Review of Spy x Family Season 2
Spy X Family Season Two is a very conflicting sequel. It offered little in terms of actual plot progression for the most part. If you somehow developed an emotional connection to these characters in the 24 episodes that made up season one, perhaps so much filler wouldn't be an issue. But for the majority of people, myself included, it is rather underwhelming. For those who have watched season one of Spy X Family (and if you haven't, why are you reading this?), it's not like it necessarily gets worse than that first part. It's very similar in terms of quality. The problem lies in the factthat the majority of the episodes are sort of like side stories or filler episodes. This was an issue I had with the second half of the first season as well; with that and this part here, it feels like only half the episodes have any real continuity with each other. And even in those, a lot of them don't really progress the main story in any meaningful way.
The season begins with a few of these side-story-style episodes, but about halfway through, there's a stretch of episodes that could be considered the main plot of the season. The "Luxury Cruise Ship Arc" if you will. Which is pretty good and definitely the highlight of this part. But even that couldn't avoid feeling like filler in a way, just to a lesser extent. Of course, the story doesn't always need to be evolving, but the plot of this show at its core is about Operation Strix. And straying from that at times isn't a problem, but if I recall correctly, there was one episode in season one part two that was relevant to that main plot, and zero in season two.
This level of stalling is when a show goes from a slow-burn style show to just being completely pointless. The characters and random scenarios they find themselves in can be charming, no doubt, but there just isn't enough substance for them to remain interesting.
Again, filler isn't a bad thing. Not necessarily. I mean, One Piece probably has like 80–100 filler episodes, but it feels like if this anime ended up having 120 episodes, it would have more filler than One Piece. The difference is, of course, that One Piece has 1100 episodes.
Perhaps it's a me problem. Maybe you're not supposed to focus too much on the plot and pay more attention to the family's growth and the times they spend together and less about what it means. And if that is how you feel, then you'll probably greatly enjoy this. Because there is good character development.
The comedy definitely isn't bad. There were a few jokes specifically that were especially good, but a lot of them are pretty stale. There's nothing wrong with having similar comedy to the previous seasons, but when it's the same exact jokes is when it gets a bit much. Like with the Becky/Loid thing and Yuri's whole character (though the scene with the locker had me in tears).
Where the show really shines is in the more "wholesome" moments and scenes. I sort of get the impression that these are the most important parts from the perspective of the author. I can definitely see why they speak to so many people (though the "romance" scenes at school with Anya and her classmates kind of weird me out, not gonna lie). A lot about this season is pretty damn good; it just needed a plot to drive it forward. And it lacked that for the most part.
When it comes to visuals, it looks pretty good. Nothing mind blowing, but definitely solid. There is not much to say here. On the contrary, there's a LOT to say about the opening. Too much. I won't go into it though, because that one paragraph would be bigger than the rest of the review. It's... terrifying. The song is great, though. Ado is fantastic as always.
In conclusion, Spy X Family Season Two is underwhelming but not disappointing. Season one part two was pretty much the same way. Had cute moments, funny moments, but couldn't remain interesting because of a lack of a driving force moving the show forward. It's hard to appreciate all that stuff when you're not really gripped by any part of the story. Which makes it feel like a big waste of potential. 6/10.