Hello folks, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am eager to return to the ongoing drama of the Forger clan, and see what new troubles await in the wake of Loid’s successful Penguin Operation. The show seems to have arrived at a comfortable narrative neutral at this point, with Anya’s successful integration into school life leaving time for ambitious larks like the dodgeball episode or aforementioned penguin shenanigans. That’s fine by me; I’m interested to see how this story develops, but Spy x Family is most fundamentally feel-good comfort food, elevated not by the wild twists of its narrative, but by the skill and polish with which it executes comedy beats and family moments. A tale’s intrigue is largely defined by the facilities of its teller, and between the strong base material and exceptional adaptation, this production is a tale-teller I have come to trust. Let’s see what nonsense our makeshift family’s been getting up to!

Episode 13

“Project Apple”

New cour means a new OP! Hell yeah, I was pretty tired of that last song

Intense use of variable shading and racking focus for these little snapshots of the characters’ lives. This effectively creates a sense of looking back on perhaps distorted memories, but more importantly bolsters a sense of aesthetic continuity across a series of otherwise divergent images

Hah, apparently Tetsuro Araki directed this OP! It’s certainly just as energetic as you’d expect from him, with lots of inherently dynamic or actively panning camera angles, and a careful balance of intimate, family-oriented close shots and voluminous, action-oriented long shots. I don’t tend to prefer the kind of stories Araki likes to tell, but the man certainly knows his way around a layout

Also lots of bubbles, which feels like it just might be a cheeky nod to his recent film release

Ooh, nice layouts as we cut in to our presumed dog-nappers. Establishing shots are set behind the bars of a nearby gate, naturally aligning these characters with ideas of entrapment, and also implying through the “cameraman’s” concealed surveillance that we are witnessing something we are not supposed to. When you frame a shot as if the camera’s operator is covertly spying on its subjects, you’re generally creating either a sense of witnessing a secret or hunting a target

Apparently there’s an upcoming political summit shared by the East and West. But enough of that boring stuff, here’s Anya stuffing her goofy cartoon face

As befitting a season premiere, we’re being absolutely spoiled with character animation here. Anya’s absurd faces are obviously great, but I also appreciate quieter touches, like Loid’s brief surprise and bright smile at Yor bringing him breakfast. It’s a series of reactions you’d never have expected from him early last season; he’s learning to be more spontaneous in his reactions to the family, and opening himself up to new experiences

The family sets off for the pet shop

Oh my god, I love the design of this mafia don bulldog at the pet shop. What a horrible animal they have invented

HE’S STANDING UP LIKE A MAN. HE’S GOT A SIX PACK. WHY DID THEY CREATE THIS CREATURE

Dear lord, now they’re flexing and showing off their muscles. This is the worst thing Spy x Family has ever invented, why would you bring these creatures onto this earth

I do appreciate that all these awful dogs also concernedly turn to look when Loid feigns a stomach ache. They might be crimes against nature, but they’re still good dogs

Loid is actually summoned for an emergency summit, as it seems there’s a plot to assassinate Foreign Minister Brantz

Extreme closeup shots frame Handler as intimidating and inescapable, her face consuming the whole frame to emphasize her domination of this interrogation subject

Also nice to see the story finding other uses for Loid’s “master of disguise” gimmick, and thus maintaining it as an enduring, significant aspect of his character

Their plan was to strap bombs to dogs, thus forcing good boys to do bad things. Heinous

From penguin couriers to dog bombs – I can’t tell if this author loves animals or hates them

This episode is working hard to give Handler a sense of larger-than-life intensity, here bolstering more extreme closeups with reflections off her glasses and a short focal depth, all intended to draw the eyes towards her powerful stare

We get our first unobscured glimpse of the Forger’s dog-to-be, who looks much like a giant white rug, or perhaps a snowy mountain

It appears their dog can see the future, a skill he uses to rescue a boy from a falling sign. Sure, precognitive dog, that seems like it’ll fill out their proficiency set nicely

Of course, since Anya has already revealed she possesses at least some ability to read animal thoughts, that also means Anya can see the future now too. I can already imagine what a powerful duo they will make, with the dog presumably being the sensible counterpoint to Anya’s rash fantasies

And yep, that’s affirmed immediately, as Anya receives a vision from this dog’s perspective, looking back at the whole Forger family. Oh god, what sort of causality issues is a dog who can see the future going to cause? Would that future even come to pass if Anya hadn’t received a vision of it? This is why you don’t fuck with time travel, or if you do, you at least make a solemn promise Not To Think About It Too Much

Anya can think of no way to convincingly direct Yor towards this dog, and so elects to investigate matters herself. She may not be a great student, but “how can I frame this in a way that doesn’t reveal my powers” is certainly stretching her critical thinking skills

The contrast between head terrorist Keith and Anya’s visual designs is a natural exercise in visual design: Keith is all sharp, violent angles, while Anya is all soft, rounded shapes. It’s important to pay attention the inherent emotional resonances of your designs, whether you want to lean on them for shorthand characterization or subvert them to create a sense of surprise

“You picked the wrong guy to borf at.” I appreciate these translators committing to the bit of this dog’s uniquely weird bark

One of the better gags built on the contrast between Yor’s honed skills and less-honed perspective here, as she leaps into the rafters and wonders if Anya’s been eaten by a dog

We learn that “Project Apple” was a secret Ostanian initiative designed to create super intelligent animals. Well, that doesn’t quite explain seeing the future, but I suppose it’s a step in that direction

I like the unspoken gag of every single member of this terrorist group’s name starting with “K.” Just a little dash of nonsense on top of this allegedly serious subplot

Lots of really impressive running animation for this dog, which I imagine is a pretty narrow skill set

And Done

Yor has arrived, and Anya is saved! We went right up to the buzzer on this episode, which I imagine means the assassination plot will continue straightaway next time. That sounds fantastic to me; this episode already more than proved how the Forgers’ dog might compliment and complete their family unit, providing Anya with all sorts of new tools in her quest to save the world. “The Forgers combine their abilities to save the day” has always been one of this series’ most alluring latent promises, and with dog in tow, it seems like that dream is closer than ever before. The jokes were many, the animation was luscious, and the story continues to evolve in exciting directions. Keep on charming us, Spy x Family!

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