Spy x Family Chapter 30 Review

Spy x Family has been a consistently good read since the very beginning. Tatsuya has created a fascinating world populated with well-crafted characters. The story continues to be complex and engrossing. I am confident that Spy x Family Chapter 30 is going to be another quality read. Let’s go ahead and hit this review!

Words: Tatsuya Endo

Art: Tatsuya Endo

Cast: Twilight aka Loid Forger: Twilight is the premier spy in the entire world. Twilight works for the country Westalis. He is now in the rival country of Ostania carrying out Operation Strix which requires him to have a wife and child to get close to his target Donovan Desmond. Twilight assumes the name Loid Forger and poses as a psychiatrist. Twilight ends up adopting Anya, a telepath, and marrying Yor, an assassin, however, all of them are hiding their identities from one another. Twilight gets Anya into the prestigious Eden Academy to get close to Donovan Desmond who has a son in Anya’s grade. Twilight keeps his identity as a spy secret from Yor and Anya.

Thorn Princess aka Yor Forger: Yor works at Berlint City Hall in Ostania as a clueless single woman. However, in reality, Yor is a deadly assassin who goes by the codename Thorn Princess. Yor agrees to enter into a fake marriage with Loid to keep her brother and co-workers from wondering about her personal life and eventually discovering her secret identity.

Anya Forger: Twilight adopts Anya as part of Operation Strix. Twilight never tells Anya that he is a spy. However, what Twilight does not know is that Anya is a telepath and knows the secret identities of both Twilight and Yor. Anya is not that intelligent and is easily excitable. But, she has a good heart.

Bond: Bond is the Forgers’ dog. Bond was rescued from a group of terrorists. Bond was once part of Project 8 which was conducted by the Ostanian government. As part of Project 8, Bond was given advanced intelligence and the power to see the future. Only Anya knows about Bond’s intelligence and his ability to see the future.

Synopsis: We begin with Fiona Frost, a worker at Loid’s hospital, meeting with Handler, Twilight’s field boss. Handler gives Fiona next week’s mission for Twilight. This mission is a joint mission that Twilight will carry out with Fiona. We learn that Fiona is Nightfall and is a premier spy who is second only to Twilight.

Handler says that Operation Strix is proceeding slowly. Nightfall says that if she had been available earlier then she could have taken the role of Loid’s wife in Operation Strix. Handler says that changing wives now would draw scrutiny from Eden Academy. Nightfall replies that if Yor were to abandon her role as a wife then there would be no choice but to replace her. Handler warns Nightfall that she had better not be plotting anything.

Nightfall walks out of the building. Fellow intelligence agency employees recoil at the sight of Nightfall. The employees wonder if Nightfall is trying to steal Twilight’s operation to make a name for herself. The employees think Nightfall is a backstabber. We learn that Nightfall has been called ruthless, arrogant, and icy. That she always has a stone face that betrays no emotion. That she attacks her missions with a single-minded focus.

We shift to Nightfall arriving at the Forger apartment. Nightfall introduces herself as Fiona and a co-worker of Loid. Yor welcomes Fiona inside the apartment. Fiona says that Anya left her magnifying glass at the hospital when she visited Loid. Yor thanks Fiona and says that Loid and Anya have taken Bond for a walk.

Yor invites Fiona in for some tea. Yor thinks that Fiona is so beautiful. Nightfall thinks that maybe Yor thinks she is Loid’s lover. Nightfall thinks that if Yor gives her an opening then she will usurp Yor’s role as Loid’s wife. Nightfall thinks that it is better to make Yor leave of her own volition.

Nightfall asks Yor if it is hard to raise Anya. Nightfall thinks that Anya is only a stepchild to Yor. Yor replies that Anya is wonderful, and she loves how energetic Anya is all the time.

Nightfall then says that Loid always grumbles about how his wife always- but before she can finish Loid, Anya, and Bond suddenly enter the apartment. Loid is surprised by Nightfall’s presence. Loid thinks that Nightfall must be here because something urgent has come up.

At this point, Loid and Fiona engage in small talk while their lips mouth different words than what they are saying out loud. Nightfall says that she is here to assess the state of Operation Strix. Nightfall says that Yor should be handling his errands like walking the dog. Nightfall asks if Yor is refusing to cooperate. Anya can read Nightfall and Twilight’s thoughts and is surprised that Nightfall is a spy, too.

Nightfall says that it is a great loss to the world to have a man of his talents playing house. Nightfall says that they should review Twilight’s operational tactics. Twilight responds that it is not Nightfall’s place to propose anything.

Nightfall thinks, “Agent Twilight, I love you.” Anya is stunned by Nightfall’s thoughts. Nightfall thinks about how Twilight cannot see how perfect she would be as a wife. That Nightfall would offer far superior domestic support in addition to operational support.

Nightfall imagines a scene with Twilight and her living together. She envisions how well she could do with cooking, laundry, recon, handling finances, and supplying first aid to Twilight. Nightfall imagines holding hands with Twilight and saying that she gives all her heart and soul, and she doesn’t mean to the mission. Twilight says for the sake of world peace he will marry Nightfall. Twilight says that Nightfall is absolutely flawless. We see Yor running away crying.

We then see Nightfall imagining Twilight and her at their wedding. The narrator says that Nightfall was a woman with a certain ambition to be Twilight’s wife.

We then snap back to reality as Yor says that she will go make everyone some coffee and some cocoa for Anya. Nightfall thinks about how they will honeymoon in the South Pacific. Twilight wonders what Nightfall is thinking right now.

We shift to Yor in the kitchen. Yor thinks that Loid must find her useless. That Loid is going to want to marry Fiona. Yor says that she cannot blame Loid if he feels that way about her.

Yor then serves the coffee and sets some milk in front of Loid. Nightfall thinks about how Twilight takes his coffee black. Yor has not even noticed this fact. Suddenly, Loid pours the milk into his coffee. Nightfall wonders if family life has changed Twilight. If this is a side of Twilight that he only shows to Yor.

Nightfall composes herself and thinks that this is simply Twilight acting as his “Loid Forger” character. We see Twilight thinking about how the milk should lessen the damage to his stomach. Twilight thinks about how he should tell Yor to switch him to decaf.

Anya then spills her cocoa. Yor cleans it up while Nightfall thinks about how Anya is clumsy. That if Twilight had properly trained Anya then she could have caught the cup before it hit the table. Nightfall thinks that raising a strong daughter is the mother’s duty, anyway. That Yor is failing in her duties and needs to step down and let Nightfall handle this task.

Nightfall thinks about how she would be a strict taskmaster to Anya and she would whip Anya into shape and maximize both Anya’s strength and knowledge. Anya reads Nightfall’s thoughts and gets scared. Anya suddenly hugs Yor and exclaims how much she loves her. Yor is overwhelmed with emotion.

Nightfall thinks about how she can be loving, too. Fiona says that she has some super-yummy imported cocoa and if Anya would like some. Anya just buries her head even more into Yor. Loid tells Anya to go play with Bond. Anya hugs Bond and says that she is so happy that she has a Papa and a Mama who love each other.

Yor then exclaims that she is going to try harder. That she will work as hard as possible for this family. If only Loid would let her stay. That she will wipe up all the cocoa forever. Loid is surprised by Yor’s passionate response and responds, “Uh…okay. ?” Twilight then realizes what is going on with Nightfall and Yor. Twilight says that Yor already works hard enough. That Anya loves Yor so much and that there is no greater contribution he could ask of Yor.

Yor gets all weepy and says that she will try and be a better wife. Loid responds that Yor is a great wife. Nightfall watches and thinks about how Twilight trained Nightfall. That Twilight trained her that a spy must never show their true feelings. That a spy must bury their emotions and show no weakness. Nightfall responded that she would remain stone-faced for the rest of her life. Twilight responded that Nightfall does not need to go that far.

Nightfall thinks about how she has been studying Twilight in all of his prior roles on his missions. Nightfall looks at Loid smiling and holding Yor’s hands. Nightfall thinks about how she recognizes Twilight’s masterful fake smile, and she can see a tiny bit of emotion sneaking out of it.

Nightfall thanks Yor for her hospitality and says that she must be going and then suddenly leaves the apartment. Loid notices that Nightfall forgot her umbrella and goes after her to give it to her. Twilight catches up to Nightfall. Nightfall says that she forgot to tell Twilight that Handler assigned Nightfall to partner with Twilight on his next mission.

Nightfall stares at Twilight as the rain pours down on them. Nightfall thinks that it is good that it is raining so that it hides her tears. Nightfall thinks that until the Cold War ends between Ostania and Westalis being Twilight’s fake wife will have to be enough. Nightfall thinks about how she will make Twilight see how capable she is during their mission. That Nightfall will make Twilight realize that she is the only one fit to be his wife.

Nightfall says that family life has made Twilight soft. Nightfall tells Twilight not to drag her down during their mission. End of chapter.

The Good: Spy x Family Chapter 30 is another excellent read. Tatsuya Endo has been on fire with this manga ever since Chapter 1. What makes Spy x Family such a captivating read is the complex character work and the gripping theme of what is true and what is a lie. The concept is that all people have a little piece of themselves that they keep hidden from everyone including their friends and family. Endo takes that concept and magnifies it through the lens of the life of a spy.

Spy x Family has been centered on the reader wondering just what are the true feelings of the characters in this story. Each chapter is built off lies and subterfuge mixed with genuine emotion and the inner turmoil that comes from constantly living a lie. This web of lies and deceit creates incredible tension inside the reader as we witness these characters engaging in a rhythmic dance of elaborate ruses.

As usual, Endo loads up Spy x Family Chapter 30 with phenomenal character work. The characters are all so well fleshed out and Endo injects so much genuine emotion into the story. This all leads to creating some riveting tension in Spy x Family Chapter 30 as Twilight and Nightfall engage in a secret battle about Yor while poor Yor sits there unaware of the deeper debate.

It is difficult to deliver a chapter that has zero action and still makes it a gripping read. However, Endo has such impressive talent that he can weave a complex story with such powerful personalities that no action is needed at all. The intricate story in Chapter 30 captivates the reader’s attention and the battle between two super spies in Twilight and Nightfall pulls the reader deep into the story and gets them to the edge of their seats.

Obviously, what made Spy x Family Chapter 30 so entertaining is the double conversation between Twilight and Nightfall. This was a brilliant way for Endo to construct this chapter. Having Twilight and Nightfall have a banal verbal conversation while mouthing a more charged and pointed debate made Chapter 30 such an exciting read.

Nightfall is a delightful addition to Spy x Family. I love Nightfall’s driven and ambitious nature. Endo gets across Nightfall’s supreme confidence in herself as the best choice to be Twilight’s wife and how she firmly believes that she can do it all. From cooking, and laundry, to raising a strong daughter, handling finances, and doing recon for missions, Nightfall is unshakeable in her belief that she can do it all. Nightfall never wavers in her belief that she would be the perfect wife for Twilight. To be honest, Nightfall does make a persuasive case for her position, too! Now, this is a strong female character!

I dig how Endo has Nightfall go after Yor in such a cold and ruthless fashion. It is such a calculated and indirect attack designed to cripple Yor by turning Yor against herself. Nightfall’s ability to get Yor to question herself and then lead herself to relinquish the role of Twilight’s wife is such impressive mental warfare. Poor lovable Yor does not stand a chance in a battle of minds with Nightfall.

Nightfall’s undying love and infatuation are well conveyed and feel genuine. Nightfall’s desire to be Twilight’s wife is nicely contrasted with her hard stone-like exterior. It is fascinating to see such a talented and tough character display emotional vulnerability. Normally, comic writers make sure female characters come across as “strong” and “capable” and show very few vulnerabilities. What makes Nightfall so compelling and interesting is that Endo presents her as an imposing and impressive character, but also one with true emotional vulnerability. Endo wisely keeps Nightfall’s emotional vulnerability a secret from the other characters. But, by showing the reader Nightfall’s emotional vulnerability Endo makes the reader far more invested in her character.

This handling of Nightfall’s character hits a dramatic crescendo in the final pages of Spy x Family Chapter 30. Nightfall standing in the rain with her stone face as the rain covers up her tears is such a powerful moment. This is furthered by Endo showing the reader Nightfall’s confessions of love and her desire to be Twilight’s wife and then contrasting this with her harsh words as she tells Twilight that he has gotten soft and for him to not drag her down in their mission. This contrast makes the scene powerful and emotionally charged. It is also important that Endo shows that Nightfall’s love for Twilight is so strong that she breaks from her ever-present stone face and cries. Even wiser is that Endo allows Nightfall to have this uncharacteristic break in her external composure while in the rain to keep her true feelings a secret from Twilight. I am so excited to see Nightfall working with Twilight. She should provide an explosive element to this manga.

Nightfall is a multi-faceted character and there are so many directions that Endo can take her character. Nightfall is a unique character and I dig that she brings something much different from what we get in many comics. Endo clearly gets over Nightfall’s skills and her ambition. There is no doubt that Nightfall is going to be a force to be reckoned with and that Yor and Twilight have their hands full of her. I am excited to see Nightfall working with Twilight in their upcoming mission. This is sure to make for some enthralling reading.

Of course, Yor is great as always. I adore Yor’s sweet character. Endo makes it easy for the reader to like Yor and root for her. What is great is how Endo gives Yor such an earnest desire to be the best wife for Loid. There is nothing fake at all about Yor’s reactions in Chapter 30. I love how Yor truly wants to be the best wife possible for Loid. It is Yor’s honesty in admitting her weaknesses and failings that makes the reader respect and identify with her character. Endo clearly understands that giving a character a collection of strengths and weaknesses is what makes them feel so real and gets the reader invested in them.

Twilight is as calm, cool, and collected as ever. Twilight is ever unflappable and shows how he can handle every curve that is thrown at him. I also love his kind and tender attitude toward Yor. Endo wisely has Twilight coming to Yor’s defense and pointing out how she is a great wife.

Of course, up to this point, Endo has kept the reader guessing whether Twilight’s kind words toward Yor are all just an act or not. However, in Spy x Family Chapter 30, Endo has Nightfall confirm that there is a hint of real emotion leaking out Twilight’s smile as he consoles Yor. This is a huge revelation. Endo has wisely kept the reader unsure if Twilight really cares about Yor or not. After all, Endo consistently shows how Twilight is the premier super-spy who can masterfully act in any role and convince people that what he says is true. Endo has created this tension within the reader as the reader wants some genuine feelings between Twilight and Yor, but is kept feeling that such a moment will never happen.

As usual, Endo employs Anya to provide some good comedy. Anya being a telepath always allows her to join the reader as being in on what is a lie and what is truth. Anya knowing the truth also allows her to try and react to the surprising truth without revealing the fact that she can read minds. This usually leads to Anya mugging to the camera in a spectacular fashion.

Endo dishes out tons of fantastic artwork. Endo draws excellent facial expressions for the characters. It is a testament to Endo’s strong artwork that a chapter with zero action can still be visually interesting.

The Bad: I have no complaints about this chapter.

Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10

Overall: Spy x Family Chapter 30 is another wonderful read. Tatsuya Endo has made Spy x Family a must-read manga. If you love excellent character work and a story that has plenty of depth and nuance then Spy x Family is for you. This manga is absolutely worth the price of admission.

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