SPY X FAMILY Author Expresses Dislike for Anya and Other Characters
Tatsuya Endo also mentioned that he regards this manga as "rehabilitation work", and began working on Spy x Family in order to break free from an artist's block
Tatsuya Endo stated in the SPY × FAMILY Official Fanbook: EYES ONLY that he had no feelings for the characters in his current project.
When Kazuo Kato, the author of Blue Exorcist, complimented Endo on Loid Forger's character design, Endo answered, "I gave up on what I originally wanted to draw and drew what the world wants to see, not myself, so I have no attachment to the characters."
His editor informed him that "cool" characters like Loid and "cute" ones like Anya are vital for mass audience appeal in the manga industry. Endo, on the other hand, continued to produce works such as Ishi ni Usubeni, Tetsu ni Hoshi. However, these were not well received by the industry.
Misha (Ishi ni Usubeni, Tetsu ni Hoshi) and Anya (Spy x Family)
The author already stated in another interview that he isn’t particularly fond of spies. He added that "having a hidden identity" excites him, therefore he selected spies to channel that excitement.
"Spy x Family is a rehabilitation work for me to revive as a mangaka when I fell into a slump," Endo explained.
After finishing TISTA and Gekka Bijin for Jump Square and three one-shots with editor Lin, whom Endo had known and worked with for more than ten years, the two began to plan for a series that would appear in Shōnen Jump+, according to MangaPlus editor Shihei Lin in "The Making of a Jump Manga!" interview.
Spy x Family would blend the strengths of Endo's past works, including Rengoku no Ashe, Ishi ni Usubeni, Tetsu ni Hoshi, and ISpy, according to Lin.
Spy x Family had such a positive response from their editorial department, Lin stated, that its serialization was "practically decided" before an official meeting.
It was the best-selling series in Japan in April 2022, according to latest Oricon sales data, with the most volumes of the same ranking in the volume-wise sales chart. The anime's premiere in Spring 2022 has raised sales significantly.