Before I get started, let me make it clear that I am not a manga reader, and I’m completely unfamiliar with this anime. Before today I had never even heard of Spy X Family.
Episode Recap
Now that that’s out of the way, whoa what an opening episode and what an opening scene. This anime starts out so fast. In the first 20 seconds, we see a car careening off of the highway and exploding in a fiery mess. Well damn, hopefully that wasn’t the main character. A few seconds later we pan to some kind of secret meeting. Apparently, that car was carrying some kind of diplomat. That’s also when we’re introduced to the East vs West conflict that seems like it will be the backbone of the show.
Our protagonist is some kind of super-spy for Westalis. He goes by the name “Twighlight.” This guy is good. He manages to steal back damaging toupee photos with a perfect disguise. Have you ever watched Game of thrones? Remember the faceless guy who could blend in anywhere? Yeah, it’s a lot like that. Anyways, a few moments later we see our protagonist’s true appearance. He seems a little young to be a seasoned spy but who knows.
As we continue we start to learn a little bit more about this guy. It seems that he’s chosen the spy lifestyle at the expense of having a family or “Conventional Happiness.” That’s not what being a spy is all about. But hold on a minute, his newest assignment is going to force him into this exact situation. He needs a family in order to fulfill his mission. The only thing is he needs a kid in the next 7 days!
Barring some kind of miracle, it’s impossible to produce a kid in only 7 days. Or is it? Twilight goes to a beaten-down orphanage teeming with kids. Here the kids have difficult pasts and will be easier to use in his mission. Here we also meet an adorable little girl who might be the perfect person to soften our main character’s heart. And there’s a twist: Anya (that little girl) is a telepath. As soon as Twilight walks in she is able to read his every thought. This development will set up a funny dynamic for the rest of the series.
The rest of the episode essentially involves Anya and Twilight interacting. She quickly gets accustomed to calling him chichi. It’s also clear that Anya is fascinated by spies. Maybe a little too fascinated. When Twilight goes out, Anya goes through his things, eventually finding his communication device. But oh no! That message is intercepted by the same people Twilight stole those toupee photos from earlier. They break into their appartment and kidnap Anya. Luckily Twilight is super skilled and easily gets Anya back. The more important thing is this marks a significant bonding moment between Anya and Twilight. Here Twilight decides he can’t give Anya back because she’s had a traumatic childhood just like him. This Spy X Family episode concludes with Anya passing the entrance exam to get into a prestigious private school. This is so important because the child of Twilight’s target is a student at that academy.
Discussion
If you want a lighthearted anime with some cute characters and emotional moments check out Spy X Family. From the first episode it’s clear that Anya and Twilight are made for eachother. Anya needs a safe home and Twilights needs a softer heart. There are sure to be a lot of moments in this anime that make you laugh and also a lot of moments that pull at the heartstrings.