When Marriagetoxin began airing earlier this year, I was initially hesitant to watch. I love both romance and action anime, but many aspects of the concept threw me off. After a few weeks, I began seeing screenshots and videos of the show, and I thought it didn’t look too bad. So I watched a few episodes, and it became my most favorite anime of the spring 2026 season.
Marriagetoxin is a show about an assassin named Gero who specializes in poison. He comes from a very powerful family, which means he’s basically forced into marriage to preserve the family line and reputation. The only problem is that he’s super awkward and can’t talk to people. I immediately thought he was similar to Yodaka from Shinobi Undercover, which was why I began to like him. At the start, he’s tasked with killing a notorious swindler named Kinosaki. But they agree to help Gero get married in exchange for freedom.
The show is just crazy. There are three main arcs during the first season that each revolve around one marriage candidate. The storyline for each is ridiculous, nonsensical, or just stupid. Abilities are strange, physics are weird, and all the characters are odd. But I don’t care about any of that because the show is just so much fun. For such a silly premise, the action is really good and the characters are all genuinely awesome.
Gero is the first character that we’re introduced to, and he’s awesome. He’s awkward and and has trouble with normal social interaction. But he’s very good at being an assassin, and he’s super cool when he’s locked in. His silly moments honestly make him more relatable instead of just being a stone cold killer. He’s turned into one of my favorite male protagonists in all of anime.
Kinosaki honestly isn’t all that great. He’s a con artist who dressed like a girl and is mostly just there to support Gero. He definitely has some interesting moments, but can’t fight and is mostly there to support Gero and give him dating advice. There’s one other character who I think doesn’t really offer much, and that’s Ureshino. She has some interesting moments too, but I’m not a big fan. But I absolutely love the other two marriage candidates.
First you have Himekawa. She’s the first marriage candidate and only has two episodes in the first season. I really like her design and she’s super cool in general. I was disappointed by the amount of screen time she had, and she’s the one I’m rooting for the most. Then you have Arashiyama. She also has a cool design, and I love her chaotic energy. Beyond them, the first season had a bunch of other smaller characters and villains who are quirky, crazy, and interesting.
Between the characters, action, and sheer stupidity, Marriagetoxin is such a fun experience. It’s a weird show that never has any dull moments and never takes itself seriously. More people need to watch it, especially since there’s a second season coming out.
9/10