Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re gonna be hopping back over to Spy x Family and checking in on those wacky Forgers, because goddamnit, I’m in the mood for a cheerful and very silly time. Our last sojourn was classic Spy x Family all over, as Anya waged war for The Cookies That Make You Smarter while Yor assisted in a preposterous cat-hunting expedition. Not exactly the most revelatory adventures, but nonetheless vintage Spy x Family, making innovative use of Anya’s telepathy and Yor’s agility to add a flourish of insanity to their everyday lives.
As for what’s to come, it appears we’re now in for a Yor-focused multi-episode arc of some kind, which sounds perfect to me. Yor has always been the weakest link in Spy x Family’s main cast, due primarily to two main factors. First, she lacks the multifaceted motivation of someone like Loid; his internal battle between pragmatic, “greater good”-focused spy training and increasing prioritization of individual children gives him both a compelling origin story and a clear evolutionary path, and Yor learning to forgive herself for her “failings” as a mother can’t really compete with that. Secondly, her active characterization tends to frame her as a total ditz, making it difficult for her to learn, grow, or express complex feelings about her various escapades. These might seem like serious detriments, but in truth, the line between insufficient and satisfying characterization in a dedicated comedy like Spy x Family is pretty thin, and one good arc with her would go a long way towards resolving her scripting issues. Let’s see if this new arc can manage it as we return to Spy x Family!
Episode 30
We begin on a cold open of Yor meeting with her own handler, a man she refers to as “Shopkeeper,” who resides in a mysterious garden. “By providing water, pruning, and giving consistent care… we can ensure that the world continues to stay beautiful.” A statement with an obvious second intent, given Yor’s line of work – they apparently see their assassinations as a way of maintaining balance, ensuring the world does not fall into disorder
Her handle of “Thorn Princess” also echoes this garden imagery
The Shopkeeper’s face seems almost like a mask, brown in color and heavy with creases. One of those designs that I imagine was tricky to adapt into animation. Tatsuya Endo’s designs delight in odd geometric forms, fully embracing the truism that great character designs are discernible even as silhouettes
“I am ready to end any evildoer at any time!” Part of the trickiness with Yor is that her chipper dedication to her job demands a sort of naivety that makes it tough to portray her learning or changing from her experiences. If she was seriously living with the weight of all these murders, the show wouldn’t be able to maintain its light tone, so her Thorn Princess persona has to be sort of partitioned aside from her Yor identity
Apparently this is actually a bodyguard mission. Excellent, that should give her the chance to learn from her “targets”
Shopkeeper speaks of the Gretcher family, who he says have “managed this country’s underworld with honor.” Very interesting, a statement that might actually hint at the moral resolution of Yor’s contradictions. I had assumed she was an assassin working for the government of Ostania like her brother, but if she’s an independent agent of Ostania’s criminal underworld, it’s actually much easier to frame her as genuinely fighting for a better future
The family was attacked, and only the mother Olka and her son survived
There’s now a tremendous bounty on her head, and “every hitman in the country is trying to find her.” An excellent way to add some friction to Yor’s frequently effortless exploits – we generally just see the tail end of her missions, as it’s again otherwise difficult to really maintain her character’s tone, but framing her as a bodyguard who must face off with an array of assassins seems like a perfect way to celebrate her talents. As always, Spy x Family’s gimmick often belies the fact that Endo is quite good at writing straightforward spy fiction with no comedic twist
They plan to have her escape the country via a cruise ship
Apparently Yor’s manager at work is also an ally of the Shopkeeper, making it easy for her to go off on missions under the guise of work trips
Nice goofy Yuri face as she runs into him on the train
A nice beat as Yuri says “I’m not a kid anymore” to Yor’s questions, and she sadly agrees. Hopefully this is a sign of the show actively, intentionally characterizing Yor as someone who’s a little out of step with adult life, who longs for the simplicity and clear goals of her adolescence, even with all the hardship she suffered during that time. The time she spent raising Yuri was likely the time she felt most confident about herself, and her Thorn Princess persona is in some ways a link with that time. In that light, it makes sense that she’d maintain some innocence when it comes to evaluating her secret duties, and also be unwilling to give up on such a key source of pride and certainty
“Is there actually any reason why I should continue my job as a killer?” Even Yor realizes that her duties are something of an emotional crutch, a lingering remnant of an era that has passed by
Meanwhile, Loid and Anya are watching a raffle, with the first prize offering two tickets on Yor’s coming cruise
“I’m thinking about going on that boat and having a grand adventure.” Anya’s stoic, self-serious tone is always a winner. She could fuel a slice of life/comedy all by herself, really
Our raffle man has cunningly stuck the first place prize to the interior roof of the raffle box. Unfortunately, this just makes it all the easier for Anya to claim her cruise
Ooh, some really nice backgrounds as we transition out of the station and back home, with excellent shading and color design. Backgrounds aren’t generally this production’s strong suit, so this is nice to see
Loid, of course, suspects some foul play in Anya’s victory. A simple example of character voice superseding authorial voice – Loid doesn’t know where this story is going, so he naturally suspects someone is trying to isolate Twilight. Might seem like a small thing, but so many authors fail because they simply cannot free themselves of their authorial perspective, and let it bleed into the perspectives of all their characters. One reason I tend to dislike light novel adaptations – everyone tends to speak in the same voice, and have the same interests and opinions
Anya’s shoulder angel is swiftly defeated by the logic of her shoulder devil. Nice subtle touch of the devil’s darkness slowly overwhelming the angel’s glow
Handler readily agrees to Loid taking the time off. She seems to be softening a bit herself; having met Anya personally, she’s also invested in the girl’s happiness
“If not for this bodyguard job, the three of us could have enjoyed this vacation together.” Hell yeah, this is exactly the sort of stuff I was hoping for. Yor doubting the continued necessity of her Thorn Princess duties offers some very human friction, sympathetic interiority, and a natural direction for her character’s evolution
Granted, I don’t expect her to actually quit the job or anything. It’s actually pretty easy to predict where this will go: the process of protecting Olka and her son will ultimately reaffirm the importance of her job, so that other families can safely enjoy the happiness she shares with Anya and Loid
Exuberant diegetic fanfare accompanies our heroes’ embarking, instilling in us the same sense of anticipation that Anya’s feeling
“Papa, this ship is amazing! I feel a big adventure coming on!” Seriously, “Yor must defend a target against her fellow assassins” is such an easy home run that I’m surprised we haven’t hit it already
The target’s current handler introduces himself as “Furseal Grey.” I do love anime’s attempts at European names
This whole cruise ship-assassin-bodyguard setup reminds me strongly of Hunter x Hunter’s ongoing Dark Continent arc. I wonder if Endo took some inspiration from Kurapika’s anxious adventure
“You could say this is a gangster’s destiny. But… I’m a bit tired now. I don’t need the crime family or its money. I just want to live a nice, quiet life.” Obvious parallels between Yor and her target, with both looking back on a life of violence and wondering whether it was worth it, or whether they can break free
“Papa! We need to hurry up and explore the ship before it sinks!” Yeah, Anya just nails that Yotsuba-style precocious bluntness. Incidentally, I’ve almost certainly mentioned it before, but if you like Anya but haven’t read Yotsuba, you are absolutely missing out
With even Handler having directed him to enjoy his vacation, Loid is doing his level best to relax and have fun. He’s certainly mellowed considerably since his initial missions
“Isn’t that family just for camouflage?” Even Yor’s target is challenging her uncertain self-image
Unfortunately, their moments of bonding swiftly clue their enemies in to their presence on the cruise. Trouble ahead!
And Done
Oh man, we are seriously cooking now! This is shaping up to be Spy x Family’s most ambitious arc so far, and the fact that it’s focused so directly on Yor makes it all the more exciting. As I’ve said time and again, Yor has long been the Forger most in need of characterization and texture, and centering a major arc on her anxieties about maintaining her Thorn Princess double life seems like a perfect way to offer just that. Even just the incidental conversations between her and her target are revealing new shades in her fears and desires, while the overall framing of “let this be my last mission” promises some direct interrogation of why she still does this work, and what precisely will motivate her going forward. And that’s all aside from this arc’s fundamental promise of Yor facing off with a bunch of assassins, while Loid does his best to just relax and have fun for a change. I’m eager to see how this tangled setup plays out!
This article was made possible by reader support. Thank you all for all that you do.
