Another week, and another episode of Spy x Family. The show is not only getting better as Operation Strix gets further and further into the no turn back territory, but the show is also getting more and more popular. It is easy to enter any social media, be it Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram and see all these fantastic fan arts, memes, GIFs and stickers of the show and its characters.
Wit Studio might have their biggest success of the year in their hands, and it isn’t luck or timing, it is the quality of the animation and the writing that are making people fall in love with these characters. Let the mass marketing campaign begin, in the next couple of months you will see tons of merchandising invading all the stores near you.
In this week’s episode, the family finds out if Anya was accepted in the Eden Academy. Last week’s interview didn’t go well at all. But the family didn’t lose hope after they realized that the other two teachers that were part of the interview weren’t bad people at all. There was still hope, for sure. So the episode opens with the family walking towards the Academy to see the results. On the road they find tons of bad omens, from crossing a black cat, to Anya stepping on poop. They are still confident after all of this.
However, when they arrive at the site, Anya doesn’t appear on the list of new students. Anya has been rejected. Actually, the whole family has been rejected and depression fills their hearts completely. Anya says she’s sorry she takes all the responsibility, but her parents calm her down. Twilight fears that this could be his first failed mission. It is at that moment that they are called to the side by Housemaster Henry Henderson.
The teacher informs them of the aftermath of the interview. He thanks Loid for saving Mr. Swan’s life, as mosquitos are the number one killing entity on the planet, according to him. He says that after a lot of debate, Anya has been put on top of the waiting list. So the family must wait for someone to forfeit their place at the school for Anya to get in. What happens if no one leaves an open space? Yor imagines herself killing so that Anya can’t get in. She has true motherly instincts.
Henderson also informs them that because he hit Mr. Swam, he might not be working there anymore. The family goes home to wait for the call, and when it comes they celebrate. Phase one of the mission is a success. Anya is in the school. Loid’s friend Franky appears and suggests giving Anya a reward for getting in. Anya wants the family to reenact the experience of watching her favorite spy show live. Loid agrees to do it as they have dinner. There, Yor show, she can hold her alcohol very well.
Franky says they must go tonight and rents a nearby castle to be the scenery for the reenactment. Anya is happy at first, but how can there be action sequences if there aren’t any villains. She’s disappointed. In order to correct this, Loid calls for reinforcements, and all nearby agents are requested to gather at the castle.
As the castle fills up with agents, we start by seeing how much respect inspires Twilight in all other agents, he really is the best and everybody knows it. They all agree to take part in the role playing and dress as thugs and more. Their job will be to fight Twilight as he tries to rescue Anya from Franky, who has taken the role of the villain.
What follows is a number of great action sequences where Twilight shows how he is basically on another level in contrast to every single other agent. They can stop him or even touch him. Studio Wit goes wild with the animation in this extended sequence. The animation is full movie quality, and it looks amazing.
Twilight manages to beat everybody else, and comes face to face with a drunk Yor, who starts attacking him. There we realize that even when drunk Yor is an excellent fighter, if she was sober, she might be even better than Loid. She’s a prodigy assassin, no doubt about it. The fight looks amazing, although at this point Loid should be suspicious of his wife having such powerful control over her body and at being such a good fighter. It is obvious she isn’t a normal person.
Yor is so drunk she falls to sleep. However, Loid must do the hardest part yet, and he starts getting into the role playing aspect of the situation. This makes Anya so happy that she breaks characters and calls Loid father while crying. Later, Loid sends the bill to his home, and he isn’t happy at all. All for the sake of the mission, though.
The episode was just an incredible spectacle when it comes to the animation. Studio With is killing it. The episode also builds the family connection a lot more. It is clear that both Loid and Yor are willing to do anything in order to make Anya happy. It makes for some funny and heartwarming situations. However, now that phase one is complete, new obstacles will appear on the way. We can only hope that the family is able to overcome them together, as they are supposed to do.
Next week, Anya finally begins school and the next phase of the mission begins. Will Anya be able to make friends?
