The
publisher Titan Manga has presented an exclusive
trailer of SANDA, the most recent manga by Paru
Itagaki, known worldwide for her work on BEASTARS. The
first volume in English will be released on September 9, a week
later than the original date. The second volume will arrive on November
18.
Pre-orders
for the first volume are available now at stores including Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, Books A Million and Forbidden Planet.
A
Forgotten Christmas in Futuristic Japan
In the near
future, Christmas has faded into oblivion, and the birth rate has fallen so
drastically that children have become society's most valuable resource. To
protect their youth, adolescence has been artificially lengthened, and
traditional holidays like Christmas have been relegated to myths of the past.
In this
context, we meet Sanda Kazushige, a high school student whose life
takes an unexpected turn when his classmate, Fuyumura Shiori,
accuses him of carrying a curse capable of helping find his missing
friend, Ono Ichie. Together, they embark on an adventure to uncover
the mystery behind the disappearance and the hidden magic of Christmas.
As they
delve into the investigation, they must confront external dangers and internal
conflicts, questioning their loyalty, bravery, and the strength of their
beliefs. The story explores themes such as friendship, trust, and the power of
magic in a world that has ceased to believe.
SANDA
anime arrives in October
SANDA was serialized in Akita
Shoten's Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine between July 2021
and July 2024. The final compilation volume, number 16, was released in Japan
in October 2024. The anime adaptation will premiere on October 3, 2025,
with the prestigious Science SARU studio in charge of the
animation.
Paru
Itagaki's legacy continues
Paru
Itagaki achieved international fame with BEASTARS, a manga
that debuted in September 2016 and concluded in October 2020. The series was
compiled into 22 volumes and published in English by VIZ
Media.
The
animated adaptation of BEASTARS debuted on Netflix Japan and
Fuji TV's [+Ultra] block in October 2019. Its second season arrived in January
2021 and was released outside Japan by Netflix in July of that same year.
The final season began with its first part on December
5, 2024 on Netflix, while the second part will premiere in 2026.
With SANDA, Itagaki
proposes a new story that mixes the fantastic with the critical, inviting
readers to rediscover hope and magic in a world that seems to have forgotten
them.
