With how light last week’s episode was on comedy, I have to say that swapping out the usual opening narration about Gero’s quest for a bride with one about Naruko’s search for “healing” was a gag that really caught me off guard. It didn’t exactly leave me rolling in laughter, but it was still a bit of a relief to see that the show can still play with people’s expectations, even as it delves into more standard action fare. I’d say that actually kind of set the mood for this week’s events because for as much of last week’s runtime was spent on the duel between Gero and Narumi, its conclusion actually ends up being pretty short, leaving Shiori to steal the spotlight this time around. It’s a welcome shift in priorities, and allows for what we get here to be a delight from nearly start to finish.

I suppose if I had anything close to a major nitpick, it’d actually be with the conclusion to Gero and Naruko’s fight. Visually it looks about as gorgeous as every other action sequence in this show, and more than delivers when it comes to presentation, but the sudden explanation of Naruko needing to breathe in the restorative given off by trees to restore his stamina was a really abrupt way to wrap up the fight, and the second he even mentioned needing to breathe in gas, it was pretty obvious that this could only end with him taking a whiff of Gero’s poisons. I mentioned in my last review that I tend to prefer my shonen fights on the simple side rather than trying too hard to get technical, so in that respect I don’t mind a win condition that’s a little silly, but the outcome here does feel a little forced. It gets the job done well enough that it’s hard to get upset about it, but outside of their visual quality, I can’t say that these kinds of battles seem to quite be MARRIAGETOXIN‘s strongest suit.

That’s okay, though, because the fight isn’t really all that important to the rest of the episode and doesn’t even serve as the climax for the arc. That distinction goes to Shiori saving the day by attempting to break her classmates out of hypnosis through one of her stage magic tricks. Since pulling that off ends up requiring her to bluff well enough to fool them into thinking she’s an actual witch, it doubles as a way of showing she’s capable of putting on a public face when she needs to, and similar to how she dealt with Naruko’s hypnosis, it’s great that Gero’s overall level of involvement here is fairly minimal as she pulls this off largely on her own. That bit of character development is bolstered even further by the fact that Shiori’s fake magic show somehow ends up getting an even bigger animation showcase than Gero and Naruko’s duel, but with how well it makes for a satisfying climax to her character arc I’m glad that this got the bigger focus. I’m a little more mixed on Shiori deciding to both forgive her aunt and ask for her to serve as an advisor considering that she was willing to have her assassinated if it meant maintaining the family business, but despite featuring a bunch of assassins, MARRIAGETOXIN is a pretty optimistic show, so it’s not too hard to roll with it even if does feel a little odd.

Although Gero mostly takes a backseat to Shiori here, he still gets plenty of his own development. While Naruko’s backstory of being made to kill his brother in order to prove his strength is fairly par the course for fictional assassins, it does help draw a direct parallel between him and Gero when it comes to how their respective families pursuit of raw strength has shaped them into who they are now. With how much they’ve been raised to see ordinary people as weak and helpless, seeing Gero acknowledge that there’s a kind of strength in a person being able to face their weaknesses head-on the way Shiori did works as another good way of showing how he’s started to recognize just how flawed that mindset truly is. That also makes it all the more fitting that he decides to spare Naruko while advising him to try finding someone he can be vulnerable around, as it’s evidence that he is changing for the better and learning that life doesn’t have to be as dark as the world he’s used to.

It was also kind of nice to see Gero recognize that Shiori has too much on her plate to handle romance on top of it, but as good as that kind of resolution would be for his character growth, it also wouldn’t have made for good romantic comedy, so I’m glad this wasn’t where their relationship ended. It was pretty funny seeing Shiori ask him out for drinks, only for the two to barely speak to each other the whole time, and it’s clear that for as many strides as they’ve made in learning how to act confident, their social awkwardness is still here to stay. That tension does give Gero the chance to redeem himself with an actually cool magic trick as opposed to the gross rubber puke one from before, but it does make it all the more hilariously devastating when Shiori indicates she’s happy to make room in her life for romance only for Gero to miss every signal she’s sending that she’s into him. He might be making himself more dateable by the day, but Gero’s still got a long way to go before he can actually find a girlfriend.

Rating:

MARRIAGETOXIN is currently streaming on
Crunchyroll.

Thanks to A Certain Magical Index, Atsushi Abe will forever be known for lending his voice to something that errs on the dramatic and explosive. Which Farming Life in Another World 2 purposely is not. With Abe dipping his toes into the realm of cozy isekai this season, we were curious to discuss how he and producer Hiromi Sueta navigated their way through the anime’s non-confrontational trenches.

What drew you to the role, and what did you think of starting out? Was there anything that immediately leaped out at you?

Atsushi Abe: My very first impression was that the number of lines that the character [Hiraku] has was a lot more than usual. Another thing that drew me into the character is that Hiraku really doesn’t try too hard, and he’s always in a very natural state of being. And I thought that was a very interesting part of the character.

Have you ever done any farming yourself? Did you ever have any interest at all?

ABE: My parents actually garden as kind of a side hobby, and they have a little bit of crop land, so I’ve actually dug some potatoes before. I have a little bit of experience getting down and dirty with the crops and whatnot. Because I have that experience, I do know how difficult it is. From that, when I watched the series, and I saw the all-mighty tool, I was kind of jealous. I wish I had that crop tool!

I don’t blame you. When I was doing my mom’s gardening when I was a little kid, I wish I had that kind of tool at my disposal, too! She was really strict with her garden.

Now that Farming Life in Another World‘s second season has premiered, what can we expect from the anime and your performance?

ABE: The series, in a good way, hasn’t changed much in terms of atmosphere. It’s been two or three years since we last recorded the series, but it’s almost like that time didn’t happen. It’s almost as if this last recording was just very recently, so nothing’s really changed in terms of how we interact with each other. Within this new series, I feel that Hiraku, the main character, goes through a lot of responsibilities that really test his ability as a village chief, and I feel that that’s a part you should really look into. Also, the character roster has drastically increased once again, so that was a nice point to focus on, like the character interactions, and to see new sides of Hiraku, the main character.

In portraying Hiraku in Farming Life in Another World Season 2, could you tell us about any aspects you paid special attention to, and any differences from the first season?

ABE: At the very end of the first season, Hiraku has a kid, so he becomes a father. When I started this role in the second season, I wondered how I could portray Hiraku as more fatherly. Once I actually started recording, it turned out I didn’t have to think too much about that aspect, and I could just act as I usually do. Also, the village gets more kids, so there’s the aspect of looking after them as a parental figure.

Also, I gotta say I’m really digging that you brought the demon spider out, and I love that she’s waving hello. I always liked it when she did her little wave on the show.

Hiromi Sueta: This plushie was actually handmade by Riho Sugiyama, the voice actress of Ya, the mountain elf!

Wow, that’s so cool! I think the effort really paid off.

How did the production of Farming Life in Another World initially come about? What drew you into it?

SUETA: Initially, I wasn’t the one who found the series; it was more of an offer brought to us about how there’s a very interesting series, and we definitely want to make it into an anime. I’ve looked into isekai series before, and this one had a more mellow feeling to it. I found this very interesting, and I was drawn into this series more so than others.

How did you prepare for the production of Farming Life in Another World? Did you have a specific idea in mind?

SUETA: When we were deciding on direction with this series with the director, in the original source material, the harem aspect with the girls was strongly pushed in the manga. In the anime, we decided that we should try to pull back from the harem aspect and focus on the slow life aspect of the series so we can make it a more easy-to-watch experience.

In this work, Yasuharu Takanashi is in charge of the music — could you tell us about the unique appeal and distinctive qualities of the soundtrack in this series?

SUETA: I actually asked Takahata-san, the music producer, for an answer for this. Here’s his
answer:

A standout feature of the soundtrack is the incorporation of simple, folk-inspired elements. The score boasts an impressive musical range, spanning from tranquil melodies that capture the idyllic daily life of the characters to the high-octane, powerful battle themes that are Yasuharu Takanashi‘s hallmark. This rich variety in composition is a major highlight of the series.

You also brought aboard a Swedish composer, Johannes Nilsson. How much of Nilsson’s input and influence can be heard on the anime’s soundtrack? Do you think that this added any interesting flair or nuance to the mix? What was Nilsson and Takanashi’s working relationship like?

SUETA: A definitive example of Johannes Nilsson‘s contribution to the score is the music for the grape-stomping scene. The track exudes a powerful European folk vibe, serving as a prominent illustration of how the series seamlessly integrates ethnic musical elements. This infusion of authentic cultural essence adds a profound sense of depth to the overall production. Johannes originally approached Team-MAX with a steadfast ambition to create music for Japanese animation. During the planning stages of the soundtrack, Yasuharu Takanashi became firmly convinced that Nilsson’s style would be an ideal match for this specific series. This conviction paved the way for their collaboration, representing a creative bond where Takanashi’s expansive vision meets Johannes’ intuitive musical sensibility.

What was your favorite moment working on Farming Life in Another World?

SUETA: As I said before, this series has a very slow vibe, a mellow slice of life aspect to it, but when it comes to the battle music that Takanashi-san composed, there’s that one scene where the dragon comes to attack the village in Season 1, but that music was really incredible, and I was really intrigued by that part.

I remember that part, I really liked the guitars. In the production of Farming Life in Another World, could you share any particularly memorable aspects of the workflow or production process, as well as any unique characteristics specific to this project?

SUETA: The first part relates to the music part. Especially the grape-stomping song. We actually recorded that song after recording the voices in the same studio. I think that was a very unique thing that not a whole lot of shows do. As for the slice-of-life aspect, the production team over at Zero-G rented a crop field to actually experience farming life and add more realism into the mix. I think that aspect is really depicted in the series, and you can really sense the mellow feel of the series. And that’s really unique.

Farming Life is Another World 2 is currently streaming in North America on HIDIVE. You can find where the series is streaming and more information on the official website.

Play runs from July 3 to August 23 in Tokyo

The official website for the Super Kabuki stage play adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli‘s Princess Mononoke film presented the play’s main cast in costume via a short ad on Wednesday.

The play will star:

Danko Ichikawa V as Ashitaka

Kazutarō Nakamura as San

Tokizō Nakamura VI as Eboshi Gozen

The play will run from July 3 to August 23 at the Shinbashi Enbujō Theatre in Tokyo. The new production celebrates the Super Kabuki production’s 40th anniversary.

Kensuke Yokouchi is directing the play. Keiko Niwa, who has written or assisted on scripts for such Studio Ghibli films as The Wind Rises, Arrietty, and When Marnie Was There, is co-writing the script with Kazuhisa Tobe, who also directed and wrote the Evangelion kabuki project. The production will use Joe Hisaishi‘s music.

The Super Kabuki production debuted in 1986, and is known for merging traditional kabuki staging with modern stage concepts.

GKIDS began screening a 4K restoration of the film exclusively in IMAX theaters in North America on March 26, 2025 to celebrate Studio Ghibli‘s 40th anniversary. The company describes the film’s story:

Inflicted with a deadly curse, the young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure. There, he stumbles into a bitter conflict between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a young girl raised by wolves, who will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there. Featuring the voice talents of Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Billy Bob Thornton.

Sources: Princess Mononoke kabuki play’s website, Mainichi Shimbun’s Mantan Web