SPY x FAMILY is a worldwide hit and a must-watch series. Based on the manga by Tatsuya Endo, SPY x FAMILY is a co-production with WIT Studio and Cloverworks and focuses on a fake family that is just trying hard to be a real one. An assassin, a spy, and a psychic become a family, and with that comes endless humor and enough emotion to keep you in love with this found family. At Anime Expo 2023, we got the chance to talk with George Wada, WIT Studio President, CEO, and Producer.
When it comes to unpacking why WIT Studio ‘s SPY x FAMILY has had the phenomenal impact it has in such a short time, Wada explained, “We talk about it with the team a lot, and I think [it’s] because it’s a family at the end of the day. They are a fake family, but they are trying really hard to be a real family together.” It’s that genuine connection that comes through in the anime, as much as in Endo’s original manga. Striking a balance between emotion and hijinks isn’t an easy task, but it’s one that Wada says comes from following Endo’s lead. “Lucky for us, Tatsuya Endo, the mangaka, has the perfect balance in the manga, so when we animate it, we’re trying to be true to it. We try to keep the balance that is there, but then you have certain things in the series, like Anya, where that balance tips a little bit,” says Wada.
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But when the anime does tip the scales to humor, it does so with respect to what the character, in this case Anya, can bring to fans. Especially when it comes to creating an animation adaption of a story. In fact, bringing out the now iconic Anya’s humor wasn’t an easy task. When asked what the hardest element of adapting the tone of the series was, Wada explained, “Anya was very hard to bring to anime. We thankfully had Atsumi Tanezaki give us feedback on her performance and where to take the character. She guided us.” The life that the seiyuu (Japanese voice actors) brought to the anime can’t be understated, and Wada added, “We loved all of our seiyuu because they were all able to bring the emotion and match the characters perfectly.”
One of the beautiful things about speaking with George Wada was how much he loved the series, but also that he and WIT Studio love the anime fans. Wada says, “It feels like we made SPY x FAMILY with the fans. Episode one debuted, and then we read all the positive feedback and how much people loved Anya, and we knew we were doing something right, and we leaned in more.” Anya’s comedy is also what has led to the cosplay at events like Anime Expo 2023 taking over. On the topic, Wada said, “It’s amazing to see cosplay of the characters but they’re all so tall. It’s funny and great to see a 6ft anya or a muscle Anya walking around.”
While the entire series has a stellar cast, Anya has quickly become a fan-favorite, and all of it is thanks to everything that Wada explained and more. The heart of the series, her eccentricity, her adorableness, and how quickly her moods become reaction memes have all shown her staying power. As Wada explained, her voice actress and WIT Studio’s ability to capture and dig deeper into her humor have solidified her as one of the best characters in anime. And with her, fans find the joy that the series can bring.
That joy is what George Wada says he hopes fans will take away from the series when they watch. Wada elaborated, “I want fans to take away the sense of joy from everyday life. Even if you’re having a bad day, we tried with the opening and ending to make you feel that sense of the every day and the joy life can have.” That joy and love that sets up the action and humor of the series are also thanks to the series’ unique sound. Of the series’ score, Wada said, “It’s not just one person making the music for SPY x FAMILY. Multiple people worked on the score for SPY x FAMILY in order to capture the breadth of sound and every facet. Instead of one person, there are a diversity of people creating the unique sound of SPY x FAMILY in all of the ways that it fits it.”
When asked about the character he identifies with the most, George Wada said Loid. His reason expands on the importance of just trying your best to make a family and to make it work: “I relate to Loid because making an anime in the studio with people it’s putting together a family to make it work. It’s like I am holding it all together with the team like Loid does.”
With a new movie announced, SPY x FAMILY: CODE White, the series is only going to keep soaring to new heights as fans wait for the news about a second season. But to get there, George Wada says that it’s going to take the fans’ support. On what he would say to the fans, Wada said, “Keep watching the series. We’re happy you love it, and for it to continue, we need people to keep watching.”
As SPY x FAMILY continues to be loved, WIT Studio has a number of new projects in the works, including a collaboration between WIT Studio & Warner Bros. for a new isekai anime title for DC Comics featuring their superheroes like Batman. But a new anime for the studio isn’t the only thing in the works, for SPY x FAMILY fans, Bandai announced at Anime Expo 2023 the inclusion of characters from the series to appear in Street Fighter 6.
SPY x FAMILY Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.
