Review: ‘Spy Classroom’

Season 1 [March 20, 2023]¹

Spy Classroom is a simple, competent, consistently enjoyable light action comedy about cute girls learning how to be spies. The high-stakes first arc is particularly engrossing, but the fun cast of characters makes even the mid-season filler episodes quite watchable.

The show feels solid from start to finish because it never overreaches: we were promised cute girls learning how to be spies, and we got exactly that. It’s spy fiction as light action comedy rather than military thriller, but it still delivers reasonably clever spy-like twists: gadgets, disguises, shadowy figures, double- and triple-crosses.

The tone is well balanced because, again, it doesn’t overreach. The girls are cute and silly, and the deadpan teacher complements them well; the spy missions are exciting, even when the stakes are low; and the tragic backstories, when they come up, give the story a bit of heart without wallowing in sadness. It’s about as cozy as spy fiction gets.

The season is fairly well paced: three main characters, including the teacher, are well developed, and what I called the filler episodes typically focus on developing one side character each, largely through enjoyable albeit low-stakes action and comedy. The voice acting is charming, the animation is serviceable, and the subtitles are acceptable.

I remember once slogging through an episode of some romantic comedy I won’t name, trying to force myself to enjoy it. I gave up eventually and put on My First Girlfriend Is a Gal, of all things, a less than beloved franchise, and my relief was immediate and overwhelming, because finally I was watching a show that actually tries to deliver on the core appeal of its genre. I feel the same way about Spy Classroom now. It’s a minor success. It doesn’t shout at you. It’s not trying to seem important. It doesn’t even necessarily demand your full attention in every scene. But if you ever find yourself slogging through the latest “revolutionary achievement for the medium,” consider a simple story about cute spy girls instead.

[1] Reposted from my Substack, where I post all my content: https://reincarnatedcritic.substack.com/p/spy-classroom