©遠藤達哉/集英社・SPY×FAMILY製作委員会
Add “understanding cats” to SPY x FAMILY’s list of achievements. The second half of this episode, which recounts another failed attempt by Franky to attract the interest of a woman, features his most realistic plan: he will find the missing cat that the women at his favorite coffee shop made her uncomfortable. Kopi, not Russian Blue, escaped out the door and continued on. Franky’s pretty sure he’s got it in the bag this time, because how hard can it be to catch a kitten?
Speaking as someone who spent two weeks a few summers ago trying to lure a lost cat out of the woods, it was very difficult. Of course, I didn’t have Franky’s equipment – no exoskeleton or mint or even monitoring equipment, so maybe that’s why it took so long. However, Franky’s technology is nothing against the sheer stubbornness of cats and a cat who knows very well what is going on and has no intention of cooperating. That’s peak cat behavior, especially when your cat says it doesn’t know you. This episode does a great job, right down to the playful expression on his little cat face as he slowly walks away from Franky while still staying out of reach.
Sadly for Kopi, he was without Yor. You may have noticed that in just these four episodes we’ve seen more of Yor than the entire last season, and next week that will become even more true as we dive into the first mostly solo story arc hers. Her adventure helping Franky this week was a good introduction to it as it beautifully showcased Yor’s two sides. Her sweet side is on full display when she offers to help, and her unfortunate spin while covered in cats is a solid demonstration of what Yor Loid and Yuuri know: kind , well-intentioned and a bit clumsy. But when Yor realized that Kopi was running towards the busy street and that Franky was unlikely to catch him before he got there, her side of assassins appeared. No, she doesn’t kill cats, but she can demonstrate strength, agility, and the ability to solve problems in the most violent way possible. Her gentleness when dealing with Kopi (and other cats) is tied to her cruel side, and that’s something you’ll want to keep in mind.
If this week’s episode has a theme, it’s that expectations rarely come true. In the face of Franky’s evil attempt to win the hearts of the fair, Anya and Becky confront DaKarenn and his gang for a cake rumored to make you smarter. DaKarenn takes on a reverse Yor role in this one: he wants to think he’s a villain who will do anything to get the goods, but when faced with Anya’s sobbing face, he just melt. Anya seems to be the first time DaKarenn wants to impress someone besides his father, and even he doesn’t completely understand it. Even when Anya fears he’s discovered her spiritual secret, DaKarenn is only really invested in Anya as more than the internet macaron. When he refused her offer to share half of that money, it wasn’t because he didn’t think he needed it to become a royal scholar, but because he couldn’t understand his motives as far as she was concerned. . With each passing interaction, it becomes more and more clear that he was inspired by Boys Over Flowers’ Domyoji and that only adds to the fun.
This will be the last of this style of episode for a while. That’s assuming the upcoming season will be faithfully adapted since it’s a long one in the manga, and that doesn’t rule out sillier moments, like Becky and Anya playing two different games with the sheep mascot Surname. This season it’s Yor’s turn to shine and this episode did a great job of laying the groundwork for that.
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Spy×Family is now streaming on Crunchyroll.