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With Spy x Family's first season closing out, fans are now actively scrambling for anime to take its place.
However, they needn't fret, as there happen to be several anime that can fill the void left behind by the comedic antics of Loid, Yor, and Anya.
Some, like Haikyuu, make up for Anya's sporting failures, whereas some, like The Disastrous Life of Saiki K!, are funny. Yet others revolve around adopted families and their various circumstances. So, whether one is looking for a wholesome time or a hilarious romp, this article will highlight 10 anime that perfectly fit Spy x Family's mold, as the latter goes on hiatus ahead of its second season.
Disclaimer: The following article contains Spy x Family spoilers and likewise spoilers for all the anime that have been highlighted. These only reflect the author's opinions likewise.
Usagi Drop and 9 other anime you can watch during the Spy x Family hiatus
1) Michiko & Hatchin
One of the more serious anime to deal with the idea of unlikely families in unlikely places, Michiko & Hatchin has plenty of similarities to Spy x Family. Hana Morenos aka "Hatchin" and Anya were both in abusive situations. In Hana's case, it was an abusive foster family. In Anya's case, she escaped a government facility that was turning her into a weapon.
The two kids are basically on the run with Hana Moreso due to Michiko's outlaw status. Michiko Malandro combines Loid's seriousness with Yor's desire for comfort and family. Neither Hana nor Anya really knew or recalled their original families too well either, and the journey of Michiko and Hana to find the latter's father echoes the deception of the main family of Spy x Family's.
The fact that when things get serious, it's usually over-the-top in terms of violence is also a point of comparison between the two anime; Michiko & Hatchin has multiple crazy car chases and fight scenes, Spy x Family likewise has those and shootouts.
2) Usagi Drop
On the lighter side of things, Usagi Drop fills the mold of adopted family dynamics that Spy x Family does. The plot is as follows: After attending his grandfather's funeral, Daikichi Kawachi takes in illegitimate child Rin Kaga and vows to raise her despite her being considered the black sheep of the family. If you love the family bonding moments in Spy x Family, this is the anime for you.
Despite not having the blend of action and humor that Spy x Family has, Usagi Drop does show many of the ups and downs of parenthood. For instance, letting go of smoking because of the kid, calling out the entire family for maltreatment of a little girl, helping kids go to school, and school registration in general. Basically, Daikichi and Rin are like Loid and Anya minus the spycraft and the deception.
The anime is most definitely recommended over the manga, as the manga is infamous for having Rin and Daikichi develop a romantic relationship. Thankfully, the anime doesn't adapt that and only goes up to volumes 1-4. The Usagi Drop anime is recommended for its soul healing depiction of an adoptive family.
3) The Way of the Househusband
In Spy x Family, Yor Forger is an assassin trying to become a mom whilst hiding her true job from her "husband" Loid and "child" Anya. The Way of the Househusband casts ex-Yakuza member Tatsu in essentially the same role, as he tries to be a stay-at-home husband for his successful wife Miku.
Much like Yor, Tatsu has plenty of difficulty adjusting to normal house life and struggles with things like cooking, laundry, and petcare. It certainly doesn't help that his appearance and personality still come off as intimidating. Likewise, he has very frequent and awkward run-ins with former Yakuza associates and rivals which puts strain on his attempts at a normal lifestyle.
Much like Spy x Family, The Way of the Househusband is very comedic in how it deals with the abrupt change from Yakuza crime boss to househusband. It's not just Tatsu in a new role either, as some of his former mates and rivals own food trucks, work at grocery stores, and do other mundane jobs. Well worth the watch for the juxtaposition.
4) Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
A Gundam series on a list like this seems too far out for Spy x Family type antics. Witch from Mercury, however, is vastly different than others in the Gundam franchise. For one, there's no huge war or massive conflict going on that our heroes are involved in. The story mostly focuses on Suletta Mercury, a transfer student from Mercury to the Asticassia School of Technology.
The story of this ongoing anime focuses on Suletta and her sudden and inexplicable marriage to the upper classman Miorine Rembran. Both Spy x Family and Witch from Mercury utilize the concept of marriage of convenience as well as sudden culture shifts to their advantage, showcasing how hard it is for people not accustomed to other cultures or jobs to adapt.
Both of them are comedic shows, but with very serious implications given their background stories. They're also well-acted and well-written likewise, and Witch from Mercury is a solid introduction to Gundam in general.
5) Demon Slayer
Before Anya Forger's adorable face and mannerisms graced anime audiences, Nezuko Kamado was there to be the adorable (albeit deadly) cute girl. Cute girls and their mannerisms aside, Demon Slayer and Spy x Family share many familial themes. Both Loid Forger and Tanjiro Kamado face down cold worlds, face tragedy, and ultimately want to protect people they love from violence and war.
There are a lot of comparisons that can be drawn between Nezuko and Anya as well: they're both adorable, need to be protected, and have hidden abilities that often come in handy but need to be kept secret. Loid and Tanjiro are on journeys to protect people likewise, though Tanjiro's is more about revenge and saving his sister from demonic possession whereas Loid's is more grand in scope.
The two relationships are likewise heartwarming, as Loid and Anya are there for each other about as much as Tanjiro and Nezuko are for each other. The two series' likewise have a theme that family, whether found or biological, is important to have and keep close.
6) Haikyuu
Anya failed hard at sports in her school during the quest for a Stella star in Spy x Family. Loid and Yor, on the other hand, appear to be tennis experts in the underground tennis game. Anyone looking for more of that over-the-top sports action that those episodes provided, a good recommendation is the volleyball-focused sports anime Haikyuu.
Much like Anya at Eden Academy, Shōyō Hinata is considered an underdog at Karasuno High School due to his diminutive size. Hinata is likewise part of a team that doesn't quite respect him at first, especially considering one of his teammates was the former "King of the Court." Sound familiar? That's what happens when Anya and Damien are on the same dodgeball team.
It also helps that both of these anime are very well animated, written, and acted. So, it's genuinely worth the hype when things get serious. Haikyuu is considered the pinnacle of sports anime, so it's well worth a watch even for non-sporting fans.
7) We Never Learn
Neither Anya, nor the stars of We Never Learn, really enjoy the act of studying for school. In Spy x Family, it takes Loid Forger resorting to trying to make an episode of Anya's spy anime to get her to study. In We Never Learn, it's the same thing as the protagonist Nariyuki Yuiga has his hands full with tutoring very bright yet easily distracted girls.
It's a bit of a flip in that the girls are prodigies in certain areas, but would rather study other things. One of them, Rizu Ogata, is a prodigy in math and science and yet wants to study psychology despite not having good grades in that area. Fumino Furuhashi, on the other hand, wants to be an astronomer despite failing in literature and math.
We Never Learn is more of a romantic comedy, while still maintaining Spy x Family's themes of aiding families and providing for kids. Nariyuki is trying to provide for his family via attaining a scholarship to cover his tuition, and thus needs to tutor the girls. Loid is trying to learn how to be a good father.
8) My Hero Academia
One of the most prolific shonen anime currently airing, My Hero Academia is recommended for Spy x Family fans for a number of reasons. For one, all the characters in Class 1-A are adorable in their own way, or at least very precocious. The theme of working towards world peace, albeit through superheroism rather than spycraft, also resonates throughout this particular anime.
When young Izuku Midoriya has a chance encounter with the Number 1 hero, All Might, he's thrust into a world of heroes as he tries to save people with a smile on his face. The Hero Society being a tense one where villains threaten to unravel it if not for heroes like All Might is somewhat similar to Loid's situation with the Cold War-esque tensions between Westalis and Ostania.
While assassins and spies aren't typically praised in My Hero Academia, the idea of doing the dirty work to keep society clean isn't shown as morally wrong either. Of course, the Hero society collapsed under the weight of all the dark secrets it kept. Time will tell if Westalis and Ostania follow suit.
9) Kaguya-Sama: Love is War
Crossing genres is something that both Spy x Family and Kaguya-Sama: Love is War have heavily in common: Spy x Family covers action and spy fiction with heavy doses of comedy, whereas Kaguya-Sama is a romantic comedy that shifts genres from drama to comedic and back.
To put the plot in perspective, two geniuses, student council president Miyuki Shirogane and vice president Kaguya Shinomiya, both like each other. The problem? Their huge egos won't let them confess to each other, leading to a romance battle. The stakes are that they must make the other confess first.
Not as high stakes as Spy x Family gets up to, but the theme of keeping secrets even from loved ones echoes for both the Forger family and the student council. Likewise, so too does the comedic antics as both of these groups get up to rather crazy things, including misunderstandings, clever wordplay gone wrong, and generally the stress of keeping feelings under wraps.
10) The Disastrous Life of Saiki K!
Professor Xavier of the X-Men would have a field day with Spy x Family's Anya Forger and The Disastrous Life of Saiki K's protagonist Kusuo Saiki, since both of them show the cons of having psychic powers, and he'd be able to help. Both Anya and Saiki are psychics that have trouble with their powers, especially in controlling their mind reading around crowds.
Anya herself has gotten anxious and burned herself out in crowds, Saiki has done the same. Anya and Saiki are both trying to keep their powers secret from the world and it's easier said than done on both sides, more so for Saiki considering his tendencies to attract plenty of attention despite his best efforts.
Saiki K is recommended for the comedic aspect alone, but also that the episodes consist of shorter skits that pair Saiki up with his unusual classmates. It's hard going for someone that wants to be left alone, and that's what makes it funny.
Waiting for an anime to come off hiatus, or waiting for a second season to even be announced, can feel like an eternity. Hopefully these 10 anime can help Spy x Family fans get through the hiatus.
