Spy Family: Manga Or Anime? A Complete Comparison

Spy x Family has been making waves in the manga and anime community and I truly believe everyone should check it out. Afterall, there are plenty of reasons for why the series is so popular!

If you’re here, though, then you probably don’t need convincing, you just need to know which one you should watch! Luckily for you, I’m here to help with that so strap in and let’s compare!

Manga

• Art - Excellent
• Story / Characters / Plot - Charming and fun
• Accuracy to Source Material - 100% accurate (is source material)
• Immersion - Immersive but requires imagination
• Time Required to Watch / Read - Can be read much faster than watching
• Release Frequency - Regular releases
• Up To Date With Story - Up to date (source material)

Anime

• Art - Excellent
• Story / Characters / Plot - Charming and fun
• Accuracy to Source Material - 100% accurate (is source material)
• Immersion - Immersive but requires imagination
• Time Required to Watch / Read - Can be read much faster than watching
• Release Frequency - Regular releases
• Up To Date With Story - Up to date (source material)

To Summarize

The Spy x Family anime does a great job at sticking to the source material (manga), but it does add in some extra scenes to help with the flow of the show. The music and sounds are also immersive in the anime. The manga takes less time to read and new volumes come out much faster than new anime episodes.

Reading The Manga Pros And Cons

Pros

• Most accurate to the source material because it is the source material
• Can read the manga very fast and get the story fast
• Do not have to wait long to read more of the story
• The physical manga cover art / style looks great and will fit any collection

Cons

• Reading, in general, takes more effort than watching (can’t read something in the background)
• No solidified voices for the characters makes it harder to connect
• No sound effects or music to help immersion
• Action scenes are less intense and impactful

This isn’t true for everyone, but some people just have a harder time getting immersed when reading. Without the help of hearing the emotions and tones of people's voices plus the awesome anime music that conveys sadness, intensity, or (in this case) a super secret spy mission, it can be hard to connect to the plot as much.

With that being said, the Spy x Family manga does a very good job at bringing wholesomeness to the page and I never personally had a problem falling in love with the characters through the manga.

Watching The Anime Pros And Cons

Pros

• The voice acting is very well executed in the sub and the dub version of the anime
• The music is awesome and reminiscent of old spy shows / cartoons
• Fighting scenes are action-packed and conveyed much better with animation than with drawings
• Many people have Hulu or Crunchyroll subscriptions anyways, so its more accessible than the manga

Cons

• Not as accurate to the source material as the manga
• New episodes / seasons to not release often
• Not caught up to the manga in the story
• Takes longer to watch than it takes to read

Other than manga, I’m not much of a reader so sometimes it’s hard for me to just get the time to sit down and enjoy a book. On top of this, when I do sit down to read a manga, I have to hope that my brain cooperates and doesn’t get mushy on me. I know when I watch an anime, I’ll be able to enjoy it and take in everything that happens. With manga, some days I’ll find myself re-reading a page constantly.

One thing I really like about Spy x Family is that I can throw it on in the background while I work or game and have the wholesomeness of the Forger family in my ears. I just can’t do that with manga. More intense and serious manga don’t translate as well to anime, but since Spy x Family is just pure, wholesome, slice-of-life entertainment, I think it translates perfectly.

You should read Spy x Family before watching the series. While the anime and the manga are identical, as far as the plot and the characters go, the anime does add a few extra scenes to help with flow. Reading the manga first is highly recommended so you can know the source material before watching the anime.

When it comes to a lot of series in anime and manga, the anime will delve super far away from the source material. In fact, some anime will steer so far off path they almost become a completely different series. Spy x Family does quite the opposite. It sticks to the manga pretty much to a T.

So why should you read the manga first if you’re just going to get the same story either way?

You should read the Spy x Family manga first because:

• It comes out sooner than the anime
• Tells the story exactly as it was intended (source material)
• It is easier to watch an anime after seeing the manga than vice versa
• Reading manga is faster than watching anime

In my experience, it’s super hard to go back and read a manga after you’ve seen the anime. When I already know what everyone sounds like and how the plot progresses, manga loses some of its charm.

On the other hand, when I’ve already read a manga and then watched the anime, I appreciate everything much more. From how the characters sound, to how action scenes take place, I’m always super interested in how a manga will translate to the anime.

If you’re only going to check out the series one way, then check out whichever one you prefer. If you plan to watch and read Spy x Family, definitely read it first! Besides, manga has proven itself countless times when it comes to telling Spy stories.

Does Spy x Family Have A Dub

The Spy x Family anime has an English dub. The dubbed version of Spy x Family is currently available on Hulu, while the version with subtitles is available on Crunchyroll. The Spy x Family English dub is not completely caught up with the subtitled version of the anime yet, nor is it caught up with the manga.

Spy x Family started off on Netflix where it gained most of its popularity. However, Netflix dropped the ball and the show eventually. Thankfully, though, Hulu picked it up and it’s available there, in its entirety. The subbed version is a little ahead of the dub, but Hulu has that too if you can’t wait, so all good!

Is The Spy x Family Dub Good?

The Spy x Family English dub is good. The voice acting is well executed and the main cast (Loid, Anya, and Yor) all sound very natural. The English dub of Spy x Family also does a great job of not losing context in translation, so it conveys the story, feelings, etc as they were meant to be seen.

I know some of you may want to rake me over the coals for this, but I actually prefer the Spy x Family dub. Now, I am a man of culture so I checked out both versions of the anime and the sub is excellent. I much prefer Anya’s voice in the sub, but that’s usually how I feel about English dubbed children in anime. They always sound very cheesy, and Spy x Family is no different in that regard. Don’t worry, though, Anya still sounds adorable!

I much prefer Loid and Yor’s voices in the dubbed anime. I also really enjoy Housemaster Henderson’s posh English voice acting. I think it suits him perfectly. Another reason why I like the dub is because I can just throw it on in the background while I work on my computer or play games. Spy x Family is very easy to follow, especially after you’ve seen it, so I love it for background noise / entertainment.

The Spy x Family manga is not different from the anime. The Spy x Family anime follows the manga completely and does not skip any plot points or details. The Spy x Family anime does include some extra scenes and dialogue on occasion to help with the flow of the show, but does not change the story at all.

One thing I love about Spy x Family is that you’re going to get the same story whether you’re watching the anime or reading the manga. On top of this, the anime does a fantastic job of bringing the manga characters to life. I suggest reading the manga before watching the anime, but I believe watching the anime is an absolute must. It’s done so well - both the dub and the subbed version. One reason why they’re so good is because they didn’t skip any of the character bonding in the manga and they stay 100% true to the story.

The Spy x Family series is not over yet. The Spy x Family manga and its anime counterpart are both still releasing volumes and episodes on a regular basis. The Spy x Family manga series releases a new chapter once every two weeks, while the anime releases a new episode once every week.

Spy x Family is still very popular, so it’s no surprise that there’s still more to come. Right now, Crunchyroll is the only place with every episode of the Spy x Family anime (in sub form). If you want to watch the dub, you can head over to Hulu, but it’s not caught up with the sub yet and we’re not sure when it will be.

If you want to read the manga, you can read the new chapters as they come out on Viz. If you want a physical version of the manga, then Amazon has the entire 8 volume set (completely caught up) and usually has pre-orders up as soon as a new volume is announced.

When Is More Spy Family Coming Out

A new chapter of the Spy x Family manga will be released every other week for the foreseeable future. These chapters can be read on Viz with a monthly subscription. A new episode of the Spy x Family anime will be released every week on Crunchyroll until the final episode of the season (Episode 25).

If you’re watching the anime dub, then we’re in a bit of an unfortunate pickle here. There is no official release date for the next episode of the Spy x Family dub. However, the second season of the Spy x Family subtitled anime is currently releasing on a weekly basis on Crunchyroll and will do so until it hits episode 25. After that, it is only a matter of time before we get the dubbed version.

Now, if you’re a manga reader, then you’re also in luck! A new chapter releases every two weeks over on Viz. You’ll need a monthly subscription in order to actually view and read most of the chapters though (the first and last few chapters are free). The subscription is super cheap though! If you’d rather buy and own the current volumes of the manga, you can always pick up the entire 8 piece collection on Amazon. It’ll probably be another few months before we get Volume 9 of Spy x Family, so you might as well start your collection off right!

No one knows how many volumes of Spy x Family there will be, but many fans estimate that there will be anywhere from 25 - 30 volumes. This estimate comes from the fact that the manga and anime are both extremely popular. As of 2022, the manga has printed over 27 million copies and shows no signs of stopping.

Spy x Family does not have a clear stopping point. We can speculate all we want (and I speculate that the series will last a while) Since it is a slice of life, the story can go on forever. Loid can spy on his target forever and receive plenty of new missions to keep him occupied in the meantime. There’s no shortage of antics Anya can get up to, and Yor will always find a new blade to blush over. Because the story is so open and can go on forever, I believe it will last as long as interest in it lasts.

I already talked in-depth about why Spy x Family is so popular and the main reason is how casual and family-friendly it is. Since it is so casual-friendly, I have no doubt it will soar well past the 20 volume mark - especially if they keep up the momentum they have.

Crunchyroll is the best place to watch Spy x Family online. Crunchyroll has every episode of the Spy x Family anime, although it has the version of the show with subtitles. The English dubbed version of the Spy x Family anime is available on Hulu and has not caught up with the subbed version yet.

Crunchyroll is definitely the place to watch Spy x Family if you don’t mind reading subtitles. If you do mind subtitles, then you’re going to have to head over to Hulu for the dubbed version of Spy x Family. Both versions of the anime are excellent. The sub and dub both have great voice actors that really bring the characters to life, so it’s your preference in the end. You should know, though, that the dubbed version is behind the subbed version. So if you want the most up-to-date story, you’ll have to check out the sub.

If you've already seen Spy x Family and want to rewatch some episodes - you can check out my top 10 best Spy x Family episodes to date!

You can read every chapter of the Spy x Family manga on the Viz website. Viz is one of the only places to read Spy x Family online legally. Viz charges a small subscription fee to read every chapter of Spy x Family, but the first and last three chapters are completely free for anyone to read on the website.

The only way to read Spy x Family (legally) online is by reading it chapter by chapter on Viz. The good news is that Viz has every single chapter, and a new one comes out every other week! So Viz is also the best place for getting the Spy x Family story early.

I’ve tried out Viz a few teams and it’s actually a really nice experience. Personally, I much prefer reading physical manga, but I think part of the reason is that I like seeing the manga in my collection. When I’m tight on cash, though, I’ll pay the couple of bucks it takes to subscribe to Viz and read through a few manga to decide which ones I should buy.

If you want to read Spy x Family physically, then you can always pick up the first volume of Spy x Family on Amazon. If you know you like the series, then you can even grab the entire (current) collection. While this will only be the entire collection until the next volume releases (every 3 - 6 months), it’s a great place to start your Spy x Family manga journey.

Alright so that’s all I’ve got on the entire Anime vs Manga debate when it comes to Spy x Family. In the end, I think both are absolutely fantastic, wholesome, and entertaining. I prefer the anime, personally, because I love the classic spy music, the voice actors, and the animated action scenes. However, if you plan to check out both, I still recommend starting with the manga!