The Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus anime has received a second trailer, a key visual, and a July 5 premiere date.
The trailer includes a preview of the newly announced ending theme song “Suiheisen wa Boku no Furukizu” by the characters Uzuki Hirokawa, Ikumi Akagi, Sara Himeji, and Toko Kirishima.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus is the latest entry in the Rascal Does Not Dream anime series, which is based on the supernatural teen/young adult drama light novel series written by Hajime Kamoshida and illustrated by Keji Mizoguchi. The new series marks the start of the anime’s adaptation of the story’s “University Arc.”
Aniplex of America describes the setup as:
After encountering various girls going through Puberty Syndrome, Sakuta Azusagawa’s high school days have come to a close, and he is now a university student. He enrolls at a university in Kanazawa-hakkei alongside his girlfriend Mai Sakurajima, a nationally famed actress. Off campus, he stumbles upon an out-of-season miniskirt Santa. “I’m surprised. So, you can see me.” This is a phrase he’s heard somewhere before. This miniskirt Santa, who claims to be gifting Puberty Syndrome to people, tells Sakuta… “My name… is Touko Kirishima.” Precognitive dreams, an anonymous online singer, poltergeists buzzing on social media… A mysterious tale with enigmatic phenomenons surrounding girls with wavering hearts starts again. Puberty continues…
The Rascal Does Not Dream anime began in 2018 with the Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai TV series. It was followed by three movies: 2019’s Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl and 2023’s Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out and Rascal Does Not Dream of a Knapsack Kid.
The light novel series, which is published under the Dengeki Bunko label, started in 2014 and released its final main volume in October 2024. A short story collection was released in July 2025. Yen Press describes the premise as:
Bunny girls do not live in libraries. This is simply common sense. And yet, that’s exactly where Sakuta finds one in the wild. More bewildering is who the bunny girl is: Mai Sakurajima, a girl one year older than Sakuta, famous at their school for her acting career even though she’s currently on break. To top it all off, it seems like no one else in the library can see Mai at all, no matter what she does or…wears. Wanting to find out more about this mystery and maybe get a little closer to this beautiful upperclassman in the process, Sakuta launches an investigation to discover why an unforgettable bunny girl keeps becoming totally invisible.
The light novel series has also inspired manga adaptations of its volumes.
Staff (returning)
• Director: Soichi Masui
• Series composer Masahiro Yokotani
• Character designer Satomi Tamura
• Music composer fox capture plan
• Animation production: CloverWorks
Cast
• Kaito Ishikawa as Sakuta Azusagawa
• Asami Seto as Mai Sakurajima
• Reina Ueda as Miniskirt Santa/Toko Kirishima
• Sora Amamiya as Uzuki Hirokawa
Source: @aniplexUSA, @aobuta_anime
