To say that Spy x Family is popular is an understatement. In June 2021, Spy x Family had a whopping 11.7 million copies sold worldwide, just a mere a year and a half since its debut. In comparison, it took My Hero Academia three years and an anime adaptation to reach the same milestone. It is clear that the fans just can't get enough of Spy x Family.
The big reason for its popularity comes down to its unique story. A perfect blend of action and comedy that gives you the thrill of espionage, the chill of assassination, the mystery of mind reading, the difficulty of keeping a fake family together, and all the chaotic and hilarious situations in between.
But since Spy x Family is a biweekly series, some of you might need something to fill the void during the wait between each chapter released in Shonen Jump+. So here's a selection of manga that has similar themes, feelings, and story elements as Spy x Family.
Similar Manga to Spy x Family
1. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai - Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen (Kaguya-Sama: Love is War)
- Authors: Akasaka, Aka
- Genres: Drama, Comedy, School Life, Seinen
- Volumes: 23+
- Published: May 2015 - present
Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a story about two people: Miyuki Shirogane, the Shuchiin Academy President, and Kaguya Shinomiya, the vice president. They are the most elite students from an elite academy and they both engage in a war of attrition to force the other to confess their love first.
Just like how Lloyd from the Spy x Family utilizes his vast knowledge and experience as a spy just to pick the right clothes for Anya, Kaguya and Miyuki also use their genius brains to come up with elaborate tactics just to go watch a movie together.
Because in their mind, love is a war. And the one who decides to confess their love first is the loser. That's why they’d rather use their intellect to get what they want in a very roundabout way, rather than being straightforward with their feelings. And as you can expect, hilarious things inevitably happen because they always overthink the simplest things.
2. Sakamoto Days
- Authors: Suzuki, Yuuto
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Supernatural, Shounen
- Volumes: 3+
- Published: November 2020 - present
If Yor Forger from the Spy x Family is a mother who moonlights as an assassin and kills drug lords and prime ministers as a side gig, then Taro Sakamoto is a retired legendary hitman that fall in love with a girl, opens a general store in a small town, and gets fat.
As a promise to his wife, Sakamoto had left the dangerous world behind him. That is until a hitman named Shin, who can read people's minds just like Anya Forger, comes to bring him back to the dark world. After one gruesome fight after another, Shin ends up working as an employee in Sakamoto's general store.
Sakamoto Days has that similar blend of action and comedy that is prominent in Spy x Family. But instead of the hilarity that ensues through the interaction between each family member in Spy x Family, Sakamoto Days portray the zany adventures of both ex-hitmen who use their deadly skills to solve the mundane problems in the small town.
3. Yozakura-san Chi no Daisakusen (Mission: Yozakura Family)
- Authors: Gondaira, Hitsuji
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Romance, Shounen
- Volumes: 10+
- Published: August 2019 - present
While he’s in the vice principal's office, Taiyo Asano finds himself becoming the target of the deadliest assassin in the world. Apparently that assassin is none other than the siscon brother of his childhood friend, Mutsumi Yozakura.
So imagine his surprise when he finds out that all of Yozakura's siblings are actually a bunch of bonafide spies. To save his life from this outrageous development, Taiyo Asano decides to marry Mutsumi Yozakura and learn to be a spy himself. What a rollercoaster of a story, right?
Just like with Anya and her parents, the story in the Yozakura family also centers around a family of spies. Only this time, the spies happen to have active social media accounts, a dedicated weekly spy magazine, and even a star-rating system for their services. So if you think Spy x Family is filled with crazy events, then Yozakura Family will go beyond your wildest imagination.
Any Manga Like Spy x Family?
4. Koroshi Ai (Love of Kill)
- Authors: Fe
- Genres: Action, Mystery, Romance, Shoujo
- Volumes: 11+
- Published: October 2015 - present
Throughout various events in Spy x Family, romantic feelings slowly but steadily develop between Yor and Lloyd. Love of Kill, on the other hand, brings that aspect of the story front and center. From the very first chapter of the manga, Love of Kill showcases the twisted love story between a hitman and a bounty hunter.
Chateau Dankworth is a bounty hunter. She can always find her target, dead or alive. Son Ryang-Ha is a hitman. He will kill his target and everybody else who's unfortunate enough to be in the room. When they accidentally meet when chasing the same target, he immediately feels attracted to the deadly bounty hunter.
Unlike Spy x Family, there's little to no comedy in Love of Kill. But the action and romance are the centerpiece of this series. Because while both Yor/Lloyd and Chateau/Ryang-Ha are power couples, one is simply way more twisted than the other.
5. Shiawase Kanako no Koroshiya Seikatsu (Happy Kanako's Killer Life)
- Authors: Wakabayashi, Toshiya
- Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life, Shounen
- Volumes: 5+
- Published: April 2019 - present
Nishino Kanako just quit her job and is now desperately looking for any work opportunity. Imagine her surprise when in the middle of a job interview, she finds out that she is apparently applying to a hitman agency! But what's even more surprising to her is how much money and benefits that she can get for being a hitman. And that is how the legendary hitman "K" came to be.
The clue as to what makes reading Happy Kanako's Killer Life so enjoyable is right there in the title: it is a happy story about a killer. The juxtaposition of these two opposing concepts results in some bizarre yet very amusing events, which is the secret recipe that also makes Spy x Family so fun to read.
Happy Kanako's Killer Life is a 4-koma manga, which means each page only has 4 horizontal panels to tell the story. And the great thing about it is every single page is drawn in full color. The result is a dense and colorful story about a killer, and you'll be smiling from ear to ear while reading it.
6. Hoshi no Samidare (Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer)
- Authors: Mizukami, Satoshi
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Seinen
- Volumes: 10
- Published: June 2005 - August 2010
Hovering between the moon and the earth is a colossal tool that could destroy the earth. Its name is the Biscuit Hammer, and Asahina Samidare is the prophesized princess that will prevent such tragedies from happening. Along with her twelve beast knights, they will save the earth from that catastrophe!
But the thing is, the princess and one of her knights - the lizard knight Amamiya Yuuhi - are actually conspiring to pulverize the earth when the mission is over. This means lying and playing the role of the noble lady and her loyal knight in front of everybody else.
So just like how Lloyd from Spy x Family is willing to play an elaborate role of a father for the sake of his secret mission, Lady Lucifer and her devil knight are willing to fool their comrades in order to achieve their sinister goal.
Honorable Mentions
1. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (Assassination Classroom)
- Authors: Matsui, Yuusei
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Shounen
- Volumes: 21
- Published: July 2012 - April 2016
Shiota Nagisa and the rest of class E of Kunugigaoka Junior High are tasked by Japan's Ministry of Defense to assassinate a humanoid creature with tentacle-like limbs that just destroyed 75% of the moon.
So why would such an important job be left to the students? Well, that is because the creature thinks it would be way more fun that way. And by the way, that creature also happens to be their new homeroom teacher.
Other than the whole assassination ordeal, what makes Assassination Classroom so similar to Spy x Family is the sheer amount of absurdity woven into the story. It is so preposterous and yet exciting at the same time. And we sure can't wait to find out what's gonna happen next.
2. Hinamatsuri
- Authors: Ohtake, Masao
- Genres: Comedy, Supernatural, Slice of Life, Seinen
- Volumes: 19
- Published: June 2010 - July 2020
Spy x Family and Hinamatsuri share several things in common. Both of the main male characters work in a dangerous profession: one is a spy while the other is a high-ranking Yakuza member. Both men also adopt a daughter who has a supernatural power: one is a mind reader while the other has telepathic abilities
But the most striking similarity comes in the dynamic of the relationship between the parent and the child. Both manga have adults who don't know anything about being a parent and children who constantly try to get their parents out of trouble. And that is what ultimately leads to some of the most hysterical situations in both series.
3. Nisekoi (Nisekoi: False Love)
- Authors: Komi, Naoshi
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, School Life, Shounen
- Volumes: 25
- Published: November 2011 - August 2016
Keeping the characters' real identity a secret is a big part of Spy x Family's story. That tension is what makes the story so interesting and hilarious. Well, that is basically the core foundation of Nisekoi's plot. The series is filled with people who want to keep their true background a secret.
Raku Ichijo wants to hide the fact that he is the heir of a Yakuza clan, while Chitoge Kirisaki is actually the daughter of the notorious Bee Hive gang, and they have to fake their relationship to prevent a war between the two organizations. Nisekoi is a shounen romantic comedy at its finest.
Final Thoughts
Spy x Family has been running on full steam since its debut and is still going strong to this day. Millions of people started reading it due to its unique premise, but the story, the comedy, the action, and more importantly, the characters are what keep people patiently waiting for the latest chapter of this great manga.
There's nothing that feels exactly like Spy x Family out there. But these six manga, along with the three honorable mentions, are about as close as you can get. And each of them are also great series in their own right.
But if you think there's another manga that is similar to Spy x Family that is not mentioned on this list, please don't hesitate to share it in the comment section below.
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