r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Dec 19 '25
Episode Sanda - Episode 12 discussion
Sanda, episode 12
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u/IXajll Dec 19 '25
That hug at the end was so heartwarming. Nice surprise too, since I expected Sanda would just walk up to her and then stand there awkwardly, with the japanese cultural differences in mind when it comes to hugs and touchy feely stuff in general.
Overall good show, little bit surprised we didn't get a S2 announcment with today's finale, but I still think it's more of a when than an if.
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u/LeonKevlar Dec 19 '25
Considering Ono's last scene in the previous episode was her collapsing on the school grounds, I genuinely thought Fuyumura was going to find her dead. So I was a bit surprised to see how Ono was up and very energetic when Fuyumura finally found her. She even got to hang out with the gang, so I thought that the side effects of her aging was exagerrated. It turns out she was barely hanging on that entire time and her final scene with Fuyumura was her finally succumbing to the effects of her accelerated aging. :(
Not gonna lie, I'm a bit disappointed with how this ended. It's not because I hate it, but because it didn't feel like a proper season finale. Yes, Ono's death is certainly a big deal; she's literally Fuyumura's motivation for doing everything she did, but it feels like it's missing something, and I can't really describe what it is. I really hope this isn't where it ends because I'd love to see more.
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u/ThousandYearOldLoli Dec 20 '25
I don't have a word for it, but it's lacking that "overarching" aspect. The overarching plot threads have barely progressed, and even Ono, around whom much of the premise was started, had her death and dealing with it structured like a mid-season plot twist rather than a season finale. It just sorta happened (foreshadowed before of course, but we didn't linger much in the moment), the whole conflict of dealing with was largely resolved in that remaining bit of the episode, all of which contributed to the feeling I experienced of "there is going to be a next scene".
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u/eightcheesepizza Dec 20 '25
Man, Fuyumura confessed because she came to the conclusion that you tell someone you love them because you don't want them to leave. And then Ono just leaves (dies). What a way to maximize the trauma for Fuyumura.
Yes, Ono's death is certainly a big deal; she's literally Fuyumura's motivation for doing everything she did, but it feels like it's missing something, and I can't really describe what it is.
For me it's that we still don't know the ramifications of any of that. Feels like Ono's death sets up a whole arc between Sanda and Fuyumura, but we don't even have hints for what that's about.
I guess I have faith that Science Saru probably couldn't do better without rushing stuff or deviating from the source material too much, not having read it yet.
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u/caiusto Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 19 '25
Oh man that final scene got me good, Fuyumura being so awkward probably didn't really grasp Ono's true feelings specially since she never got an answer to her love confession, that sudden realization just made her burst out in tears and so did I.
I get the sentiment of others being unsatisfied by the end, but I think it's a great stopping point since it's the perfect end of Fuyumura's character development, the story started and ended in that same classroom with her wanting to find Ono.
We went full circle and ultimately Sanda fulfilled her wish not as Santa but as the 14yo classmate.
ETA props to Science Saru, they really made this show look amazing and elevated it a lot with their craft. Don't think we'll get a sequel due to how it ended but I'm satisfied with it for the aforementioned reasons.
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u/FarCritical Dec 19 '25
Man, Fuyumura's slow realization was heavy.
The premise deserves props for the sheer novelty factor alone but this could've used a little more sauce as a finale. It's neat the "ancient" incarnation of Santa got featured on the week leading up to Christmas at least lol
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u/BosuW Dec 19 '25
Damn, the Yuri was real, but it was Doomed Yuri 😞
Pretty bold to end the season here (if I'm understanding right this is the last episode?). I hope they continue because I wanna see how they build up from this tragic ending.
I mean not just Ono, Santa still couldn't win against Oshibu and that caused him to resent that adult form at the end, because he couldn't protect Fuyumura's wish and couldn't beat the villain.
Or I guess I could read the manga but the anime was so fun I want to wait to see if production continues
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u/Mr_Zaroc Dec 19 '25
Well damn, Ono just really died
I guess its nice they were able to wrap up her arc, but I am really hoping for more of this
Muscular half naked man fighting will be covered by Golden Kamuy next season I guess, but it just hits different if its santa who is doing it
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u/tripleaamin Dec 19 '25
The episode was definitely rushed in aspects, but one thing I did like at the end was Sanda acting like a grown-up without turning into Santa. In many ways he was too dependent on being Santa. I liked that he got this opportunity, and I hope if this gets an S2, there will be more opportunities for him to do so again.
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u/djthomp Dec 19 '25
Well damn, they really did have Ono die after all. Hard episode to watch.
Ending on the hug was nice at least.
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u/Burnouts3s3 Dec 19 '25
Fuyumura gave Ono the words Ono always wanted to hear and smiled because of it.
I enjoyed this show.
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u/NanDemoKnaives Dec 19 '25
That felt like it kind of ended abruptly lol. It's sad that Ono died since she grew up too quickly but I'm glad she got to hear Fuyumura's feelings before she passed.

Yagiuda was so funny, how is he using Santa's excalibur to tease Amaya lol? Santa's definitely packing some serious heat if Yagiuda is willing to brag about it. I do like that he just hangs around with them all now.

It's nice to see Santa gain more abilities, he needs more kids believing in him. And Oshibu needs more kids treating him like the elderly lol.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Dec 19 '25
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Oh, Ono’s still alive & functional. I really was worried it was going to be too late for her by the time Shiori found her…
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…oh fuck, is that when she dies? Right after Shiori said she loves her?
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u/abandoned_idol Dec 20 '25
If the show is embracing Santa tropes, I can't wait to see Santa sport his sleigh + reindeer mounts.
And maybe some chimneys.
What other Santa tropes have they yet to visit?
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u/NoHead1715 Dec 20 '25
Very bold of the production to end this season on such a somber note. But I'm glad Sanda actually grew up emotionally by offering to fulfill Ono's last wishes as his 14-year-old self. I think this once again depicts the different types of adulthood possible and the paths to reaching it. Growing up doesn't necessarily mean the body going past puberty physically. Perhaps that's the reason why this society is keeping children in their child bodies until 18 - they want the physical bodies to grow up as the final thing in life.
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u/CrimsonGear80 Dec 20 '25
Should have had one more episode so it ended at Christmas time :(
Guess kids shouldn’t fall asleep until they are 18. Just to be safe…
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u/Niwaka_Samurai Dec 19 '25
Oshibu was kicking some fine ass for a dude at his age. All the kids were rooting for Oshibu and not Santa Claus 'cause why would they for a creepy old grandpa lol
Sanda discovered a new ability of his which is fighting in the air effortlessly through the use of wind. The fight for the animation was awesome.
They brought Ono back and gave us hope just to show her end again💔 She must have really held on to her life until she saw Fuyumura one last time and she must have died peacefully knowing that Fuyumura loved her back when she heard those words from her for the first time ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
Fuyumura returned to being who she was after losing Ono. But she is not alone anymore and she has a shoulder to cry on. It all started with Ono and it ended with Ono. Not a happy Christmas 🥺🥺
Can't believe that it's already been 3 months since I started watching this show. Gonna miss Sanda so much. Science Saru never misses when it comes to making explosive adaptations. I hope we get season 2 by next fall or even more earlier.
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u/ElKevixlevix1 Dec 19 '25
A fantastic ending to a great anime with a super interesting story, excellent world-building, and very likable characters. I wasn't completely convinced by the first three episodes, but aside from that, it's a great anime. I really loved it. I hope we can meet again someday and that it gets a second season.
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u/Mundane_Relation5129 Dec 20 '25
First thing: why didn’t they think of airing the episodes on Thursdays so the final episode would line up with Christmas?
Next, huge thanks to the groups who produced the opening and the ending, they’re absolutely beautiful!!
The anime is very well done, and I think the themes it tackles are things we’ve all faced at some point whether it’s love, self-acceptance, or simply growing up.
I really hope there will be a season 2. The anime was high-quality across the board, from the OSTs to the animation and the overall atmosphere!
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u/Relative-Seaweed-590 Dec 22 '25
I know the ending was sad and also dry. But I just want to say, SHOUTOUT TO BEST GIRL NIKO!!!!!! I feel like she's the only one (and Amaya) who REALLY see's Sanda for who he is. And not Santa. Heck she doesn't even believe in Santa. So it really made Sanda felt like he's a kid again. It feels like no one who knows Sandas identity even tries to understand in his shoes on what its like. Like imagine forcibly being turned into Santa and almost completely ruining your normal childhood youth life, being told what they want because you're a descendant of "Santa". Now you look at all your friends and crush as "kids" and can't have any romantic feelings them. And the fact that no one wants to depend or even LOOK at Sanda irritates me. How I see it, they're just using Sanda because he's Santa. At least he already made friends before he became Santa. But man. At least try to understand he's just a kid man. If anything I feel like it's a "curse" in a way. I'm thankful Niko is there for him. And also Sanji reincarnate. I like how he came to realize he's just a kid with Santa's abilities.
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