Forum - View topicSpy × Family (TV + movie) (w/ index).
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2858 |
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S2 #22
Not since the first arc have viewers had a prolonged look at Tasogare's superhuman abilities. We get glimpses of it when he attempts to manipulate the test results, but most of this season he's acting as psychologist and father Loid Forger. Now that the spotlight is firmly on him and Tobari, viewers get to enjoy his exploits in a very unusual setting. One could replace the underground arena with MMA fighting cages and there wouldn't be any inconsistency. Ibarahime and the rest of the family are taking a back seat this week, but that doesn't mean they're not in the frame. Ibarahime is still rattled by Tobari's comment last week, while Anya tries her best to keep her stepmother's spirits high. I'd expect Anya to be terrible at tennis like the rest of her attempts at sport, so the animators have saved the laughs for the on-court action featuring the "Phony" pairing. With typical understatement, Tasogare claims he just "dabbles" at tennis when his actual level is close to professional. Needless to say Tobari is just as good, especially when she's going all out for her beloved colleague. Those facial expressions in the earlier matches are a good source of laughs. The animators also know what parts to skip, leaving the result for viewers to laugh at for dramatic effect. It wouldn't be an episode without some kind of challenge for the Phony pair, and so it proves with the final. It looks like they dragged out the first set as best they could to let the effects wear off, before mounting a counter-attack in the second to stay in the match. They still have a bit of work to do since the odds are still heavily stacked against them, but the outcome shouldn't be in any doubt. Viewers just need to enjoy the process next week. Last edited by Harleyquin on Sat Dec 10, 2022 9:03 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2858 |
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S2 #23
This series certainly has a way of exaggerating just how rigged a tennis match can be, as well as portraying its overpowered protagonists as virtually immune to covert obstruction. The outcome was never in doubt for the Phony Pair, but it's also typical of the series that the hard work they put in has an anti-climatic payoff. The Handler is right in that there wasn't anything which could trigger another international incident, but rumours have a habit of getting wildly out of hand in this case. The episode even has time to throw in an extra Ibarahime vs. Tobari showdown. Unsurprisingly Ibarahime's superhuman assassin abilities can be applied (with some difficulty) to something as mundane as tennis. We've seen her superhuman dodgeball pitches, so a tennis ball travelling at the speed of sound and aimed out of bounds is par for the course. Too bad for Tobari she can't run away from the challenge and it's her racket which breaks first. She can train in the mountains with a boulder all she wants, but it's not going to change the outcome unless she plays with modern titanium rackets, which won't be invented yet in this series timeline. This arc was good, especially when combined with the half-episode formally introducing Tobari. If they adapt more of this series, this won't be the last time we see her and any attempts she's going to make at seizing her place as Tasogare's "wife". Two mini-episodes again for next week, and because the quarter is almost over I'm not expecting too much for the content to come after this week's high. If the entertainment and laughs keep coming, it's all good. Last edited by Harleyquin on Mon Dec 12, 2022 11:04 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Beltane70
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I don't think that titanium rackets showing up in this series would present all that much of a problem considering how ridiculous and over the top the rackets that the Campbell siblings were using! It wouldn't be the first time that Spy x Family used something that didn't appear until a later date in history. The main example that comes to mind is the plane that the Foreign Minister of Westalis arrives in had what are called winglets at the ends of its wings, which also wouldn't appear yet in this timeline, assuming that Spy x Family by all appearances seems to take place sometime in the 1960s. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2858 |
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I had a closer look at the racquets the siblings were using in episode 10, and by all accounts they're the same wooden racquets used by the Phony's, only with an additional frame with the bells and whistles attached to the actual frame. Wooden racquets would indicate a timeframe up to the late 1970s and early 1980s, since I remember Bjorn Borg using wooden racquets to win his Grand Slam tournaments.
As for winglets, according to wikipedia the first commercial application of a winglet was a Learjet in the late 1970s. As I have no knowledge of the source material, it's perfectly possible for the actual historical timeline to be later than the 1960s, not going past the late 1980s and the Berlin Wall's fall. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2858 |
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#24
This is the last episode this quarter featuring mini-stories, but it's a nice one all the same as none of the short segments can be dismissed as simple filler. Tasogare has already failed as a spy in this episode; it isn't because he took a kick directly to his chin but because he forgot Ibarahime has poor tolerance of alcohol and acts completely out of character when she's drunk. Still, the animators threw in a little extra regarding his childhood which we probably didn't expect. As for Ibarahime, Loid having to do it twice must surely reassure her standing in the household, forgery as it might be. As for Anya and Becky's little sideshow, it's really more about fleshing out Becky as someone more than Anya's only school friend. Seeing Anya have a minor mental breakdown when confronted by the sheer extravagance of the country's industrial titans is comedy, but it's also nice to see Anya (and Becky) in all kinds of outfits outside of their school uniforms. Anya buying the (overpriced) keychain is telling in itself, since the chauffer Margot's recollection of what Becky used to be like shows the overconfident facade she projects in school hides her own insecurities of not having genuine friends of her own. Next week might be the last episode for this quarter, but it's arguably one of the most important since the bomb arc as we finally get to see Tasogare's main target in the flesh. The main plot has stagnated for a while, so getting it going with next week's episode is a nice way to keep viewers interested for the next season. |
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ACｘS
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Final:
I like how the entire conversation between Twilight and Desmond was basically a summary of all the interactions between the Forger household and Anya's experiences at school. It was short (maybe a bit long but adequately so), sweet and to-the-point. -- Nothing much to add about S2 except that it continues everything good about S1 and runs with it. 8/10 for me. I must admit that Spy x Family isn't my favourite show this season (it's not the kind that excites me from episode to episode). But I must acknowledge how well-done the show is, from the faithfulness in adaptation to the sheer production values. It's a solid show from start to finish, and I could clearly see that, so I will give credit where credit is due. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2858 |
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#25
An unexpected bonus for Tasogare to meet the target so early and outside the pre-determined time and place. Unfortunately, although he managed to arrange a meeting he doesn't have a lot to work with to report to his superiors. Knowing him, he has probably gauged what kind of relationship the elder Desmond has with his second son which makes the scale of Operation Strix that much harder. The eldest son is probably closer to what the elder Desmond wants from strangers, and there's zero chance of Anya interacting with him in school so the classmate is the only remaining option. Tasogare is right about the older Desmond. Viewers not familiar with the source material really don't have much to work with either as he's very reticent and reveals hardly anything about himself. What he does reveal doesn't make him very likable either. Since the franchise is getting another season and a movie, perhaps more material will be adapted to flesh out his character and his plot. Anya didn't do much, but what she did do was enough to help set the meeting up. Had Damian lost confidence entirely instead of being goaded to stick to his original plan, the meeting wouldn't have happened. It still took a whim on the Elder Desmond's part, but Tasogare needs all the luck he can get for this Operation to succeed. I preferred the first quarter's adaptation as I wasn't a big fan of the mini-episodes which form a large part of this quarter's adaptation. They are still entertaining, but the longer story arcs are the best this franchise has to offer. The series has done enough to win over a new fanbase and it's now up to the animators (joint project between two studios) to build on their achievements. |
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11303 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Original discussion started here.
For whatever reason, I thought S2 was gonna' be after the movie, but S2 is in October, then the movie in December, so here I go with the caps. I don't think I even finished the last few episodes of S1 during the original run. Taking these caps, though, I forgot how great the production value was. I guess it helps when you've seen a lot of other mediocre shows in-between. Looking forward to re-watching this. ---------------------------------- Episode 01: Operation Strix ---------------------------------- Summary: Pending ---------------------------------- Comments: Pending ---------------------------------- Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
Last edited by Tony K. on Mon Sep 04, 2023 10:50 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11303 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Original discussion started here.
---------------------------------- Episode 02: Secure a Wife ---------------------------------- Summary: Pending ---------------------------------- Comments: Pending ---------------------------------- Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
Last edited by Tony K. on Mon Sep 04, 2023 10:52 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11303 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Original discussion started here.
---------------------------------- Episode 03: Prepare for the Interview ---------------------------------- Summary: Pending ---------------------------------- Comments: Pending ---------------------------------- Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
Last edited by Tony K. on Mon Sep 04, 2023 10:52 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11303 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Original discussion started here.
---------------------------------- Episode 04: The Prestigious School's Interview ---------------------------------- Summary: Pending ---------------------------------- Comments: Pending ---------------------------------- Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
Last edited by Tony K. on Mon Sep 04, 2023 10:52 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11303 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Original discussion started here.
---------------------------------- Episode 05: Will They Pass or Fail ---------------------------------- Summary: Pending ---------------------------------- Comments: Pending ---------------------------------- Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11303 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Original discussion started here.
---------------------------------- Episode 06: The Friendship Scheme ---------------------------------- Summary: Pending ---------------------------------- Comments: Pending ---------------------------------- Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11303 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Original discussion started here.
---------------------------------- Episode 07: The Target's Second Son ---------------------------------- Summary: Pending ---------------------------------- Comments: Pending ---------------------------------- Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11303 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Original discussion started here.
---------------------------------- Episode 08: The Counter-Secret Police Cover ---------------------------------- Summary: Pending ---------------------------------- Comments: Pending ---------------------------------- Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
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