Spy x Family

Time to dive in the rabbit hole! 2022 has been a special year for us, Anime watchers, to check out this year's Anime. 2022 Anime has been very diverse compared to some previous years. The best entries for this year are Ya Boy Kongming!, Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic-, and here the anime I'm reviewing is none other than SPY x FAMILY. Now please forgive my half-assed English language as I'm just stating out my opinions on the show. STORY: 90% The story revolves in Loid Forger (codename: Twilight) being sent out for missions while looking for family members. It also portrays as comedy where the main cast have their own bonding and/or drama is involved. The show has been nothing but consistent with its themes and doesn't take things too seriously to be enjoyable. Anime with western culture has been one of my favorite things to design an anime, Some notable examples for that being Cowboy Bebop and Trigun. SPY x FAMILY also follows that element. The comedy is also really good. It doesn't overblow it's quirk and uses it whenever there are times characters don't take their things seriously. On a side note: my favorite scene in the show is that one moment where a guy thinks that a wife that doesn't cook never existed (he's only there for barely 10 minutes and I already want punch him in the face). CHARACTERS: 85% The characters are truly something else... Loid is a spy who is out for missions, investigating the activities of a highly ranked politician while building his own family as well as trying his best to hide his own identities. Yor is an assassin who works as a clerical employee and struggles to be a consistent wife and mother. She has a weird drinking habit and faints when she drinks. While she's good at cleaning, her cooking skills are the opposite. As an assassin, her physical strength and her speed are quite impressive, taking down a pack of traitors at the second episode. Anya is a child alien (at least in my headcanon as I haven't gotten into the manga yet) who reads everyone's minds while driving into excitement whenever something special happens. While pretty smart as a mind reader, she struggles with her work as a student. She also plays with her toys as well as craving for peanuts. The main cast are overall funny, likeable, and never felt very out of place in terms of their characterization. They have great chemistry with one another. They prioritize on their goals whenever they have to. They can be awkward at times but still loving each other. Side characters are also very entertaining with some having their time to talk with some of the other main cast (some examples being Becky with Anya and Yuri with Yor) and others being so absurdly enjoyable to watch to an extent where they might be loved to be hated on (*cough* *cough* the dude who thinks a wife who doesn't cook never existed *cough*). ART: 85% Art style looks really nice as far as I'm concerned having respectable and friendly color palettes to the opposed base character designs. And speaking of base character designs, they also look good whether they look attractive (Yor's Thorn Princess dress) or plain cool-looking (Loid in any outfit because he's Loid, I don't need to elaborate much). SOUND: 84% OST is well-done. Each soundtrack fit well with a mood of each scene. OP and ED are good as well, although I personally have nothing against theme but they're still catchy. Voice acting is exceptional, with each VA fitting each character pretty well with their tones and delivering pretty nice lines. ENJOYMENT: 96% Again, 2022 has been a ride. Providing great Anime for us to enjoy. SPY x FAMILY is no exception. The show provides us a great story as well as the next-getting-stale comedy and a likeable, unique cast of characters. I can recommend this for those who are worrying about show that fall into clichéd gimmicks. Heck, I can even recommend to those who aren't even into Anime at some point. PERSONAL RANK: 9/10 (S- Tier)

It’s no masterpiece, but you know why this show is so good? Because it gives me nostalgia towards my childhood. It makes me remember the Saturdays when I was a kid, and just plopped on the couch when I woke up to watch my favourite cartoons. Spy X Family is like a Saturday morning cartoon to me, in that it’s as ridiculous like a kid’s show, but ends up feeling a bit of mature than them. Another reason is that it’s so meme-worthy, since Anya expressions are like a memer’s best friend. I was impressed with the solid animation and groovy OST as well. As an anime-only watcher, I expected a bit more from this cour, but we’re just getting started, because you and I all know, there’s way more to come. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 19.5/25 The thing that stands out is obviously how unique it is compared to other anime. They managed to make a spy show about a “pretend family”, they make it cute and childish looking, but also make it really refreshing to watch. It doesn’t try to have depth, and be very thought-provoking, but what it does is charm the audience through sheer ridiculousness, with the grenade pin proposal being the pinnacle of its absurdity. This show doesn’t need depth to be honest, it’s fun even with it being a simple story. Though, some things would benefit from further explanation, like how Anya can do her mind reading, and the backstory of all the characters. Of course, I’d love to see some more plot development next cour. ART: 9.4/10 WIT Studio and Cloverworks did a solid job of animating this series for sure. Props to director Kazuhiro Furuhashi for a solid job at creating fun cinematography and over the top scenes, like the dodgeball scene. MUSIC: 9.6/10 The OST really evokes a sense of a spy atmosphere, while being fun and bubbly at the same time. Opening is solid, but the ending “Kigeki” by Gen Hoshino was by far my favourite ED this season, with the vibes fitting perfectly to the show, and the lyrics were really wholesome, for example, the lyrics of the chorus of the ending in English started with “Shall we hold hands and head home? What should we eat tonight? Here’s what happened today”, which feels like such a wholesome family dynamic. CHARACTERS: 17.5/20 The characters are straight up lovable, and they each have their developments too. Loid used to be a cold-hearted spy, but after being with Yor and Anya for a while, he became a solid dad, that learned to take care of his family, and learned to trust others a bit more, even though he’s a spy. Yor is a clumsy character, yet she’s an assassin, which is as ridiculous as the plot of the show. She becomes a wonderful mother figure to Anya, and keeps Loid in check too, teaching him how to treat Anya in a nice way. Now, everyone’s favourite walking meme, Anya, is obviously cute, and gives me nostalgia of being a kid. She’s curious about things, and always wants to help the people she likes. On top of that, she can read minds, which makes for excellent comedy at times. The side characters are also fun to watch. Franky is a ridiculous helper to Loid, and pulls off some fun costumes. Yuri has a bit of a sister complex, but it almost made for a kiss between Loid and Yor, and who doesn’t want that? Damian is a tsundere to the highest degree, but I love the dynamic between him and Anya, and of course, we all love Anya’s smug face! ENJOYMENT: 14.3/15 Great for Saturday mornings, and I really enjoyed it. I admit, I lost a little interest in the middle of the series, but the over the top comedy and character interactions was fun. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 17.3/20 The spy theme was executed pretty well, with solid world building. The comedic elements are a bit repetitive at times, a lot of times with the comedy focusing on Anya’s “shock” faces. There hasn’t been a lot of action yet, but we’ve some engaging action scenes, and I’d love to see more of those next cour. OVERALL: 87.6/100 A wholesome family show that everyone should watch, and will likely enjoy. It doesn’t try to be overly ambitious, and that’s fine. It’s just pure fun, and while it’s not a masterpiece, it’s just gives me such nostalgia to those Saturday morning cartoons, and this is a prime Saturday morning cartoon indeed. Looking forward the next cour two in the Fall!

Spy × Family builds its story around an absurd yet strangely heartfelt premise. In a world inspired by Cold War tensions between two rival nations, Westalis and Ostania, a master spy known by the codename Loid Forger receives a mission that requires something unusual even for an elite agent. The assignment, called Operation Strix, demands infiltration of an elite political circle in Ostania in order to observe a powerful figure named Donovan Desmond. The problem is that the target rarely appears in public and only attends social gatherings connected to his child’s prestigious school. The solution forces Loid into unfamiliar territory. A fake family must be created in order to enroll a child at the elite Eden Academy and gain access to the social world surrounding the Desmond family. What begins as a calculated mission quickly spirals into something far more chaotic when Loid adopts a young girl named Anya Forger and enters a marriage of convenience with a quiet office worker named Yor Forger. The twist that drives the entire narrative is that every member of this fabricated household is hiding a secret. Loid is secretly a legendary spy working for the intelligence agency WISE. Yor lives a double life as a highly skilled assassin known as the Thorn Princess. Anya is the only one aware of both secrets because she possesses telepathic abilities that allow her to read minds. Ironically, the only person in the family who knows the truth about everyone else is the one least capable of keeping secrets. This dynamic creates the central balance of the story. On the surface, the series presents a comedic domestic life filled with misunderstandings and exaggerated situations. Beneath that humor lies a narrative about people who have spent their lives hiding behind roles suddenly attempting to perform the most ordinary role of all, becoming a family. Loid’s character reflects the emotional cost of living as a spy. Years of deception have turned relationships into tools for completing missions. Operation Strix initially treats family life as another disguise, yet daily interactions with Anya and Yor slowly begin to blur the line between performance and genuine attachment. The mission may require perfect appearances, but the emotional connections forming inside the household begin to feel increasingly real. Yor represents another side of this hidden world. As an assassin working for a secretive organization, Yor has spent years performing violence in order to survive in a dangerous political landscape. Despite incredible physical ability and deadly skill, Yor remains socially awkward and insecure about fitting into normal society. The fake marriage becomes a way for Yor to maintain the appearance of an ordinary life while continuing dangerous work in the shadows. Anya functions as the emotional center of the story. Having grown up as an experimental subject with psychic powers, Anya longs for something that was never part of earlier life, belonging to a real family. The telepathic ability often creates comedic chaos, but it also gives Anya a unique perspective. Through constant exposure to the hidden thoughts of adults, Anya understands how lonely both Loid and Yor truly are. The narrative structure alternates between the tension of espionage missions and the comedic challenges of school life. Eden Academy introduces its own hierarchy of prestige, represented by the system of academic stars and disciplinary bolts. Anya’s chaotic attempts to earn recognition become essential for bringing Loid closer to the Desmond family. Rival students, strict teachers, and exaggerated school traditions create a surprisingly intense environment that mirrors the political competition outside the school walls. While the story excels at blending action, comedy, and warmth, several narrative weaknesses are also noticeable. One of the most common criticisms involves the overall pacing of Operation Strix itself. The central mission moves forward very slowly, with many episodes focusing on smaller comedic scenarios that only indirectly advance the main objective. Character arcs can also feel uneven at times. Loid receives the most consistent exploration as the emotional conflict between duty and personal attachment develops. Yor, despite being an assassin with fascinating potential, sometimes receives less narrative focus compared to the other members of the family. Several storylines hint at deeper exploration of Yor’s world but never fully develop those threads. Broader political setting also remains somewhat underexplored. Tension between Westalis and Ostania forms the backdrop for the entire premise, yet the series usually treats international conflict as background atmosphere without deeply examining the political systems behind it. Even with these limitations, Spy × Family stands out because of the sincerity beneath its comedic surface. The story understands that the most powerful element of the premise is not espionage or assassination but the quiet transformation taking place within the Forger household. Three people begin the story pretending to be a family for entirely different reasons. Over time, the performance slowly becomes something genuine. The spy searching for peace between nations, the assassin searching for a place to belong, and the telepathic child searching for love all discover that the role they are playing may be the one thing none of them ever truly had before. Anyway, keep in mind that no opinion is ever purely objective, and every perspective remains open to discussion. Even so, each viewpoint still holds its own value. If you happen to see things differently, simple mutual respect is more than enough. That same respect is the spirit behind this reflection as well. Wishing everyone a peaceful day ahead, and thank you for taking the time to read.

It is an unfortunate case of mistranslated comedy, reduced to staleness due to lack of variation. The espionage background provides a foundation for creative witticism, but the show isn’t audacious enough to augment its parodic eccentricity to engender guffaws. However, this is not to say that it is entirely unentertaining, as its self-containment can be seen as a merit according to the audience, but its reliance on a fixed set of jokes gets old quickly. Anya and her school plot to get close to the Desmond family aren't appealing to me, as it intrinsically diminishes potential sub-plots concerning Loid and his operations. And this is evident as most of the show ends up focusing on Anya, underutilizing the scope of its setting and turning it into a kids show. Production-wise, it definitely appears smooth, but that can be deceiving as there are tons of inconsistencies in the animation, mostly consisting of static frames and inadequate movement extending to the few action sequences. Apart from that, there are some specific instances of bad CGI and 2D-3D animation integration as well. The score manages to be fitting enough, appropriately giving the spy-esque vibe. SPY x FAMILY could've been much worse, though there's no excuse for not expanding its comedic structure; this is mediocrity at full display.

When I first heard about the concpet of the show, it seemed intresting to me, heard good word of mouth about it, so i decided to watch it. So what i thought of it,well This show is a bundle of joy, a show which is overflowing with wholesomeness, but it has it's weakness tho. Story - as i said concpet itself was intresting enough to catch my attention, so concept was good, but it seemed very episodic and plot was not moving foward, specially the 2nd part of season 1, in part one they compensated the slow moving plot with humor but in 2nd part the show and humour both felt repetitive. Some times it felt "Shinchan" with good production. Character - they all were very loveable, specially annya, she is the soul of the show a character,I haven't such wholesome character in anime till date. Direction and dialogue - they absolutely nailed it, humour hits you, wholesomeness bring smile, not much action but makes you hyped up whenever its there. Voice - it's soo damn good specially annya, the voice actor has put heart and soul into it. Overall the show isn't for big brain people who just wanna watch subtle nature of human behaviour, it's a show that you watch with your loved ones and smile together.

While the initial premise for this show was really interesting with a Mr. and Mrs. Smith type of story involving a spy father, an assassin mother, and a child with the ability to read minds, and how they are to live as a fake family to save the county from going to war. For the first few episodes it was really good with a lot of action, interesting spy plots, and Yor being a interesting character, which in later episodes she falls into more of just a mother figure with a slight romantic interest in Lloyd. For me this series is basically how much you enjoy Anya and her antics being a dumb and mostly useless kid. Sure she is cute and wholesome but if you don't care about that in any way or don't enjoy kid characters then this is not for you as it isn't for me. While it has fairly good animation, an okay story, and could be just some light fun to watch, there is nothing about this show to me that is remarkable or as great as people make it out to be. Anya is annoying and almost never uses her powers for any good or useful reason (I get she is a kid but still, why give her something like this if she never uses it for anything other then mostly making dumb faces for comedy), very little gets focused on actual interest plot and instead we get to see tons of episodes about Anya just being a kid and nothing else interesting. Overall 6/10 with the first few episodes being good then falling off towards the end when became a wholesome slice of life rather then a fun action spy anime.

Story: 4 Animation: 9 Sound: 6 Characters: 6 Enjoyment: 5 Total: 6 There is currently a trend for quite a while in Shonen Jump and its different distribution forms. And Spy x Family follows this trend to a tee. Instilling the mundane with the fantastical. Some other series also do this and this trend exponentially increased over the past few months. To row back a bit: Spy x Family is a simple story about a spy who needs to get a functional family, with wife and child, for a mission which includes a school entry ceremony and other stuff related to that. His true target is one of the parents of his child's classmate. I personally have a huge grudge against this kind of contrivance in a story. While the anime, and manga, are a work of fiction, this scenario isn't plausible at all. The expected duration of the mission is 5 months and world peace is on the line. And sending a basically unknown child to school and hope for great academic success to gain access to the target is really far fetched and highly complicated. In a similar obtuse fashion is the family dynamic itself. It hinges on anticipation of the secrets present. The father is a spy, the mother is an assassin and the daughter can read minds; and nobody tells each other. The daughter, Anya, has a unique perspective in that regard as the solely knows about the secrets. Many comedic moments rely and that perspective alone, as Anya hears the thought and reacts to the stated thought, putting the other characters in a weirded out state. And Anya's comedy and perspective is what this Anime holds afloat. In the middle section there are two episode halves who focus on a visit by the mothers brother who suspects their fraud marriage. But after getting easily drunk the same joke is used over and over and over again. So there are three adults in a room and most of them are drunk and/or weirded out by the others. This scene goes on for far too long and the status quo is barely changed in the aftermath. It primarily introduces us to new characters which don't return for the rest of the season. As this review only covers the first 12 episodes it certainly shows that this series went for the long run from the beginning. And this shows in the adapted material. It only covers the first 17 chapters and there are many segments and even a complete episode full with filler as the current structure has no clear arc definitions. It feels incomplete and it shows. And while the bi-weekly release schedule allows for longer chapters, having over 60 chapters with no clear conclusion in sight doesn't spark confidence that the next season will have a proper ending. I mean this season ending was a filler episode. Another problem this series has is the staleness of the cast. There is barely any change in any of them. They mostly act as they would any other day. There are some realizations like "I'm a good father after all." But those characteristics aren't shown in a comparable fashion. There isn't any strife for change either. As they all act upon each other. The spy father acts as a father but stays the same spy. The assassin mother acts as a mother but the assassin shines through. And the mind reading esper daughter reacts to the thoughts around her. This leads to a stale cast and it evidently is broken up by constantly introducing us to new characters. It even hinted towards new main characters in the family dynamic. But this a general problem of the aforementioned trend of instilling the mundane with the fantastical. The seriousness the characters bring with their backstory doesn't allow any change for them or their overarching goals. And while the serious moments produce the comedy you can only create so much out of that. Spy x Family comfortably lies within its trend zone. In that pattern it knows its strengths and plays them right. But the weaknesses gleam through the large cracks. That makes this anime as a nice watch with some funny bits. For now it has overlooked its weak parts and has to address them in future installments. And while I adore the fluid action sequences given by Wit Studio they are few and far between. The sound is fine and nothing outstanding.

There's something greatly endearing about watching a child have their most imaginative dreams be fulfilled by their parents. A show about an orphaned child named Anya, who loves spy cartoons, is adopted by a spy as part of an elaborate plan to save the country. It's a charming concept that is skilfully carried out. Spy X family ticks all the right boxes in my opinion. It's not the sort of show that takes itself too seriously. It's funny and heart-warming, however contains enough emotional scenes and dramatic moments that you can feel invested in both the characters and their story. This show has many strengths, however the biggest praise I have is its premise. Anya, an orphaned girl who spends her free time watching spy cartoons, is adopted by a spy. The appeal of the show derives from the idea that an orphaned girl is suddenly given the opportunity to live a life that she had previously only dreamed was possible in cartoons. Anya leaves the adoption home to have her favourite spy show become a reality, and be fulfilled by none other than her own parents. She is adopted by "Loid", a master of disguise and renowned spy who goes by the nickname "Twilight", as well as an undercover assassin named Yor. Loid needs Anya because she's pivotal to his plan of gaining intelligence on politician Donovan Desmond, whereas Yor requires Anya because in this society, unmarried women are regarded with suspicion. To ensure that she may continue to act as an assassin without being noticed, she assumes the role of both Loid's husband and Anya's mother. It's a fun idea that's carried out with excellence. There exists a sort of pleasant irony in the fact that you, the viewer, is watching a spy cartoon about a girl who thinks she's living within a spy cartoon. That's not to say the stakes aren't high for Anya. Because she's pivotal to Loid's elaborate plan of saving the country, the failures in this show feel much more impactful. Not only because Anya is failing her new father, but because she could be potentially failing the whole country. However most importantly for Anya, should she fail, she runs the risk of being sent back to the adoption home in the situation both Loid and Yor have no further use for her. Perhaps It becomes difficult to respect her parents when you take into consideration that they're essentially just using Anya for their own personal gain. Fortunately, it quickly becomes clear that both Loid and Yor have subconsciously attained a sort of parental instinct, and their respective roles of both Father and Mother have been properly assumed much more than they have fully realised. And you can understand why, Anya is charming and really the star of the whole show. It's because of this I became much more invested in the success of Loid's plan, both because I didn't want to see Anya disappointed, but also because I wanted to see her succeed in her dreams of being an accomplice to a spy. Premise is not this show's only strength. A cast of fun and memorable characters, who all feel like they serve a purpose and get their respective moments to shine ensure that each episode is never dull. No particular character ever feels deserving of more screen time, or that their existence in the story is unnecessary. Everything takes place in a well established country you get to explore along with this weird family. Ostania (the country in which this show takes place) never feels unfamiliar, as there are dedicated episodes in which the Forger Family go on family outings and take their time to explore the city. Spy X family is stylish, I anticipate both the OP and ED every new episode. Suspenseful moments feel real and the action scenes are genuinely exciting. Background art is clean and the characters are expressive and fun. There's rarely a dull moment and I look forward to every new episode. As mentioned there are the dramatic and suspenseful moments you would expect from a spy show, however there are also the sad moments you would expect from a story about an orphaned child. Yet instead of feeling intentionally tear jerking, these sad moments in the story are necessary as it strengthens the families bond by allowing both Loid and Yor to better sympathise with Anya. Anya's pre-adoption history is left ambiguous, but will probably be revealed in part two. We know her backstory isn't happy, but this makes her adoption more gratifying when you take into consideration that her new parents are all that she's dreamed of. And throughout the story we watch as both Loid and Yor gradually grow more attached to Anya. With this, the allure of a simple family life begins to reveal itself and a question is proposed for them; "Is this a life I could see myself getting used to?" I have very few negative things to say about this show. Naturally there are the CGI crowds and cars that make me want to puke, the only other minor complaint I have with this show comes from the introduction of Yor's brother which I feel should have been left for later in the series. It's not significant, but it was unexpected and caught me off guard. For me, it temporarily halted the momentum of Anya going to school. I'd also say that the last episodes were some of the weakest, Anya attaining her first Stella Star felt as if it should have been a bigger event than it was. However, I think the final episode of part one ended on a pretty good note. It's not like Spy x Family aims to be particularly extraordinary, but I consider it to be very well done for what it is. If the premise of an orphaned girl who finds herself embroiled in an elaborate plan to save the country sounds like the sort of thing that would appeal to you, then Spy X Family won't disappoint. I highly anticipate part two and can see myself both recommending this show to other people and rewatching it myself many times.

1st review ever on MAL because I had make this review, after finishing the show which based on the reviews and ratings,I was thinking of it as a new nice show.And I actually have to type 500 ma gad... Right now this show has an 8.7 rating. OMEGAXD. This is not even a 7 rating show.... I don't know what is going on in people's minds. The show has some nice artwork, nice animation, an irrelevant soundtrack, an ok story, ok characters - funny ones,a little girl which is cute and it's just a fine/pleasant thing to watch overall but not an almost 9 rating show..I mean WTF

Anime Review 001 Manocoba Review Here Spy X Family was released in 2022, so it might be a bit late for a review (╥﹏╥). It tells the story of a spy with the code name 'Twilight' assigned a mission crucial for world peace. Twilight's journey to gather information requires him to disguise himself as an ordinary resident and form a small family in the country. The anime combines comedy, slice of life, and a touch of action at various points. The presented comedy is light and enjoyable for anyone, while the slice of life elements offer a comfortable experience, especially for those who favor this genre. Spy x Family doesn't forget to inject a bit of exciting and humorous action at certain points in the anime. Overall, Spy x Family is a worthy watch, especially for those who enjoy comedy and slice of life. The anime also carries profound meanings for those who can interpret them MCA

Spy x Family is an oddball tonal mashup that blends the action-packed and high-stakes world of spies with a heartwarming, family-friendly comedy. Loid Forger, codename "Twilight" is possibly the greatest spy in the world, and he has just received the most harrowing mission of his life: To make a family. The task requires him to mend the relationship between countries in a cold-war era Europe. To do so, Loid must worm his way into high society and spy on the leader of one political party. To complete his mission, he has to adopt a child and pose as an ideal parent, then enroll her into the same prestigious school as the leader's son, a challenging process alone. He quickly adopts a daughter, Anya, a secretly psychic 6-year-old. Soon after, he marries Yor, a civil servant who was also in the market for a pretend spouse to prevent the secret police from discovering her real identity: an assassin. Each person has their own secret, which gives this found family slice of life a unique twist. Everyone has to hide aspects of their life for happiness, especially parents having to hide dark truths to protect their family. Loid is a spy but poses as a psychiatrist. Anya's a telepath but acts like a normal kid to drive away suspicion. Yor is a civil servant but secretly a blood-thirsty assassin. These alter-egos are not all there is to them, however. Anya is just an innocent kid challenged with abandonment issues which motivate her need to impress her parents. Loid is so self-assured of his espionage abilities that it causes him to make mistakes, revealing there's a normal guy beneath his icy exterior. Even though Yor is a murderer, she possesses a strange sort of moral compass that justifies killing corrupt people in power for the greater good. The unlikely couple grows into the role of loving parents and learns to become better people from one another. It doesn't stand to reason that a veteran master of disguise wouldn't figure out his partner is secretly an assassin, but this anime relies so greatly on suspension of disbelief that it'll collapse if you don't forgive a few leaps in logic. Anya's powers typically work at convenient times, seemingly with no rhyme or reason, because she lacks control of them. It doesn't hold up to criticism but rarely takes itself seriously, so a few hiccups are easy to overlook. It is basically a way to relay information that can't be read through body language, but ultimately the story is told through a third-person omniscient point of view. Her power adds little to the storytelling and is more for keeping Anya in the loop, additionally making her a one-of-a-kind kid. The show doesn't get bogged down in the details of the setting, an ambiguous cold-war-inspired European country during the mid to late 20th century. There's barely any exposition dumping, and I love it for that. Loid's mission and politics are as detailed as the show needs to be because it's so much a spy anime as it is a family comedy with an added psychological twist and infrequent action scenes. An exciting part of spy flicks is spies' gadgets, such as James Bond's grenade pen and dagger shoes. That's not really a thing here. The most we get are secret messages Loid receives from his boss, such as through a microscopic coded letter inside a fake coin. I am tempted to say they underutilized the premise, but I wouldn't go as far as to say the whole spy aspect is simply window dressing on a typical seasonal comedy. It's merely a case of me setting my expectations too high because I fell for the zeitgeist again. The sincere emotional core is what truly makes the show unique. The first half builds the family's relationship to make room for the second arc, minus episode five, an exciting, filler episode that serves no narrative purpose, builds upon nothing and is never referenced afterward. As a comedy, the gags are often hit or miss in my experience, so an episode dedicated to one joke overstays its welcome quickly. Often more humorous than outright funny, where it succeeds the most is the endearing family dynamic and powerful backstories. There's a warm theme of companionship and teamwork at the center of Spy x Family, but what makes it subversive is its emphasis on how classism wrongfully defines people. It's an intriguing theme that gives the narrative some dramatic weight and makes for one of the show's strongest episodes when the family trio interviews to enroll Anya in the hoity-toity grade school. One school administrator targets Anya for being an orphan and judges Yor for her background. The interview brings out some entertaining performances; a comically devilish aristocrat administrator and other over-the-top aristocrats judging the family like they're on American Idol, but it's also a familiar story about superficiality. Most of all, it makes great comedy from an easy target, rude and uptight rich people. The theme continues as Anya experiences classism at the academy from pretentious children, and she retaliates in quite funny ways. Yor and Loid's devastating backstories reinforce this theme and add tons of depth to their interactions. Any critique of classism in the school system is muddled because there are certain aristocrats we're certainly meant to respect (not happening, sorry). While Cloverworks' infamously ugly CGI crowds are still present here, WIT Studio's solid animation makes it worthwhile. To create constant motion in the backgrounds, they shot themselves in the foot with 3D crowds, an issue that extends to every vehicle rendered in eye-popping CGI. Though the background art is solid, it's no match for the visual exhilaration of those fight scenes. I only watched the opening a couple of times because of its gorgeous fusion of colorful eyepopping visuals and energetic editing that is nowhere to be found in the show itself. Watching the opening made me wish the show was half as creatively directed. Expertise in the sound design is what elevated the manga adaptation, every motion has a sound effect finely tuned to give each scene liveliness; an achievement which extends to the well-mixed jazzy original soundtrack. I would recommend Spy x Family to anyone looking for a wholesome slice of life. There's a spy in it, and he certainly does spying, but it takes very little inspiration from the spy fiction genre and uses vague concepts to flavor a perfunctory family-friendly comedy anime. Nevertheless, the action scenes derived from the wacky premise are thrilling; car chases, hand-to-hand combat, and psychological warfare it's there and it's expertly animated. It's not exactly the masterpiece that the zeitgeist would have you believe, but it's a fun time I came away from enjoying.

one of the most overrated anime i have seen Spy x Family is average slice of life anime, not good and not bad. -from the mc and the WTF power and why ? -characters are not interesting and awkward ,adults look like 10 years old kids(mentally). -comedy is not that funny . -no messages at all. -The narrative lacked logic and purpose. -incredibly repetitive -Anya is adorable, that's the reason why they love the show ! -- Just because it’s new and popular, doesn’t mean it’s good. (It applies to other new and popular animes) nowadays we get a lot of overrated animes ,community says masterpieces and they are just good and not that special. Story: 4/10 Animation: 8/10 Characters: 4/10 Sound: 7/10 Entertainment factor (Action: 1/5, Comedy: 2/5): 3/10 Enjoyment: 7/10 Score: 6/10

Everyone in the anime community is acting like this show is the next best thing since sliced bread which I am incredibly devastated to inform you that it is not. I guess a wholesome family relationship is something new for the community cause this was the most average show I've watched that's been this hyped up. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the cute nature of the story and the character's relationships, but ultimately it did not go in depth with any of them and stuck to a normal family fun gag show, leaving me kind of bored while watching. Story: As I've said above, the story did not go in-depth and stuck to it's genre as a family-friendly comedy. As someone who likes character-driven stories and plots I did not enjoy it from a critical perspective. There's nothing else really to critique, as someone who likes to watch more critical shows, this was just not for me. But from an enjoyment perspective, Loid best boy argue with the wall. Animation: It's WIT studio so everything is 11/10. The characters movements felt realistic and the character designs were nicely incorporated from the manga's style. They of course went hard on every single fight scene. As such, the animation for me definitely bough the score up, otherwise it wouldn't be as enjoyable, which is why I gave my overall score an 8, but for this review it's a 7. TLDR: If you want a nice, wholesome, funny, heartwarming watch, go for it - but do not expect any in-depth character arcs.

Spy x Family is an average anime that tries to cover up its lack of identity with a whole lot of polish. For plenty of people, that works. For me, it doesn't. If you're reading reviews, you probably already know the premise by now: A spy, an assassin, and a telepathic child form a fake family, with all of them trying maintain their secret lives while putting on a facade of normalcy with each other and the world. The problem is that it forces the show into a jarring amalgam of genres and tones, sometimes shifting suddenly in the very same episode. Start with the wife struggling with preparing breakfast. Cut to a brutal, bone-crushing interrogation. Cut to childish shenanigans at school. Cut to a bomb threat. Cut to the dad flustered because he can't figure out how to entertain the kid. Spy x Family wants its audience to take it seriously even while it doesn't take itself seriously. Everything is over the top, from a kids' dodgeball game complete with "special power" moves to an assassination attempt where thirty assassins are all trying to take out a single target. Yet we're supposed to be deeply invested in the political climate of two nations in a cold war, all the while chuckling at the ineptness of two professionals who can't understand basic parenting. No matter what you're looking to get out of an anime, you won't get enough of it here. Do you want slice-of-life humor? Gritty intrigue? Flashy action? Oh, you'll get it, eventually - drip-fed little by little while you struggle through the parts that don't interest you. And if you like overlong exposition and more attempts to develop dull side characters than the main cast, you'll certainly get that too. I can see why people like Spy x Family. It's got great visuals, excellent voice actors, and can be quite funny at times. But given all you have to slog through to find the bright points, it's just not worth it to me.

Weird but good but also boring So the first episode was amazing and i loved it, fell off right after tho . I don't like Anya, shes really weird and i dont find the appeal. Loyyd tall handsome strong men, not really that unique of a char to me just kinda meh. Yor hot but god domn the fuckin 'i love blood', 'how should i kill you' edgy af and gets old after the first time she said it. I like the manga more the anime draws thing out to much. Gave it an eight to high but prob will give it a 7 or so later when hype dies down. Mister WD out

To start off, this show has potential. I like loid at the beginning, his action and desire is what captivated me to keep watching the show. However , when Anya came to the show I feel like the writing has become a slow-paced and that is not what I expected at all. I am alright for some family fun here and there but this goes on for like ep3 to the end and it feels very dry to me. Neverthe less, Loid used to be my favourite( he maybe still is to me) but because Anya outshined him in the show, I cannot see the show the same way again. Sorry if this came off like a rant, but my expectation kinda fall short Maybe because I feel like someone should have warned me the pacing suddenly switched from action to slice of life just does not feel consistent to me. I still think this is a very enjoyable show to watch for teens,young adults etc. And I would recommended it if you like slow paced and light hearted anime.

This is one of the most overhyped animes ever. You would think it's a masterpiece, considering how popular it got and how much it has been praised. It's crazy how many people deceived themselves into thinking this anime is good and also tried to deceive others. You could see this everywhere while this show was airing, from Anya memes to girls cosplaying Yoru, it seemed like everywhere people were trying to push it like something great. Personally, I didn't have high expectations about this anime, even with so much hype, since people like to hype so much bad animes, but I didn't think it would be this boring. The story is about a spy Roido who attempts to have a fake family to complete his mission. It just so happens that his fake wife and daughter are an assassin and an esper, respectively. The premise is interesting and could make for a good story, but it doesn't go far since the show is completely focused on the comedy, so it's impossible to take it seriously and care about the plot. That is made pretty clear by the anime from the beginning with absurd scenes such as a character arriving at a party covered in blood and just giving a lame excuse, without it being suspicious. So, knowing the story is not important since its a comedy, like many fans will say, when you try to criticize anything in this anime, we have another problem; it's not even funny. The comedy here is as bad as in a generic harem anime that you may find out there, but since this anime is so wholesome and doesn't have much fanservice, I guess it gets a free pass. Things like an insane oldman who has an obsession with the word "elegant" and using it to describe everything, a character saying they forgot to tell their family about their marriage for 1 year, this is the kind of comedy this show is able to come up with. And of course, Anya's reactions, like her shocked and smug faces, probably the most remarkable part of the anime. Another reason why the comical aspect is not great is because it relies too much on constrast, like Roido being a spy and serious guy while having to participate in childish antics with anya, or Yoru being a ruthless assassin while also being a lovable mother and an airhead. These disparities were funny and cute in the beginning, but it gets old quickly and makes the anime too predictable. You know Roido will do something stupid and careless when he is with Anya, despite being a perfect spy; Yoru will become violent and beat anyone to protect Anya, despite being shy; and Anya will do something to help using her powers, despite being just a clueless child. Those kind of scenes keep happening in different ways throughout the anime and you can see it coming from miles away, it's too obvious. One thing you could argue as a good point is the wholesomeness, since the characters strive to have a happy family despite the circumstances, but the problem is the characters are one-dimensional, so it's hard to care about that. And the scenes when it tries to get emotional feel out of place with so many absurdities happening all the time. All the characters are flat. Anya is a weird kid, she is there to make weird faces and cute reactions, it's good for the memes, I guess, and a lot of people seem to be fond of her, but it was just annoying for me. Yoru is somehow even stupider than Anya and completely oblivious, that's her main trait. Also, she feels like a side character more than a protagonist, even though she appears a lot, since she is so shallow. Her backstory is unclear, even though it's inferred that she started to kill to get money and help her brother, we don't know how she feels about it or why she keeps doing it. Roido is the only good character, he is reasonable, cool and has a backstory, so we can empathize with him to some extent, but he also lacks depth like the others. If the main characters are flat, then there isn't need to mention the side characters, they are even worse. The art was fine, above average but nothing impressive, and the animation looked good in a few action scenes. The opening song is pretty good, but aside from that the OST was forgettable, nothing that will make me get out of my way to listen again. About the sound, the best thing for me was Eguchi voicing Roido, a great performance like always, and he really tried to carry the show there. I have reached the conclusion that this anime is overrated. Watch it if you want to know what people are talking about when they mention it, since it's so popular. For personal enjoyment, I don't recommend it.

Great premise, interesting story, engaging characters... but boring. Spy X Family hops on the 'kawaii protecc' bandwagon that's all the hype these days, with a small girl as main heroine that occasionally makes funny faces. The 'father' and 'mother' are both interesting characters in their own right, albeit a bit cliché at this point. You can forgive them for it though, as they're executed very skillfully. The issue however is the story. The whole gimmick of the girl being able to read minds is quickly pushed to the background and becomes a rather dull occasionally used trope to make Anya (the heroine) attempt to help her father or mother. Don't get me wrong though, the actual story plot is great and interesting.. it's just that the execution of it feels bland to me. There's no character arc or progression or growth whatsoever. This show is a 'slice of life' first and foremost, and it shows. If you enjoy a nice slice of life show that has a very interesting setting and characters and a potentially good story, then this is definitely worth a watch. If however 'slice of life' makes you cringe internally, then give this one a skip. All in all, 6/10. 'mid plus'. As a slice of life it's a 7, but I have to give it a 6 because I was expecting/hoping for more. The potential was there.. but alas, you can't please everybody.

At the start of every broadcast season, the anime community, based on little information, assigns certain shows to the must-watch trophy shelf and others to the guilty pleasure dumpster. This spring, the stylish and beautifully animated comedy 'Spy x Family' claimed a spot on the trophy shelf, understandably enough. The show is not at all bad; in fact, it's quite watchable. It's just not as interesting as it looks: style over substance. The premise and the plot are complicated, but the core dynamic is this: the husband is basically serious, and his wife and daughter are silly; thus, the serious character is forced to deal with the others' silliness. It's a solid foundation for comedy, but I don't think the writers built all that much on it, so viewers will enjoy or endure multiple scenes, even episodes, of essentially surface-level fun: cute, silly, mildly amusing filler. The wife, Yor, the world's dorkiest assassin, is delightful, but the show can't wait to write her out of an episode and give more screen time to a small child. Unfortunately, children make questionable protagonists: they lack maturity and therefore depth, making them, again, merely cute and silly. More Yor, please. It's as if every element of the show, from the stylish look of the characters to the simple structure of the jokes, was designed to be modular fun: you can take it out of context, chop it into short clips, and get a similarly enjoyable experience. On the other hand, this implies that the context, i.e., the plot, isn't adding much. As a result, even touching scenes feel like short, high-quality clips sandwiched by cute-and-silly. 'Spy x Family' is certainly fun. I'd probably watch another season. I just think it needs to be less pleased with itself and add more depth. Look, we get it: you're cute and silly. But we can't eat cotton candy for dinner.

Spy x Family I'm a fan of individual comedies and this anime hit the mark exactly with its tone. This series uses a simple, yet very potential setting of a fake agent family that doesn't want to stand out in public. Through bizarre and amusing exaggerations in their everyday life, many excellent and humorous moments are created. . Where many comedies fail in variety, Spy x Family managed to take a new direction in virtually every episode, even if some character gags became repetitive in the long run. Likewise, the anime includes what I consider to be one of the best humor concepts, "Advantageous Misunderstandings". There is nothing better when all random nonsense happens and yet the characters believe that every action of any character was a calculated move. And this describes the whole plot of Loid in a nutshell. Unfortunately, the first season also had more minor problems. Among other things, the oscillation between "serious and humorous" was not always fluid, making it seem forced from time to time (a popular mistake in Gintama). And then there was the reuse of chewed-over jokes. Although the series is colorful, visually attractive, and has very good pacing, some episodes lost quality from episode 6 on. The jokes had less buildup and more often just referenced already exploited character reactions. Nevertheless, the overall humor level remained above average. Maybe it will happen in the later seasons, but the first season used less potential than I expected. [Story 3] In that sense, it's a delightfully silly satire plot about the East and the West trying to get into a war. Or should I say "Westalia and Ostalia"? As expected, you hardly see any traces of a real plot in this comedy, instead, various orders are used for the approach of new sceneries, which works quite decently. [Characters 5] All the characters are simple and nothing special. The shy assassin Yor, the hyper little Anya, and the cool agent Loid. However, the author has managed to get a lot out of their personalities to create a very balanced humorous mix, with very well-balanced characters. Each contributed in some way to building a new scene and a new joke and reinforcing the punchline. In particular, I must note. Yor was a much better female character than expected, although she certainly seemed boring to me at the beginning. Anya was really like a real child, which makes the whole thing very authentic. And Loid... I wouldn't push that guy out of my bed. I mean, there are the bad cringe badass characters and then there are the good badass characters and ohh woe, Loid is damn good at being badass. [Music 7 / Animations 8] Decent opening, enhanced by a very quickly changing character still making the intro feel very authentic. The outro is relatively nicely done with its own individual style. And the osts are well placed and underscore respective scenes excellently. The animations are absolutely top quality in some parts, but more often fluctuate down to above average depending on the scene and priority. Whereas the fight scenes explode in detail, this disappears in many everyday episodes to a certain extent. [Conclusion 7] It's not the best comedy I've seen, but one I'll never forget because of the individual yet simple setting. I really enjoyed watching it, but the quality often fluctuated, and in some scenes, there was less than could have been done. With a little refinement, this could have been a remarkable top-tier comedy, but who knows what the future holds. Nonetheless, Spy x Family is a series I can recommend to any comedy fan. [Enjoyment 9]