MARRIAGETOXIN Volume 12-14 Manga Review

Phase one of Gero's journey to find a soulmate is complete after going on adventures with a variety of girls. However, as Kinosaki points out, it takes more than a chance encounter to find a lifelong partner, so it's time for Gero to move on to phase two, which requires him to actually deepen the emotional bonds with his potential suitors. Speaking of suitors, Himekawa is on a mission to investigate stolen items and return them to their rightful owners, but one job will be too difficult for her. Therefore, she seeks the employment of a master. But little does she know that Hamster Master Arashiyama actually has much more in common with Himekawa than she initially realizes.

Translation by Jan Mitsuko Cash, with lettering done by Erika Terriquez.

Phase one of Gero's journey to find a soulmate is complete after going on adventures with a variety of girls. However, as Kinosaki points out, it takes more than a chance encounter to find a lifelong partner, so it's time for Gero to move on to phase two, which requires him to actually deepen the emotional bonds with his potential suitors. Speaking of suitors, Himekawa is on a mission to investigate stolen items and return them to their rightful owners, but one job will be too difficult for her. Therefore, she seeks the employment of a master. But little does she know that Hamster Master Arashiyama actually has much more in common with Himekawa than she initially realizes.

Translation by Jan Mitsuko Cash, with lettering done by Erika Terriquez.

MARRIAGETOXIN acknowledged that it couldn't just keep introducing new girls for Gero to court forever. While his chemistry with all the girls he met across the different arcs has been strong, he needs to sit down and build upon that foundation before deciding who he's going to spend the rest of his life with. Volume twelve definitely marks a definitive change for the series, even though technically the overall structure isn't that different. These next three volumes are still about Gero helping these girls on various missions where their development takes more center stage over his. However, the difference is that Gero already has an established relationship with them, so the intention is to follow up and deepen those relationships further.

Not every girl is showcased in these volumes, and the quality of the development they undergo is a bit uneven. Some characters, like Arashiyama, are fully committed to their love for Gero, so their arcs focus on developing their skills so they feel worthy of him. Himekawa's arc is more about getting her general affairs in order before she can think about a serious relationship, while Chinatsu the protector needs to go through a whole arc to finally admit she likes Gero…even though it feels like the story already established most of that before. I appreciate the attention these girls get so they don't feel like token prizes for Gero at the end, but that last one in particular felt like the story was regressing a character to give her an arc in the first place.

That being said, the chemistry between Gero and these girls is still fantastic. Gero continues to be a great character that is every bit as skilled as he is socially awkward. He doesn't have all of the answers, but he still knows the right thing to say, and I fully believe he could fall in love with any of these girls just as much as it's very easy for me to believe why all of them have fallen in love with him. The mark of a good romance is when the characters contribute something to each other's lives, and while the focus is definitely on the girls getting their lives together, it's still very clear that Gero is also learning a lot from them. In fact, it's not just Gero's interaction with the girls that is a highlight; the story also features the girls interacting with each other for some fun character dynamics that feel like a breath of fresh air. There's no boring cliché drama so far, and it makes me yearn for the girls to interact with each other more.

However, because Gero steps back from the focus, the action dips as well. There aren't really any fun or dynamic action scenes compared to previous volumes until volume fourteen, but the story makes up for that with master skills, creativity, and a variety of different fun locations. Since a lot of the girls aren't nearly as skilled as Gero, some of the villains in each arc need to be taken down in slightly unorthodox ways with different skill sets. There is more of a focus on thinking outside the box than on brute force, which makes the world feel much larger, given how many weird abilities and supernatural skills it is filled with.

This also plays into the looming threats in the background. The poison clan is making more moves, and while the focus on the girls is definitely there to build up their relationship with Gero, the story also cleverly uses that as a framing device to build up the nefarious plans of Gero's family, who are increasingly aware of his endeavors. The story doesn't show its full hand, but it's clear that something is being built up that will involve every character introduced thus far. The slow buildup also adds a level of intrigue. At the end of each arc, the sweet moments between the characters are counterbalanced with another phase of this looming plan being satisfied, which is a great hook.

Overall, it was bold of the story to take this creative direction, and a welcome one. While the results may vary from girl to girl, the fact that the story is willing to build on its foundation utilizing all of the characters introduced thus far feels appropriate. Everyone still has fantastic chemistry with each other, Gero continues to be a great main character to follow, and I'm really curious about what his family is plotting behind the scenes. For a story about assassins and violence, this series continues to display tremendous heart and compassion. If you were worried that the series was getting a bit too formulaic, you'll be happy to know that the story is kicking things up a notch in the best way possible.