Highlights
- Spy x Family CODE: White is the series’ first feature-length animated film, premiering in theaters across Japan on December 22.
- The film follows the Forger family on a seemingly normal winter vacation, but it quickly becomes entangled with Loid’s secret mission and the safety of their daughter Anya.
- The film features a talented staff, including the original author, new director Takashi Katagiri, renowned animation director Kyouji Asano, and composer (K)NoW_NAME.
Spy x Family once again stole audiences’ hearts this year, and before Season 2 concludes at the end of the month, there’s one more gift just in time for the holidays. The day before the finale, Spy x Family CODE: White will premiere in theaters across Japan, being the series’ first feature-length animated film, and it looks absolutely delightful.
Based on the manga by Tatsuya Endo, this series tells the story of Loid Forger, a super spy, his wife Yor, an assassin, and their daughter Anya, a telepath who knows both of their secret lives. The anime premiered in the Spring of 2022 as a co-production between WIT Studio (Attack on Titan, Ousama Ranking) and CloverWorks (Bocchi the Rock, Wonder Egg Priority).
The Forgers Go On Holiday
Code: White follows Loid, Yor, Anya, and their dog Bond, on what is supposed to seem like a regular winter vacation, but is, in actuality, the next step in Loid’s mission, Operation Strix. According to the film’s official site, when Loid receives new orders, he fears he may be taken off of the assignment, and thus devises a plan to prove that he’s making progress.
This leads him to take the family on a trip to help Anya win her academy’s cooking competition to rise in the school’s hierarchy. Meanwhile, Yor witnesses an encounter between Loid and a mysterious woman and begins to feel uneasy about her relationship with Loid, even if it was agreed to be temporary.
But things get even messier when Anya stumbles upon a microfilm containing sensitive information, disguised as a piece of gourmet chocolate. When she ends up accidentally swallowing it, she becomes the target of some very bad men, and even Loid and Yor might have trouble protecting her.
Like with any big-budget anime-original film, Code: White is going big for the occasion, depicting a climax aboard an airship above snow-covered mountains. Loid takes to the skies in a fighter plane while Yor engages in a fierce fight that – from the brief glimpses in the trailer – could be worth the price of admission alone.
Meet the Staff
A plot threatening world peace, a child at risk, and the challenges of romance all collide for an insane original story, the concept of which was penned by the original author. Naturally, WIT and CloverWorks are once again collaborating on the film, but notably, Kazuhiro Furuhashi will not direct the film as he did for Seasons 1 and 2.
Instead, Takashi Katagiri is stepping up to direct the film. He’s previously worked as an assistant director on Season 1 and has been acting in the same capacity on the currently airing Season 2, which makes his ascension to director fitting and incredibly exciting. Furuhashi isn’t absent from the production, however, and is taking on the role of animation director instead.
Joining Furuhashi is Kyouji Asano, who – like with both seasons of Spy x Family before this – is the chief animation director. Asano’s reputation among WIT Studio projects alone is legendary, and he’s one of the defining artists behind Attack on Titan‘s early seasons, having not only served as AD but also designed the characters. He has also worked extensively with Production I.G. as an animator and character designer on projects like Psycho-Pass.
Kazuaki Shimada, Spy x Family‘s character designer, also has company this time around. Kana Ishida is credited with sub-character design and one of her biggest claims to fame is as the designer for the Irregular at Magic High School series, in which she has also been an animation director. She’s also worked on Code Geass, Aquarion Evol, and Shōnen Maid.
(K)NoW_NAME returns to compose the score, but the musical highlight of the film is the new single by Official HIGE DANdism, titled “SOULSOUP.” It’s an infectiously happy tune, and the brass instrumental gives the theme such a delectable dash of classic espionage flare. If the goal is pure unadulterated fun, Code: White‘s previews are already hitting the right notes.
Even if the film is just more of the quality expected of the show – except on the big screen – Spy x Family CODE: White could still turn out to be well worth it. Having a full second season and a feature film releasing in the same year and the same season certainly must have the teams at WIT and Clover with their hands full. Here’s hoping both teams get a nice vacation of their own following the release, sans the world-threatening political intrigue, of course.
Spy x Family CODE: White opens in Japan on December 22. Crunchyroll is bringing the film to theaters in North America in 2024. Spy x Family Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream through Crunchyroll.
Source: Spy x Family CODE: White official website
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