MANGA REVIEW | "Marriage Toxin" - Volume Ten
Gero needs more bros in Marriage Toxin to aid in his quest for romance. While he’s got Kinosaki constantly in his corner, the Poison Master doesn’t really have another dude to talk about girls, love, and life. Beppu, the Gun Master, seems to be the right guy that Gero could chat about these sorts of things. And in the tenth volume of Marriage Toxin, we see how these two Masters wind up being the best buddy-buddy combination this series could muster.
Continuing where the last volume ended, a matchmaking party has turned dangerous when a hostage situation occurs. Kinosaki is one of the hostages, meaning Gero and Beppu need to lock in and get into rescue mode. However, Beppu is left confused over why the Gun Masters are getting into the hostage business, seeing as they don’t involve innocent people in their plans. However, as the leader reveals, the pay’s dried up, and the Masters need to eat.
It’s here where it becomes a race against time to rescue Kinosaki and the others. One-by-one, Gero and Beppu take care of the other Gun Masters, with Gero trouncing the others with his needles like nobody’s business. As for Beppu, while he doesn’t have the best gun skills, his way with words is surprisingly strong. But when they come face-to-face with the ringleader Miyuki, it becomes a different kind of fight, one involving consciences and mantras.
Marriage Toxin is really good with creating complex characters. Miyuki, who has spent her life living up to the code of the Gun Masters, is in between a rock and a hard place, as she’s forced to forego the rules in order for the Masters to survive. However, Beppu — whose history of kindness is what got him into this mess in the first place — has the knack for pulling out the true heart of even his biggest rivals. Okay, it takes a Shootout Challenge duel for things to really kick into gear, but Beppu’s got the right mindset over why he’s doing it.
What he isn’t good at is actually shooting a gun. Thankfully, that’s where Kinosaki comes in. Some words of encouragement from a pretty lady are all Beppu needs to hit the bullseye, and while his marriage fantasies are a bit wacky, you can’t blame the guy for having such a mentality. In the end, while the matchmaking party ends on a bust, at least Gero gets to walk away with a new friend!
Well…that is to say, a “sometimes friend”. Beppu and Gero find themselves in a contest to see who can woo Kinosaki the best. And as you can imagine, almost none of their tricks work. But by God, they try. They try so, so hard, and yet, it’s obvious that not only Gero’s got a long way to go before he can walk the aisle, but so does Beppu. Oh well, at least Beppu’s walking away with a Kinosaki-sized consolation prize, albeit walking on all fours!
The next mission comes around immediately after the contest, as Ushio reappears. She needs an escort to her birthplace, which is ruled by the Fire Masters. Posing as Ushio’s husband and little sister, Gero and Kinosaki enter the realm of the Fire Masters. And here, the next battle is set, as Ushio is forced to battle future clan head Haibu. Considering what Haibu does to an innocent taxi driver, it appears that she’s about to face one evil motherfucker!
Volume Ten of Marriage Toxin is filled with great action and a smattering of laughs. Beppu is shaping up to be a great second banana, one that Gero can be bros with both on and off the job. However, as this next arc begins, it’s apparent that Gero and Kinosaki are entering a realm of true evil. The question is, can they stomp this wickedness out, and can they protect Ushio on top of that?
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
