Saagar Kote
‘Marriagetoxin’ is a romantic action-comedy anime series that follows Hikaru Gero, the heir to the powerful Gero family of Poison Masters, a dynasty that has spent centuries perfecting the art of assassination. Having devoted his life to the world of covert operations and deadly missions, Hikaru has never considered marriage or romance. However, when his family decides that his sister must be forced to produce an heir to preserve the bloodline, Hikaru resolves to solve the succession crisis himself. His plan takes an unexpected turn when he encounters Mei Kinosaki, a talented marriage broker who also happens to be his latest assassination target.
Rather than carrying out his mission, Hikaru asks Mei to help him find a wife, beginning an unusual partnership as the elite assassin embarks on the most challenging assignment of his life to find love. Created by Joumyaku and Yuma Yamaguchi, the show is based on the eponymous manga series written by Joumyaku and illustrated by Mizuki Yoda. The shows in this list, similar to ‘Marriagetoxin,’ deal with the personal crises and layered journeys of unique characters, while also exploring ideas of identity and more.
12. Kaguya-sama: Love Is War (2019-2023)
‘Kaguya-sama: Love Is War’ or ‘Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen’ revolves around student council president Miyuki Shirogane and vice president Kaguya Shinomiya. The two exceptional students are admired by their peers and widely regarded as the perfect pair. Despite developing strong feelings for one another, neither is willing to confess first, believing that doing so would mean admitting defeat. As a result, their romance turns into a battle of tactics and wits, with each attempting to somehow trick the other into making the first declaration of love.
This leads to many ups and downs in their complex bond, shaping their lives in unexpected ways. Helmed by Shinichi Omata, the show is an adaptation of the eponymous Japanese manga series, penned and illustrated by Aka Akasaka. Much like ‘Marriagetoxin,’ the quest for love and the hurdles that the characters face in the process are at the emotional core of the show. The journeys in both stories are seldom straightforward and go through chaos and uncertainty.
11. Katei Kyoshi Hitman Reborn! (2006-2010)
‘Katei Kyoshi Hitman Reborn!’ or ‘Reborn!’ delves into the life of Tsunayoshi Sawada, AKA Tsuna, an unsuccessful middle school student considered a loser by his classmates. Struggling on multiple fronts, Tsuna’s life takes an unexpected turn when he is introduced to Reborn, a mysterious infant who claims to be a hitman from the powerful Vongola Mafia family in Italy. Reborn reveals that Tsuna has been chosen as the future leader of the Vongola family. The infant has also been tasked with preparing Tsuna for that role and making him a worthy successor.
Reborn makes his new and unlikely student handle unusual lessons and dangerous situations, leading to chaos. Akira Amano is the creative voice behind the show, as well as the writer and illustrator of the manga series of the same name, on which it is based. While Hikaru deals with his already established position of being the heir to a powerful family in ‘Marriagetoxin,’ Tsuna unexpectedly encounters a scenario where he is expected to become a crime boss, connecting the two characters and the experiences they go through.
10. Engage Kiss (2022)
‘Engage Kiss’ takes place in Bayron City, a floating metropolis built around the energy source known as Orgonium. Shu Ogata is a young man who operates a small private military company specializing in eliminating demonic threats known as D Hazards. Shu struggles financially due to his reckless spending habits and selective approach to work. Kisara, a high school girl deeply attached to Shu, assists him in combating the threats. However, Kisara is herself a demon, bound to Shu through a contract with a personal cost attached. Shu’s former lover, Ayano Yugiri, remains entangled in his life, creating a tense triangle between her, Shu, and Kisara.
The complex equation between Shu and Kisara leads them into unforeseen situations that force them to confront their identities and loyalties. Shaped by the vision of Tomoya Tanaka, the show is a part of a media project that also includes a manga series of the same name. Akin to ‘Marriagetoxin,’ the show explores a young man’s professional and personal struggles, placing him in unlikely circumstances. Shu and Hikaru hope to build their legacies, even as they deal with puzzling feelings.
9. The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting (2022)
‘The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting’ or ‘Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari’ is based on the eponymous web manga series written and illustrated by the show’s creator, Tsukiya. The story revolves around Tooru Kirishima, a feared yakuza enforcer known throughout the criminal underworld for his violent methods. After nearly causing serious problems for the Sakuragi family through his reckless behavior, Tooru is assigned by his boss to become the caretaker of his seven-year-old daughter, Yaeka. Initially, Tooru struggles to adjust to his new role, while Yaeka finds it difficult to open up to him.
However, as they spend more time together, the two gradually develop a meaningful bond despite their differences. Through this unusual arrangement, Tooru begins to understand the importance of compassion and human bonds. The show shares similarities with ‘Marriagetoxin’ due to its portrayal of the transformation of a seemingly dangerous and ruthless character. The shows deliver commentaries on the act of finding humanity within the chaos of violence, connecting them at a spiritual level.
8. The Way of the Househusband (2021-2023)
‘The Way of the Househusband’ or ‘Gokushufudo’ tells the story of Tatsu, a yakuza legend once feared throughout the criminal underworld for his violent exploits and clashes with rival gangs. Tatsu unexpectedly abandons his life of crime and disappears from public view. In reality, he has chosen to become a full-time househusband devoted to his wife and their home. Determined to excel in his new role, he performs domestic tasks intensely, from bargaining at supermarkets to cooking. However, despite his desire for a peaceful existence, his intimidating reputation and unusual approach to ordinary life continue to create misunderstandings wherever he goes.
Brought to life by Chiaki Kon, the show is based on the manga series of the same name, penned and illustrated by Kousuke Oono. A conflicted character from a violent world, the choice to pursue love, the issue of legacy, and the consequences of unexpected actions are ideas that both ‘The Way of the Househusband’ and ‘Marriagetoxin’ explore.
7. Akiba Maid War (2022)
Crafted by Sōichi Masui, ‘Akiba Maid War’ or ‘Akiba meido sensô’ is set in Akihabara in 1999. Teenager Nagomi Wahira moves to the district with dreams of becoming a dedicated maid and joins the pig-themed maid café Ton Tokoton, believing that working at a maid café will be everything she has always imagined. However, Nagomi’s expectations are shattered on her very first day when she accompanies her fellow employee Ranko Mannen to a rival establishment. There, she discovers that the world of Akihabara’s maid cafés is far more violent and competitive than she ever anticipated.
As Nagomi struggles to reconcile her idealized vision of maid culture with its brutal reality, she searches for a way to preserve the passion and joy that first inspired her dream. While ‘Marriagetoxin’ is a journey of a young man away from violence and towards love, ‘Akiba Maid War’ is a twisted tale of the loss of innocence, where a young girl must come to terms with an uncomfortable truth and fight her own battles.
6. Buddy Daddies (2023)
Shaped by the ideas of Vio Shimokura, ‘Buddy Daddies’ centers on professional assassins Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa, who share a home and avoid emotional attachments due to their troubled pasts. Their lives change on Christmas Eve when four-year-old Miri Unasaka arrives in Tokyo searching for her father and inadvertently becomes entangled in one of their assassination missions. Miri’s father, the assassins’ intended target, is killed, and Kazuki impulsively lies to the young girl that he is her father to shield her from the truth. Despite initially planning to return her to her mother, Kazuki and Rei gradually grow attached to Miri and decide to raise her together.
Attempting to balance parenthood with their dangerous profession, the two assassins discover that caring for a child may be the most difficult mission of their lives. Much like ‘Marriagetoxin,’ the narrative delves into the tender side of individuals who have spent the majority of their lives in a world of violence. The transformative power of love and the puzzling realities of familial bonds are at the heart of the shows and the characters’ experiences.
5. Nisekoi: False Love (2014-2016)
‘Nisekoi: False Love’ or ‘Nisekoi’ narrates the tale of Raku Ichijou, a high school student who also happens to be the heir to a powerful yakuza family. Despite his family background, Raku hopes to live an ordinary life and pursue his feelings for his longtime crush, Kosaki Onodera. His peaceful life is disrupted when a conflict erupts between his family’s organization and another gang. To prevent further violence, he is forced into a fake romantic relationship with Chitoge Kirisaki, the daughter of the rival gang’s leader. Although the two initially cannot stand each other, their unusual arrangement gradually becomes more complicated as other girls connected to Raku’s past begin entering his life.
Helmed by Akiyuki Shinbō, the narrative is an adaptation of the eponymous manga series written and illustrated by Naoshi Komi. The circumstances that surround Raku are similar to those that Hikaru experiences in ‘Marriagetoxin.’ Both characters belong to powerful families, but are forced into scenarios where they have to open up to the possibility of love, which leads to chaos and uncertainty in their lives.
4. Spy x Family (2022-)
‘Spy x Family’ or ‘Supai Famirî’ unfolds in a world where the fragile peace between rival nations remains under constant threat. To prevent a political crisis, the master spy known as Twilight is assigned an undercover mission that requires him to pose as a family man and infiltrate the prestigious Eden Academy. Assuming the identity of psychiatrist Loid Forger, he adopts a young orphan, Anya, and enters into a marriage of convenience with city hall employee Yor Briar. Shockingly, Yor is actually a deadly assassin, while Anya can read minds. As Loid attempts to complete his mission by getting close to an influential politician, the unconventional family gradually forms genuine bonds, even with the many secrets each of them continues to hide.
Kazuhiro Furuhashi steers this show, based on the manga series of the same name, penned and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo. In ‘Marriagetoxin’ and ‘Spy x Family,’ the central relationships begin for practical reasons rather than romance or family. The male protagonists of the shows operate in dangerous worlds of violence while also looking for meaning and human connection.
3. Love of Kill (2022)
‘Love of Kill’ or ‘Koroshi Ai’ deals with the life of Chateau Dankworth, a bounty hunter whose life changes after an encounter with the enigmatic assassin Song Ryang-ha. When Chateau is assigned the task of eliminating Ryang-ha, she reluctantly enters into an arrangement with him, and the two are strangely drawn to each other. In exchange for spending time together, he is supposed to provide valuable information about her targets. As their complicated relationship develops, Chateau becomes increasingly entangled in the dangerous conflicts surrounding Ryang-ha and the powerful organizations pursuing him. As hidden truths from both of their pasts begin to emerge, the fragile bond between the two assassins threatens to place them in even greater danger.
The show is brought to life by Hideaki Ooba’s vision and is based on the manga series of the same title, penned and illustrated by Fe. Much like Hikaru in ‘Marriagetoxin,’ Chateau and Ryang-ha are forced to confront the pressures of their feelings, even as they continue to operate in a dangerous world predisposed to violence and killings. The action, romantic tribulations, and the visual styles of the shows link them on a deeper level.
2. Mission: Yozakura Family (2024-)
‘Mission: Yozakura Family’ or ‘Yozakura-san Chi no Daisakusen’ follows Taiyô Asano, a high school student who has struggled to connect with others ever since losing his family in a tragic accident. The only person with whom he feels comfortable is his childhood friend, Mutsumi Yozakura. However, Taiyô’s life changes dramatically when he discovers that Mutsumi belongs to a powerful family of spies tasked with protecting her at all costs. After becoming the target of Mutsumi’s dangerously overprotective older brother, Kyôichirô, Taiyô learns that the only way to ensure both their safety is to marry Mutsumi and become a member of the Yozakura family himself.
Thrust into a world of espionage and constant danger, Taiyô begins training as a spy while uncovering the secrets surrounding both his own past and the Yozakura family. The show is based on the manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by the show’s creator, Hitsuji Gondaira. Taiyô navigates the demands of secrecy and relationships, developing the strength needed to safeguard his loved ones, which reflects Hikaru’s transformative experience in ‘Marriagetoxin.’ The two shows combine personal stakes and intense moments, placing the characters in unlikely situations.
1. Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii (2024)
‘Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii’ revolves around Yoshino Somei, the granddaughter of the leader of one of the most powerful yakuza organizations in the Kansai region. Her reality changes when a truce between rival yakuza groups is sealed through an arranged engagement between her and Kirishima Miyama, the grandson of the head of the Miyama family. Reluctantly leaving Osaka behind, Yoshino moves to Tokyo to begin her new life alongside her fiancé. Although Kirishima initially appears charming and dependable, Yoshino soon discovers his disturbing and unpredictable nature. Rather than retreating from the dangerous situation she finds herself in, Yoshino decides to confront it on her own terms.
As she navigates school life, family obligations, and the criminal underworld, she becomes increasingly entangled in the complex world surrounding the Miyama family. The narrative is an adaptation of the eponymous manga series written and illustrated by Asuka Konishi, the show’s creator. The story is spiritually linked to the world and characters of ‘Marriagetoxin,’ through its focus on the themes of identity, duality, family, and the consequences of choices. The main characters in the shows find themselves torn between shifting loyalties and unexpected relationship crises. Along with these ideas, the visual styles of the two shows forge a deeper connection.
Read More: Anime Like Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai
