Reservation! This review about SPY x FAMILY Chapter one contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the episode yet, I recommend you watch it and then come back to read the review.
Mission:01 Operation “Strix”
SPY x FAMILY Chapter one begins with an incident between East and West. As a containment measure, the high command uses its best agent “Twilight”. He has just completed a mission and has been entrusted with a new one, he must start a family in less than a week and infiltrate a school where an important official has his son. That’s how Loid meets Anya, an esper who immediately discovers he’s a spy. However, this mission is not easy and soon the first problem arises, Anya is kidnapped. Although he manages to save her, Loid believes it is better to abort the mission altogether and continue on alone. But Anya doesn’t allow it, thus forming the Forger family. The first part of the mission is a success as Anya passes the entrance exam, but a new conflict arises, this family needs a mother.
a new comedy
This new season brings with it the premiere of an anime that has been highly anticipated by many, including myself. This is the animated adaptation of the manga of the same name, SPY x FAMILY by Tatsuya Endō. Which comes from the hand of a collaboration between Wit Studio and CloverWorks. Also, it was announced that it will have the wonderful amount of 25 episodes. This story, classified in the action, comedy and spy fiction genres, has been a hit since its debut in 2019. Now that it has released its premiere on the small screen, it continues on its path to success by positioning itself as one of the most anticipated premieres of the season.
If I had to say where this success lies, I would say it is the freshness of the story. Sure, it’s not a totally original premise, but at the same time it is. It’s a story with a very heavy background, perfectly endowed with comedy, but which doesn’t fail to show us that there’s something bigger behind it. The weight of comedy in this series is absolute while staying within the clichés: a spy out of his comfort zone, a girl in an adult world while still being a girl. Although comedy is the mainstay, the plot is never deferred and its time and context are respected. And that’s another reason to make this story a success. The balance is not broken.
spy x wait
Well, this first episode offers us our first glimpse of the dynamics we’re about to find in this very peculiar family. Well, just having a spy dad isn’t enough, but it was necessary for the young daughter to be an Esper. Situation that brings us a lot of entertainment ahead, because a little girl reading a spy’s elaborate plans might not always work out well, of course. Although Anya is very enchanted by the spies, it’s all from her childish mind, so she can barely understand what Loid is going through.
This is where the balance of comedy comes into play, because if we only understood Loid’s situation, this series could be denser than it lets on. However, with Anya in the equation, the situation changes significantly, and the grand plans to keep the peace become much easier. Add to that the comforting shock that Loid experiences every moment of taking care of the little girl. Well, being the best spy doesn’t include a manual to being a good father. If we add to this that your daughter is an enigma who suddenly seems to be reading your mind but doesn’t understand you, the situation becomes even more complex.
without glory
While comedy is the cherry on top of this series, it’s not without serious themes. Although he doesn’t elaborate, it’s clear that we mustn’t forget that a spy’s job is one of self-sacrifice. It’s a job that doesn’t give you recognition and even leads to the loss of your identity. It’s not a job that anyone can do, only someone with conviction could do it. And so is Twilight, he’s a man who knows the evil that war leaves behind and that’s why he fights for peace. His belief is to create a world where children no longer cry. You’d think that “having a family” would hurt his performance, but I think it’ll only add to his conviction.
Final comment
SPY x FAMILY Chapter one was a perfectly balanced introductory episode of comedy, action, and character introductions. Of course they didn’t tell us everything, but they gave us what we needed to know to get the story going. One point in their favor is that they reveal their formula right away, but they don’t take the excitement of development from there. They tell us that Loid is a spy, but they don’t stop giving him and taking his missions seriously. Introduced as an Esper, Anya follows the path that she’s still a little girl who doesn’t understand what she hears beyond her childhood comprehension.
Before concluding with this review, I must clarify that I am an avid reader of the manga that this series adapts, but I do not intend to make any comparisons. Which, by the way, is unnecessary in this first episode, since it was a more than wonderful adaptation work. The animation was a plus to admire, the clean transition of the color palette, respect for the original work, in short, a beauty. Although the beginning wasn’t there, the ending turned out to be very much to my liking, “Kigeki” by Gen Hoshino is a smooth tune with a good rhythm that goes very well with the slice of life feel that this series sometimes exudes.
As far as the review goes, I’ll leave the usual questions: What do you think of this chapter? Did you like this first episode? Will Anya really be able to help her spy father make peace? What class “mother” will be able to adapt to this couple so outside of the series?
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