extreme policies to protect the children, creating social tensions that affect all aspects of life.
Under these conditions, the figure of Santa Claus has long been sealed due to a curse, and the existence of Christmas remains only as a legend of the past. Kazushige Sanda, a student of Daikoku Welfare Academy, suddenly realizes that he has a direct connection to the myth of Santa Claus, which has been considered unreal.
The latest teaser shows Sanda's interactions with his classmates as well as glimpses of a world filled with strict surveillance and distorted social norms. Through this stressful and mysterious world, SANDA presents an action-packed story, identity conflicts, and a fight for forgotten hopes-making it one of the anime to look forward to in Fall 2025.
Production Team
Here are the main staff behind the scenes:
- Director: Tomohisa Shimoyama
- Script: Kimiko Ueno
- Music: Tomoyuki Tanaka (FPM)
- Character Design: Masamichi Ishiyama
- Animation Production: Science SARU
The announced main voice cast:
- Kazushige Sanda: Ayumu Murase
- Santa Claus: Hiroki Touchi
- Shiori Fuyumura: Umeka Shoji
- Ichie Ono: Anna Nagase
- Hitoshi Amaya: Yuuki Shin
- Nico Kazao: Misato Matsuoka
SANDA at Anime Expo 2025
Anime Expo 2025 (AX2025) in Los Angeles is the largest event celebrating Japanese pop culture in North America. Every year, thousands of fans of anime, manga, and Japanese culture gather at the Los Angeles Convention Center to celebrate the latest works from the industry. Anime Expo 2025 will be held from July 3 to 6, 2025.
On July 4, 2025, SANDA will have its first episode world premiere at the JW Platinum Ballroom. The event will feature Paru Itagaki (original writer), Tomohisa Shimoyama (director), and Kohei Sakita (producer) in discussion sessions and live drawings. Visitors can also enjoy exclusive screenings of the first episode, special commentary sessions, and merchandise opportunities. SANDA a tenugui-style towel.
About SANDA
SANDA is a Japanese manga series by Paru Itagaki that was serialized in the magazine Weekly Shonen Champion owned by Akita Shoten from July 2021 to July 2024. Throughout its run, the manga was published in 14 volumes until June 2024. The anime adaptation was announced on the same day the manga series ended.
Paru Itagaki was previously known through BEASTARS, which aired from 2016 to 2020 and consists of 196 chapters. Anime adaptation BEASTARS is now in its final season, with Part 1 released in December and Part 2 scheduled to follow.
Studio Science SARU that handles SANDA also worked on several other projects, including AND DA AND Season 2 which will air in July 2025 and the adaptation of A Witch's Life in Mongol.
Source: official press release
