The TV anime "SANDA," based on the manga by Itagaki Paru, known for "BEASTARS," is currently being broadcast on MBS, TBS, and other networks in the late-night anime slot "Animeism." Set in a near-future Japan where children are overly protected in an era of extremely low birth rates, the unique "Santa Claus" hero action series has attracted attention for its innovative expressions and dynamic visuals by Science SARU. The "words" spoken by the unique characters are also a major draw. We spoke to Kimiko Ueno, who is in charge of series composition and scriptwriting, about the appeal of "SANDA" and the behind-the-scenes story of its production.
◇ Fuyumura is a heroine unlike any other in this world where everyone is "true"
"SANDA" is a manga serialized in "Weekly Shonen Champion" (Akita Shoten) from July 2021 to July 2024. Set in a near-future Japan facing an era of extremely low birth rates, children, the nation's treasure, are cared for and protected by adults in boarding schools. Santa Claus, who gives children hope and dreams, is seen as a dangerous person and is targeted for elimination. When middle school student Kazue Mita's classmate Shiori Fuyumura tries to assassinate him on a snowy December 25th, he discovers that he is a descendant of Santa Claus and decides to become Santa Claus and fight against adults to protect children.
Ueno read the original work and was fascinated by the world of the work, saying, "It's unique, but the world view is very interesting and it seems like something that could happen in the future. I definitely want to be involved." Of the many unique characters, he was particularly drawn to Fuyumura.
"She's good-looking, and I thought she was the kind of girl you don't see in anime these days, so I thought I could portray a heroine like no other. She's not all cheerful and thinks about herself objectively. And yet she doesn't doubt her friends, she's straightforward, and she's very pure, which I really like."
In addition to Fuyumura, she said, "The women in the world of SANDA are so charming that I feel like if this were any other story, they could all be the main character. None of them are trying to please anyone. I hope the women will form the Avengers and live happily ever after (laughs)."
Ueno says that the appeal of the words of these strong characters is that they all speak their true feelings.
"They speak honestly and honestly, and I like the feeling that there's no bargaining involved. They each have their own ideas, but I think they're very honest with each other."
◇The character's feelings must remain consistent
Because of the strength of the characters and the straightforwardness of their words, Ueno focused on "ensuring that the characters' feelings remain consistent" when writing the script.
"If the characters lie about their feelings, I think the viewers will lose interest all at once, so I try not to lie about that. Even when I'm working on a work based on another original work, I try to carefully portray the characters' personalities, feelings, and emotions. Depending on the work, the words used may have different nuances before and after the story, so I try to keep that consistent."
Regarding the series composition, he recalls, "I decided on the final episode of the anime and then started working on the composition, but I thought about the point where we should cut to the next episode so that viewers would look forward to the next one. Once the anime starts moving, there are action scenes and so on, so I worked on it while thinking, 'This part will probably be longer.'"
Since the anime began airing, Ueno himself has been looking forward to watching it every week.
"When I saw the first episode, I thought, 'Now I have something to look forward to each week.' I know the story, but it's really fun knowing that there's another episode next week. It's been a while since I've felt this way. I watch it every week with a fresh feeling."
◇What does it mean to be an adult? The resolution of each situation depicted in the "coming-of-age ceremony"
As the anime nears its final stages, the school's "coming-of-age ceremony" is depicted. At Mita's school, turning 15 is celebrated as the most beautiful and youthful moment in life. Ueno says that the highlight of the episode is when "each character's burdens are resolved."
"It's like each person's youth is there. Even if it's dark and lonely, I think it's still undeniably youth, so I would like people to see the youth of children on their way to becoming adults."
Ueno said that through "SANDA," he once again began to think about what it means to become an adult.
"In SANDA, the school principal (Oshibumi Hifumi) protects the children, but he seems to care about his appearance and live according to his desires, so I wonder if there are any 'adults' in that world? The chairman of the board, Tetsudome (Toyo), is an adult, but he does have a childish side to him compared to Oshibumi. If you think about it that way, it's possible that all the characters in SANDA are spending their youth at Daikoku Protection Academy."
What will happen at the "coming-of-age ceremony" and how will the battle between Mita and the others and Principal Oshibu end? I want to see the youth portrayed in "SANDA" to the end.
