Review of Spy x Family Season 2
This season isn't bad at all, by any means. Sporting a great opening yet again, and an even more phenomenal ending credits track, there are a lot of great moments here. Here, we are narrowing down on the themes of family and tradition, putting aside the main mission completely. You can absolutely view this as the slice of life season, even though these themes have been here since the start. The show is starting to test its limits with its running premise, mainly with trying to pull out as many jokes as one can from this premise. This show might be the most tonally consistentanime here. A true specimen of chaotic elegance, wrapped up with a ribbon in all its fancy presentation. Yet, it is so hit or miss. The comedic side of the show can either be fantastic or subpar, and it isn't crazy to say certain gags are significantly less funny. This season is lacking some of the magnificent side characters that are absolutely hilarious to watch. The episodes we do get to see them are without question some of the best. The whole side story with Yuri cracking down on a Westalis propaganda printing scheme. It's somehow realistic and humanistic, with a nice touch of absurdity.
Spy x Family is really pushing how far they can take these gags. We are showed the same thing structurally, repeatedly, yet it still somehow manages to make it hilarious. At least, most of the time. Certain gags are more sound than others, leading to a mismatch in quality when they are recycled. Some allow for more spin-offs in it's comedy while others are cut and dry, leaving a creative difference between the foundations. Even so, Spy x Family manages to interweave its slice of life aspect with it's chaotic, comedic world quite well, especially in this season.
What really bugs me about this show is it misses so many opportunities. There are many instances where, production-wise, things can be improved. It's not that they are bad, it's simply neglecting the experimentation it once showed. It's so weird, since we've clearly seen in other seasons that the studio is willing to innovate in its presentation. For instance, the montage sequences are abysmal. It's more formulaic in this season, even when they try their hardest. There are some simple fixes that can be applied simply by adding subtly, something this show only utilizes on occasion. Then we have Spy x Family overworking the narrator on pointless recaps, because at this point it's a running gag how many times they bring up the most basic summary of the premise this show offers. They do this multiple times throughout the season and I am not sure why they even bother.
Still, this season finally asks some important questions, but it has yet to answer these questions, even if we already know the answers. The cruise ship storyline itself is well-polished, but we should have got more out of it. The show still scratches that surrealist itch, with outlandish fight's and characters being introduced. The side characters in this show are so enthralling, as well as our three lovely protagonists. It's a big buildup for the next season and I don't doubt they will deliver, but if you're expecting any conclusions here, you won't find them. That itself makes it difficult to recommend, even when there is so much character in this show. Still, this is a worthwhile watch.