Latest news with #SpyxFamily
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'My Melody & Kuromi' ranks near top on Netflix after global debut from Wit studio
Wit Studio, known for popular anime titles such as Spy x Family and Attack on Titan, has released a new stop-motion animated series titled My Melody & Kuromi in collaboration with Sanrio. The show premiered on Netflix on July 24 and has quickly become one of the most-watched programmes on the platform. According to streaming analytics site FlixPatrol, My Melody & Kuromi currently holds the number two spot on Netflix's global TV chart, just behind Untamed. The series is produced by Toruku Studio, a division of Wit Studio focused on stop-motion animation since 2020. The story follows Sanrio characters My Melody and Kuromi as they operate rival sweet shops in Mariland and prepare for a sweets-making contest judged by the renowned pastry chef Pistachio. The 12-episode series has a total runtime of just under 160 minutes, making it suitable for single-session viewing. My Melody & Kuromi features a theme song titled 'Kawaii' by K-pop group Le Sserafim. The track was produced by Gen Hoshino, previously known for music in Spy x Family and its feature film Code: White. Netflix's recent success with animated titles includes Dan Da Dan and KPop Demon Hunters, both of which have achieved top 10 rankings. With My Melody & Kuromi now joining the ranks, Netflix's position in the animated content market is strengthening. All My Melody & Kuromi episodes are currently available for streaming.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Liked Spy x Family? Watch these 10 anime about found families, secrets and wholesome chaos
Source: IMDB If Spy x Family won your heart with its perfect mix of comedy, covert missions, and a chaotic but lovable fake family, you're not alone. Fans love how it blends heartwarming moments with high-stakes action and genuine character growth. But what do you watch next after Loid, Yor, and Anya? Whether you loved the secret identities, the slow-burn romance, or the wild family dynamics, here are some of the best animes like Spy x Family that hit similar emotional notes while offering something fresh. 10 best animes like Spy x Family Buddy Daddies Source: IMDB If you want more 'assassins learning to be dads,' Buddy Daddies is your next stop. Two hitmen, Kazuki and Rei, end up taking care of a young girl named Miri after a mission goes sideways. It's full of found family vibes, slice-of-life humour, and emotional depth. While the premise may seem like a Spy x Family clone, it has its own unique tone and explores parenthood in a more grounded, dramatic way. The relationship between the dads and their daughter grows beautifully, and it's short enough to binge in a weekend. The Millionaire Detective – Balance: UNLIMITED Source: IMDB Like Loid, Daisuke Kambe is ultra-skilled, hyper-calm, and absurdly rich. He's a detective who solves cases using money and high-tech gadgets. While this one doesn't have the family angle, it delivers slick animation, spy-level action, and a similar cool-headed protagonist. There's also a dynamic duo at its core that slowly warms up, echoing Loid's gradual bonding with his family. If you're here for stylish operations and smart writing, this one's underrated gold. Kaguya-sama: Love is War Source: IMDB If your favourite part of Spy x Family was the slow-burn romance and hilarious psychological games, Kaguya-sama is a must-watch. Instead of spies and assassins, you get two genius high schoolers trying to make the other person confess first. It's packed with dramatic inner monologues, misunderstandings, and sincere moments that sneak up on you. And yes, like Spy x Family, it also pays off the romance without dragging things forever. Great Pretender Source: Crunchyroll Criminals, cons, and emotional pasts, this globe-trotting heist anime is full of surprises. Great Pretender follows a group of con artists as they take on dangerous missions against corrupt elites. While it doesn't have the family dynamic, it nails the stylish action, secret agendas, and layered storytelling that Spy x Family fans crave. Bonus: Each arc is like a mini-movie, and the animation style is gorgeous. Barakamon Source: IMDB No spies or secret lives here, just a wholesome story of an artist trying to rediscover his passion on a remote island. What makes it feel Spy x Family-adjacent is the unexpected bond between a grumpy adult and a chaotic child. If Anya's energy was your favourite part, Naru in Barakamon will melt your heart the same way. It's all about personal growth, soft humour, and emotional healing. Usagi Drop (Bunny Drop) Source: IMDB When a man adopts his grandfather's illegitimate child, he's suddenly thrown into single parenthood. Usagi Drop is gentle, sweet, and all about the bond between a clueless adult and a wise-beyond-her-years kid, very similar to Loid and Anya. If you want more parenting-themed stories that are soft, emotional, and grounded in everyday moments, this is a top-tier pick. Princess Principal Source: IMDB For fans of the spy side of Spy x Family, this all-female steampunk series is packed with undercover missions, secret identities, and emotional stakes. It follows a group of schoolgirls who are actually spies during a cold war–like setting. With tight pacing, plot twists, and clever disguises, it's like the gritty, mission-focused cousin of Spy x Family, minus the comedy but full of espionage. Detective Conan (Case Closed) Source: IMDB If you loved Anya's telepathic twists and Loid's mission logic, Detective Conan delivers that weekly case-solving rush. While it's much longer and more procedural, Conan's double life and the way he balances school, crime-fighting, and secrets will scratch the same itch. There's also subtle romance and long-running tension that mirrors Loid and Yor's dynamic. My Home Hero Source: IMDB This one's darker, but the theme is close: a father trying to protect his family at all costs. After killing his daughter's abusive boyfriend, an ordinary man is pulled into a deadly spiral of crime and cover-ups. It's more thriller than comedy, but the lengths a parent will go to protect their child hit the same emotional notes. Think Spy x Family, but more intense and realistic. Hinamatsuri Source: IMDB A psychic girl randomly drops into a yakuza member's life and chaos follows. Hinamatsuri is hilarious, heartwarming, and surprisingly touching. Like Spy x Family, it balances supernatural powers, family dysfunction, and odd domestic moments in a way that feels oddly relatable. If Anya meets yakuza sounds like a mood, this one's for you. Spy x Family isn't just an action comedy,it's a genre-bending anime that mixes espionage with emotional warmth. And luckily, there are plenty of other anime that do the same in their own way. Whether you want more undercover agents, found-family feels, or wholesome parenting chaos, this list has something you'll love. Try one, and you just might find your next favourite series. Also read| Junji Ito's scariest anime: The creepiest adaptations that will mess with your head
Business Upturn
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
Spy x Family Season 3: Release date, cast updates and what to expect next
By Aman Shukla Published on July 22, 2025, 20:09 IST Alright, Spy x Family fans, let's talk about Season 3! After two awesome seasons and that wild Code: White movie, everyone's buzzing about what's next for the Forger family. We've been digging into the latest news, rumors, and manga hints to piece together what we can expect. Here's the scoop on the release date, cast, and what kind of shenanigans Loid, Yor, and Anya might get into next. Spy x Family Season 3 Release Date So, the big news dropped at Jump Festa 2025: Spy x Family Season 3 is hitting screens in October 2025. No specific day yet, but that's when the Fall anime season kicks off, so it makes sense. They announced Season 3 back in June 2024 at this cool event called Spy x Family Anime Extra Mission, and fans lost it. I'm betting we'll get a trailer or exact date closer to the premiere—maybe late summer? For now, mark your calendars for October and get ready for more Forger chaos. Cast Updates for Season 3 Good news: the main voice cast seems locked in. The Japanese VAs were at that June event, hyping up the crowd, so I'm pretty sure we'll hear: Takuya Eguchi as Loid, our favorite spy dad who's always one step away from a mental breakdown. as Loid, our favorite spy dad who's always one step away from a mental breakdown. Atsumi Tanezaki as Anya, the telepathic kid who's equal parts adorable and chaotic. as Anya, the telepathic kid who's equal parts adorable and chaotic. Saori Hayami as Yor, the assassin mom who somehow makes slicing bad guys and baking cookies look equally natural. as Yor, the assassin mom who somehow makes slicing bad guys and baking cookies look equally natural. Kenichirō Matsuda as Bond, the dog who sees the future and deserves all the treats. The English dub crew—Alex Organ (Loid), Megan Shipman (Anya), Natalie Van Sistine (Yor)—should be back too, since they've been killing it. No word on new characters yet, but I'll get to some manga folks who might show up later. What to Expect in Spy x Family Season 3 Season 2 left off around Chapter 60 of Tatsuya Endo's manga, and with tons of chapters left, Season 3 has plenty to work with. We won't spoil too much if you're anime-only, but here's a peek at what might go down based on the manga's next arcs. First up, we could see Anya doubling down on her plan to befriend Damian Desmond at school. It's all part of Loid's big spy mission, Operation Strix, but Anya's… well, Anya. Expect her to mess things up in the funniest ways while reading minds and chasing 'stellas' at Eden Academy. Yor gets some sweet moments too, maybe bonding with someone unexpected. Then things might get intense with a darker arc involving a school bus and some bad guys called the Red Circus. It's got action, danger, and the Forgers stepping up to protect each other. I'm stoked to see how they animate this one—it's a wild ride in the manga. There's also buzz about a new character, Melinda Desmond, who's Damian's mom and tied to Loid's target, Donovan Desmond. She could bring some juicy drama and spy stuff to the table. Season 3 will probably have 12 or 13 episodes, mixing goofy family moments with spy thrills and a sprinkle of 'are Loid and Yor ever gonna figure each other out?' vibes. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'They scream the choruses': How Japanese anime songs became Gen Z's latest musical obsession
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, music from Japanese animations is booming on Spotify and at gigs and club nights – especially among young people, who are drawn to its bold hooks and big emotions. Around 20,000 rapturous fans have packed out London's O2 Arena on a summer night. Pulsing light sticks pierce the electrified air; on the stage, the enigmatic J-pop diva Ado (who performs in shadowy silhouette) launches into a song that the entire crowd knows: Kura Kura, taken from the Japanese animation series Spy x Family. The track is stylistically unpredictable yet immediately catchy: it ricochets between a 1960s-style pop groove, jazzy riffs and hyper-dramatic rock opera – a modern example of an anime music anthem, in a scene that is increasingly taking on a life of its own. Japanese animation, or anime, has a legacy that stretches back to the early 20th Century, and a creative scope that spans seemingly endless stories and styles, from pirate sagas to sci-fi warfare; sorcery to sports action; martial arts mythology to star-crossed romance. The music used to soundtrack it is similarly adventurous. Songs vary significantly in their genres and tempos (often shape-shifting within a single track), but they also share common qualities: they elevate the visual action and deeply seal our bond with it. In the digital age, vividly evocative, insistently snappy themes are key to the viral impact of iconic Japanese animated series/films/manga comic adaptations – One Piece, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Dragon Ball Z, Cowboy Bebop, Attack On Titan and Naruto, to name a few. "Anisongs", as they are known, are now a major musical force, particularly among younger people. According to a recent study by anime streaming platform Crunchyroll and the National Research Group, anime is almost as big as Beyoncé with Gen Z-ers, with 54% of them globally being anime fans. Meanwhile Spotify reported a 395% increase in global streams of anime music between 2021 and 2024, as well as 7.2 million user-generated anime playlists on its site (at the time of writing). A Spotify spokesperson also tells the BBC that users under the age of 29 account for nearly 70% of global anime music consumption. "Anime music has evolved into a global cultural force and Gen Z is really at the heart of that movement on Spotify," Sulinna Ong, Spotify's Global Head of Editorial, tells the BBC. "We're seeing fans connect with the music beyond the screen as the shows offer listeners a window into musical styles they may not otherwise have discovered. Our editors' curated playlists are built to help fans discover the full range of anime-inspired sounds. And as more artists take influence from the space, the sound is continuing to grow in bold and unexpected ways." This global boom isn't limited to 21st-Century releases; as it's now easy to tune into anime's expansive catalogue, decades-old anthems – like the original rousing theme to pirate fantasy One Piece, called We Are! and sung by Hiroshi Kitadani – are winning new devotees. Anime music's hooks are composed for enduring effect; the melodies and lyrics (easily translated online, or released in multilingual versions) typically spark a tantalising headrush of sensations: affinity with favourite characters or narratives; adrenaline; escapism; nostalgia. As Satoshi Uto, Crunchyroll's director of music acquisition, tells the BBC: "The OPs and EPs [opening and end credit songs] are critical to fans' emotional connection with anime." An example of a smash hit anisong is Japanese singer-songwriter Lisa's 2019 track Gurenge, which is the intro to anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. This elegant power ballad with explosive rock flourishes has inspired countless tributes, from TikTok influencers (such as young British piano talent Joe Jenkins) to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony (where it was included as an instrumental symphony). It is also sentimentally character-driven, as Lisa explained in a Billboard Japan interview: "I tried placing myself in the shoes of the protagonists, who keep forging ahead, despite their tragic pasts." The reasons for the boom The timing of audience spikes does suggest that the pandemic era played a pivotal part in the mainstream awakening to both anime and its atmospheric tunes; this form's fantastical themes, emotional intensity and free-ranging sounds may have represented a heady escape from lockdown constraints. In a 2022 article, The Hollywood Reporter noted, that "anime might just be the world's most Covid-resistant form of popular entertainment", referencing a study that showed global demand for anime content grew 118% between 2020 and 2022. "You're looking at a massive spike in the availability of anime to new fans [based on a growing array of online platforms], and the time they had on hand to watch it," explains Jonathan Clements, author of books including the British Film Institute's Anime: A History. "And in the years since, a bunch of young fans have become consumerist teens with a love of anime. For young fans, anime music offers a gateway to Japanese pop culture and beyond. It also has lifted up a new wave of stars onto a worldwide platform. Examples include the vibrantly catchy J-pop duo Yoasobi, whose 2023 track Idol, taken from the manga comic adaptation Oshi no Ko, became the first anime song to top the Billboard Global Chart; hip-hop act Creepy Nuts, whose viral smash Bling-Bang-Bang-Born, which is the intro for anime Mashle: Magic And Muscles, is a surreal bop blending quickfire rap and Latin licks; and melodic rockers Radwimps' soaring anthems for Makoto Shinkai's fantasy-dramas (Your Name; Weathering With You; Suzume). Ado's catalogue contains numerous anime themes, and her worldwide breakthrough was fuelled by the blockbuster success of One Piece Film Red, in which she sang tracks including the exhilarating electro-pop banger New Genesis, in character as the antihero Uta. "When I first heard the demo for New Genesis, it felt like the world had opened up and a warm ray of light had shone through," Ado tells the BBC. "The character, Uta, is full of human touch in a good way," she says, adding that this song slickly captures the protagonist's complexity: "She is able to express feelings of joy and happiness, but also anger, hatred and sadness in a very simple relatable way." Keeping up with this prolific scene can feel dizzying, but it regularly yields thrilling discoveries, and its blend of bold hooks, gripping storytelling and persuasive nostalgia seems to bring generations together more than most music – as I've found as a Gen X woman, geeking out alongside my Gen Alpha son. "Someone to look out for is [anime soundtrack composer] Kensuke Ushio, whose attention to detail and realism is truly astounding," says Clements. "On [2024 coming-of-age drama] The Colours Within he had to come up with the sound of the in-film garage band, carefully crafting electronic pop inspired by the early days of New Order. He even went as far as recording ambient sound in Japanese church halls, to ensure that the on-screen rehearsal sessions had the right room tone." Anime music in the live arena Anime music also increasingly translates to real-life realms, whether it's international concert tours from veteran composers such as Joe Hisaishi, the maestro famous for his work on the films of Studio Ghibli, or contemporary hitmakers including Ado and Yoasobi, or inclusive meet-ups and club events like those hosted by UK "diversity-led anime and gaming collective" Anime & Chill. "For Gen Z specifically, anime hits differently," says Anime & Chill founder Eneni Bambara-Abban. "This is a generation raised on global internet culture, where J-pop, K-pop and anime AMVs [anime music videos] are part of the same online ecosystem. "Platforms like TikTok and YouTube have also given anime songs a second life – clips go viral, people remix them, and suddenly, a theme from a niche show becomes a global anthem. We see it all the time at our events… the crowd knows the lyrics, they scream the choruses and they feel it." She emphasises the "emotional imprint" of these songs: "Anime music isn't just background music – it's the heartbeat of the [work]." More like this:• The anime that captures millennials' greatest fear• Why Gen Z is nostalgic about 'indie sleaze'• The animation that showed me the meaning of life Notable too is how Western musicians are getting in on anime culture. Back in 2003, French electronic duo Daft Punk re-imagined their Discovery album as an anime feature: Interstella 5555 (supervised by legendary artist Leiji Matsumoto); it seemed like a quirky curiosity at the time. But nowadays, a surge of western musicians reference anime in their own material, whether it's US hip-hop stars like Lil Uzi Vert and Megan Thee Stallion, or alt-pop heroine Billie Eilish name-checking characters in their lyrics and song titles, or London indie rapper Shao Dow who writes personal tracks based around famous anime series, and tells the BBC: "I use anime as a vehicle to explore ideas within my life". He adds that One Piece's teenage captain Luffy provided early creative influence: "I would look at this character who'd scream about being the king of the pirates, and people would laugh, but he'd keep doing it. Even though it's a cartoon, that positive energy inspired me: he's pushing forward with this dream." Perhaps that's the ultimate power of anime songs; you can grow up with this music, but you never really grow out of it. -- If you liked this story sign up for The Essential List newsletter, a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week. For more Culture stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Buzz Feed
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Would These 11 Anime Characters Survive A Horror Movie?
1. Denji (Chainsaw Man) Result: Dies in the first five all warning signs and followed a suspicious noise into the woods. Called it "a vibe." Said "I'm built different" before tripping over his own chainsaw. 2. Light Yagami (Death Note) Result: Final would survive — but only because he is the horror movie. You'd think he died in Act Two, but he's the twist ending. 3. Gojo Satoru (Jujutsu Kaisen) Result: Somehow still alive and distracted and went on multiple side quests. By the time he regrouped with everyone else, the ghosts and demons were traumatized. 4. Eren Yeager (Attack on Titan) Result: Sacrificed himself and trapped the demon with course, the demon was the hostage in this situation. Didn't even have to enter the haunted house, but somehow still burned it down. 5. Anya Forger (Spy x Family) Result: Blackmails the reads the killer/demon's mind. Doesn't understand most of the plot, but goes home with a new demon pet. 6. Ayanami Rei (Neon Genesis Evangelion) Result: Ambiguously she dead? Alive? An alien ghost clone? No one knows, including her, but she's still in the sequel somehow. 7. Guts (Berserk) Result: Kills the monster tries to chase him and regrets it instantly. Makes the final boss cry until you can't decide who the real victim is. 8. Megumi Fushiguro (Jujutsu Kaisen) Result: The one who survives but has lifelong everyone. Doesn't talk about it. Doesn't sleep again for 11 years. 9. Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon) Result: Survives, but only because the killer gave away in tears, tripped six times, made the situation worse (all while somehow still beating the demon's a**). 10. Levi Ackerman (Attack on Titan) Result: Survives. Cleans the nonsense. No mercy. Leaves with 17 confirmed kills and not a single hair out of place. 11. Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto) Result: Doesn't die, but you wish he to talk-no-jutsu the ghost. Gave a heartfelt monologue, got stabbed mid-sentence, and called it "character development." Is there one particular anime character you can totally see surviving a horror movie? Let me know in the comments!
