Spy x Family Review
By Nic Daniels
Happy fall, audacious readers!
Hope you’re moving into the season with high spirits and cozy sweaters. Last month, we explored rage, life, and all the painful realities in-between with All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir. This month we’re tackling an action-packed manga with Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo.
Known only by his codename, Twilight is a master of disguise and one of the best spies in all of Westalis. He’s able to seamlessly turning himself into whoever he needs to be to extract information from his targets. However, with Westalis in the middle of a Cold War with neighboring country, Ostania, he is charged with his most daunting mission yet: Become a father and husband to get close to an enemy party leader.
Wasting no time, he quickly takes on the moniker Loid Forger before adopting a young orphan named Anya and convincing office worker Yor to play the role of his wife. However, just like Loid, all is not as it seems with these two. Anya is actually a telepath and Yor is an assassin working for the Ostania government. Each has a reason to keep their unorthodox family together but blending in and keeping their secrets from one another is a whole new challenge they never saw coming.
So, I got hooked on this series through the anime first (courtesy of my brother) and hearing the premise I expected a thriller, dramatic vibe. So, you can imagine my surprise when it turned out to be pretty much the opposite. While it’s still action-packed thriller, it’s comedic elements are fantastic. Whether it’s watching Anya try to mindread her way through situations (and the constant reminder that she is indeed 5) or Loid fumbling his way through fatherhood or the contradiction of Yor’s soft-spoken and nervous personality with her deadly fighting skills, the manga knows how to make a very serious situation comical but not trivial.
Even more so, it’s quite a heartfelt series. While Twilight constantly reminds himself that the mission is the priority, I couldn’t help but smile every time he goes out of his way for Anya or decides to trust in Yor. Reading (and watching) them form a family, even if they don’t fully accept it yet, is a nice change of pace from the gritty content I have been consuming.
Also, Yor and Loid are so relatable to the parents I know that constantly worry about making the right decisions for their kids and themselves. Am I being too hard or letting them get away with too much? Am I making enough time for them? How do I help them get through school when they’re struggling? If you’ve ever had any of these questions, they understand. Still, Spy x Family is also a much-needed escape with scenarios so ridiculous, you can’t help but laugh along and enjoy.
What did you think of Spy x Family? What would you do if you got an instant family? Let me know and don’t forget to join the book club IG live, where we will talk about all the things that were too long to put here.
Until next time, don’t forget to read audaciously!
