MARRIAGETOXIN brought the search for the ultimate marriage to New York Comic Con 2026! During the “MARRIAGETOXIN Road to the Best Marriage! at NYCC” panel, Motonobu Hori (Director), Kohei Tokuoka (Chief Animation Director/Character Designer), and Ryoya Arisawa (Chief Producer, Bandai Namco Filmworks) discussed their time working on Season 1 of the hit action comedy anime series and how they are preparing for the upcoming second season.
Looking back at the first season, Motonobu Hori shared a highlight from production. “When I read the original manga, I felt it would be extremely difficult to adapt into anime. There are so many action scenes, unfolding one after another in a short span of time, so at the start of production we were feeling our way through how to build the pacing of the series as a whole.”
Kohei Tokuoka added that bringing the original work’s uniquely inventive imagery to the screen left a particularly strong impression on him. He said, “From the moment I first read the original, I was struck by how many distinctive characters and unique visual elements appear in it. We agonized over how best to express them as we brought them to life in animation.”
Royoya Arisawa explained that the love both the cast and staff poured into the series left a lasting impression, saying:
“As Director Hori and Mr. Tokuoka mentioned, at first everyone was overwhelmed by the many different elements in this series, and we were feeling our way through production. But as we went on, the world of the series gradually took shape, and with it our understanding of and attachment to the series and its characters grew deeper. Before we knew it, we had all come to really love this series and its characters.”
Tokuoka began a live drawing of Mei Kinosaki as Hori and Arisawa walked fans through the creative process of the highly anticipated Season 2, airing in January 2027. When asked about new creative or production challenges, Hori said:
“In Season 2, Gero will keep meeting new marriage prospects, and even more eccentric, crazy rivals will show up one after another. The pacing and scale of the action scenes have been powered up as well, so we think you’ll enjoy it even more than Season 1. Please look forward to it!”
Arisawa went on to express:
“MARRIAGETOXIN is a truly unique series with a ‘weird’ kind of charm. When we were making Season 1, the staff and viewers alike were feeling their way along, wondering, ‘What kind of show is this going to become?’ With Season 2, though, fans already have a sense of the series’ world and appeal. Against that backdrop, I feel the big challenge for Season 2 is figuring out how to further expand the fun and unique charm that make MARRIAGETOXIN what it is.”
Fans have their hearts set on Hikaru Gero’s mission for love. Motonobu Hori shared a message for the fans: “There’s not much time left until the broadcast begins this coming January, and we’re putting everything we have into production. Please look forward to it!”
MARRIAGETOXIN Season 1 is streaming on Crunchyroll. The original manga is written by Joumyaku and illustrated by Mizuki Yoda. The series is currently serialized on Shueisha’s manga app Shonen Jump+ and has surpassed 1 million copies in circulation worldwide. Season 2 will air globally in January 2027.
