The interview between MARRIAGETOXIN manga creator Joumyaku and anime director Motonobu Hori from Weekly Shonen Jump has been published in English on the anime’s official website. The interview highlights Joumyaku and Hori’s excitement for the upcoming MARRIAGETOXIN anime, which premieres on April 7.
Get the full interview below:
A matchmaking battle action where a hitman partners with a marriage swindler to find the perfect marriage. How did this storyline come about?
Joumyaku: When my father passed away, I was told that I would take over the household as the eldest son. My father was a government employee so I never thought about “the household” in that way, so I remember it being a very impactful moment. The fact that my grandmother was a strong “boss-like” person in our family also contributed to the idea for the story. As for the characters, for example with Gero (Hikaru), I imagined different elements and combined them together, like “I can relate to him being uncomfortable around women”, and “what if he was a hitman?”
When Yoda (Mizuki)-Sensei, who handled the artwork, asked me about my image of Kinosaki (Mei), I remember mentioning my favorite idol at the time as an example. I often implement things that I’m into at that moment or things that catch my eye in real time. Like, if I see a pinwheel during a walk, I might think that it would be cute as a hair pin, or something like that. I am directly affected by things I see on TV and around town, and I ask Yoda-Sensei to incorporate it into the artwork, so she definitely helps me out a lot (lol).
What was your impression when you read the original work?
Hori: I thought it was very chaotic (lol). When we meet with the anime staff, we always say “the contents are pretty chaotic…” as the opening line of each meeting, so it’s like a catchphrase for this title. As we worked on the anime adaptation, I did my own analysis of what makes it so chaotic. What parts were written by Joumyaku-Sensei, and which parts were enhanced by Yoda-sensei’s visuals. I don’t know the correct answer, but it was fun to imagine, and as a result, I reached the conclusion that this work is fun because “nobody stepped on the brakes.” For example, there’s a scene where Naruko (Genya) sits in a massage chair in a tree, and it’s obviously impossible. But they don’t try to apply logic to it, they just illustrate something absurd as absurd. The momentum of the story just allows you to enjoy it as it is. As far as I can tell, nobody seems to have stepped on the brakes, but is that correct?
Joumyaku: I’ve never been asked “what do you mean by that?” from Yoda-Sensei (lol). Even when I write something that I think is completely unhinged, it comes back to me in an even more explosive way.
Hori: I would imagine she would have so many questions…, but that’s why you make such an amazing pair (lol). You step on the accelerator as you’re writing, and the artwork steps on the gas even more.
Joumyaku: That’s the result, yes (lol).
Is there a particularly memorable scene for you in the anime?
Joumyaku: The scene where the car gets cut in half, that’s also seen in the first PV. I was wondering how it would be depicted in the anime, so I was ecstatic that “it actually got cut in half!” when I first saw it (lol).
Hori: In the manga, if you describe it as “being cut by a chemical liquid,” the graphics make it understandable that “it’s being cut.” But in the anime, each movement needs to be drawn frame by frame, so we had to think about how the area being cut would melt. I explained that it’s “like a laser but it’s liquid” to the staff, and had them draw it in that way.
Joumyaku: A liquid laser. I see, that’s super intriguing (lol).
Hori: I hope people see the sense of reality we included into building out this world.
Are there situations where the anime inspires the original work and an idea expands from there?
Joumyaku: There are lots of situations where ideas expand, and I’ve also gained ideas as well. For example, in the flashback to Arashiyama (Kimie)’s past, Director Hori suggested that I write out the fake Ryoma Sakamoto’s name as “RYOMA” in alphabet letters. I won’t mention any specifics, but I’m sure there are many places that people will notice that the original was affected by the anime.
Hori: That makes me so happy! When we talked about the way certain characters speak, the voice actors made suggestions, like incorporating the specific word endings into the way they laugh for example, and they have been enthusiastically expanding their performances. Even when the scenarios seem crazy, it brought about something really fun at the studio.
Joumyaku: When I observed the recording, there was something that amazed me with the interaction between the director and voice actors. In the scene with the human chairs, one actor asked if the “…GH!” sound was out of pain or out of the weight of being sat on, and the director immediately answered “weight!” I was impressed by how fast he answered and how deeply everyone interpreted the materials, and seeing how everyone already understood the upcoming developments, it also made me feel relieved.
Hori: Adjusting the tone of voice is important because it affects the following scenes. In this title, even the characters who only appear for 1 or 2 frames are interesting, so I hope everyone pays attention to every corner of the anime.
Motonobu Hori is directing the MARRIAGETOXIN anime series. Kimiko Ueno is in charge of series composition and scripts, Kohei Tokuoka is the character designer and chief animation director, and Taisei Iwasaki and yuma yamaguchi are the music composers. BONES Animation is supervising the production by BONES Film and MARRIAGETOXIN Project.
Additional staff includes:
- Sub Character Design: Yurika Sako
- Costume Design: Kotono
- Prop Design: Ayumi Nagaki, Ryo Hirata
- Art Design: Toshiki Amata
- Art: Bihou
- Color Design: Hiroko Umezaki
- Photography Director: Go Kanbayashi
- 3DCG: SANZIGEN Inc.
- CG Animation Director: Taiki Nagashima
- Editing: Kumiko Sakamoto
- Sound Director: Haru Yamada
- Sound Effects: Tomokazu Mii
The confirmed cast of the anime includes:
- Hikaru Gero: Haruki Ishiya
- Mei Kinosaki: Shion Wakayama
- Kyoko Himekawa: Anna Nagase
- Shizuku Ushio: Mariya Ise
- Shiori Ureshino: Asaki Yuikawa
- Genya Naruko: Soma Saito
- Kimie Arashiyama: Hinano Shirahama
- Piichi Nakagawa: Simba Tsuchiya
- Akari Gero: Haruka Shiraishi
- Toshiki Hanamaki: Isamu Yusen
Here’s an overview of the anime, courtesy of Shueisha:
For centuries, the deadly arts have been perfected by those known as the Masters. Among them, the Poison Masters of the Five Great Families hold the most fearsome power and influence. Hikaru Gero, heir to the Poison Masters’ Gero Family, has lived his entire life in the underworld, far removed from love or marriage.
But when the Gero Family head decrees that Hikaru’s sister must bear an heir to preserve the bloodline – by force if necessary – Hikaru resolves to protect her at all costs. It is then that Hikaru encounters Mei Kinosaki, a brilliant marriage swindler who becomes the target of his latest job. Realizing that the only way of solving the family succession problem and protecting his sister is through marriage, Hikaru impulsively asks Mei for help in finding a bride.
“That’s the first time anyone’s ever proposed like that.”
And so, with the cunning marriage swindler Mei as his advisor, elite assassin Hikaru embarks on the most challenging mission of his life: finding a wife!
Their goal: the ultimate marriage.
This is the world’s toughest mission for love, brought to you by the ultimate duo – an assassin and a marriage swindler!
