SANDA

Episode 12

I am so torn on the finale of what has become my favorite anime of the season, and a strong contender for my favorite anime of the year. On the one hand, I desperately wanted more resolution from the twelfth episode of SANDA. These little weirdos have come to mean a lot to me over the course of this season and, as someone rooting for all of them, I really wanted a feel-good capstone symbolizing their concrete steps into adulthood. On the other hand, those kinds of hard markers of personal growth don't really exist in real life and it would be disingenuous of SANDA to include something like that after so thoroughly and honestly exploring the uncomfortable parts of being a young person throughout this season.

It's appropriate that SANDA ends with its main duo having a bit more clarity but being a lot worse off, as that struggle is a big part of the transition from childhood into adulthood.

Much of this episode is dedicated to SANDA's fight with Principal Oshibu and, while competently animated, it pales in comparison to SANDA's bout with Namatame in the previous episode. While fairly straightforward in the execution and choreography, the thematic elements of their struggle shine through. Of course SANDA would lose to Oshibu, as the latter has a much greater sense of self and his place within his community than SANDA does. While Oshibu is an overtly twisted person, his convictions and motivations are unwavering, and that makes him a far more mature person than SANDA, with this fight serving as a measure of how much SANDA has grown and how much growing he has left to do.

The other main focus of this episode centers on Fuyumura and Ono, who at last get to spend time at this festival together. Here, Fuyumura is finally able to overcome her anxieties around intimacy and romantic expression and declare her love for Ono. While this scene doesn't address any of Fuyumura's hesitations around physical intimacy or her own self-loathing, it's nothing short of uplifting to see this young person learn how to express affection in a way that's meaningful to her.

AND THEN ONO DIES!!!

As a consequence of her rapid puberty, Ono's body gives out on her and she passes away moments after Fuyumura's confession. While Ono's passing is an event that symbolically captures how society will destroy young women who don't fit into the model expected of them, this development devastates Fuyumura and the closing shot is SANDA comforting Fuyumura in the same classroom setting where this season began. Only this time SANDA is able to comfort Fuyumura as a friend and peer, rather than him having to live up to an idealized version of adulthood in order to help her.

In most ways material, these two characters are far worse off at the end of this season than at the beginning; with Ono now gone forever and SANDA's life much more difficult. Yet, the two are now much closer to a healthier version of adulthood than either have ever known at this moment as they've both struggled, lost, and grown over the course of their experiences together. Has their journey into adulthood been a pyrrhic one? Hopefully not in the long run, but what young person hasn't bulked at the expectations, suffering, and rawness of adulthood as they find themselves staring it down?

For as much as I wanted a happier ending for these characters, the one we get here is far more real and devastating, which makes it a much more appropriate ending for SANDA, a work that so thoroughly explores the struggles of young adulthood through the lens of the Santa mythos. I really hope we get a season two but, regardless, I think this is going to be an anime that I recommend to people for the rest of my life.

Rating: 4.5

s a lapsed Catholic and fan of hot dudes, Lucas DeRuyter was born to review SANDA and similar works. You can get into the holiday spirit with him on his Bluesky account, and read through his naughty and nice list by visiting his portfolio. When he isn't spreading holiday cheer, you can find him contributing to ANN's This Week in Anime column.

SANDA is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.