A review by wolfiegrrrl
Spy x Family, Vol. 5 by Tatsuya Endo

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When Yor's position as wife and mother of the Forger family is called into question yet again, the family is quick to reassure her of her place... but unfortunately a new contender for the role steps into frame and intends to go toe to toe with her to stake a claim on it.

Although we have only just met her, she would make a fantastic match for Yuri, who has gotten disgustingly intense - not only about his unhealthy obsession with his sister, but in the unnecessary amount of gross out humor featuring vomit. So far, he has only featured in a few chapters and not for any long stretch of time, but he pushes boundaries with every appearance. In all fairness, the "siscon" trope is played for "comedy" - it's very exaggerated and you're supposed to laugh at how ridiculously over the top his obsession is - which is certainly preferable to how a lot of weird incest tropes are written to be perv-pandering, but it's just very much not my thing either way.

Fortunately, Volume 5 is mostly about Eden Academy shenanigans as Anya navigates the rocky waters between her and Desmond. Now that she is aware of the heavy pressure to be elite that weighs heavily on his shoulders, she feels compelled to help him, but every time she manages to reach him an unexpected wave pushes her right back to where she started. The very different home lives they lead have begun to make them interesting foils for each other.

Once again, when Anya interviews Loid about his psychiatrist job for an assignment, Loid really sings the praises of therapy and the profession as a whole. As a consistent theme in the series, it's such a refreshing take and I'm glad to see it plainly stated here.

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