Source: Crunchyroll
Overall Score 8.5/10
Story 9/10
What if the World’s greatest spy had to throw a group together, so he could pose as an ordinary family man? You get Spy x Family.
The main character is a spy, codenamed Twilight. He’s a spy after James Bond’s heart. He easily discards relations, much the same way he would his clothes when it comes to the mission. The key word is mission. That’s all he seems to care about as the curtain opens on this story.
He’s described as a man of “a hundred faces.” And he would have to be with this job. He’s living his best life as a spy until he gets this one assignment that complicates things. This one isn’t a solo mission. Enter Anya, a spunky, precocious little girl with a special ability tailor-made for the spy business.
The story is a blend of comedy, action and forced familial interactions. Great pacing allows for the viewer to get a lot out of the story in twenty minutes. So the audience isn’t cheated. It's never a plus to have five minutes of recap when there are only twenty minutes to tell a story. Of course this is the first episode. So we'll see how this plays out in the future.
Character 9/10
I love fish out of water stories. What’s so interesting about this one is it’s about a spy. Spies are trained to be chameleons who are versatile and fluid in any situation. Their versatility is a necessity that could mean the difference between life and death. Twilight is very good at his job. But it’s refreshing to find that a character like him can be placed in a situation that he’s unfamiliar with, which makes him look and feel inept.
I loved the chemistry between Anya and Twilight. One of the strong suits of this show will be its characters and their interplay with one another. The main characters have a great deal of depth and are well-rounded. For all of Twilight's strengths as a spy, he’s flawed as a father. That makes perfect sense. He’s never had children before. And Anya will be the glue of this faux family if I had to make a guess. But even with her emotional intellect and special abilities, she has abandonment issues. The character arcs alone will keep people coming back for more.
7.5/10 Animation
The aesthetic makes me think of Lupin III somehow. But it has the cleanness and realistic style of Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. It’s almost like their art styles got together and had a baby. Although some characters were drawn in an exaggerated manner, it didn’t distract from the story.
Final Thoughts
The premise for the show seems like a fresh spin on the fish out of water story. It’s certainly a new spin on the spy genre in anime. The story has great pacing, a nice blend of comedy and action with lovable characters. Spy x Family is off to a good start. But much like golf, it’s all about the follow-through. Time will tell if this show lives up to its true potential. I know I’ll be rooting for it.