#sxf analysis

[yumeka-sxf]

Japanese Linguistic Observations in Spy x Family - part 3

Part 3 - Yor's keigo

I discussed in part 1 about the different levels of speech in Japanese, particularly how Twilight changes his speech depending on the persona he's donning. He uses keigo, the standard polite form of speech, when he's acting as Loid Forger, but uses casual speech as Twilight. Yor, however, uses keigo all the time, to a degree that some would feel is excessive, but also makes sense for her character.

Keigo is the most basic form of polite speech in Japanese. It's the speech that's taught in pretty much every beginner Japanese learning course because it's the "safest" for most situations. Without getting too technical, it basically involves using the polite conjugations of verbs. All verbs in Japanese have a "polite" conjugation form that's used in keigo. For example, the verb "to go," 行く (iku), will change to 行きます (ikimasu): change the く(ku) to き (ki) and add -ます (-masu). -masu itself is then conjugated further to show past tense, negative tense, etc. Likewise, one would use です (desu) as the "to be" verb instead of its casual equivalent だ (da). For example, saying 車です (kuruma desu), which means "there is a car" instead of 車だ (kuruma da). It's even more casual to leave out the "to be" verb altogether.

Unlike Twilight, who changes his speech depending on who he's talking to or which facade he's using, Yor consistently uses keigo, whether she's talking to an adult like Loid, a child like Anya, and even an animal like Bond. She uses keigo with strangers as well, even those who are antagonistic to her, like the other assassins in the cruise arc.

Even at times when using polite speech isn't warranted, like in her own thoughts, she still uses keigo regardless.

In addition to using keigo with pretty much everyone, she also uses the polite -さん (-san) honorific with everyone's names as well. It's not unusual to do this with fellow adults like Loid, Camilla, and Franky, but when it comes to kids, especially when they're not your own kids, other honorifics are also an option. For example, adults can use the honorifics -ちゃん (-chan) for little girls and -くん (-kun) for little boys, both of which denote endearment to someone young/cute. Loid calls Damian "Damian-kun" and Fiona calls Anya "Anya-chan" for example. But Yor uses "-san" for Anya, Damian, Becky, and probably every other kid she hasn't met yet! She uses "-san" with animals as well, which isn't nearly as common. She's the only one who calls Bond "Bond-san" and she even called the cat Kopi from chapter 43, "Kopi-san."

She also uses "-san" for people whose names she doesn't know, and in some cases, probably shouldn't show respect to. She calls the terrorists from the doggy crisis arc "terrorist-san", bad guys that she takes out on her missions "warumono-san," Olka's group "mafia-san," and the other assassins from the cruise arc "koroshiya-san."

The only exception to Yor's excessive use of keigo is Yuri, which makes sense since it's standard practice to be more casual with a younger relative than an older relative or someone outside the family. He's the only person she refers to without "-san" (she just calls him "Yuri"). And while she does use the informal verb forms with him, she still uses "desu" and its conjugations. So overall, she's more casual with him, but not completely so.

When talking about herself, Yor uses the standard, gender-neutral, polite word for "I"/"me," 私 (watashi). However, when talking to others, she never uses any form of "you." Like I mentioned in part 1 about how there's different ways of saying "I" and "me" in Japanese depending on the speech level, the same is true for "you." But it's always more polite to say someone's name or title instead of "you," and Yor does that all the time. Just like in part 2 how I couldn't recall any instance where Anya says "I" or "me" since she always refers to herself in third person, I can't recall any time Yor called someone "you" instead of saying their name or title.

While Loid uses the casual "you" word お前 (omae) when talking to Anya, Bond, Franky, and anyone else he doesn't have to be polite with, he doesn't use any form of "you" for Yor. He speaks to her the same way she does to him – saying her name plus "-san" instead of using "you."

Unlike English, Japanese is a language where you don't have to say pronouns if it's understood by the context, which is why something like this is difficult to convey in a translation.

I think it's an interesting contrast that Twilight is constantly changing how he speaks depending on whether he's acting as Loid Forger, as a spy, whether he's conversing with a fellow spy like Fiona, a casual friend like Franky, someone he respects but can't be fully open with like Yor, and even how he talks to himself in his head…yet Yor is the total opposite. As I've discussed in this post, she's extremely consistent in her speech, never straying from being polite no matter who she's speaking to or whether she's in her Thorn Princess role or not, or even whether she's speaking to herself in her head or not. This just further proves that, while Yor has to keep her assassin job a secret, she doesn't have to create a fake persona for it. Unlike Twilight, who acts one way as a spy and another way as Loid Forger, and perhaps another as his "true" self, Yor doesn't feel the need to hide anything about herself other than her job as an assassin – Thorn Princess and Yor Forger are the same person who shows respect for others no matter what her relationship is with them.

Such excessive use of keigo is odd for a fluent speaker, but it's not unheard of. There are plenty of examples of characters from other anime/manga who use keigo all the time too. I think it gives us an interesting, subtle look into their character. In Yor's case, I think her constant use of keigo comes from a combination of her sweet personality that never wants to offend anyone, but also her poor self-esteem. After all, keigo and other polite forms of Japanese speech are meant to elevate the listener while humbling the speaker. Yor speaks politely to everyone because she simply wants to be kind to everyone and make them feel comfortable, even those she has to kill, but at the same time, she often feels inferior to others.

However, there are rare exceptions where Yor stops using keigo which are, appropriately, during very suspenseful, high-stakes moments where politeness would be the least of her worries. For example, during her fight with Barnaby when she realizes she's holding back, she starts using casual speech. But she goes back to keigo before too long.

But probably the most notable example of her completely dropping keigo is near the end of her big battle against the assassins on the cruise ship, where she finally comes to realize what she's fighting for. During her whole epiphany scene – starting from when she thinks of Yuri and herself as kids until she stands up and says she won't stop fighting – she switches completely to casual speech.

There are many ways to interpret this, but I think it shows what an emotional revelation this was for her: she remembered that the suffering in the world is what caused her to want to protect Yuri from any kind of tragedy, and now the same can be said for Loid, Anya, and Bond. She remembered the words of acceptance she heard from Loid when they first met, words no one else had likely ever said to her before. She realized that she didn't care what happened to her as long as she could stop anything bad from happening to her loved ones – in that moment, no formalities were necessary with such intense self-reflection.

<- Return to Part 2

#sxf #spy x family #spy family #spyxfamily #loid forger #yor forger #anya forger #twiyor #sxf manga #sxf analysis #sxf manga spoilers #sxf meta

[sy-on-boy]

Real talk: the fact that Anya expects to read Demetrius’ mind but sees nothing is kind of sad because Demetrius saw his 6yo brother approach and congratulate him, and had zero thoughts in his brain. But that doesn’t mean Demetrius doesn’t care about him. When Damian stutters, Demetrius initiates conversation by talking about Damian’s grades, showing that he indeed pays attention.

Demetrius seems almost resentful by Damian’s insistence to impress Donovan, giving out a snarky, passive aggressive, teen appropriate response: “How would I know? It’s not as if I’m in regular contact with him.” This is like the passive aggressive version of whatever is going on with Melinda. Damian is a relatively innocent 6yo kid seeking his father’s approval, but both his mother and his brother appear to be seriously affected (in a bad way) by Donovan, and they avoid talking about Donovan even as Damian repeatedly mentions him. Demetrius doesn’t understand Damian’s desire for their father’s approval. He also doesn’t understand his father, hinting at some sort of disconnect between them.

What also saddens me a bit is how Demetrius barely acknowledged Damian’s friends talking to him. Like, they’re six year old kids trying to make a good impression. Still, Demetrius didn’t completely ignore them, just gave a meaningless “oh” and decided to stop thinking about people. It’s very much giving “stressed (and depressed) to the point of apathy”. When facing the innocence (ignorance?) and optimism of 6yo kids, Demetrius doesn’t understand. (And maybe he doesn’t understand friendship, which is what Damian has?)

I mentioned before that characters Anya met are probably “good” characters on the side of Forgers or at least are sympathetic to readers. Because if Anya met a “bad” character and read their mind, she would be too OP and the plot could be quickly solved. It’s like how we all thought Melinda was suspicious when she met Yor, but then Anya met Melinda and read her mind to reveal that she cares about Damian (even if it’s in a twisted way). Demetrius is interesting because he subverts what I said above by thinking very little, so Anya cannot really read him. But so far, I think his portrayal is that of a typical middle schooler with middle school angst, and he cares about Damian even if he has zero thoughts on his brain (and doesn’t like the way Damian craves fatherly approval). He is still a child and presumably a victim of his father’s parenting.

The framing is also interesting. Damian telling his friends to go on without him while he waits for Demetrius. The panel of Demetrius towering over a stuttering Damian. Demetrius going away, showing a panel of him as a small figure in an otherwise blank background. That panel when Anya thinks Damian’s relatives are weird has her looking at Damian while he’s some distance away from her (and the rest of his friends). The brothers feel disconnected. Damian is both eager and nervous to talk to Demetrius. Demetrius is nonchalant and apathetic, but not impolite or outwardly wholly dismissive.

Given Damian’s wacky family situation, I’m glad he has friends at Eden. Ewen and Emile of course are steadfast and loyal companions, always eager to back up their beloved boss man. Anya can read his mind and she knows about his insecurities (and also his weird family).

Becky is also good as a friend because she doesn’t care about sucking up to Damian, she often calls him out, but she also supports Damian when he deserves it. A sweet scene here is Damian saying he’s a Desmond so he’s expected to get a star, and Becky adding “it’s still a great achievement. Congrats!”. Becky is validating his success and telling Damian it’s okay to be proud and happy for himself. Even though she’s usually judgemental towards Damian, she’s still kind to him because that’s who she is as a character.

In the end, Damian still wants his father’s attention. He had no idea Demetrius wasn’t that close to their father… I would assume Demetrius spent most of his time at Eden and this is Damian’s first year at Eden, so he actually gets to interact with his brother instead of hearing things about him?

So far, Demetrius seems like a very jaded character in contrast to Damian who feels like a beam of sunshine now. He’s the heir so he’s got more troubles. But it’s nice that he’s finally debuted and no longer in mystery. Can’t wait to see what Endo has in store for him :)

#spy x family #this got so long?? #damian desmond #demetrius desmond #becky blackbell #yeah im tagging them #uh #spy x family spoilers #long post #meta #sxf analysis

[sophiamarieispinkbunny-chan]

Twilight's Habit of Observing Yor and Anya

I just noticed how often Twilight observes these two interacting with each other, the anime is inclined of highlighting this since most of these are not in the manga and I love them for that.

Look at how fond his face is when he's looking at Yor and Anya's genuine affection for each other. I think he can saw glimpses of him and his mom through them.

Yor and Anya share a true mother-daughter bond, even though they don't share the same blood. In his world as a spy, where deception and pretenses rule, Yor and Anya's genuine bond is a breath of fresh air for him. It was something that is very much real and it's something that is under his care regardless he is Twilight, Loid Forger or his true self. He was the one who united their family and I think it makes him wonder how an epitome of deception like himself can build something as authentic and genuine as this.

That face he makes, the longing warm stare directed at them. I can't explain it but his eyes are really different when he's looking at them. It's soft. Yep, this man is already into deep.

Also, it makes me wonder, judging at how often he observes these two, how could he not tell something was definitely weird about them? At this rate he must've been constantly and intentionally ignoring those😂

More Yor and Anya interacting with each other in Loid's view:

They were always so bright in his view. I think he associates the both of them as his source of light. That's just so sweet and wholesome😭❤️

#spy x family #spy x family manga #loid forger #spy x family anime #twilight #sxf anime #sxf manga #yor forger #anya forger #twiyor #forger family #spyxfamily #the forgers #sxf analysis #spy x family analysis #sxf #I love anime for always showing this habit of Loid #This man is so soft for his family #There's no way he's not attached to them in any way #Of course he wouldn't admit #Can't wait for him to finally completely accept that he could also be as genuine as his wife and daughter #Yor being with Anya is LOVE

[tare-anime]

A classic marriage "mistake" has been done by the perfect Twilight.

Yor has been so insecure of "the usefullness" of herself for a loooonnggg time

Twilight has to boost her confidence from time to time. Via words of affirmations.

That is good.

However, the ever capable Twilight also does everything by himself

Of course he does all of this with good intentions. He doesn't want Yor to be tired. He wants to give her the best of everything.

And that is the mistake.

When one does everything by oneself, it will make the other person feels that they are uneeded. Being a couple especially so.

So that's why this is a major growth, that Twilight finally finally asking for Yor's help.

And that's makes her happy. Because she is now needed.

Being vulnerable in front of your spoused IS a good thing, Twilight.

I hope now you realize that 🥰🥰

#spy x family #yor forger #loid forger #twiyor #sxf meta #sxf analysis #sxf character analysis #sxf character development #sxf manga spoiler #sxf manga spoilers #chp 86

[whateversawesome]

Spy x Family Code: White Analysis

I finally saw the Spy x family movie Code: White!!

It was fantastic. I loved it 💖

Here's what I think (spoilers below the picture 😉):

Twilight

It's super evident Twilight cares A LOT about his family. As soon as Handler tells him someone else will take over Operation Strix, he's worried and, during the movie, he goes around like a crazy man doing all sorts of crazy things to keep his family. Nevertheless, the biggest giveaway about this happens when:

Twilight puts Anya before his mission!! Yes, you read right: Agent Twilight receives a direct order from WISE telling him that recovering the microfilm had priority over rescuing Anya and Mr. Spy puts his daughter's safety first and goes to her rescue (which eventually led to getting the microfilm back, but still).

Yor

Yor is a total mom here. She protects her baby and plays with her too 😌 She acts like a mom too because she's always trying to keep the family together; she's the one who reminds that to Loid when he's all frantic working. Here, Yor displays one of her best quality: emotional intelligence. And of course, during the movie at the big fight scene she looks like a total badass.

Now about the big Twiyor moment...

Like I mentioned before here, there's a fake and a real Twiyor moment in the movie. The fake Twiyor moment happens when Yor gets drunk and asks Loid to tell her how he really feels about her (!!!)...before passing out 🫤 You've probably seen plenty of images about that:

The real Twiyor moment happens later, thanks to the captain of the Twiyor ship 🫡 Anya Forger, who pushes her parents to ride the Ferris wheel alone so they can flirt. Here, Yor tells him (crying) that she saw him with his "girlfriend" and Loid clarifies it was just a random stranger (it was Nightfall) asking for directions. This is when the real Twiyor moment happens:

Listen, we could argue that Twilight here was being a liar and trying to fix the situation between them "for the mission", but I choose to believe something different. In my opinion, Twilight was being sincere and he wanted not only to reassure Yor but to pour his heart out and reassure himself. Come on, the man repeated their wedding vows! He was getting carried away (it was too much for our shy Yor) and if it wasn't for Yor punching him out of the Ferris wheel, I think this would have ended in the Twiyor kiss we've all been waiting 😆 (maybe one day!).

Something worth mentioning is that when Twilight and Yor get off the Ferris wheel, Anya reads their minds, but we don't get to know what her parents are thinking 😏 she just smiles and that's how she knows everything is okay between her parents. Little sus, right? I am sure Anya knows what's really going on between those two (read about that here).

This happens again, when Twilight rescues Anya from the kidnappers. We all know Mr. Spy is bad at expressing his emotions, so when he's finally reunited with his daughter, he doesn't show much of anything. Anya hugs him, picks her head up and reads his mind. Just like the last time, we don't get to know what Anya reads inside her papa's mind, but she smiles. Funny how this only happens twice in the movie, in both occasions related to his wife and daughter 🤔

So now, the big question: Is this movie canon?

In this case, every person who sees the movie can form their own opinion about that. In my opinion, since there was no identity reveal nor anything that would change the plot in the manga, I think it's okay to consider it canon. So, until the author says it's not canon, I'm going to consider it part of it.

Overall, it was a fantastic movie, very funny, with plenty of Forger family moments and that something that makes Spy x family so special 💖

#spy x family #twiyor #Spy x family code white #loid forger #yor forger #anya forger #sxf #spy x family analysis #sxf analysis #Sxf meta #loidyor #loid x yor

[animaymay]

SxF 96 Analysis: Some Small Details About the Reveal

Ok, hear me out. I haven't even read the manga for Spy x Family (yet); I've only watched seasons 1 and 2 of the anime, but I've somehow stumbled upon spoilers for the last two chapters (ch. 95 and ch. 96), and other small bits here and there.

And since I am not totally caught up on the story, I hesitate to call this a proper analysis since I'm mostly going off of what I know from the anime at this point. But!

I've been following the chatter and excitement following chapter 96 and I just wanted to throw this quick analysis out there, since I haven't seen some of these details mentioned yet.

So, I'm going to focus on this particular moment, just for what it is. Down the line, after catching up and having all of the character and story details, I might revisit this scene again with additional insight.

Of course, I'm sure we've all seen this panel at this point.

At first glance, this panel is beautifully drawn. You can tell that it was drawn with a lot of care and attention to detail. Typically, such manga panels are used to emphasize the fact that this is an important moment for these characters and/or the story.

There are even bits of confetti(?) flying around them, reminiscent of cherry blossom petals; this is another known technique used in manga to indicate the emotional importance of a scene for the characters featured.

That all feels pretty obvious, I'm sure. But I also wanted to point out other small details given here, which could potentially add another layer to this scene for folks.

I've seen a lot of discussion around how Anya's admission here is a big deal (and it is). But I haven't seen anyone mention the small detail here that she whispers, "I can read people's minds."

I believe that is also why we see that speech bubble transparently -- to visually show us the softness of her voice in that moment (in addition to representing Anya's willingness to be transparent about herself).

However, let's consider the conversation up until this moment. Right before, Damian had jokingly asked her, "How did you know about my dog and the pond, anyway? What, did you read my mind or something?!"

Of course, he was not expecting Anya to say, "Yes". But it's not the fact that Anya said, "Yes" that makes this scene impactful. Anya could have easily said the exact same words, at normal volume, with a smirk on her face, and nobody would think twice about it. Damian would have immediately understood that she was teasing him. And anyone overhearing their conversation would have thought the exact same thing.

But that isn't what happened. Because Anya was serious in that moment. With a genuine expression on her face, she says, "Yes" and then she whispers her secret to him.

And that is what shocks Damian. That is what causes him to freeze.

In that moment, he's able to sense her sincerity and hear the truth in her words.

His gut reaction is to believe her, whether it's because it's Anya or because of how she said it. It isn't until he has a second to think and his brain kicks into gear that he starts to notice the disparity between what he knows to be true and what Anya is telling him. In a split second, he questions this, and then ultimately rejects the notion that she could be telling the truth.

Why?

The obvious answer would be that what she's told him does not line up with what he knows to be true of reality. The rational and logical part of his brain overrides his heart and his gut, ultimately recognizing this disparity and forcing him to reject Anya's claims.

However, they are at a young enough age that it wouldn't be uncommon to easily believe in "impossible" things like magic or superpowers. So, there's also a chance that it goes a bit deeper than this.

Perhaps this sudden display of sincerity and truth from Anya didn't line up with her typical behavior with him. He's not used to seeing that side of her, and as a result, his mind resorts to him thinking that she's lying to him. He thinks that she's just teasing him. Not only because that's what he expects from her, but also because the only other alternative would be for him to admit that they've just shared a true moment of openness and transparency between them.

Anya's whisper implies, "this is only for you to know." As a defense mechanism, Damian's brain decided that it was more likely that Anya was teasing him than it was that she was being vulnerable with him in that way.

Another detail from this moment stems from the fact that this reveal takes place while they are dancing together. Partner dancing is an activity that requires cooperation and teamwork. At first, we see Damian and Anya struggle with getting the hang of it, but eventually they start working together.

That, in itself, seems to be a fairly good representation of their relationship with each other. However, even more so, it follows the flow of their conversation in this moment. It isn't until they start cooperating that they start to open up to one another.

And the pinnacle of the conversation -- the reveal -- happens at the exact moment when Damian dips her. Not only does this make for a picturesque panel, but it is also a symbolic visual of what's happening.

Dipping your dance partner inherently requires a level of trust. The person being dipped has to literally put themselves in their partner's hands. Depending on the dip, they are giving up varying levels of control and safety over to their partner. They have to trust that their partner won't drop them, or bring them too close to the floor; they have to give up their balance and trust that their partner can hold the weight that they're giving up. And their partner takes on the responsibility and burden of that person's trust (as well as trusting that the person that they're dipping does not throw themselves around carelessly).

And here, in this scene, despite the bickering we see Anya and Damian do, we see that there is at least that small amount of trust between them. Anya trusts Damian to dip her, and Damian trusts Anya to be dipped.

But underneath the surface level, the fact that Anya whispers her secret to Damian while he's dipping her reinforces the idea that she trusts him with that knowledge. In that moment, she gave up some of her own control and safety, and placed it in Damian's hands. Only his. Her whisper implies, "this is only for you to know." And he's been given the responsibility and burden of deciding whether to hold it, or drop it.

#am i overthinking things? yeah probably #i reserve the right to change my mind after catching up and having a better understanding of their characters and the story lol #spy x family chapter 96 #sxf 96 #spy x family 96 #damianya #anya x damian #sxf #sxf spoilers #spy x family #damian x anya #sxf analysis #my analysis #original post #sxf original #tags #read more #manga #sxf ch 96 #spy x family ch 96 #sxf manga #spy x family manga #sxf manga spoilers #spy x family manga spoilers #damian desmond #anya forger

[spencer-is-dead]

okay, so, you guys know how yor’s theme is also the lullaby from episode 24? Well, I’ve come to realize something.

so, the lullaby represents Loid’s childhood, and the peace that came with it. Its all the things he lost when the war took them away. and since it’s Yor’s theme, that means Yor also represents that.

meaning that Yor is peace.

Yor is the peace Loid needs in his life. The calm and kindness that he’s been missing since he was a child.

Yor is peace

#Spy x family #sxf #sxf meta #sxf analysis #yor forger #yor briar #loid forger #twiyor

[yep-yep-yep]

About the seven great secrets of Eden academy: part 1.

Lorelei in the third swimming pool:

Okay, we have already heard this name - it's also the name of the cruise ship in Yor's arc.

The most interesting thing is that Lorelei is a popular real character from german culture. She is a siren, who is "sitting on the cliff above the Rhine and combing her golden hair, unwittingly distracted shipmen with her beauty and song, causing them to crash on the rocks" (from wiki). Lorelei (it's the name of cliff also) is popular by echo and many ship crashes.

So, we have:

1. Swimming pool, therefore lesson with it (I want to see Henderson at this lesson, lol)

2. Damian, who likely is scared by water, in ch 39 he was really panicked and now we know that he could drown when he was 4.

3. And Anya's first stella due to how she rescued the drowning boy from the swimming pool (but I don't understand if she can swim or not).

Good recipe for a interesting school chapter, I think.

But I'm concerned about how this legend was born. I hope it's just "some pupil heard strange noises and his wild imagination gave him an image of a ghost siren", cuz it may be how some girl drowned herself and then it was made to widespreads and after a legend. Really sad shit.

I want to make small odd theories about Eden's secrets, at this moment we don't have much information about school history, but I want to think about it a little.

thanks for your attention.

#spy x family #sxf #sxf manga #spy x family manga #spy x family manga spoilers #sxf spoilers #spy x family theory #sxf theory #damian desmond #anya forger #sxf analysis #spy x family analysis #7 eden's secrets #endo pls dont destroy me with a sad story again

[choco-mooooose]

So I was re-reading my favorite volume of sxf, volume 9, and on mission 58, (the bond and loid fire rescue) for some reason, it felt like loid felt younger? And then I realized

He’s not rocking the weird dad fashion sense!! For once!! And his hair’s all messy.

But then, this chapter almost feels like a twilight story, not a loid one. The only meaningful conversations he has in this chapter were with Franky and Bond, both of which he knows that they know of his secret identity.

And in a post from shinybluewizard that I unfortunately can’t bring up anymore (miss ya btw!!), they mention something about how Loid Forger is probably, in reality, older than Twilight himself; Twilight probably being in his late twenties, early thirties, Loid Forger maybe mid thirties (he has a “six” year old daughter and a medical degree. those take a while). And in this chapter, we don’t see Anya or Yor, the final pieces that complete “Loid Forger.” So, without that, he’s less Loid Forger and more Twilight, and is also completing more Twilight-like activities: training the dog for combat and bomb detection, running through burning buildings… yk, the usual. This is also the only time I can currently remember him laughing-as close as he can get to it, anyways- because he found something to be genuinely funny. The only other time’s he’s laughed, I think, have been Loid laughing politely or trying to excuse away Anya’s behavior, haha.

So maybe he just seems younger because we’re also seeing his truer, younger identity? Maybe? Or maybe I should go to sleep.

#spy x family #sxf manga #sxf loid #loid forger #sxf analysis

[crunchcrunchteacakes]

Anya loves the mama who cleans up her hot cocoa mess the most in the world.

One of the thing that frustrates me about the series is the constant acknowledgement of Yor not being able to cook (especially since good at cooking = good wife is such a sexiest worldview that only the likes of Murdoch Swan can concoct). So this is going to be a Yor appreciation post that talks about the things Yor is good at.

Yor for some reason is very good at preparing hot beverages, It’s the first thing we see her doing; pour tea.

We see Yor making tea all the time, in the Forger residence if Yor is in the kitchen then it’s most often to make tea. There is a symbolic meaning to this I guess, the beverages are representative of Yor herself, it’s familiarity in a world that changes swiftly, a constant reminder that even in the whirlwind of life, there's a place of serenity within the walls of home.

When Loid is frustrated with the interview preparation and deems the task hopeless, we have Yor brings in tea a sense of order and tranquility, fostering a connection to the present moment.

The interview went terrible and Loid is afraid Operation Strix has ended, Yor comes in with tea and along with Anya encourages Loid to find hope. They end up cheering together and looking forward to the results. Thus the warmth of tea is wrapped around the soul, bringing a smile to even the coldest of days.

When Loid is frustrated at Anya because of her failing grades, Yor offers tea and advice on how to best support Anya, she also validates Loid roles as Anya’s father thus reinforces a sense of unity and belonging in forger household.

Fiona is all confident in how twilight likes to drink his coffee dark, only believing that he choose to take milk because it’s “Loid’s” preference.

Thank god for little Anya because we get to know what his true feeling on the matter are.

Basically Tea/Coffee/Hot Cocoa making is Yor’s Job and something she likes to do. When Yuri burst in and Loid offers to make tea instead because he wanted to gain control of the situation and put on the no-weakness front, ergo Yuri sees his arm twitch, and the seed of doubt is planted. If only Loid had listened to Yor then maybe Yuri wouldn’t have seen the spasm.

Being perfect won’t help Loid, perfectionism will not help him survive but cause his downfall. The mole arc has helped Loid in coming to terms with his feelings a bit, but he insists on calling it weakness or being compromised. He needs to start seeing his family as a source of strength rather than taking on all the responsibilities. Because so far his I need to do it by myself approach has only caused him tummyaches, stress, burnout, and exhaustion. He is overworked and feels overwhelmed by the constant need to meet his own high standards as set by Spy World.

As the Other WISE Spy said, we can't just get a clean win, but it's still progress, Loid is beginning to share some of his workloads and eased Yor's gripes. But man Twiyor is a slowburn: Their love story is like tea that's been steeping for ages - strong, full of flavor, and comforting warmth.

#spy x family #loid forger #sxf #yor forger #sxf twilight #sxf thorn princess #twiyor #loid x yor #anya forger #sxf character development #sxf character analysis #sxf meta #sxf analysis

[professoruber]

Who is Leonardo Hapoon? (Spy X Family Analysis and Theory)

During the Cruise Ship Arc of Spy X Family, Yor is tasked with protecting the last surviving members of the Gretcher crime family from the new boss of the Ostanian underworld; Leonardo Hapoon.

While it is not explicitly stated, it does ppear that the man in the white suit shown in this image is Hapoon, as Shopkeeper is talking about Hapoon’s actions and the white-suited man does not appear as one of the hitmen mentioned.

What makes Hapoon stand out is that he appears identical to a previously shown important character... one of the scientists who experimented on Anya.

Both Hapoon and this scientist are shown with dark hair with a single bent strain of it covering their foreheads. Along with round glasses and similar facial structures. It seems very likely these are suppose to be the same person. Given Anya’s young age, this scientist is confirmed to have be active only a few years ago so its very plausible for him to sitll be active and involved with the underworld.

This same scientist was also later shown to have been involved with the experimentation of Bond. 

According to Handler, there are rumours that the subjects of ‘Project Apple’ were sold off on the black market after the new Ostanian government shut it down. This would fit in with Hapoon, who appears to have been a lead scientist on this project, being heavily involved in organised crime to such an extent that he is able to seize control of the largest criminal organisation in Ostania. 

Perhaps when the ‘new administration’ axed his work, he turned to the black market to continue it. Or perhaps he was already involved with the underworld. It is difficult to make any assumption since we no little of his motivations. 

The scientist who is likely Hapoon states Anya needs to learn to use her powers for ‘world peace’, 

By contrast, it is mentioned a few times that Hapoon is apparently seeking a war between the east and the west. This would go against the scientist’s stated desire for ‘world peace’. Of course, it's quite possible Hapoon was lying to Anya or his underlings. While he may be believed to want war, the only attempt by those hired by him to start one was done without his instructions. 

While this scienists/crime lord appearing multiple times is certainly mysterious, what makes him even more so is this:

This is Corporal, a friend of Twilight from his childhood in eastern Westalis. 

Notice his dark hair, the cresent strain of which is covering his forehead, and his round glasses. Or what about those large round ears also shared with the scientist?

If this kid is unrelated to Hapoon then this is a major concidence considering he shares such distinctive features with the man. Hapoon also does not look much older than Twilight himself, and it is completly plausible for them to be about the same age.

It is shown later on that ‘Corporal’, along with Twilights other friends, ended up enlisting in the Westalis army during the Westalis-Ostania war. At this stage his face does not entirely resemable that of Hapoon, but is is worth noting he is only a private. It was established earlier when Twilight lied about his age that you need to be at least 18 to enlist, meaning he is still a teenager and likely not fully developed.

His friends, including ‘Corporal’, end up dying due to the operation they were assigned to being reckless and poorly planned. Only their dog tags returned though, with bodies not being mentioned. We know desertion existed during this war, Frankie himself deserted from the Ostanian army.

If Hapoon witnessed the horrors of war firsthand could that motivated him to take morally dubious actions in the name of world peace? If his friends died due to poor planning could that have motivated him to experiment on mind-reading children and future-seeing dogs so that a lack of information is never a threat again? If incompetent Westalis military officers are responsible for his hardship could he have turned against Westalis in revenge?

We can’t be certain, but I do feel at the very least that the character design similarities between the scientist, Leonardo Hapoon and Twilight’s childhood friend are all too similar to be coincidences. 

And what will Twilight do when he meets up with his assumed dead friend who now rules the Ostania underworld?

EDIT:

So I’ve been told that Hapoon’s design was changed in the release of Volume 7 (thank you @hhellenn), which admittedly does weaken this theory by making them not as similar and adding some more credence to the possibility that the initial similarities were a coincidence…

But even still, I do think it appears likely Hapoon and the scientist are the same person. As per this image, the change she’s mostly in the form of his hair now being brushed to the side instead of dangling over his forehead. He still has the round glasses and oval ears, as well as the same hair colour and similar general facial shape.

Plus there is also the connection with Corporal as well having an uncanny resemblance to the scientist, indicating there is meant to be some kind of connection between all tjis.

However it’s difficult to say for complete certain until we get a better look at Hapoon (instead of just a brief shot in the background).

#spy x family #spy x family spoilers #Spy x Family Theory #spy x family analysis #loid forger #twilight #anya forger #leonardo hapoon #sxf manga #sxf theory #sxf analysis #westalis-ostania war #wise arc #cruise ship arc

[yumeka-sxf]

Japanese Linguistic Observations in Spy x Family - part 1

This is a post series I've been planning for a while and I've finally had the time to complete part 1! 😃 I may have mentioned here before that I got my B.A. in Japanese/East Asian Studies, and even though I'm not fluent, I know the linguistics of the language fairly well. So I thought it would be fun to examine the interesting aspects of the Japanese version of the SxF manga that aren't reflected in the English translation. It might also be an informative experience for those who don't know any Japanese to learn a bit about the language through SxF! I'll try not to get too technical with the linguistics and keep my explanations at a beginner's level.

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Part 1 - Twilight's "honne and tatemae"

One of the main themes in SxF is how many of the characters have secrets they want to hide, so they act a certain way in front of others in order to mask their true selves. Japanese has a word for this phenomena called 本音と建前 ("honne and tatemae").

I remember learning about the concept of "honne and tatemae" during my Japanese college studies – a quick google search will yield a lot of publications on the topic and its relation to Japanese culture in particular. While the idea of hiding one's true intentions behind a fake facade can exist anywhere and is not something unique to Japan, it is enough of an occurrence in Japanese culture that there are specific words for it. The Wiki article has a basic but good definition of honne and tatemae, to quote:

A person's honne may be contrary to what is expected by society or what is required according to one's position and circumstances, and they are often kept hidden, except with one's closest friends. Tatemae is what is expected by society and required according to one's position and circumstances, and these may or may not match one's honne. In many cases, tatemae leads to outright telling of lies in order to avoid exposing the true inward feelings.

Sounds very much like the characters in SxF, doesn't it? Twilight especially, because unlike other characters like Yor and Anya, who simply have secrets they need to keep but don't create fake personas for themselves, Twilight does – the cheerful, friendly Loid Forger is a different person from the cold, calculating Twilight after all. Also unlike Yor and Anya, who speak the same way consistently no matter who they're talking to, Twilight uses different speech levels depending on which persona he's using and who he's talking to.

There are many different levels of speech in Japanese, ranging from super formal to totally crude. These speech levels are distinguished mostly by the pronouns the speaker chooses to use for themselves and who they're speaking to, as well as how they choose to conjugate the words they use. For example, 座ってください (suwatte kudasai), 座って (suwatte,) and 座れ (suware) all mean "sit," as in, telling someone to sit down. But the tone being conveyed is different: the first one is polite, the second one is casual, and the last one could be seen as rude if you're not using it with a close friend/family member.

As Twilight, he uses casual speech with the masculine and less polite pronoun 俺 or オレ (ore). This is the speech he uses when talking to a fellow spy like Fiona, and for his own inner thoughts.

As Loid Forger, he uses the polite 敬語 (keigo) speech, which is basically comprised of using the -ます (-masu) conjugation for verbs and the "to be" verb です (desu). He also uses the pronoun ボク or 僕 (boku), which is the standard male pronoun and more polite than "ore." He uses keigo to address pretty much everyone who doesn't know his true identity. When talking to a higher-up like Sylvia, he'll still use "ore" but will use polite speech instead of casual speech.

Anya is an exception to this: with her, he uses his most casual speech, the same as he uses with Franky.

I discussed a bit about this in part 24 of my Twiyor analysis posts, but this could be because Anya is a little kid, so he doesn't feel the need to put on any airs with her (same with Bond, whom he also uses casual speech with).

An interesting side note is that, as a child, Twilight used the pronoun "boku" but then changed to "ore" as soon as he became an adult/soldier.

Another aspect of keigo, besides using the more polite forms of pronouns and verb conjugations, is putting the honorific さん (san) after people's names. Twilight does this all the time with Yor, as she does with him. However, he switches to casual speech and drops the "san" part in her name when addressing her in front of people who (supposedly) believe they're a real married couple, such as Yuri and Fiona – because it would be weird for a real couple who have been married for a year to address each other in such a formal way, especially the husband. In the below panel when Fiona visits them, he's calling her "Yor" instead of "Yor-san" and using casual speech instead of keigo.

Oddly in these situations, while he uses just "Yor" when addressing her directly, he still calls her "Yor-san" when talking about her. During Yuri's first visit for example, he calls her "Yor-san" when telling Yuri how much Anya loves her (talking to someone about her) but then calls her just "Yor" a few moments later when telling her that he'll clean up the spill (talking to her directly). It's strange to me that he wouldn't just consistently use "Yor" whether he's talking to her or about her in these situations...I'm honestly not sure if he does this intentionally or if he just slips up since he's so used to using "Yor-san" in her presence.

*UPDATE* Thank you to @dentedintheworld-blog for enlightening me with the below reply about this!

"In Japanese, when speaking to your spouse's family about your spouse, you address her/him by attaching "san" her/his name out of respect for her/his family. This is also to show her/his family that you respect your spouse. That's why Loid calls Yor with san when he talks about how much he loves Yor to Yuri."

That definitely makes sense for why Twilight switches between "Yor" and "Yor-san" in these situations.

Regardless, this is why the scene in chapter 86 is so significant – when Yor isn't present, there's no reason for him to refer to her as "Yor-san," especially in front of a fellow spy like Fiona who knows he (supposedly) shouldn't have any feelings for her. Yet, even after he just called Yuri by his full name "Yuri Briar" a moment before, he doesn't do the same for Yor and continues to call her "Yor-san" here, much to Fiona's dismay.

In the same chapter, it's also significant that he uses "ore" when addressing Yor directly in his thoughts. Even though he's not speaking out loud, I believe this is the first time he's speaking directly "to" her as Twilight and/or his true self and not as Loid Forger.

But despite all this, I think that both Loid Forger and Twilight are tatemae…they're both masks to hide the person he truly is. The person who fondly talked about his mother to Yor on the park bench, the person who genuinely expressed gratitude for her sacrifice when leaving the resort island, the person who refused to kill Yuri in a life-or-death struggle because he knew it would hurt her…that's his actual honne. But of course, the ongoing conflict of the series is that he has yet to realize this. He won't even show his honne to his closest friend, Franky. Seems like it mostly comes out in dribs and drabs during his interactions with Yor...no surprise there, lol. The man is certainly a work in progress. When he finally starts letting his "honne" show, I'm curious what form of speech he'll adopt.

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Continue to Part 2 ->

#spy x family #sxf #spy family #spyxfamily #loid forger #twiyor #sxf spoilers #sxf manga #sxf manga spoilers #sxf analysis

[sy-on-boy]

My 2 cents on the plot / thematic relevance of Ch 95

This is not about advancing Plot B or showing Anya's school life (which is still true but has been discussed), but rather the overall theme of education and war. There was an excellent post about how Eden is at the frontline of the cold war and it is subtly shown through the innocent lens of the first graders (I can't find it now, would link it if I could). And I think that perfectly applies to Ch 95.

Quick recap on some references about education/students/war throughout the series (that I remember at the moment):

Sylvia gravely condemning the Berlint University Student Terrorists during the Doggy Crisis arc (Ch 20) and saying "did you learn nothing about war at your university?"

Henderson talking about his experience as a history teacher (Ch 27.5, Short Mission 4) and quote: "Yes, well, I have always maintained that there is nothing to be learned from the memorization of time lines. From the grand efforts with which our forefathers crafted society to the foolish notions that sent them racing to war, to not study the human element at history's root is to not understand history at all"

Note that Damian's best subject has been established to be history, and his family (father) has been involved in war, at least Donovan was PM during most of the war (established by Melinda in Ch 91). Donovan is also a graduated Imperial Scholar (Ch 64).

The Red Circus group started out as a peaceful student demonstration "advocating for peace and quality" (Ch 72) and "speaking out to protect the weakest members of our society". And Billy Squire said, "We were a respectable movement that fought for our cause with respectable means. It was the state that turned violent against us. So I'm not taking criticism from a member of the establishment (referring to Henderson, an educator). I'm gonna see to it that they reap what they've sown." Billy's daughter Biddy was killed by the state at a protest.

Less of a point, but Becky is the daughter of the CEO of a major military manufacturer. Despite their very likely involvement in military conflicts because they sell arms, the Blackbell cohort has been depicted positively so far: Becky being a kind, wonderful friend to Anya, Becky's father doting on her, and Martha again being kind and dignified (and also being an ex-soldier and acquainted with Henderson).

Eden Academy is a major setting for SxF and the themes of politics, education, and war are embedded in it. The students involved in protests/groups are older (the university students, Billy's daughter), but the political implications remain even among the youngest of the students— the first graders.

Hence, Ch 95. When mere first graders are shown to fight to gain connections, which can be political as pointed out by Henderson: "In the world of politics, dances serve as major social events". But of course, they are kids, so they see it more playfully and innocently, especially Becky with her shipper lens on.

Of course, there is also the aspect of getting to know other people better out of interest (the boys asking Anya and Becky to dance because they were impressed after the bus hijacking). But as people have mentioned, nobody mentions this to Damian despite him being equally involved in saving the class (all three of them got a star). The girls aren't interested in Damian as a person, they're interested in him as an asset because of his family and their power.

And I can see the teachers trying to diffuse the tension and create camaraderie with their friendly competition. To me, this reads as the teachers fully realizing "the battlefield of political maneuvering", and they want to remind the kids to have fun, to show good sportsmanship, to unite the kids, to operate as a class and be friendly with one another, and overall make it more lighthearted. It's nice to see the classes work together and get excited / win as a unit, especially compared to the more "individual" bits of fighting for a dance partner later.

We get a bit of comparison between Bill and Damian, with Bill showing good sportsmanship while Damian scoffs at him. But Damian ends up becoming ultra competitive and telling his classmates to not screw it up.

Like the Dodgeball chapter, Damian is clumsily attempting to lead the class by doing good in his quiz, while getting stressed and yelling at his peers when they don't succeed like he did. So he's not really a good leader. Like how him being good at history does not necessarily mean he is good at being peaceful (Short Mission 4 ends with Henderson staring in exasperation at Damian + Anya bickering with each other). But obviously, he is merely a child, and he is naturally immature.

At first Loid is all for advancing Plan B and analysed Anya's suitors in a rational (reductionist?) way by ranking them in terms of gaining intelligence, but he remembers this is just a dance, Anya is a kid, and she should do whatever she wants. Loid (and the adults) are very aware of the political side of the gala, but ultimately they want the kids to have fun and not worry / worry less about politics.

Because they're kids! They'll grow up and learn more and be politically active later, but right now, they're just kids. Kids who don't know much about the world but are eager to make the world a better place.

In the end, we get a panel of Anya and Loid "teaming up" to win Damian's hand for Plan B / world peace. The Damian-Anya dynamic is cushioned with the silly crushy feelings, but underneath it, Operation Strix continues to be a core motivation.

I find it interesting that Endo chooses to focus on the first graders and their innocent view of the world / politics. It's embedded everywhere and especially in a prominent school like Eden, but the kids don't really realise it / realise the severity of it. Heirs and heiresses are educated at Eden and grow up to have incredible influence and the power to shape the world. Our protagonist's best friend comes from a family that manufactures arms. Henderson mentions the importance of learning history to avoid making the same mistakes (ie. war).

So Ch 95 is a cute prom chapter. But I think it also helps to show the themes underneath the fun, bubbly interactions.

#spy x family spoilers #spy x family #spy x family manga #sxf analysis #meta #idk #what do i tag #long post

[sophiamarieispinkbunny-chan]

Loid "Cannot be separated to his wife without missing her for even just a couple of minutes/hours" Forger

This man didn't even touched his cake since he's waiting for his wife to come back so they can eat the cake together while Anya is already devouring her piece 😂😂 It's sweet for him to have this habit that he eats when Yor eats as well. What a husband attitude. And did you see how he defended Yor's innocence in this chapter?

He always gets so defensive when it comes to Yor, since Camilla's party, he defended her in front of her coworkers, in the Eden interview when Swan badmouthed her ability as a mother, he defended her and he was genuinely upset with the way Swan embarrassed his wife, when Nightfall said that Yor's being uncooperative and she should be replaced as his wife, his tone and glare changes into a defensive demeanor. Loid always comes to her defense without missing a beat, and he wasn't calculating those reactions, he did these without the mission on his mind.

This man is already slowly falling in love with her from the very beginning and I think by the time Yor's secret would be revealed to him, not even her real identity as a killer would stop him from being with her for he's already and irrevocably down bad for her

#spy x family #spy x family manga #loid forger #twilight #sxf manga #yor forger #twiyor #sxf spoilers #sxf manga spoilers #sxf analysis #loidyor #sxf chapter 94 #spy x family manga spoilers #This chapter was such a twiyor tease haha #Ohh there's one room but oh there are two beds hnggg #Twilight loves his wife so much your honor #Not even his for the mission line could defend him at this point #I feel like Endo is really cooking something between these two #His denial is just sinking him deeper into his feelings

[tare-anime]

More interesting thing from Eyes Only.

For the volume cover, Endo spesifically choose designer chair that represent the character sit on it, and also design the things scattered under the chair as "the secrets" the characters want to hide, or things scattered in front of the chair if the character has nothing to hide.

Now let's see the first 4 covers that show us the Forgers

We know that Anya and Bond must have nothing to hide, except their superpowers. Their heart and act are pure just like the sweetest beans they are.

Twilight is obviously has lot of secrets to hide (including his own feelings. Smh)

However, it is interesting to see that Yor didn't have anything to hide, except her job as assassin.

The drops of blood even is shown in front of her chair, might mean that sometimes she even didn't hide the blood (as we know she manytimes has come home injured) but her secret remains. She is a master of "hiding in plain sight", huh? 🤣🤣🤣

Now letsee the next 4 covers

Yuri, Nightfall, and Frankie apparently has lots of things they hide.

But Damian too??? A 6 y.o kid? Goodness gracious. Damian please don't stop having fun as kid while you're still the age of one!

It is interesting to see how contrast Damian is if we compare him with other Eden kids, that are Becky, Ewen and Emile

These kids can be kids, and proudly showing to the world that they are kids.

It seems Damian still has a lot to learn from his peers.

And last but not least, vol 12. Handler

Well, it looks like the Full Metal Lady also doesn't have things to hide. Except...... the memory of her family 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 ugh... my heart... 💔

#spy x family #loid forger #anya forger #yor forger #bond forger #yuri briar #fiona frost #frankie franklin #damian desmond #becky blackbell #ewen egeburg #emile elman #sylvia sherwood #sxf meta #sxf analysis #sxf details #sxf cover analysis

[loid-eye-club]

You might be wondering, what led us to create the Loid eye club? Long story short: we were bored, the evidence was there, and the fics are fanficcing.

What is that evidence you might ask?

Loid eye club evidence

the following post will contain manga spoilers, so please be aware of that

The main basis of the Loid loses eye privilege theory is the repeated injury of his left eye during his backstory arc. It first happens when the bomb drops on his hometown

And secondly when he’s in the army

Both injuries nearly took out his eye, specifically the left eye. The second injury left him wearing a bandage over his left eye, which is what led to the loid eye club in the first place.

Now, the rule of three exists, it’s everywhere in media, Overly sarcastic productions has a very good video on the trope, but the main thing is that things happen in threes. Now, he’s gotten injured in the eye twice, so logic would dictate that it would happen again. It wouldn’t be as suspicious if he’d only gotten injured once, but twice is just too deliberate for it to just be a coincidence.

Twilight’s eyes are very important in the manga, and he does this thing i like to call the Twilight eyes™, where he just looks at something very forlornly

It sure would be a shame if I were to snatch one

This might be a reach, but there is also the WISE symbol including an eye, which is interesting, to say the least

So, we might all just be a bunch of crazy people who want Loid to suffer, but hey, it would be pretty cool if this theory turns out to be true.

Please keep in mind that one of the blog’s mods is anime only, so please try to be as careful as possible with spoilers.

#spy x family #Sxf #sxf manga #sxf manga spoilers #spy x family manga spoilers #Loid eye club #loid forger #sxf analysis