Spy x Family Episode 10

Spy x Family Episode 10

The Rumored Stella Star

Spy x Family Episode 10 is all about a first-grade dodgeball tournament. This is the first big event of the school year. And, it’s rumored that the MVP of the winning team of the tournament will earn a Stella Star. If the rumors are true, this would be the first chance to earn one.

Right from the start, though, I had my doubts about the veracity of this rumor. Two different sources claim that this information came out of Class 7. But, neither of these sources has a direct line to where the rumor began.

Ewen Egeburg first tells Damian that he heard the rumor from a friend who himself heard it from a friend in Class 7. Next, Becky Blackbell tells Anya the same thing — she heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend in Class 7.

Becky Blackbell sharing a rumor she heard about earning a Stella Star from the anime series Spy x Family Episode 10
Becky Blackbell sharing a rumor she heard about earning a Stella Star

I don’t remember what class number Anya is in. But, we know that the rumors about the tournament Stella Star reach beyond her class. Members of Class 4 have also heard that the MVP of the dodgeball tournament will earn a Stella Star.

Now, it was always possible that the rumors were true. It wouldn’t surprise me if Eden College didn’t announce Stella Star availability. Of course, earning the top score on an exam would count. But beyond that, they may not want the students to be able to prepare to earn them.

With that said, the “I heard it from my friend who heard it from their friend” chain never seemed trustworthy. It would be a different story if one of the students said they heard it from their older sibling. At least then, there’d be an explanation for how they got this information.

Training Arcs

In preparation for the dodgeball tournament, both Anya and Damian have training arcs. They’re both aiming to be the MVP of the tournament so they can earn the Stella Star (that doesn’t exist). And while their training arcs were very different, the results ended up being the same.

Yor decided she was going to train Anya. And on the surface, this seems like a pretty good idea. Yor exercises often so she can stay fit for her job (being an assassin). Between her and Loid, I’d think that Yor is better suited to training Anya on how to play dodgeball.

But, as we know, things don’t turn out well for Anya. Though, this isn’t because of a flaw in Yor’s training. She actually did put a lot of effort into training Anya. The problem is that Anya isn’t anywhere near as athletic as Yor. She was never going to succeed.

Damian training for the dodgeball tournament on Planet Namek from the anime series Spy x Family Episode 10
Damian training for the dodgeball tournament on Planet Namek

Damian’s training arc wasn’t as regimented as Anya’s. He didn’t have a personal trainer to exercise with. But, he did have the power of friendship. Damian’s training included playing make-believe with his friends. There was even a scene of him doing battle on Planet Namek from Dragon Ball Z.

It might be easy to say that Damian’s training arc was always going to be less effective than Anya’s. But, I don’t know if I agree with that. Damian’s more athletic than Anya is by default. So, he didn’t need the same level of basic training that Anya did.

Instead, all the training Damian did focused on teamwork. He learned how to work well with Ewen and Emile. And in a team sport like dodgeball, teamwork makes the dream work. If they weren’t going up against Bazooka Bill, they could have won.

Star Catch Arrow!

Episode 10 might have been the Spy x Family episode I found the funniest. There were a lot of great moments in this episode. Bill Watkins’s introduction was one such moment. My favorite part involving him may have been when we saw the comparison between him and his father.

Compared to the other children, Bill Watkins is a beast. He towers over them. That can be funny on its own, and I’d say it was. But what I found even funnier was when we saw him next to an adult and it’s revealed he’s still child-sized.

I also found Damian’s training arc pretty entertaining. In particular, I liked when he and his friends were “mountain climbing” and Emile fell. I was expecting Damian and Ewen to reach out and catch Emile. But, no. Emile fell all the way off the mountain (climbing structure).

Anya as the last man standing on her dodgeball team from the anime series Spy x Family Episode 10
Anya as the last man standing on her dodgeball team

Let’s be honest, though. The best part of the episode was the reveal of Anya’s killer shot, Star Catch Arrow! Regardless of how effective it was (or wasn’t), you have to admit it was a cool move. And while I never expected Anya’s signature move to work, I also didn’t expect how it failed.

I thought Anya’s throw was going to be gentle and easily caught by Bill. Her spiking the ball into the floor before it even crossed the line wasn’t what I had in mind. But, I have to say, that fits Anya’s personality perfectly.

The only thing I’d say the dodgeball tournament was missing is Loid and Yor in the audience. It would have been good if the parents were in attendance. I’m sure Loid’s and Yor’s reactions to Anya’s Star Catch Arrow would have been great. Also Loid’s reaction to Bill.

Conclusion

What do you think of Spy x Family Episode 10? Did you think the rumors were true? Did you prefer Anya’s or Damian’s training arc? And what are your thoughts on Anya’s Star Catch Arrow? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 11 is available now.

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