This week’s episode of Spy x Family still has plenty of charm, though its stakes are a bit less consistent. Even then, this fifth episode features quite a few standout moments, as Loid tries his best to make Anya happy in the silliest way possible.
Fresh off the heels of last week’s cliffhanger, we find that Anya did not actually make it into Eden. I was quite surprised at this twist and disappointed a few moments later when this surprise was undone with little fanfare. Anya is at the top of the reserve student list, so when a random student withdraws, she’s in. There’s not much drama or excitement to the decision because of this, but it only takes up the first few minutes of the episode. Things get much more comical from the uneven start, though.
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To celebrate Anya’s acceptance, Franky (Loid’s right-hand man) declares that Loid will do anything Anya wants. Franky’s constant vouching for Anya and dramatic voicing of her opinions provided a lot of laughs and set up a neat dynamic, as the two rascals constantly guilt Loid into doing goofier and goofier things. Loid ends up having to imitate Anya’s favorite fictional spy, Bondman, to “rescue” her from a famous castle theme park.
Once that’s all established, this episode really takes off. Loid ends up summoning all available spies to play along with the act under the guise of a real mission, and the scene of all these pro spies arriving for what is essentially a playdate made me chuckle. The endless respect the other spies have for Loid really establishes him as a legend, while also being hilarious because of how minor this “emergency mission” is.
Having Loid “battle” other spies as part of the event leads to some smooth action scenes with impressive animation. From jacking the others’ foam-ball guns to ziplining through explosions, there were some really great action sequences focused on Loid throughout the episode, even with the obviously lowered stakes.
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Anya’s excitement adds a layer of cuteness to the episode, as she frequently shouts “Save me, Loidman!” with a giant smile. You can tell that Loid enjoys the whole situation for her sake, even if he’s embarrassed, further developing his caring side towards his spy family. Yor showing off her abilities as a result of drinking too much wine led to a fun little fight, and I hope she gets to show off her fearsome skills more as the series goes on.
Spy x Family premiered yet another exciting episode this past weekend. While the Eden results scene felt cheap, the entire castle section of the episode was filled with laughs and cool moments. I’m excited to see how Anya’s time at Eden starts, and this episode served as a nice breather between the exam and the start of her time there. Once again, I can’t wait for the next episode.
SCORE: 8/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
Disclosure: The critic watched the episode on Crunchyroll for ComingSoon’s Spy x Family Season 1 Episode 5 review – Will They Pass or Fail?