Story Joumyaku x Director Motonobu Hori Interview

A matchmaking battle action where a hitman partners with a marriage con artist to find the perfect marriage. How did this storyline come about?

JoumyakuWhen 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?

HoriI 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?

JoumyakuI'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.

HoriI 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.

JoumyakuThat's the result, yes (lol).

HoriWe discussed in length about whether he had the lead pellets in his mouth from the start or not.

JoumyakuSo the boba in his boba milk tea are the lead pellets…

HoriTo think he's sucking them up with a straw, it's a very strange world (lol). If I were in charge of the artwork, I would try to confirm the reality of each situation, but because of Yoda-Sensei's artistic power, it just makes you believe that this is the way it is.

Is there a particularly memorable scene for you in the anime?

JoumyakuThe 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).

HoriIn 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.

JoumyakuA liquid laser. I see, that's super intriguing (lol).

HoriI 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?

JoumyakuThere 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.

HoriThat 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.

JoumyakuWhen 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.

HoriAdjusting 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.

What is the main character Gero's main appeal, according to you, Director Hori?

HoriIn one phrase, he's an unfortunate hottie, but he's also very cute. He says he hates his family, but he's also determined to be the heir - he's oddly responsible in that way. He's a good guy through and through, responsible and cool. He's almost perfect, but the one thing he can't handle is women, so he's an unfortunate hottie. He's cool but also cute. The cuteness wins, which is his ultimate charm.

Joumyaku-Sensei, do you intentionally take Gero's cuteness into consideration when you're setting the scene?

JoumyakuI don't think I think about his cuteness that much. However, I always think about what would be "Gero-like"? He is a character that lives in a serious world, so to balance things out, I included things like him liking DIY candy kits and cleaning toilets. As I was listening to Director Hori, I felt like that balance is what effectively resulted into his cuteness.

Can you describe the core principles that you have for creating MARRIAGETOXIN, from the perspectives of the original author and anime director?

JoumyakuI don't like the idea of a "losing heroine" so I wanted to go against that. The heroines in this manga are all independent characters that can go on living, even without Gero. I believe that's reflected in how we've created a different world for each heroine. I wanted to illustrate that the heroines are not dependent on the main character. I think that's a challenge that can only be done in manga.

HoriOf course I want the young fans of the original manga to watch, but since it is a story about finding marriage, and it's airing past 11pm, so I hope working adults can come home and watch with a drink in one hand. The main character is a hitman, but the story isn't brutal. The thing I enjoyed about the manga is of course the crazy situations, but also that the story is very positive. I hope everyone enjoys those elements.

Please give us a message for everyone awaiting the broadcast!

JoumyakuI always write with the hopes that this can be a part of your weekly cycle, like reading a few pages during your breaks or commute. I hope everyone just enjoys it, without putting too much thought into it.

HoriIt is chaotic, but we also use our brains and techniques to make it a proper piece of entertainment.

JoumyakuYes, it's well-made (lol).

HoriExactly! I hope the anime energizes people, so please enjoy!