I used to say that this is one of those rare times where I am a manga reader first and an anime watcher second; however, these days, these instances are becoming less and less rare. As my manga collection grows, the chances of a series I’m reading getting an anime increases and this is one of those cases. Spy x Family had an interesting premise so I picked up the manga and fell in love with it. I was ecstatic when I saw that it was getting a TV anime. Because as such, I’m sure you already know the answer to the Worth Watching? Section but… often times anime adaptations take some liberties. Does Spy x Family stay faithful enough to keep its quality high?
Let’s Go!
First Episode Synopsis
Twilight is the world’s greatest spy. After snagging some top-secret photos that expose a high-ranking official of wearing a toupee… he is called onto a brand-new mission called Operation Strix. In this mission, he is to be married with a child so that he can enroll them into Eden Academy. Eden is a high-class upper echelon school but why this school in particular?
Well, tensions are amassing between two nations and war is imminent. A government official named Donovan Desmond rarely makes public appearances but often does at social gatherings held at the school where his son Damien attends. So, Twilight (as his new moniker Loid Forger) must infiltrate the school, get close to Donovan, and gain any intel that he can in order to diffuse a possible war.
Since he needs a family, he goes to the shadiest orphanage where the owner is just chomping at the bit to get rid of this girl named Anya. Anya is a telepath and can read minds and because as such, she has been adopted and returned three times! Loid mistakes her for a girl a superior intelligence and takes her; however, he soon realizes that she’s not suitable for the mission and is, too, thinking about returning her… that is… until Anya reads his mind and learns that he is a spy and since her favorite TV show is about spies, she sneaks around and finds all of Twilight’s stuff… including a transmission device.
Anya sends a morse code message which it is intercepted by some of Twilight’s enemies. They storm the apartment, kidnap Anya, and try and lay down a trap for Twilight. After rescuing her, he tries to send her to a police box in an effort to ditch her but she ends up coming back and Twilight has no choice but to take her back home. Realizing he’s stuck with Anya,
Anya, after memorizing all of the answers to Eden’s entrance exam thanks to Twilight getting them through his information network, passes the first round. The second round requires an in-person meeting between Anya, the school, and both of her parents. Twilight suddenly realizes, he needs a wife!
Worth Watching?
YES – The manga is fantastic and the anime does a great job adapting the source material. After the first episode, I’m sure that this series is going to get the attention that it deserves. Twilight’s voice is a bit lower than I imagined it being but Anya’s is spot on! They also did a good job of handling some of Anya’s famous facial reactions, too which is a staple of the manga!
If you couldn’t tell from the first episode, Anya is going to be the star of this show. She seriously makes every scene she’s in worth watching whether it’s her antics, cuteness, or reactions!
I don’t really think there is much more that I can say but this should be on your must-watch list for this season. This was one of the better comedy mangas I have read and the anime is looking to keep all of that intact!
