Spies are popular in the manga world. After the excellent Spy Family (currently being published by Kurokawa), the French readership can discover Mission Yozakura Family at Kana . Series of 7 volumes currently being published in Japan, it is the second creation of a young mangaka Gondara Hitsuji. Both cartoonist and scriptwriter, it was his first long series (the previous one included 2 volumes) that conquered the readers of shonen jump. With good reason because the first volume lays the foundations of an offbeat story, very funny, full of action and emotion.
Yozakura Family Mission: A Crazy Family
The hero of the story is called Taiyo, a high school student who mourns the loss of his entire family in a car accident. Since then, he has refused to befriend anyone so as not to relive the trauma of the loss. An exception to this rule is his closeness to Mutsumi Yozakura, his childhood friend. This relationship enrages the other boys who all dream of dating Mutsumi, but who are either turned away or victims of strange accidents. The friendship between the two high school students eventually attracts the attention of the deputy principal of the high school who turns out to be Mutsumi's older brother. He decides to eliminate Taiyo in whom he sees a threat to the life of sister. Because this one is not a high school girl like the others. She is the head of the 10th generation of spies of the Yozakura family. As the head of the clan, she is a target for other groups. To avoid a fate, Taiyo decides to marry Mutsumi and thus integrate the family. He must now ensure his protection while trying to live a normal adolescence.
Mr and Mrs Smith meets Full Metal Panic Fumoffu
This first volume brilliantly lays the foundations for a two-level narrative. Indeed, like the film Mr and Mrd Smith , we are faced with an action story mixed with humor, a spy thriller playing the card of double identity. It works from the first pages through the crazy character of the big brother. And it continues with the exploration of a golden family. Its 5 members in addition to the big brother have different skills: strength, martial expertise, disguise, infiltration. And of course their home is in line with their job. It is at once a weapons reserve, a place full of traps and a training space. The place takes on an exquisite flavor before the eyes of Taiyo the neophyte learning to live or survive in this dangerous environment. Stairs, everyday objects are all threats and as for the toilets … We leave you the surprise. The narrative also works by the collision between the world of spies and that of the school. As in Full Metal Panic Fumoffu, Yozakura members must use their power with discretion; explain surprising accidents; Know who is a threat, who is an average student. Thanks to the succulent dialogues, the beautiful drawings and the cutting of the scenes, the manga offers moments of pure comedy.
Mission Yoz a kura Family: offbeat and worked characters
It is not the least achievement of this series to build two-sided characters. On the one hand you are dealing with colorful characters. Whether it's family members (between Nanao with the improbable head, Kengo with the kawai look) or spies/terrorists (the poetic bomber and social media addict…), they all have an eccentric dimension. And the author plays the ambiguity card: is it the real character or a cover. The drawing and narration give this abnormality all its strength: close-up grimaces, insert… But besides, these characters have real motivations that the manga skillfully distills. This first volume thus sets out the deep motivations of Mutsumi's brother while explaining the origins of the friendship between Mutsumi and Taiyo. The author brings a nice touch of finesse to his story and makes even more credible the efforts of each other. Grief and loneliness play a key role in their life journey.
Mission Yozakura Family: a tune from John Wick, a tune from My hero Academia
The last quality of this first volume lies in the suggested universe and in the construction of its main hero. Indeed, this opus in some ways resembles the series John Wick. He sets up, with a more humorous touch, an underground world, that of spies/assassins. It has its social networks, its magazines to elect the sexiest spies, its specialized magazines. Spies identify themselves by codes, signs and interact with ordinary mortals. Gondara Hitsuji takes great pleasure in drawing and writing this secret world. 
As for the main hero, we are in the pure tradition of shonen in the My Hero Academia style. Taiyo has no special power. It's even the opposite (see the end of the manga and the hilarious monologue of his brother-in-law). However, he will surpass himself, discover his potential and become worthy of the one he loves. It is classic but it is effectively inserted in his training. The hardships imposed on him by his in-laws, the blows he suffers, make us eminently sympathetic. This first volume is a very beautiful discovery. Rhythmic, well written, well drawn, it is a shonen of very beautiful craftsmanship auguring a series of quality.
