| Sanda |
| Type: | manga |
| Author: | Paru Itagaki |
| Publisher: | Akita Shoten |
| Imprint: | Shōnen Champion Comics |
| Magazine: | Weekly Shōnen Champion |
| First: | July 21, 2021 |
| Last: | July 11, 2024 |
| Volumes: | 15 |
| Type: | tv series |
| Studio: | Science Saru |
Sanda (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Paru Itagaki. It was serialized in Akita Shoten's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Champion from July 2021 to July 2024, with its chapters collected in fifteen volumes as of August 2024. An anime television series adaptation produced by Science Saru has been announced.
The story takes place in the future, where the birth rate in Japan has been rapidly declining. The main character, Sanda Kazushige, is found to be the descendant of Santa Claus by his classmate, Shiori Fuyumura. Together, they attempt to find Fuyumura's missing classmate, Ono Ichie.
The story is set in Japan in 2080. Affected by the declining birth rate, Japan has implemented a series of control policies for minors, including arranging marriage partners from infancy, not allowing children to sleep to slow down development, and needing to use the toilet separately from adults. Young people's social status is also higher than adults. Santa Claus has been sealed for a long time because of the curse, which makes the society think that Santa Claus has disappeared, and regard Christmas as an ancient custom or fictional legend.
On December 25, when it was snowing, middle school student Sanda Kazushige's body seal was broken by his classmate Fuyumura Shiori, making him look like Santa Claus. Later, Sanda discovers that he can change back into his middle school form by eating jellybeans, or change into Santa form by wearing red. The reason why Fuyumura lifted the seal was that she hoped that Sanda would help find her missing classmate Ono Ichie, and also hoped that he would remind the society of Christmas.
Before the release of Sanda, Paru Itagaki published a one-shot chapter, titled, in Nihon Bungeisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Manga Goraku on September 7, 2018.[1] The one-shot was about Santa Claus and a sex worker. Itakagi talked to her editor at Weekly Manga Goraku about wanting to make another series reusing the Santa Claus character but targeting it towards younger readers. Her editor agreed on the condition that she would first make a one-volume manga for the publisher, which ended up being,[2] whose collected volume was released in April 2021;[3] Sanda started three months later in Akita Shoten's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Champion on July 21.
Sanda, written and illustrated by Paru Itagaki, was serialized in Akita Shoten's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Champion from July 21, 2021,[4] [5] to July 11, 2024.[6] [7] Akita Shoten has collected its chapters into individual volumes. The first volume was released on December 8, 2021.[8] As of August 7, 2024, fifteen volumes have been released.
In July 2024, it was announced that the manga would receive an anime television series adaptation produced by Science Saru.[9]