REVIEW: ‘Spy x Family’ Season 2 Episode 6 — “The Fearsome Luxury Cruise Ship”

In Spy x Family Season 2 Episode 6, Yor (Saori Hayami) continues her mission of protecting the remaining members of a mafia family to help flee the country with her young son. Following the cliffhanger in Episode 5 that revealed Yor’s mission had been compromised, “The Fearsome Luxury Cruise Ship” expands on that threat as assassins seek to kill Olga and Yor and her handler do as they can in order to maintain her safety. The threat is only amplified however considering Yor being forced to protect Olga without having to kill any of the assailants in fear of drawing unwanted attention. 

Continuing the cruise arc, the episode makes great use of Yor’s abilities without leaning into typical action. We’ve been shown numerous times her considerable strength, be it serious or comedic, and here the animation is able to demonstrate her skills through minimalism. From the casual maiming of a man’s hands from her strong grip to a well-tossed button knocking another man nearly unconscious, there’s a playfulness to how that strength is utilized by Yor and then visualized. 

But despite her order not to kill if possible, it’s an earlier death at the hands of her handler that is the most shocking and a reminder of the dark depths the show can reach. The sound effects of a man’s bones being brutally broken as he struggles to scream is one of the bleakest moments the series has depicted and, again, is done with a level of restraint that makes the moment land more. Yor’s line of work is lined with bodies, and the show, despite its fun and frivolities when it comes to certain storylines and characters, refuses to shy away from that. 

This is perhaps what elevates the humor of Loid (Takuya Eguchi) and Anya’s (Atsumi Tanezaki) storyline. Loid may have discovered many of the wiretaps present throughout the ship but it only made him more determined to lay low, fearing that anything out of the ordinary could cause him to be arrested as a spy. Anya, however, struggles to follow suit. In one of the funniest moments of the episode, she throws a full tantrum over Loid not immediately agreeing to buy her a souvenir, launching him into his own self-doubts over whether or not he is presenting the correct image of being a good, cheerful dad. 

It’s part of why Spy x Family Season 2 Episode 6 serves as a reminder that the shows best moments often involve the entire family unit or, at the very least, Loid and Anya’s dynamic. Because watching them square off in a weird war of wills always makes for strong comedy, exacerbated when Anya tries to distract Loid when she realizes (to a degree) what’s going on with Yor. Loid worries lead him to being overly agreeable and try on different souvenir apparel in the store but the hilarity comes from the fact that while he’s worried about not seeming like a father, his most father-like reaction is the fatigue of watching another meltdown. 

With Anya having left the store in fear of Loid seeing Yor and piecing together her true occupation and possibly dissolving the marriage and sending Anya away because of it, there’s a stronger likelihood of worlds meeting in the next episode. Or, at the very least, a larger likelihood of Loid growing increasingly aware of the danger that lurks on the cruise ship. “The Fearsome Luxury Cruise Ship ” strikes a strong chord of comedy and action, aided in particular by Tanezaki’s incredible voice work and the animator’s affinity for bringing to life Anya’s most repulsive faces. 

Spy x Family Season 2 Episode 6 produces the greatest laughs of the second season so far. Balancing humor and action while giving Yor deserved moments in the spotlight without sacrificing Loid or Anya’s story, the episode best exemplifies all of the many reasons why this show is so popular. By marrying the light and dark with kinetic animation, the season finally settles into its groove with a strong narrative push.

Spy x Family Season 2 is available now on Crunchyroll.