Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 1 was released on July 5, 2025, and dove right back into the fascinating world of Puberty Syndrome. The episode started by adapting the Lost Singer Arc from volume 10 of the light novel, with Sakuta having finally joined the university.
He was living his days as a normal student, attending get-together parties and managing a long-distance relationship with Mai. However, he soon found himself stuck amidst the tension of adolescents yet again when the members of Sweet Bullet faced internal conflict, prompting Uzuki to undergo a drastic change from her usual air-headed personality.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 1 highlights Sakuta’s college life and Uzuki’s transformed personality
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 1: Sakuta and Shoko’s conversation
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 1 picks up from the ending of the Knapsack Kid movie, where Sakuta and Shoko are talking to each other at a cafe. Shoko revealed that she was moving to Okinawa, where her physical burden was lessened, and invited Sakuta and Mai to visit in the future.
Shoko then showed Sakuta a music video by Touko Kirishima and mentioned that the musician did not exist in any of the futures she had seen. Although she seemed uneasy due to the changes her actions had caused, Sakuta told her not to worry about them as long as they didn’t result in misfortune.
Following this, Shoko reaffirmed that she was enjoying life and making up for the time she had been sick. The girl continued enjoying the parfait in front of her, believing that simple pleasures were the greatest happiness of all.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 1: Sakuta’s college life

The scene then shifted to a year in the future, where Sakuta had become a student at Yokohama City University. The protagonist spoke to Mai, who was away shooting at a distant location, about how he was invited to a student get-together. The couple shared their usual banter, where Mai threatened Sakuta not to meet a cute girl and cheat on her.
At the get-together, Sakuta was not in the mood to socialize and sat alone at a nearby table, calculating how many glasses he had to drink to make his money back. Right then, he was approached by Miori Mito, a freshman, who started enjoying food along with him and praised the beauty of his girlfriend.
While an after-party was announced following the gathering, Sakuta and Miori left and walked back together. Miori shared her boy troubles with Sakuta, where her friend’s love interest had his eyes set on her. Sakuta also told her how her unwitting kindness may have attracted boys to her.
As the two were walking, they saw a lady struggling to give out samples. Miori then started speaking about Puberty Syndrome, where a person could be invisible or even see the future. While wondering if they were the only people who could see the lady, their hypothesis was soon proven wrong as another person interacted with her.
By the end of their chat, Miori remarked that she thought she was still in puberty, after which she headed over to the train station. Sakuta then returned home, where he was greeted by Mai and Kaede. Sakuta and Mai had a short but comforting conversation, where the protagonist detailed his encounter with Miori.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 1: Uzuki’s troubles

The next day, Sakuta was approached by Miori yet again in class, as she started ranting about her friends using her for a matchmaking party. Right then, Uzuki interrupted the two and introduced herself to Miori. She excitedly revealed that she had a show the next week and invited the pair before rejoining her friends.
During the break, Sakuta met up with Takumi, and the duo watched as Uzuki was making cafeteria plans with her friends. However, the idol was forced to leave early, after which her friends showed a surprisingly cold attitude. After Takumi commented on how scary girls could be, he and Sakuta headed to the cafeteria.
While there, Takumi spoke about the mysterious Touko Kirishima, sharing how there were rumors that her true identity might be Mai Sakurajima. At that moment, Nodoka intruded on their conversation and borrowed Sakuta for a personal chat.
Nodoka then revealed that Sweet Bullet was in a tense period due to agency troubles and their unclear future. While Uzuki’s agent was pushing for her to go solo, Nodoka wished to continue performing together on the stage as a group. When she tried talking to Uzuki about this, it resulted in an argument.
Sakuta advised her to pour her heart out to the other members in a straightforward and honest manner rather than simply complaining. Later in the day, Sakuta was scouring the library to pick up books for his part-time job as a tutor. Right then, he saw a glimpse of a girl wearing a Santa Claus costume, but couldn’t track her down.
At his job, Sakuta had a hilarious conversation with his students about how to get a beautiful girlfriend, all while Futaba overheard them from the other room. When the two were walking together at night, Futaba shared that Kunimi had settled into his role as a firefighter and had invited the two of them to hang out.
The protagonist immediately accepted the invitation after hearing he wouldn’t have to pay.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 1: Uzuki’s change

Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 1 ended back in the classroom, where Sakuta noticed Uzuki talking to her friends. However, she was noticeably different, picking up on social cues and remaining on the same wavelength as others.
Later, when Nodoka entered the room to talk to her, Uzuki shocked her by analyzing her emotions, after which she revealed her plan to have a heartfelt talk with the members of Sweet Bullet. Though Nodoka accepted, she was visibly shaken as Uzuki could read the room.
Just as she was wondering whether it was Puberty Syndrome, Sakuta explained that it was not necessarily a bad change. During their conversation, the same mystery girl with the Santa Claus costume appeared in the background.
Final thoughts
Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 1 mainly served as an introduction to the key themes of the upcoming arc. It introduced the intriguing Touko Kirishima while shifting the spotlight to Uzuki Hirokawa, who transformed into a completely different person.
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