At the beginning of the month, we went as a family to watch Spy × Family – Code: White, an animated spy action and comedy film preceded by two TV seasons that I had the opportunity to enjoy with my daughter. As the name implies, the story revolves around a spy and the fake family he puts together in order to get close to his enemy state’s head of government. What he doesn’t know is that both his pretended wife and adopted daughter are spies in their own way: the former is an assassin for hire, whilst the latter is a telepath!
If you haven’t watched anime (Japanese animated media) before, a production like Spy x Family – Code: White might look too foreign, daunting, or uninteresting. Nothing further from the truth, though! It’s quite accessible and entertaining for all ages. Besides, this light-hearted and fun story happens to pay homage to some of the great classics of the spies and detectives genre, including our own famous James Bond. He’s referenced through the name of the family dog, the favourite TV show of the daughter, and also, the music:
Music is an important feature of audiovisual media like films, TV shows and video games. It makes scenes and sequences more impactful and heartfelt. It helps the audience understand the emotions of the characters and the changes on the environment that affect them. Particularly in animation, music can be the key to make the artificial movement on screen seem real.
Original soundtrack (OST) composition is an art that I’ve come to appreciate a lot thanks to anime. I’ve become acquainted with the word of brilliant composers like Makoto Miyazaki (Spy x Family), Kensuke Ushio (Devilman Crybaby), Kaoru Wada (InuYasha) and Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop). Their music is enthralling on its own, but one can only appreciate its full effect by engaging with the media that the pieces were composed for. Feel free to look any of these names up and see for yourself. Maybe you’ll find your new favourite story!
Also, while no anime OST is part of my repertoire, I have fun jamming to some of the melodies that have caught my attention. If you’re curious about how this music sounds when incorporated in my sax improv, keep an eye on my YouTube channel. I’m preparing new content that I think you’ll enjoy!
