BEASTARS author Paru Itagaki’s SANDA manga is getting an anime adaptation from Science SARU, and we’ll be able to read the source material in English later this year. Titan Manga announced plans in an exclusive reveal over at Anime News Network, revealing that the first volume is scheduled to launch in English on September 2.
Volume 2 will follow on November 18.
SANDA
by Paru Itagaki
September 2, 2025
Synopsis:
In a near-future Japan, Christmas has faded into myth, and the birth rate has dropped so dramatically that children are now the most precious commodity. Society has artificially extended adolescence to preserve their youth, and traditional holidays, like Christmas, are a mere legend of the past.
Volume 1 of SANDA introduces Sanda Kazushige, a middle-school student who unexpectedly becomes entangled in a strange and dangerous mystery. When his classmate, Fuyumura Shiori, accuses him of carrying a curse that could help find her missing friend, Ono Ichie, Sanda’s life takes a dramatic turn. Together, they embark on an incredible adventure to unravel the truth behind Ichie’s disappearance and uncover the hidden magic of Christmas itself.
As they delve deeper into the mystery, the duo faces external threats and internal challenges—questions about loyalty, courage, and the power of belief. Along the way, they confront the true meaning of friendship, trust, and the possibility of magic in a world that has all but forgotten it.
The manga first kicked off in the pages of Akita Shoten’s Weekly Shonen Champion magazine back in July 2021 and ran until July 2024. Science SARU’s TV anime adaptation has Tomohisa Shimoyama (YUREI DECO) directing, with Kimiko Ueno (Delicious in Dungeon) on series composition, Masamichi Ishiyama (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) on character designs and chief animation direction and Tomoyuki Tanaka on music.
Source: Anime News Network
