Review of Spy x Family Season 2

The second season of Spy x Family revitalizes what initially got me interested in the show in its first twelve episodes. The first season of the show was very solid for its first twelve episodes, but it then showed an unfortunate lack of direction for the rest of its runtime. The direction for the first half of season 1 was clear: establish Loid's mission and set the tone for the rest of the series. It was highly effective at this, and any viewer should have been well acquainted with what his duties as a Spy entailed by the end of the first half of theseason, as well as Anya's role in helping him achieve his objective. The second half of the first season, meanwhile, did not seem to accomplish much of anything throughout its run. Loid made some slight progress in his mission by the end of it, and Bond was introduced as a character, but neither of these were meaningful developments that left an impression.

Thankfully, season 2 has rectified this. The direction of season 2, while perhaps not quite as solid as the beginning of season 1, is still much more clear than the second half of season 1. Whereas the first part of season 1 was about putting us in Loid's shoes and understanding his life and mission, season 2 finally shifts the focus to Yor. Despite the show constantly reminding us of her occupation as an assassin, we have seen shockingly little of it in action before now. Finally, she is properly put in the spotlight for a considerable portion of season 2. This makes for a sensible development from season 1: whereas season 1 is about Loid, season 2 is about Yor.

Frankly, I think the overall pacing of the show would have been far better if most of the second part of season 1 had been cut entirely. But as is, season 2 is still a perfectly entertaining and satisfactory follow up to the first and a breath of fresh air from some of the more lackluster aspects of first season's latter half.