Spy x Family Code: White Review

Spy x Family is a shonen series that has taken the world by storm as fans follow the misadventures of spy Loid Forger, adoptive daughter Anya, assassin Yor and their canine companion Bond. Now with two successful seasons of anime under their belt, the cast returns for an original film – Code: White. But does it prove a charming watch? Let’s find out! 

The story begins with Loid being informed that he will be replaced for Operation Strix, the undercover operation that has led to him forming a family unit with Anya and Yor. Understandably, Loid doesn’t want to leave this mission to anyone else and immediately begins thinking of ways to prevent being replaced. An opportunity soon arises when Anya comes home talking about how there will be a cooking contest at her school Eden Academy. Should Anya win she’s likely to be awarded a Stella Star, which would be a major boost to the status of Operation Strix and enough of an achievement to keep Loid on the mission. 

© 2023 SPY x FAMILY The Movie Project © Tatsuya Endo/Shueisha

It just so happens that the Eden Academy principal will be judging the contest and thanks to all his research on the school and everyone working there Loid happens to know what his favourite dessert is. To obtain the dessert (or the recipe for said dessert) the family heads on a trip to Frejis, which should be a relaxing family getaway but quickly turns into all kinds of chaos when Anya accidentally gets herself embroiled in a nefarious military plot! 

As is usually the case for Spy x Family, Anya is the only one who truly understands what’s happening – or at least has all the pieces to understand thanks to her mind-reading skill. She doesn’t understand why Loid is at risk of being replaced, but understandably she wants her family unit to stay together and is willing to do everything she can to make that happen. 

© 2023 SPY x FAMILY The Movie Project © Tatsuya Endo/Shueisha

Meanwhile, Yor is concerned that Loid might have a secret girlfriend, having spotted him talking to one of the other spies, Nightfall, and sharing what she thinks was a kiss. So on this trip, she’s preoccupied with worrying about Loid and whether he wants to break off their fake marriage not helped by the fact her colleagues gave her several warning signs to look out for, such as Loid giving her sudden gifts or wearing different styles of clothing! This only further fuels Anya’s concerns of course and causes her to scheme some ways for her adoptive parents to share some ‘lovey-dovey’ time on the trip. 

If you’ve watched or read any of Spy x Family before then you’ll know what to expect from Code: White. The story here could just as easily be a small arc in the TV anime or the original manga as it blends the comedic sense of adventure and real high-stakes drama, the likes of which we’re used to from original mangaka Tatsuya Endo. I also appreciate that although this storyline is centred on Loid (given the premise), it finds plenty of time to put the spotlight on Yor as well which is something I enjoyed in Season 2 of the TV series. Even Bond has some time to shine here, as he’s thankfully allowed to accompany the group on their trip. 

© 2023 SPY x FAMILY The Movie Project © Tatsuya Endo/Shueisha

It’s a self-contained story with no impact on the main series, but the beauty of Spy x Family is that it lends itself well to these kinds of storylines so this doesn’t feel like a problem the way it sometimes does for other shonen series like My Hero Academia. It’s relatively newcomer-friendly too, taking time in the beginning to briefly inform the reader of who each character is and what their relevance to the story is – including our three leads, which I think parents watching with children will especially appreciate. If you’re not an existing fan of the series, I would recommend watching all of Season 1 before the movie or reading up through Volume 5 of the manga just to have more context for who Nightfall is, but that’s not required by any means. 

Like the TV anime Code: White has been handled by a combination of Wit Studio and CloverWorks, although reading these two recent Sakuga Blog posts it sounds more like Wit Studio as CloverWorks were left to handle the majority of Season 2 of the TV anime. Still, even despite the busy circumstances, the film looks fantastic with plenty of humorous Anya scenes and the captivating action sections we’ve come to expect from Spy x Family. On the whole, I think it leans into the strengths of Wit Studio with less bubbly cute moments and more emphasis on the serious scenes, but that’s a compliment more than an issue. 

© 2023 SPY x FAMILY The Movie Project © Tatsuya Endo/Shueisha

Also like the TV series the soundtrack was handled by (K)now Name and while I wasn’t particularly blown away by the music (especially compared to how their music has been used in the anime previously) it’s certainly not bad by any stretch. The main theme song for the film is “Soulsoup” by Official hige Dandism, while the ending theme is “Hikari no Ato” performed by Gen Hoshino. 

The voice cast also made their return for the film and did a fantastic job in their respective roles. This is being released in cinemas with an English dub as well, but as our screener was for the Japanese subtitled version I can’t speak to the quality of that. 

Overall, Spy x Family Code: White is a great addition to this popular franchise. It’s a family-friendly affair that’s very newcomer-friendly while also offering plenty for existing fans to enjoy. The series is always at its best when all three of the main characters are involved in a single storyline, so this film plays to that strength and offers us the best of everyone. A recommended watch for all you Anya fans out there! 

Spy x Family Code: White will be released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from the 26th of April in Japanese with English subtitles as well as with an English dub. Ticket information can be found here.