Only a handful of episodes in and Spy x Family has already proven itself to be a captivating, hilarious, and heartwarming experience, where clean-cut and beautiful art combines with clever dialogue and storytelling to create a show that has, so far, been a joy to watch through and through.
If you are looking for a new anime that isn’t afraid to get funny, even in the midst of political intrigue and deadly street fights, you’ve come to the right place. Based off the manga of the same name by Tatsuya Endo, Spy x Family follows the story of a spy, Loid, codenamed Twilight (Takuya Eguchi, Alex Organ), as he undergoes a mission to gather information on his next target. In order to do so, he must create a fake family of his own and infiltrate the private school that his target’s child attends. Already a tough job, considering he only has a week to do so in order to make the enrollment time for the schoo. Things become more complicated when the child he ends up adopting, Anya (Atsumi Tanezaki, Megan Shipman), turns out to be a mind-reading telepath and the woman he marries, Yor (Saori Hayami, Natalie Van Sistine), turns out to be the professional assassin, Thorn Princess — all unbeknownst to Twilight, of course. As each member of this new family attempts to keep their identity a secret, with only Anya knowing the true natures of her new parents, their quirky lifestyle and growing affections toward each other help to balance out the show’s more dramatic and serious sequences, acting as the backbone of the entire show.
From the beginning of the first episode, Spy x Family takes itself seriously when it comes to its art and animation and isn’t shy about showing off. Noteworthy facial expressions and a sort of snapshot style of sequencing, which is used for more lighthearted flashback scenes, integrate well into the more "slice of life" parts of the show, enhancing Loid’s deadpan deliveries, Yor’s awkward nature, and Anya’s childish mishaps. Moreover, while the show most definitely has a plethora of comedic moments, it also understands that its more dramatic and action based-scenes are just as important (it is a show about spies and assassins, after all), and the care and work that goes into these sequences is evident in the final product.
Produced by Wit Studio and CloverWorks, which you may also know from their other projects, such as Attack on Titan, Ranking of Kings, and the final season of Fairy Tail, Spy x Family showcases a clean and polished art style in its calmer moments that then becomes looser in more action-heavy scenes, leading to a more fluid and dynamic animation that pairs well with some of the crazier stunts the characters show off. From taking down thugs with their groceries to throwing hand grenades down alleyways, the characters in Spy x Family like to remind the audience that the "lovely family" facade is just that — a mask they all wear while hiding their true identities and intentions.
Admittedly, it's sometimes easy to forget that during the more lighthearted moments of the show. Despite the characters constantly reminding themselves of their actual lives and professions outside their pretend identities, it is difficult not to fall in love with the little family unit that they create together. If you’re someone who likes "found family" stories, then Spy x Family is the anime for you, even if it is less of a story about a "found family" and more of a story about a "pretend family that maybe gets a bit too real."
Between Twilight’s/Loid's serious demeanor, Yor’s caring but clumsy nature, and Anya’s excitement over the professions of her new parents, the three are a perfect recipe for heartwarming comedy. Anya, overall, steals the show with her combination of knowledge through her powers and childlike wonder over the entire situation; her facial expressions, in particular, never fail to brighten the scene. Above all, however, it is Anya’s fear of abandonment and her determination to remain with her newfound family that sits at the core of this show. As a viewer, one cannot help but sympathize with Anya and hope, alongside her, that this family will last. As Loid and Yor also navigate the new life they have created for themselves, their own pasts are reflected in Anya’s, and the histories of all three main characters slowly begin to draw them closer together, whether they're aware of it or not.
Throughout all of the crazy comedy, intrigue, and spy antics, the writing of Spy x Family also shines bright. Alongside dialogue that feels natural despite the characters’ constant lying and slip-ups, the most noticeable aspect of the show’s script is the inner dialogue of the characters. Fans of anime will be very familiar with the age-old trope of having characters spell out the story in their heads, instead of giving the audience a chance to figure it out for themselves. Spy x Family, however, gets away with it through the use of Anya’s telepathy, and does so brilliantly. Rather than the characters’ inner monologues feeling forced or unneeded, they instead become a source of comedy when paired with Anya’s mind-reading abilities and intense desire to please. Her constant shifting of moods and actions based off of the thoughts of her parents takes away from any sort of over-telling that any other anime would suffer from, and the over-thinking on the parts of both Loid and Yor feels appropriate, considering their respective professions as a spy and an assassin.
Overall, Spy x Family is the perfect balance of a light-hearted and touching family comedy combined with an action-filled spy drama. As much as you want these characters to succeed in their missions, especially when their motivations include things like "making sure the world becomes a better place for children," you also cannot help but hope that things go wrong, if only so this little family can stick together a bit longer.
New episodes of Spy x Family air every Saturday on Hulu and are also available to stream on Crunchyroll.