Heartwarming / SPY×FAMILY

As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.

One big happy family.

They may be a pretend family, but their affection for each other slowly stops being fake.

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General

• Overall, despite both of them knowingly being in a fake marriage, Loid and Yor are very respectful of one another, constantly considering how the other might feel, and never argue even when it seems one is challenging the other. Their dynamic is as healthy as a real marriage can be. Yor even notes when out drinking with her coworkers that she literally can't think of anything wrong with their relationship.
  • Helping their relationship is the fact that Loid clearly doesn't buy into a lot of sexist tropes. He doesn't object to Yor being an Action Girl; if anything, he likes it when she shows off, and the feeling is mutual. Plus his reaction to Camilla's attempt to slut-shame her as an apparent sex worker isn't to look down on her at all, but instead to support her and empathize with her, seeing their situations as not so different. He visibly chafes at Murdoch's insistence that the wife should "obviously" do all the housework.
  • Likewise, the way they treat the adorable Anya is incredibly heartwarming. While Loid takes a while to get used to her quirks, when he does, he dotes on her, puts his mission on the line to save her, and only ever yells at her when he thinks she is endangering herself. He doesn't push her too hard or place unrealistic expectations on her, and even when her actions could put the whole operation at risk, he doesn't get angry or frustrated with her. Yor on the other hand takes to her immediately, trying as best she can to be a good mother (even if she has little idea how), and expresses undiluted Thorn Princess rage at anyone who threatens her.
  • Yor and Anya's relationship, period. Yor has to pretend to be Anya's stepmother in public as her part of the charade, but she doesn't have to get involved in Anya's life beyond that. Yet she still chooses to do so, accepting Anya calling her "mama" even when there's no need to pretend and trying her best to be a good mother for her. It's just goes on to show what a big heart Yor has.
• The first ED is incredibly heartwarming, especially at the end with Loid and Yor tossing little Anya around, the Forgers having a little dance party in the living room, and then Loid and Yor send little Anya 'soaring' into a nice dream.
  • The song itself ("Comedy" by Gen Hoshino) is sweet on its own. It's about a person who doesn't quite fit in the world meeting a similar misfit, and the two of them making a happy life together.
• The second ED is more subtle, yet equally heartwarming, with a theme of the Forgers having begun in various dark places alone (represented by Loid and Yor neck-deep in their professions, Anya at the orphanage, and Bond sleeping outside), yet were shown a light through this family, and how much better they all are now in coming together.
• The Second OP is just filled with so many wholesome scenes, including but not limited to: The Forgers enjoying a family car drive; Anya on a swing carousel; a flock of birds flying in a formation that makes a heart; Anya on a horse carousel, waving at her parents who are sharing a car on the same ride; Anya sleeping on her plushies while giving Bond a cuddle; Yor looking directly into the camera, then giving a cute smile (Which could be from Loid's Point of View); Loid playing a shooting game while his family cheer for him; Anya and Becky walking while holding hands; and the Forger enjoying a walk in the park, which ends a close up on Loid's face, clearly looking happy. There are also a few Blink-and-you-miss-them moments which show Yor brushing Anya's hair, and Yor cuddling Anya while watching the fall leaves from a window. If it weren't for the scenes of Loid pointing a gun at the camera and Yor showing off her sword skills, you'd think this was purely a wholesome slice-of-life anime about a loving family.
  • The Lyrics themselves can be particularly heartwarming, especially the part where the singer is unconsciously running home only to deride themselves that they really should be walking.

Manga/Anime

Volumes 1 - 3

Mission 1:

• A small moment near the beginning, but Loid asks Anya "Is that okay with you?" when deciding to take her home. It's a great little moment showing how he's already looking out for her.
• The scene after Twilight's confrontation with Edgar, when he asks Anya if she's sure she wants to stay with him:
  Anya: (clutches Twilight tightly) I want to go home! With you, Papa!
  Twilight: Are you... sure about that?
  Anya: If you leave me again, I'll cry.
  Twilight: ...
  Franky: (in flashback) She's been fostered out and returned four times now.
  Twilight: All right. Let's go home. (pats Anya on the head)
  • Crosses into Tear Jerker territory, but the implications (and Loid's realization) about the terrifying near-death experience Anya just had? It doesn't scare her half as much as the idea of being alone again.
  • The pure look of astonishment on Anya's face when Loid says "Let's go home.", complete with little tears in the corner of her eyes and the anime's loving music sting.
• Loid's genuine happiness and pride when he sees that Anya passed her entrance exam. He has the biggest smile on his face as he picks her up and spins her around while praising her for passing, the way an actual father would to his child.
• Blink and you'll miss it, but even when he's overwhelmed by all the exhaustion he feels and collapses, Loid still finds the strength to gently set Anya down to one side as he falls rather than drop her.
• Right before the end we're treated to the most adorable image of Anya snuggling up to a passed out Loid. Though it only lasts for a few moments before Loid wakes and freaks out, that doesn't make it any less sweet.

Mission 2:

• Yor's catty coworker insinuates to her apparent husband Loid that Yor has worked as a prostitute, hoping to embarrass her. Loid surprises everyone by saying that he knows how tough Yor's life has been, and she's had to do unsavory things to provide for her brother (which isn't far from the truth), yet he doesn't think the lengths she's gone to are shameful in the slightest. Yor's wondering expression says it all, and it's easy to tell that this is the moment where she starts developing genuine feelings for him, even if she doesn't realize it herself.
  Loid: To sacrifice yourself for the sake of others... to endure harsh work for something you believe in... no normal person has that kind of resolve. I truly admire that. (sub)
  Loid: Be it for someone else's sake, or whatever the reason, having to put up with such a tough job takes real grit and dedication. And that's not something just anybody can do. (dub)
  • Perhaps the most telling part of all this? As Loid says these words, he flashes back to his own spy work. Loid isn't just saying that as part of his cover, nor to win Yor over; he is thinking on his own work, on how he, too, has sacrificed a great deal for the good of others. He means what he's saying, seeing it as similar to his own life - which leads to the amusing, heartwarming irony that, for all the falsehood that underlies the relationship, there is a core of genuine truth to it all.
• Not long afterward, when one of the smugglers jumps Loid and Yor reflexively kicks him away, Yor worries that she just made herself seem weird and frantically apologizes. Yet when Loid chuckles and genuinely thanks her for the save, Yor slowly lowers her hands with a similar expression of wonder; this second time no doubt cinched the realization, that he might be the only man on Earth who could accept her for who she truly is.

Mission 3:

• Anya is so happy that Yor's her new mom, and immediately helps her carry her stuff along with showing her around the Forger household, particularly in the anime's expanded version:
  Anya: And this is Anya's room! Welcome! I'll introduce you to Mr. Chimera! (gets her doll, then pantomimes in a boyish voice) "The name's Chimera! It is a pweasure to make your acquiantenance!"
  Yor: (Giggles and plays along) Oh no, the pleasure is all mine; I'm Yor, Miss Anya's mother.

Mission 5:

• One of the housemasters of Eden Academy, Murdoch Swan, is tearing into the Forger family with all sorts of invasive questions and snide, sexist remarks. Loid tries to defend Yor from the brunt of it, though quickly regains his composure as he reminds himself they're not a real family. Swan then asks Anya a question about if she loves her original mom more than Yor, and Anya begins to cry. Yor immediately jumps to her defense, looking ready to kill Swan on the spot. Meanwhile, Loid keeps trying to remind himself to stay calm for the sake of his mission, but when Swan continues to insult Anya and Yor despite driving the poor girl to tears, Loid leaps up from his chair to sock Swan in the face, only barely managing to redirect his rage to smashing the table in front of them in half. Loid then excuses himself and his family, and when Swan angrily comments that the interview isn't over yet, Loid counters with a single cold statement.
  Loid: If belittling the feelings of children is a part of Eden Academy's educational philosophy... Then I have chosen the wrong school.
  • In doing so, Loid is essentially saying that he'll choose to give up on his mission (or at least the part of it that involves Anya getting into Eden) because he's so disgusted with how Swan is acting that even if Anya getting into school would help, he cannot allow this child, his daughter, to attend a school with a man like that in charge.
  • Witnessing Loid's love for Anya reminds Henderson of a teacher's sacred duty to nurture his student's hearts as well as their minds. As such, he finally tires of Swan's corrupt bureaucratic cynicism and knocks the Sadist Teacher flat on his back with a well-deserved and long overdue Megaton Punch.
  • Once Swan brings up Anya's first mother, the poor girl begins breaking down and cries for her mommy, and Yor immediately stands up to lay comforting hands on her tiny shoulders. Yor, for all intents and purposes, is Anya's mother from that moment on.

Mission 6:

• When Henderson informs the Forgers that Anya will only get into Eden if someone else drops out, Yor's first thought is to hunt down another Eden parent and murder them in cold blood to force their child to drop out. She snaps out of it quickly, reminding herself that she can't kill innocent people, but her willingness to literally kill for Anya is sweet, if creepy.
• After receiving the call that Anya got into Eden College, Loid pulls a confetti popper out of his pocket and sets it off over the family, then lifts up an ecstatic Anya to tell her that he's proud of her.
• The reveal of just how respected and beloved Loid is within the spy community. He recruits a huge number of them to participate in a bizarre operation with no remotely clear strategic purpose, and not only is he so trusted that nobody questions the importance of the mission for a minute, but they don't even seem annoyed. Hell, half of them are delighted to get a chance to work with him and test their skills against him.
  • The Selective Obliviousness that the setting's universe runs on notwithstanding, after firing countless rainbow-colored rubber bullets and fireworks, all the agents present became aware that the true purpose of their extravagantly-expensive mission was to help make happy childhood memories for a little girl... and they have zero problems with that, joyfully clapping together at the end of the night's adventures when Anya cheered at having the coolest dad in the world, with a few particularly soft-hearted agents even shedding Manly Tears for her happiness. Dirty Martini Spy Fiction or not, men are still fundamentally decent and kind if given the choice to be.
  • In the follow-up episode, Handler grills Loid over what, exactly, all of those expenses were for. Which means that all of the agents he brought in must have covered for him.
• Anya bouncing around in pure unadulterated happiness as she watches "Loidman" in action, having the time of her life with this pretend game. It's capped off by her running to hug him at the end in utter happiness.

Mission 7:

• After Yor's Mama Bear rage erupts, saving Anya from four petty kidnappers by shattering a pumpkin with her bare hand, and sending the thugs running for their lives, she tearfully mopes that she is a terrible mother who carelessly let her daughter get out of her sight, and how the only thing she can really do well is fight. This leads to the adorable Role-Reversal of Anya gently petting her mother's head like a mom would her child, reassuring her that even if she's not a "normal" mother, Yor is still a mama that Anya's proud to have and that can provide for her in other ways like defense training.
  Anya: I wanna be just like you, Mama!

Mission 9:

• Rather than scold an already guilt-ridden Anya for punching Damian (which puts "The Friendship Scheme", and in turn the overall mission, at risk) Loid reassures her that he isn't mad, and gently tells her not to get into any more fights at school.
• When the other kids get scared of Anya after she punched Damian, Becky lets her know she's not going to be alone. Suffice to say, Anya sticking up for her really touched the young girl's heart, and as a side effect of her telepathy, Anya can sense that Becky is being sincere.
  "I hope we become the best of friends! I'm the only one who knows how good you are, Anya!"

Mission 14:

• Loid deciding to fully trust Yor, even after he is understandably suspicious of her connection to a Secret Police officer. In the end, Yor also has found enough confidence to tell Loid that she's glad she married him. Cue Loid crushing the bug he had planted on her earlier.
  • Anya's giant smile when she reads her parents' minds and realizes that they're getting along better is the icing on the already warm and fluffy cake.

Extra Mission 1:

• Loid, exhausted after having to complete a mission while on an outing with the family (on top of being overworked from other missions), thinks about asking WISE HQ for a vacation. But it only takes one look at how happy Yor and, especially, Anya are for him to change his mind.

Extra Mission 2:

• Loid, thinking he's upset Yor by taking her for granted (really she's in pain from being Shot in the Ass), takes Yor out on a date. Sure, he thinks his usual spiel about how it's for the mission, but it's perfectly clear that some of that worry is for Yor herself. At the end, following a nice dinner (and Yor's gunshot wound being numbed by drinking poison), Yor says she had a great time and they both agree that they should go on another date sometime.
• During the date as they look at a pantsuit in a store, Loid remarks he thinks Yor would look good in pants, as she has a stunning figure. While she refuses at the time due to injury, it's eventually shown at the start of the Cruise Arc that she at some point went back and bought the suit, showing she took Loid's compliments to heart.
• When Franky tires of playing along with Anya to follow her parents on their 'date', he wants to leave but is stopped by Anya begging them to keep going (because she mind reads a server wanting to kill Yor, which Franky doesn't know because he doesn't know she's a psychic). Franky wonders to himself if she's worried about her parents divorcing. Even though he finds it silly because they're not a real family, he still ends up smiling and resolved to continue helping her, even for just a little longer.

Mission 16:

• Loid thinking how proud he is of Anya for helping save a boy's life. Although he has had gut reactions of protectiveness and joy towards her, this is the first time that he is unambiguously proud of her, and this is coming from a man who lies as easily as he breathes.
• As terrifying as the situation is, Loid definitely shows off one of his better qualities after Anya saves the boy. He genuinely cares about the wellbeing of children. After the massive terror of saving Anya and the drowning boy, he gently tells the adults around about the dangers of leaving a child unattended near water, and how quickly and quietly a child can drown. Not trying to blame or scare the already terrified parents or the adults in the room who didn't notice. Just a quiet, solemn warning so all of them know what to be wary of for the future to prevent anything like it happening again.

Mission 17:

• Despite his general attitude towards Anya and being envious of her for obtaining a Stella Star before him, Damian doesn't hesitate to dismiss the spreading rumor that Anya got her Star illegitimately:
  This isn't some third-rate school that hands out Stellas by "mistake". Is that what you what think Eden is?
• Anya reads Becky and Damian's minds to see what their dogs are like, treating the viewers to very cute scenes of Becky with her lapdog Wheezy and Damian with his German Shepherd Max. This even inspires Anya to want a dog of her own.

Volumes 4 - 6

Mission 18:

• The Art Director of Episode 13's Animal Adoption Festival sequence pulls out all the stops and treats us to a joyful montage punctuated to the whimsical jazz number of a 1960's Audrey Hepburn Romantic Comedy Musical, that emphasizes just how Heart-Meltingly-Adorable the soft and fluffy baby animals there were, as we get to indulge in the sight at Anya at the height of childhood happiness, enthusiastically running to enclosure after enclosure of puppies, kittens, and bunny-rabbits, literally jumping for joy while greeting the last one; all the while bearing a radiant, wide grin of innocent wonder.
  • Yor also shows that she's a little girl at heart, excitedly squeeing at how cute the short stumpy legs of the dachshunds are. Anya overhears this, slightly lessening the anxieties she has from being bullied for her short legs by Damian.
    "Short legs are cute? Sy-on boy says Anya has short legs... Does that mean Anya is cute too?"

Mission 20:

• While the Bad Future vision of Anya and Yor being emotionally devastated by Loid's death is heartbreaking, the fact that Bond is even in a position to see this vision of the future implies that even if Loid died, Anya and Yor would still have adopted him. Additionally, it indicates that Yor would have continued to care for Anya as her adopted mother.

Short Mission 2:

• Despite Twilight stating he should not have any real attachments, he genuinely helped Franky out with trying to get a date. When Franky fails miserably he goes to have a drink with him.

Mission 22:

• Loid could have easily just shot the dog, but he deliberately only shoots the vest off even if it meant the dog got to bite his arm. After getting rid of the vest, he traps the dog in a dumpster and states he will come to free him later. In his own words for doing so, dogs never ask to be dragged into human conflicts.
• The main reason Yor takes out the terrorist was because of what he did to Anya.
• Loid seems to be genuinely worried that Anya and Yor were caught up in the terrorist incident, even showing Anger Born of Worry at Anya for running off again. He also gives an honest thanks to Doggy for protecting his daughter.
• Originally Twilight and Handler wanted to take Doggy in due to being a government project but Anya gets protective over him and threatens to stop going to school if she doesn't adopt him.
  • When Anya tearfully asks whether the policemen would bully the other dogs rescued from the K-9 terrorists, Handler reassures her in a rare display of genuine warmth:
    Handler: "Don't worry, little one, the policemen will be nice to the doggies. We will give them warm comfy beds and lots of yummy food to eat. They have had a hard life until this day, so let's both treat our doggies with kindness, Pinky Swear, Okay?"
    • In the anime, both Twilight and Handler are visibly taken aback by Anya's compassion for the remaining dogs; for a pair of professional liars and murderers who have made mountains out of corpses for over a decade, this moment of genuine humane kindness reawakened in them memories of happier lives in days past that they had long forgotten.
• When Anya agrees to Handler's promise, the jaded commander whispers to her subordinate:
  Handler: "Your daughter... she is a good, kind-hearted little girl..."
  Twilight: "Sigh... You have no idea what an absolute headache she can be, Ma'am."
  Handler: "Oh, but I do. I had a little girl about her age once, a long time ago."
  • The admission is notable since in a cloaks-and-daggers world where any trust and emotional vulnerability can earn you a literal knife in the back, as Twilight's superior officer Handler has no reason to be this sincere with him. This display of honesty therefore shows the respect she has for him and Anya.
• Twilight and Handler may be hardened spies, but they are still happy "peace won the day".
• We see Doggy's vision of the Forgers happily welcoming him home come to pass:
  Anya: Welcome to Anya's house, Doggy!
  Anya: You are part of the Forger family now!

Mission 23:

• Doggy scares a vicious looking dog to get it to hand over Anya's gloves. Because of this Anya finally comes up with a name for him.
• After playing all day, Anya and Bond fall asleep together. It's so adorable Loid allows a pass on her studying.

Mission 24:

• The manga starts off with Bond seeing a vision of Yor crying, yet it ends up that vision is Yor crying out of happiness from her family enjoying her cooking. Specifically her mother's recipe, which Loid and Anya are now able to enjoy, much like Yor and Yuri did as kids.
• Twilight is so impressed with Bond's intelligence while playing together that he says "good boy" while giving Bond an affectionate head rub.
• Camilla's boyfriend Dominic is continuously kind to everyone, praising Yor for wanting to learn how to cook as well as complimenting Camilla.

Short Mission 3:

• After Bond attacks Anya's stuffed penguin due to being jealous and Yor's attempt to fix it causes more damage, Twilight offers to buy a new one but Anya refuses as it was a gift from him. Twilight is blushing a bit from hearing it and offers to fix her stuffed penguin as a result.
• Bond later offers Anya a bag of peanuts as an apology because Anya yelled she hated him for damaging her penguin; she accepts the apology and admits she's sorry for saying that. Bond happily jumps to lick her as they make up.
• Seeing Bond and Agent Penguinman "make up" by shaking paws and sharing peanuts, Loid warmly muses to himself with one of his rare as a blue moon smiles.
  "If only the reconciliation between Westalis and Ostania can be as simple as this."

Mission 27:

• The whole reason for the chapter is that Twilight was certain Anya failed a lot of her tests, each failure would count towards a Tonitrus Bolt, and if she got enough she would be expelled, so he broke into the school to change her grades. When he actually sees her grades, he finds that while she still did terribly, she didn't fail any of her classes. He states to her he will need to tutor her harder, but privately is actually proud about how far she has been able to improve on her own.
• When Damian realizes he got 11th in the class, he lights up in pure joy that he'll get a Stella Star.
• Anya lights up too on the fact she was able to not fail a single test from her own hard work.
• Damian complementing Anya for not failing a single subject.

Mission 28:

• Anya coming to Damian's defense when George tried to frame him.
• After George Glooman reveals he'll have to leave Eden due to the Desmond group buying out his family's company, his classmates follow his every wish from getting juice, trying out the deluxe caviar bowl from the cafeteria, Damian even letting George borrow his Stella Star, Becky leading their classmates to sing the end of the year choir that George was looking forward to and even everyone giving George a gift which leads to him crying in happiness when he leaves the school.
  • Damian is actually quite kind to George once he hears that George's family is going bankrupt due to the Desmond group. Doing everything he can to cheer his classmate from lending George his Stella Star for a while to even gifting George a set of his favorite stationery.
  • While everyone is pissed at George when he returns to school, Anya is the only one not to give him a hard time, simply patting his shoulder in sympathy. Her mind reading probably told her that George legitimately believed he wasn't returning, and only learned he was mistaken after the big day.
  • In Episode 19 of the anime (after the above), when Loid "accidentally" runs into Yor - they both happened to be sneaking around Eden - and hears about her failed attempt to give Anya her gym clothes, he notices how down she looks about her actions not being necessary and cheers her up with a lunch date.

Mission 29:

• After seeing the dolls in a total mess after Anya played with them (actually her moving them around to make it look like she stayed in the room the entire time), Loid takes it as a cry for help and he needs to give her more attention and care. Anya likes this so much she doesn't correct him.

Mission 30:

• Even though Anya is playing up her love because she is terrified at the thought of Fiona becoming her mom, Yor absolutely melts from her compliments.
• Nightfall makes Yor believe that Loid is actually unsatisfied with her as a wife and regularly badmouths her at work, something she herself believes might be right. It only takes a few encouraging words from Loid to completely remove that doubt from her mind.
• To Nightfall's sadness, she can tell that Twilight does care for Anya and Yor when she sees hints of real emotions in his smile to them.

Mission 35:

• Yor spends most of the chapter worried that Loid/Twilight plans on replacing her as the mother of the family because her only good quality is her strength. Twilight gives a beautiful You Are Better Than You Think You Are speech explaining he has no intention of replacing Yor because her strength makes Anya feel safe so she can be the cheerful and energetic child that she is, and that her experience of raising Yuri makes her the best mother possible.
  • It's especially notable that in this scene Loid shares a bit about his mother, and is fully truthful while doing so, as he almost never shares real details of his past with anyone. The anime emphasizes this by having him pause and consider for some time before opening up.
• At the end of the chapter Yor realizes to her surprise that the Forger family has become a place she's completely unwilling to leave.
• Franky acts pissed at Loid for bribing him to babysit Anya, but he's clearly having fun with the little girl, playing pretend and giving her new toys. He even brought a frisbee for Bond!

Mission 36:

• Anya and Becky bonding through shopping for clothes.
• As Anya and Becky head back home asleep in Becky's limousine, Becky's butler, Martha, thinks back to how Becky was before she came to Eden Academy. Becky had been snobbish and looked down upon other kids. When she found out she was going to Eden Academy, she was angry she was going to a school full of "ill-bred kids". However, Becky changed after she met Anya on her first day, and came back excited to have a new friend. The flashback ends with Martha smiling to herself, happy to see Becky has changed.

Volumes 7 - 9

Mission 39:

• When Damian gets punished for oversleeping (due to studying too hard in an attempt to earn more Stella Stars to earn his father's praise) by being made to help out with the dorm chores, his two friends get themselves punished as well to be able to stay with him for the day. Later on, when they go canoeing and Damian falls into the water, they leap in after him to try and save him even though they can't swim themselves (fortunately it's too shallow for them to drown). They're not just hangers-on trying to take advantage of their "Boss-Man", their friendship is as real as Anya's friendship with Becky.
• The Eden faculty, strict as they may be, are also supportive of the boys' friendship. Henderson first notices that Damian's friends are deliberately trying to get punished, so he plays along to give them the chance to bond. Mr. Green also leads the three on a camping trip to help Damian appreciate the little things in life. As Henderson puts it, "[their] friendship is preciously elegant!"

Short Mission 5:

• The punchline of this short chapter is that there has been little to absolutely no progress on Operation Strix for Twilight to report on. But that doesn't really negate the fact that he definitely feels that stoically gushing to Sylvia about stuff Anya can now do counts as noteworthy progress.

Mission 41:

• Yuri, despite normally being a very overzealous agent of the SSS, quickly demonstrates that he has more compassion compared to some of his subordinates and superiors.
  • When Yuri witnesses his target, Franklin Perkins, throw some kids toy into a dumpster for the sake of making Anti-Ostanian propaganda pictures and then subsequently threaten them, he has to be stopped by the Lieutenant from trying to beat the crap out of Perkins for the sake of the mission. Even if he doesn't necessarily like Anya, its clear Yuri doesn't like the idea of kids being mistreated.
  • As his investigation continues, he learns Perkins is making propaganda solely to make ends meet and provide for his elderly father after losing his job after he tried to speak against Ostania's authoritarian government. Yuri strikes this detail from his report, fully aware it wouldn't please his superiors to show Perkins any sympathy, and, after Perkins willingly surrenders without a fight when they arrive to arrest him, promises to get Perkins's father financial support. Yuri may despise traitors, but he is a proponent for family and protecting them, so he can partially empathize with Perkins, showing that despite his patriotic fervor, he's not blind to nuance, and is willing to do the right thing even if he has to bend the rules a bit.
  • When he goes to visit Yor after his mission is completed, its clear he's still being affected by the situation with Perkins, something Anya is easily able to pick up, and quickly tries to comfort him over. While it doesn't work, Yor doing the same quickly lifts his spirits. Goofball he may be, the man's love for his sister instantly raising his spirits is sweet.

Mission 44:

• Minor, but in the anime, Yor's suit is the same one Loid suggested that she try on in Extra Mission 2 (adapted much later than in the manga). Even though she was in pain at the time, this means Yor likely kept it - and possibly other things - in mind to get later, which no doubt was to help put Loid's mind at ease.

Mission 49:

• We get a look at the "Grey family" dynamics in this chapter. Zeb notices that Olka is trembling after escaping some assassins, and deliberately plays up his cowardice in order to distract her from her own fear.
• Olka then asks Zeb why he chose to stick with her when he could have kept working for the new boss. He gives her a HalfTruth claiming he owed the old boss for smuggling food for citizens after the war... but a flashback shows the real reason is because he fell in love with her after she snuck food for him.
  "To this day, I can still taste that bread. That's all the reason I need to be here with you."

Mission 53:

• Doubles as Awesome. As Yor fights one of the last assassins - a swordsman who actually has the strength and skill to kill her - Yor begins to question why she continues her work as an assassin. As she starts to lose the fight, she reflects on the stresses of her double life and the fact Yuri no longer needs her support. Then she remembers why she continues to work as an assassin. To protect people. First Yuri, and now the Forger family.
  Yor: I don't need to be at peace. (grasps the assassin's sword and breaks it) I don't care if I have to bloody my hands. Even if it means living a life that could end at any moment... even if it means having to leave the Forger family...
  Loid: (in a flashback to Mission 2) To endure such a harsh job for the sake of another, for the sake of something greater than oneself... I truly admire that.
  Yor: I think Loid would respect that. He would understand. (Yor beats the assassin back) And that's why... I won't give up this fight!
  • Of special note, it's not simply a cliche desire to return to the Forger family that brings out her Heroic Second Wind, but rather it is also that she wants to protect them even if it means losing them, and the realization that Loid would understand and respect her for it.

Mission 54:

• Anya's fear for Yor's safety is what allows her to get Yor's dagger from the lower deck and, using the technique Yor taught her for dodgeball, throw it to the upper deck. Thanks to some shenanigans this was able to save Olka and the rest from assassins, while getting the stiletto dagger to Yor's line of sight. Thanks to this Yor was able to block the katana and defeat the samurai.
  • The anime compounds this by having Anya only pull the dagger when she hear's Yor's worried thoughts.

Mission 55:

• The last panels are Olka thanking Yor for everything and letting her hug her baby. She also reassures Yor is doing the right thing as her literally blood stained hands allowed her child to grow up.

Mission 56:

• The chapter gives a sweet epilogue to Yor's long battle aboard the cruise, allowing the Forgers to meet up at their resort island destination and spend a day having fun — no sudden interruptions of spy work, no last minute emergencies, and no shocking swerves. Yor even gets a Sleep Cute moment when she falls asleep against Loid's shoulder, whom ends up having to carry her and Anya.
• Soon after his family has fallen asleep, Loid thinks that Yor's job must've done a number on her, but then realizes that despite this, she still willingly went along with all of Anya's requests without complaint for the whole day. This leads Loid to smile, clearly showing that he appreciates her being so selfless, tying back to what he praised her for way back in Mission 2.
  Loid: (to himself) You did a great job.

Mission 58.1 and 58.2:

• Loid is trying to train Bond as an attack dog but realizes that Bond doesn't have the temperament to properly be trained due to Project Apple. However, after two false starts attempting to save the day to with his foresight (though he did save the old man in the second instance, unbeknownst to Loid), Bond charges into a burning apartment to save a fellow dog, and he and Loid wind up catching the arsonist. The bonus chapters end with Loid properly bonding with Bond and promising to take him to the park again the next day.
  • In the anime, we see Loid and a still-wet Bond come home after these events, with Anya worried that something's wrong with him, before Yor gently tells her that this always happens when Bond gets wet. Upon reading Loid's mind of what really happened, as Yor goes to fetch a towel, Anya presents Loid and Bond with her origami Stellas from earlier as a reward for "working super hard on your walk!"

Mission 59:

• In the anime, Loid gives Fiona a souvenir from the cruise, which causes her to make a shocked expression that he thinks is a glare. When she is out of sight, she is so overjoyed at receiving a gift from her beloved Loid that she starts skipping down the hallway when nobody can see her.

  Fiona: (thinking) Love, love, love, love, love, love!

Volumes 10 - 12

Mission 62.3:

• Though the chapter ends as a Tearjerker, there is a brief respite after Loid is injured in battle and taken off the frontlines. While on cooking duty he is spotted by his former childhood friends, all of whom he had thought long dead. Loid is so overwhelmed during their reunion he bursts into tears, causing the other young men to also tear up while trying to comfort him.

Mission 64:

• Anya's interactions with Mr. Henderson are a mixture of this and Funny. He wished to comfort her on getting a Bolt a few chapters back, and told her not to get discouraged since even Imperial Scholars received a number of Bolts, with one getting as many as six. When Mr. Henderson showed Anya a number of people who received the title of Imperial Scholar, Anya seems amazed and asks if she could be like them. Mr. Henderson merely tells her that it is up to her.
• At the end of the chapter, Anya asks Loid if he could help her study, so he could be happy that she is taking her schooling seriously. Unfortunately, Anya's good intentions backfire when Loid mistakenly thinks that this means she might have earned another Bolt so soon, and faints again on the spot.

Mission 65:

• Ever since she joined the Forger family, Yor has been afraid that she isn't a proper wife or mother, to the point of believing that she could raise suspicion if she ever expressed that she didn't know something that a "normal" housewife would. But through meeting Mrs. Desmond and joining her circle of friends, she discovers that in reality, not knowing how to do everything that's demanded of a parent is an extremely normal thing. Not only does this lift a tremendous weight from her shoulders, but it gives her a support group to get advice from.

Mission 69:

• When Damian is engaging in his Upper-Class Twit complaints about how he has to do "kiddie crap" and travel in "peasant mobiles", Bill Watkins genially reminds him that there's value in all experiences, tells the scion boy off for being rude, and enthuses about getting to know kids from other classes.

Mission 71:

• Becky came by her Spoiled Sweet manners honestly. A furious Mr. Blackbell wants to send all of Blackbell Industries' tanks and fighter jets from storage to go rescue her. Martha, ever the voice of reason, chastises him and volunteers to go to the scene of the crime herself, also clearly very concerned about her young mistress.
• Becky's reaction to Anya being fitted with an Explosive Leash is "No... This can't be real! Not my Anya!" with tears in her eyes.
• Damian, unaware that the collar is a dud, volunteers to wear it instead. He did so both to spare Anya and demonstrate courage befitting a future politician, as his father "fought all kinds of enemies during the war". Unfortunately, the terrorists have a spare, but it's the thought that counts. Emile yells at him not to do it (and looks horrified alongside Ewen later). Anya is moved by his bravery and reaches out to hold his hand when he panics after the fact.

Mission 72:

• While his motivations are based on his sister's well-being rather than Anya's (as usual), the fact that Yuri's captain had to physically and securely tie him to a big pillar so he wouldn't try to help speaks volumes about the man's dedication to Yor.
• Bill's good heart strikes again. He, Emile, and Ewen all reassure Damian that his actions would have done his father proud, and there's no shame in waiting to be rescued by adults when they're just helpless kids.
• Henderson's response when asked why he's on the scene: "These are my students. Where else would I be?" His first words upon entering the bus are to ask after the wellbeing of his charges, reassure them of rescue, and remind them to keep their composure. He assures the tutor-in-residence that the hostage situation wasn't his fault, and exchanges himself as a hostage so the injured man can receive medical aid.
• The care he feels for his students is clearly mutual as well, as the children cry out his name when he appears. A Red Circus member has to force a tearful little girl to stay down as she and her seatmate try to move towards Henderson: "We missed you so much!"
• Although he's stymied by security and Martha, Mr. Blackbell immediately tries to get to Becky as soon as he arrives.

Mission 74:

• A brief but poignant moment with Henry Henderson. When Vadim starts to get angry and threatens to shoot Anya, Henry quickly dives in front of her to shield her from harm, ready to sacrifice himself for her sake. Thankfully, it doesn't come to that, but this commendable act of selflessness (along with his earlier self-sacrificing act of trading himself for the injured chaperone) further cements Henry's status as a noble and courageous Cool Teacher.
• What causes Billy Squire to finally stand down and release the hostages: Anya, acting defiantly to poke Billy's needles and make him see sense in an effort to save everyone from blowing up, causes Billy to see something of Biddy in Anya - specifically, her compassion. The compassion in Anya wakes Billy up to all the pain he caused by working with the Red Circus, and he finally takes steps to do the sort of thing Biddy died for by ending his crusade then and there. The kicker? While Anya is typically attributed for her mischievousness and the fact she does most things in the interest of her desires - like any child, really - Billy is ultimately correct in his assumption. Anya's two biggest goals were always to find a family and to enable world peace, and Anya helped the world inch towards that ideal in some small way by finally causing Billy to stand down that day.

Mission 75:

• After the busjacking, for their part in ensuring their fellow classmates remained calm, and their help in alerting the authorities to their location, Anya, Damian, Becky, and Bill are all awarded a Stella Star for their bravery.
• Seeing all the children reunite with their parents. Some among them may be The Proud Elite, but literally every parent dotes on their child once they arrive. Family as a general theme for the story is no better represented than in the pages of this chapter.
• Becky's father is shown to be just as crazy for his wife as he is his daughter. When Becky asks why her mother didn't show up, her father explains he'd never risk his wife going to such a dangerous location. She's at home, worried sick, so they should get back as soon as possible.
• While Melinda Desmond is revealed to be a Broken Bird in this chapter, a part of her - a large part at that, since she doesn't react negatively until her husband is brought up in conversation - seems to truly love and care for Damian. Damian, in turn, lets his tough facade down immediately and returns all the love she bestows upon him.
• Yor literally ran to the scene of the crime to secure Anya. For the series of panels starting with Yor's arrival to the scene and ending with Yor telling Damian that Melinda was on her way, there can be no doubt that true, familial love between a mother and her daughter is on display. The fact Loid somehow managed to make it all the way to the scene of the crime, too, only further proves how the trio have become a true family.
  • It's worth noting Loid apparently abandoned his current mission in order to potentially rescue Anya himself, even getting at least one other <WISE> agent to assist. He also notes that, while he can't reveal himself because it would blow his cover, he'll make Anya her favorite dinner later. To make it better, Anya mentally hears all of this, meaning not only is she aware her father was there for her, but is also adorably excited to have her favorite meal when she's back home.

Mission 77:

• He's doing it for the sake of his mission, but it's hard not to be pleased with how Twilight goes about helping Thomas Austin, the Tutor-In-Residence from Cecille Hall. His devotion to his work allows Twilight to figure out the root cause of Austin's anxiety and help the educator through it, and by the end of the chapter Austin looks legitimately happy with his improving relationship with his wife.
  Thomas Austin: "Little by little, I'm becoming able to talk to my wife again. Thank you, Dr. Forger!"
  Twilight: "Ah, the first step toward peace."
  Narration: 'And the world became just a little more peaceful.'
• The fact that despite Anya accidentally painting Loid as a corrupt individual during the workplace assignment, Henderson still recommends Austin to see him, heavily implying that he didn't believe that Loid would be such a criminal. Though it no doubt helps that Loid was able to "smooth things over" afterward.

Mission 78:

• The chapter opens up with a familiar looking dog pulling a blanket off of Handler - later in the chapter, we learn it's the same dog that was nearly used as a suicide bomber, now named Aaron. Looks like Handler took a page out of Anya's book and took him in.

Short Mission 10:

• After mentioning his dream to be a cosmonaut in Mission 39, Ewen talks about his keen interest in space travel, and is overjoyed after finding out that Anya enjoys it too and both excitedly play out a space flight.

Mission 79:

• As the office workers begin their overtime work, Sharon tells Yor that she's become more talkative lately, and when Yor apologizes for the annoyance Sharon says that she doesn't mind, and prefers this to how cold and distant she was. Once the women finish their work, they make plans to go to dinner together, and they invite Yor to come with, showing that they now consider Yor a friend they want to get to know better, instead of the anti-social coworker who they usually ignore.
• Yor honestly can't think of anything about Loid that seriously bothers her. Sure, Loid is trying to be the ideal husband, but by his own admission he has had a lot of failures so it is heartening to hear how happy Yor is with him.
• Mixed with funny, Yor has taken the time she knocked out Loid with a embarrassed kick very seriously (even apparently having regained her memory of it happening), to the point that she throws herself onto the floor to get him out of range when she realizes she's about to do something like that again.

Mission 82:

• Twilight ambushes Yuri while making his escape through the sewers. Realising who it is, he hesitates to shoot. After repeatedly failing to subdue him nonlethally in the next chapter, Twilight picks up a pipe and prepares to bash his head in, only to stop because he knows it would hurt Yor if Yuri died.

Volumes 13 - 14

Mission 86:

• An exhausted Loid literally goes weak in the knees at the sight of Yor's smile as she welcomes him home. Though this also enhances Twilight's increasing worries over how compromised his emotions have become.
• Similarly, Loid has become more comfortable around Yor, being able to ask her if - since he's exhausted - she can take on his share of the housework for a little while. Yor, for her part, is really happy that he's able to rely upon her even a little, saying that what she really wants is to actually take care of him, even though she knows he can do most anything.

Mission 88:

• The whole chapter is about Damian deciding to give the cake he (somewhat) promised to Anya. Despite Damian claiming it's mainly to tell her that they cannot be friends because of their social differences, it's clear his main reason is to thank her for giving him the handkerchief and helping him during the bus hijack.
• Regarding the cakes, it's also revealed that Melinda went through some trouble to get them for her son, with Jeeves even mentioning to Damian how she hopes that he'll get along better with "the young lady Forger" (no doubt because Melinda and Yor are friends). Even if she tries to keep her distance because of her complicated feelings, the love is still genuine.

Mission 91:

• Mixed with Tear Jerker, the Berlint City Hall employees are recruited to help set up a yearly event for wounded veterans, and when Millie shows discomfort because it reminds her of the fact that her father died during the war, the others support her over the fact that she even showed up this year, and accept the fact that she wants to return to the office.
• When the Lady Patriots, who organized the event, scold Millie for feeling selfishly forlorn over her father's death when they too lost male relatives, Yor stands up to them by saying that everyone suffered during the war, whether during the actual fighting or in the home front—Camilla and Sharon even back her up, telling the Lady Patriots that Millie is more sensitive than they are.
• Soon after, when the leader of the Lady Patriots tries to slap Yor, Melinda stops the woman and warmly greets Yor, though this leads Millie to yell at her, holding Donovan responsible for starting the war and the reason her father was killed. While the Director corrects her that it was Donovan's predecessor who started it, Melinda chimes in and says that it was Donovan who kept the war going for as long as it did, and apologizes to Millie saying that as bearer of the name Desmond she does share some culpability, and implores her not to hate Yor simply because they are friends.
• After listening to Melinda, Millie decides to stay and help at the event and even tells Yor that she's not the emotionless robot she thought she was—albeit in an Innocently Insensitive way, which Sharon takes offense to—and the group goes for drinks that evening to help Yor fit in with the upper class.

Mission 92:

• Why does Sigmund succeed in teaching Anya where Twilight has failed for more than ninety chapters? The same way every good teacher does: by helping teach her not just facts and information, but to love learning and knowledge for their own sakes. Twilight, who realizes that he personally has always thought of learning as just a means to an end, is himself a little moved.
• On a related note, Sigmund's usual confusion completely disappears when he's able to start acting like a professor again, implicitly because teaching and nurturing the love of learning in others really is his life's great passion and being able to indulge in it again stabilizes him.

Mission 93:

• The sheer joy the Forgers and Authens share upon learning that Anya managed to score second in her entire grade on Classical Languages. Her failing math so poorly is brought up as a minor fly in the ointment, but Twilight, beaming at Anya's success, decides to push that aside and think about how amazing Anya's achievement was.
• Anya's elation in getting a Stella Star through academic achievement is a joy to behold - at first, she's too stunned to say anything. Then, she starts screaming in shock. Soon, however, she just starts calling out 'I did it!' as it sinks in that despite all odds, despite only Becky out of everyone in the school believing in her, she actually managed to accomplish something amazing in school.
  • As an additional bit of heartwarming, Becky's internal monologue has her admit she's jealous Anya managed to score a Stella Star through test grades, as Becky scored really well overall but didn't excel in any one subject, but she's so happy for Anya and wants her to have this legitimate moment in the spotlight that she just keeps her jealousy strictly internal. The two truly have become thick as thieves.
• It's seen from a distance, but Damian actually beams with closed eyes when he first started talking to Demetrius.

Mission 95:

• As the students ask each other to dance, two girls do so in the foreground and no one makes a fuss about it. Although the dance is specified to also be for people who only see each other as friends, it's still rather progressive for a work that's set in the fictional equivalent of 1960s Berlin (especially a traditionalist private academy like Eden).
• Anya gets a glow-up courtesy of Becky (new hair, new dress) and suddenly she has admirers fighting over her and the partygoers whispering about her. However, it's not just because She Cleans Up Nicely: the boys who approach her bring up her bravery in the bus hijacking incident and her prowess at Classical Language. What with Damian's constant put-downs, it's nice to see other people appreciate Anya's good qualities for once.
• As the students struggle to guess Mr. Green's birthday, the Face of a Thug custodian smiles sweetly and has a shy hand on the back of his head.
• Even though this goes against his goals, Loid initially remarks internally that Damian should be allowed to make his own choices.

Mission 96:

• Ewen and Emile hold a contest to see which girl has the right to dance with their Lord Damian, which consists of an obstacle course and a trivia contest. During the trivia part Anya uses her mind reading to get ahead of the other girls, but when the question "who does Damian love most" comes up, Anya answers "his papa," without reading any thought bubbles; she answered the question legitimately because she's listened to him for as long as they've known each other, even despite their discord.
• After Anya wins the contest to dance with Damian, Ewen and Emil angrily insist that Anya should not be the one to dance with Damian, but Damian says that since she won the contest fair and square he asks her for a dance. Although their interaction is awkward at first they do get into a rhythm and start dancing, with Damian complimenting Loid for teaching her to dance. He also says with a warm smile that her family sounds nice.
• As the children dance together Martha reminisces about old times, so Professor Henderson asks her to dance, and they too step onto the dance floor.
• Right at the end of the chapter, while they're dancing together, Damian asks Anya how she knew a secret story about his childhood, rhetorically asking her whether she can read minds. And then, in a sudden spontaneous act of absolute trust, Anya tells him "Yes. I can read people's minds." Damian doesn't believe it, of course, and they start squabbling again, but the chapter ends with one of Anya's score updates: "Anya & Damian friendship: +100".
  • ​It becomes more heartwarming when you realize that the first person that Anya tells her secret to is not her father nor her mother, or even her best friend; it’s Damian, demonstrating that, while at first she only saw getting close to him as a goal, she now holds genuine affection for him.

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