Spy x Family is probably the most hyped-up new show of anime's spring season. It might even be the most anticipated anime debut of 2022. Not only is it an adaptation of one of the most critically acclaimed manga of the last decade, but the anime is also being produced by Wit Studio (Ranking of Kings, Vivy: Fluorite Eyes' Song) and CloverWorks (My Dress-Up Darling, Wonder Egg Priority) -- two of the highest-profile animation studios in Japan. It's an understatement to say that the Spy x Family anime is premiering to extremely high expectations. Thankfully, the first episode of the anime lives up to those lofty expectations and may be one of the rare adaptations that manage to improve its source material.
The first episode of the show introduces viewers to the world-renowned super spy who is only known by his code name, Twilight. After deftly defusing an attempt to smear a powerful politician in the show's intro, Twilight is assigned his most challenging mission ever. This mission requires him to pretend to be an average family man to get close to his next target, a dangerous political leader who only appears in public to attend events held by the prestigious private academy his son attends. In order to infiltrate the school, Twilight takes on the alias "Loid Forger" and adopts a seemingly normal little girl, Anya. Unfortunately for him, his daughter has a secret of her own: she is an escaped experiment with psychic powers, which she immediately uses to discover her new father's double identity.
The new show manages to perfectly translate the humor from Tatsuya Endo's original manga. From the absurdity of the toupee-based conspiracy in the intro to Anya's reactions whenever she reads her father's purely espionage-focused thoughts, the first episode is loaded with multiple laugh-out-loud moments. There are even a few gags that are improved in the anime, such as the scene where Anya attempts to stealthily follow her super-spy father out of the house. The comedy is also improved thanks to excellent voice acting from Haikyuu's Takuya Eguchi, who perfectly captures Loid's world-weary yet empathetic personality with his performance. Atsumi Tanezaki, who previously starred in Mob Psycho 100, is also perfectly cast as Anya, whom she manages to portray as being adorably naive without being cloying.
Another aspect of the show that is improved with animation is the series' brief action scenes, which are animated with all the smoothness and impact you'd expect from both Wit Studio and CloverWorks. While the animation doesn't quite match the best moments from Vivy: Fluorite Eyes' Song's chaotic battles or the loving attention to detail that was displayed in My Dress-Up Darling, it's still a great-looking show in its own right. Action isn't the focus of the series, but the first episode makes it clear that the team behind the show is more than capable of choreographing and animating an exciting, impactful brawl for the scenes that require Loid to get his hands dirty.
With that said, the anime wouldn't live up to the award-winning manga if Spy x Family didn't also manage to translate the original work's tangible feelings of warmth and familial tenderness. Thankfully, those key elements of the series appear to have been ported over fully intact. Even within its first episode, it's hard to not feel something when Loid and Anya celebrate their first victories together and show the first hints of a true father-daughter bond. These moments were the most memorable parts of Endo's manga, and they're also the best parts of the anime's premiere episode. In less than half an hour, the show manages to give you an idea of who Loid and Anya really are, and makes you want to see the dysfunctional family succeed.
Judged only on its spot-on comedy and action, Spy x Family would already be in the running for the best series of the last decade, but the series' more heartfelt moments elevate it to potentially being one of the best anime and manga series of all time. If the rest of the season can keep up the level of quality displayed in the first episode, then anime fans are truly in for something special.
Spy x Family is being simulcast on Crunchyroll. The original manga is available in English from VIZ Media.