Read update
- Spy X Family is back, with the second half of the first season airing new episodes each Saturday, and the lives of the Forger family continue to be complicated, as Loid tries to progress with Operation Strix all while dealing with the day-to-day troubles of his fake family.
As one of the best-selling manga of 2021, the Eisner Award-nominated Spy x Family's transition into anime had been hotly anticipated among fans of the Shonen Jump original since its inception.
Old and new fans alike are buzzing about the show's debut, coming together to share their thoughts on the new adaptation on Reddit, where it got over 500 comments in the first hour of the show's release. It's fair to say that Redditors had a lot of opinions about the new spy series, which is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Updated on October 6th, 2022 by Stacie Rook:
Spy X Family is back, with the second half of the first season airing new episodes each Saturday, and the lives of the Forger family continue to be complicated, as Loid tries to progress with Operation Strix all while dealing with the day-to-day troubles of his fake family.
A Unique Anime To Adore
The premise of Spy X Family sees a cool and calculated spy, known as Twilight, build a family in order to complete a mission, not realizing that the daughter and wife he chooses both have their own hidden talents.
Redditor thisperson345 reacted to the first episode positively, appreciating that "the premise is just so unique". Bringing together three individuals who are used to being on their own and having to hide their true selves makes Spy X Family compelling straight away, as each member of the newly-made Forger family has their own motivations and plenty of secrets.
The Perfect Blend
The anime of Spy X Family unsurprisingly reflects the genres of the original manga, fusing tropes of family comedy with spy drama. This is made evident from the show's first few minutes, and continues to play an important role in balancing the tone of the action-comedy anime as a whole.
Redditor WhoiusBarrel, shared their thoughts on this, believing the anime to be "a perfect blend of wholesome, comedy and action". While Loid Forger's ultimate mission in the show is a serious one, the lightness of his day-to-day life with Yor and Anya helps bring comedy to every episode.
One Of The Strongest First Episodes, Ever
With so many outstanding manga and anime series already out there, it can be hard for a series to establish itself among these so-called anime giants. Even so, the first episode of Spy x Family alone was enough to convince fans that the show had already made its mark.
One Reddit user shared their opinion on the debut episode by exclaiming that Spy X Family had one of the "strongest first episodes that I have ever seen in an anime", thanks to the way that it quickly and effectively established its somewhat absurd premise and made it work. The anime quickly jumps into the action, setting up character dynamics and giving viewers an oversight of the world.
Big Expectations
As one of the biggest manga series of the last few years, it comes as no surprise that fans have been itching to see an anime adaptation of Spy X Family for a while. Such big success in the manga world does lead to very high expectations on the anime front, though.
Thankfully, as one Redditor expressed, even their high hopes "were shattered" in the "fantastic adaptation." Such high praise from fans of the manga has likely been because of the anime's faithfulness to its source material, which has seen minimal changes from page to screen.
Unexpectantly Smacks The Audience With Emotions
While Spy X Family is primarily a comedy, it has been noted by fans that the show manages to bring deeper emotions into play alongside the humor, with Redditor Dalamy19 saying that alongside the jokes it manages to "smack you with emotions".
From Loid's plea to make a world where children won't have to cry to Yor's protectiveness over Anya, Spy X Family's most heartwarming moments only serve to deepen its emotional resonance, making the many instances of comedy shine even brighter.
They Perfected Anya
Adaptations in any form can often find it difficult to meet readers' expectations, especially when readers spend so much time with the characters, building up their own ideas about what that character is like. But fans seem to be in agreement that Spy x Family was able to go above and beyond these expectations.
Redditor aohige_rd shared their reaction by noting that the anime's version of Anya "sounds exactly how I imagined reading the pages", and given how central the young telepath is to the anime's success, this was a crucial factor of the adaptation to get right.
Smooth Animation
With not one but two beloved studios at the helm of this anime series, Wit Studio (the original Attack On Titan studio) and CloverWorks (The Promised Neverland and Bunny Girl Senpai), it's no surprise that Spy X Family has received praise for its excellent animation.
Redditor ARealYuriConnoisseur praised this aspect of the series, exclaiming "Why is the animation so smooth?!", a factor that helps enhance any viewer's watching experience. Furthermore, the show's commitment to the little details helps to flesh out its setting, and give fans further insight into its characters.
The Characters Have Great Relationships
As the Forger family is at the heart of Spy X Family, it seems only right that in order for the anime to be a success, the connections between its three protagonists are well-established and developed.
To this point, Redditor TechToTravis stated that they appreciated how the anime showed the dynamic between new father-daughter duo Loid and Anya, with their shared tragic pasts proving "how similar they are to each other in a way.", becoming the foundation for their family. When Yor is later added into the mix, one of the best slice-of-life anime couples is formed, as the new husband and wife team works to build a solid family together, even though their true motivations are obscured from one another.
Deserves Its Success
Since its debuts, both on page and on screen, Spy X Family has become a widely loved title, and for the series' fans, this is absolutely deserved, as it consistently delivers great stories that serve to build on its established premise.
Redditor LeonKevlar summed up this sentiment, saying that "As a manga reader... Studio WIT and CloverWorks absolutely delivered" on the adaptation, bringing to life the best of the manga series while forging a space for itself as an anime title too.
You Won't Be Disappointed
Since the Spy X Family anime debuted, negative comments surrounding the show have been very few and far between, suggesting that has been a great success on all fronts.
For any manga fans or other potential new viewers still hesitant to give the show a chance, though, Reddit user My_neutered_cat had a few words to say, stating that they "jumped in this show because people said it would be great. Glad to know that I’m not disappointed," illustrating that the show is still worth a watch, even for those who know very little about it.