Spy x Family Code: White (2023) Movie Review

 

 

Spy x Family Code: White (Original title: Gekijôban Supai Famirî Kôdo: Howaito) | 2023 | 1h 50m
Genre: Anime/Hand-Drawn Animation/Spy/Action/Animation/Comedy/Thriller |
Country: Japan
Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi, Takashi Katagiri | Writers: Tatsuya Endo, Ichirô Ôkouchi
Cast: Takuya Eguchi, Atsumi Tanezaki, Saori Hayami
IMDB: 7.3
My Rate: 9/10

Anya, Loid, and Yor go on a trip to Frigis in order to help Anya win a cooking competition at her school to keep Operation Strix in Loid’s hands. However, they end up getting caught in a major case that endangers their lives as well as the country’s security.

Warning:

There are scenes of violence, harsh language, alcohol, and smoking.

 
Synopsis:

WISE is planning to replace Loid from Operation Strix. Loid feels that the mission is a major one that should be his responsibility. He also considers the fate of The Forgers that might be affected by this.

Anya’s school will hold a cake-making competition, where the winner will receive a Stella Star. Loid sees this as an opportunity to show his abilities and regain Operation Strix. They travel to Frigis to find the favorite food of the school principal, who will be the judge in the competition.

During the trip, Anya accidentally finds a secret key in a toilet. With Bond’s help, Anya discovers a secret box, which turns out to contain a piece of chocolate. The box actually belongs to the military, and the chocolate is not ordinary—it contains an important microchip. Anya accidentally eats the chocolate while trying to hide.

Loid doesn’t know that Yor and Anya had just fought to escape from the military. They continue their main journey to eat cake at a family restaurant. That plan fails because the cake was taken by a colonel. The restaurant is unable to make a new cake because the ingredient supplies will arrive in a few days, so Loid volunteers to look for the ingredients himself.

There is one ingredient that is not easy to find. Anya, with Bond’s help, finds out where it is located. Anya decides to go alone to get the ingredient, while on the other hand, Loid receives a new mission from WISE.

On the way home, the military kidnaps Anya to retrieve the microchip from her body. Loid and Yor finally find out and plan to save Anya. The microchip also turns out to be part of the new mission Loid received.

Will they succeed in saving Anya?

 

Review:

Spy x Family Code: White is a movie that is part of the Spy x Family series and is also based on the manga series of the same title by Tatsuya Endo. The story presented is not too different from the series, but it focuses more on one major case. We also get to see a level of excitement that might be higher than the series.

The story opens by introducing the characters and the storyline briefly. So, this movie can be watched even if you’ve never seen the series. Everything is explained clearly, from the characters’ backgrounds to the mission they are currently on. There are also some flashback scenes taken from the series, such as how Yor and Loid met and several other parts.

The conflict arises very naturally when Anya accidentally eats a military microchip and ends up being captured and taken to a military ship. This conflict escalates with intense battles to save Anya carried out by Loid and Yor. Their individual abilities are clearly shown—Loid is good at disguises and infiltration, while Yor is an expert in physical combat. This is combined with Anya and her silliness. Everything becomes a compelling and non-boring unity.

In addition, we also see some internal conflicts in each character. Anya’s conflict with herself as she tries to keep The Forger family together. Yor with her negative thoughts about Loid having an affair or her own lack of confidence as a mother and wife. And Loid who is busy trying to find a way to keep Operation Strix.

The story wraps up quite well by showing all the problems resolved. We even get to see their bond growing stronger with each other. It shows them still smiling happily even after going through nerve-wracking and dangerous moments.

In terms of animation, it doesn’t look much different from the series. Even though it’s a theatrical release shown on a big screen, it might feel a bit lacking. There should be something slightly better compared to the series. For example, we can compare it with Doraemon, which shows a significant difference between its series and movie versions.

Nevertheless, the animation remains interesting with neat and dynamic movements. There are several effects that look realistic, such as the use of fire, weapons, and other parts. The visual transitions are also different during Anya’s hallucination when she meets the Poop King. Even though it’s still animation, it’s made differently to show the distinction between reality and imagination.

In terms of the story, it’s quite interesting because it presents a larger story compared to the series. Although there are parts that might feel a bit illogical. Some parts that refer to the series make the story logic feel a bit disjointed.

The appearance of Nightfall, which was made to trigger the issue of Loid’s affair, makes the story a bit messy and inconsistent. In fact, in the series, that problem has been resolved between Yor and Nightfall. Flashbacks from the series should have been done more consistently to maintain story continuity.

Another inconsistency is how Yor and Loid are not suspicious of each other. Despite both of them engaging in intense battles inside the military aircraft, something definitely not done by ordinary people, there’s no suspicion at all about their identities.

The choice of music and sound effects fits each scene. The voice actors also do an excellent job. The match between voice intonation and the characters’ expressions becomes a perfect harmony. It also matches the personalities of each character.

Overall, ignoring all the flaws mentioned above, this movie is worth watching, especially for Anya fans. Especially since we’re still waiting for the next session of the series that hasn’t updated yet. Hehe. However, this movie doesn’t seem suitable for children because of many scenes that are inappropriate for them.

 

Memorable Scene:

Yor sees the sadness Anya is hiding. Yor then tells Loid that what Anya really wants on this trip is togetherness. Yor also shares how she and her brother went on a holiday together and the happiness they felt.

Often when we go on vacation, we forget that the main fun and joy of the trip is togetherness and how we enjoy it. We may want everything to go according to the plan we’ve prepared beforehand. But we shouldn’t let that plan stop us from enjoying the journey.

 

Memorable Quote:

"The Stella star’s mine and the Forgers stay together"

 

Ending:

Happy Ending

 

Recommendation:

Must Watch

(Aluna)