Spy x Family: An Anime Masterpiece That Sneaks Its Way Into Your Heart

 
In the world of anime, there are plenty of genres to choose from: action, romance, fantasy, and more. But every once in a while, a series comes along that defies easy classification and captures the hearts of viewers with its unique blend of humor, action, and heartwarming moments. "Spy x Family" is one such anime that has taken the anime community by storm. Based on Tatsuya Endo's manga of the same name, this espionage-themed anime has proven to be an absolute delight. In this review, we'll dive into what makes "Spy x Family" a must-watch and why it's quickly become a fan favorite.

"Spy x Family" takes place in a fictional world where espionage and political intrigue are the norm. In the midst of this turmoil, we follow the life of Twilight, a top-secret spy known for his incredible skills and cool demeanor. His latest mission? To infiltrate an elite school and get close to a target, who just so happens to be the daughter of a prominent politician.

The way the characters are introduced in each episode, namely "Twilight" and how he gets to meet Anya (a telepathic girl with a troubled yet mysterious past) and Yor (a skilled assassin) who will moonlight as his wife. What ensues is a brilliant mix of espionage, family dynamics, and comedic mishaps as this unconventional family navigates their way through dangerous missions and personal relationships.

One of the strongest aspects of "Spy x Family" is its character development. Each of the main characters: from the enigmatic Twilight to the quirky Anya and the aloof Yor, undergoes significant growth over the course of the series. As they come to understand each other and their own vulnerabilities, viewers are treated to both heartwarming and hilarious moments. 

Anya, in particular, steals the show with her innocence, telepathic abilities, and her desire to be a part of a real family. Watching her bond with Twilight and Yor is both heartening and incredibly endearing. Her comical reactions are adorable as she reads the thoughts of both Twilight and Yor, sometimes misinterpreting the situation and results in hilarious results.

"Spy x Family" strikes a perfect balance between comedy and emotion. The witty banter and comedic situations provide much-needed levity in a story that could otherwise become overly serious due to its spy-themed plot. The humor is genuinely funny and doesn't rely on tired anime tropes, making it accessible to a wide audience.

At the same time, the anime doesn't shy away from exploring deeper themes of family, trust, and the sacrifices people make for their loved ones. The emotional moments in the series are beautifully executed and resonated with me on a personal level.

Over all, "Spy x Family" is a delightful surprise and totally enjoyable anime! It seamlessly blends espionage with heartwarming family dynamics, humor, and emotional depth. The well-developed characters, engaging plot, and stunning animation make it a must-watch. I cannot wait for Season Two which starts its  premiere on October 7th 2023,  which is just around the corner!  

In addition to Spy x Family season 2, the series is also getting a new movie called Spy x Family Code: White and it will be released on December 22, 2023. Are you excited yet? 

If you're looking for an anime that will keep you entertained and tug at your heartstrings, "Spy x Family" should be at the top of your watchlist. Don't miss out on this modern masterpiece that sneaks its way into your heart.

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Love You Seven Times Drama

 一时冲动，七世不祥 (A Moment of Impulse Leads to Seven Lifetimes of Misfortune) has been made into a drama! That was probably why the links to the novel and radio drama online were removed. But you still read the translated chapters on Volarenovels.

"Love You Seven Times" is adapted from Jiu Lu Fei Xiang's original novel "一时冲动，七世不祥". It tells the story of Xiangyun (played by Yang Chaoyue), a fairy from Tianjie Marriage Pavilion who accidentally becomes entangled with Chukong (played by Ding Yuxi), an ancient war god immortal. 

In order to break free from danger in six realms, they must descend together into various instances of life-threatening trials and thus embark on a series of hilarious yet deeply intertwined romantic stories.

I have it on my to watch list and cannot wait to start! 

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The Lady in Butcher’s House 玉面桃花总相逢 Episode 1 Recap

The Lady in Butcher’s House

The story starts in Yunlai Town, a prosperous water town in the south of the Yangtze River, has been weathered for a long time, and it is prosperous and not declining. A man by the name of Xu Qingjia is wondering around asking for the directions to the Hu's family butcher shop. 

While Xu Qingjia is searching for the butcher shop, a bunch of bullies are at the shop scaring away the customers. The bullies want protection money and are scaring away all the customers. Unable to tolerate them for scaring her customers away, Hu Jiao nonchalantly shaves off the heads of the bullies when she is mincing the pork in front of her. Her antics successfully scare the bullies away and business resumes... until Xu Qingjia arrives. 

Upon arriving at the butcher shop, Xu Qingjia bows to Hu Jiao, states his name and announces he is there to fulfil the marriage contract by their parents. Hu Jiao does not like Xu Qingjia and intends to chase him away, but her brother, Hu Houfu, recognized Xu Qingjia and welcomed him instead.

As his name suggests, Xu Qingjia is gentle and elegant. He was born in a scholar family, and his father was an official. Both Xu Qingjia and Hu Jiao's fathers were classmates and close friends, and decided to get their children engaged to each other. Xu Qingjia has come to fulfil his father's promise as he just passed the examinations and was declared an official.

Unlike Xu Qingjia's father who become an offical, Hu Jiao's father repeatedly failed the exams and felt that he was not official material, so he left and married his wife. Together they set up a chain of successful butcher shops. 

The real reason why Hu Jiao does not like Xu Qingjia is due to her father: scholars are weak and incompetent. Hu Jiao's father could not sustain the business but it was her mother who managed to make it a success it is today with many branches. However, her mother died as she was overworked.  

And so the story begins of the two persons who would be husband and wife in the upcoming episodes. 

Xu Qingjia had actually left for 7 years and finally came back after making it as the top scholar. During his absence, the Hu family was ridiculed and made a laughing stock of the town. Now that Xu Qingjia has achieved fame and has come back, it leaves a bad impression on Hu Jiao. She intends to break of the marriage agreement. 

Upon his return, Xu Qingjia took the initiative to apologize to Hu Jiao’s father, and at the same time stated that when he left  to take the exam, he had a hard life. He mentioned that he had written a letter and sent it to Hu’s family, but for some reason it was not delivered and they lost contact.

Hu Jiao's brother and sister-in-law were moved by  Xu Qingjia persistence and story, but Hu Jiao has made up her mind to end the marriage contract between the two families. Originally, Hu Jiao's father felt that his daughter was not worthy of Xu Qingjia, but Xu Qingjia leaned over and whispered something in his ear which caused him to change his attitude immediately.

In a fit of anger, Hu Jiao runs away from home as her plan was foiled. She went to her best friend, Lin Cui, to complain and said that the man she wanted to marry was her best friend's brother, Brother A-Niu - a man who is as strong as a bull with lots of muscles. 

Upon hearing that Hu Jiao likes her brother, Lin Cui is shocked by her sense of aesthetics. She tries to change Hui Jiao's mind and convince her that Xu Qingjia was a hundred thousand times better than her brother. 

In her attempt to break off the marriage, Hu Jiao kidnapped  Xu Qingjia to the forest the next day and threatened him to break off the marriage. During the process, she accidentally lost Xu Qingjia’s silver hairpin.

During the reception banquet, the Hu family entertained the neighbors and tried their best to show their hospitality, but Xu Qingjia had a poor appetite due to the loss of the hairpin. Hu Jiao suddenly appeared next to him, and before she sat, she asked the guests to be her witnesses to see if Xu Qingjia was fit to be the part of the Hu family.

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剧集：陈情令

这是一部改编自著名网络小说魔道祖师的剧集。起初是一位同事介绍我观看的。听说是改编自耽美小说时，我感到意外也有小小的抗拒，不过听同事经常夸这部戏时，我也感到好奇开始追看这部戏了。观看第一集的时候，我被主角们惊艳到了。怎么魏无羡这么顽皮可爱！蓝湛也好酷哦！每当我看见魏婴撩蓝湛，我就感到特别有趣。不难看出，从第一次相遇魏婴已经开始入蓝湛的眼里了。这个时候是好奇，好像看见一个爱惹事的家伙。他身边中规中矩的人完全不一样，他们没看过这样活泼开朗的人。从此他对魏婴很是好奇。

后来我想为什么蓝湛会逐渐喜欢魏婴呢？从小小的细节就能看出魏婴在蓝湛的心中越来越重要了。比如说，在屋顶打斗后，蓝湛是开始欣赏魏婴的。后来蓝湛会因为魏婴的鲁莽行为感到担忧，他细心观察魏婴也很了解他，所以心疼他被世人误解。蓝湛甚至留意魏婴的一举一动，想默默保护他。反观魏婴大大咧咧的，没心没肺的撩拨蓝湛心弦，时时刻刻想作弄他，自己心动而不自知。魏婴是心大的男孩撩完后就忘了。蓝湛则弄不清自己的感情，他平静的世界因为魏婴而波动。我觉得前半部分的剧情就是说蓝湛偷偷暗恋魏婴，但是那是矛盾又心慌的爱苗，他不知道魏无羡在他心里是什么地位。从小就被三千条家规束缚的人，在探索自己的内心和对自己感情的认知。同样年少的魏婴就是浪的一天是一天，根本不懂什么是恋爱。他想在莲花坞好好扶持自己的好兄弟江城，完成他的云梦双杰的梦想，也想报答江家的养育之恩。不过人算不如天算，因为不夜天的事件一切都改变了。我认为年少的魏婴心里只装下江家人。蓝湛则是魏婴由衷欣赏的人。蓝忘机在魏无羡心里由始至终都是完美无瑕疵的存在。

我真正觉得魏婴开始认清自己对蓝湛的感情是重归于世后，他与蓝湛经历过的点点滴滴开始的。他觉得身边很需要蓝湛这个知己。魏婴这颗石头到底还是那个灿烂夺目的少年,他还在摸索自己的感情。反而蓝湛经过岁月的洗礼后变得更加成熟稳重，也很明白自己对魏婴的心意。可是为何没有对魏婴表白呢？原因只有一个，因为蓝湛由始至终都以为魏婴只喜欢女生的。他不想告白后，魏婴反而因为尴尬选择逃避自己。蓝湛承受不起这个后果，毕竟他这么多年来都想念着魏婴。故事的结尾为什么蓝湛会和魏婴分道扬镳呢？我认为蓝湛的爱是想魏婴过自己想要的生活。既然世人已经知道之前在不夜天的真相，也还魏无羡公道后，现在的魏婴应该会平安无事的度过一生吧。在确定魏婴的安全后，蓝湛也要回去过自己的生活了。别忘了蓝二哥要回去他的家族担起责任，并且照顾伤心的哥哥。魏婴无家可归，原本以为自由了，可是突然心酸因为蓝湛就是他的家。他终于意识到自己早已经离不开蓝湛了。所以他回头叫了一声蓝湛，也得到了蓝湛的回应。他们一起回云深不知处，蓝湛也终于可以把魏婴藏起来了。而且关键是，这次是魏婴心甘情愿留下来的，蓝湛张开双臂迎接魏婴。

看完剧集后我也觉得入戏太深了。肖战和一博就是魏婴和蓝湛。“不愧是真情演出！” 仔细看他们对彼此的眉目传情，心动的瞬间，慌张害怕心意被对方发现，吃醋生闷气的时候，后悔失去的感觉。这些细微的动作和表情表演的淋漓尽致。这处在友情之上恋人未满的阶段，事过境迁，才发现身边有你真好。这只有陈情令剧组才能拍出来。陈情令是部经典剧集，前无古人 后无来者啊！但是千万别把演员们戏中的角色带入他们现实生活里。他们是演员，是同事而已。幕后花絮有剧组演员的可爱互动。演员们都有各自的发展，祝福每一位演员能够继续发光发热。😀👍❤️

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Explore the best of Amazon Japan on Amazon.sg

Explore the best of Amazon Japan on Amazon.sg! If you are interested in  Japan action figures & collectibles then look no further and start exploring what Amazon has to office with up to 20% off Japan action figures & collectibles.

Looking for something for your kitchen or home? Check out the Home & Kitchen section

Beauty and Electronics & Accessories are not forgotten as well. 

Want to look for deals under $25, $50 or $100? They have got that covered as well. 

I've got my eye on the HyperX Cloud Revolver + 7.1 Gaming Headset! 😍 Which items caught your eye and you are planning to get? 

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The Lady in Butcher's House (2022)

 ~ Adapted from the novel “The Little Lady of the Butcher's House” (屠户家的小娘子) by Lan Ai Cao (蓝艾草) 

Xu Qing Jia was orphaned at a young age, but he studies hard to became on of the top 3 scholars; ranking 2nd. He has a betrothal with Hu Jiao, a daughter of a butcher.

Hu Jiao is a young lady who is illiterate with a fiery personality. She takes care of everything in an orderly manner.

Xu Qing Jia is the very opposite of Hu Jiao. He is no martial arts skills, and next to Hu Jia is is like a weakling. Although he is  knowledgeable and cultured, he can be a little too idealistic and inexperienced in the way of life. 

Their story unfolds in the Northern Song Dynasty as they work together in love, marriage, and helping the people defeat corrupt officials.

Episodes: 36

Type: Historical Romance, Contract Marriage

Aired: April 2022

The Cast Of The Lady In Butcher’s House

Baby Zhang Han Yun as Hu Jiao

Tong Meng Shi as Xu Qing Jia

Chen Yi Long as Gao Zheng

Zeng Yi Xuan as Yu Niang / Yu Xiu

Sheng Hui Zi as Lin Cui

Wang Ruo Lin as Prince Ning

Ren Yu as Cui Wu Lang

Daniel Feng Li as Hu Hou Fu

Dong Yan Lin as Hu Ting Zhi

Min Zheng as Jia Chang / Lord Jia

Ai Ran as Jia Ji Rong / Rong Er

Qiang Yu as Tang Ze

Zhong Fu Xiang as Zhu Ting Xian / Lord Zhu

Peter Cai Rong as Yong Shou

He Yong Sheng as Lord Fu

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Digital Games vs Physical Nintendo Switch Game Cartridges

Depending on what you want both digital and physical games have their pros and cons. But in a nutshell, if you want easier access to games on the go without having to constantly take out game cartridges each time you want to play a different game, then investing in a in a large-capacity microSD card and getting games digitally would be the choice for you. However, if you prefer owning the game cartridges and have your own little collection which you can trade or resell to fund future games, then physical game cartridges with a little investment on a  invested a smaller microSD card and a carrying case for the cartridges.

Note: The Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite have 32GB of internal storage, while the Switch OLED offers 64GB. When you download a game from the eShop, it will occupy some of that storage space. You can expand the Switch's storage through microSD cards up to 2TB (which is more than enough for plenty of Switch games), but that's an additional expense.

Personally, I prefer a mix of digital and physical because it just makes sense. This is especially the case for:

•  digital games which go on sale on the Nintendo e-Shop and are way cheaper than the physical copy (sometimes up to a 50% discount or more!)
• physical games which come with special bonuses, make for a good collection or if I don't like it, I can resell it away to fund my other games

But that's just me. Here is a quick rundown of the important factors you should consider when making the decision.  Read more >> 

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