Spy x Family Ch. 103 / Mission 103: Are You Seal-ious? [Review]

Spy x Family Ch. 103 / Mission 103 is a rather odd chapter of the manga, and rather typical of Tatsuya Endo. At first glance, it looks like your typical slice of life comedy story starring Anya’s latest adventure, this time with a friendly seal. However, longtime readers will find plenty of lore buried in this one seemingly innocent chapter. All with Bond and the secret project he was a part of at the heart of it.

Spy x Family Ch. 103 / Mission 103: Details

Spy x Family Ch. 103 / Mission 103 is, as you can tell by the title, the 103rd chapter of the action spy comedy manga by Tatsuya Endo (Blade of the Moon Princess, TISTA). However, this chapter does not continue the story of the previous chapter. Honestly, it has nothing to do with Henry or Martha at all, although I did write reviews for all six parts of the Love and War story arc. You can read my reviews of Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3, Pt. 4, Pt. 5, and Pt. 6 here.

Casey Loe returns as the translator for Spy x Family Ch. 103, with Rina Mapa returning as the letterer. Shueisha originally published this manga in Japan under their Jump Comics+ imprint in the magazine Shōnen Jump+. Viz Media is the company publishing this manga in English in the NA region.

When and Where to Read

Spy x Family Ch. 103 made its online debut on August 18, 2024. You can read this chapter entirely for free on Shonen Jump on Viz Media. Ch. 103 will remain free for two chapter releases after it. Upon the release of the third chapter after it, Ch. 103 will go into the Shonen Jump vault. Once there, you will have to pay a subscription fee to read it and all previous chapters. Admittedly, the fee is only $2.99 per month, so it’s not that big a hit to your wallet. All the same, if you’re short on cash, then you might want to hurry up and read Ch. 103 for free before you can’t anymore.

Anime Adaptation Details

As a side note: Spy x Family now has an anime adaptation that premiered on April 9, 2022. In fact, season 2 just recently premiered on October 7, 2023, and even more recently ended on December 23, 2023. There was even an anime film spinoff called Spy x Family Code: White that premiered in Japan December 22, 2023; and will finally make its NA debut on April 19, 2024. You can watch all episodes on either Crunchyroll or Hulu. Note, though, that only Crunchyroll has any of the dubs. So if you like watching the English dub for some reason, then you have to watch the anime on Crunchyroll.

If you want to purchase tickets for that Spy x Family Code: White anime film though, then you can do so from its official website. Note though that Spy x Family Code: White is now streaming on Crunchyroll, so you don’t have to head to theaters if you don’t want to.

Spy x Family Ch. 103 / Mission 103: Plot Summary

Spy x Family Ch. 103 starts off innocently enough, with Loid coming home to find a very bored Anya trying to relieve her boredom by rolling across the floor like a very small log. This results in Loid then making Anya study since she’s not doing anything. However, the study plans are interrupted by a news program revealing that a seal the local media has named Belle made an appearance in the local Eber River. Naturally, this attracts Anya’s attention, and with some prompting from Yor, Loid agrees on a family trip to that river for some seal-ious business.

Alas, when the Forger family gets there, they find no luck in seeing the seal. No one there has. Not even shouted threats from Becky to deploy a submarine gets any results, resulting in most people either leaving or finding something else to do. This includes Anya, who runs off with Bond to play around. Amazingly, this results in Anya and Bond discovering Belle along with the rest of the Forger family in an out of the way backwater. As it turns out, Anya discovers through her telempathy that the seal had been scared off by all the humans chasing her.

Fortunately, the relative calmness of the Forgers means that Belle the seal can finally relax. She even gives a present to the Forgers for that: a live crayfish. It doesn’t do anything for the Forgers but give Bond a painful snoot pinch, but it’s a nice thought as they return home for the day, thus ending this chapter of Spy x Family.

Spy x Family Ch. 103 / Mission 103: The Good

Honestly, I find the story of Spy x Family Ch. 103 to be the best part about it. Although Tatsuya Endo mentions that he prefers writing darker stories, it’s hard not to see the joy in the slice of life comedy scenes he writes. It makes for a very relaxing read alongside the additions to lore. Longtime readers will note the references to Project Apple and wonder about the implications. Did Belle the seal really come from the same project that Bond was a part of? She did seem to be unusually intelligent for a seal, since she expressed gratitude towards the Forgers with a present. How will this affect the story? Will it even do so? Alas, only Endo can tell us that in future chapters of this manga.

Fortunately, this chapter also continues Endo’s signature good art to enhance that story. This is especially true in the facial department. Endo has always been good at drawing faces, whether for comedy or more serious themes. This chapter is definitely an example of the former. From Anya’s derp face due to boredom to Bond’s panicked expressions as a crayfish holding onto his snoot for dear life, this is definitely a comedic chapter to enjoy.

Spy x Family Ch. 103 / Mission 103: The Bad

Alas, if you’re a fan of the manga’s darker arcs only, then Spy x Family Ch. 103 will probably bore you. There’s not a trace of action to be seen here, and the tone is as fluffy and sweet as cotton candy. If you want to action and drama in manga/anime form, then might I suggest Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Solo Leveling, Kaiju No. 8, The Elusive Samurai, and/or DEAD DEAD DEMONS DEDEDE DESTRUCTION? Those anime should have more than enough action to satisfy any action junkie.

Keep Reading:

‘SPY x FAMILY CODE: White’ Has New Mission: Streaming On Crunchyroll