OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)Sanda unlocks a new Santa form, Black Santa, that is willing to go full force against naughty children, but hesitates to use it against Namatame, even as she prepares to kill him.OUR TAKEOn the ninth week of Sanda, my true love gave to me: Nine old lady massages, eight heart attackings, seven kids a-killing, six organ transplants, five wet dreams, four old man hugs, three detected lies, more supporting cast, and a buff Santa in his undies! And you remember what I said about it feeling like they’re just making this show’s Santa lore as they go along? Well, this is definitely another case of that, especially the addition of Black Santa, who seems to just be the Santa outfit in a suit, but is apparently more willing to punish naughty children. Function wise, I do understand why that kind of Santa would be necessary, since gifting good children and punishing naughty ones is a consistent part of the character’s mythology. But when I think of a punishing figure to offset Santa’s gift giving, I usually think Krampus (specifically the one from American Dad but that’s just one specific interpretation), not Santa in a black suit and tie. Though character development wise, I do understand that this is about giving Sanda a way to both resist the wishes of children that would directly harm him, as well as defend himself against attacks BY children, which it looks like he’ll be dealing with when he goes against Namatame, something that seems to be what the season will focus its remaining episodes on as we enter the Peak of Youth festival that specifically celebrates fifteen year olds.Meanwhile, there are continuing developments with Fuyumura and Ono, mainly with how Ono is ramping up her advances because she went through puberty while Fuyumura doesn’t NOT like Ono that way, but is still mentally a child and is having a hard time processing all of that, which seems to have led Ono to be manipulated by Oshibu. And then there’s Namatame, who we get some backstory on, particularly how she stayed with her mother who was obsessed with youth and eventually killed her when said mother went insane and chopped off her own hands because they were a reminder of her getting older. Oh, and I keep forgetting to mention Tetsudome, Sanda’s old lady mentor who is getting him ready to fight Oshibu and can make him hallucinate he’s fighting her as a younger woman? This show be crazy, y’all. Point is, the tensions are rising on all fronts and now that we are officially in the Christmas season ourselves, things can only get wilder from here. But as wild as they could get, at least we can be glad that this dub was actually done with humans and not SHITTY FUCKING AI VOICES. FUCK YOU, AMAZON. You are decisively on the goddamn Naughty List because of this crap, and I doubt you’re ever getting off.