SPY x FAMILY
a review by theJokerEvoker
a review by theJokerEvoker
(Minor spoilers ahead)
Yes. For once, an anime that might actually be fun for the whole family.
Synopsis
The setting is definitely-not-West-and-East-Germany during definitely-not-the-Cold-War. To get information on a high-ranking bureaucrat as part of a mission, the top spy “Twilight” from definitely-not-West-Germany, Westalis, is tasked with forming a family to get close to his target in definitely-not-East-Germany, Ostania. Unbeknownst to Twilight, his adopted daughter and fake newlywed wife are a mind-reading psychic and a professional assassin respectively. Thus begins a series of comedic family hijinks while the world hangs in the balance.
Story: 9/10
As a family slice of life comedy with spy action mixed in, Spy x Family does what it sets out to do admirably. There’s just something magical about taking fun family antics and school life and combining it with espionage, mind-reading, assassinations, double identities, wars—all with a lighthearted tone and a dash of ridiculousness (looking at you, Mr. jacked “6-year-old”), even in the ever so slightly more serious moments. I suppose you could nitpick a respectable number of things in the plot in the name of “plot holes,” but across its varied story beats, the show consistently provides good fun: what more could you really ask for?
Characters: 7/10
Enjoyment of this show hinges almost entirely on Anya: if you like her, you’ll like the show. If you don’t, you’ll probably drop it. While I’m not much of a fan of annoying little kids, something about Anya is just endearing. She’s written in a way that appeals to natural parenthood instincts while also remaining the source of much of the show’s comedy, which, combined with her feeling and acting like a real child even considering her supernatural abilities—devilish trickery and superb idiocy both—effectively serves the purpose of the show.
Aside from Anya, Loid and Yor are also likeable and effective as the two other primary characters. Loid is to the spy side of the show what Anya is to the family side—he is the linchpin for the spy plot, and for what he is, he does his job of being a badass spy and hilarious dad well. On the flip side, Yor doesn’t get a whole lot, which is odd considering how much the internet was fawning over her. Her appeal is obvious, and as the slightly dumb comedic character, she completes the heart-warming dynamic of the family despite being rather simplistic. In fact, as a whole, the main trio is pretty simple and straightforward, doing exactly what the show needs them to. There isn’t anything that really goes past the second, secret layer of each character’s identity, but I don’t think there needs to be. I wasn’t super impressed with the slightly corny flashback characterizations, but at least there weren’t too many. A few characters were also pretty trope-y at times, but for the most part they had enough charm to add to the show in a positive way.
Visuals: 9/10
While the anime’s style itself isn’t out-of-the-park unique, the quality is there—I can really only recall with my untrained eye one or two moments with genuinely bad animation, and I’m pretty sure they were CGI crowds. Otherwise, Wit and CloverWorks did an excellent job, with many more fantastically animated scenes, smooth transitions, and overall good choreography. Great visual comedy as well, of which a whole subsection is legitimately just Anya’s reaction faces. And although I usually don’t mention it too often as a point for or against a show, I think the visuals of the OP and ED for Spy x Family are worth bringing up here, as they’ve got some gorgeous style and animation.
Audio: 10/10
Definitely wanted to point out, first of all, the wonderful voice acting, courtesy of the main trio of Eguchi Takuya, Hayami Saori, and Tanezaki Atsumi, though the rest of the cast was awesome as well. (I am a tad biased, the first two are two of my favorite VAs.)
As for the music, I can’t really say anything other than that it’s wonderful. Not only does the music always seamlessly fit with the situation at hand, but just like the comedically wide range of story beats, the music spans many interesting varieties as well, which I can’t help but appreciate. I went back quickly through several episodes that I remembered had cool musical moments and I came away with some exemplar stuff:
- Great sound effect moment in it as well, with Anya’s sad face causing a drop in the music that builds back up
I praise a lot of shows for having simple but effective music, often composed of a piano and a few other instruments, but Spy x Family’s really ups it a notch with its variety and quality. Pair that with some fantastic comedic and dramatic sound design, and you’ve got a winner.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I came into this anime expecting good fun and not taking it too seriously, and what I got was exactly that. The show doesn’t miss many beats, and although I often laugh at stupid things, I genuinely did enjoy the comedy this show provided from start to finish. If you’re willing to kick back, relax, and indulge in a fictional family’s fun frolics, I think it’s a rare type where almost anyone can have fun with it—I could see myself liking this show as a kid, teenager, and even adult, which is a valuable trait to have. Is it a masterpiece? No, but who cares. Would I watch it again? Probably not, my time is limited. Was it worth the hype? Sure. Did I enjoy all 4.8 hours that I spent with it? Absolutely.
####Feel free to message me with any feedback you might have, or if you’d like to agree or disagree. I’m always open to a good discussion.
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