Sanda doesn't carry out the mystery that it seemed to be. Ono even appears for a brief moment, leaving her classmates stunned.
What instead follows is Sanda learning about his powers - like sleigh feet, and human liar detector abilities.

Then we meet the principal of their school - a 92 year old man obsessed with youth and children, that has unorthodox methods of raising innocent beings, which makes Sanda reveal his true form. After that, we learn that there is a secret organization of Dried Holly Leaves, whose job is to exterminate Santa Claus.

The show keeps you interested, even if it's dumb at moments. The characters are well-written, albeit frustrating with their child minds, or perverse obsessions. If you decide to give this show even 3 episodes, I am convinced you'd stay tuned for more.

With that being said - now we have 3 issues. Ono's disappearance and sudden appearance, the principal and what else Santa Claus means in this world, or at this age of humanity.
And as it usually is - if adults are fu*cked up, so are the kids.

Ono appears, her physique changed. She explains what happened and that's where the show got ruined for me.
Animation, design, voice acting and all is perfect. Apart from few holes, the idea is great and original. But the promised plot wouldn't happen - I realized, not happy with what it became.

Ono fell for her friend Fuyumura. Staying awake at night, she has to deal with her feelings and what they mean for her. Until one night - against the best wishes of her and adults, she falls asleep and her hormones catch up with her, the girl hits puberty and is now haunted by more than just erotic dreams for her friend. She is haunted by the promise of the principal that any kid who undergoes puberty before graduation will see hell.

So. She runs away. And when she comes back for Fuyumura, she wants to take her - because there is something about her, her soul or heart - that makes time stop. And that's what Ono wishes for, even more than their kisses.

Btw. These kids are 14. I am so sure the author could have picked a better age for all of this. Or at least establish that this type of 14 and our 14 year olds are not the same - physically, mentally or in any other way.

A huge change in the story brings also Toyo Tetsudome - principal's worst nightmare, Santa's trainer and lover of all of her students, who gives Ono another chance. With her, the show changes plot once again...and then again and again. xD

All in all, Sanda is amazing. It is new, it has action, it has feelings and twisted sense of reality. Combined with great & smooth animation, great voice acting and a promise of something great, it became one of the best shows of Fall 2025 and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone.

...even though the ending was not what I imagined.

#REVIEW IN NUMBERS:
Story:
6/10 Some things just didn't make sense at all. I was screaming at the TV stuff like "oh come on!" or "they won't get away with this!". They bothered me until the end, but I could still enjoy the show. So, ok.
Art & Animation:
10/10 You don't see this level of professionalism and quality everyday. It truly stands out - with both art style and animation.
Music:
6/10 I didn't care for the opening, but the ending was great. The hand-drawn, almost crayon-ish art really captivated me.
Characters:
8/10 Ono was a mystery, but I enjoyed her. The principal is such a stupid character, 10/10. Niko was spoiled rotten but also so adorable. I didn't care much for anybody else, but the only straight up bad character was Fumi.
Overall: 9/10