SANDA

I want to preface this review by saying that SANDA was an anime that caught my eye since it was first announced. A bonkers premise, brought to life by the incredibly talented animators at Science SARU – the parallels to DAN DA DAN were enough to make me want to love this anime from the very beginning. Admittedly, the series had a very strong start, but as this show progressed, it unsettled me in a way that not many anime have in a very long time, leaving an awful taste in my mouth as I rounded out this show.

Today, we’re reviewing SANDA, and if you couldn’t tell from my score, I strongly disliked this series by the time the curtain fell on this first season. If you’re a superfan of SANDA, more power to you, but I don’t think this is the review for you, because I’m feeling pretty immovable on some of the points I’m about to make. Now, with that out of the way, let’s review this first season of SANDA.

---

SANDA Review

Image by Science SARU

Let’s start with the good. When it comes to any anime that breaks the formula, it instantly gets my respect. This industry is so saturated these days, and so often, the same stories are retold, simply with a different exterior. The very idea of an anime centred on Santa Claus was enough to get my attention, and combining the idea of a super-powered Santa throwing hands in a middle-school environment with the typical ideals of a shonen anime felt like a match made in bizarro heaven. SANDA is mind-bogglingly creative, undeniably wild, and full of energy, which is exactly the kind of story that Science SARU seems to be drawn to these days, with DAN DA DAN instantly coming to mind. Everything about SANDA should have worked…until we started to get deeper into this story.

SANDA is a deeply unsettling show, and not in an intentional way. Sure, there’s genuine horror aspects at work here, and these deliberately unnerving elements are executed extremely well. Hifumi Oshibu is a very compelling character, and genuinely feels like a terrifying presence in the school that SANDA takes place in. When the show leans into its horror vibes, it goes all the way, and executes horror very effectively, with some truly spine-chilling scenes throughout. Even the opening sequence of the anime, where Fuyumura tries to kill Sanda to draw out Santa Claus, feels incredibly intense, and genuinely daunting. The problem SANDA faces with me arises not when it makes its viewer intentionally uncomfortable, but rather when the series makes its viewer uncomfortable without meaning to, which it does by being a truly borderline revolting piece of media.

Before I dive into that, let’s get the final pieces of praise out of the way. The visuals in this show are absolutely incredible. Science SARU continue to thrive as an up and comer in the industry, and though I question their decision to animate this story, they do an extremely good job of bringing Paru Itagaki’s art style to life. The visual aspect of this series is by far its biggest highlight for me, and I would love to see some other anime borrow this visual style. Each and every character feels distinct in their design, and there’s so much undeniable emotion in their faces. I particularly love Fuyumura’s design. Not only does her look speak to this show’s surprisingly mature handling of LGBTQ+ themes, but it also feels so different from what female characters traditionally look like in anime. Her design is incredibly unique, and counteractive to everything people would expect from a middle-school anime girl, which I love. Sanda himself also has a pretty distinct look, which is impressive, considering he wears a standard school uniform.

Image by Science SARU

Admittedly, there are also some interesting ideas at play in SANDA. There is, of course, the surface-level idea revolving around a battling Santa Claus who gets stronger as more and more children believe in him. I also have to respect how brazenly SANDA explores its other themes, namely puberty, the effects of a declining birth rate on a population, and the concept of arranged marriage. These things are all fairly unique, and while I don’t love how the SANDA anime goes about exploring some of these aspects, I have to respect Itagaki’s decision to take a road less travelled, and dive into some challenging storylines and topics. There’s a lot more going on here than just a fighting Santa Claus, and I can appreciate that.

I also appreciate how SANDA explores some of the complicated morality surrounding the idea of Santa Claus. I particularly loved when Santa would find himself backed into a corner by a child making a wish, for example, when Namatame requests that he cut off his thumbs for her. It’s interesting to watch an anime protagonist have such a glaring, and easily exploitable weakness, and if there’s anything I’m excited for when it comes to the future of SANDA, it’s watching this weakness unfold further. In many ways, Santa is relied on for his brawn, but Fuyumura and Amaya are necessary for him to fend off children who wish him harm. Beyond this, there are some interesting moral questions raised regarding Sanda’s approach to love. However, this is where SANDA falls apart for me, and turns into something truly sinister.

I absolutely despise the sexual aspects of SANDA. Up until now, I’ve talked about all of the good things that this anime has going for it, and yet none of these are enough to alleviate how much this series has become soured for me, thanks to these times where it decides to dive into an extremely difficult moral question, one that I don’t think SANDA is well-equipped to confront. If you haven’t seen this show, SANDA features a child named Sanda who can morph into Santa Claus based on certain requirements. One of the topics that this series decides to address is the idea that Sanda struggles with romance, because he is a teenage boy, in love with teenage girls, yet he sometimes takes on the form of an old man. SANDA goes way too far with this at times, with one scene in Episode 10, where a fully-grown Santa Claus is depicted kissing a child, genuinely turning my stomach.

Image by Science SARU

I don’t believe that depiction is justification, and so, I can’t say that SANDA justifies this story aspect purely by showing it. However, the issue is more so that this anime doesn’t do enough to drive home how wrong what we’re seeing is, with the protagonist only exclaiming that ‘it’s gross!’ whenever he imagines a romance between his adult, Santa form, and a literal child. You’re right Sanda, it is gross – but, it’s also so much more sinister than that, and I hate that this aspect appears to be played for laughs at times. Hunter x Hunter is my favourite anime of all time, and still, I despise when that series goes down this sort of route. DAN DA DAN also features some questionable sexual scenes, but often alleviates the creep factor by being so comedic. However, whereas Hunter x Hunter and DAN DA DAN have so much else going for them beyond these questionable elements, SANDA is slathered in a thick, grotesque layer of creepiness, one that I simply can’t shake off.

On a less serious note, I also think that, though certain SANDA characters shine, most of this cast is fairly forgettable. For being so central to the plot, Ichie Ono is an incredibly boring character, while Hitoshi Amaya fails in the role of supporting the main protagonist. I’m not entirely sure what I was meant to get out of Niko Kazao, and Saburo Yagiuda’s role in the story grows increasingly confusing as the plot continues. With some of these subpar writing elements, the glaring issue of grossness at the centre of SANDA grows ever clearer. I’m not sure that I’m being entirely fair to SANDA in this review, but whereas I usually try to be unbiased in my reviews, I need to let it all out with this one. Watching SANDA made me feel gross, as we add yet another anime to the list of reasons that some people think anime fans are strange.

I’m not sure what the future holds for SANDA. The reaction certainly hasn’t been overwhelmingly negative, but its reception has been mostly lukewarm, certainly paling in comparison to the bombastic success of DAN DA DAN, and even being dared to be called ‘underrated’ by certain fans. Personally, I’m not sure I’ll ever return to this show. Perhaps if the second season picks up a lot of steam, I’ll give it another shot. For now though, SANDA is a series I’m glad to see the end of, as it leaves a trail of unease and discomfort in its wake. But what did you think of SANDA? Be sure to let us know, and thank you for reading!

See also: My Hero Academia: Final Season Review

---

Where to Watch SANDA?

Image by Science SARU

You can stream all episodes of SANDA, worldwide, right now on Amazon Prime Video. A second season has not yet been confirmed.

• ShareCopied to clipboard
• X
• Facebook