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Spy x Family episode 26 – Happy Wife, Happy Life

Irina

Yay, Spy x Family is back! I think this season I’m going to be focusing on fun shows. Not that I watch unfun anime in general but you know, shows that primarily want to be fun. Not too serious or dramatic just the sort of thing you can enjoy on its own merits. This said I just started watching Tengoku Daimakyo and I love it. It is not so far what I would qualify as a fun show. Spy x Family is!

Even though this is episode 26, meaning that Spy x Familly is treating their run as one continuous narrative without the need of breaking it down into different seasons, this episode felt a lot like a reset or rather recap for those that might have forgotten a bit what the show is all about.

But wait, let me get my thoughts out a bit more chronologically. Let’s start with the OP. The first OP of Spy x Ffamily (and ED for that matter) was my favourite in recent history. I absolutely loved it and would let it play every time I watched a new episode. I personally liked the second one a little less but it was still a great OP, very poignant and thematic and full of really beautiful images. As such, I was really looking forward to seeing what the new intro and outro sequences would be like for this season. I enjoy OPs and EDs as much as the next guy but I rarely am this excited about seeing the new ones in a show. And…

I wasn’t disappointed at all. The OP is more reminiscent of the first one which gets huge points with me. It’s just a ton of fun with a bouncy tune and equally bouncy animation that is perfect for the music and really sets the tone for the episode. As you can see, I kept a couple of screencaps from the OP (something I don’t usually do) just because I enjoyed it so much. I really liked the ED as well although I didn’t have any good screencaps of it. Let’s just say, things started off on the right foot!

As for the episode itself, well I don’t have that much to say.

This was an episode that did exactly what it needed to do if we assume that viewers are watching as it airs and what it needs to do is reaccoint us with the series. It was a bit of a one-off that doesn’t fit into the greater plot and gave all three main characters (sorry Bond) a chance at the spotlight.

Aside from the establishing voice-over that gave us a good and fairly complete summary of the situation, the episode was a great way to really remind us who Loid, Yor, and Anya are as people. What each of their personality is like, what their backgrounds are, and how it has shaped them, and maybe most importantly for the show, what their relationships with each other. I think it worked well on that front. It did it’s job without feeling too repetitive for someone like me who has been reading the manga all along and does not need any sort of refresher.

And the story was cute. Not one of the best and certainly not as fun as what is to come but it was very Spy x Familyish. All the classic tropes of the show were on display. We got to see Loid’s OCD and his resources, his straightforwardness which makes him miss the point even though he’s so efficient. We saw just how carefree Yor can be and how worried she is about fitting into her role as a wife and mother. And if yu’re mee, that reminded you just how endearing she is as a character. I love Yor. And Anya got the chance to get up to some shenanigans and be really cute if somewhat self-serving. I always like Anya’s imagined versions of her parents. They feel like what little kids would really imagine. Stripped of all nuance and all that.

All in all, I had a good time with this episode. No big surprise. And I’m looking forward to the rest of the season!

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