In April SPY x FAMILY, the new anime from WIT STUDIO based on the manga written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo, landed on the small screens of Japan and the major streaming platforms. At the time of writing, only six episodes have been released but each week fans simply cannot wait for the next episode to drop so they can keep watching adventures of the Forger family.
SPY x FAMILY Anime Official Trailer
Before you dive headfirst into watching the SPY x FAMILY anime, take a look at all the information you need to fully enjoy the characters and gags of SPY x FAMILY.
SPY x FAMILY in Japan
Japanese Edition of SPY x FAMILY Volumes 1 & 2
What is it that causes a manga to be chosen for an anime adaptation?
The main factor determining whether a manga will be made into an anime adaptation is the popularity of the original print version among Japanese fans. SPY x FAMILY is no exception.
Created by the famous manga artist Tatsuya Endo, author of "TISTA" and "Gekka Bijin", SPY x FAMILY was one of the best-selling manga of 2020, placing itself in the top 10 ranking of the best manga of 2020 of "Kono Manga ga Sugoi". "Kono Manga ga Sugoi".
Spy x Family in the Oricon ranking of the top 10 most popular manga sold in 2020
But the awards don't just stop there, SPY x FAMILY has received several awards including:
Poster celebrating the printing of 10 million SPY x FAMILY copies
At the publication of the first volume, 800,000 copies of SPY x FAMILY had already been printed, and with the release of subsequent volumes the number of copies sold has only increased! With the release of the eighth volume in November 2022, it was reconfirmed as the best-selling J+ (Shonen Jump Plus) manga ever, surpassing 12.5 million copies printed in Japan alone!
These numbers only confirm the growing popularity of SPY x FAMILY among the Japanese public: thanks to the explosive mix of action, suspense and comedy, the SPY x FAMILY comic has managed to conquer readers of all ages and genres.
With such popularity, it was inevitable that it would immediately be chosen for an anime adaptation: we are sure that it will continue to impress and entertain an even wider audience outside of the usual anime and manga circles.
But what is it that has fascinated and captured the hearts of SPY x FAMILY readers? Let's find out together!
SPY x FAMILY Plot
As the title suggests, "SPY x FAMILY" tells the story of what could be defined as a "family of spies". However, this is not the usual action thriller: while the scenes are of course full of suspense and intrigue, the tone is often lighthearted and more like a comedy.
The manga opens with a charismatic young man, a spy codenamed "Twilight", who is tasked with a dangerous mission to keep the peace between the two rival nations Westalis and Ostania. In an attempt to approach dangerous political leader Donovan Desmond, he finds himself assuming the identity of Lloyd Forger and having to create a phony family!
The only way for Twilight to approach the political extremist is to enroll an adopted child in the prestigious school attended by Desmond's son. As it is a very conservative school the constant involvement of BOTH parents is required.
Lloyd meets Anya at the orphanage
Agent Twilight, now Lloyd Forger, therefore finds himself having to find his wife and child ... in seven days!
Thanks to a series of bizarre coincidences, Lloyd manages to create a family, adopting the orphan Anya and marrying the shy city clerk Yor Briar.
Too bad both girls are hiding a secret: Yor is actually a professional assassin while Anya has telepathic abilities. Due to her mind-reading ability, the little girl, Anya, is the only one aware of their respective secret identities and is the source of many misunderstandings and situations bordering on paradoxical.
Lloyd and Yor
From there the anime follows the adventures of the trio, whose dynamics gradually become more and more similar to those of a real family. The interactions of the three family members with other secondary characters are particularly entertaining: Anya with her classmates and the dog Bond, Lloyd with her colleagues and opponents, Yor with her envious colleagues and the official brother of the rival government of Ostania.
At the moment, only the first six episodes have been released on different streaming platforms with the English dub being just one week behind, but if you really can't resist and want to read about how the adventures of the unusual Forger family continue, the first 9 volumes of the Japanese manga, both new and used are available for purchase!
SPY x FAMILY Anime
The SPY x FAMILY anime adaptation has been undertaken by both the Wit Studio and CloverWorks, under the direction of Kazuhiro Furuhashi, also known for his work on Hunter x Hunter, Dororo, Rurouni Kenshin.
To voice our three protagonists, we have some names you may be familiar with:
- Lloyd Forger is portrayed by Takuya Eguchi, best known for his roles as Shuji Hanma (Tokyo Revengers), Soei (Life as a Slime) and Nagi (Idolish7)
- Yor Briar is played by Saori Hayami, best known for her roles as Kamisato Ayaka (Genshin Impact), Ayase Aragaki (Oreimo) and Shinobu Kochou (Demon Slayer)
- Finally, for the role of young Anya we have Azumi Tanezaki, recently known for the roles of Dai (Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai), Sajuna Inui (My Dress-Up Darling), Hinatsuru (Demon Slayer).
Also Read: WHAT IS DEMON SLAYER AND WHY SHOULD I WATCH IT?
As for the music, we find Hoshino Gen, one of the most popular singers in Japan, who rose to prominence with his hit single Koi in 2016 to sing the ending theme.
The opening is the work of Official HIGE DANdism, the band that made the first opening for the Tokyo Revengers anime (Cry Baby) and is famous for other hits such as Pretender and I love....
In other words, these guys aren't shy to the scene at all.
Preview of the opening and ending themes of SPY x FAMILY by Official Hige Dandism and Gen Hoshino
SPY x FAMILY Products & Merch
With the release of the anime, there are more SPY x FAMILY themed products coming out in Japan. And that's just the beginning! There are many more products that have been announced for release in the coming months.
If you want to order SPY x FAMILY themed products from the US, the UK or Australia, you can do it easily and safely with ZenMarket, the intermediary shopping service from Japan!
The Japanese SPY x FAMILY Manga
With ZenMarket you can buy the Japanese version of the SPY x FAMILY manga. You can buy both used and new volumes from platforms such as Amazon Japan and Yahoo! Auctions.
Shop SPY x FAMILY Manga
Other SPY x FAMILY Merch
Discover Figures, Resin Stands, Keychains, Plushies, Apparel & much more!
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Who are we? ZenMarket Japan
Most Japanese online stores don't ship overseas, but we've solved this problem for you - we'll take care of buying, packing and shipping your favorite Japanese products straight to your door. Our goal is to make purchasing items from Japan an easy and pleasant experience. We have integrated on our site the most popular shopping platforms in Japan: Amazon Japan, Rakuten and Yahoo! Auctions. But that's not all! Thanks to the ZenMarket service you can virtually buy from any Japanese site: just copy the product URL in our search bar to add it to your cart.
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