Spy x Family

Dive deep into the world of Spy x Family with our dedicated glossary of Spy x Family terminology and technology.

Spy x Family: What Is Operation Strix?

Not every anime is about a heroic protagonist developing their personal power using new techniques and vanquishing enemies with overwhelming physical might.

Part of what makes anime so great is there’s comedy series, slice-of-life shows, romance, and even low-stakes family drama.

Spy x Family was an immediate hit because it combines multiple genres, from family comedy to spy novels, becoming a mainstream hit in the process.

The Spy x Family Season 2 Trailer

The first glimpse we got of Spy x Family Season 2 sent hearts a flutter by including Loid asking out Yor on a date. Is that part of the mission, or has he started to fall for his fake wife? Frustratingly, the answer is, of course, yes, but will Loid admit it to himself?

In addition, it shows the Forger family going on a cruise, bringing to life the manga’s Cruise Adventure arc, with Anya embarrassed by her (fake) dad’s choice of outfit. Finally, the very end teases the Spy x Family: Code White feature film.

What Spy x Family Is About

In a world where information warfare between nations has reached a fever pitch, the nation of Westalis deploys its top agent, Twilight, to spy on the leader of the neighboring nation’s National Unity Party, Donovan Desmond.

The problem is that he’s a recluse, which means Twilight needs to create a fake family at the same school as Desmond’s children. It’s a simple plot, but Spy x Family throws a few wrinkles into it that made Season 1 an absolute joy to watch.

For starters, Twilight, going by the name Loid Forger, picks up at the orphanage is Anya, a little girl that’s secretly a telepath. This works exceptionally well as a recurring background gag whenever someone says something disturbing like Yor thinking that her dress must be black or red to conceal blood.

Yor, the fake mom/wife, is secretly an assassin, keeping that a secret from Loid just as he’s keeping his real mission a secret from her. Thinking that Loid needs a fake wife to help Anya get into the prestigious Eden Academy, she goes along with the plan since she’s in need of a fake husband to keep her brother happy.

Even the family’s dog, Bond (named after Bondman, Anya’s favorite hero), has a secret. He’s a precog and can see into the future (with mixed results) thanks to being experimented on, and he is also smart enough to understand humans.

What Fans Wanted From Season 2

Going off of the Spy x Family manga, after the Cruise Adventure arc, we were expecting the WISE arc to be adapted, which would finally show us the details of how Loid became the feared Agent Twilight. Hints were dropped throughout Season 1 as to what fans could expect, from Loid’s justification that he’s working to make a world where children would not have to cry to the reverence that the other WISE agents have for Agent Twilight.

Given the comedic tone of the series to date, the WISE arc will likely be the most tragic of the franchise.

Season 2 Had More Filler Than Fans Were Expecting

Instead of getting two arcs, Spy x Family Season 2 adapted only the Cruise Adventure arc, and the rest of its episode count was filled with anime-original episodes that didn’t further the overall plot involving Operation: Strix, or as anime fans call them, “filler.” These episodes, which bookend the season around the Cruise Adventure arc, are completely skippable, but fans will want to watch them anyway.

Spy x Family fans may have been disappointed by the sheer amount of filler, but they agree that it’s at least quality, bite-size adventures, with the best of the bunch the pair of Bond adventures, in Episodes 2 and 12. Episode 4 includes “The Pastry of Knowledge,” a fun Anya school adventure, so even if there’s a lot of filler, it’s mostly fun and character-driven stories.

When And Where To Stream Spy x Family Season 2

Thankfully for fans of the groundbreaking series, the wait for Spy x Family Season 2 is over and it debuted on October 22, 2023. Following the debut episode, new episodes were released on a weekly basis.

Spy x Family can be streamed on either Hulu or Crunchyroll, with both dubs and subs available. Unlike some other anime, the English voice acting is amazing, especially the work of Anya’s voice performer Megan Shipman, who nails her character’s wild reactions.

The Spy x Family Movie

While Spy x Family Season 2 was airing, the anime’s first theatrical release came out, titled Spy x Family: Code White.

It was another opportunity to acquire a Stella award from Eden Academy, this time through a cooking competition, but it’s never that straightforward.

The Forger family goes off to find the perfect recipe in the land of Firgis, which gets derailed when Anya finds a special piece of chocolate, but no matter what happens, it’s better than Yor trying to cook.

Though the movie is a standalone experience, it was written by Tatsuya Endo, the creator of Spy x Family. The film doesn’t have any impact on future seasons of the series, but fans will be thrilled with another adventure of the Forger family.

Spy x Family: Code White was released in Japan and in the United States, where it received a full theatrical run before arriving on streaming services later in 2024. Well-received by fans, the success of the film will hopefully mean great things for future seasons of the award-wining anime.