Good day of us, and welcome again to Flawed Each Time. In the present day we’re testing a brand-spanking-new property that simply began airing in October, an adaptation of the shonen manga Sanda. I had not beforehand recognized about this title, and its synopsis feels nearly incomprehensible to me. It’s apparently to a point a commentary on Japan’s declining birthrates, projecting a future Japan the place youngsters are carefully monitored and managed to make sure fertile futures. That a lot is sensible to me, however then we hit “Santa Claus has been sealed away due to the curse,” and the introduction of a lead who can apparently rework into Santa Claus at any time when he wears crimson garments.
I do know Christmas is extra of a date night time occasion than something even tangentially religion-related in Japan, however I suppose I’ll must learn how Santa Claus and birthrate commentary extra totally align from the present itself. And admittedly, I’ve each purpose to suspect the present will present a real reply – in spite of everything, we’re adapting a totally full work by Beastars creator Paru Itagaki, who’s already famend for weaving incisive social commentary into her fantastical dramas. In the meantime, our director Tomohiso Shimoyama is a mainstay at Science Saru, with a sturdy key animation background and course credit working alongside each Masaaki Yuasa and Naoko Yamada. I’m exceedingly curious to see how these concepts coalesce right into a coherent shonen journey, so let’s get proper to the motion with the primary episode of Sanda!
Episode 1
“, a lady’s butt is colder than I imagined.” Nicely, that’s definitely not the opening line I anticipated!
Opening within the warmth of the motion, with our presumed lead pinned and practically stabbed by a lady wielding a pair of scissors
Oh, I actually like these character designs. They’re undoubtedly leaning into the distinct quirks of Itagaki’s fashion, with uniquely lanky our bodies and a concentrate on the exact boniness and musculature of their limbs. Itagaki’s characters at all times look confused and like they’re virtually stretching by their pores and skin, an aesthetic alternative that emphasizes their psychological disarray. Beastars’ Legoshi at all times seems uncomfortable in his personal physique, which works effectively for that manga’s issues, however appears to be a extra basic fact of Itagaki’s method to character design
I additionally just like the lineart itself, very sharp and distinctive – unfastened, variable linework mixed with minimal line weight actually makes the characters pop on display, and provides an analogous “barely hanging in there” visible impact to Itagaki’s base designs
In fact, this woman additionally seems fraying and exhausted as a result of her eyes are sunken dots surrounded by heavy darkish circles. The basic tips at all times work!
A profile shot actually lets us recognize how stringy and playfully exaggerated these characters are. Unfastened, evocative expressions, lovingly animated hand gestures, and a presumed feminine lead who’s just about twice the scale of our protagonist – plenty of distinctive persona in each alternative right here
The character animation for his or her dance right here is sort of fluid, although it’s a little bit of a disgrace the layouts are restricted by these CG backgrounds
Additionally simply environment friendly, dynamic storytelling, opening with the knife assault earlier than gracefully sprinkling in context on what they have been doing right here
“I’ve had desires the place I’d been straddled by a lady, or chased round by one, however not like this!” Instantly framing our lead as a sexy adolescent with maybe considerably masochistic fantasies, which appears unsurprising each for this narrative’s topics and Itagaki at giant
Oh man, these flailing smears and expressions are so good! I hope the present can sustain this stage of character appearing, it’s actually pleasant
Our lead is saved by the arrival of one other scholar
Pretty distinctive OP as effectively, embracing a white-black-red colour scheme that emphasizes each Santa’s coat and the clear promise of violence
Some intelligent visible transitions right here too, although the imagery for essentially the most half follows a basic shonen template – posing character intros, transient motion cuts, looming antagonists, etcetera
“May this imply that Fuyumura likes me?” Our lead appears kinda dumb in an especially sensible adolescent boy form of method
“Being awkward and surly must be the identical for each guys and women going by puberty.” Yeah, we’re undoubtedly digging into the exact anxieties of this developmental second, with a lead that’s simply self-aware sufficient to understand they’re all flailing. Itagaki appears to look again on adolescence with a rueful fondness that doesn’t preclude completely roasting her characters for his or her misconceptions
Oh my god, his face of surprised realization is so good. Love these huge saucer eyes, and the simplified method they’ve contorted his mouth right into a drooping crescent moon
Our lead Sanda is fourteen years outdated. Certainly one of his buddies swiftly units him straight concerning Fuyumura’s intentions
I really feel like Sanda’s options are deliberately harking back to a frog, notably his eyes and the lengthy, down-sloping line of his mouth
Apparently Fuyumura’s been a large number ever since her buddy Ose died. Sanda says Ose was “declared useless per week in the past,” an oddly exact strategy to phrase that
Extra charged particulars about this world, as we see banners declaring their academy “Trauma-Free Curriculum Daikoku Welfare Academy.” A superb strategy to convey incidental worldbuilding in any visible medium, ensuring the banners and ads of your world inform the viewers one thing particular about its tradition and inhabitants. These banners specifically suggest an invasively paternal perspective in the direction of public schooling, with an overbearing emphasis on psychological well being implying a worry of its absence in society at giant
Sanda and his buddy remark that chilly climate in December is definitely irregular now. And Sanda has by no means heard of Christmas
“Chilly doesn’t hassle me in any respect!” Then the primary fall of snow appears to immediate some violent response in his physique
Sanda in fact assumes this ache in his coronary heart is the Trill of Destined Love
Ooh, I like how the present’s really leaning into the OP colour scheme for this sequence of Sanda and Fuyumura alone. The falling snow facilitates a basic desaturation of the present’s colour scheme, whereas the crimson notes within the surroundings are made much more vivid and menacing. Should you’re going to make a Santa-themed werewolf narrative, that is the way you do it!
Additionally a terrific structure right here, peering up from under them because the snow’s shadow crawls up the ceiling
Fuyumura accuses him of being a descendent of Santa Claus, after which receives a “present” from him within the type of an eraser, apparently one among his sleeper agent activation circumstances
Good impact of this exaggerated character appearing together with wildly foreshortened fingers as Sanda expresses his disbelief
Oh rattling, our boy really confesses he has a factor for Fuyumura! Delighted they’re not dragging that out; if this and Dandadan sign a development the place shonen protagonists are literally allowed to be lively {couples}, I’m emphatically for it. The emotional negotiations of an lively relationship are much more attention-grabbing than static “will they-won’t they” stalling, and presenting heroines as real companions somewhat than longed-for idols means additionally they get to be extra totally realized as emotional actors in their very own proper
Now a neat trick of transitioning, utilizing the crimson jacket to facilitate display wipes and additional emphasize the scrambling dysfunction of this interplay
“You’re going to put on one thing crimson, Sanda,” she says as she stabs him. An intimate second as he’s “penetrated,” violence and sexuality intertwined, as in Beastars’ reflections on what it’s to be a “carnivore”
“Ono didn’t die. She simply up and vanished sooner or later.”
Apparently there are now not seasons, and climate stays comparatively secure all year long
“Hanging out with you lets me take pleasure in all of the seasons!” What a romantic sentiment
It appears Ono’s persevering with celebration of Christmas could have been what led to her disappearance
“Should you die on me, I’m screwed! I by no means needed you to die!” So Fuyumura is each fairly darn silly and in addition completely keen to embrace deadly violence in pursuit of her objectives. We’re cooking up an attention-grabbing pair of idiots right here
“If I surrender, Ono actually is useless.” The ability of religion, transposed from Christmas’ non secular origins to Fuyumura’s religion in her buddy
Splendidly demented transformation sequence for Sanda turning into Santa, utilizing the swooping wind and snow to obscure the background as a way to facilitate a full 300 sixty diploma pan round him
“The bond between Santa and a toddler who believes in Santa is unbreakable.” Religion once more, clearly a theme right here
Fuyumura’s expression softens for the primary time because it sinks in that Santa is basically right here
“Is that this Santa’s instincts proper now, or just ethics?” We appear to be instantly diving into one of many explicit peculiarities of those “child who transforms into an grownup hero” narratives – how a lot that remodeled id is the unique child, and the way a lot is a secondary persona being grafted over their very own emotions. That at all times struck me as an odd quirk of this model of magical woman and sentai drama
“And with that, a snow-white curse fell over my youth.” Sanda already sees this as extra werewolf curse than superior secret id
He instantly begins lamenting the lack of his lovable, youthful face. It appears he’s nonetheless largely Sanda, besides when he’s compelled by the pure instincts of the Santa persona
His mood-stabilizing jelly beans in the end return him to regular. Some properly character-rich writing up to now, giving each our leads distinct behavioral quirks and emotional hangups
The subsequent day Fuyumura declares she has planted a bomb within the science lab “to find what Santa is able to.” Like with the preliminary stabbing, she demonstrates zero hesitation in taking probably calamitous actions, so robust is her religion that Santa Claus will make it proper. Fairly the fanatical tackle the Christmas spirit!
Fucking love Fuyumura’s insane googly eyes mirrored in Sanda’s pupils. These character designs are so charming
Sanda already lamenting the space between himself and his center college friends, that they’ve the privilege to want for no matter they may dream of, whereas he’s condemned to be the dreamless wish-granter
I didn’t anticipate us to reach at questions like “how would the true Santa Claus defuse this bomb” inside the first episode, however I’m all for it
Thus he transforms and threatens to snap Fuyumura’s neck, identical to Santa would do
“I can’t write out what I would like. As a result of I do know that the worry of dropping somebody far outweighs the enjoyment you’re feeling while you’re with them.” Whew, what a beaten-down, defensive philosophy
Extra glorious colour design work as Sanda eats this explosion, decreasing the scene to greyscale plus the brilliant orange of the flames
Their shenanigans are noticed by a lurking classmate, who the charming, loosely painted ED clarifies is our third occasion member
And Performed
That was pleasant! This present’s premise appeared absurd from the beginning, and this primary episode has achieved nothing to dissuade me of that impression, as an alternative embracing the lunacy of framing Santa Claus as a mighty reworking superweapon who brings pleasure to all the kids (even those that stab him or blow him up). We’re already receiving inklings of higher social commentary past this episode’s rapid-fire introductions, and the present’s visible aesthetic is simply totally entrancing, combining inherently distinct and compelling character designs, fluid and expressive character appearing, and purposeful colour design prospers to reach at a definite stability of Itagaki’s fashion and Shimoyama’s motion-focused course. All the time good to discover a present that feels so authentic and so assured!
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