REVIEW: ‘Marriagetoxin’ Episode 9 — “The Animal Kingdom”

Marriagetoxin Episode 9 is another captivating and thrilling episode that introduces new characters and delivers hype moments through excellent animation. While some aspects of the episode are notably below the standards of previous episodes, it still manages to be one of the most entertaining episodes yet.

Marriagetoxin Episode 9 picks up where the last left off, as the group arrives at Dogo Animal Kingdom. They are notably arriving by boat, being piloted by  Kinosaki (Shion Wakayama). Hikaru (Haruki Ishiya) understandably asks why and how Kinosaki has a license to operate a luxury boat. He reveals that he has tons of licenses and certifications for several professions, including for a Drone Operator, Color Designer, Cosmetician, Sommelier, IT Engineer, and Real Estate broker, among others.

This revelation is obviously meant for humor and even serves to explain his usefulness in this episode and several events likely to occur. However, it doesn’t explain why he has so many accreditations, licenses, and certificates, yet he decides to be a marriage swindler.

The anime’s signature wacky humor is on display in Marriagetoxin Episode 9.

He easily could have become wealthy enough using even one-tenth of his skills alone. Granted, it’s pretty funny that he claims he needs these skills to be the best scammer possible, but in hindsight, a lot of his problems initially in the anime could have been avoided if he used those skills legitimately instead. This just proves he chooses to be a swindler, not out of desperation but for the love of the game.

Before arriving, Arashiyama Kimie (Hinano Shirahama) tries to convince the pair to leave her behind, as the Beast Master has likely set a trap for them ahead. However, Hikaru insists, and upon arriving in Marriagetoxin Episode 9, the group is attacked by a giant squid, and Kimie is taken away by an eagle. This prompts more of the anime’s signature wacky humor as Piichi pulls up a video on how to gut and serve squid, then proceeds to slice it into a thousand pieces with a small knife using his inhuman strength, while Hikaru literally runs on water after Kimie.

The scene with a full-blown tutorial on how to prepare squid is hilarious, given that the Piichi wasn’t even planning to cook it and was only mildly interested in learning to cook a squid dish for his café. Regardless, the short but distinct scene showing Piichi dissecting the squid showcased captivating animation and explosive composition in Marriagetoxin Episode 9.

The animation from Studio Bones is impressive in Marriagetoxin Episode 9.

However, the segment with the most impressive animation in Marriagetoxin Episode 9 appears in its first few minutes, during the conversation between Kimie and Hikaru. Kimie’s hair, as it floats in the wind, her facial expressions, and the water and waves passing by in the background showcase fluid motions and a vibrant aesthetic.

Hikaru meets Kimie’s kidnapper and next opponent, the Bird Master, Kota Hanezawa. He’s another oddball who’s obsessed with baseball and his own version of it, Birdsball, which he’s trying desperately to make a thing. As such, he’s following the Beast Master’s orders to take down Hikaru to get the significant amount of money that comes with it.

A fight breaks out between them, and despite Kota’s significant speed, he’s outsmarted by Hikaru, who distracts him with a pink mist and then subdues him easily. However, before Hikaru can get information from Kota, their conversation is interrupted by the Beast Master, Toshiro Dogo, who somehow takes over Kota’s body to communicate with Hikaru.

Marriagetoxin Episode 9 introduces a Master from another of the five great clans.

He reveals he planned to draw Piichi and Hikaru onto the island, using Kimie as bait, so he can use their blood to perfect his new bloodline experiment called “Cross Sanguination”. This new technique allows masters to learn the skills of other masters, though with the major flaw of pushing their bodies to the point of death, which Hikaru’s already near-perfectly engineered blood should solve.

This is notably the first time the anime has shown a Master from another of the five great clans. He’s a wack job who uses members of his branch families as tools and sacrificial pawns. Though it isn’t a surprise that he’s insane, as it seems to be a prerequisite for every Master, especially the stronger ones.

Kota gets a second wind in Marriagetoxin Episode 9 and starts using his and Sphere Master’s skills to attack Hikaru, after another explosive, creative battle that excellently showcases each fighter’s abilities. Hikaru beats Kota by using his own toxic blood, which knocks out his birds, allowing him to take down Kota shortly after. Kota then dies due to the strain the combined techniques had on his body.

The CG-animated bear in Marriagetoxin Episode 9 is the only hiccup in the animation.

The second fight, while not displaying outstanding animation, is still engaging and entertaining. What’s more, this section of Marriagetoxin Episode 9 also features great background tracks. The songs heard during the fight and in many episodes before it are basically remakes of the same songs, but each variation sounds immaculate.

Meanwhile, Piichi and Kinosaki are attacked by a bomb that temporarily immobilizes Piichi, and the two run into a goofy-looking CG-animated polar bear martial artist, who attacks them and steals Piichi’s blood. Turns out that the bear was just a costume and was actually Toshiro’s maid. It’s worth noting that this is the first time the anime has featured CG animation that looks awkward and uncanny, but thankfully, the rest of Marriagetoxin Episode 9 showcases great animation, which makes up for it, and the scene was ludicrous enough to be funny.

With that, Toshiro acquires Piichi’s blood and takes Hikaru’s blood from Kota’s birds. The episode ends with Toshiro preparing his next plot, while Kimie and Hikaru steel their resolve to fight the Beast Clan together.

Overall, Marriagetoxin Episode 9 is another entertaining and engaging episode that showcases great animation, fights, and satisfying narrative details.

Marriagetoxin Episode 9 is streaming on Crunchyroll.

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