Spy x Family episode 13 – Family Pet

And we are back Spy Fam!… sorry about that. I’ll never do it again. I just got excited. And why wouldn’t I? I love Spy x Family. I’m up to date on the manga and I know for a fact, it just keeps getting better! But personally, I like the anime best so I have been looking forward to this and I have to say, it’s like we never left.

One of the reasons I like the anime so much is that Clover Works has been doing a really good job on the production. Spy x Family is a good-looking show with stylish set designs and fantastic colour palettes. I think one of the production flourishes most people tend to pay attention to is the OP and EDs and I would like to take a minute to talk about the new ones.

Let me first get this out of the way. I adored both the OP and ED of the first cour. In fact, the OP is in my Top 10 of all time. I found it sensational and I thoroughly enjoyed the ED as well. I suspected they would be changed for the second cour, that’s how shows usually go about it so I was curious to see what they would come up with and it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

I still like the first OP best, like I said I adore that sequence and I really think it was more fun that the new OP. But man, this new OP is beautiful:

That’s just a few random pictures I got. Every frame is a painting in this OP. Even someone like me, who had a huge attachment to the last one, couldn’t help but gawk at just how pretty the images flickering on the screen were. And the way they told the story of the Forger family was so fitting.

As for the ED, I will have to take another look next week but I think I might like it better. Like last time, it’s essentially just one mise en scene of the family getting along together but I found that seeing them preparing a meal with each other was just deeply endearing. I only got a few caps but again, every frame was great! Full disclosure, I haven’t eaten yet today and that food looked pretty tasty. That might also play in this ED’s favour. I’m joking, it’s great. And how it’s bookended by each of them opening the door and going from their rough “day jobs” to their comfy family life and then back again was the cherry on top.

If I had never seen the show and I happen to randomly see either this P or ED, I would instantly want to know what anime it’s from and where I could watch it. They’re good.

Are you starting to wonder if I’m ever going to talk about the episode? I’m wondering that a little myself!

Here’s my tagline. Anya was already a force to be reckoned with but Anya + Bond are downright unstoppable!

I’m trying not o talk about what happens next, and I’m finding it a little difficult. This part of the story is both my favourite and my least favourite. Even seeing it for a second time, I worry a lot about the dogs. It’s an uncomfortable idea to think all of them will be used for Kamikaze and it makes me sad every time. And of course, I instantly empathize with Bond. What I particularly like about him is that he’s a dog.

Let me explain that. Bond isn’t one of those unexplained dogs that act like people. He’s not Snoopy or Brian from Family Guy. He’s a dog and acts and thinks like a dog. A smart dog that happens to be able to see flashes of the future, but still a dog. Isn’t that great? It makes his power so unreliable. A bit like Anya but even worse. It’s one way that Spy x Family manages to keep the balance or else the Forgers would rule the world by now. But one’s a dog, one is a tiny child, one is naive to a fault and not great with booze and the other is tied down by rules and now, a family!

I’m not going to go too much into it. Episode 13 was mostly a setup for the action to come and a brief introduction to bond. We also did get a quick recap at the beginning. And I’m afraid that if I start delving into all the little details, I’ll inadvertently spoil something. So instead, I’m going to talk about myself. More specifically about how I particularly love a specific pane from the Spy x Family manga. I’m not sure if I used it before. In any case, it’s this one. Look at how amazing this composition is:

Even without context or dialogue, you know pretty much instantly what’s going on here. And you feel really bad for that guy! I have been waiting to see this animated for months. And I was not disappointed:

I really liked how that guy ricocheted off the walls a few seconds after the end of my gif. It was very satisfying. People really have to learn to stop messing with Yor’s family. At least it’s a mistake no one makes twice.

So here we have it, the grand return of Spy x Family. I loved it. It felt like no time had passed at all and I’m right back into the swing of things. How about you guys? Did you manage to get into the Spy x Family groove again? Did you enjoy this first episode? Are you looking forward to the adventures of Starlight Anya and her trusted steed Bond? I know I am.

Previous Posts

• Spy x Family episode 1 – Family Man
• Spy x Family episode 2 – Found Family
• Spy x Family episode 3 – Family Ooting
• Spy x Family episode 4 – The Elegant Family
• Spy x Family episode 5 – Meet the Loidman Family
• Spy x Family episode 6 – Like Mother, Like Daughter
• Spy x Family episode 7 – Extended Family
• Spy x Family episode 8 – Family-In-Law
• Spy x Family episode 9 – Briar Family Issues
• Spy x Family episode 10 – Dodgeball Lessons with Mom
• Spy x Family episode 11 – Family Pride
• Spy x Family episode 12 – Family Finale