There are a lot of good things in Spy x Family. Naturally there’s the “spy” part, complete with wacky action scenes, a combination of smooth badassery and beyond farcical comedy, and a bevy of amusing Bond references. There’s also the “family” part, complete with equal parts of drama, heart-warming slice-of-life, and comedy. There are very pretty-looking character designs if that’s your thing, and there are vomit-inducingly cute designs, too, if that’s more up your alley. A lot of the animation is very good, and if you like jazz, the score is an absolute banger. The premise itself promises lots of tension and hilarity, and the characters are all cleverly set up to be perfect foils to each other. For twelve episodes, the show is packed with a lot of things, to the point that I suspect any watcher could walk away with at least ONE thing they liked about it.
Yet, while I find plenty of things to like about Spy x Family, I also find few things to love about it. This, I think, is mostly due to the premise. Spy x Family’s story promises grand amounts of tension because of inherent temporality. How long until the war breaks out? When is everyone going to find out about each other’s true identities? Not for a very, VERY long time is what it feels like. This undermines the story’s tension, because the drama seems like it’s light years away and not getting any closer. It also undermines the characters. Yes, it’s fun to see Loid and Yor interact with each other, but am I really supposed to believe that one of the world’s top spies can’t figure out his own wife is an assassin, even when it’s obvious she doesn’t have a standard skillset? And am I really supposed to believe that Yor can’t think about anything except how to be a “normal” wife or mother? There are two things happening here: the characters become one-note because they are only faced with the same stimuli over and over again, and the characters become inconsistent within the world’s logic (Loid immediately figuring out Yor’s brother while still never being able to figure out Yor herself comes to mind). And these things are fine, especially if you can just sit and laugh at the admittedly funny moments, but personally, they prevent me from truly loving what’s happening on the screen.
Another thing for me is that I don’t like Anya. I know this will get me crucified by the community, but I only find her compelling about 20% of the time. Yes, she’s cute, and yes, her psychic powers are the source of a lot of the comedy, but her behaviors make me question the story’s internal logic more than I’d like to. Why can’t she throw a ball but CAN slap a kid her size off their feet into a wall? Why can’t she be in crowds except when she’s in school or at the super crowded aquarium? Why can’t Loid figure out there’s something veeery supernatural about his daughter? (Maybe I have too much faith in Loid.)
As a non-manga reader, my biggest concern is that come the second season, the status quo will continue and these problems will just get worse. The characters and internal world logic will remain inconsistent, and the promise of everything falling apart when the cat finally escapes the bag will feel further away than ever. But, that’s okay—it just means the show is better enjoyed when you turn off your brain and stop questioning things. Spy x Family definitely has some great moments, and it also presents a refreshing combination of tropes. Also, there’s not a single teenage character in sight! That makes for a refreshing change of pace.
Watch Spy x Family if you want to spend some time turning off your brain while laughing at a screen. Just… don’t think too hard about it. It’s better enjoyed that way.
