SANDA
In a future where children are few and regarded as Japan's most valuable assets, Christmas has become a mere legend of the past. For the students of Daikoku Welfare Academy—a boarding school where they are educated, protected, and monitored—the mythical Santa Claus is a forgotten character of fiction. For the adults, Santa Claus is a very real menace that needs to be neutralized by the Saint Nick Pursuit Unit in case he makes an appearance. Shiori Fuyumura, a student of Daikoku Welfare Academy, is determined to find her best friend, Ichie Ono, who has been declared dead after being missing for six months. One morning, Fuyumura summons her fellow class representative, Kazushige Sanda, only to attack the unknowing boy. She is convinced that Sanda is the descendant of the infamous Santa Claus—the only person who can make her wish of finding Ono come true—and is determined to force out his dormant true self by any means necessary. (Source: MAL Rewrite)
Names
| Original | SANDA (latin) |
|---|---|
| Romaji | SANDA |
| English | SANDA |
| Chinese | 变身圣诞老人 (simplified · via bangumi) |
| Also known as | サンダ |
Facts
| Format | TV series · 12 ep · 24 min · 5h total |
|---|---|
| Aired | 2025-10-04 → 2025-12-20 (Autumn 2025) |
| Status | FINISHED |
| Studio | Science SARU |
| Source | Manga |
| Origin | Japan (Anime) |
| Demographic | Shounen |
| Genres | ActionDramaMystery |
| Themes | Male ProtagonistComing of AgeFemale ProtagonistHenshinDystopianBody ImageShounenSuper PowerUrban FantasyMagicPrimarily Teen CastMythologyBoarding SchoolFairy Tale |
| Streaming | Amazon Prime Video · Prime Video |
Reception
| Community score | 7.58 / 10 |
|---|---|
| Bayesian score | 7.58 / 10 |
| Composite | 56.7 |
| On lists | 49,192 |
| Favourited | 885 (1.8%) |
| Completion | 59.3% |
| Drop rate | 9.0% |
| In backlog | 39.9% |
| Score spread σ | 1.43 |
Score distribution
Where it places
| Cohort | Value | Tier | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Science SARU | — | 13 of 19 |
| Broadcast season | Autumn 2025 | B | 17 of 65 |
| Year | 2025 | C | 83 of 284 |
| Era | Mid 2020s | C | 144 of 487 |
| Genre | Mystery | C | 244 of 652 |
| Season (all years) | Autumn | B | 418 of 1,921 |
| Demographic | Shounen | C | 448 of 1,219 |
| Length | Single-cour | B | 650 of 2,668 |
| Genre | Action | B | 677 of 2,765 |
| Genre | Drama | C | 700 of 1,917 |
| Source material | Manga | C | 827 of 3,025 |
| Format | TV series | C | 871 of 3,322 |
| Origin | Japan | B | 1,465 of 7,157 |
Key staff
| Director | Tomohisa Shimoyama, Niki Higaki, Hikari Itou |
|---|---|
| Series composition | Kimiko Ueno |
| Character design | Masamichi Ishiyama |
| Original creator | Paru Itagaki |
AniList id 179302 · MAL id 59267 · Bangumi 503303 · record updated 2026-08-27

