‘SPY×FAMILY CODE: White’ Is As Delightful And Exciting As The Anime Series – Review

SPY×FAMILY CODE: White follows the release of season 2 of SPY×FAMILY on Crunchyroll. The massively popular anime series has been dazzling audiences for two years now, and the hunger for more grows increasingly serious with each passing day. This first film is a sign that the commitment to the series is well worth it, and hopefully, we should expect more.

SPY×FAMILY follows Twilight, a spy for a Western nation called Westalias, as he infiltrates Ostania to intercept a potential threat to peace, Donovan Desmond. Operation Strix calls for Twilight to have a pretend family and enroll his pretend child in a prestigious school where they would earn academic accomplishments that would get Twilight in the same room as Desmond, whose son, Damian, also attends the school. Twilight, or Loid Forger, fails to anticipate that his adoptive daughter, Anya Forger, is a telepath and his fake wife, Yor Briar, is an assassin. Each member of this eclectic family has their secrets, and they work hard to maintain the facade of the perfect family. Hijinks and shenanigans ensue as the Forgers all participate in keeping the peace between the West and East in their ways.

(Courtesy of Wit Studios and Cloverworks)

Over two seasons, we have learned much about the Forgers, witnessed their skills in action, and all the funny trouble they find themselves in. Every episode perfectly encapsulates the entertaining mashup of genres, with acute attention to what each family member brings to the story. Anya’s intelligent and imaginative personality is beautifully realized with the vibrant and colourful execution of the anime, which pairs nicely with the precise execution of the editing and plotting that matches well with the spy thriller at the story’s core. Then we have a splash of the macabre with our favourite ditzy assassin, who injects a healthy dose of gore into the chaotic yet endearing anime.

SPY×FAMILY CODE: White perfectly demonstrates the hard work, passion and dedication that has gone into adapting the popular Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo. It is tonally consistent with the anime series, which makes perfect sense knowing screenwriter Ichirō Ōkouchi worked on the second season. Director Takashi Katagiri and production houses Wit Studios and CloverWorks adjust their scope to craft an adventure befitting of the big screen. The visuals are exceptional and fine-tuned to make the production feel like a grand adventure worth running to the theatre for. Still, there is also the feeling that the series as a whole is evolving, becoming a much bigger deal as the Forgers inch closer to Desmond in the series run.

The story in the film is peak SPY×FAMILY, a silly instance of coincidence, mistakes and confusion induced by the ever-curious Anya, the emotional Yor and the too-committed-to-work Loid. The catalyst for the fiery showdown between the Forgers and a dangerous military operation is dessert. The film expertly celebrates the various elements that make this shonen and slice-of-life comedy so appealing, laughing along with the audience as this story about the fragile peace between warring nations could have been undone by dessert. SPY×FAMILY could not be further from a traditional shonen. Wit Studios and CloverWork put in so much work to highlight that, thus producing an excellent, heartwarming, gut-busting anime that keeps you coming back for more.

As an original standalone adventure for the Forgers, SPY×FAMILY CODE: White does a good job appeasing fans of the show and invites a new audience looking for an enjoyable time at the theatres. The film is delightful, visually dazzling, and exciting, as is every series episode. Additionally, after the Luxury Cruise adventure in season 2, the film feels like a natural progression, exposing the audience to more creative fight sequences and endearing animation.

With that being said, the story feels out of time. SPY×FAMILY CODE: White was announced just as the first season was wrapping up and was released in Japan just as the second season ended. Narratively speaking, the film would have been better positioned if it had been released during the season 1 run, specifically the months-long break between part 1 and part 2 (which means no Bondman). Or, with some minor tweaks to the script, the film could easily be a chronological fit with the series despite being a standalone story (thus keeping Bondman). I say this because the film omits that Loid has made first contact with Desmond and that the Forgers have already had their first family vacation, the Luxury Cruise arc.

To accommodate the series’ fans, who are intimately aware of the timeline, the script could have undergone some changes when it became clear to the production when the film would be released. Nothing substantial would need to change, as there is no need to alienate the newer crowd; this context would easily be missed by those not watching the show but would significantly enhance the original fans’ experiences. To be fair to SPY×FAMILY CODE: White, this is a minuscule complaint that has no bearing on the quality of the production and the story.

SPY×FAMILY CODE: White is 110-minutes of pure joy and excitement. As a fan of the series, this fun new adventure, a side-quest if you will, is precisely what I needed to heal from the fact that there are no new SPY×FAMILY episodes for me to look forward to each week. I’ve already rewatched the Luxury Cruise arc and the entirety of the show countless times! So this film has offered a nice break from that.

SPY×FAMILY is a combination of cuteness, thrills, and laughter, the film is no different; in fact, it expands upon the creative flair that the show is popular for to give moviegoers an exceptional theatrical experience. The colours seem brighter, the action fiercer, and the scope wider. In other words, SPY×FAMILY CODE: White is perfect. Period. No notes. Just give me more Wit Studio and CloverWorks. Please, and thank you.