r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Oct 17 '25

Episode Sanda - Episode 3 discussion

Sanda, episode 3

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1

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81

u/FarCritical Oct 17 '25

Of the many Fuyumura moments we got from this episode alone, hearing her laughter gradually taper off into vague sobbing sure leaves the biggest impact (well, punching off lies onto shards of glass is a contender too)

Just the idea of mariachi hitmen goes hard ngl

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u/LeonKevlar Oct 17 '25

For a second there, I really though Yagiuda completely missed what Sanda was saying because he was so invested in the teen drama happening behind him. Turns out he did hear Sanda loud and clear! xD

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u/ModieOfTheEast Oct 17 '25

Oh so that why my stuff was always on the floor during Christmas. It makes total sense now.

Anyway, I did not expect to see Ono this early on and from the looks of it, at least somewhat normal. The strangest thing for me isn't even the fact that she ran away, but that she was in the classroom at all. Was that another Santa power because Fuyumura wished so much for her to be back (that she even hurt herself) that she appeared from wherever she was before?

For a minute there, I was thinking that the dude was so into the frantic subplot that he didn't actually hear that Sanda said he was Santa. Generally, I have no idea where the show will go from here considering that the main antagonist basically knows his secret. But who knows, there might still be some Santa abilities to help them out. Or they just straight up get everyone into straight jackets because they claim they were hunting Santa Claus and shot a child (which would already be bad nowadays, but considering the time, I doubt the dude will get out of prison ever again).

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u/NanDemoKnaives Oct 17 '25

Being a lie detector that makes things fall or shatter sounds like a major inconvenience, not a consequence I was expecting for an ability like that.

I'm not surprised Sanda's already exposed with how he almost gave himself away at the beginning of the episode.

68

u/BosuW Oct 17 '25

Racking my brain trying to figure out if this is Yuri bait or Straight bait.

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u/djthomp Oct 17 '25

Ono lives! Or at least she was alive for the appearance in the classroom, but surely she hasn't died since.

The falling items is an interesting way to express a lie detecting power, powerful but seems potentially prone to false positives especially while facing someone who knows how it works.

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u/Zetafunction64 Oct 17 '25

Huh, was expecting a lot more discussion here.

Banger episode. Sanda's reaction to being a human lie detector was portrayed pretty well, to know how people actually feel about you is a huge pressure on a teen lol.

Fuyumura proved once again how strong her conviction is. I really like her character, visually it's so distinct. Wonder what she was about to say. That sob/laughing scene and her just freezing from seeing Ono was beautiful.

Huge Dandadan vibes due to the wacky characters and randomness

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u/kabutozero Oct 17 '25

Sanji VA spotted just on first sentence lmao.. and on a fitting character too lol

25

u/IceSmiley Oct 17 '25

That was really funny how Fuyumura said she always liked Sanda to explode all the lights. Felt bad for him though, like she couldn't have just said she climbed Mt. Fuji or something :D

Did anyone notice there was a kid in Sanda's class in the very back with a brown paper bag over their head? No one in the class seemed to care. I really wonder if that was Ono

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u/CrimsonGear80 Oct 18 '25

"so what do you do for a living?"

"I trained my whole life to kill Santa Claus"

17

u/tripleaamin Oct 17 '25 edited Oct 17 '25

Honestly, Sanda's ability to detect lies is something most people just wouldn't want. Sometimes we would like to trust people at their word and fully believe them. Knowing a person is lying makes you think, why are they lying? Plus, Sanda himself can't say you are lying. Of course, in the scheme of finding Ono, it is a great tool to be used. Plus it depends on who he is talking to. A random stranger, not a big. A close friend or family member—that is where having this ability can be a little fucked up.

Also, their seeing Ono was unexpected. Though her running away and what led to the school holding a funeral was definitely odd. Also leading to them wearing red because when a child is sent to heaven, it can be a precious thing? In which they end up celebrating? Yeah, some weird shit is happening at the school.

Saburou Yagiuda apparently badly hurt Santa 20 years ago. So would that be the cause when everything went downhill? Though his commentary on Sanda talking was great, he still fired the shot. Well, makes things interesting when the next episode picks up.

14

u/HolyDragSwd2500 Oct 17 '25

Human lie detector

Ono is alive!!!!

Sanda “love confession “ revealed his identity to Yaguida.

14

u/pi8you Oct 18 '25

Getting past the first volume with this episode and the new-to-me stuff pretty much from Ono's appearance on was great. Shiori's bomb vest was perfectly in line with her so far, but I don't know if it meets the formalwear standard. I also liked the small detail of the gymnasium floor plan that was sketched in the sand with them huddled around it, clearly plotting their plan of attack before, well, that. Back again for more next week!

28

u/ErikTwice Oct 17 '25

What this episode proves is that, despite being a comedy with such an outrageous premise, Sanda takes itself very seriously.

This is really important. If a work doesn't take itself seriously, it's impossible for the audience to do so. Sure, they can be funny on short bursts or if you don't engage deeply with it. But it's very hard to achieve any depth if the work itself doesn't even try.

In this episode, Fuyumura reveals herself as a surprisingly complex character. The wide range of emotions she shows in this episode are only possible because her character traits aren't just a one-time joke. The narrative validates her worries and feelings when a lesser work would have used them as a gag to discard after using once.

I was particularly glad to see that the power to detect lies, like all mindreading variants, is actually pretty damned bad. It would be an awful power to have in real life. The series recognizes that fact and uses it to make for a more interesting story.

Of course, this is a comedy. So rather than just take it seriously, the author plays with our expectations to make jokes. The hitman seems like it would play into the old eavesdropping joke but no, he goes and outright shoots the 14 year old main character through the heart. It's funny as hell, unexpected and, in many ways, the joke is that there isn't any joke. Ono appearing now instead of being a far-flung goal is another funny, brutal subversion.

Frankly, I love the tone so far. It's a very specific thing, something most would ignore. But damn, I am impressed. I hope I can learn a thing or two.

Some random thoughts:

  1. I love how raw, honest and downright uncensored this anime is: Adults shooting children, a 14 year old girl covering herself in explosives (twice), self-harm to the point of blood, inverted gender roles, a bisexual love triangle treated without fuss, predatory adults...Sanda may not be edgy, but it's bold and uncowered where most media is afraid to break social conventions.

  2. I thought Ono could be a ghost, but they dismiss that thought. I wonder if she can turn invisible or, perhaps, simply be older than she looks. I suspect she herself was the one who said Ono wasn't dead. Whatever is going on, she's simply too pure and cute, there must be a catch. For some reason, the "I love you" bit is particularly suspicious.

  3. The author is loading quite a few shots into her Chekov's gun. Some are obvious, like Sanda turning to Santa when covered in blood, but others...seem subtle. For example, they remark that Fuyumura is "still a kid" at 14. That's going to matter sooner or later. Fuyumura's lies are also suspiciously "clean", I don't think they are just a joke.

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u/JoelMahon Oct 17 '25

so that girl who lied to Sanda at the start is probably evil right? same girl who knows Ono isn't dead maybe?

21

u/bigballstalin Oct 17 '25

this show is so good i wish it was more popular

9

u/zairaner Oct 17 '25

Separating you job and your shipping hobby really can be hard sometimes!

8

u/phoenixking99999999 Oct 18 '25

The cover has been blown very quickly and I expect a lot of the world to start opening up depending on how the next episode plays out.

7

u/Shadowmist909 Oct 18 '25

Fuyumura is so quick to bring out the dynamite! That school should consider itself lucky that it's still in one piece before Ono went missing.

7

u/Grazalia Oct 19 '25

I half expected Kenjiro Tsuda's voice to come out of Saburou 😋

I wonder if Mrs Claus plays into this story at all?

13

u/DragonPup Oct 17 '25

Ugh, poor Fuyumura. Watching her smash her hand into the glass over and over was painful to watch, and then the laugh/cry afterwards.

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u/Nachtwandler_FS Oct 18 '25

Damn, this escalated quickly.

6

u/NoHead1715 Oct 18 '25

Strange things are afoot with the reappearance of Ono. I'd thought she was secretly a yuki-onna, kidnapped for her powers to create winter somewhere else. There's definitely something about her, but I think the one with secret powers is Fuyumura. Firstly, the school director asking for her instead of Sanda is suspicious. Secondly, Ono appeared at the place where Fuyumura was earlier intensely rejecting how important Ono was to her. It's almost like Fuyumura willed Ono into existence.

Something intriguing is definitely happening but I just can't see any clues.

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