After a couple of episodes centered around the Forger parents and their secrets, we get a Spy x Family episode that is all about Anya. This time around, Anya tries to earn a Stella Star to become an imperial scholar. How does she do aim to do it? By playing dodgeball, of course.
A rumor is going around Eden Academy that the MVP of the upcoming dodgeball game will receive a Stella Star, which will get the student closer to being an imperial scholar. Anya strives to get the star to progress Loid’s mission, but Damian, the prestigious boy she punched, wants it as well. This leads to some fun training scenes with Anya and Yor, followed by a hilariously intense dodgeball game that is full of funny moments and actual character development.
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Things get more complicated when Anya and Damian are put on the same team, with the other team having a huge, adult-esque child named Bill. Given his approximate six feet of height, Bill begins to decimate Anya’s team. This leads to lots of goofy homages to other anime, with Damian’s lackeys sacrificing themselves in the silliest way possible. It feels like a mix between a war movie and a shonen anime, despite it just being a bunch of six-year-olds throwing a ball at one another. The absurdity of this giant six-year-old yelling “die” while obliterating a team of children in a friendly game of dodgeball is a highlight of this episode for sure.
There’s a great moment where Damian sacrifices himself for Anya, leading to Anya powering up her own super special throw. The fact that this immediately goes nowhere is brilliant and quite realistic for how a kids’ dodgeball game would actually turn out.
In a great turn of events, the truth is that the Stella Star was just a rumor, and all of this drama has been for nothing. It’s the perfect way to cap off such an over-the-top episode, with Anya and Damian disregarding all of the mutual goodwill they established with one another immediately.
Though I enjoyed the last two episodes, having the always funny Anya take center stage again was a refreshing shakeup. The combination of her perfect voice acting and comedic animation just make Anya the show’s standout character, providing lots of laughs whenever she’s on-screen. This episode was no exception, as I snickered more than once.
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Next week’s preview seems to suggest the next episode will be centered around training to get a star. As always, I can’t wait for next week’s show, and I’m bummed that the first half of the season is already nearly done.
SCORE: 9/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 9 equates to “Excellent.” Entertainment that reaches this level is at the top of its type. The gold standard that every creator aims to reach.
Disclosure: The critic watched the episode on Crunchyroll for ComingSoon’s Spy x Family Season 1 Episode 10 Review – The Great Dodgeball Plan.