Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus

Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus is the TV return of a well-loved romance and mystery series. It aired in Japan from July 5 to September 27, 2025, with 13 episodes. Studio CloverWorks made it, with director Souichi Masui and the same main team as before. The story comes from the light novels by Hajime Kamoshida, with art by Keeji Mizoguchi. This season covers the "University Student Arc," which starts around volume 10 of the books.

In this franchise, strange things happen to young people who are under a lot of stress. People call it "Adolescence Syndrome." It is not a normal illness. It shows up as odd, almost magical events. A person may become invisible to others, swap bodies, or live the same day again. These events grow out of worry, loneliness, and hidden feelings. Sakuta Azusagawa has spent years helping the people around him when this happens. He is calm, a little sarcastic, and very honest, and he often says embarrassing things with a straight face.

Now Sakuta's high school days are over. He goes to a university in the Yokohama area, in Kanagawa Prefecture. His girlfriend, Mai Sakurajima, goes there too. Mai is a famous actress who is known all over Japan. The two of them try to live a normal student life together, which is not easy when one of you is a TV star. Near campus, Sakuta meets someone very odd: a girl dressed as Santa Claus, even though it is not the Christmas season. Other people do not seem to see her the way he does.

This meeting pulls Sakuta into a new round of mysteries. There are dreams that seem to show the future. There is a singer who is very popular on the internet, but no one knows who she really is. There are strange events that spread through social media. Sakuta learns that the syndrome did not end when high school ended. It can reach university students too. Along the way he meets new people, such as the serious nursing student Ikumi Akagi, and he stays close to old friends and family, like his younger sister Kaede and the idol Uzuki Hirokawa.

The show keeps the same mix that made the first season popular. It has quiet, honest talks between friends, gentle romance between Sakuta and Mai, and puzzles with a science-fiction feel. Each problem is really about a person's heart: fear of being unseen, pressure to fit in, or not knowing who you want to be. The dialogue is quick and often funny, but the show takes feelings seriously.

This season is best for viewers who already know Sakuta and Mai from the earlier series and films. It moves the story into adult life and prepares the ground for the final chapter. The last part of the story is being told in a movie, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dear Friend, set for release in October 2026.