Spy × Family (stylized asSPY×FAMILY and pronounced "spy family")[4][5][6] is a Japanesewebmanga series written and illustrated byTatsuya Endo. The story follows Loid Forger, an enigmaticspy who has to "build a family" to execute a mission, not realizing that his adopted daughter is atelepath, and the woman he agrees to marry is a skilled assassin. The series has been serialized biweekly onShueisha'sShōnen Jump+ app and website since March 2019, with its chapters collected in 16tankōbon volumes as of October 2025. It is licensed in North America byViz Media.
An animetelevision series adaptation produced byWit Studio andCloverWorks aired from April to December 2022, with a secondcours aired from October to December of the same year.The second season, continuing from 2022's adaptation, aired from October to December 2023.A third season aired from October to December 2025. An anime film titledSpy × Family Code: White, featuring the cast from the television series reprising their roles, was released theatrically in Japan in December 2023 and in the United States and Canada in April 2024.
By December 2024,Spy × Family had over 38 million copies in circulation, making it one of thebest-selling manga series of all time. The series has received critical acclaim for its storytelling, humor, characters, action scenes, and artwork.
In order to maintain thestate of peace between the rival nations of Westalis and Ostania,[a] a Westalian agent code-named "Twilight" is tasked with spying on politician Donovan Desmond, leader of the National Unity Party within Ostania. However, due to Desmond being notoriously reclusive, the only way Twilight can get close to him is to enroll a child in the same private school as Desmond's son, Damian, and pose as a fellow parent.
To accomplish this and present the image of a happy family, he creates the alias of psychiatrist Dr. Loid Forger, who adopts a young orphan girl named Anya, and marries an Ostanian city hall clerk named Yor Briar. However, unbeknownst to him, Anya is atelepath, and Yor is in fact a professional assassin. Yor also sought a marriage of cover, because single adult women draw suspicion and attention in the paranoid Ostania. Neither Loid nor Yor are aware of each other's true identities or that of Anya who, thanks to her secret mind-reading powers, knows their true professions. The family later takes in aGreat Pyrenees dog named Bond, who possesses precognitive abilities (unbeknownst to the entire family except Anya). Despite these unknown factors and Twilight's occasional lapses of common sense due to years of being a spy, he must learn to play the role of the perfect father and husband to carry out his mission.
Tatsuya Endo and his editor Shihei Lin have known each other for over ten years; Lin was his initial editor on his first manga series,Tista (2007).[9] When Lin was moved from theJump Square editorial department toShōnen Jump+, Endo happily followed, and they began developing a new work.Spy × Family takes elements from three of Endo'sJump Squareone-shots:Rengoku no Āshe (煉獄のアーシェ;lit. "Ashe of Purgatory"),Ishi ni Usubeni, Tetsu ni Hoshi (石に薄紅、鉄に星;lit. "The Pink in Stone, the Star in Steel"), andI Spy. Lin said that its reception among the editorial department was so positive that serialization was practically decided before the official meeting was even held.[9]
The initial draft was given the working titleSpy Family written in Japanese. When deciding the final name, Endo came up with over 100 options, but they ultimately decided to use the same title but in English and with a "cross" in between, the latter influenced byHunter × Hunter.[9] Lin said that he and Endo are always conscious of the line where violence, a necessary aspect in a spy manga, is given a pass for comedy's sake. WithTista andBlade of the Moon Princess both having a dark tone, the editor told Endo to giveSpy × Family a more cheerful one. Anya was inspired by the main character ofRengoku no Ashe. Herextrasensory perception was decided early on, and Lin cited its use for comedic effect as one of the series' strengths. Lin said that the series has a broad readership among all ages and genders. He also cited Endo's clean art and ability to convey emotions as part of the manga's appeal.[9]
Lin feels that the world and characters were firmly established as of volume two. As such, he revealed that he and Endo would start to include longer narratives in the series.[9]
Written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo,Spy × Family has been serialized biweekly on theShōnen Jump+ app and website since March 25, 2019. The chapters, which are released every other Monday, have been collected and published into individualtankōbon volumes byShueisha. Shueisha also simultaneously publishes the series in English for free on theManga Plus platform.[10]
Viz Media began publishingSpy × Family in English digitally on their website for free on September 22, 2019. The Viz version is translated by Casey Loe.[11] They released the first volume in print on June 2, 2020.[12]
The manga series has one companion book,Spy × Family Official Fanbook: Eyes Only, published on May 2, 2022. A comprehensive collection of information, it includes detailed information and analysis about the series' characters and worlds, colored artworks, early character designs, guest artist contributions, a long interview with Endo, and commentary on most chapters by Endo and Lin.[13] On February 3, 2023,Viz Media announced that they had licensed the companion book for English publication.[14] The companion book was released on October 3, 2023.[15]
Thelight novelSpy × Family: Family Portrait (SPY×FAMILY 家族の肖像,Spy × Family: Kazoku no Shōzō), written by Aya Yajima, was published on July 2, 2021.[16] The book contains four disconnecting chapters and a seven-page "short story". The first chapter, "Anya's Nature Class" (アーニャの自然教室,Ānya no Shizen Kyōshitsu),[b] tells the story of the timeAnya andDamian got lost in the forest on their school nature camp. The second chapter, "Yuri's Day Off" (ユーリの休暇,Yūri no Kyūka),[b] recounts the dayYuri took Anya to experience a mock-up of future employment for kids. The third chapter, "Franky's New Love!?" (フランキーの新たな恋!?,Furankī no Aratana Koi!?),[b] tells the story ofFranky's short-lived love with a blind opera singer from a prestigious family. The fourth chapter, "Portrait of the Forger Family!?" (フォージャー家の肖像画!?,Fōjā-ka no Shōzōga!?),[b] tells about the daythe Forger family modeled for a famous painter in the park. In the "short story" chapter, "Family (Temporary)" (ファミリー(休),Famirī (kyū)),[b] two waitresses were talking about their ideal family, the Forgers, among many unhappy families they saw. On December 20, 2023, Shueisha released an audiobook version of the light novel, featuring the voices ofMiyuri Shimabukuro andRyōhei Arai. This marked the first time a Jump J-Books light novel received an audiobook release.[17] On February 3, 2023,Viz Media announced that they have licensed the light novel for English publication.[14] The Viz's English-translated novel was released on December 26, 2023. It was translated by Casey Loe, who was also the translator for official English manga published by Viz; it was edited by Holly Fisher and designed by Francesca Truman.[18]
On April 7, 2023, Shueisha's Mirai Bunko announced that a novel adaptation of the manga is in the works. The first volume,Temporary Family (かりそめの家族,Karisome no Kazoku), written by Hitomi Wada, was released on May 26, 2023. The contents of the novel is described to follow the plot of the manga'sfirst volume.[19][20][21] The second volume,Admission! The Prestigious Academy Eden (入学!名門校イーデン,Nyūgaku! Meimonkō Īden), is also written by the same writer as the first book and was released on August 4, 2023. The contents of the novel is described to follow the plot of the manga'ssecond andthird volume.[22][23][24] The third volume,The Mysterious Dog and the Bombing Incident (ふしぎな犬と爆弾事件,Fushigina Inu to Bakudan Jiken), is also written by the same writer and was released on November 11, 2023. The contents of the novel is described to follow the plot of the manga'sfourth volume.[25][26]
A novel adaptation of the movieSpy × Family Code: White with the same name was published on December 22, 2023, the same day as the movie premiere. It is written by Aya Yajima, who also penned for the first light novelSpy × Family: Family Portrait. The novel was based on the plot of the movie, which is screenplay byIchirō Ōkouchi.[27][28]
On November 1, 2021, ananime television series adaptation ofSpy × Family produced byWit Studio andCloverWorks was announced via a trailer video and the anime's website.[29] The series was directed byKazuhiro Furuhashi, with character designs handled by Kazuaki Shimada, and music composed and produced by(K)now Name.[29] The series ran for two splitcours and contained episodes. The first cour aired from April 9 to June 25, 2022, onTXN stations.[30][31] The second cour aired from October 1 to December 24, 2022.[32] Crunchyroll licensed the series outside of Asia.[33]Muse Communication licensed the series in Taiwan, South and Southeast Asia;[34] they are streaming it on their YouTube channel (limited release in some of the available regions during the first-air run),Netflix,iQIYI,Bilibili,Disney+ Hotstar and other regional streaming services.[35] On April 11, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that the series would receive an English dub. It had an early preview on Crunchyroll'sTwitch channel on April 15, before premiering the following day.[36]
Accompanying the anime, the guidebookAnimation × 1st Mission, which includes anime character designs, storyboards, key animations, promotion images, interviews and comments from the staff and the voice actors, was released on April 4, 2022. The book acts as a starter guide for the anime series and does not contain many details about later episodes after the first two.[37] The second guide bookMission Report:220409-0625, which provides in greater details of the first half of the first season, was released on September 2, 2022. It includes information for the main characters; details of the first twelve episodes; key arts for location settings and stories; storyboards; interviews and comments from the staff, the actors and the singers of the first opening and first ending songs,Official Hige Dandism andGen Hoshino.[38] The third guide bookMission Report:221001‐1224, which provides in the details of the second half of the first season, was released on September 4, 2023.[39]
On December 18, 2022, a second season was announced at theJump Festa '23 event.[40][41][42]Ichirō Ōkouchi replaced Furuhashi as scriptwriter, while the remaining staff and cast reprised their roles. The 12-episode second season aired from October 7 to December 23, 2023.[43][44]
On October 4, 2023, Wit Studio announced an art book for the anime adaptation, titledSpy × Family Animation Art Book. The book was released on December 8, 2023, containing 200 pages of character designs, background designs, prop and item designs, anime and collaboration artworks, storyboards for season 1's second cour's opening animation byTetsurō Araki and ending animation byTakayuki Hirao.[45]
On June 9, 2024, a third season of the anime was announced at the Spy × Family Anime Extra Mission special event.[46][47] Yukiko Imai replaced Furuhashi and Takahiro Harada as the season's director, while the remaining staff and cast returned to reprise their roles.[48] It aired from October 4 to December 27, 2025.[49]
An anime film was announced at the Jump Festa '23 event.[40][41][42] On March 25, 2023, it was revealed to be titledSpy × Family Code: White, and the film was released on December 22, 2023. Tatsuya Endo supervised the production and provided original character designs. The film was directed by Takashi Katagiri, while the screenplay written by Ichirō Ōkouchi.[43] On September 12, 2023, it was reported thatTomoya Nakamura andKento Kaku would voice the movie-original villain duo for the movie named Dmitri and Luka, respectively.[50][51] On September 22, 2023, it was announced thatBanjō Ginga andShunsuke Takeuchi were cast for the role of two other villains, Snidel and Type F.[52][53]
A limited-printed booklet, namedSpy × Family Code: White Film File was distributed exclusively for early movie audiences in Japan. It contains an original 8-paged manga done by the manga creator Tatsuya Endo, interviews with Endo, the anime staff and voice actor cast, with its cover also drawn by Endo. The print number is limited to 4 million copies. Along with this announcement, it is also announced that the opening day's earliest screening would be at midnight, when they started distributing the booklet.[54][55] On 9 January 2024,AR illustration cards drawn by Tatsuya Endo were announced to be distributed for movie audiences in Japan. It contained aQR code on the back that can display a 3D pop-out model ofAnya Forger speaking her voice lines if read by smart phones.[56]
On July 2, 2023, it was announced that the movie was going to have a collaboration project withStreet Fighter 6. An illustration drawn byCapcom's illustrator and designer Chisato Mita was revealed along with the announcement.[57][58] On December 4, 2023, Capcom social media released the animated short video ofYor Forger andStreet Fighter 6's characterChun-Li dueling on Suval'hal Arena stage. The animation was made byWit Studio, with Shunsuke Aoki doing key animation and Kyōji Asano working on storyboard and character design.[59][60][61][62][63] On 9 January 2024, Capcom revealed and released the in-game collab items, which are avatar costumes based on Yor's Thorn Princess dress andLoid Forger's signature dark cyan suit. Yor and Loid's hairstyles are also added to the avatar creation. Players who log in during the collaboration period, which lasted until 31 January, would receive free items like picture frames, stickers, and player titles. The Battle Hub area would also receive a temporary redesign to promote the movie.[64]
On July 10, 2023, a collaboration project with the movieMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One was announced. A parody poster illustration featuring the main characters of the anime replacing theMission: Impossible cast was released with the announcement, as was a highlight video forDead Reckoning Part One narrated by the voice actors ofthe Forgers.[65][66][67] On September 19, 2023, another collaboration project with the movieWish was announced. A parody poster illustration featuringAnya andBond Forger, which mirrors the Japanese theatrical release poster ofWish, and a combination trailer video were also released on the same day.[68][69]
Amusical adaptation, titledMusical Spy × Family (ミュージカル スパイファミリー,Myūjikaru Supai Famirī), was reported to be in production underToho Stage's production on May 1, 2022. The musical premiered at Tokyo'sImperial Theatre in March 2023, with a nationwide tour following in April and May of the same year.[70][71]
A second musical play was announced during the Jump Festa '25 event on December 21, 2024. It is scheduled to be perform in multiple cities from September 20 to December 30, 2025. The cast including Win Morisaki as Loid and Fuka Yuduki as Yor will reprise their roles from the first musical play, while Genki Hirakata and Sora Kazuki will play Loid and Yor respectively. The staff will host auditions for child actors for Anya. On June 14, 2025, the cast forAnya Forger was announced; she would be played interchangeably by four actresses: Rana Izutani, Mirei Tsukino, Mio Nishiyama andNonoka Murakata.[74][75]
A video game based on the series was announced in aNintendo Direct on September 14, 2023.[76][77] TitledSpy × Anya: Operation Memories,[c] the game was developed by Groove Box Japan and published byBandai Namco Entertainment. The game allows the player to experienceAnya Forger's everyday-life activities with her friends and family, in order to take and collect photos for Anya's diary. As a daily-life simulation game, it gives the player the options to visit locations in the series, participate in minigames, and customize the characters' appearances and outfits. The game was released on December 21, 2023, on theNintendo Switch in Japan,[80] and was released onPlayStation 4 andPlayStation 5 on June 27, 2024,[81][79] and internationally on June 28 for home consoles andWindows viaSteam.[82]
An amusement park attraction based on the series, namedSpy × Family Secret Mission (Spy×Family シークレット・ミッション,Spy×Family Shīkuretto Misshon), opened for visitors at theUniversal Studios Japan theme park from February 17 to July 2, 2023. Participants were placed in the role of a newcomer agent from the in-universe spy agency WISE, trying solving hidden codes at various locations around the park. After successfully solving the codes, they were permitted to attend a live show featuring the Forger family members.[83][84][85] From July 1, 2025, to January 4, 2026, the theme park is again set to host an attraction based on the series. The VR/XR ride is set to open for visitors who will solve quizzes and hear the Forger family having fun. Its story ride is a conversion of the Hollywood Dream the Ride, in which the visitors can hear dialogue from Eden Academy students Anya Forger, Becky Blackbell, and Damian Desmond.[86][87]
On April 3, 2023, it was announced that an official art exhibition would be held atMatsuya Ginza atGinza,Tokyo from July 20 to August 13, 2023. Afterwards, the exhibition went on a nationwide tour, starting atOsaka in August and then to other cities in Japan, includingFukuoka andSapporo.[88][89] Tickets for the first four days were distributed via a lucky draw lottery while the general admission tickets were sold on a later date.[90] The exhibition included the original artworks by the manga creator among various other exhibits.[89][91] There were "mission keywords" hidden around the venue, which encouraged visitors to find all of them to receive a prize.[92]
On July 10, 2023, Shueisha announced the return of "Manga Dive", an immersive VR experience, at Lumine Zero event hall inShinjuku, Tokyo. The three Shōnen Jump+ series,Spy × Family,Chainsaw Man andDandadan were chosen to be the main features of the VR show. The show was projected on five surfaces of the event hall by the use of twelve projectors and the sounds were presented by eight speakers to simulate astereoscopic experience for the audiences. The screening ofSpy × Family show began on August 14 and lasted until August 23.[93][94]
In December 2019,Brutus magazine included the series on their "Most Dangerous Manga" list, which included works with the most "stimulating" and thought-provoking themes.[95] Later that same month,Polygon included it on a list of the best comics of 2019.[96] The 2020 edition of theKono Manga ga Sugoi! guidebook namedSpy × Family the best manga series for male readers.[97] The series ranked first on Honya Club's Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2020 list, compiled by surveying 1,100 professional bookstore employees in Japan.[98] It ranked fifth in a 2020 poll conducted byAnimeJapan of "Most Wanted Anime Adaptation".[99] It was named as the "No. 1 Popular Web Comic of 2019," the "No. 1 PopularShōnen Jump+ Work," and a "Signature Work ofJump+".[100] In May 2022, as stated by the manga's editor Shihei Lin, the series reached 350 million views onShōnen Jump+.[101] In August 2022, the series reached 480 million views.[102] About a month later, the series reached 500 million views.[103] The manga topped the 2022 "Book of the Year" list byDa Vinci magazine;[104] it ranked nineteenth on the 2023 list;[105] and seventh on the 2024 list.[106]
In 2019,Spy × Family had 300,000 copies in circulation, including digital and physical sales, less than a month after the release of its first volume.[107] The series reached 800,000 copies 2 months later, upon the release of its second volume.[108] This number exceeded 2 million with the release of volume three, and 3 million in circulation by volume four.[109][110] Less than two weeks before the release of its fourth volume,Spy × Family became the second fastest and successful hit, behindAssassination Classroom.[111] According toOricon, volumes three and four of the series were two of the top 30 best-selling manga volumes of 2020.[112] It became the firstShōnen Jump+ series to receive an initial print run of over 1 million copies with its sixth volume. With its sixth volume released in December 2020,Spy × Family had over 8 million digital and physical copies in circulation. At that time, it was the ninth best-selling manga in 2020, with over 4.5 million copies sold within that year.[113][114]
In 2020, the third volume ofSpy × Family had received an initial print run of 400,000 copies.[115] Along withKingdom, it had an initial print run of 1 million copies, with its sixth volume in 2021.[116] In May 2021,Spy × Family had reached 10 million copies in circulation and increased to 11 million copies by the next month.[117][118] With 537,558 copies sold in its first week, volume six became the series' second consecutive volume to debut at number one on Oricon's weekly list of the best-selling manga.[119][120] Volume six was among the top 30 best-selling manga volumes of 2021 according to Oricon.[121] By November 2021, the manga had over 12.5 million copies in circulation.[122] It was the eighth best-selling manga in 2021, with over 4.9 million copies sold within that year.[123] The series was ranked 10th onRakuten's Top 20 Best Selling Digital Manga of 2020 and 16th in 2021.[124][125]
On April 3, 2022, on the eve of the release of volume 9 and the premiere of the anime, the manga was reported to have over 15 million copies in circulation.[126] By May 2022, the manga had over 21 million copies in circulation.[127] It was tentatively the third best-selling manga from the last month of 2021 to the first 5 months of 2022.[128] In August 2022, the manga had over 25 million copies in circulation, doubling in number compared with 9 months prior.[129] In October, around the return of the anime's second cour and the release of volume 10, it was reported that the series had more than 26.5 million copies in circulation.[130] By October, the manga had over 27 million copies in circulation.[131] It was the third best-selling manga series in 2022, with over 10.6 million copies sold;[132] its first ten volumes were among the 25 best-selling manga volumes of the year.[133] The series was also ranked fifth on Rakuten's Top 20 Best Selling Digital Manga of 2022.[134] In December the same year, it was reported that the series has surpassed 29 million copies in circulation.[42]
On March 23, 2023, editor Shihei Lin reported that the series had over 30 million copies in circulation, on the eve of the release of volume 11.[135] On September 12, 2023, it was reported that the series had reached 31 million copies in circulation with 12 volumes, including volume 12's number that would be released in the next 3 weeks.[136][137] Volumes 11 and 12 were among the best-selling manga volumes of 2023.[138] On December 17, 2023, the series was reported to have over 34 million copies in circulation.[139] Volume 11 wasShueisha's third-highest first print run manga volume of 2023–2024 (period from April 2023 to March 2024), with 1.55 million copies printed.[140] In March 2024, the series had reached over 35 million copies in circulation with the release of volume 13.[141] In December 2024, the series had reached over 38 million copies in circulation.[142] Volume 14 had an initial print run of 1.3 million copies printed, making it Shueisha's third-highest first print run manga volume of 2024–2025 (period from April 2024 to March 2025).[143]
The volumes ofSpy × Family have sold well in North America. They were ranked onCircana (formerly NPD)BookScan's monthly top 20 adult graphic novels list since June 2020.[144] Several volumes of the manga have also ranked onThe New York Times' Graphic Books and Manga bestseller monthly list since May 2021.[145] According to NPD BookScan, the three volumes ofSpy × Family were ranked among the top 20 highest-selling manga volumes in 2022;[146] four volumes were among the top 20 highest-selling manga volumes in 2023.[147] In the United States, the series' 6 volumes collectively sold 220,000 copies in 2021.[148] In France, the series has had one million copies sold as of volume 6.[149] On October 19, 2023, the French publisherKurokawa reported that the series has sold over 4.375 million copies as of volume 11.[150]
The series has received widespread critical acclaim. In a positive review of the first 11 chapters, Antonio Mireles of The Fandom Post summed upSpy × Family as a great comedy about a dysfunctional family put into uncanny situations that never pan out as planned due to their unique personalities. He described the family setup of Loid as thestraight man, Yor the "dumb character" and Anya the adorable child "that readers fall in love with," as the perfect recipe for a comedy. However, he felt the humor that comes from Yor being the dumb character was underutilized.[151]Comic Book Resources' Hannah Collins hailed the first volume as one of the best manga releases of 2020. She had strong praise for Endo's art; writing that "Action-comedy is no mean feat even in animated or live-action mediums. To pull it off so well in still images takes real artistic talent." The reviewer called the artist's range of facial expressions his secret weapon, which he deployed to win over the hearts and minds of readers; particularity with those of Anya, whom Collins said, "steals every page she appears on."[152]
Morgana Santilli ofThe Beat stated thatSpy × Family volume one does an excellent job balancing fun espionage action with heartwarming family moments. She called Endo's art "clean and appealing," which made his parody of post-warBerlin easily recognizable. Santilli compared its comedy to that ofFrom Eroica with Love, anotherCold War-centric series.[153] In a review forPolygon, Julia Lee stated that Endo takes a premise that could make a "typical, corny, action manga" and used it to make one of the funniest contemporary series. Like the other reviewers, Lee praised Endo's art, writing that he had a knack for action scenes, as well as "expressive panels that really show you how the characters are feeling."[154]
^Westalis and Ostania are alternate-world versions ofWest andEast Germany, respectively.[7][8]
^abcdeThe official English version, published by Viz, discarded the Japanese chapter titles and followed themanga chapter's naming practice, which is "Mission" followed by the chapter number. The only exception is the last chapter, which is named "Short Story".
^It is titledSpy × Family Operation Diary in Japan.[78][79]
^Jump Comics (September 16, 2022).アーニャしってる。アニメで… [Anya knows. Anime…].YouTube (promotion video) (in Japanese).Tokyo, Japan.Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. RetrievedOctober 16, 2022.
^Eguchi, Takuya (speaker) (April 10, 2022).Spy×Family オペレーション <ポッドキャスト> [Spy × Family Operation <Podcast>] (podcast audio) (in Japanese).Tokyo, Japan: Spotify Studio.Archived from the original on October 9, 2022. RetrievedOctober 9, 2022.
^Kazuki Yamanaka [@tasuk_gory] (December 4, 2023)."Kōkai sa Remashita!!"公開されました!! [It's released to the public now!!] (Tweet) (in Japanese). RetrievedDecember 7, 2023 – viaTwitter.
^『ジャンプ』没入体験型<マンガダイブ>夏に大型企画展を初開催 『Spy×Family』『チェンソーマン』『ダンダダン』上映 [Jump's Immersive Experience "Manga Dive" to Hold First Large-Scale Exhibition in Summer for "Spy × Family," "Chainsaw Man," and "Dandadan"].Oricon (in Japanese). July 10, 2023.Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. RetrievedJuly 28, 2023.
^Shihei, Lin [@SHIHEILIN] (October 4, 2022).『Spy×Family』最新10巻本日発売 瓦礫に座る少年のカバーが目印です [Spy × Family volume 10 is released today, look at the boy on the cover] (Tweet) (in Japanese). RetrievedOctober 4, 2022 – viaTwitter.
^三洋堂書店コミックアワード「#でらコミ !2」結果発表! (in Japanese). Sanyodo Books Inc. November 1, 2021.Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. RetrievedOctober 8, 2022.