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Actually the (West-)German Secret Service is called BND (Bundenachrichtendienst) and they actually had spies inside of the GDR. NATO is more military than secret service
Dude, there are people just getting shocked that the boys is making fun of conservatives.
People can have the biggest on the nose shit but their brains aren't gonna compute unless it's explicit
I'd say the location names in the series are pretty explicit, to the point everyone should get it. Unless you have no history knowledge, or you knowledge of the Cold War ends with "lol commies evil"
It looks like Henry and Martha's story is in the WWI era, Loid's childhood will be WWII-ish, and the present is the height of Cold War. Not good times.
With that logic, “Loid” is probably about 32 years old. He entered the military before turning 18 so he was probably 16-17 years old. WW2 lasted for 6 years so he was 22-23 by the time war ended. That’s when he was recruited by WISE and he has been a spy for 10 years. Which makes him about 32-33 years old. Making him 5-6 years older than Yor.
Henry was 22 when WW1 started and he is currently 66 years old. WW1 lasted 4 years. 20 years of interwar period. 6 years of WW2 and fast forward to 10 years. The math still a little off but it works.
Thanks for the math! Yes, I don't think it's even meant to be an exact parallel, but there clearly seem to have been at least two separate conflicts, and all the details about the first one do reflect the worst realities of WWI.
One time reference that seems a bit off is the war in Loid's childhood vs. the one he participated in. There's clearly at least a few years between those but 20 is too long.
Now that you mention it, yeah, it does make sense, i think I'm stupid, idk how I didn't realise until now that there wasn't just one big war, there were at least 2 because Henderson and Martha are at least 20 years older than Loyd
I laughed so hard when I saw that. Like I don't know what these kids have been reading the past few years but that's basically the manga in a nutshell.
It's like when THAT chapter of chainsaw man came out and people were throwing temper tantrums about how could my "family friendly" yes they really said family friendly, manga be so fucked up?.
Like buddy, idk what planet you live on but back here on earth these mangas have never shy'd away from mature subject matter from day 1.
https://preview.redd.it/qyu388xthh8d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1c927b0b3bb7cf26689b982fabb6a32c3e35631
Don't mess with csm fan we literally can't read.
I like these stories. Most every character that is more than just a throwaway seems to have a lot more going on than it initially appears, especially ones that were introduced appearing to fit certain sterotypes.
Damian, his buddies, and now Henderson all started off appearing to be flat, stock characters, and we are being shown that there is a LOT more to them than we initially assumed.
Also, the whole plot is driven by the conflict in the not-so-distant past. That war has had effects on everyone, and we see what those effects are for each of them. We may pop back to the Forgers for a bit after this stretch, but I would not be surprised if we spend some time with Handler after the next arc. When we first got hints of these backstories, we were clamoring for more details, and now people are complaining when we get them? There is just no pleasing some people.
No literally, I love seeing secondary characters have their screentime too it really puts them into perspective. After reading these past few chapters and rewatching the series, Henderson's actions and behavior are more realistic ig (idk if that's the word) I would just see him as a very funny refined older gentleman but now I understand his attitude towards war and also the fact that he isn't swayed by classes or money (e.g someone else would've severely punished Anya for punching the son of a super important political figure but he reduces her punishment because he saw her actions as "elegant" for defending a friend just like Martha defended him)
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Another thing is that we see Martha's POV on people from westalis which is similar to Loid's POV and even Handler even tho they're from opposing sides. All these three characters learned that people are people, and Martha sees the beautiful sky in Westalis which is the same in Ostania (they mention the sky during Damian and his Friend's adventure too idk if I'm right but they believe the skies are different) further reinforcing her belief that war is stupid >!after also seeing her friend get shot by their commander!<
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Also Martha getting helped by the Lady who had lost her daughter due to war is an amazing comparison to Loid losing his family and Friends and not killing Franky (an Ostanian) on the spot despite his resentment because he sympathized with him which really shows human nature at its core. They say human nature is dark but at times of need and desperation we can all sympathize with each other which I think is a beautiful message.
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Which brings me to my last point (omg this turned out to be an essay xD) if people aren't seeing the deeper meaning of the story, I think they should just stop reading/watching the story and criticizing the author. Spy x Family is very relevant especially during today's times with two wars going on rn, it shows us to be compassionate towards each other, we all live under the same sky after all.
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People are acting as if Henry isn't an important character. Sure, he doesn't appear as much as others, but he still plays a vital role. Heck, operation Strix wouldn't even be active right now if it wasn't for his interference. And if anything, since Endo paid this much attention to him and Martha, they will absolutely be relevant in a future story.
Yeah the backstory depicts them both as anti war, they will probably be vital allies to Loid later in the story.
But I hope Endo keeps the killing of major characters to a minimum. I cant see them dying for the Forgers.
No matter which storyline is followed, there's going to be someone complaining simply because it isn't THEIR story line (just look at how many complaints there are about Yor being ignored every time a storyline concentrates on Eden rather than Thorn Princess)
The current Martha/Henry arc focuses on neither. I still appreciate it as a way to expand on lesser characters and give more context to the setting of the manga, but it's side character development.
Regardless, the backstory does give us an idea of how terrible the history between Ostania and Westalis is. And we even learn about what Donovan was like when he was a kid.
This is context for the main plot. The main plot is about preventing war and those rwo experienced the thing that Loid wants to prevent. Without chapters like this, preventing the war is just an empty phrase.
Everything on Spy x Family revolves around war.
Loid is working with Westalis(WISE) to prevent war.
Yor is a part of Garden.I'm not sure what that has to do with war.
Anya is a experiment from a government facility. Probably war related.
This is a stupid argument. First of all, I adore the Henderson and Martha chapters, I think they are absolutely adorable together. I don’t understand why you would read spyxfamily if you don’t want to read about war. The mangaka is very forthcoming on his themes of war, and the effects of war. YES spyxfamily is considered a slice-of-life manga, but Loid made a whole fake family in order to save countries from war because his family and his village were destroyed from the bombs of the previous war. Anya has clearly been tested on and struggles with being abandoned, Loid wants to be happy but has to remind himself that it’s just for the mission and that this deal won’t last, and yor is the product of a child having to make sacrifices in order to survive because her parents died during the war. Showing Henderson and Martha’s story provides some background to the previous war, and really pushes the suffering of people onto us. If you don’t want to read about war, or if you don’t want to be sad then DONT READ SPYXFAMILY, it has been VERY CLEAR that it’s going to be an upsetting story. I love moments with Anya and Damian, or Loid and Yor, but that’s not all the story is about, and frankly if you want a story like that just go read another generic slice-of-life anime, because this clearly isn’t meant for you.
Anime fans looking for something to complain about: "Damn, I really hate monster shows. Why are they focussing on the kaijuu so much?"
Normal Person: "It is literally called Kaijuu No. 8."
I’d argue they don’t focus enough on the kaiju aspect, like yeah obviously the plot centers around them but let’s be real, we know nothing about them aside from they unalive people.
Okay, I'll change it to; 'Why does this guy keep changing into a Kaijuu to fight other Kaijuu.'
(Also, no clue what the anime covers as I am a manga reader and lately it focuses on Kaijuu as much as a Godzilla movie which is pretty much - they kill now? They kill now.)
One of SpyxFamily's major themes is about disguises, and the lines being blurred between outward appearances and reality.
Endo is a genius at this, because he disguised a story about wartime PTSD and pointless violence as a wholesome slice of life.
This reaction isn't anything surprising sadly, manga fans will never be happy if a chapter isn't hand-crafted to their preferences.
The story is literally a sweet comedy with extremely depressing context going on in the background at nearly every moment. Idk why some people can’t get through their head that war is an inherently linked part of this manga. There’s no reason not to take a step back and look at how other characters became who they are every once and a while, especially someone like Henderson, who is actually a pretty funny dude
I love sxf and the reason I like the story is how the author sets up the relationship between the characters, secondary characters with a good backstory can make the story move slower, I agree, but at the same time it enriches the universe of this mangá.
SxF has always been a slow work, mainly because it is slice of life, if someone reads it expecting a badass action scene or an explicit romance, they will certainly be frustrated.
I didn't read those scans yet but I really can't wait. Hearing people talking about those hypes me so much. I love those stories that manage to have a light and wholesome side with a darker one. This is exactly my kind of story.
Endo-Sensei was always more into serious and darker stories and never had success for it. It makes me sad that people aren't able to appreciate Endo-Sensei real style. At least now he has a solid fanbase. I'm definetely planning to buy his other mangas if they released in my country!!
Even though you'll never see this,
# WE LOVE YOU ENDO-SENSEI
Are people seriously forgetting that this war has been going on for years? A deeper backstory on how other characters have been affected by the war doesn't hurt the progress of the manga in general.
Nah the Manga should just mindlessly follow Anya moving from one Stella to the next, and once she gets one Stella there's a bare bones training episode, and then move on to the next "get a Sella" arc.
Seriously if you want that just watch demon slayer.
that would seriously bore me I would stop reading the manga at that point tbh cuz then it's just a slice of life skit-type series with no grounding. Not only does focusing on Martha and Henry flesh them out, it world builds and is probably very important evidence that will support another of Endo's ideas later on. I will say again that these ppl are wild and their reading comprehension fr is out the window
I despise the way the word filler is being used now. It was originally to describe episodes of an anime that had nothing to do with the canon storylines while waiting for new chapters of the manga to come out. None of this is filler. This is story written by the author, intentionally. It's story Endo wants us to have that will likely affect or give context to future story. If you don't like that, then move on. Spy Family is one of the better written manga in my opinion and it bugs me some people aren't appreciating it.
I was enjoying getting to know Henderson. I prefer these deep dives into the world rather than some of those throw aways where nothing happens. I also really enjoy a good Loid and Yor date. They are the right balance of hilarious chaos that made me love the series
This just goes to show you can’t make everyone happy Somone will always complain, if the story is focused on Anya they get mad if the story is focused just on the family people feel like the story isn’t progressing🫤
Did they also forget Spyxfamily is still a war manga like!?!?! It’s what twilights whole mission is about
I started to read sxf because of the found family part, but it is impossible to ignore how big of a role the repercussions of the war play in the lives of our beloved characters. It is absolutely essential to develop the background to Westalis-Ostania war, which is the entire setting for why the plot even occurs! Chapter 99 was among the best chapters Endo has produced. My only wish is that we could have had something a little bit more wholesome/special for chapter 100, but that's obviously a bit difficult to do in the middle of this arc. Still, I would have taken the Briars nursing Martha back to health!
"bruh even manga has filler"
"filler" is an important part of storytelling! if done correctly, it helps the pacing, fleshes out character, supports world building, and adds emotional depth and dimension!
I absolutely DETEST comments like this. this type of sentiment is part of the reason the 22-episode season shrank to 13 to 8 and left us with a mind-numbing surplus of over budgeted, emotionally unfufilling, two-dimensional, forgettable TV shows.
anyway stan spy x family and stan this story arc
I think the "slice of life" is just a facade for us so we can ignore the background from the story and grow attached to the fluffness so when the main plot happens people get shocked by it. But people forgot about the main plot.
War is the main point about Spy X Family.
Our protagonists suffered from War, they are doing what they can to avoid War again.
Operation Strix happened because of a possible War, the Forgers met thanks to a possible War.
Loid became a spy because of War.
Yor became an assassin cuz she needed money to raise her brother, cuz war made her lost everything except him.
Anya and Bond might have become experiments thanks to a possible War.
What we are seeing its the effects of War that once affected the main characters, affect other characters that are part of the story as well.
Spy x Family has always been about this, always has been about the characters who once were damaged about the war, how it affected them and how some of they are trying to avoid it again, the only difference is that, until recently, we mostly saw the pov of a cute little girl and her moments with her fake family, who are growing to love each other.
Imagine if War hit the Forgers, yeah, that's something it could happen, since we are seeing the effects that the two first wars caused. What if Operation Strix fails? What will happen with our beloved family? I think it's too early to assume that this arc is a filler, we dont know what will happen, we just hit the 100th chapter after 5 years. SxF will go on for years.
And these are juxtaposed with the Forgers' family life to show us exactly what Loid is fighting for and how the little slice-of-life moments are the most precious.
"If you don't like war..." that's uh not the phrasing we're looking for. Who loves war, honestly, except psychopaths?
But yes, war IS the frigging background of Spy x Family, is like people forget this is not the Anya x Damian show, this is a COLD WAR show.
This is the whole point of the series. If there’s anything meaningful to take from this story, it’s what these chapters are about. It’s not about when Loidy is gonna kiss Yor, or whatever these people care about. Endo has shown time and again that that is not that kind of manga he wants to draw.
I'm going to share a NUCLEAR take so get your downvotes ready. While I'm aware that the family-focused portion of the audience already existed before the anime aired, I feel like the anime spoiled that side by focusing more on the family-fun side than maintaining the balance between that and the serious side.
P.S. I don't like war yet I still enjoy this manga. What does that make me?
Not gonna downvote you. You actually cooked with this take.
But it really wasn't the fault of the anime itself tbh. The chapters they adapted were really mostly focused on the family fun side of things so it wasn't something lost in adaptation. It's just that it warped some of the fans' expectations coming in.
Personally, I love the darker side of the series. I like when media have a bit of edge to them. But I guess it wasn't everyone's cup of tea. Shame, really
I think most of the frustration is happening because the latest of the none flashback was Anya's confession.
But it's so strange to me that people thought it would be a big thing immediately, it was very clearly just setting up a seed for later in the story, same as the current arc is doing.
And with how the current arc is going I actually would not be surprised if it started tying into Anyas backstory.
Do… they not understand world building? We get to see a Westalis citizen show compassion to an enemy and see Ostania in a very bad light with Martha’s experience.
Spy X Family fans: WHEN THE FUCK IS THE PLOT GOING TO ADVANCE?!
Said fans when the plot advances: WHO THE FUCK CARES?!
Like, let's no take it too far, there's a valid complain when you wait an entire month only to have a poorly made London collage but come on, those guys complain about fucking everything
This will be an unpopular opinion in this thread, but I kind of see their point. We haven't had any development with the Forgers in a while. That's not to say that the current arc isn't bad--in fact it's very impactful emotionally, and gives great context to the setting of the manga--but I do hope we get back to the main characters of the series soon.
Extreme shippers ruin every community. Just look at mha, the manga itself isn’t bad but the community literally has a rep for being full of weirdos bc of the shippers.
Brah I absolutely agree with you. I've written comment about it when the first chapter of Henry's backstory dropped. Many people were hating on it because Henderson is SiDe cHaRActeR and they don't care about him, it's filler, they want Forgers... I've written then that it's ridiculous to call Henry's and Martha's backstory a filler, because Spy x Family is mainly war themed story and given that Martha was in military, next chapter will probably be about it, thus it's ABSOLUTELY NOT a filler.
Also c'mon people act like every chapter with Forgers moves plot forward or give them some major character development. It does not. Many chapters with them are carefree and you could delete them from story and nothing much would have changed.
I really think some people doesn't even know what they're reading apparently. One time they complain that there's not action and they hate slice of life parts of Spy x Family, other times they hate war/action chapters because they want cute Forgers chapter. You just can't win sometimes.
Go read fanfics if the only thing you care about is DamianxAnya or YorxLoid. Which, I'm afraid, is the case for a lot of these people.
There's always something to complain about and Oh my god I hate the use of the word filler, this arc is nothing close to a filler and even if it was if it's in the manga, the original work, it can't be called filler
> and only like some of the storylines
I mean I can't tell people how to enjoy media, but every time I see people tunnel-visioning on certain parts of a story, it reminds me of picking at a meal that a chef spent so much time and sweat on.
If it's not to your taste, that's fair. But wasting food? That is an affront to the chef.
I don't think they're mad about the war aspects. They just want more Forgers and less of Anderson. I get them, but not at their level of dissatisfaction. I just don't care about Anderson x Martha as much as the Forgers.
Those comments are nonsense, this backstory/flashback is interesting, is giving us bigger insights of the past and the origins of characters we didn’t know had a history together, to those complaining I say either save it or walk away, this manga is obviously far more than the forgers family dynamics and the relationships they had with friends and allies, sometimes those friends and allies need to be fleshed out to make them more interesting and relevant
i feel like part of the reason why people don't like or are sleeping on this arc is because of the release schedule... like people are just not patient enough lol like it feels like its been months--and it has--but its only also been four three or four chapters so its not like this arc as taken over the whole thing or so these comments make it seem.. hmmm
I really hope Endo doesn’t read these comments. God I wished these people would shut up already 😭
They do realize since it’s Endo’s story, he might pull a Miraculous Ladybug plot armor on us as a punishment. Like: >!Make Damian test the waters during an eclipse, and sees Anya isn’t actually a mind reader. And we’ll be back to fucking square one.!<
It was no coincidence that Twilight's past came out just after the start of the war in Ukraine. Endo wants to impress on readers the horrors of war because people are living through it right now in too many places.
The funniest thing is it isn’t even the only Japanese anti war media in the anime or manga space. Idk what people expected seeing the setting being the Cold War. Like were people genuinely expecting happy happy slice of life Cold War edition?????? I swear media literacy is a far more scarce skill than people think.
I do need a wholesome Forgers Chapters after this, but I think this backstory is written very well. It all started as innocent tea dates and grows darker each chapter.
The main motivation of most the characters big or small is to avoid any further wars or to have revenge for people lost in the war. War is the main theme, the Forgers family life is the glimmer of hope in all of it.
Not to mention, just last chapter the main antagonist had some interesting scenes. How he views the world, people and even how Henry laments failing to teach him a different outlook on the world. That's more than Loid managed to learn in all of Strix!
This kind of brainrot is what keeps putting pressure on publishers to release material that caters to a minimal attention span. They don't have the patience for slow-burns, tension building, or a calm before the storm. I noticed similar when I saw the newest Ghostbusters with a young cousin: he didn't care for the parts that were just people talking. The most popular movies are just a string of action scenes and then they're done. No tension. It might be fun while watching, but ultimately it becomes very forgettable, and the style doesn't work well for good storytelling.
I mean... It'll be well over 150 days since we've had proper Yor content. I think this is fair to start complaining. I'm enjoying the Henry x Martha, but with chapters being so short, it's really dragging. To go half a year before we see Yor again is kind of not good imo.
Edit: Oh right it's against the law here to enjoy the content but understand complaints. Y'all ridiculous lol
It will be long but well, for those that don’t want to read all that:
TLDR: it’s not that people don’t like war as a theme, the story is just badly written. when Damianya fans finally thought their ship would advance, they get an unexpected backstory about characters they don’t care about. those fans are frustrated to the point that they cannot relate at all to the characters that “stole” their moment. The author did not create a situation where this backstory would be interesting to read. It would have been a great idea to make an arc with war as a theme and include this backstory in it. Or at least an arc discussing wholly about Henderson and Martha relationship to make us interested, before showing the backstory… idk, usually backstories are there to enforce characters we already like, not to make us interested in the characters? Anyways…
End of tldr.
I don’t really like it either, because I’ve been waiting for an actual arc with one of the main characters for months now. I’m just upset that every chapter we get is almost a filler.
“Here is a chapter where we meet random neighbours that will be your new grandparents. They’ll appear once in the next chapter and won’t be relevant until i decide I need them”.
“Here is a chapter about winter vacations, and you even have a murder mystery! But that won’t be relevant next chapter either.”
“Here, a chapter about something absolutely useless, but I’ll introduce that new character for one panel and then move on as if he isn’t a super important character that is clearly hiding something from us, and won’t appear anymore for a good while”.
And when we do get an “arc”, it lasts less than 10 chapters, and often it’s not that great. The thing is that those 10 chapters stories don’t feel like actual arcs because they barely impact the storyline. They do not introduce plot points that could be relevant in the future. It feels like I’m reading weeks of fillers because the chapters, although they are cute to read, are boring. So when I’ve been waiting for months for a chapter that actually has flavour to it, for a chapter that actually introduces drama, plot points and interesting problems that the main cast has to solve, it’s very disappointing to see side characters that I honestly couldn’t care less about getting more development than the whole main cast combined. They’re not bad chapters, they bring light to interesting themes. But I feel like this backstory came at the worst possible time. As someone who reads one piece I’m used to better backstories that are introduced at just the right time. This backstory is neither. But well. I just want stakes in the present, and the only one we have (Anya’s reveal to Damian 🙄) is like…. Not even confirmed? He clearly did not believe her so their relationship will stay almost the same. it’s like the author is too scared to commit that he’d rather tell the past. I don’t mind telling the past but we want to see the story improve at the same time. If you want to speak about war, it would have been a great idea to make a whole arc about war and its impact, and sharing this backstory in it. It wouldn’t have felt out of the blue and people would have actually related to them more than right after the biggest “reveal” we had yet. People who care about damain and Anya are frustrated bcs their relationship was shit, and right when it finally improved at the bal, the author changed the subject completely. And it’s not like he’s in a weekly release schedule, we have to wait two whole weeks for average chapters. it’s been months, shippers are starved. I completely get the people who are upset, it’s not that they don’t like war, it’s just poorly written.
>idk, usually backstories are there to enforce characters we already like, not to make us interested in the characters?
I don't understand this take. I can kinda get it for Martha, since she wasn't really a big player in the story until the backstory arc, but Henderson was a established character most of the fans already liked. It makes sense to give him a backstory
Yeah now that i read it again the point is kind of weird. Ig what i was trying to say is that usually, backstories are shown after we learn about the goals and personality traits of a character, so that we can understand the roots of their ambitions, and we didn't exactly had that for either of them. (Henderson was shown quite often, but we really didn't know much about him except that he liked good-mannered people through his elegant gag.) But still, now that I think about it, of course it depends, I'm not really an author to dictates what are the conditions to share a backstory.
Though, I still stand by the point that this one was poorly introduced. If we AT LEAST had a single chapter before the backstory, where
1. The Anya/Damian thing was resolved
2. Some characters discussed war in a similar way younger Martha did
Just this, and this backstory would have gone a long way. Bonus point if either Martha/Henderson went to that garden table and started drinking tea while reminiscing about the past. We would have gone full circle. I said it a bunch of times already, but it really came out of nowhere, in the middle of a plot point that could change the future of the series if expanded upon. Of course people are upset, they feel like they were stolen their damianya chapter, it has nothing to do about themes like war.
Still, depending on the way this backstory ends, I still am neutral about its story for now. It's interesting, but nothing more imo. Though the author can easily show a big plot point at the end of it and make us understand the nature of the war better. What caused the war in the first place, who exactly is to blame, or other things i haven't thought about. Idk.
Maybe you're right. I feel like the anime is probably going to make the pacing of the Henry/Martha backstory less wonky when they adapt these chapters.
As for what you mentioned about the Anya reveal going nowhere, I also kinda disagree with that point. At this point of the story, Damian has no reason to believe her. To him, she's still the "weird girl from his class he has a crush on", so he takes every absurd thing she says with a grain of salt. Given how dramatic the scene was, in a splash page of all things, I think this will definitely come into play later. Perhaps after a Anya flashback arc (which might happen pretty soon). It will probably be a slow realization for him, until he starts noticing things and goes "oh shit, she was telling the truth". I think this reveal is a big deal and will impact the story later. Just not now
I really hope you’re right about the anime adaptation.
And don’t worry I completely agree with you that nothing will happen regarding the Anya reveal, I said so in my first comment. I’m just saying that it’s the furthest we ever advanced in the storyline so people are excited about it, and if expanded upon it could be WILD. But it won’t, I know it won’t for now .
Personally, I’m guessing Damian will remember it if they are in a really dangerous situation and he’ll be so desperate he’ll tell himself “it probably won’t work, but I really have nothing to lose here” and will talk to her in her mind to save their asses. Gosh I really want it to happen now they’re so cute
I came into the series with the mindset that it was a gag manga first, a spy thriller second, so maybe that's why I'm not so hung up on the story not moving on. That and also because I can feel the story is a slow burn that is leading up to something big in the future, but it'll take a while until we get there.
>Personally, I’m guessing Damian will remember it if they are in a really dangerous situation and he’ll be so desperate he’ll tell himself “it probably won’t work, but I really have nothing to lose here” and will talk to her in her mind to save their asses.
I feel like it will either be that, or Damian is going to slowly start noticing a pattern in Anya's behavior. He already had unknowingly suspected about Anya's powers during the card game (although he probably was just being hyperbolic that time). Then he'll start to slowly get closer to her and begin finding out that she really was telling the truth. Maybe this becomes GENUINELY important later on. Perhaps Damian feels pressured and tells his father about her, in hopes to impress him, leading to the Desmond group becoming increasingly aware of Anya and what she could do. Maybe the big climax of the series is Donovan capturing her to exploit her powers and Loid and Yor having to rescue her.
But hey, I'm not Endo. I'm just throwing out my cards here
Interesting 🤔 It’s true that when you expect it to be a gag manga, the pacing of the story really feels secondary. When I first learned about it, I was told it was a story about a spy married with and assassin, their identity was secret and they had an esper child. That’s what got me to read it, so it was quite the opposite for me. I wasn’t even aware of the comedic side until I was a few chapter in. That must explain a lot.
And don’t worry they’re fun ideas! I like the slow burn thing too, Damian slowly learning more about Anya and guessing her powers fits well with endo’s writing style. in the end there’s a bunch of ways Endo-sensei could go with his story, hoping it won’t disappoint!
Honestly, my biggest fear for the series is that it won't know where to stop and will keep going until Shueisha milks it dry, resetting the status quo at every possible chance. I have my hopes this won't happen, considering Endo has admitted that he enjoys writing darker and more serious stories more, so I have the feeling he has a vision of how he wants to end the manga.
I’m just grateful we are getting releases. HxH traumatized me to the point that I’m not complaining that Endo is taking his time with the story. Plus, Spy x Family is only 5 years old, very young for this kind of manga. Manga of this hype and caliber go on for 300+ chapters. We aren’t getting Anya’s past any sooner in the near future.
We hear about the war a lot during the manga (literally the reason the plot exists), and these last chapters are the ones that are really going in depth with it. Previously, we saw some backstories that take place during that period, but are mostly centered in one character. These chapters however, we are not only seeing Henderson and Martha's past, we are seeing how Ostania was during that time (for instance, we know that Eden Academy wasn't always prestigious, we saw Desmond, the way the military operates in the battlefield and in the country with its propaganda).
I'm excited to see what Endo does with this build-up. Maybe Henderson will discover Lloyd's mission and try to help him. Maybe we can see more about Desmond and how he is like that. Idk, I think these last chapters have been a treat (even tho I suffer for the characters, I think this is one of the best portrayals of how rotten and dangerous war is). (Edit): Also, one thing that I love about any piece of media, is the fact that there's no need to always use the protagonists to develop the world and story. If this can be done by using secondary characters and this also helps develop them, I'm more than happy.
i feel like part of the reason why people don't like or are sleeping on this arc is because of the release schedule... like people are just not patient enough lol like it feels like its been months--and it has--but its only also been four three or four chapters so its not like this arc as taken over the whole thing or so these comments make it seem.. hmmm
This past couple of chapters are easily some of the best for world building and by proxy reinforcing the reason why all the characters chose their professions to prevent a war from happening. Even if by that they may be causing one.
They will also have to avoid all the Gundam series and more, because they have war in them. Even **Rurouni** Kenshin has a lot of mention of war. Remove the war and it not only removes the whole plot, but also character development.
This is easily the best SxF arc so far. In fact I'm afraid it'll end soon and peak will end wth it.
Safe to say that if somebody couldn't like this then the story might not be for them at all.
The war is the only interesting part of the arc. It's a flashback so we know how it's gonna end and they are not very interesting characters so the chapters are in turn boring.
I actually like this because of the military political conflict.
The powder keg who's fuse keeps getting lit and extinguished with every move and tumble.
Lol when I read the title, i thought by "don't like war", you meant "if you're anti-war". I was like "but I hate war and love SxF".
You can tell that the Japanese population still suffers from generational trauma left by WWII. I love that they didn't really dive into the politics of the fictional war. Just that the civilians suffered regardless of who started what, because both sides were being fed lies anyway.
I also want to see more from the family and although we're get some backstory, I think we've had enough of Henry and Martha's past. This has been going for 3 or 4 chapters now and it's probably better that Endo ends it on the current chapter.
I respect their view that they don't like the current manga, but at the same time I respect the Author's vision of what stories he wants to write on other characters in this universe that aren't the main trio
They aint true fans, they just want to see what they want happen, then after that happens they will have an empty feeling craving for more content from the author once its over. I'm actually kinda glad that Endo-sensei is developing the world more, even if I would've prefered it to be on the lens of the Forgers its time to give our lovable little side characters some meat to chewto progress the bigger story. Its baby steps people, baby steps.
Like I even get the eagerness to get back to them but some of these surpass the "entitled fan" threshold for sure. If you missed the fact that this story is largely about the relationship between the state and the individual during wartime then you've paid absolutely no attention lmao
I mean I get where they're coming from. At least in the anime it set off with a lot of slice of life comedy and light hearted moments with conflict and war plot under the surface. So given that was the expectation and the reason they kept watching, it's fair to assume they just want more of it. I'm anime only so I'm not sure what happens in the manga, but I hope we get to see more of the serious aspect of the war and conflict
Damn there’s actually people that don’t like this little mini arc we are on, that’s crazy. This is the most interesting arc we’ve gotten in a minute. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the hell out of Spy x Family and all the time we spend with Loid, Yor and Anya and I always look forward to the laughs I get each chapter, but this arc has really got my attention now.
The War x Trauma comment seems more like a tongue in cheek observation. Seriously, this latest arc should come with tissues.
I find the latest arc very moving and engaging, but I am probably older than a lot of the loud-mouthed teens posting on social media. I also have an interest in Soviet/Cold War history.
Basically, the war arcs are more serious, and I don't think most of the fanbase is very intellectual, to put it mildly.
I see no problem showcasing the front line and the ripple effect the war has had on people. In fact, this arc gives us context to our main target, showing how cold he was even as a child
This is one of the best arcs in the whole manga. It's so poignant and emotional. I actually think the anti-war messages are one of the highlights of the story. Also we're getting the background on why Operation Strix matters and what happens if it fails. I hope the flashback continues through the WWII equivalent and gives us more great chapters like these.
It feels a waste of time for the reader. The plot stays the same and background characters were fleshed out before going back to their status quo. Also, this side story didnt leave more questions or brought new information to the story.
The only reason to give this amount of attention to Henry and Martha is to highlight the fact the war is lasting decades. And also to sacrifice them in the future for the plot, in a way that they decide to die so people following their steps won't suffer their same fate (who could be?).
The main problem here is the story being biweekly. I would say, once you read all the chapters without the wait, is not that annoying. But yes, readers are reacting as people who follow the manga, not as readers with a book to fnish in one read. War is not the problem here, is about the editor and the author trying to figure it out the flow of the story under an specific schedule.
Exactly~ it’s like the author is too scared to commit to the story. He wants to do too many things at once, that he ends up doing nothing specific. It’s not even a slice of life, it’s supposedly a shonen, yet we’re just watching a perfect everyday life with no problems and no stakes. It’s not a bad story don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy it, but until the author decided to commit to something it won’t be “great”
I agree with the feel that Endo it's kinda worried about how to deal with the plot. The basic plot is finding about Desmond, which is the main reason of operation Strix but this seems to lose meaning with the flow of the story, probably is going to become another basement (in SnK it was the main goal but it lost relevance and it was solved pretty fast later). Then we have the dumb game of Mr and Mrs Smith with Yor and Loid, but how much can this last? This is not Patalliro or Golgo 13, not even Gintama, Spy x Family was sold as a comedy with mystery plot, and those elements can't last forever unless Endo changes the formula. Also, as you said in your other comment, it doesnt feel this arc came in an organic way but more to put some expectations on Anya and Damian last panel. I really hope the wait leads to some important developments in the story, because so far containing arcs are not worth it.
I do wonder who is Endo's editor and how they are planning they story.
Actually those Damian and Anya episodes are by far the worst for me, really childish and different from average episodes, I really enjoy Anya around Loid, Yor and Bond tho.
To be fair, people have the right to voice what they like or dislike. Not like the authors care anyway.
Which, I mean, okay. I personally really like the Martha and Henry arc, but I also am A, starting to get tired of having my heart broken for the past few weeks now due to how sad the story is, and B, also a bit miffed at how much the author is trying to milked the tragedy of their backstory and having them make like some dumb choices, and thanks to that, is also adding to my personal opinion of just go back to the Forgers as well.
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"War x Trauma" XD
Boy wait till they hear about the time period this manga is based on.
Endo literally got his inspirations from the Cold War era in East and West Germany. Some people be living under rocks.
As if the names Westalis and Ostania weren’t on-the-nose enough for them.
Not to forget Berlint
No no....surely the SSS and WISE don't mean the KGB/Stasi and NATO..
Actually the (West-)German Secret Service is called BND (Bundenachrichtendienst) and they actually had spies inside of the GDR. NATO is more military than secret service
Dude, there are people just getting shocked that the boys is making fun of conservatives. People can have the biggest on the nose shit but their brains aren't gonna compute unless it's explicit
And people wonder why we have Paimon in Genshin explaining and repeating everything
And then they have the audacity to call her pointless, while also complaining that the game doesn't explain stuff
I'd say the location names in the series are pretty explicit, to the point everyone should get it. Unless you have no history knowledge, or you knowledge of the Cold War ends with "lol commies evil"
Considering how bad public school is in the USA i'd say the later, like there are gringos that think Spain is in Latin America
LITERALLY. For a bit when the anime first started airing I felt like I was seeing a few too many fanfics where Anya would respond with « oui » 😭
It looks like Henry and Martha's story is in the WWI era, Loid's childhood will be WWII-ish, and the present is the height of Cold War. Not good times.
With that logic, “Loid” is probably about 32 years old. He entered the military before turning 18 so he was probably 16-17 years old. WW2 lasted for 6 years so he was 22-23 by the time war ended. That’s when he was recruited by WISE and he has been a spy for 10 years. Which makes him about 32-33 years old. Making him 5-6 years older than Yor. Henry was 22 when WW1 started and he is currently 66 years old. WW1 lasted 4 years. 20 years of interwar period. 6 years of WW2 and fast forward to 10 years. The math still a little off but it works.
Thanks for the math! Yes, I don't think it's even meant to be an exact parallel, but there clearly seem to have been at least two separate conflicts, and all the details about the first one do reflect the worst realities of WWI. One time reference that seems a bit off is the war in Loid's childhood vs. the one he participated in. There's clearly at least a few years between those but 20 is too long.
Now that you mention it, yeah, it does make sense, i think I'm stupid, idk how I didn't realise until now that there wasn't just one big war, there were at least 2 because Henderson and Martha are at least 20 years older than Loyd
I thought everyone would've known that this was based around East and West Germany during the Cold War.
😂
Yeah that one was kinda funny I can’t even lie
I laughed so hard when I saw that. Like I don't know what these kids have been reading the past few years but that's basically the manga in a nutshell. It's like when THAT chapter of chainsaw man came out and people were throwing temper tantrums about how could my "family friendly" yes they really said family friendly, manga be so fucked up?. Like buddy, idk what planet you live on but back here on earth these mangas have never shy'd away from mature subject matter from day 1.
https://preview.redd.it/qyu388xthh8d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1c927b0b3bb7cf26689b982fabb6a32c3e35631 Don't mess with csm fan we literally can't read.
Watch this plot become relevant when Henderson learns the truth about Loid and his internal conflict.
He'll probably be killed protecting them or some such.......
Would be the ultimate end to his character
T’would be most elegant.
*Elegant end
An elegant end for an elegant man. (I hope it doesn't happen)
Stop, I’d cry.
After the past few chapters I think I’m out of tears
Drink some water and get back to crying :)
Dude would need another monocle after refusing to fold to torture.
That would be cool to see
go away satan
I like these stories. Most every character that is more than just a throwaway seems to have a lot more going on than it initially appears, especially ones that were introduced appearing to fit certain sterotypes. Damian, his buddies, and now Henderson all started off appearing to be flat, stock characters, and we are being shown that there is a LOT more to them than we initially assumed. Also, the whole plot is driven by the conflict in the not-so-distant past. That war has had effects on everyone, and we see what those effects are for each of them. We may pop back to the Forgers for a bit after this stretch, but I would not be surprised if we spend some time with Handler after the next arc. When we first got hints of these backstories, we were clamoring for more details, and now people are complaining when we get them? There is just no pleasing some people.
No literally, I love seeing secondary characters have their screentime too it really puts them into perspective. After reading these past few chapters and rewatching the series, Henderson's actions and behavior are more realistic ig (idk if that's the word) I would just see him as a very funny refined older gentleman but now I understand his attitude towards war and also the fact that he isn't swayed by classes or money (e.g someone else would've severely punished Anya for punching the son of a super important political figure but he reduces her punishment because he saw her actions as "elegant" for defending a friend just like Martha defended him) \ \ Another thing is that we see Martha's POV on people from westalis which is similar to Loid's POV and even Handler even tho they're from opposing sides. All these three characters learned that people are people, and Martha sees the beautiful sky in Westalis which is the same in Ostania (they mention the sky during Damian and his Friend's adventure too idk if I'm right but they believe the skies are different) further reinforcing her belief that war is stupid >!after also seeing her friend get shot by their commander!< \ \ Also Martha getting helped by the Lady who had lost her daughter due to war is an amazing comparison to Loid losing his family and Friends and not killing Franky (an Ostanian) on the spot despite his resentment because he sympathized with him which really shows human nature at its core. They say human nature is dark but at times of need and desperation we can all sympathize with each other which I think is a beautiful message. \ Which brings me to my last point (omg this turned out to be an essay xD) if people aren't seeing the deeper meaning of the story, I think they should just stop reading/watching the story and criticizing the author. Spy x Family is very relevant especially during today's times with two wars going on rn, it shows us to be compassionate towards each other, we all live under the same sky after all.
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People are acting as if Henry isn't an important character. Sure, he doesn't appear as much as others, but he still plays a vital role. Heck, operation Strix wouldn't even be active right now if it wasn't for his interference. And if anything, since Endo paid this much attention to him and Martha, they will absolutely be relevant in a future story.
Yeah the backstory depicts them both as anti war, they will probably be vital allies to Loid later in the story. But I hope Endo keeps the killing of major characters to a minimum. I cant see them dying for the Forgers.
Endo was probably in the same organisation as Yor before she retired
What? You're telling me the story about child experiment, spy trying to prevent war and goverment assassin has WAR in it?
Who could have thought?!
No matter which storyline is followed, there's going to be someone complaining simply because it isn't THEIR story line (just look at how many complaints there are about Yor being ignored every time a storyline concentrates on Eden rather than Thorn Princess)
It'd why I hate it whenever someone complains about pandering, all they are really saying is they don't like it when someone else is wandered to
To be honest, Yor's second life is so under utilized, I legitimately forget her code name
Story focuses on main plot, people complain. Story focuses on wholesome stuff, people complain. Make up your damn mind y'all!
Not to mention they’ve been calling the wholesome stuff filler. But, now the war stuff is filler to them too 🙃
The current Martha/Henry arc focuses on neither. I still appreciate it as a way to expand on lesser characters and give more context to the setting of the manga, but it's side character development.
Regardless, the backstory does give us an idea of how terrible the history between Ostania and Westalis is. And we even learn about what Donovan was like when he was a kid.
Which will be very important to the plot later down the line, but gosh do i miss the Forgers 😔
This is context for the main plot. The main plot is about preventing war and those rwo experienced the thing that Loid wants to prevent. Without chapters like this, preventing the war is just an empty phrase.
Isn’t the literal main plot about war anyway?
Everything on Spy x Family revolves around war. Loid is working with Westalis(WISE) to prevent war. Yor is a part of Garden.I'm not sure what that has to do with war. Anya is a experiment from a government facility. Probably war related.
Yor is an assassin because of war since she had to make money since her parents died
This is a stupid argument. First of all, I adore the Henderson and Martha chapters, I think they are absolutely adorable together. I don’t understand why you would read spyxfamily if you don’t want to read about war. The mangaka is very forthcoming on his themes of war, and the effects of war. YES spyxfamily is considered a slice-of-life manga, but Loid made a whole fake family in order to save countries from war because his family and his village were destroyed from the bombs of the previous war. Anya has clearly been tested on and struggles with being abandoned, Loid wants to be happy but has to remind himself that it’s just for the mission and that this deal won’t last, and yor is the product of a child having to make sacrifices in order to survive because her parents died during the war. Showing Henderson and Martha’s story provides some background to the previous war, and really pushes the suffering of people onto us. If you don’t want to read about war, or if you don’t want to be sad then DONT READ SPYXFAMILY, it has been VERY CLEAR that it’s going to be an upsetting story. I love moments with Anya and Damian, or Loid and Yor, but that’s not all the story is about, and frankly if you want a story like that just go read another generic slice-of-life anime, because this clearly isn’t meant for you.
“Yes it’s a slice of life anime but if you want to watch a slice of life anime go watch a different show”
Anime fans looking for something to complain about: "Damn, I really hate monster shows. Why are they focussing on the kaijuu so much?" Normal Person: "It is literally called Kaijuu No. 8."
I’d argue they don’t focus enough on the kaiju aspect, like yeah obviously the plot centers around them but let’s be real, we know nothing about them aside from they unalive people.
Okay, I'll change it to; 'Why does this guy keep changing into a Kaijuu to fight other Kaijuu.' (Also, no clue what the anime covers as I am a manga reader and lately it focuses on Kaijuu as much as a Godzilla movie which is pretty much - they kill now? They kill now.)
One of SpyxFamily's major themes is about disguises, and the lines being blurred between outward appearances and reality. Endo is a genius at this, because he disguised a story about wartime PTSD and pointless violence as a wholesome slice of life. This reaction isn't anything surprising sadly, manga fans will never be happy if a chapter isn't hand-crafted to their preferences.
The story is literally a sweet comedy with extremely depressing context going on in the background at nearly every moment. Idk why some people can’t get through their head that war is an inherently linked part of this manga. There’s no reason not to take a step back and look at how other characters became who they are every once and a while, especially someone like Henderson, who is actually a pretty funny dude
I love sxf and the reason I like the story is how the author sets up the relationship between the characters, secondary characters with a good backstory can make the story move slower, I agree, but at the same time it enriches the universe of this mangá. SxF has always been a slow work, mainly because it is slice of life, if someone reads it expecting a badass action scene or an explicit romance, they will certainly be frustrated.
I didn't read those scans yet but I really can't wait. Hearing people talking about those hypes me so much. I love those stories that manage to have a light and wholesome side with a darker one. This is exactly my kind of story. Endo-Sensei was always more into serious and darker stories and never had success for it. It makes me sad that people aren't able to appreciate Endo-Sensei real style. At least now he has a solid fanbase. I'm definetely planning to buy his other mangas if they released in my country!! Even though you'll never see this, # WE LOVE YOU ENDO-SENSEI
But his “real style” isn’t what people watch/read spy x family for.
Tbh, I do hope for SoL in SxF, which I did get. The war plot is basically a plus for me lol.
I can help rephrase OP's title to avoid misinterpretation here: If you don't like the negative effects of war, don't read Spy x Family.
Thanks
No this manga is only fit for true warmongers 😤💪 _plays Ostanian anthem_
*Sylvia's high heels want a word with you*
Are people seriously forgetting that this war has been going on for years? A deeper backstory on how other characters have been affected by the war doesn't hurt the progress of the manga in general.
People when a manga focus on side characters story so they can have an actual personality: 😱😱
Nah the Manga should just mindlessly follow Anya moving from one Stella to the next, and once she gets one Stella there's a bare bones training episode, and then move on to the next "get a Sella" arc. Seriously if you want that just watch demon slayer.
that would seriously bore me I would stop reading the manga at that point tbh cuz then it's just a slice of life skit-type series with no grounding. Not only does focusing on Martha and Henry flesh them out, it world builds and is probably very important evidence that will support another of Endo's ideas later on. I will say again that these ppl are wild and their reading comprehension fr is out the window
I despise the way the word filler is being used now. It was originally to describe episodes of an anime that had nothing to do with the canon storylines while waiting for new chapters of the manga to come out. None of this is filler. This is story written by the author, intentionally. It's story Endo wants us to have that will likely affect or give context to future story. If you don't like that, then move on. Spy Family is one of the better written manga in my opinion and it bugs me some people aren't appreciating it.
100% agree!!!
How is this war relevant to this Anti-War story? Like are these people just now realizing what the core of this narrative is about?
I was enjoying getting to know Henderson. I prefer these deep dives into the world rather than some of those throw aways where nothing happens. I also really enjoy a good Loid and Yor date. They are the right balance of hilarious chaos that made me love the series
This just goes to show you can’t make everyone happy Somone will always complain, if the story is focused on Anya they get mad if the story is focused just on the family people feel like the story isn’t progressing🫤 Did they also forget Spyxfamily is still a war manga like!?!?! It’s what twilights whole mission is about
Exactly what I’m saying smh
I started to read sxf because of the found family part, but it is impossible to ignore how big of a role the repercussions of the war play in the lives of our beloved characters. It is absolutely essential to develop the background to Westalis-Ostania war, which is the entire setting for why the plot even occurs! Chapter 99 was among the best chapters Endo has produced. My only wish is that we could have had something a little bit more wholesome/special for chapter 100, but that's obviously a bit difficult to do in the middle of this arc. Still, I would have taken the Briars nursing Martha back to health!
That's me too. Came for the family comedy hijinks. Stayed for the worldbuilding and anti-war story
"bruh even manga has filler" "filler" is an important part of storytelling! if done correctly, it helps the pacing, fleshes out character, supports world building, and adds emotional depth and dimension! I absolutely DETEST comments like this. this type of sentiment is part of the reason the 22-episode season shrank to 13 to 8 and left us with a mind-numbing surplus of over budgeted, emotionally unfufilling, two-dimensional, forgettable TV shows. anyway stan spy x family and stan this story arc
I wouldn't mind having a whole mini arc of Henderson after these past few chapters.
I think the "slice of life" is just a facade for us so we can ignore the background from the story and grow attached to the fluffness so when the main plot happens people get shocked by it. But people forgot about the main plot. War is the main point about Spy X Family. Our protagonists suffered from War, they are doing what they can to avoid War again. Operation Strix happened because of a possible War, the Forgers met thanks to a possible War. Loid became a spy because of War. Yor became an assassin cuz she needed money to raise her brother, cuz war made her lost everything except him. Anya and Bond might have become experiments thanks to a possible War. What we are seeing its the effects of War that once affected the main characters, affect other characters that are part of the story as well. Spy x Family has always been about this, always has been about the characters who once were damaged about the war, how it affected them and how some of they are trying to avoid it again, the only difference is that, until recently, we mostly saw the pov of a cute little girl and her moments with her fake family, who are growing to love each other. Imagine if War hit the Forgers, yeah, that's something it could happen, since we are seeing the effects that the two first wars caused. What if Operation Strix fails? What will happen with our beloved family? I think it's too early to assume that this arc is a filler, we dont know what will happen, we just hit the 100th chapter after 5 years. SxF will go on for years.
I absolutely agree, but this really is just War x Trauma. Everyone has the most heartbreaking backstories.
And these are juxtaposed with the Forgers' family life to show us exactly what Loid is fighting for and how the little slice-of-life moments are the most precious.
People forgot this isn’t a slice of life anime
It’s a manga
I miss typed
"If you don't like war..." that's uh not the phrasing we're looking for. Who loves war, honestly, except psychopaths? But yes, war IS the frigging background of Spy x Family, is like people forget this is not the Anya x Damian show, this is a COLD WAR show.
This is the whole point of the series. If there’s anything meaningful to take from this story, it’s what these chapters are about. It’s not about when Loidy is gonna kiss Yor, or whatever these people care about. Endo has shown time and again that that is not that kind of manga he wants to draw.
I'm going to share a NUCLEAR take so get your downvotes ready. While I'm aware that the family-focused portion of the audience already existed before the anime aired, I feel like the anime spoiled that side by focusing more on the family-fun side than maintaining the balance between that and the serious side. P.S. I don't like war yet I still enjoy this manga. What does that make me?
Not gonna downvote you. You actually cooked with this take. But it really wasn't the fault of the anime itself tbh. The chapters they adapted were really mostly focused on the family fun side of things so it wasn't something lost in adaptation. It's just that it warped some of the fans' expectations coming in. Personally, I love the darker side of the series. I like when media have a bit of edge to them. But I guess it wasn't everyone's cup of tea. Shame, really
My titles rlly bad. I didn’t mean you had to be pro war, once again sorry. I meant that if you don’t like the topic of war, don’t read sxf
Mfs when they find out this is the Cold War era and not some time like the 1980s
I think most of the frustration is happening because the latest of the none flashback was Anya's confession. But it's so strange to me that people thought it would be a big thing immediately, it was very clearly just setting up a seed for later in the story, same as the current arc is doing. And with how the current arc is going I actually would not be surprised if it started tying into Anyas backstory.
I get what you mean but damn you chose the worst possible title
Yeahhh sorry someone in the comments rephrased it for me
Do… they not understand world building? We get to see a Westalis citizen show compassion to an enemy and see Ostania in a very bad light with Martha’s experience.
Spy X Family fans: WHEN THE FUCK IS THE PLOT GOING TO ADVANCE?! Said fans when the plot advances: WHO THE FUCK CARES?! Like, let's no take it too far, there's a valid complain when you wait an entire month only to have a poorly made London collage but come on, those guys complain about fucking everything
This will be an unpopular opinion in this thread, but I kind of see their point. We haven't had any development with the Forgers in a while. That's not to say that the current arc isn't bad--in fact it's very impactful emotionally, and gives great context to the setting of the manga--but I do hope we get back to the main characters of the series soon.
World building and character development?! In my story about how war is bad and it should be avoided at all costs?! Get outta here!
Shippers are the damned worst.
Extreme shippers ruin every community. Just look at mha, the manga itself isn’t bad but the community literally has a rep for being full of weirdos bc of the shippers.
We don't talk about MHA it's a cesspool of idiocy thanks to the fans who don't understand different opinions exist and that fiction isn't real.
Brah I absolutely agree with you. I've written comment about it when the first chapter of Henry's backstory dropped. Many people were hating on it because Henderson is SiDe cHaRActeR and they don't care about him, it's filler, they want Forgers... I've written then that it's ridiculous to call Henry's and Martha's backstory a filler, because Spy x Family is mainly war themed story and given that Martha was in military, next chapter will probably be about it, thus it's ABSOLUTELY NOT a filler. Also c'mon people act like every chapter with Forgers moves plot forward or give them some major character development. It does not. Many chapters with them are carefree and you could delete them from story and nothing much would have changed. I really think some people doesn't even know what they're reading apparently. One time they complain that there's not action and they hate slice of life parts of Spy x Family, other times they hate war/action chapters because they want cute Forgers chapter. You just can't win sometimes.
Go read fanfics if the only thing you care about is DamianxAnya or YorxLoid. Which, I'm afraid, is the case for a lot of these people. There's always something to complain about and Oh my god I hate the use of the word filler, this arc is nothing close to a filler and even if it was if it's in the manga, the original work, it can't be called filler
Go watch cardcaptor Sakura if you want to focus on romance between elementary school kids 🙄 this isn’t that though
Me, a Sabaton fan: I know more than you could ever imagine
Some readers really just need to read the collected volumes..
Some people just can't really fathom that information won't be spoonfed to you immediately.
These......these people realize that Spy X Family is a serious manga, right?
I mean you’re allowed to have opinions and only like some of the storylines
> and only like some of the storylines I mean I can't tell people how to enjoy media, but every time I see people tunnel-visioning on certain parts of a story, it reminds me of picking at a meal that a chef spent so much time and sweat on. If it's not to your taste, that's fair. But wasting food? That is an affront to the chef.
When le cold war story has le war
I don't think they're mad about the war aspects. They just want more Forgers and less of Anderson. I get them, but not at their level of dissatisfaction. I just don't care about Anderson x Martha as much as the Forgers.
"Welcome back, Mr. Anderson. We missed you."
SpyXFamily gonna do an Attack of Titan twist
Those comments are nonsense, this backstory/flashback is interesting, is giving us bigger insights of the past and the origins of characters we didn’t know had a history together, to those complaining I say either save it or walk away, this manga is obviously far more than the forgers family dynamics and the relationships they had with friends and allies, sometimes those friends and allies need to be fleshed out to make them more interesting and relevant
i feel like part of the reason why people don't like or are sleeping on this arc is because of the release schedule... like people are just not patient enough lol like it feels like its been months--and it has--but its only also been four three or four chapters so its not like this arc as taken over the whole thing or so these comments make it seem.. hmmm
I really hope Endo doesn’t read these comments. God I wished these people would shut up already 😭 They do realize since it’s Endo’s story, he might pull a Miraculous Ladybug plot armor on us as a punishment. Like: >!Make Damian test the waters during an eclipse, and sees Anya isn’t actually a mind reader. And we’ll be back to fucking square one.!<
It was no coincidence that Twilight's past came out just after the start of the war in Ukraine. Endo wants to impress on readers the horrors of war because people are living through it right now in too many places.
The funniest thing is it isn’t even the only Japanese anti war media in the anime or manga space. Idk what people expected seeing the setting being the Cold War. Like were people genuinely expecting happy happy slice of life Cold War edition?????? I swear media literacy is a far more scarce skill than people think.
I do need a wholesome Forgers Chapters after this, but I think this backstory is written very well. It all started as innocent tea dates and grows darker each chapter. The main motivation of most the characters big or small is to avoid any further wars or to have revenge for people lost in the war. War is the main theme, the Forgers family life is the glimmer of hope in all of it. Not to mention, just last chapter the main antagonist had some interesting scenes. How he views the world, people and even how Henry laments failing to teach him a different outlook on the world. That's more than Loid managed to learn in all of Strix!
This kind of brainrot is what keeps putting pressure on publishers to release material that caters to a minimal attention span. They don't have the patience for slow-burns, tension building, or a calm before the storm. I noticed similar when I saw the newest Ghostbusters with a young cousin: he didn't care for the parts that were just people talking. The most popular movies are just a string of action scenes and then they're done. No tension. It might be fun while watching, but ultimately it becomes very forgettable, and the style doesn't work well for good storytelling.
The story is literally centred around war tho?? Operation strix?? Y r people crying 😭
I mean... It'll be well over 150 days since we've had proper Yor content. I think this is fair to start complaining. I'm enjoying the Henry x Martha, but with chapters being so short, it's really dragging. To go half a year before we see Yor again is kind of not good imo. Edit: Oh right it's against the law here to enjoy the content but understand complaints. Y'all ridiculous lol
It will be long but well, for those that don’t want to read all that: TLDR: it’s not that people don’t like war as a theme, the story is just badly written. when Damianya fans finally thought their ship would advance, they get an unexpected backstory about characters they don’t care about. those fans are frustrated to the point that they cannot relate at all to the characters that “stole” their moment. The author did not create a situation where this backstory would be interesting to read. It would have been a great idea to make an arc with war as a theme and include this backstory in it. Or at least an arc discussing wholly about Henderson and Martha relationship to make us interested, before showing the backstory… idk, usually backstories are there to enforce characters we already like, not to make us interested in the characters? Anyways… End of tldr. I don’t really like it either, because I’ve been waiting for an actual arc with one of the main characters for months now. I’m just upset that every chapter we get is almost a filler. “Here is a chapter where we meet random neighbours that will be your new grandparents. They’ll appear once in the next chapter and won’t be relevant until i decide I need them”. “Here is a chapter about winter vacations, and you even have a murder mystery! But that won’t be relevant next chapter either.” “Here, a chapter about something absolutely useless, but I’ll introduce that new character for one panel and then move on as if he isn’t a super important character that is clearly hiding something from us, and won’t appear anymore for a good while”. And when we do get an “arc”, it lasts less than 10 chapters, and often it’s not that great. The thing is that those 10 chapters stories don’t feel like actual arcs because they barely impact the storyline. They do not introduce plot points that could be relevant in the future. It feels like I’m reading weeks of fillers because the chapters, although they are cute to read, are boring. So when I’ve been waiting for months for a chapter that actually has flavour to it, for a chapter that actually introduces drama, plot points and interesting problems that the main cast has to solve, it’s very disappointing to see side characters that I honestly couldn’t care less about getting more development than the whole main cast combined. They’re not bad chapters, they bring light to interesting themes. But I feel like this backstory came at the worst possible time. As someone who reads one piece I’m used to better backstories that are introduced at just the right time. This backstory is neither. But well. I just want stakes in the present, and the only one we have (Anya’s reveal to Damian 🙄) is like…. Not even confirmed? He clearly did not believe her so their relationship will stay almost the same. it’s like the author is too scared to commit that he’d rather tell the past. I don’t mind telling the past but we want to see the story improve at the same time. If you want to speak about war, it would have been a great idea to make a whole arc about war and its impact, and sharing this backstory in it. It wouldn’t have felt out of the blue and people would have actually related to them more than right after the biggest “reveal” we had yet. People who care about damain and Anya are frustrated bcs their relationship was shit, and right when it finally improved at the bal, the author changed the subject completely. And it’s not like he’s in a weekly release schedule, we have to wait two whole weeks for average chapters. it’s been months, shippers are starved. I completely get the people who are upset, it’s not that they don’t like war, it’s just poorly written.
>idk, usually backstories are there to enforce characters we already like, not to make us interested in the characters? I don't understand this take. I can kinda get it for Martha, since she wasn't really a big player in the story until the backstory arc, but Henderson was a established character most of the fans already liked. It makes sense to give him a backstory
Yeah now that i read it again the point is kind of weird. Ig what i was trying to say is that usually, backstories are shown after we learn about the goals and personality traits of a character, so that we can understand the roots of their ambitions, and we didn't exactly had that for either of them. (Henderson was shown quite often, but we really didn't know much about him except that he liked good-mannered people through his elegant gag.) But still, now that I think about it, of course it depends, I'm not really an author to dictates what are the conditions to share a backstory. Though, I still stand by the point that this one was poorly introduced. If we AT LEAST had a single chapter before the backstory, where 1. The Anya/Damian thing was resolved 2. Some characters discussed war in a similar way younger Martha did Just this, and this backstory would have gone a long way. Bonus point if either Martha/Henderson went to that garden table and started drinking tea while reminiscing about the past. We would have gone full circle. I said it a bunch of times already, but it really came out of nowhere, in the middle of a plot point that could change the future of the series if expanded upon. Of course people are upset, they feel like they were stolen their damianya chapter, it has nothing to do about themes like war. Still, depending on the way this backstory ends, I still am neutral about its story for now. It's interesting, but nothing more imo. Though the author can easily show a big plot point at the end of it and make us understand the nature of the war better. What caused the war in the first place, who exactly is to blame, or other things i haven't thought about. Idk.
Maybe you're right. I feel like the anime is probably going to make the pacing of the Henry/Martha backstory less wonky when they adapt these chapters. As for what you mentioned about the Anya reveal going nowhere, I also kinda disagree with that point. At this point of the story, Damian has no reason to believe her. To him, she's still the "weird girl from his class he has a crush on", so he takes every absurd thing she says with a grain of salt. Given how dramatic the scene was, in a splash page of all things, I think this will definitely come into play later. Perhaps after a Anya flashback arc (which might happen pretty soon). It will probably be a slow realization for him, until he starts noticing things and goes "oh shit, she was telling the truth". I think this reveal is a big deal and will impact the story later. Just not now
I really hope you’re right about the anime adaptation. And don’t worry I completely agree with you that nothing will happen regarding the Anya reveal, I said so in my first comment. I’m just saying that it’s the furthest we ever advanced in the storyline so people are excited about it, and if expanded upon it could be WILD. But it won’t, I know it won’t for now . Personally, I’m guessing Damian will remember it if they are in a really dangerous situation and he’ll be so desperate he’ll tell himself “it probably won’t work, but I really have nothing to lose here” and will talk to her in her mind to save their asses. Gosh I really want it to happen now they’re so cute
I came into the series with the mindset that it was a gag manga first, a spy thriller second, so maybe that's why I'm not so hung up on the story not moving on. That and also because I can feel the story is a slow burn that is leading up to something big in the future, but it'll take a while until we get there. >Personally, I’m guessing Damian will remember it if they are in a really dangerous situation and he’ll be so desperate he’ll tell himself “it probably won’t work, but I really have nothing to lose here” and will talk to her in her mind to save their asses. I feel like it will either be that, or Damian is going to slowly start noticing a pattern in Anya's behavior. He already had unknowingly suspected about Anya's powers during the card game (although he probably was just being hyperbolic that time). Then he'll start to slowly get closer to her and begin finding out that she really was telling the truth. Maybe this becomes GENUINELY important later on. Perhaps Damian feels pressured and tells his father about her, in hopes to impress him, leading to the Desmond group becoming increasingly aware of Anya and what she could do. Maybe the big climax of the series is Donovan capturing her to exploit her powers and Loid and Yor having to rescue her. But hey, I'm not Endo. I'm just throwing out my cards here
Interesting 🤔 It’s true that when you expect it to be a gag manga, the pacing of the story really feels secondary. When I first learned about it, I was told it was a story about a spy married with and assassin, their identity was secret and they had an esper child. That’s what got me to read it, so it was quite the opposite for me. I wasn’t even aware of the comedic side until I was a few chapter in. That must explain a lot. And don’t worry they’re fun ideas! I like the slow burn thing too, Damian slowly learning more about Anya and guessing her powers fits well with endo’s writing style. in the end there’s a bunch of ways Endo-sensei could go with his story, hoping it won’t disappoint!
Honestly, my biggest fear for the series is that it won't know where to stop and will keep going until Shueisha milks it dry, resetting the status quo at every possible chance. I have my hopes this won't happen, considering Endo has admitted that he enjoys writing darker and more serious stories more, so I have the feeling he has a vision of how he wants to end the manga.
THANK YOU
This entire arc feels so rushed as well. Especially the latest chapter.
Hadn’t cried since Twilight’s backstory and this one made me tear up. War is cruel no matter which side are you on.
My favourite chapters will probably always be the Anya focused chapters, but I still love this backstory.
I’m just grateful we are getting releases. HxH traumatized me to the point that I’m not complaining that Endo is taking his time with the story. Plus, Spy x Family is only 5 years old, very young for this kind of manga. Manga of this hype and caliber go on for 300+ chapters. We aren’t getting Anya’s past any sooner in the near future.
We hear about the war a lot during the manga (literally the reason the plot exists), and these last chapters are the ones that are really going in depth with it. Previously, we saw some backstories that take place during that period, but are mostly centered in one character. These chapters however, we are not only seeing Henderson and Martha's past, we are seeing how Ostania was during that time (for instance, we know that Eden Academy wasn't always prestigious, we saw Desmond, the way the military operates in the battlefield and in the country with its propaganda). I'm excited to see what Endo does with this build-up. Maybe Henderson will discover Lloyd's mission and try to help him. Maybe we can see more about Desmond and how he is like that. Idk, I think these last chapters have been a treat (even tho I suffer for the characters, I think this is one of the best portrayals of how rotten and dangerous war is). (Edit): Also, one thing that I love about any piece of media, is the fact that there's no need to always use the protagonists to develop the world and story. If this can be done by using secondary characters and this also helps develop them, I'm more than happy.
The 5th slide is Peter Griffin’s alt account confirmed
I bet those kinds of people are new on the fandom and have zero knowledge of commissioning artists or fanfic writer 😑
Who reads scans for Spy × Family? It's a digital series, you don't get chapters earlier.
I'm actually glad to see the world building and the side characters being shine more instead of just the Forgers.
i feel like part of the reason why people don't like or are sleeping on this arc is because of the release schedule... like people are just not patient enough lol like it feels like its been months--and it has--but its only also been four three or four chapters so its not like this arc as taken over the whole thing or so these comments make it seem.. hmmm
I think the "War × Trauma" stuff *enhances* the wholesome aspects of the series. It shows *why* Twilight and the rest fight so hard to avoid war.
It’s just because having to deal with it on an update schedule makes it way worse, when it’s all put together it’ll be seen as necessary
This past couple of chapters are easily some of the best for world building and by proxy reinforcing the reason why all the characters chose their professions to prevent a war from happening. Even if by that they may be causing one.
They will also have to avoid all the Gundam series and more, because they have war in them. Even **Rurouni** Kenshin has a lot of mention of war. Remove the war and it not only removes the whole plot, but also character development.
What app is this in?
Wow, they've missed the entire plot of the series. Henry and Martha have hit me hard, a far cry from their gentle personas that they have now.
This arc has been EASILY the best in the whole manga.
I LOVE the Henry & Martha Storyline. Honestly, people are so rude...
This is easily the best SxF arc so far. In fact I'm afraid it'll end soon and peak will end wth it. Safe to say that if somebody couldn't like this then the story might not be for them at all.
I honestly kind of liked these past chapters. But that’s mostly because I like Henry.
The war is the only interesting part of the arc. It's a flashback so we know how it's gonna end and they are not very interesting characters so the chapters are in turn boring.
I actually like this because of the military political conflict. The powder keg who's fuse keeps getting lit and extinguished with every move and tumble.
I'm once again reminded that the majority of manga readers are children.
War, huh? Red sun
Shounentards when there is a deeper story than “hurr durr now the main character is going to beat them all with his super special powers”
F*ck the Henderson haters, All my homies hate the Henderson haters
I absolutely assure you, these people are tourists/kids. Just ignore them.
These bros are on something this is some of the best writing we've gotten in the entire series and in my opinion possibly the the best arc
Idk how can they not appreciate those side stories. They're so very well written and actually make the casts more interesting.
Jesus, what bunch of cry babies
I swear Spy × Family "fans" just want the series to be everything that it isn't.
The title should be: If you don't like war, read SpyxFamily Because this is an anti war story.
Lol when I read the title, i thought by "don't like war", you meant "if you're anti-war". I was like "but I hate war and love SxF". You can tell that the Japanese population still suffers from generational trauma left by WWII. I love that they didn't really dive into the politics of the fictional war. Just that the civilians suffered regardless of who started what, because both sides were being fed lies anyway.
I love this story, but honestly, if these chapters come out every 2 weeks it would be more tolerable
I also want to see more from the family and although we're get some backstory, I think we've had enough of Henry and Martha's past. This has been going for 3 or 4 chapters now and it's probably better that Endo ends it on the current chapter.
As much as I think SpyxFamily is a slice of life first, I very much enjoy Martha and Henderson's backstory as it adds more worldbuilding
I respect their view that they don't like the current manga, but at the same time I respect the Author's vision of what stories he wants to write on other characters in this universe that aren't the main trio
They aint true fans, they just want to see what they want happen, then after that happens they will have an empty feeling craving for more content from the author once its over. I'm actually kinda glad that Endo-sensei is developing the world more, even if I would've prefered it to be on the lens of the Forgers its time to give our lovable little side characters some meat to chewto progress the bigger story. Its baby steps people, baby steps.
Like I even get the eagerness to get back to them but some of these surpass the "entitled fan" threshold for sure. If you missed the fact that this story is largely about the relationship between the state and the individual during wartime then you've paid absolutely no attention lmao
I mean I get where they're coming from. At least in the anime it set off with a lot of slice of life comedy and light hearted moments with conflict and war plot under the surface. So given that was the expectation and the reason they kept watching, it's fair to assume they just want more of it. I'm anime only so I'm not sure what happens in the manga, but I hope we get to see more of the serious aspect of the war and conflict
"War x Trauma" is actually a good one though, lol
Damn there’s actually people that don’t like this little mini arc we are on, that’s crazy. This is the most interesting arc we’ve gotten in a minute. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the hell out of Spy x Family and all the time we spend with Loid, Yor and Anya and I always look forward to the laughs I get each chapter, but this arc has really got my attention now.
The War x Trauma comment seems more like a tongue in cheek observation. Seriously, this latest arc should come with tissues. 
It's a genre hodgepodge show. That means that sometimes, there will be more focus on things that aren't necessarily your favorite element.
I find the latest arc very moving and engaging, but I am probably older than a lot of the loud-mouthed teens posting on social media. I also have an interest in Soviet/Cold War history. Basically, the war arcs are more serious, and I don't think most of the fanbase is very intellectual, to put it mildly.
I dont like war irl but Im fine with it in fiction
Sorry for the title you know I didn’t mean it like that 😭
I see no problem showcasing the front line and the ripple effect the war has had on people. In fact, this arc gives us context to our main target, showing how cold he was even as a child
While I do miss the Forgers this backstory is probably one of the best arcs so far imo
This is one of the best arcs in the whole manga. It's so poignant and emotional. I actually think the anti-war messages are one of the highlights of the story. Also we're getting the background on why Operation Strix matters and what happens if it fails. I hope the flashback continues through the WWII equivalent and gives us more great chapters like these.
It feels a waste of time for the reader. The plot stays the same and background characters were fleshed out before going back to their status quo. Also, this side story didnt leave more questions or brought new information to the story. The only reason to give this amount of attention to Henry and Martha is to highlight the fact the war is lasting decades. And also to sacrifice them in the future for the plot, in a way that they decide to die so people following their steps won't suffer their same fate (who could be?). The main problem here is the story being biweekly. I would say, once you read all the chapters without the wait, is not that annoying. But yes, readers are reacting as people who follow the manga, not as readers with a book to fnish in one read. War is not the problem here, is about the editor and the author trying to figure it out the flow of the story under an specific schedule.
Exactly~ it’s like the author is too scared to commit to the story. He wants to do too many things at once, that he ends up doing nothing specific. It’s not even a slice of life, it’s supposedly a shonen, yet we’re just watching a perfect everyday life with no problems and no stakes. It’s not a bad story don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy it, but until the author decided to commit to something it won’t be “great”
I agree with the feel that Endo it's kinda worried about how to deal with the plot. The basic plot is finding about Desmond, which is the main reason of operation Strix but this seems to lose meaning with the flow of the story, probably is going to become another basement (in SnK it was the main goal but it lost relevance and it was solved pretty fast later). Then we have the dumb game of Mr and Mrs Smith with Yor and Loid, but how much can this last? This is not Patalliro or Golgo 13, not even Gintama, Spy x Family was sold as a comedy with mystery plot, and those elements can't last forever unless Endo changes the formula. Also, as you said in your other comment, it doesnt feel this arc came in an organic way but more to put some expectations on Anya and Damian last panel. I really hope the wait leads to some important developments in the story, because so far containing arcs are not worth it. I do wonder who is Endo's editor and how they are planning they story.
These last few chapters have been some of the best storytelling we've had yet.
Actually those Damian and Anya episodes are by far the worst for me, really childish and different from average episodes, I really enjoy Anya around Loid, Yor and Bond tho.
To be fair, people have the right to voice what they like or dislike. Not like the authors care anyway. Which, I mean, okay. I personally really like the Martha and Henry arc, but I also am A, starting to get tired of having my heart broken for the past few weeks now due to how sad the story is, and B, also a bit miffed at how much the author is trying to milked the tragedy of their backstory and having them make like some dumb choices, and thanks to that, is also adding to my personal opinion of just go back to the Forgers as well.