Spy x Family Volume 8 gives readers a family cruise, Forger family style. Nothing is ever easy. Even less so when your family comprises a spy, assassin, telepath, and seer. With story and art by Tatsuya Endo, translation by Casey Loe, and lettering by Rina Mapa, this volume, serialized in English by Viz Media, continues the intrigues of the Forger family as they try to keep their respective identities hidden. The only one with a clue is 1st grader and telepath Anya. Chockful of action and identity hijinks, Spy x Family Volume 8 continues to shine with the hilarious, zany family front and center.
Spy x Family Gives Drama and Hilarity on The High Seas
This volume covers Missions 45 – 53 and an additional Short Mission 6 (each mission is a chapter). Bond is rarely seen in this issue since he is not on the cruise. Though considering the amount of drama, Bond is fortunate. Neither is the Forger family together. Loid, a spy, known as “Twilight,” and telepath Anya are on the same cruise with Loid’s wife and Anya’s mother, Yor, an assassin known as “Thorn Princess.” But Yor is there on business and is in first class, while Loid and Anya travail the cruise in third class.
Yor has her work cut out for her in Spy x Family Volume 8. She has to play bodyguard to a mom and her baby while avoiding outright conflict in front of people and staying hidden from her husband and daughter. Plus, there are a lot of contract killers aboard the ship, all aiming to kill her clients. The entertainment gradually but revs up when Anya uses her telepathy and realizes a killer is looking for her mom.
Anya does not know what will happen if her parents learn about her and each other’s secret identities. As such, she needs to prevent her dad from running into her mom. When her mom is near, she makes things difficult for her father while they are inside a souvenir shop. Poor Loid is so busy stressing about whether he looks like a father. Anya pushes him to the point where he wants to try on all the clothing in the store. Then she runs to help her mom, disguised in a mask and fighting a killer in front of an audience. Through Anya’s help, all the guests witnessing the battle believe they are watching an orchestrated performance.
Comedy Galore With A Deeper Message
What makes Spy x Family, both the manga and anime, so compelling is the blend of comedy, action, and heart in an urban setting. One of my favorite book quotes is, “it’s the family we choose that counts,” and this series gives weight to those words. The family comes together for convenience but finds something more than a cover. Anya is the MVP of the series, both in laughs and determination.
The comedy keeps the laughs rolling, but watching each member navigate what their family means to them is equally charming. In Spy x Family Volume 8, Yor struggles to figure out how she feels about her family, as she struggles to protect her charges and secret. The question is when will they learn each others’ secrets, and that question is right up there with when will Mulder and Scully kiss in The X Files. Thanks to the overall entertainment value of this series, I am happy to wait and enjoy the journey. Spy x Family is always brimming fun and fights.
