The following contains spoilers up to Episode 15 of Spy x Family, “A New Family Member”, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
With the Spy x Family anime’s second cour continuing to thrill and delight fans worldwide through Fall 2022, more and more viewers are no doubt diving into Tatsuya Endo’s beloved manga as well. Although both formats have plenty of similarities while standing proudly on their own, the manga contains some extra – and often intriguing – information about how its story and characters came together.
One such gold nugget was revealed at the tail end of Spy x Family’s fourth volume – and it concerns the name of Anya’s beloved dog, Bond.
Tatsuya Endo Thought of Naming Anya’s Dog Peanuts
Much like his telepathic young owner, Bond instantly became a fan-favorite upon his introduction in Spy x Family. However, he may have drawn an even more amused reaction had Endo gone with his initial thought for the dog’s name: Peanuts.
It certainly would’ve felt like a natural choice to name the Forger family’s dog Peanuts – after all, peanuts are one of Anya’s favorite snacks, and Loid has been known to tempt her with them to try and get his adopted daughter to study. It likewise makes plenty of sense as a title for Anya herself to think of, and she does indeed suggest “Peanut” at one point.
However, the name was considered too evocative of a certain other famous white dog – Snoopy from Charles Schulz’s treasured comic strip franchise Peanuts – and Anya’s giant pup was ultimately named Bond instead.
Why Bond Was the Perfect Name for the Forger Family’s Dog
Although Peanuts is adorable and would have been a fittingly Anya-like name to bestow upon a dog, Bond works even better for Spy x Family’s newest Forger. It’s simple yet strong and memorable, and — along with his bow tie — represents another friendly nod to the James Bond franchise. As his human counterpart has done numerous times in his own films, the four-legged Bond helped foil a dangerous terrorist group and rescued Anya earlier in the anime’s second cour.
The name Bond also subtly homages Anya and the dog’s shared ESP abilities, which brought them together literally and metaphorically. Perhaps most of all, it’s a perfect name to more overtly represent the genuine and growing bond among this found family: Loid aka the spy known as Twilight, Yor aka the assassin known as the Thorn Princess, their adopted daughter Anya who’s secretly a telepath, and now their dog Bond, who has all the love in the world to give his adoring new family.
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