In the first episode of Marriagetoxin, a mafia boss and his crew celebrate his success. The group makes fun of other people while they drink, which sets a brutal tone right away.
They start drinking after the wine taster says it’s okay, but the boss suddenly chokes and dies within seconds. In the middle of the chaos, a waiter quietly slips away.
The waiter is Hikaru Gero, a member of the Poison Clan and an assassin who specializes in poison. He had been training the wine taster for months to be able to handle a certain toxin, making sure that the boss would drink it without knowing it.
Later, while talking to his sister Akari about the job, they start talking about a sensitive subject: marriage. The clan needs a successor. But Akari is dating a woman, and Gero has a hard time believing that anyone would want to be with him.
Gero meets up with his friend, the Bug Master, soon after. Gero is surprised to find out that his friend might be getting married soon because he thought they were both in the same situation.
Gero is still upset by the news, so he takes on a new task: to torture and kill a marriage swindler named Mei Kinosaki while the client watches.
Mei tries to get Gero to feel something by saying she looks like his first love. Gero acts like he doesn’t care, but he can’t help but wonder if she really likes him.
In the middle of this, Akari calls to say that her grandmother told her to break up with her girlfriend and marry into another family of assassins.
Gero strongly disagrees and says she shouldn’t leave someone who really loves her. He is determined to fix things, so he makes a sudden and brave choice: he asks Mei to marry him.
She cons men out of money because he offers to help pay for her brother’s medical bills. Mei, on the other hand, laughs at him and tells him that this is not how relationships work. She then turns down his offer. Still, she gives him a lot of surprising dating advice.
At that moment, the client bursts in, angry at the wait, and threatens both of them. Gero changes his offer without listening to him. He no longer wants to get married; he just wants help finding a girlfriend.
The client is angry and tries to kill them right away. In response, Gero gives himself a special poison that makes him much faster. He easily avoids bullets before poisoning the people who attacked him.
Mei is impressed and agrees to help him. But she tells a shocking truth: “Mei Kinosaki” is really a man who pretended to be a woman to make more money.
Later, Mei takes Gero to a party where people are trying to find a partner. She introduces him to a few women. Sadly, Gero’s awkward behavior and scary presence make people turn him down right away.
Even using a dating app doesn’t work. Gero has a hard time seeing any of his good qualities and talking to people.
Later, while Mei is cleaning a bathroom to relax, she sees how well Gero’s cleaning products work. Gero proudly says that he makes them himself, and some are even strong enough to melt iron.
As the day comes to an end and they say goodbye, Mei is suddenly taken. Gero chases after them but can’t catch up at first.
The kidnapper is actually Gero’s former client’s brother, who wants to get back at him. As he threatens Mei, his driver suddenly panics when someone steps out into the road.
Gero is that person.
With his special chemicals, Gero jumps onto the car and cuts it in half, which makes it crash into the water. He saves Mei and thanks him for helping him earlier that day. Mei then adds Gero to his contacts, which starts an unusual partnership.
Review of the Episode
The first episode of Marriagetoxin has a great mix of action, comedy, and character development. The pacing is quick, but it never feels rushed. It gives a good introduction to the world and its main characters.
The big reveal that Mei is really a man is one of the best parts. At first, the story looks like it’s going to follow a typical enemies-to-lovers plot, but the twist is clever and funny.
The relationship between Gero and Mei has a lot of potential for the future. Mei’s job of helping Gero find a partner while also working on his own goals opens up chances for both comedy and tension.
If the series leans into this dynamic, especially since Gero wants to get married but it makes things more complicated, it could give the genre a new twist.
We don’t know yet if the story will be told in episodes or as a single, continuous story. No matter what, Marriagetoxin is already a fun show that people who like funny, over-the-top action and unique stories will love.