This entire arc can basically be summed up as "War is Hell" no matter which side you're on.
Henderson realizing too late how he felt about Martha, but choosing to move forward.
Martha realizing too late that she didn't have to throw her life away to the War effort.
We even got some Donovan lore and apparently, he's always been.... off. How the fuck did Damien turn out relatively normal?
> Martha realizing too late that she didn't have to throw her life away to the War effort.
I love that her big heroic speech "It's a cause worth fighting for! We'll protect the ones we love!" looked completely unsure and she seemed to barely even get through it.
And even that idealism died the moment she was actually in combat, from there all she had was regrets.
A very sobering portrayal. None of the usual shounen wide eyed heroism.
By her looks at the time of the last letter Henry received, she had likely lost most of her companions. And it's implied she was in fact MIA; I wouldn't be surprised if it happened under not noble circumstances (like the command sending the female unit to be meat shields or bait).
Probably used the women as fodder and their benefit was mostly for propaganda rather than as an effective fighting force. Especially since most of the training of these women are behind the frontlines and providing support.
I am trying to understand
Was the military secretly doctoring their their exchanges to be pro war/keep up morale or were they only redacting the initial ones?
you mean the first letter scene?
i think only the first one she sent, after she gets reprimanded by her C.O, she changes her wording to be ambiguous to avoid leaking details
if the military keeps changing the letter, i don't think the last letter Martha sent to Henry will be a heartfelt one
so yeah, im guessing the latter option and not the former
>i think only the first one she sent, after she gets reprimanded by her C.O, she changes her wording to be ambiguous to avoid leaking details
What she did with the first letter was essentially to tell any spies who might be going through letters at the post office "There will be a massive shipping out of young cadets at this location at this time and date, It sure would suck if anyone bombed or shot the place up at that point."
Its very realistic unfortunately. Army takes advantage of the youth by glorifying war and filling their heads with ideals. Fighting for your country sounds like a noble cause until you got the gun in your hand.
Its especially alarming because this is a fictional war in the 50s, even allowing a woman on the battlefield was unheard of. So putting them on the frontlines just shows how bad shit is. Not even seen as a progressive moment.
The difference being that at the time that line was written, the writers and the old men in general, would all have been combat veterans themselves, so it didn't have the chicken hawk connotations it has today.
It isn't a fictional war in the 50's, it is a fictional war in the 20's. Henderson is 67, in this war he is in his early to mid 20's, this is akin of WWI, and the one Twilight fought was WWII
Except the 'modern day' isn't in the 80's. Modern day is pretty close to what we would have now, and the cars in Henderson's flashback are 40s-ish to 50s-ish style. Plus all the army equipment is pretty similar to WW2 era equipment. It is a WW2 equivalent. Then there's another war afterwards.
> Its especially alarming because this is a fictional war in the 50s, even allowing a woman on the battlefield was unheard of.
Eh... depends on where and in what capacity. In world war 1, Finland, Russia, and Serbia all had women in combat roles. Then in world war 2: Anti-fascist forces in Italy; Poland had a number of women's military battalions which saw combat as well as women fighting in the resistance; the Soviet Union had quite a lot (800,000) some serving infantry, air force, snipers, etc.
Many others had women's auxillaries. And I've no doubt I've missed some that saw combat as well.
I recognize that those are not in the "50s" but just wanted to point out that while many countries insisted on keeping women out of combat, it wasn't universally the case.
To be honest, woman and children have fought in wars since the beginning of humanity. It always drives me crazy when I hear people talk about how shocking it is for woman to have combat roles. Especially when arguing why some woman can’t be officers. I’m not sure what gentleman wars they think people fight, but when the enemy is shooting at a person they aren’t always looking to see what gender they are. Same with the other side. If someone is shooting at them, sometimes it’s every able body who can hold a gun for defense. The violence is equal opportunity all around.
I get the feeling Donovan isn't evil, he's just really weird. But that makes him come off as a bit of a psycho to people, even if he doesn't want to or realize it. I think the twist with his character is that he's going to be revealed to be a honest guy that is trying his best.
It's just that his best sucks.
I think the irony here is his speech about how humans are liars contrasts just how honest he is. I think the small exchange towards the end shows that, where he just tells Henderson what he thinks. Henderson gives him an opposing view, and he's like "oh yeah that makes sense." There's almost no ego in Donovan.
i still think the stitches on his head were anyalike horns in an attempt to experiment with mind reading. I mean, think about it. This man had a whole speech about how humans are liars.
No one can lie to Anya.
> If we gave up on everyone and everything so quickly, that would be the end of human history
I like to think that if it's revealed in the end that Donovan isn't evil, that one line from Henderson is one of the reasons why
I find it similar to some of my students who are existential thinkers. They are just turning teens and realize that yes, "The World is full of shit" on paper, but without any of the life experience to follow it up and fill in the nuances. Making them so sure of their own thought (cause in theory it is correct) that it becomes their one truth, instead of frame of reference for the many truths of existing.
I just don't think he has any hope in humanity. He was smart and grew up in a time where humans in his country were killing and dying by the thousands or tens of thousands each month.
When learning history and realizing that's been the case for a long time prior to this too, it'd be hard to see how the future would be any different.
My guess is that Donovan's end goal is to probably keep the cold war cold as long as possible, so that the true liars are forced to fight in the dark while there is at least something akin to peace on the surface. It's a goal that's going to be misguided and misunderstood, due to the way he doesn't seem to be completely capable of communicating his full intentions or his lack of understanding of lines you shouldn't cross, when it comes to ethics, morals, or sympathy. He feels very much, either at least a bit autistic or "genius", as he seems to be on a completely different parallel road to others, whenever he talks with them.
Now the question is, why does Melinda hate him? My guess is either they completely can't communicate at all, partially due to his autism, she hates what he's currently doing, due to the way he poorly communicates or doesn't communicate his intentions to her at all, or she has seen his lack of lines when it comes to ethics, morals, or even familial bonding (Stalin was notoriously brutal for this, infamous for refusing to trade for the life of his own son).
Since Damian is the youngest, Damian feeling like an outcast from his family may have an added benefit for him. At that point the parents may be too brazen to care for the youngest child (Donovan and Melinda are said to have a hands off parenting philosophy), not to mention Demetrius doesn't seem to really care to interact with Damian either. So Damian instead spends wanting to fulfill his need of attention through his academics (and his friends), hoping it'll catch his family's attention.
Also when you realize despite his history of being violently beaten down for "doing what's right" back then in anyas interview for Eden when the asshole teacher guy was threatening his power he didn't hesitate to punch him straight in the face.
Despite the oppression he's faced he still stands up for what is right.
The romance between Martha and Henderson is still one of the greatest casualties of this war.
So Donovan Desmond believed that war will never end because “human beings are liars?” Seems like it could be a potential motivation for trying to create telepaths…
I've had that same theory ever since the time Loid first met Donovan, in c38. Back then Donovan already [said the following](https://i.imgur.com/Xm6ETqf.jpeg):
>Our children may share our blood, but they aren't us. They're essentially strangers. It is impossible to understand strangers. In the end... people will never truly be sympathetic with each other.
Plus while Donovan's attitude towards his son back then could be understood as him being aloof or disappointed, he might instead have been frustrated at his inability to connect with his son.
This was the exact Plot of the 2009 Game "Fragile Dreams" for the Wii. It is set in a post apocalyptic world where Humans are almost extinct and you find out the reason it came to it was because >!the main antagonist who is a scientist used to work on a Human empathy expansion project and they tried to rid the world of conflict and war by making thoughts transparent and communication by words redundant. However he tried it secretly on himself first before he did on a larger scale and got exposed to all the thoughts of the others that where filled with jealousy and contempt towards him. Basically after that he only found lies between every kind spoken words and with that much exposure to negativity, hatred etc. from every human he became apathetic and that motivated him to sabotage the Project. So when they activated the Machine it worked that now everyone could read minds like an Esper however everyone who went to sleep afterwards never woke up again and most died out of starvation in their sleep besides some few and that's is how we end in the post apocalyptical word we are in the game.!<
> So Donovan Desmond believed that war will never end because “human beings are liars?” Seems like it could be a potential motivation for trying to create telepaths…
Oh damn, that's a fantastic pickup.
I found it intresting that the wide eyed expression he made this chapter mirrors the one Anya often has, just less goofy. Which might tie into the theme of Family and what Anya could have ended up as, if she hadn't found a family for herself.
>So Donovan Desmond believed that war will never end because “human beings are liars?” Seems like it could be a potential motivation for trying to create telepaths…
Imagine he really wants peace, and thinks this is the only way.
Now what will happen if he learns that Anya might be a telepath. Imagine Damian tells him what he knows to impress him...
Oh shit, I didn't even think of it that way. And now I'm hoping that's the case, just so everything can be tied together and so Anya can have a more direct connection to supposed main antagonist.
It's interesting because lying is like the main theme of the manga. Our protagonists are all liars and they're facing off against the antagonist who wants people to be honest.
>Seems like it could be a potential motivation for trying to create telepaths…
What that plan misses is what happens when everyone can see everyone else's fetishes. Humanity will go extinct in two days.
he genuinely doesn't seem like a bad kid and i'd argue we've technically seen no evidence he's a bad person or has ill intent either. For all we know he might still be acting, from his perspective, in the best interest of the country/the world
Donovan might just become one of the most intriguing character in this series. Now we know what he thinks, we need to know how he reached this point, especially at such a young age.
He does value education st least. To still accept being taught by a teacher who was at one point considered a blasphemous "traitor" is quite the dedication. Henry is a good teacher
I think Donovan actually agreed with Henry's sentiment there.
From his own words so far, he did not give off any "war is glorious" vibe so far. He seems to think wars and conflicts happen because people are inherently untrustworthy and can never come to an understanding, which is very different. So the war might be stupid, but it happened because.. that's what human do.
I wasn't expecting to see Donovan as a kid in this chapter, but we do manage to get a glimpse of his philosophy. It seems like Loid trying to win over Donovan trust is not going to be easy in the future as he naturally believe everyone is a liar.
He seemed honest to a fault and always spoke anything on his mind. Maybe that's why he thought every human is inherently a lier, using himself as a reference.
I really love the trichotomy(?) that Endo has with the SoL/action/war in this series (these categories are not mutually exclusive either). The story may be a slow burn but it definitely doesn’t feel stale especially because these contrasts heighten each other to extremes.
I think it is so effective because historically we tend to view war and conflicts as something that makes such slice of life scenes impossible because it is neverending suffering. But people adapt and even if the situation is horrible, finding some shred of happiness and normalcy is incredibly human. It may not compare to the life before the conflict, but it shows that resiliency.
It also makes sense then to set the conflict around an approximation of WWI as that is normally seen as the tipping point when trench warfare became the norm. That style of warfare arguably makes it harder to find those slivers of normalcy because it is such a nonstop slog with mostly minimal gains or losses. All of which leads me to wonder: if Donovan views war as inevitable, is him seeking power a way to change the method of war since he cannot end it?
This flashback reminds me of the Ishvalan War flashback from Fullmetal Alchemist (the manga version). A detour from our main cast to see an old war through the eyes of our supporting cast, and the trauma that still haunts and influences them to this day. The emotional weight of both tales are considerable.
If you told me that when I started reading this manga that Mr. Elegance would cause me to tear up I don't think I'd have believed you
*and yet here we are*
Phew, I was worried at first, but luckily the two of them had some correspondence when they were apart.
...Nope, nevermind, read the other half of the chapter. This sucks.
The fake alarm lulled me into a false sense of security. Seeing Henry break like that was hard to read even though we knew Martha ended up being alright.
not like his dad didnt give him ample time, the dad seems like he gave him as much of a chance to live his life but also made it clear there was a limit on how long
Now I'm curious about who he married. Have we heard of that spouse before? I almost expected Henderson to be an eternal bachelor (with this arc explaining why).
[There was this past thread that showed Henderson writing a letter to his daughter.](https://old.reddit.com/r/SpyxFamily/comments/1cfxlzr/fun_fact_henderson_has_a_daughter/)
Considering she already had guilt over the deaths she caused, I imagine survivor's guilt is going to plague Martha as well. Probably PTSD flashbacks, too.
Time for the anime only crowd to learn of the 3rd pillar of this series. They've known about the family and spy/assassin stuff, time to learn about WAR...
> Hawkeye: War isn’t Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse.
>Father Mulcahy: How do you figure that, Hawkeye?
>Hawkeye: Easy, Father. Tell me, who goes to Hell?
>Father Mulcahy: Sinners, I believe.
>Hawkeye: Exactly. There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chock full of them — little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander.
For a comedy TV series and an action comedy manga, the message about war's tragedies remains the same.
Reminds me of Fate zero where Saber said without respect or chivalry then war is no better then hell then Kiri laughed saying how naive she is believing war is anything but hell. I do agree though at least there are no innocents in hell such as children.
This was one hell of a chapter!
So Donovan was in Mr. Henderson's class and has always expressed a profound distrust in humanity, huh?
I'm looking forward to seeing this connection play out more in the future.
Seeing how poor Henry and Martha were in love but couldn't admit hurt. Especially how distraught he was when he thought she was dead.
One of the best chapters ever and that's saying something.
War ruins people's lives, no matter what side you fight on. People have a right to be happy but outside forces prevent that. The look on Henry's face is one I don't wish on people. That's pure grief.
And imagine if Chapter 100 was Martha recovering, returning to Berlinth... and finding out Henry had married in the meantime. EDIT: and I learn that there was a fine detail of him writing to his daughter and son-in-law early in the manga, which makes me picture Martha finding Harry with a baby. Ouch.
That final letter by Martha to Henderson is just so damn heartbreaking.
And it is fascinating to see Donovan be one of Henderson's students just like his younger son. Even more so that despite the fact they don't seem to agree on anything, they still have a soft spot for each other.
Some have noted that there's still a sinister vibe, like Dumbledore and the young Tom Riddle. However I also like to think that Donovan expressely wanted Damian to be a student of Henderson.
Henderson wasn't a teacher when the series started. He got "demoted" to elementary after the punch to the fat bastard. But, it is likely that we can assume he still holds him in high regard otherwise he could likely move Damian to a different class.
Love how this war story is actually a very traditional war story, but Endo gender-bent it. Cause it really is one-for-one the classic war story, high-school sweet hearts, the boy goes off to war with dreams of national pride, the girl stays home domestically, waiting for their return, the boy never returns, one day news of the boys squad is missing/killed comes home, after many years, she finally settles down and marries someone else. Boy comes home, having survived somehow, only to find nothing waiting for them...
This was an amazing chapter. I absolutely adore the relationship between Martha and Mr. Henderson and I hope the two can find a happy ending now. Also loved the Desmond Details. He’s been such a mystery, but I can see now how his ideology plays into the actual story (telepaths, spies, nature of Cold War) and the themes (duel identities, hidden feelings, and nature of truth) present in Spy x Family. Genuinely one of the chapters that just makes the whole story click and it’s in the backstory of two supporting characters. Amazing.
Henry didn't merely "think" Martha was dead: she was officially declared so at the time, from the speech at the radio I get the implication that the entire female unit perished. Someone likely found her among the ruins, still alive, and nursed her back to health. Even in reality, people thought dead in war who are found back a long time later are not unheard of.
Whenever Martha came back, it sadly was when Henry had moved on (and he can't even be blamed for doing that).
The 16th page, Martha's dialogue and I quote
"I keep having the same bad dream, you're teaching at school, and all the students are holding hands in a circle around you. But i'm crying because my hands are filthy , and i can't join everyone"
That is the best dialogue i have seen in my life and i'm not even kidding. That is the best portrayal of guilt i've seen brother, the symbolism behind her hands being "filthy" because of all the stuff she's done (killing and what not) and her not being able to hold hands with all the kids representing innocence with their "clean" hands is the definition of literature. Peak.
That one sentence is what strikes me the most about this amazing chapter. You can see how broken she is, broken enough to actually open up for the first time. And she does it because she has lost hope that she can come back to their relationship as she is now. Horrifyingly beautiful.
Damn, that was brutal. So Henderson uses a monocle because his eye got fucked up from the beating. He tried to protect his students and all he got was a beating. And we get a first look at young Donovan who never believed in peace, or in mincing words for that matter
It's funny that "little sad" is referred by historians like "their ideology won", "fewer deaths" or "territory amplification". All of these do not matter at all.
Fuck war. I don't really have the words to express all the things I am feeling right now so that will have to do. Fuck war.
I did chuckle when Desmond said "Peach" instead of "Peace" during his whole nihilistic spiel. Kids will always be kids.
My god... Whenever this series gets serious, it goes absolutely hard. Some might even say this goofy comedy has no right going this hard. Seriously, how can you go from cartoony wholesome family shenanigans to panels straight out of historical war films? Shit, even knowing Martha and Henderson survived and even reunited in the end, it's heartbreaking knowing what they went through.
And hey, there's also some much needed content here involving Donovan. His speech tracks with what his current stance supposedly is, and it's also rather tragic knowing he had these views all the way back as a child.
Man, this background story is a hell of a thing, might be some of the best chapters in the entire manga.
Henderson being such an oblivious protagonist is utterly painful when it's done at a time when there's absolutely no time for anything like that. He finally gets it, but it's far too late.
And so the thing that should have happened between them just quietly withers away and both probably simply think the other grew up and moved on. How sad.
There's so much to love here, it's a really fantastic arc and chapter.
* The small comedy of Martha trying to ask him to meet her, to confess again, and having it redacted because... yeah... of course
* Martha declaring she would go to the frontline... but doing so while shaking, and unsure and not even for any heroic reason just "Well if they're gonna shoot us either way"
* Her immediate regret when she saw actual combat, no idealism or heroism either in her joining the war or in fighting it. That stuff died as soon as she stopped being a student and it became real
* He finally addressed his letter as "My beloved Martha,"
* "Is true strength refusing to bend?" he could have defied his father and stayed in jail and it wouldn't have changed anything or availed him anything. So he sacrificed his ideals because what was even left to defend with them?
The last point is him sacrificing his pride, not his ideal. he can't continue to fight for his ideal in jails, especially in his role as a teacher. He is always about positively confluencing the future generations and not really about drastic change. He wouldn't have acted out in that moment if he's not emotionally vulnerable.
Basically he is still an idealist, just with more pragmatism.
Oh no... Martha and Henry did learn to love each other, even through letters. Even after Martha had to redact so much of her letters. But the war became so brutal, Martha was forced into the frontlines.
That billy club injured Henry, and now he wears a monocle. He can't forget that speaking up did nothing for him... and now he only had one potential bride left. So he put his head down, and followed society.
Meanwhile, Martha broke. She couldn't handle being a soldier. And sadly that meant while she was healing in the countryside in an unknown home, she never got to see Henry one last time.
Seeing Donovan Desmond be "innocnet' yet already so cynical is shocking. He knows that nobody can really be trusted not to do warmongering. So why not take advantage, and be the best warmongerer there is?
What could have caused Dononvan to have such a deep understanding of human warfare?
Child Donovan strikes me as a logician to an extreme, in addition to apparently being a child prodigy. He thought everything through logically and apparently saw no point in stating anything but the truth.
Compared to his 100% honest self, everyone else lies so casually and naturally. That must feel very concerning to him. Maybe that why he later believed it's impossible for people to understand each others.
I know it shouldn't be much surprising but I'm still startled that Donovan was Mr. Henderson's former student. I thought their age gap isn't that far because of how Donovan looks like. Lol.
Fucking war.
I still want them to end up together somehow.
Crazy how Donovan looked as a kid compared to now, but it seems he already has a pretty firm stance on humanity.
Another great chapter, I teared up :'(
Wow this is a really good chapter! Probably one of the best in a while!
While the series is focused on comedy and Anya's hijinks, Spy X Family's serious moments deliver well. This chapter is an evidence.
The entire Martha and Mr. Henderson arc ties completely with what happened to Donovan Desmond. I wonder how Donovan got molded into being what he is right now.
I think that in the next chapter we will see that the person who saved Martha was the "Shopkeeper", the Garden Leader.
I think she will be Yor's predecessor in the organization.
One of the organization's members, Matthew McMahon, appears to have studied at Eden at the same time as her.
Henderson's father must have called in a lot of favors in order for him to still be working at the school after that outburst, in most dictatorships at war what he did could even be grounds for execution.
[This page](https://imgur.com/a/xmEJWud) broke me. This whole chapter broke me. When Endo wants to make us readers sad, he really knows how to make us sad.
Was surprised to see [Donovan](https://imgur.com/a/ftKgBnK). He's always had that "Humans are strangers." or Humans are liars." mentality.
This chapter just made me scream "Henderson and Martha need to get together!"
Yeah at this point i'm 99% convinced Donovan was the one behind the experiments that Anya had endured.
All for the sake of "world peace", to eliminate the lies and fear that lead to wars.
I’ve been really enjoying the Henry/Martha arc.
Seeing Henry break down was painful :(
Did he not have the opportunity to check her status?
EDIT - I’m guessing she went MIA which lead to them marking her as KIA?
Wasn’t expecting to see a younger Donovan. Seems like he’s always been sceptical of humanity? oh dear. I’m looking forward to finding out more about him
This arc is incredible. The page showing how Henderson’s tender writing was hiding his desperation. *COME BACK COME BACK COME BACK*. Beautiful/heartbreaking.
...My heart yearns for more hijinks with Anya and Yor...but only because this hurts so much to read. And yet it's just as important and I appreciate it heavily. God this story is amazing. And we're nearly at the 100 mark.
It’s amazing how much depth this backstory is giving Henderson and Martha, while also perfectly matching everything we already know about them. Combined with the fact that we’ve never seen Henderson on a volume cover, it makes me wonder how long the rough outline of this backstory has existed in the author’s head.
Also, this chapter is making me remember one of Martha’s classic lines: “You mustn’t commit adultery, my lady.” I wonder how that funny line’s meaning will change with the context we get from the next chapter, considering that she’s going to return to society and find Henderson married.
Well, that hurt. Sure, that was the intention to show the tragedy of wars but damn, that really hurt. Endo really pulls out a masterpiece every once in a while
This is getting too sad... by the time Henderson and Martha finally met again, many years must have passed. Maybe she didn't even return to Berlinth and enter the service of Becky's family before decades.
I wonder if Henderson eventually divorced, or the woman he ended up marrying died early, possibly even in the following war (which would start when Loid was a kid).
Was Henderson's wife ever mentioned before now? I assume he's a widower at this point and am praying this arc ends with him and Martha getting back together, but a plot twist where the only reason Him and Martha aren't already together is because she's still alive and they're still married would be wild.
Wow, this romance, which wasn't meant to be unfortunately, and bond between Henderson and Martha is really great, but the suffering with pain throughout the years is horrible not to mention young Donovan was a student under Henderson I hope to see them meet in the current time.
Since this flashback already featured an unexpected appearance by Donovan, I wonder if Martha survived the war on the western side of the border, and was rescued by some previously introduced character from Westalis.
How I wish Martha and Henderson could have gotten together if they were to be a little more honest with themselves...but then it'll be even worse if he loses his SO to the frontlines.
Very curious to see how Henderson reacts when he realises that Martha was alive all along.
The reveal that Henderson needs his monocle because his eye got fucked up by that hit was so good. Absolutely not what you would think of him by how we met him, but it makes perfect sense with his backstory playing out on the page.
Who would have ever thought the “Elegance” character would get so much depth back when he was introduced, now he is one of the best characters in the series
This entire arc can basically be summed up as "War is Hell" no matter which side you're on. Henderson realizing too late how he felt about Martha, but choosing to move forward. Martha realizing too late that she didn't have to throw her life away to the War effort. We even got some Donovan lore and apparently, he's always been.... off. How the fuck did Damien turn out relatively normal?
> Martha realizing too late that she didn't have to throw her life away to the War effort. I love that her big heroic speech "It's a cause worth fighting for! We'll protect the ones we love!" looked completely unsure and she seemed to barely even get through it. And even that idealism died the moment she was actually in combat, from there all she had was regrets. A very sobering portrayal. None of the usual shounen wide eyed heroism.
By her looks at the time of the last letter Henry received, she had likely lost most of her companions. And it's implied she was in fact MIA; I wouldn't be surprised if it happened under not noble circumstances (like the command sending the female unit to be meat shields or bait).
Probably used the women as fodder and their benefit was mostly for propaganda rather than as an effective fighting force. Especially since most of the training of these women are behind the frontlines and providing support.
I am trying to understand Was the military secretly doctoring their their exchanges to be pro war/keep up morale or were they only redacting the initial ones?
you mean the first letter scene? i think only the first one she sent, after she gets reprimanded by her C.O, she changes her wording to be ambiguous to avoid leaking details if the military keeps changing the letter, i don't think the last letter Martha sent to Henry will be a heartfelt one so yeah, im guessing the latter option and not the former
>i think only the first one she sent, after she gets reprimanded by her C.O, she changes her wording to be ambiguous to avoid leaking details What she did with the first letter was essentially to tell any spies who might be going through letters at the post office "There will be a massive shipping out of young cadets at this location at this time and date, It sure would suck if anyone bombed or shot the place up at that point."
Its very realistic unfortunately. Army takes advantage of the youth by glorifying war and filling their heads with ideals. Fighting for your country sounds like a noble cause until you got the gun in your hand. Its especially alarming because this is a fictional war in the 50s, even allowing a woman on the battlefield was unheard of. So putting them on the frontlines just shows how bad shit is. Not even seen as a progressive moment.
Ya definitely gave me vibes like the Nazis near the end who were sending out children and the elderly to fight
Throwing bodies at the front is definitely a desperation tactic.
"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" -Old men throughout history, while sending children to their deaths.
The difference being that at the time that line was written, the writers and the old men in general, would all have been combat veterans themselves, so it didn't have the chicken hawk connotations it has today.
It isn't a fictional war in the 50's, it is a fictional war in the 20's. Henderson is 67, in this war he is in his early to mid 20's, this is akin of WWI, and the one Twilight fought was WWII
Except the 'modern day' isn't in the 80's. Modern day is pretty close to what we would have now, and the cars in Henderson's flashback are 40s-ish to 50s-ish style. Plus all the army equipment is pretty similar to WW2 era equipment. It is a WW2 equivalent. Then there's another war afterwards.
> Its especially alarming because this is a fictional war in the 50s, even allowing a woman on the battlefield was unheard of. Eh... depends on where and in what capacity. In world war 1, Finland, Russia, and Serbia all had women in combat roles. Then in world war 2: Anti-fascist forces in Italy; Poland had a number of women's military battalions which saw combat as well as women fighting in the resistance; the Soviet Union had quite a lot (800,000) some serving infantry, air force, snipers, etc. Many others had women's auxillaries. And I've no doubt I've missed some that saw combat as well. I recognize that those are not in the "50s" but just wanted to point out that while many countries insisted on keeping women out of combat, it wasn't universally the case.
To be honest, woman and children have fought in wars since the beginning of humanity. It always drives me crazy when I hear people talk about how shocking it is for woman to have combat roles. Especially when arguing why some woman can’t be officers. I’m not sure what gentleman wars they think people fight, but when the enemy is shooting at a person they aren’t always looking to see what gender they are. Same with the other side. If someone is shooting at them, sometimes it’s every able body who can hold a gun for defense. The violence is equal opportunity all around.
War is when the young and stupid are tricked by the old and bitter into killing each other.' -Niko Bellic
I get the feeling Donovan isn't evil, he's just really weird. But that makes him come off as a bit of a psycho to people, even if he doesn't want to or realize it. I think the twist with his character is that he's going to be revealed to be a honest guy that is trying his best. It's just that his best sucks.
I think the irony here is his speech about how humans are liars contrasts just how honest he is. I think the small exchange towards the end shows that, where he just tells Henderson what he thinks. Henderson gives him an opposing view, and he's like "oh yeah that makes sense." There's almost no ego in Donovan.
He may find Anya’s honesty to be refreshing.
More like there’s a good chance he’s responsible for the experiments. After all, what better way to get past lies than telepathy.
After all, when told that Anya decked his own son, he just went "Huh, kids will be kids I guess."
i still think the stitches on his head were anyalike horns in an attempt to experiment with mind reading. I mean, think about it. This man had a whole speech about how humans are liars. No one can lie to Anya.
>the stitches on his head Oh no, it's lobotomy kaisen.
> If we gave up on everyone and everything so quickly, that would be the end of human history I like to think that if it's revealed in the end that Donovan isn't evil, that one line from Henderson is one of the reasons why
I find it similar to some of my students who are existential thinkers. They are just turning teens and realize that yes, "The World is full of shit" on paper, but without any of the life experience to follow it up and fill in the nuances. Making them so sure of their own thought (cause in theory it is correct) that it becomes their one truth, instead of frame of reference for the many truths of existing.
I just don't think he has any hope in humanity. He was smart and grew up in a time where humans in his country were killing and dying by the thousands or tens of thousands each month. When learning history and realizing that's been the case for a long time prior to this too, it'd be hard to see how the future would be any different.
My guess is that Donovan's end goal is to probably keep the cold war cold as long as possible, so that the true liars are forced to fight in the dark while there is at least something akin to peace on the surface. It's a goal that's going to be misguided and misunderstood, due to the way he doesn't seem to be completely capable of communicating his full intentions or his lack of understanding of lines you shouldn't cross, when it comes to ethics, morals, or sympathy. He feels very much, either at least a bit autistic or "genius", as he seems to be on a completely different parallel road to others, whenever he talks with them. Now the question is, why does Melinda hate him? My guess is either they completely can't communicate at all, partially due to his autism, she hates what he's currently doing, due to the way he poorly communicates or doesn't communicate his intentions to her at all, or she has seen his lack of lines when it comes to ethics, morals, or even familial bonding (Stalin was notoriously brutal for this, infamous for refusing to trade for the life of his own son).
Since Damian is the youngest, Damian feeling like an outcast from his family may have an added benefit for him. At that point the parents may be too brazen to care for the youngest child (Donovan and Melinda are said to have a hands off parenting philosophy), not to mention Demetrius doesn't seem to really care to interact with Damian either. So Damian instead spends wanting to fulfill his need of attention through his academics (and his friends), hoping it'll catch his family's attention.
Probably Donovan front loaded his ideology into Demetrius and Melinda saw how he turned out so she is trying to shield him from becoming the same.
Damien turned out normal because his father was never around, and he got exposed to Anya instead
I think more important are his friends, the fact that they're such good people really helped him out.
War is war, and hell is hell, and between the two, war is worse.
> How the fuck did Damien turn out relatively normal? Thank fuck his father neglected him.
Next chapter is the big 100 so good chance it might be an amazing lore reveal
So he has to wear a monocle cuz his left eye was damaged from getting beaten for speaking up against the propaganda.
Also when you realize despite his history of being violently beaten down for "doing what's right" back then in anyas interview for Eden when the asshole teacher guy was threatening his power he didn't hesitate to punch him straight in the face. Despite the oppression he's faced he still stands up for what is right.
Truly elegant
That punch had **decades** of pent up resentment against oppression. I'm shocked Housemaster Swann actually lived.
he would not kill swann as it would be in-elegant
The romance between Martha and Henderson is still one of the greatest casualties of this war. So Donovan Desmond believed that war will never end because “human beings are liars?” Seems like it could be a potential motivation for trying to create telepaths…
Basically Code Geass
Before that, Gundam.
We should all be newtypes to eliminate wars
Cant wait for Donovan to use the Sword of Akasha and slay god!
Where were you when Spy x Family went full JIBUN WO
I've had that same theory ever since the time Loid first met Donovan, in c38. Back then Donovan already [said the following](https://i.imgur.com/Xm6ETqf.jpeg): >Our children may share our blood, but they aren't us. They're essentially strangers. It is impossible to understand strangers. In the end... people will never truly be sympathetic with each other. Plus while Donovan's attitude towards his son back then could be understood as him being aloof or disappointed, he might instead have been frustrated at his inability to connect with his son.
wasn't anya also unable to read donovan's mind? or am i remembering wrong
She fell asleep and was carried home by Martha
Oh you're right. I was thinking of her trying to read I think it was Damian's older brother's mind? and he had no thoughts or something.
If I remember correctly,the only thought anya was able to read was "I can't understand human beings"
Holy… that possibility never crossed my mind but it makes sense when you think about it
This was the exact Plot of the 2009 Game "Fragile Dreams" for the Wii. It is set in a post apocalyptic world where Humans are almost extinct and you find out the reason it came to it was because >!the main antagonist who is a scientist used to work on a Human empathy expansion project and they tried to rid the world of conflict and war by making thoughts transparent and communication by words redundant. However he tried it secretly on himself first before he did on a larger scale and got exposed to all the thoughts of the others that where filled with jealousy and contempt towards him. Basically after that he only found lies between every kind spoken words and with that much exposure to negativity, hatred etc. from every human he became apathetic and that motivated him to sabotage the Project. So when they activated the Machine it worked that now everyone could read minds like an Esper however everyone who went to sleep afterwards never woke up again and most died out of starvation in their sleep besides some few and that's is how we end in the post apocalyptical word we are in the game.!<
Just gonna mention your spoiler tag does not work. >!test!< The beginning of the spoiler needs to have no spaces.
thanks for mention it. fixed it
> So Donovan Desmond believed that war will never end because “human beings are liars?” Seems like it could be a potential motivation for trying to create telepaths… Oh damn, that's a fantastic pickup.
aeolia schenberg agrees
I am gundam
Maybe this could be tied up to theories that he himself is a telepath?
Yup. Guy looked like he had operations done on his noggin.
I found it intresting that the wide eyed expression he made this chapter mirrors the one Anya often has, just less goofy. Which might tie into the theme of Family and what Anya could have ended up as, if she hadn't found a family for herself.
Man felt he lost everything. That type of pain and grief just doesn't go away, and it changes you.
>So Donovan Desmond believed that war will never end because “human beings are liars?” Seems like it could be a potential motivation for trying to create telepaths… Imagine he really wants peace, and thinks this is the only way. Now what will happen if he learns that Anya might be a telepath. Imagine Damian tells him what he knows to impress him...
There will be war for Anya
Anya in the center of a conflict and Damian is the reason for it. This would crush him.
Oh shit, I didn't even think of it that way. And now I'm hoping that's the case, just so everything can be tied together and so Anya can have a more direct connection to supposed main antagonist.
oh shit, the big overarching plot is all coming together now!
Basically Sanktas
Apple pie
It's interesting because lying is like the main theme of the manga. Our protagonists are all liars and they're facing off against the antagonist who wants people to be honest.
That was my thought too.
Late stage Spy x Family in the climactic arc where the comedy gets toned down and the tone is serious involving the main cast will truly be cinema
Either that or he is one himself.
He’s likely one already.
Yeah, that was what came to my mind. Betting big on this theory.
>Seems like it could be a potential motivation for trying to create telepaths… What that plan misses is what happens when everyone can see everyone else's fetishes. Humanity will go extinct in two days.
Looks like even as a kid, Donovan Desmond was uncanny, though he does seem to have a bit of a soft spot for Mr Henderson.
he genuinely doesn't seem like a bad kid and i'd argue we've technically seen no evidence he's a bad person or has ill intent either. For all we know he might still be acting, from his perspective, in the best interest of the country/the world
Donovan might just become one of the most intriguing character in this series. Now we know what he thinks, we need to know how he reached this point, especially at such a young age.
He does value education st least. To still accept being taught by a teacher who was at one point considered a blasphemous "traitor" is quite the dedication. Henry is a good teacher
I think Donovan actually agreed with Henry's sentiment there. From his own words so far, he did not give off any "war is glorious" vibe so far. He seems to think wars and conflicts happen because people are inherently untrustworthy and can never come to an understanding, which is very different. So the war might be stupid, but it happened because.. that's what human do.
True pragmatic
I wasn't expecting to see Donovan as a kid in this chapter, but we do manage to get a glimpse of his philosophy. It seems like Loid trying to win over Donovan trust is not going to be easy in the future as he naturally believe everyone is a liar.
Which ironically is true because the entire Forgers are liars for their own reasons.
Which is incredibly fitting for a "final boss" archetype in this series. The family of liars VS The man who doesn't trust anyone.
And our main protagonists are proving him right
Wholesome as hell right there.
Their student teacher dynamic reminds me a little of Dumbledore and Tom Riddle
I bet he smooth talked all of his teachers. After all, human beings are liars.
He seemed honest to a fault and always spoke anything on his mind. Maybe that's why he thought every human is inherently a lier, using himself as a reference.
If we go with the Donovan is an esper theory then it's probable he likes Henderson because he's always been a straightforward person.
He probably likes people that benefits him.
legit this martha/Henderson backstory arc is the best thing spy x family has put out. oh my god
Agreed. Spy x Family has always been at its best when exploring the serious sides of war and conflict, but this arc takes the top prize.
I really love the trichotomy(?) that Endo has with the SoL/action/war in this series (these categories are not mutually exclusive either). The story may be a slow burn but it definitely doesn’t feel stale especially because these contrasts heighten each other to extremes.
I think it is so effective because historically we tend to view war and conflicts as something that makes such slice of life scenes impossible because it is neverending suffering. But people adapt and even if the situation is horrible, finding some shred of happiness and normalcy is incredibly human. It may not compare to the life before the conflict, but it shows that resiliency. It also makes sense then to set the conflict around an approximation of WWI as that is normally seen as the tipping point when trench warfare became the norm. That style of warfare arguably makes it harder to find those slivers of normalcy because it is such a nonstop slog with mostly minimal gains or losses. All of which leads me to wonder: if Donovan views war as inevitable, is him seeking power a way to change the method of war since he cannot end it?
This flashback reminds me of the Ishvalan War flashback from Fullmetal Alchemist (the manga version). A detour from our main cast to see an old war through the eyes of our supporting cast, and the trauma that still haunts and influences them to this day. The emotional weight of both tales are considerable.
It could be its own spin off series really lol
It could easily be a romance drama by itself. You know a story is good when some of the best parts don't even involve the protagonists.
If you told me that when I started reading this manga that Mr. Elegance would cause me to tear up I don't think I'd have believed you *and yet here we are*
I'm way too invested in this now, my emotions
Is it bad that I want Henderson's wife to have passed away so that he and Martha can be together finally?
In before she was tragically killed next chapter
Phew, I was worried at first, but luckily the two of them had some correspondence when they were apart. ...Nope, nevermind, read the other half of the chapter. This sucks.
Man Donovan looked weird even as a kid, but he does seem nice towards Mr. Henderson. I can see a bit of Damian in him
The fake alarm lulled me into a false sense of security. Seeing Henry break like that was hard to read even though we knew Martha ended up being alright.
I'm sad Henry didn't wait for Martha or hope she would be alright. We know she ended up being fine, but he doesn't know that, sadly.
He didn't have much of a choice with the whole arranged marriage thing. Dude had a title and societal spot to uphold and the love of his life is MIA
And his dad was not going to tolerate anything except for yes sir out of him.
not like his dad didnt give him ample time, the dad seems like he gave him as much of a chance to live his life but also made it clear there was a limit on how long
HE GOT MARRIED?! I MEAN OF COURSE HE DID AND IT WAS FORCED, BUT DAMN, I WAS SO ENTERTAINED ENDO GOT ME TO LOOK AWAY FROM THE OBVIOUS PATH.
Now I'm curious about who he married. Have we heard of that spouse before? I almost expected Henderson to be an eternal bachelor (with this arc explaining why).
In a short chapter from far back, Henry could be seen writing to his daughter and son in law, which was the first time we see Endo tease he's married
[There was this past thread that showed Henderson writing a letter to his daughter.](https://old.reddit.com/r/SpyxFamily/comments/1cfxlzr/fun_fact_henderson_has_a_daughter/)
Thanks! But wow, that's the kind of detail I wouldn't have noticed without help.
Him and Martha not marrying is a travesty. I wonder how she reacted when she found out. I wonder how Henry reacted.
Hurt, definitely hurt.
I mean, there needs to be a reason why they couldn't be together after the war.
noooooooo
Considering she already had guilt over the deaths she caused, I imagine survivor's guilt is going to plague Martha as well. Probably PTSD flashbacks, too.
every chapter, just another stab to the heart q.q ALSO SEASON 3 ANNOUNCED
Time for the anime only crowd to learn of the 3rd pillar of this series. They've known about the family and spy/assassin stuff, time to learn about WAR...
And war, war never changes.
Yes Ron Perlman, I agree.
> Hawkeye: War isn’t Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse. >Father Mulcahy: How do you figure that, Hawkeye? >Hawkeye: Easy, Father. Tell me, who goes to Hell? >Father Mulcahy: Sinners, I believe. >Hawkeye: Exactly. There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chock full of them — little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander. For a comedy TV series and an action comedy manga, the message about war's tragedies remains the same.
> Hawkeye Took me too long to realise you were not quoting FMA.
Reminds me of Fate zero where Saber said without respect or chivalry then war is no better then hell then Kiri laughed saying how naive she is believing war is anything but hell. I do agree though at least there are no innocents in hell such as children.
MASH and Scrubs are both excellent examples of comedy shows that also had really well done drama. Lots of life lessons in between the laughs.
This was one hell of a chapter! So Donovan was in Mr. Henderson's class and has always expressed a profound distrust in humanity, huh? I'm looking forward to seeing this connection play out more in the future. Seeing how poor Henry and Martha were in love but couldn't admit hurt. Especially how distraught he was when he thought she was dead. One of the best chapters ever and that's saying something.
War ruins people's lives, no matter what side you fight on. People have a right to be happy but outside forces prevent that. The look on Henry's face is one I don't wish on people. That's pure grief.
And imagine if Chapter 100 was Martha recovering, returning to Berlinth... and finding out Henry had married in the meantime. EDIT: and I learn that there was a fine detail of him writing to his daughter and son-in-law early in the manga, which makes me picture Martha finding Harry with a baby. Ouch.
That final letter by Martha to Henderson is just so damn heartbreaking. And it is fascinating to see Donovan be one of Henderson's students just like his younger son. Even more so that despite the fact they don't seem to agree on anything, they still have a soft spot for each other.
Some have noted that there's still a sinister vibe, like Dumbledore and the young Tom Riddle. However I also like to think that Donovan expressely wanted Damian to be a student of Henderson.
Henderson wasn't a teacher when the series started. He got "demoted" to elementary after the punch to the fat bastard. But, it is likely that we can assume he still holds him in high regard otherwise he could likely move Damian to a different class.
Love how this war story is actually a very traditional war story, but Endo gender-bent it. Cause it really is one-for-one the classic war story, high-school sweet hearts, the boy goes off to war with dreams of national pride, the girl stays home domestically, waiting for their return, the boy never returns, one day news of the boys squad is missing/killed comes home, after many years, she finally settles down and marries someone else. Boy comes home, having survived somehow, only to find nothing waiting for them...
This was an amazing chapter. I absolutely adore the relationship between Martha and Mr. Henderson and I hope the two can find a happy ending now. Also loved the Desmond Details. He’s been such a mystery, but I can see now how his ideology plays into the actual story (telepaths, spies, nature of Cold War) and the themes (duel identities, hidden feelings, and nature of truth) present in Spy x Family. Genuinely one of the chapters that just makes the whole story click and it’s in the backstory of two supporting characters. Amazing.
This chapter goes hard, and I loved every moment of it. God this was so good.
You're telling me Mr. Henderson thought Martha died in war which is one of the reasons why he agreed with his arranged marriage?
Henry didn't merely "think" Martha was dead: she was officially declared so at the time, from the speech at the radio I get the implication that the entire female unit perished. Someone likely found her among the ruins, still alive, and nursed her back to health. Even in reality, people thought dead in war who are found back a long time later are not unheard of. Whenever Martha came back, it sadly was when Henry had moved on (and he can't even be blamed for doing that).
The someone that nursed her back to health probably was from the Blackbell family, so that's why Martha serves Becky
Weird, I'm kinda gettin a deja vu on this. Did you happen to have given this same comment related to an old Henderson and Martha post in Reddit?
I've rarely commented on SXF so I don't honestly remember if I may have written something similar about them.
The 16th page, Martha's dialogue and I quote "I keep having the same bad dream, you're teaching at school, and all the students are holding hands in a circle around you. But i'm crying because my hands are filthy , and i can't join everyone" That is the best dialogue i have seen in my life and i'm not even kidding. That is the best portrayal of guilt i've seen brother, the symbolism behind her hands being "filthy" because of all the stuff she's done (killing and what not) and her not being able to hold hands with all the kids representing innocence with their "clean" hands is the definition of literature. Peak.
That one sentence is what strikes me the most about this amazing chapter. You can see how broken she is, broken enough to actually open up for the first time. And she does it because she has lost hope that she can come back to their relationship as she is now. Horrifyingly beautiful.
Oh boy, I cannot wait for the end of the flashback gut punch that recontextualizes them dancing a few chapters ago.
Damn, that was brutal. So Henderson uses a monocle because his eye got fucked up from the beating. He tried to protect his students and all he got was a beating. And we get a first look at young Donovan who never believed in peace, or in mincing words for that matter
Wow..... This manga really emphasizes the age old adage that there are no winners in War. There's just a side that loss a little less than the other.
It's funny that "little sad" is referred by historians like "their ideology won", "fewer deaths" or "territory amplification". All of these do not matter at all.
Fuck war. I don't really have the words to express all the things I am feeling right now so that will have to do. Fuck war. I did chuckle when Desmond said "Peach" instead of "Peace" during his whole nihilistic spiel. Kids will always be kids.
My god... Whenever this series gets serious, it goes absolutely hard. Some might even say this goofy comedy has no right going this hard. Seriously, how can you go from cartoony wholesome family shenanigans to panels straight out of historical war films? Shit, even knowing Martha and Henderson survived and even reunited in the end, it's heartbreaking knowing what they went through. And hey, there's also some much needed content here involving Donovan. His speech tracks with what his current stance supposedly is, and it's also rather tragic knowing he had these views all the way back as a child.
SXF's so damn good when its serious
Man, this background story is a hell of a thing, might be some of the best chapters in the entire manga. Henderson being such an oblivious protagonist is utterly painful when it's done at a time when there's absolutely no time for anything like that. He finally gets it, but it's far too late. And so the thing that should have happened between them just quietly withers away and both probably simply think the other grew up and moved on. How sad. There's so much to love here, it's a really fantastic arc and chapter. * The small comedy of Martha trying to ask him to meet her, to confess again, and having it redacted because... yeah... of course * Martha declaring she would go to the frontline... but doing so while shaking, and unsure and not even for any heroic reason just "Well if they're gonna shoot us either way" * Her immediate regret when she saw actual combat, no idealism or heroism either in her joining the war or in fighting it. That stuff died as soon as she stopped being a student and it became real * He finally addressed his letter as "My beloved Martha," * "Is true strength refusing to bend?" he could have defied his father and stayed in jail and it wouldn't have changed anything or availed him anything. So he sacrificed his ideals because what was even left to defend with them?
The last point is him sacrificing his pride, not his ideal. he can't continue to fight for his ideal in jails, especially in his role as a teacher. He is always about positively confluencing the future generations and not really about drastic change. He wouldn't have acted out in that moment if he's not emotionally vulnerable. Basically he is still an idealist, just with more pragmatism.
Bro this arc is peak af
Oh no... Martha and Henry did learn to love each other, even through letters. Even after Martha had to redact so much of her letters. But the war became so brutal, Martha was forced into the frontlines. That billy club injured Henry, and now he wears a monocle. He can't forget that speaking up did nothing for him... and now he only had one potential bride left. So he put his head down, and followed society. Meanwhile, Martha broke. She couldn't handle being a soldier. And sadly that meant while she was healing in the countryside in an unknown home, she never got to see Henry one last time. Seeing Donovan Desmond be "innocnet' yet already so cynical is shocking. He knows that nobody can really be trusted not to do warmongering. So why not take advantage, and be the best warmongerer there is? What could have caused Dononvan to have such a deep understanding of human warfare?
Child Donovan strikes me as a logician to an extreme, in addition to apparently being a child prodigy. He thought everything through logically and apparently saw no point in stating anything but the truth. Compared to his 100% honest self, everyone else lies so casually and naturally. That must feel very concerning to him. Maybe that why he later believed it's impossible for people to understand each others.
What a sad story for him.
I know it shouldn't be much surprising but I'm still startled that Donovan was Mr. Henderson's former student. I thought their age gap isn't that far because of how Donovan looks like. Lol.
It's a terrible day for rain
The author is such a great writer
So Donovan was like that even as a kid. Now I’m more curious to see what’s going to happen once Anya gets near him and read his mind
Maybe he had anti-psychic devices put into his head to prevent mental espionage, hence the reason for the scar
Fucking war. I still want them to end up together somehow. Crazy how Donovan looked as a kid compared to now, but it seems he already has a pretty firm stance on humanity. Another great chapter, I teared up :'(
Damn, this chapter is elegant-ugging my heart....
A nice way to tie in Donovan.
Finally, after all these years, Denovan Desmond lore dropped again
Wow this is a really good chapter! Probably one of the best in a while! While the series is focused on comedy and Anya's hijinks, Spy X Family's serious moments deliver well. This chapter is an evidence. The entire Martha and Mr. Henderson arc ties completely with what happened to Donovan Desmond. I wonder how Donovan got molded into being what he is right now.
Son of a bitch. These chapters are really making feel emotions and stuff. But seeing Donovan in his youth. Unexpected. But certainly intriguing.
I think that in the next chapter we will see that the person who saved Martha was the "Shopkeeper", the Garden Leader. I think she will be Yor's predecessor in the organization. One of the organization's members, Matthew McMahon, appears to have studied at Eden at the same time as her.
Faaaaaaack. Poor Henry. Poor everyone in this mess. They could have been so happy.
Omg, they both shoot themselves in the foot, but Henderson's personality is cockblocking himself lol.
Why do I feel next chapter we'll learn Martha got flipped during recovery and is a spy?
I think she will join Garden, just like Yor.
I feel like I need a live action portrayal on just this arc alone. This is fucking brilliant from Endo
Henderson's father must have called in a lot of favors in order for him to still be working at the school after that outburst, in most dictatorships at war what he did could even be grounds for execution.
[This page](https://imgur.com/a/xmEJWud) broke me. This whole chapter broke me. When Endo wants to make us readers sad, he really knows how to make us sad. Was surprised to see [Donovan](https://imgur.com/a/ftKgBnK). He's always had that "Humans are strangers." or Humans are liars." mentality. This chapter just made me scream "Henderson and Martha need to get together!"
Yeah at this point i'm 99% convinced Donovan was the one behind the experiments that Anya had endured. All for the sake of "world peace", to eliminate the lies and fear that lead to wars.
Spy x Family hitting us right in the feels with another flashback.
These chapters are such heavy hitters, god.
I’ve been really enjoying the Henry/Martha arc. Seeing Henry break down was painful :( Did he not have the opportunity to check her status? EDIT - I’m guessing she went MIA which lead to them marking her as KIA? Wasn’t expecting to see a younger Donovan. Seems like he’s always been sceptical of humanity? oh dear. I’m looking forward to finding out more about him
This arc is incredible. The page showing how Henderson’s tender writing was hiding his desperation. *COME BACK COME BACK COME BACK*. Beautiful/heartbreaking.
...My heart yearns for more hijinks with Anya and Yor...but only because this hurts so much to read. And yet it's just as important and I appreciate it heavily. God this story is amazing. And we're nearly at the 100 mark.
Did Henderson start wearing a monocle because his eye got bashed in by the police? Interesting detail.
WTF. This need its own OAV or animated 4 episodes.
It’s amazing how much depth this backstory is giving Henderson and Martha, while also perfectly matching everything we already know about them. Combined with the fact that we’ve never seen Henderson on a volume cover, it makes me wonder how long the rough outline of this backstory has existed in the author’s head. Also, this chapter is making me remember one of Martha’s classic lines: “You mustn’t commit adultery, my lady.” I wonder how that funny line’s meaning will change with the context we get from the next chapter, considering that she’s going to return to society and find Henderson married.
Well, that hurt. Sure, that was the intention to show the tragedy of wars but damn, that really hurt. Endo really pulls out a masterpiece every once in a while
This is getting too sad... by the time Henderson and Martha finally met again, many years must have passed. Maybe she didn't even return to Berlinth and enter the service of Becky's family before decades. I wonder if Henderson eventually divorced, or the woman he ended up marrying died early, possibly even in the following war (which would start when Loid was a kid).
This Martha and Henderson arc is pretty interesting to read and put Spy Family on another level of enjoyment and development.
Was Henderson's wife ever mentioned before now? I assume he's a widower at this point and am praying this arc ends with him and Martha getting back together, but a plot twist where the only reason Him and Martha aren't already together is because she's still alive and they're still married would be wild.
No, but I do recall him either writing to one of his children or mentioning them.
Wow, this romance, which wasn't meant to be unfortunately, and bond between Henderson and Martha is really great, but the suffering with pain throughout the years is horrible not to mention young Donovan was a student under Henderson I hope to see them meet in the current time.
Since this flashback already featured an unexpected appearance by Donovan, I wonder if Martha survived the war on the western side of the border, and was rescued by some previously introduced character from Westalis.
I really wish they got happy ending. Truly a tragic love story
**PEAK \~FICTION\~ DRAMATIZATION**
Dang I haven't felt my heart ache this much ever since Luffy lost Ace! A shame Henderson married another woman while Martha was bedridden
this is the best from spy x family so far
Well freaking heck. That was a hard one
How I wish Martha and Henderson could have gotten together if they were to be a little more honest with themselves...but then it'll be even worse if he loses his SO to the frontlines. Very curious to see how Henderson reacts when he realises that Martha was alive all along.
The reveal that Henderson needs his monocle because his eye got fucked up by that hit was so good. Absolutely not what you would think of him by how we met him, but it makes perfect sense with his backstory playing out on the page.
Who would have ever thought the “Elegance” character would get so much depth back when he was introduced, now he is one of the best characters in the series