Spy x Family has always been a jack-of-all-trades kind of anime. It’s an action series that features exciting fight sequences and dark subject matter that you’d come to expect from a shonen anime. Yet it is also a cute, slice-of-life show about a family, a family that features two sexy parents and their adorable telepathic daughter doing cute family stuff that always makes audiences go, “Aww, that was so adorable.” Spy x Family Code: White gives us plenty more to giggle about.
The “spy” in Spy x Family is Loid, whose mission is to infiltrate the neighbouring warring state to prevent another war. Part of his mission is to have a fake family as a cover, which brings the “family” in Spy x Family . Loid, his fake wife Yor (a civil servant by day and assassin by night) and their adopted daughter Anya make up a strange but endearing family that have been entertaining audiences for two years. Now, we get to see their adventures take of to theaters with Spy x Family Code: White!
If any other anime juggled this many genres, the result would have been messy and unfocused. Yet somehow, Spy x Familymanages to balance all these different tones because, ultimately, this series is, first and foremost, a wholesome yet goofy comedy where anything can happen, and it would all make sense within the context of the show. These comedic attributes make Spy x Family such an entertaining anime to watch, and they are just as present in the latest entry in the franchise, Spy x Family Code: White.
Based on an original story by Tatsuya Endo, the mangaka behind the Spy x Familymanga, Spy x Family Code: White continues the story of the Forgers in which the loveable family takes a vacation to the snowy country of Frigis. On the surface, the Forgers are travelling to Frigis to learn how to make a dessert called meremere because Anya is competing in a cooking competition, and the dish is one of the principal’s (who’s also judging the competition) favourites.
In reality, Loid is taking his “family” on this trip because his handler, Sylvia Sherwood, is being replaced. However, since the winner of the cooking competition receives Stella, Loid is confident that if he teaches Anya how to make meremere, she’ll win a Stella. He’ll make enough progress in Operation Strix to keep Sylvia as his handler. However, what should have been a quick and straightforward family vacation quickly spirals into chaos as the Forger family gets mixed up in the evil plans of Colonel Snidel, who’s committed to starting a war between Ostania and Westalis.
Spy x Family Code: White is just one short anime arc crammed into one movie. Therefore, if you like the Spy x Family anime, then you will most certainly like Spy x Family Code: White because this film has everything that fans of the series know and love.
Is the cute family doing cute things? Check. High-octane action scenes that feature lots of exciting camerawork and great animation? Check. Goofy, over-the-top comedy where Anya gets involved in silly shenanigans? Check. Yor gets incredibly drunk, which leads to embarrassing yet hilarious misunderstandings between herself and Lord. Check. There isn’t a lot about this movie that I consider surprising or innovative, but at the same time, it’s not really what the movie is going for anyway.
Spy x Family Code: White is a film, first and foremost, made for the fans, and as a fan of this anime, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I watched the Spy x Familymovie for the same reason I went to see Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero or Jujutsu Kaisen 0: I love the anime these movies are based on and want more of what I love. Spy x Family Code: White is not a perfect film as it feels like an episodic, conflict-of-the-week story that will most likely not impact the anime’s overarching narrative.
Spy x Family Code: White is an entertaining movie that consistently made me smile because it delivered everything I wanted from a Spy x Family movie. It delivered on the action scenes (which were particularly well-animated as it’s clear the team was working with a much larger budget), the cute family bonding, and, most importantly, the fun, light-hearted comedy layering its meaningful themes.
Frankly, there isn’t much to say or criticize about Spy x Family Code: White. It speaks for itself and doesn’t pretend to be anything else. While non-fans who aren’t familiar with Spy x Family might still get a lot of entertainment value from this movie, the fans of this series will ultimately get the most out of this cinematic experience.