Spy X Family Review
For what it's worth, I don't usually watch anime when it's airing. I'd patiently wait until it concludes. But the fact that Spy x Family has actually surpassed many shows despite being a newcomer, and that many of my friends have actually told me to watch it, intrigued me.
On the record, shows that have something to do with spies have actually never sparked an interest in me. That's why I initially thought Spy x Family would be boring just like the others in the competition. However, after only three episodes in, I came to a realization that I was in the wrong. Spy x Family turns out to be better than what I expected, to the point where it could end up being one of my favorites.
You know a show is considered as great when you always end up wanting more every time an episode ends. This is exactly my case with Spy x Family. It's mainly due to the unique and interesting concept that the show has to offer. I've never watched anything that came close to this when it comes to the overall notion. It's in a league of its own.
Just imagine being Loid Forger, one of the infamous spies in town, who was required to be married and bear a child for the completion of an important mission. And on top of that, the child that he adopted is precious and cute as hell, and the girl that he ended up marrying is innocent and attractive. The intring things don't end there, because it turns out that the child possesses some kind of power that enables her to read people's minds. Not only that, behind the innocent of the young lady that he married, lies a shocking truth. She is actually one of the deadliest assassins in town that has been responsible for a glaring number of murder cases.
Due to how the approach of the story, Spy x Family has successfully put me into different kinds of emotions every time. There are countless times when I find it to be cute and heartwarming at the same time. It's mostly due to the interaction and relationship that the new family has. There are also some moments where Spy x Family intentionally makes us furious and left us with no choice but to wait for the next episode. I mean, come on, I just want to how the family members would react when they discover each other's real identities. It would also be interesting to see how Loid would end up in the story. Will he be able to genuinely see Anya and Yor as part of his family at the end? Or will he just stick to the initial plan and abandon the 'family' game as soon as the mission concluded?
Overall Rating 8.9/10
Bio
Genre Action, comedy, spy[1]
Manga
Written by Tatsuya Endo
Published by Shueisha
English publisher
Viz Media
Imprint Jump Comics+
Magazine Shōnen Jump+
Demographic Shōnen
Original run March 25, 2019 – present
Volumes 9 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi
Written by Kazuhiro Furuhashi
Music by
Makoto Miyazaki
Shūhei Mutsuki
Studio Wit Studio
CloverWorks
Licensed by Crunchyroll
SA/SEA
Muse Communication
Original network TXN (TV Tokyo), ux, TV Shizuoka, RCC, BS TV Tokyo
Original run April 9, 2022 – present
Episodes 12 (List of episodes)
Akame Ga Kill Review
Nanatsu no Taizai/Seven Deadly Sins Review
Seven Deadly Sins: Lion’s sin of pride, Serpent’s sin of envy, Boar’s sin of gluttony, Goat’s sin of lust, Grizzly’s sin of sloth, Fox’s sin of greed and Dragon’s sin of wrath.”
Action without reason or thought is just a testosterone-trip; complete with flashy powers and fights that drag on for way too long. So, it’s interesting to see an anime that suffers from these clichés and more – but also utilizes them to their fullest extent, giving rhyme and reason to them, and making the show a whole lot more fun and meaningful than was expected.
8/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
Story
The core plot is simply the adventures (and misadventures) of an unlikely team as they traverse the land, looking for other members of a mysterious group known as the "Seven Deadly Sins”. While traveling, the ‘team’ comes across other past members, gets into fights with various characters, help people out, chat, joke and just generally try to have fun and do what is just while working towards completing their ultimate objective of reuniting all seven and reclaiming the land. The series has a great grasp on balancing the humor, the drama, and the action. One never seems to overpower the other.
The soul of this show though, is divided into two aspects: the fights, and the character development (which often ties into the aforementioned aspect). Most of the main characters (and many of the side characters and antagonists) get their time to shine and be developed. Character dialogue, actions and interactions, as well as fantastic back stories for many of the characters really flesh things out and add a sense of purpose and reason to the story.
Also, things don’t always end up being what they appear to be, and there are many points in the series where completely unexpected things happen that really help make the series more refreshing and less repetitive. But, some parts of the plot are a bit convoluted. Nothing that should detriment the experience, but things can sometimes seem a bit… off.
Lastly, the ending is a bit lackluster, but still thrilling to watch. And, the way it ends leaves it open to the possibility of a new season.
8/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
Art
Art in ‘Nanatsu no Taizai’ is of an extremely high quality. Action scenes flow well and character designs, facial expressions, backgrounds, etc. are above par. The greatest thing about it though is that the quality is maintained throughout the series.
9/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
Sound
The music in the series is more quality over quantity. There are many pieces that are repeatedly used, but they all fit the times and scenes in which they are used and didn’t become annoying.
All four of the openings and endings are great and add to the series, rather than being something that most people would skip.
Voice acting is also of a high quality. No lines felt hammy, forced or otherwise grated on the ears.
8/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
Character
This is where this show absolutely excels – for most of the characters. A majority of them have unique personalities. They fear things, love things and hate things. They cry, they laugh and they have morals, hopes and dreams. The series does a great job of building most of the characters up and making it feel like these are living, breathing people.
The main female character, Elizabeth, has a decent amount of development. But, regrettably, the main male character, Meliodas, does not. He really doesn’t seem to change over the series, and remains – for the most part – an enigma. There is a backstory given to him that helps shine a little light on who he was and currently is, but so many things remain unclear concerning his character that it can be hard to attach yourself to him as the show progresses.
The secondary characters though - who I won’t name or give details for, as finding out who they are and what they are like is a part of the series’ enjoyment – are the most well developed in the entire series. There’s a great possibility of you coming to love a character you previously hated or vice-versa.
8/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
Enjoyment
There are a lot of flaws. But even with those flaws, this was still an immensely enjoyable series. It had great fights with meaning to them, great humor, great characters, and some really powerful stories. I was pleasantly surprised with the anime and don’t regret the time I spent on it.We wait for the seconds season Nanatsu no Taizai: Seisen no Shirushi/The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War in August 2016
8/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
