Warning: The following contains spoilers for Spy x Family chapter #97!!
Tatsuya Endo shows how confident he is in Spy X Family‘s long-term prospects with his latest and most unique story yet. Henry Henderson and Martha Marriott have existed on the edges, and yet the manga is willing to give them a whole tale dedicated to their shared pasts. The manga understands that it has the time to expand on its world, and does not need to rush to a conclusion.
While the increasing number of side stories and detours makes the conclusion of Operation Strix a distant prospect, it is also a testament to how well fans have responded to Endo’s manga. The various secondary characters are so beloved that the author has been gleefully pushing the limits on how much to use them.
This has culminated in chapter #97, which focuses on two characters who have otherwise been minor presences.
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Spy X Family Chapter #97 Proves Endo Is In No Rush To Finish the Main Story
The manga’s main plot slows down to focus on Henderson and Marriott’s pasts
While the manga has devoted time to other characters, they’ve always been close to the Forger family, such as Yuri Briar or Sylvia Sherwood, and usually lasted one chapter. Henderson and Marriott’s story, however, is quite complex compared to their presence in the story: a multipart flashback with romance elements. It’s a major expansion for two characters who originally existed as representations of Eden Academy and Becky Blackbell’s immense wealth, respectively. But their recurring presence seems to have been enough for fans to want more of them, which is a credit to the author’s ability to make any character interesting.
It’s a far cry from the early days of the manga, which focused almost exclusively on the core trio of characters, who would intermittently interact with immediate associates. But with the story expanding into a whole franchise that even had its first movie, it seems Endo no longer has to worry about rushing to the finish line in fear of an imminent cancelation: Spy X Family is profitable and popular. Instead, the author is taking his time further building on Ostania with these extended flashbacks that show how a schoolteacher and ballerina grappled with the war and its aftereffects.
The New Chapter Shows Spy X Family Can Be About Anything, and Anyone
Original series created by Tatsuya Endo
Henderson and Marriott’s interlude is the result of a veritable storm of perfect conditions: memorable side characters, a schedule that can support them, and concrete plans on how to use them. While this does mean the story is dividing its attention when it used to focus more on both “spy” and “family” antics, the setting has grown robust enough that Endo is now able to, saving the Forgers for the ideas that best suit them rather than force them into overuse. Henderson and Marriott show that Spy X Family is more than espionage – it’s the story of a whole society.
Spy x Family
Created by Tatsuya Endo, Spy X Family is an action-adventure comedy anime that follows the misadventures of a found family with unique quirks. The story follows spy Twilight (known as Loid Forger), who, while on assignment, builds a fake family to get closer to his target. Unbeknownst to him, his new family carries their quirks. His wife, Yor, is a kind but deadly assassin, while his daughter, Anya, has telepathic powers – and is the only one who knows their secrets.
- Seasons
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2
- Streaming Service(s)
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Crunchyroll
