Summary
In 2019, a unique new anime premiered on Netflix which would quickly gain popularity for its quirkiness. That anime wasBEASTARS, ananime starring anthropomorphic animalsthat live in a human-like society, telling a coming-of-age story.BEASTARSstood out in the anime world because it was something unique, fresh, and new in a wasteland of tropes and tired genres. This refreshing new idea was created by Paru Itagaki, and now she has another new anime coming soon.
Last Thursday, a website was officially launched for a new anime calledSANDA. The website was created to announce that the anime had been green lit officially, based on a manga by Paru Itagaki of the same name. It is the first anime that has been created by Itagaki since the success ofBEASTARS, which means that the anticipation and hype of fans who have been waiting for his next big project is very real.
What We Know About SANDA
The Latest Anime by the Creator ofBEASTARS
SANDAwas first published in Akita Shoten’sWeekly Shōnen Championmagazine in July 2021. The series then ran for the next three years before concluding with its final chapter last Thursday, July 4th. That same day, the website for an anime series based onSANDAopened, giving fans who were not ready to let go of the series quite yet something very real to look forward to in the future. In total, the manga ofSANDAis 15 volumes long, with the final volume shipping out this August.
BEASTARSpremiered on Netflix in Japan in October 2019, and internationally in March 2020. The second season also aired on Netflix, in January 2021 and internationally the same year in July.BEASTARSis not quite done, though, with one final season already set to release in two parts later this year, also on Netflix. While it has not been announced yet whereSANDAwill air, it seems very likely that it will also be a made-for-Netflix anime to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor. As of now,SANDAalso has no release date. It took three years forBEASTARSmanga to debut its first anime season airing, butSANDAis likely to be much faster since Itagaki hasalready established a name for herselfin the anime world.
What isSANDAAbout?
The Plot is Just as Unique (or More So) thanBEASTARS
LikeBEASTARS,SANDAhas a unique concept that sets it apart from other manga and anime.MyAnimeListsummarizes the plot as:
The “unconventional Santa Claus hero action” manga tells the story of adults and children in the near future with a declining birth rate. An ordinary boy named Sanda finds out that one of his classmates, Shiori Fuyumura, is trying to kill him, because of Fuyumura’s missing friend and a certain “curse” that Sanda is carrying.
“Unconventional Santa Claus hero action” is not a phrase heard every day, especially not in the world of manga and anime. The main character ofSANDAdoes look like Santa Claus sometimes, though, down to the bushy white facial hair and the red and white themed outfit. More than just looking like him, though, Sanda is actually a descendant of Santa Claus! In the world ofSANDA, Santa Claus is very real, though he has been sealed away for a long time and has become something of a legend rather than a reality. Sanda isable to transformbetween his normal middle school body and Santa Claus and has to use this power to help find his missing classmate and remind society that Christmas is more than just an ancient custom.
SANDAdefinitely stands out when it comes to anime concepts, and that may well lead to its success just like it led to the success ofBEASTARS. With somany new anime airing every season, they have to do something special to stand out from the crowd and be remembered even after they finish airing.SANDAis doing that by bringing in something very new and special that will, at the very least, get people talking about it when they realize it’s the Santa Claus anime. That word of mouth may be allSANDAneeds to gain traction.
