Gero is a master assassin. As a son of the Poison Clan, he uses his knowledge and abilities to carry about assassinations (though he only targets “human scum”). He has a problem, though, and it has nothing to do with contract killings—it has to do with marriage. His grandmother intends to make either Gero or his sister the head of the clan, but one of them needs to get married to do so. His sister is gay, and Gero is, well, extraordinarily awkward and unsure about anyone wanting to marry someone like him. But when he meets his next target, a “marriage swindler,” Gero suddenly thinks that there might be hope for him yet.
I cannot get a beat on this one. There’s so much that happens in episode one that’s compelling, and yet, I get the feeling this series may not be able to hold it all together. First, the positives—this series is up-tempo, non-stop, and animated well. The humor is also solid. At first, I wondered if the laughs in the show were purposeful or just because of bad writing, like when the “Bug Master” lets bugs under his feet carry him away when he would move three times faster just walking. But later, I realized that there is some seriously good writing going on here that pokes fun at the assassin and spy genres. And Gero himself is an amazing lead character; I really didn’t want to root for him because I don’t like the setup (more on that in a minute), but I couldn’t help but like him by the end of the episode because of the sum of his parts—heroic and humorous. But the series feels incredibly calculated; the setup has to be “just so” for us to root for someone who kills a lot of people. The morality is difficult to embrace. Additionally, while the writing is on point when it comes to satire, it’s less so with the emotional beats, like when Gero and his sister interact; it feels way too melodramatic. I think it’s also clear where the central relationship is headed in this series; viewers need to be clear that this is not going to be a traditional romcom, though I won’t spill the beans because about halfway through episode one, there’s a surprise that drops, which opens up a new genre for this series. Let’s say…just be ready for a shocker. Still, I’m inclined to keep watching for a while longer to see if this can all hold it all together; if it can, this is going to be quite a ride—with action, laughs, and possibly some ethical themes worth considering.
MARRIAGETOXIN can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
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