How do I sell this to you quickly? Well, consider: a manga by the author of BEASTARS (who is also the daughter of the author of Baki), about a future where youth is a commodity and Christmas no longer exists, starring a descendant of Santa Claus who turns into a very ripped Santa whenever he wears red.

And even then, I'm not doing nearly a good enough job describing it. Imagine The Santa Clause as a shonen fighting manga, and you're maybe approaching an accurate description. Maybe.

Kazushige Sanda is our hero: a middle-school student who is indeed descended from the jolly old elf himself. Through an unhinged ritual instigated by classmate Shiori Fuyumura, he becomes the embodiment of Santa in an era when all things Christmas pretty much don't exist. The reason? Shiori is a child who needs a wish granted — finding her missing-presumed-dead best friend. And Santa grants the wishes of children, right? Right.

But Shiori isn't the only kid whose wish needs granting, and Sanda finds himself developing a new relationship with his classmates: benevolent caretaker. Sure, he's technically a teenager, but the Santa-brain starts to take over as he regards the shining youth of his post-apocalyptic world as his precious younger charges. It's a spin on the transformative aspect of the manga that I wasn't expecting, but it's actually kind of adorable.

The final pages of the manga hint at a bigger conspiracy, though. In this society that values youth above all else, there are people who have their knives out for Santa upon his return. Fortunately, this version of St. Nick has supernatural powers. What kind? You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

Oh, fine. He's got sleigh feet. At least in the first volume. Something tells me we'll be seeing more strange abilities manifest as the series continues.

From this first volume alone, the pairing of Itagaki's story with Science SARU (the people behind DAN DA DAN and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!) is an absolute no-brainer. I can't wait to see this manga brought to life onscreen. But I also can't wait to read more of it in print.

SANDA Vol. 1 is now available from Titan Comics.