REVIEW: ‘Spy x Family’ Season 2 Is Charming If Meandering

Spy x Family Season 2 is something of a mixed bag. The series will never not be a comfort watch, delivering an abundance of joy each week as we continue to watch the adventures of Anya (Atsumi Tanezaki), Loid (Takuya Eguchi), and Yor (Saori Hayami). But compared to its first season, Season 2 often relies too heavily on vignette-style storytelling or stories that fail to move the narrative forward. It’s undeniable fun with tremendous, constantly impressive animation, but not much happens.

Based on the manga written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo, Spy x Family Season 2 continues to follow the exploits of the Forger family. While Loid works to maintain the illusion that they’re the perfect, ordinary family, Anya continues to try to win a coveted Stella at school. The main objectives of the characters remain the same as they were in Season 1, but with the added weight of growing affection for one another, even if they (Loid) won’t admit to it. The season isn’t so much a retread of what’s already happened but a chance to double down on subjects already introduced, from Loid’s inability to chill to Becky’s crush on Loid and Damian’s need for a real childhood. Season 2 is successful because the blueprints for these characters were already so well defined that we can be thrust straight into a personality-driven episode such as Yor and Loid’s date night without questioning motives or actions.

The date night episode remains one of the season’s highlights, especially as the main point of contention relies on the innate humor of Yor having been shot in the butt. It’s an extreme level of a comedy of errors and misunderstandings as Loid believes Yor’s angry with him when, in reality, she’s in massive amounts of pain but can’t tell him as they exist in a relationship of secrecy. This family that isn’t a family (but kind of really is) still knows so little about one another regarding the grand scheme of things. The fact that Yor is an assassin, Loid a spy, and Anya a telepath has yet to be revealed to one another, adding to the humor and drama in equal measure. It also makes their bonds with one another more integral to the story.

Yor is given the greatest spotlight this season due to the mini cruise ship arc, which allowed her to demonstrate her considerable skills as an assassin when faced with seemingly immeasurable odds. This arc also showcases the immense talent of the animators with swift, bruising action sequences that possess a necessary visual coherency as we never lose a character or their directive as Yor moves to kill. But it’s not just the significant action set pieces that work to convey the talent and sheer scope of artistry. From the landscapes of their town that emulate 101 Dalmation architecture that infuses a hand-painted effect to the constant, ever-changing array of faces Anya is drawn with, there are deft, detailed hands crafting this world.

The series’ innate strength and sheer quality almost become its detriment because we know how formidable it can be at its best. And while we continue to grow attached to these characters and invested in their stories, Spy x Family Season 2 suffers from plots that go nowhere. There needed to be a stronger throughline for the montage and vignette narratives to exist around, rather than those episodic stories making up the bulk of the season. Take, for instance, Anya’s school escapades, which were central to the story’s development in season one. In comparison, Season 2 hardly spends any time there aside from brief moments or half episodes. The start of the season, in particular, was bogged down by supporting characters being given too much screen time when our main interest lies in the members of the Forger family.

That said, again, the series remains an undeniable comfort. There’s no need for the show to transform itself into a darker, grittier storyline when the central heart is derived from slower, relaxed moments between Loid, Yor, and Anya. But there does need to be momentum and a forward trajectory. Season 2 lacks any sense of urgency, happy to simply exist with these characters as we take fleeting peaks into the interior of their lives.

Spy x Family Season 2 remains a delightful escape even if it doesn’t live up to its debut season due to its pacing and plotting. Perfectly sweet and bursting with intense comedic moments, the series is joyous and immersive as we become further entangled in the lives of the Forgers. It might lack energized storylines this time with its abundance of side plots, but it’s as engaging and charming as ever. Sometimes, that’s enough, even if we know it could achieve much more.

Spy x Family Season 2 is available now on Crunchyroll.