Recapping Anime NYC's SPY x FAMILY Special Panel
August 23, 2025
SPY x FAMILY is an anime that has captured the hearts of many through its first two seasons. It's really no surprise that Anime NYC's special panel for the show filled out completely this year. As fans look forward to the upcoming season, any excuse to reminisce over the special moments from Seasons 1 and 2 is a great one. Anime NYC's special panel was keen on offering exactly that, honing in specifically on the characters of Becky Blackbell and Bond Forger. After all, those are the characters that this year's special guests Kenichiro Matsuda and Emiri Kato voice in the show. Some sneak peaks at Season 3 also made their way into the presentation — all exciting stuff that we'll be recapping here.
Special Q&A With Kenichiro Matsuda and Emiri Kato
It's not often that Japanese voice actors get interviewed overseas. To conduct something like that in a live crowd, it takes effort to make it work. The special panel was anything but boring, though. Sure, the live translating killed the vibe a little, but getting to learn more about these actors felt enlightening in a unique way. They look at the show from a very different perspective than the VAs behind the main characters, but their love for SPY x FAMILY really comes through.
The Q&A at the panel didn't allow recording and translations were delivered pretty quickly, so the accuracy of the following words aren't perfectly exact. I'll stick to using quotes where most confident, but I'll resort to paraphrasing elsewhere. And for full clarity, there was a host for this event. Anyway, here's the full Q&A:
What are your impressions of New York City?
Kenichiro Matsuda: It's my first time in New York and also in the United States. It's lovely here, it almost feels like being stuck in a movie.
Host: First time and coming to Anime NYC, wow.
Emiri Kato: For me, it's my third time in the United States, but the first time in New York. In the morning, I noticed that there were a lot of people walking their dogs. There's a lot of energy, people are talkative and friendly even if I don't know them. I've even gotten compliments on my camera that I've brought here.
Host: Did any of the dogs look like Bond?
Kato: Some of them did! Some that just make you think 'what a big dog.'
Special Intermission Message From Atsumi Tanezaki, Anya Forger's VA
Before the Q&A could go any further, a special intermission message from Atsumi Tanezaki was played. Despite not being able to come stateside, she recorded a quick video for the event, answering a few prepared questions. Tanezaki has been to Anime NYC before, specifically the 2019 iteration, and she made note of that, mentioning that she misses the strong sense of culture and views at night. She's looking forward to hearing the memories that her fellow cast members will make on this trip.
Tanezaki's Favorite Scene With Bond
Thinking over it for a second, Tanezaki points to the scene where Bond was first told that he would be a part of the Forger family. The fact that he could finally feel safe made it extra emotional.
Tanezaki's Favorite Scene With Becky
Rushing to grab the official keychain, Tanezaki's favorite moment between Anya and Becky was when the two went shopping together. The matching keychains was a really special conclusion. Becky's fashion show was also pretty iconic. Tanezaki really loved that scene for the both of them.
Final Remarks From Tanezaki
In wrapping up her message, Tanezaki said a lot of what you would expect to hear. That she's happy to back as Anya in Season 3. That it will be a jam-packed season. She did offer a little bit of insight as for what to expect, though. Season 3 will have glimpses into the past, diving deeper into Loid's background and childhood. A "certain mother" will also make an appearance: Melinda Desmond, Damian's mother.
A Final Question From Atsumi Tanezaki: Out Of The SPY x FAMILY Characters, Who Would You Pick To Visit NYC With?
Matsuda: I don't know. Maybe Loid. Actually, no, the Handler (Sylvia Sherwood). I need someone to order me around. To go places and to go buy stuff or whatever.
Kato: Without a doubt, I would pick Becky. She's loaded. New York is expensive. She could buy me anything, take me anywhere, and she'd find it all cheap. She could take me in a private limo, get around easily.
A Look At Kenichiro Matsuda and Emiri Kato's Favorite Scenes
To summarize this final talking section a little more cleanly, I'm going to group the scenes that the two voice actors selected under their respective names. In the actual panel, they both discussed their favorite Season 1 scene before moving on to Season 2.
Matsuda's Favorite Bond Scenes
The first scene that Matsuda picked had Bond curled up, with Anya resting right on top of him. It's a scene that holds a lot of weight because Bond has been through a lot. And in the selected scene, he finally found a place where he really felt safe. Bond could finally find some peace by staying with the Forgers. It's a special moment where he happily embraces being a part of the family.
The second scene that Matsuda picked was from when Bond and Loid saved a puppy from a building fire. As for why he included it, it was simply a very funny scene. In general, Bond feels most at ease when around Loid. In a way, he sees Loid as the "leader of the pack." Bond also tries to regularly make Loid look impressive and amazing, though, he isn't always successful in that endeavor. Recording the scene was also a lot of fun for Matsuda. He got to try out very different ranges with his voice. Trying to make Bond sound thinner was definitely something of note.
Kato's Favorite Becky Scenes
The first scene that Kato picked was, unsurprisingly, the same shopping spree that Tanezaki mentioned earlier. For both Anya and Becky, this was their first time shopping with a friend. It was a moment that was flowing with emotions. Their matching keychains really make for a pleasing memory. Kato also noted how perfect it was that Martha, the Blackbell family's servant, looks back at the end, congratulating Becky for being able to hang out with a friend for the first time.
The second scene that Kato picked was from the Pastry of Knowledge episode. There were five kids but only four macarons. They went on to compete in a game of cards and, unfortunately, Anya lost. Instead of being left with nothing, though, Damian offered Anya half of his macaron. Kato said that she squeaked with joy from that little moment. She's looking forward to seeing their future relationship.
Closing Moments
Unfortunately, I don't have any visuals for the rest of the special panel. There was a trailer shown, which was identical to the one you'll see below. Other than that, there was a live dubbing, which was pretty entertaining, and a look at concept art for Anya's new Season 3 look. Oh, and there was a janken game with giveaway items on the line. Overall, it was a really fun time.
