"RELEASE THE SPYCE" A thorough review of the spy girls' exploits!

RELEASE THE SPYCE - RELEASE THE SPYCE - REVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

October 7, 2018 - December 23, 2018
2:38～

■Broadcasting station

MBS, TOKYO MX

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

SORASAKI.F

■ Director

Satouyou

■ Production

Animation production: Lay-duce

■Works

©SORASAKI.F

■ Story

Momo Minamoto is a high school girl living in Sorazaki City. She was living an ordinary life when one day she was scouted by the private intelligence agency "Tsukikage". Tsukikage is a righteous spy organization that does not belong to any country and protects peace from the shadows. They fight using a number of secret tools, including a special spice that increases the abilities of young women but only works on them, as well as their well-trained minds and bodies.

The amateur Momo is looked after by Hanzomon Yuki, his senior in high school. Tsukikage has a master-disciple system where seniors train their juniors to pass on their skills. Now, the criminal organization "Mouryou" has spread its evil hand over to the big city of Sorazaki. To protect her family, friends, and the people in the shopping district, Momo joins forces with her friends to fight evil.

■Cast

・Momo Minamoto/Yukari Anzai・Kaede Sagami/Akane Fujita・Goe Ishikawa/Yuri Noguchi・Yuki Hanzomon/Aimi Numakura・Ichiyo no Mikoto/Aya Suzaki・Hatsume Aoba/Aya Uchida・Katrina Toby/Mikako Komatsu・Woman of the Buncho/Shizuka Ito・Byakko/Aina Suzuki・Theresa/Risa Taneda・Dorthe/Saori Hayami

■ Main staff

・Original work: SORASAKI.F
・Director: Satou Yo ・Original story: Takahiro (Minato Soft)
・Series Composition/Takahiro (Minato Soft)
・Character draft: Namori ・Character design: Satoshi Ishino ・Sub-character design: Kazutoshi Inoue, Ryosuke Habu ・Art design: Kazushige Kanehira ・Artworks: Tensai Okamura ・Prop design: Takashi Akaishizawa ・Key animators: Shohei Nishijima, Hiromi Niwa, Michiko Asada ・Art director: Taichi Shishido ・Color design: Reiko Iwasawa ・Director of photography: Yuichiro Nagata (Asahi Productions)
・CG Director: Goichi Sakamoto (Ghost Workshop)
・Editor: Tomoki Nagasaka (J Film)
・Music: Ryohei Sako (Hifumi, inc.)
・Music Production/Pony Canyon ・Sound Director/Akiko Fujita ・Sound Production/HALF H・P ​​STUDIO
・Animation production: Lay-duce

■ Main Characters

Master Ishikawa Goe is Aoba Hatsume. A high school sophomore who is in the same class as Momo and Mei. Contrary to her appearance, she loves animals and stuffed animals.
Hatsume Aoba is a high school senior who is Goe Ishikawa's teacher and Yuki's childhood friend and classmate. She is a fraternalist and helps out many different people. She has invented many secret gadgets.
A ninja animal used by Monomitsukikage. A bird that mainly supports missions from the sky. It usually sleeps a lot.
A ninja animal used by Trumpet Kikage. It is skilled with its hands and is good at carrying things. It can also bite through cords and other things.
A ninja animal used by Kamaritsukikage. Its small size allows it to infiltrate and eavesdrop on enemies.
・The Buncho Woman A high-ranking member of Mouryou. Even her appearance is shrouded in mystery. She dotes on the Buncho Chichi.
Theresa: A girl with striking silver hair and blue eyes. A female lieutenant of the Buncho.
・Byakko: Despite being so young, he is a powerful individual. Just how strong is he?
Dorthe: A well-known mercenary. A narcissist.
Katrina Toby: Aoba Hatsume's former master. Manager of the curry shop "Wasabi" in Sorazaki. She used to have an American personality, but became mellow due to certain circumstances.
Momo Minamoto is a second-year high school student. She admires her master, Yuki Hanzomon. She has a mysterious special ability to know the physical condition of a person by licking them. She is quite cheerful.
Hanzomon Yukigen is Momo's mentor. He is a high school senior who works with a strong sense of espionage. He is strict with himself and others. He is sometimes too serious.
Yachiyo no Mei is Kaede Sagami's mentor and a second-year high school student. She is laid-back and nonchalant. She loves old spy movies.
・Sagami Kaede's master is Yachiyo no Mikoto. A girl who escaped from a poor family to become a spy. A first-year high school student with a stronger ambition than anyone else. She shares a room with Mei.

■Subtitle

・EPISODE:01/Golden Spirits ・EPISODE:02/The First Challenge ・EPISODE:03/Mouryou ・EPISODE:04/Never Say Never Together
・EPISODE:05/Phantom・Protocol
・EPISODE:06/Reward for Friendship・EPISODE:07/With Love from First Buds・EPISODE:08/Information from N Agency・EPISODE:09/Destiny Circle・EPISODE:10/No Response from Sorasaki・EPISODE:11/Operation Gekkakou・EPISODE:12/Tsukikage is Forever

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Period: 2 to 11
・Song title: Spy! Spy & Spice ・Lyrics: Hige Driver ・Composition: Hige Driver ・Arrangement: Hige Driver ・Singer: Tsukikage (Yukari Anzai, Manami Numakura, Akane Fujita, Aya Suzaki, Yuri Noguchi, Aya Uchida)

・ED1
・Period: 1-3, 5-12
・Song title
Hide & Seek
Lyrics: Meko Yamamoto Composition: Meko Yamamoto Arrangement: Yosuke Sato Vocals: Tsukikage (Yukari Anzai, Manami Numakura, Akane Fujita, Aya Suzaki, Yuri Noguchi, Aya Uchida)

ED2
・Period/4
・Song title: Tsuki Musubi・Lyrics: Meiko Yamamoto・Composition: Meiko Yamamoto・Arrangement: Takanori Itakura・Singer: Aya Suzaki

■Review

"RELEASE THE SPYCE" is an original anime series that aired in 2018, depicting the exploits of a female high school spy. The original story is by SORASAKI.F, the director is Satou Yo, and the animation is by Lay-duce. The series is 12 episodes long and aired on MBS and TOKYO MX.

The story is set in Sorazaki City. The protagonist, Minamoto Momo, was an ordinary high school girl until one day she was suddenly scouted by the private intelligence agency "Tsukikage." Tsukikage is a righteous spy organization that does not belong to any country, and they use special spices that only work on young women to enhance their abilities, and fight using secret gadgets and well-trained minds and bodies. Momo trains under Hanzomon Yuki, a senior at her high school, and throws herself into the fight against the criminal organization "Mouryou."

The appeal of this work is that it exquisitely blends the thrilling theme of spies with the everyday element of high school girls. The tension of a spy movie intertwines with a story of friendship and growth like a coming-of-age drama, drawing viewers in. In particular, the master-disciple relationship between Momo and Yuki, and the process in which the bonds between them deepen are moving and heartwarming to watch.

The characters are also very unique, and their respective skills and backgrounds add depth to the story. For example, Momo's ability to "determine a person's physical condition by licking them" is humorous, but also an important element in her role as a spy. The diversity of the characters, such as Aoba Hatsume's talent as an inventor and Yachiyo Nozomi's laid-back personality, adds color to the story.

The animation quality is also high, with impressive battle scenes and detailed depictions of everyday scenes. In particular, the scenes depicting the effects of Tsukikage's secret gadgets and spices are full of visually enjoyable elements. The music also adds to the atmosphere of the work, with the opening theme "Spatt! Spy & Spice" and the ending theme "Hide & Seek" becoming memorable masterpieces that will stay in the viewers' minds.

However, this work does have some issues. It is difficult to depict character growth and story development in a short 12-episode series, and some parts feel a bit rushed. Also, if the characters of Mouryou's executives had been developed a little more, the story could have had more depth.

Still, "RELEASE THE SPYCE" is a fresh work that depicts the theme of espionage from the perspective of a high school girl, and is a work that can be enjoyed as a story of friendship and growth. It is especially recommended for those who like spy movies and those who like youth dramas. Please give it a watch.

■Recommendation

If you enjoyed "RELEASE THE SPYCE," we also recommend the following works:

・"Princess Principal"
Both anime series have a spy theme and feature high school girls. They are works that stand out with their complex story development and appealing characters.

・"Girls & Panzer"
It's a unique story about high school girls fighting with tanks, but can also be enjoyed as a story about friendship and growth.

・"K-ON!"
This coming-of-age drama depicts the daily lives of high school girls and is perfect for those who want to enjoy a story of friendship and growth.

Like "RELEASE THE SPYCE," these works also tell the story from the perspective of high school girls. Be sure to check them out.