A fun extended visit with the Forgers in ‘Spy x Family Code: White’
The hit anime sensation “Spy x Family” gets its first full-length feature in theaters, and thankfully, it’s not a cash-grab. Featuring an original story supervised by original manga creator Tatsuya Endo, it’s a fun entry point to the series for those unfamiliar, and a lavish oversized arc for diehard fans. Topping the Japanese box office for three weeks, it shows that the fandom and love for the show burns bright.
There is an unresolved question as to whether this movie is canon, because the advertisements have enticed us with the promise of this being the Forger family’s first vacation, but loyal viewers know the Forgers went on a cruise in season two. So while it could perhaps have taken place before then, things transpire here that surely would have been remarked upon in season two, especially the probably traumatic experience of Anya being kidnapped (not a spoiler, it’s in the trailer!).Nerdy considerations aside, the general premise of “Spy x Family” gets a concise introduction at the beginning of “Code: White” after an action-packed intro featuring the skills of its main couple, Loid and Yor Forger.
Loid is secretly a top secret agent codenamed “Twilight,” while Yor is secretly one of the most skilled assassins in the industry, dubbed “Thorn Princess.” They don’t know of each other’s true vocations, but have entered into an agreement to form a family with their adopted daughter Anya as a kind of cover for their espionage. But Anya knows, because she is secretly a telepath (of course). Oh, and their dog Bond is an escapee from a secret government project that gave him the ability to see visions of the future.
The movie’s plot kicks into gear when Operation Strix, the long mission Loid is on which made him create his faux family, is put into jeopardy due to slow progress. To rectify this, he has to help Anya earn a level of distinction at her school that will grant them access to persons of interest.
Through a more convoluted turn of events than can be neatly summarized here, this leads to the Forgers embarking on a vacation to the mountain town of Frigis, home of a very special, and specific, dessert. But on the train ride there, Anya runs afoul of a sinister pair of soldiers on a mission for the devious Colonel Snidel, who wants war to erupt between the East and West. She accidentally swallows a piece of intel that could swing the fragile balance of power, and hijinks ensue.
Multiple layers of absurdity
The entire bananas premise behind “Spy x Family,” with its multiple layers of absurdity, make up a large part of the show’s charisma. It’s there when Loid and Yor mistake each others’ expressions and gestures for something they’re not, or when they have to make sudden, often asinine, often hilarious excuses for their whereabouts or mysterious injuries.
All of this is present in “Code: White,” whether it be Loid overthinking every last minor detail, to Yor wondering if Loid is having an affair, thanks to a coworker’s breakdown of what telltale behavior a husband displays when it happens.All this is already very funny and entertaining, but the true breakout star of “Spy x Family” is Anya, and with good reason. The expressiveness of her facial distortions and Atsumi Tanezaki’s voice work as the character are a masterclass of anime humor. The panic in her voice whenever she “hears” a fresh and vital piece of information due to her telepathy never fails to delight, as does her desperation and sulkiness when faced with her report card from Eden Academy.
Of course, besides the humor, there is the action element, made more complicated by the husband/wife duo trying to keep their identities safe. It helps that Loid is a master of disguises, and Yor works mostly in the shadows as an assassin, but the tension gives their scenes an added frisson.
If there are any qualms about “Code: White,” it’s with the way things feel wispy as far as consequence goes. This speaks to the question of whether it’s canon or not; some scenes come tantalizingly close to upsetting/threatening the status quo but then get walked back. The ultimate result is “Spy x Family”’s first movie resembling the dessert the Forgers went to Frigis for: complicated, delicate and delicious, but not as filling as the viand. —CONTRIBUTED INQ
