Welcome to This Week in Shonen Jump, our weekly check in on Viz’s various Shonen Jump series. Viz has recently changed their release format, but our format will mostly remain the same. We will still review the newest chapters of one title a week, now with even more options at our disposal. The big change for our readers is that, even without a Shonen Jump subscription, you can read these most recent chapters for free at Viz.com or using their app.
This week, Robbie checks in with “Spy x Family.” If you have thoughts on this or any other current Shonen Jump titles, please let us know in the comments!
Spy x Family: Mission 79
Written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo
Reviewed by Robbie Pleasant
After the past few chapters provided a tense hostage situation, chapter 79 brings a bit of levity back with a Yor-centric issue. Rather than focusing on her life as an assassin, this chapter gives us a closer look at her office life, as she spends time with her coworkers.
This chapter primarily plays off a basic gag: Yor gets drunk and takes her coworkers’ complaints about their husbands far too literally. When her coworkers say that something their husbands do makes them want to kill them, she interprets it as “violence and murder is normal in marriage,” therefore she should try to kill Loid… to maintain her secret identity as an assassin, of course. Yes, it’s ridiculous, but that’s because she’s drunk and this is a comedy chapter.
Fortunately, that murder never comes to pass, although seeing Yor imagining it does give us a nice two page spread showdown scene, complete with dramatic shading put to good use. Even in a quick imaginary scene, the artwork still hits all the right notes with dramatic angles, shading, and character designs. For the most part, though, the artwork does tend to lean more towards Tatsuya Endo’s use of comedic, exaggerated expressions and goofy reactions, especially when drunk Yor thinks about kissing (which is a good thing). There’s no major set pieces or action scenes, but Yor’s expressions really carry the chapter visually.
This chapter of “Spy x Family” also creates an interesting parallel between the Forger’s fake relationship and the actual relationships that other characters have. While Yor’s coworkers have plenty of complaints about their own spouses, Loid has always treated Yor well and the most she can complain about is the omelettes not being sweet enough. On the other hand, we as readers know that Loid is constantly putting on an act, and they’re both aware that their marriage is fake. So the healthiest-looking relationship is the fakest one—make of that what you will.
The chapter also lets us get to know Yor’s coworkers a bit better, both from what they talk about with Yor and the thought bubbles we get. It helps flesh them out a bit, and helps build on Yor’s life outside of her work as an assassin and her life with Loid and Anya.
Regardless of what this chapter may say about relationships, it still hits several key points: it developsYor’s coworkers, delves into her fake relationship, and provides some amusing comedy boosted by Tatsuya Endo’s mastery of comedic expressions. This makes it a great breather chapter with some good character beats, which comes at just the right time.
Final Verdict: 7.6 – A fun, lighthearted chapter that builds on the characters and their relationships while showcasing some of the elements that made “Spy x Family” the hit it is.
