SPY X FAMILY CH. 45 – An Honest Review

In SPY X FAMILY CH. 45, available from Weekly Shonen Jump on May 2, 2021, Yor starts the mundane mission of protecting the surviving members of a gangster family from assassination.

The Details

• Written By: Tatsuya Endo
• Art By: Tatsuya Endo
• Letters By: Rina Mapa
• Translation By: Casey Loe
• Release Date: May 2, 2021

Was It Good?

Yes, it was good for setting up some character reveals for Yor and for setting up great story potential for Anya and Loid. While the story is admittedly light on action, it makes excellent use of the space provided to build anticipation for the big assassin showdown that you can see coming from a mile away.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Loid and Anya take a tour of the bells and whistles the cruise ship has to offer. Anya is wowed at every turn and cant’ believe she has access to all the amenities… until she sees her 3rd class cabin.

It’s amusing to see a little girl be so enthralled with the luxuries of high-class travel and then feel so dejected by the reality of what a “free” ticket will get you.

Loid, on the other hand, is so taken with the sheer volume of upper-class passengers that he believes the ship is a prime terrorist target. By introducing this observation from Loid, Endo has cleverly established a point of conflict with Yor’s bodyguard duties. It’s not hard to figure out Yor and Loid will wind up teaming up in a fight but each will believe they’re doing it for completely different reasons that allow them to fight but maintains their mutual covers.

Yor is introduced to Shaty Grey and her infant son through her management as part of a supposed department store negotiation. Secretly, Shaty Grey is actually Olga Gretcher, Yor’s bodyguard assignment. When the managers leave for a contract meeting, Your and Shaty acknowledge who they really are.

Shaty is heartbroken over the death of most of her family and her husband. Her only wish is to escape being hunted and live a quiet life to raise her son. Yor is extremely nervous about her first assignment as a bodyguard, and she’s mildly fascinated watching the mother-child relationship.

Shaty asks for permission to go out on deck for fresh air, and Yor reluctantly agrees. To help make their walk less suspicious, Shaty gives Yor a change of clothes as a disguise to make it look like they’re two moms out for a stroll.

What’s interesting about the walking scene and a brief chance Yor has to hold Shaty’s son is you get to see that Yor has potentially some interest in motherhood. As Yor and Shaty talk frankly about the escape plan with nobody around, the issue concludes with all the players moving into position for the big conflict.

How Does It End?

There’s something under Shaty’s chair. There are voices everywhere in one place. Somebody is looking at the passenger list for Shaty’s name.

Final Thoughts

SPY X FAMILY CH. 45, available from Weekly Shonen Jump on May 2, 2021, is a good setup issue that’s more than a breather. Anticipation is building for a big showdown with the assassins on the ship, and excellent seeds are planted for Yor’s motivations in the near future.

Score: 8/10