REVIEW: ‘Spy x Family,’ Episode 18 – “Uncle The Private Tutor/Daybreak”

What is the measure of success? Is there a universal standard all must pass in order to succeed, or does it change from person to person? Can a failure for one person be a triumph for another? And is it better to praise a small accomplishment, even if it doesn’t succeed completely when you know the person attempting it gave it all they had? This is the core concept that Spy x Family Episode 18 presents to viewers and I love its conclusion.

Spy x Family is an action/comedy shonen anime produced by WIT Studio and CloverWorks. With Anya’s attempts to endear herself to Damian bearing little fruit, she must shift her focus to surviving the school’s coming midterms. But with the test coming when her mental powers are unavailable, drastic action must be taken. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Spy x Family Episode 18 looks to see if the unique village that makes up the Forger Clan can help its youngest member rise to the challenge.

With Anya’s continued schooling on the line, everyone in the family turns out to help her try to pass her coming tests. Even Yuri lends a hand to the young academic, with mixed results. But even with Loid and Yuri doing what they can, and Yor cheering from the sidelines, at the end of the day, it all comes down to Anya. Her struggles and inspirations ring with the purest elements of a child’s perspective. Despite the massive challenge before, she does her best in her quest to not let her father down. As she would say, no leash is power!

Once the studying is done and the test is taken, Spy x Family Episode 18 follows Loid as he sets out to break into the school’s vault and give Anya a little extra “help.” His efforts are made much harder thanks to the appearance of an inane spy calling himself Daybreak, who seems to be headed to the vault for reasons all his own.

This sequence is largely comedic, as Loid watches this would-be spy make a real hack out of his approach to infiltration. His running observations are pure gold, but what makes this secondary sequence truly great is how Loid ultimately helps Anya. It shows some real growth for the character, both as a person and as a dad.

The animation does a great job of bringing all the struggles, mishaps, and small triumphs of this episode to life. The brilliant visual presentation of Anya’s many moods continues to define how funny facial expressions can be. The girl can get more laughs with a single smirk than many shows can muster in an entire episode. The animation also does a fantastic job of crafting the ridiculous Daybreak character. This introduction has me hoping that he will appear again, if for no other reason than simply so I can see him perform his “stealth” roll again.

Spy x Family Episode 18 continues to deliver everything the show’s fans have come to expect and love. Its unique blend of wonderful characters, great comedy, and heartfelt moments once again shows why the Forgers are one of the best-found family’s on tv.

Spy x Family Episode 18 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.