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Although series like Jujutsu Kaisen and Dandadan have taken the world by storm, Spy X Family is the series I consistently come back to time and time again. Although it technically falls under the shonen genre too, just like these other titles, Spy X Family is no average shonen, and differs so drastically that most people do not even realize it is a shonen at all.
The blend of humor, action, and slice-of-life in Spy X Family is perfectly balanced, making the viewing experience as heart-racing as it is entertaining. Where other series can get too dark and depressing at times, Spy x Family tempers its serious scenes with family fun, romance, and laughter, placing it in a category of its own that I cannot get enough of.
Spy X Family Has Struck the Difficult Balance Between Action and Heart
Although the Series Is Set In a Cold War, Slice-Of-Life Scenes Help Offset More Dramatic Plot Points
Following an adorable family of a father, mother, daughter, and dog, Spy X Family’s Forgers seem like any average family on the surface, but they are far from it. There is more than meets the eye when it comes to the Forgers: Loid is a world-renowned spy, Yor is an assassin, Anya reads minds, and even the family pet, Bond, can predict the future. The Forgers go on family outings, trips, adventures, and live their daily lives in harmony, all while keeping their respective secrets under wraps from everyone else in the family, or else risk jeopardizing everything they have built together.
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When I first started Spy X Family, I was expecting it to either be an action drama or a cozy slice-of-life series, but I certainly was not expecting it to be a genre-bending mixture of both. Bouncing between Loid’s deadly spy missions in one moment and fun-filled family bonding experiences in the next, the stakes of Spy X Family are always sky-high, but it does not always feel that way, because of the masterful use of lighter scenes to offset the more dangerous, gruesome side of Loid’s career as a spy fighting to secure world peace in the midst of a cold war.
The Series Changed My Understanding of What a Shonen Could Be, Since It Differs From Others in the Genre
Spy X Family Is the Happiest Shonen I Have Ever Watched, but Still Tackles Serious Topics Like Death
Discovering that Spy X Family is a shonen astonished me, and even Tatsuya Endo, the mangaka, stated in an interview that the series was never intended to be purely a comedy. In Endo’s own words, “the existence of a harsh reality is what makes a peaceful everyday life possible,” which summarizes the core of Spy X Family’s plot perfectly. Loid’s entire reason for pursuing his spy work is to keep humanity, particularly innocent children, safe from the darker parts of life, but in the process, the series does not shy away from showing the deaths, injuries, and heartbreaks that occur along the way.
Spy X Family’s colorful, pastel style of animation, cheery soundtrack, and family interactions that remind me of my own joyous childhood memories drew me in, in a time when most of the other animes I was regularly watching were set during bloody wars and included copious amounts of death. Anya is responsible for much of the comic relief in the series, with her childlike wit and curiosity that allows viewers to experience the world through her inquisitive eyes. Although the Forgers’ lives have been endangered many times, I still find myself laughing at the humor they bring, even sometimes during those serious situations.
Spy X Family is a Love Story, Family Drama, and Spy Thriller All at Once, Unexpectedly Melding Genres
I Never Know What To Expect From Spy X Family, Since It Includes Romance, Humor, and Action, Often All in the Same Episode
For any other series, trying to mix multiple genres may make the plot feel muddled, but in Spy X Family, romance, family, and action all fit cohesively into the story. If Loid’s spy mission fails, there will be hefty consequences, not just for himself, but the world at large. And still, watching Anya study for classes, Yor teaching Anya to play sports, or the family visiting the aquarium, minimizes the gravity of the situation, even if just temporarily. In later manga chapters, Spy X Family does become a lot more serious, as Operation Strix becomes even more complicated, but it never loses that lighthearted touch.
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What makes Spy X Family so heartwarming and soothing for me, despite the more serious moments, is the Forger family themselves, and the relationships they develop between one another. Although their situation started as a forced dynamic designed for everyone’s benefit, their genuine attachments to each other are clear. They may refuse to recognize it, but Yor and Loid add romance to the story, evident in their increased flirtation as the series continues and Yor’s jealousy. Both Yor and Loid care for Anya more deeply than even they realize, willing to risk their own lives to protect her.
Spy X Family Offers a Realistic Portrayal of Life, Something Few Series Have Accomplished
Tatsuya Endo Committed Himself To Creating a Series That Reflected the Human Experience Accurately
As Endo stated in that earlier interview, “harsh reality” is a necessity for “peaceful everyday life,” and I love how Spy X Family portrays both in equal measure. This sentiment makes the series feel so realistic, because it does not portray a perfect world with no pain, but it also is not all doom and gloom either. Sometimes, I am in the mood to watch a dramatic, depressing shonen like Attack on Titan, but after a long, stressful day, the silly escapades of Anya and her family are just what I need to unwind, and that is why I rewatch Spy X Family often.
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If Spy X Family was all slice-of-life, it would be too idealistic, but if it was completely somber, it would be a lot more saddening. The series is in a league of its own when compared to other shonens, because it has it all: a dramatic, high-stakes spy plot to get emotionally invested in, a slow-burn romance between two individuals who met purely by circumstance, and an adorable found family that grows closer by the day. I would recommend Spy X Family to anyone, because whether you enjoy drama, romance, action, or thrillers, it balances every one of these elements in a way no other series can.
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