English Dub Review: Marriagetoxen “Together With Me; “The Bug Master’s Wedding””

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Hikaru and Mei successfully defeat Naruko and save Shiori, and later attend the wedding for Toshiki, Hikaru’s friend and master of Bug control.

OUR TAKE

Hey, it’s more Marriagetoxin! And we’re back to wrap up the three part Shiori arc as well as look at a single self contained episode that confirms that Hikaru does, in fact, have friends! I mean they’re all basically weirdo assassins like him but you work with what you can find in this business. As for the stuff with Shiori, that of course ends with Naruko being defeated and the hit being called off on Shiori, but it’s not that straightforward. For one, Hikaru preaches to Naruko about how strong Shiori has been through all of this, even while Naruko has preyed on her vulnerabilities and insecurities, which has clearly won Hikaru over to some degree. This is further proven after Naruko’s defeat, as his illusions and hypnosis on the other college students maintains, and if their bloodlust can’t be used on Shiori, they try sacrificing another student instead. Unwilling to let someone else die in her place or her classmates be scarred by this, Shiori uses her magician persona to make an illusion that shows the fake Lord Chladni being defeated, releasing everyone from the hold of Naruko’s hypnosis and saving everyone’s mental health for years to come. Heck, she even manages to ask her aunt, the one who called out the hit on her, to help consult as she learns how to run the company! And of course it ends with her getting Hikaru’s number and being added to his list of prospective wives.

And then there’s the other episode we’re looking at today, which I am grateful is a single episode story and not another arc. Not that I haven’t enjoyed the arcs we’ve had so far, quite the opposite in fact, but having a smaller story makes it easier to discuss. It’s also a solid indicator of Hikaru’s positive qualities, some of which we’ve been aware of already, but it actually wasn’t clear if he had any real friends until now. As far as I can tell, part of being a good romantic partner is also being a good friend, and it looks like Hikaru has built up a respectable number of genuine friends in his line of work. I don’t think it’s ever been in doubt that Hikaru has the makings of a great husband for whatever lucky lady he lands on by the end of this series, but these sorts of reminders are helpful every now and then. And like that, we’re onto the next arc!