justanothersxf

[justanothersxf]

Cinematic parallels...

I like that Henderson runs off screaming both times lol. The character acting stays consistent, at least.

#acts of inelegance versus artificial elegance #henry is beholden to it either way

[justanothersxf]

Was this shot really necessary?

Equivalent manga panels:

#the anime did this several times i think #but it still gives me pause when i remember it #goddamn do i dislike the sxf adaptation

[justanothersxf]

Can't really explain it, but Endo has never put out any material that's made them feel more like marketable mascots trying to sell me something than this.

#take that as you will #sxf spoilers #well they're not really spoilers #i like bond's hat though #he should be put in a hat more often #just feels like spy x family has been more of a brand than a story for a while now #the forgers only appear together when there's something to sell the audience #not so much to deepen their bonds with each other in the story #and then stuff that does affect their relationships keeps getting shafted to the extras #hmm

[justanothersxf]

So... Spy x Family 98 right...

There's really not that much to say about this one. I keep seeing in other circles that it's supposed to be important for "lore" or "worldbuilding" but eh...I just don't agree with that when this flashback takes place before the majority of the adult cast was even alive, about a different war than the one they lived through. Things change, y'know? Power changes hands, policies and laws are updated, things that were true at one point may no longer be true in the future.

And knowing that Endo originally wanted Henry and Martha's past to be a single standalone side story chapter but he couldn't fucking help himself because he's such a war documentary nerd before he extended it just goes to show this is supposed to be more of a brief glimpse into Henry and Martha's past than substantially putting out exposition. In fact, he probably extended it to add extra details about irl military history like adjusted draft ages and deferment because he knows he can do that without it affecting the present story so much, since there is another war after that one which led to the cold war in the present.

I guess to connect that idea back to the main plot, the fact that this cycle of war between the two countries has existed long before Twilight was even born kind of makes his idealistic dream of fighting for world peace for kids seem even more futile and unrealistic, right? Even more reason for him to make peace with that once he starts unpacking his issues instead of throwing out the suitcases.

OH ALSO. Because it bugs me to see it around so much, why are people putting so much emphasis on this rumor that one of the (young!) kids is saying about human experimentation?

Like. This has been old news for over sixty chapters now.

And Anya existing already lets us know that there's some truth to it. Yes, human experimentation has been done in Ostania. It's not some big revelation nor some foreshadowing. And for the record, no, Anya's parents would likely not be involved in these hypothetical experiments either, as Henderson and Martha are in their sixties and Anya is five at most. At best, her mom would just be born at this time, so unless we're getting some Extra Dark™ material worthy of Tista, I think it's safe to say these might just be possible precursors to other experiments, if they truly were underway in Martha and Henry's time. So many people trying to connect the two is a bit odd to me...

...but if I had to guess why.

Those people are probably feeling a little blueballed by the fact that Endo has been teasing about learning more about Anya's backstory for a while now.

And yet...

So maybe people are trying to see a connection with that pointless line because, well. It kinda sucks when Endo just. Drops what he's been working on to expand on something completely different. Keyword "expand". Again, this was going to be a single chapter. But his military-history-loving-butt just could not contain that wartime era setting in a single chapter, he just has too much he loves to talk about.

And well, that's all whatever. I just feel this is just going to be one of those odd parts of the manga people will look back on without much thought or strong opinion because of it's strange timing, despite the weirdly adamant defense it's getting now. Maybe if it came before the dance and Anya's confession of her secret, it would have more impact? But I don't really see a lot of discussion around the flashback story for itself, probably because...there's not much new to learn unless it's about Henry or Martha themselves. It's always "crumbs of worldbuilding" or "the effects of war" both of which the manga was not short on before this. The most generous thing I can say about this flashback is that the one "new" concept it presents is the fact that Westalis and Ostania have a long-standing history of conflict, that is all.

If he reveals that one or both of them became a part of the underworld, then it could be an interesting twist because it actually gives us more information on the characters themselves that could be relevant to the present story, even though I can't see that reveal happening for Henderson. Or maybe he could reveal something new about Eden itself, which has some oddities even in its present incarnation that leaves me feeling kind of suspicious about it as an institution. (Also, what was up with that McMahon cameo in M97?)

But as of the past two chapters, this flashback is retreading too much old ground and it does feel like it's taking time away from seeing more insightful stories with the main characters. Especially when there's another vacation hiatus to push them back again... I just hope that the third part really delivers.

#sxf spoilers #i think about endo's 'well i like military stuff and don't dislike spy stuff' quote from that million tag interview a lot #any time the war setting stuff is on page you can just tell he's loving all of it #but i kind of wish the other parts of the story got that love too #oh well #always having bad pacing and timing is just part of sxf's writing i guess

[justanothersxf]

Oh, come on Bond, you know that's not true.

**Most recent time this happened:

**literally the short mission that he put out before this one

#sxf spoilers #when will endo actually decide that it's okay for the characters to like yor instead of assuming the worst about her i'll wait

[justanothersxf]

I am 100% certain that someone has said this before.

Nevertheless,

#just needed a version of this with them from the manga #given my own distaste toward the anime #i actually think depending on the situation all three could be swapped between them #but the mood is different for each one too

[justanothersxf]

Yeah, he failed to touch on the one thing about M96 that bothered me: why is Anya at ease enough to tell Damian because she felt at the time that in answering his candid honesty, she responded in kind because she felt it would bring them closer...but she never did this with Becky, who was always honest and encouraging towards Anya? No matter what reasoning I see, it just doesn't check out.

Is Anya afraid of losing Becky's friendship for revealing her secret? Why? And where would that fear come from when Becky has always encouraged Anya and given her nothing but safety and security before? Does she not trust Becky enough to keep it? For what reason? Does she find Becky less relatable than Damian? But why does that suddenly matter when her friendship with Becky was never based on how much they related to each other, but rather their unconditional support for each other? Especially when Anya's secret is so personal to her alone?

It would've made sense if Becky ever made Anya feel like something about their friendship was conditional, or if Anya ever thought her friendship with Becky couldn't withstand that pressure of knowing that Anya could read minds. But the only time that possibility ever came up was in the hijacking arc, and in that instance Anya just diverts out of habit, not because of Becky's specific possible reaction to it. Becky even praises her for her fake lip-reading skill.

The only reasoning I can come up with for why Damian jumped Becky in priority is...mostly ship bait. A meta reason which is fair and fine, but it doesn't gel with how Anya's friendships with both of them has been shown in the text so far, at least for me. Damian was honest and sincere with Anya briefly in M96, and this along with several other moments of sulking over their dads over the course of the series was enough to convince her to confide her deepest secret to him before anyone else.

But I can't even really buy that it's because she related to his broken home daddy issues either because it was only tangential both to what they were talking about and to Anya's secret power. I always figured he would put the pieces together, confront her, and then decide to keep her secret because those moments taught him how similar they are. Putting that responsibility on Anya as well feels kind of backwards given she's already made the effort to become friends, albeit in the most bluntly forced ways. I'm only guessing (or hoping) that Damian's knowledge of this admission, made by Anya herself, will be used later down the line in the story beyond just deepening their friendship.

At the very least, I was hoping the extra would have Anya consider confiding in Becky before deciding against it, for any sort of reason at all. I really would have taken anything! But just ignoring her relationship with Becky in favor of deepening the one she has with Damian is always going to rub me the wrong way I guess.

Hmm... Okay, I saw the synopsis for the next SxF update after chapter 96, and while the premise does suck, there is exactly ONE thing that I think Endo could and should address with it before moving on, so as always I will withhold judgement on it until it actually releases.

If he actually does touch on it then it'll be great because it was something that was greatly bothering me about chapter 96, but I can see why people aren't excited about it at all given...the very unoriginal set up lol

#sxf spoilers #to be extremely clear this isn't me hating #i know very well that it's meant to be a significant moment of trust for anya #i just think she should have had a moment before with becky #whether that meant trusting becky to try opening up or giving her doubts about the stability of their friendship #because despite the vulnerability it seems off for anya not to think of risking it all for becky even once before #i really wanted damian to be the one to figure it out on his own #but it is what it is and now there's nothing to be done but see what happens next

[justanothersxf]

Phrasing, Becky!

#i like how both yor and anya are just like #kill him? that's just mean

[justanothersxf]

Hmm... Okay, I saw the synopsis for the next SxF update after chapter 96, and while the premise does suck, there is exactly ONE thing that I think Endo could and should address with it before moving on, so as always I will withhold judgement on it until it actually releases.

If he actually does touch on it then it'll be great because it was something that was greatly bothering me about chapter 96, but I can see why people aren't excited about it at all given...the very unoriginal set up lol

#sxf spoilers #vague as they are #not sure how to tag my stuff so people can blacklist it ho hum

[justanothersxf]

It's been five whole years since SxF was first published...

#it feels both too long and not long enough