‘Spy x Family’ Episode 12 Review: The Season Finale Takes Anya To The Penguin Park
This is it! Spy x Family reaches the end of its first season, and does with an episode that puts into perspective everything that has happened before this point. The episode really puts the spotlight on everything our characters have been going through, and it has been a lot for sure. Spy x Family, at least for this season, has become the most crucial new anime of the year, so far. Will the series remain in that spot until the end of the year? We’ll have to see, as the new season of Mob Psycho 100 is on the horizon, and the debut of Chainsaw Man is also near.
Wit Studio and Cloverworks have really proven how talented they are as animators this season. The show has had consistent quality from episode one and with this finale, the show just keeps showing that seasonal anime is the way to go. The animators have enough time to properly dedicate themselves to each new scene and episode, instead of rushing to a weekly release date that doesn’t really allow for consistency. We are excited to see how the studios keep working together to improve on the production next season.
This episode titled, “Penguin Park” starts with a sort of recap where we see how Loid has advanced through Operation Strix. The progress seems to be satisfactory for the time being, but Loid is having a personal problem. The agency is not only giving him the lead point on Operation Strix, but also giving Loid almost daily missions that are of vital importance. But this is taking a toll on poor Loid who hasn’t had the time to rest in weeks.
Loid being away from home so much has also given rise to wild rumors. The rumors say that he is having an affair behind Yor’s back, or that he lost his job but didn’t have the courage to admit it to his family, etc. This is dangerous, a spy must not stand out, so in order to keep the appearance of a normal family, Loid proposes a hang-out at the local aquarium. He can take this as a day off while taking care of his fake family. It all seems well.
However, as expected, not everything goes well for Loid, and he gets trapped in another mission while in the aquarium. One that involves procuring some secret plans from a terrorist organization. The sequence is short-lived, but it really proves just how amazing Loid is as a spy, his knowledge, and perception of everything around him are almost supernatural. Anya, who actually has supernatural powers, as she is able to read minds, keeps learning from him at every step.
When Loid’s mission is finished thanks to the intervention of Anya’s mind-reading powers, and Yor’s deadly abilities. It really shows that if the family someday manages to learn about each other secrets, they could potentially become one of the most powerful entities inside this universe. At some point in the future, we will be able to watch them work as a team, that is for sure, but this one section of the episode was a good tease of it.
This last episode also teases the non-peculiar fact that Anya not only knows who her parents really are, a master spy and a master assassin, but that she also has an attitude toward working as a spy. She is also developing her powers with the passing of time. Here, Loid needs to find a very precise subject from among a crowd, and Anya is able to track that individual with the use of her powers and help her father with this mission. It is a small moment, but one that will lead to further improvements in Anya’s powers.
If there is someone who definitely needs more development as a character, it is Yor. She has been mostly on the sides for most of the season, except for when Yuri, her younger brother, came to visit her. For the rest of the season, she has only served a supporting role to Anya’s and Loid’s lead roles. It is a shame, there is a lot that could be done with the character besides being a running joke. Let’s hope next season she can have more to do.
This episode also doesn’t continue the tease at the end of episode 11, where the family decides they can get a dog. A new important character was teased at the end of that episode, but the season ends without us even knowing more about it. It feels like somewhat of a missing opportunity, or maybe a way in which the manga structure doesn’t really work well with that of the anime. Next season is coming in October, so there is no rush. Nevertheless, it would have been cool to see the beginning of that arc.
Spy x Family is a fantastic anime, one filled with humor, action, and a lot of heart. We won’t have to wait a lot to see the next bunch of episodes, but there is no doubt the show is already a phenomenon, and the audience will eagerly wait for more adventures with our favorite fictional family. October comes soon.
