Summary
Martha Marriott buries her cycle of hatred, recognizing the goodness in Westalis. Martha's inner journey parallels the WISE Arc's nuanced view of war. Loid seeks peace rather than hatred, fostering understanding with former enemies.
Spy x Family spent its recent spinoff diving into the world of conflict, watering down its fun and engaging adventures. However, Martha Marriott is shown burying her cycle of hatred. This development concludes the important chapter number 100, more than five years since the manga launched, with no signs of slowing down, but this moment is one of the most heartwarming to date.
Westalis and Ostania are Spy x Family parallels to real-world West and East Germany as they were known during the Cold War. However, the war between the nations in the manga is long over, told in flashbacks by the elegant, aging survivors, Henry and Martha.
When Martha's life is threatened both on the war front and later as a fugitive, Martha's fear and hatred of Westalis soften as she sees the country through the people of Spy xFamily. For Martha Marriott, letting go of her resentment toward Westalis was a difficult inner journey.especially with so much personal loss tied to their actions in Spy x Family.
Martha buries her hatred in Spy x Family Chapter #100
Chap Milestone reminds Martha that survivors exist on both sides
Chapter #100 of Spy x Family continues to show Martha's tragic backstory. Martha awakens after narrowly escaping death after her women's unit was forced to act as human shields for the retreating Sixth Brigade, as hinted at in chapter #99. She quickly learns from her rescuer, Anabel, that she is in a village in Westalis filled with war refugees. Anabel sees a glimpse of her daughter, who went missing in the war, in Martha, sparking a heated debate about which country is to blame in Spy x Family. Sad and hurt, Martha decides to leave.
Despite this argument, Anabel's kindness shines through in Spy x Family when Martha decides to leave, realizing she belongs home, only to discover that Anabel has secretly packed her bags with money, food, maps, and other survival gear. Martha eventually finds a map with the words “Go Home” on it, helping Martha realize that Mrs. Anabel is still looking for her and never forgets where Martha came from.. This kindness and the sight of the starry sky made Martha realize that Westalis was no different from Ostania.
Martha's Westalis experience is a parallel to the WISE Arc
Young agent Twilight meets allies on the other side in a similar story
For those who remember the WISE Arc, a similar story of a bloody war between the best arcs of Spy x Family, the reverse story was told, with Loid, aka Roland, encountering a retreating Ostanian soldier, who turned out to be Franky Franklin. Franky revealed to Loid about the propaganda his people were fed to instill their hatred of Westalis. Loid interrogated Franky, not believing him because he was an Ostanian, the enemy. However, his words resonated as the two parts resonated with Loid, giving him similarly nuanced views on Westalis and Ostania as Martha in Spy x Family chap #62.3.
“They say we hate each other. So we fight. And then we die. It's the most meaningless thing in the world.”
-Franky Franklin
Loid maintains this, eventually realizing his dream is not to win this war or future wars against Ostania but to create a future where no more war can make Children like himself used to cry in Spy x Family. A WISE recruiter wishes to groom the young man for intelligence, while Loid surprises the recruiter with his benevolent ambition to be a spy. Like Martha, and perhaps even more so, Loid continues to experience the people and cultures of those he once considered simply enemies, instead desiring peace to overcome hatred in Spy x Family.