Book Review: Marriage Toxin vol. 2

Poison Master Hikaru Gero is about to take on his most challenging assignment yet—getting married! But after training his entire life to become one of the world’s deadliest assassins, Gero couldn’t be more clueless when it comes to the art of dating. Thankfully, marriage swindler Mei Kinosaki knows everything there is to know about love, and together, this unlikely pair is going to do whatever it takes to get Gero hitched—even if they have to take on the entire criminal underworld in the process!

After assessing Gero’s romantic qualities (or lack thereof), Kinosaki decides the best strategy to find Gero a wife is to use his impressive talents as an assassin instead! Together they respond to a job listing to rescue Himekawa, an art thief who’s been taken hostage—but with a water master now standing in their way, their plan takes a turn for the worse! Can Gero win this fierce battle of poison versus water and take his first step toward marital bliss?

Marriage Toxin vol. 2, with story by Joumyaku and art by Mizuki Yoda, will be published April 2, 2024. VIZ Media provided an early galley for review.

A few months back, I checked out the the first volume of this manga. I am eager to see how the story continues.

The action picks right up volume 1 left off - with Gero facing off against the water master. The artwork once again conveys the energy and emotion of the dynamic encounter. But once the tide turns and the battle is over, the even more challenging navigation of the world of dating begins for Gero. And this, clearly, is the bigger of the challenges for him. Poisons and fighting for survival is what he was raised to do. Connecting with another on a personal level is a whole new world for him.

Gero's second assignment is one of protection for a young woman set to inherit a family run corporation. His skills are put to the test when another interestingly powered assassin targets her. Again, the artwork of the action scenes is very exciting. Once more, we end on a cliffhanger to be resolved in the next volume (smart planning to encourage continued reading of the series).

I like too that each chapter ends with a page from a character profile glossary. It is a quick summation of details accompanied by figure art of each character.