Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. It’s currently a bleak and drizzly day outside, so I’m thinking we disperse these clouds with a sunny slice of Spy x Family. I have to admit I’ve been getting quite fond of the Forger clan over the course of these adventures. Spy x Family possesses just the right balance of deadpan comedy and character intimacy to appeal to me, with its initial hook of “look at these wacky characters in this outrageous scenario” swiftly making way for the firmer, lasting allure of people you know well doing their best by each other (while still screwing up plenty in the process). And with the last several episodes offering a closer perspective on Yor’s feelings, it’s finally starting to feel like all three of our Forgers are equal partners in this grand fabrication, collectively weaving a fantasy of the life that their circumstances have denied them. With Yor’s fears hopefully assuaged and the family closer than ever, let’s get back to Spy x Family!

Episode 10

“The Great Dodgeball Plan.” Oh, this should be excellent

We open on our dear headmaster, up bright and early for his morning jog. Excellent visual comedy beat in the bizarre contrast between his extravagant, old-fashioned beard and modern jogging suit

And of course, like the Forgers, he stops to salute the school founder’s statue

There’s a palpable sense of volume conveyed in the detailed linework and lighting of this preparatory montage; the carefully illustrated creases of his hand as he polishes his shoes, the way his monocle fits snugly into the indent of his overhanging brow, etcetera. It helps give these motions the sense of solemnity and import that the headmaster himself clearly sees in them

His fastidiousness is further emphasized through his use of an hourglass to time his own tea break. Every element of his life’s structure has been polished to perfection

This cold open is an effective way to reset the audience’s focus. After several episodes where Eden wasn’t really an active concern, we’re now being newly grounded back in the drama of classmates and Tonitrus Bolts

In a class photo on the wall, Damian is the only student without a parent to hold their hand. That sounds like a fertile vein for drama – I could easily see this story moving in a direction where the lack of familial warmth in Damian’s allegedly “real” family is contrasted against the genuine fondness shared by the allegedly “fake” Forgers

This also makes some sense of Damian’s prior behavior and values. Presumably his father thinks of value primarily in terms of status, meaning Damian has also learned to pride himself on his familial position rather than his own merits. I could see his growing awareness of the bonds shared by the Forgers serving as a sort of awakening for him, making him realize how family can be so much more than just a status symbol

This idea of family simply being a status symbol or something to compare yourself to is further emphasized by the introduction of Damian’s older brother, a former Eden student who was apparently a massive overachiever. Damian seems deeply intimidated by his brother’s excellence

I’m guessing Damian’s father is much like Loid was at the start: judging his children by how much they can do for him, and not taking their own desires into account

Apparently an interclass dodgeball tournament is coming up, and the MVP is expected to get a Stella

With this dramatically extended cold open, alongside the careful illustration of the time leading up to classes (complete with constant glances at clocks, hourglasses, and other timepieces), this episode is doing an excellent job of conveying the sense of an ominous countdown, like we’re ticking down the minutes to some explosive dodgeball catastrophe

The Forgers also learn of this alleged Stella opportunity. Time to hone Anya into a peerless killing machine

“Very well! I will teach you the ultimate killer move with a ball!” Terrific

Lots of nicely composited incidental shots throughout this episode. This shot of a puddle outside disrupted by our characters’ footsteps is a very effective transition, with little details like how the ripples affect the reflected light and the movement of a nearby leaf helping to capture a whole change in atmosphere in a single moment

This is also just a fundamentally strong episode concept. Anya’s design is so inherently harmless that any attempts to make her seem strong or intimidating are going to be pretty funny

Yor’s dodgeball-throwing technique is as terrifying as expected. Another strong compositing flourish there, with the overlay of visible wind helping to clearly illustrate the insane power of her arm

“I decided to let Yor handle this.” Providing Anya with a physical challenge like this is indeed a good way to get Yor involved in the operation, as opposed to more of Loid lurking around the campus

“I need to become an Imperial Scholar like my brother, otherwise Father will never notice me.” Yep, as expected. Damian’s father only appreciates his children for the renown they can shine back on him, and so Damian has learned to assess personal value in purely utilitarian terms as well

Anya also “overhears” these thoughts. Her experiences with Loid and Yor might allow her to break Damian free of this way of thinking

We get yet another shot of a clock as the teacher calls them to gather round. Loving how consistently this episode has leaned into this “countdown to doom” conceit; even if you don’t actively notice it, this parade of clocks will likely still foster a subtle sense of anticipation and anxiety

And of course, the opposing team has a “child” who towers several feet above his classmates, and is utterly rippling with muscles. I guess we’re doing the Hunter x Hunter dodgeball match now

His name is Bill Watkins, a name that presumably sounds a lot more intimidating if you’re less familiar with European naming conventions. “Bill Watkins” sounds like a mailman, not a menace

“He won lots of awards in kindergarten!” “The Monster of Bodam!” “Are there even that many awards in kindergarten!?” For as much as the adaptation adds to this story, Spy x Family wouldn’t work if its line-by-line dialogue wasn’t so inventive and inspired. “The opposing team has a monster of a ringer” is an easy comedic layup, but all of these distinctive further titles and comments are what really sell the joke

As expected, Bill has the deepest voice imaginable. Bless this boy

His training montage is incredible. Love the contrast of his preposterous upper body against his equally muscular father

After the absurd spectacle of Bill knocking out four opponents with one throw, the production pulls off a terrific followup joke leaning on anticlimax, with the very absence of fluid animation for Becky being defeated making it all the funnier. I always appreciate such a medium-specific gag like this

These cutaways to Damian’s own training regime are wonderful. The episode just keeps doubling down on its self-seriousness, to the point where Damian’s now holding back energy beams in a landscape that’s clearly from Dragon Ball

Damian’s special attacks are actually pretty adorable. He and his friends clearly put some thought into these absurd tactics

This episode is basically a masterclass in comedic anticlimax, again and again demonstrating the power of a melodramatic buildup to an underwhelming payoff

Anya’s psychic powers are a perfect counter for Bill’s keen strategy! What will you do now, Bill!?

But she trips and falls! Damian, will you sacrifice your Stella for Anya!?!

Love how fantasy and reality basically fuse as we move towards the climax. Damian was just imagining himself holding back a terrifying energy beam before, but now he’s really squaring off with these insane Hunter x Hunter cannonballs

We even get an incredible spinning pan just for hyping up Anya’s final shot. They built a goddamn 3D rig of this gymnasium just so Anya’s throw would look cooler. Bless this team

Of course, this is all just the setup for another preposterous anticlimax. We’re experiencing some Nichijou-tier dedication to the joke this episode

And Done

My god, that episode was a goddamn masterpiece. So smartly structured, so generously executed, and just so fucking funny from start to finish. This was easily Cloverworks’ most impressive episode so far, benefitting both from storyboarder/director Norihito Takahashi’s cohesive vision, as well as some of the most fluid and ambitious cuts of animation so far. The use of consistent visual motifs, the building preposterousness of each new flashback and training regimen, and that unerring faith in the power of comedic anticlimax… this episode was a self-contained marvel of comedy, and managed to push Anya and Damian’s relationship forward while never straying from its ludicrously self-serious tone, or abandoning its fundamental focus on setup and payoff. While I love Spy x Family for its charming family moments, an episode like this proves that with sufficiently distinguished execution, the show can absolutely excel as pure farce. You blew me away with this one, Spy x Family!

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