Interview: MARRIAGETOXIN Cast on Gero and Kinosaki

Anime Atelier had the chance to interview MARRIAGETOXIN's charming leading duo: Haruki Ishiya (石谷春貴) and Shion Wakayama (若山詩音), who voice Hikaru Gero and Mei Kinosaki, respectively. We chatted about the characters, their charming traits, and more!

This interview was transcribed from an audio recording and has been edited for clarity.

Q: Ishiya-san and Wakayama-san, how do you feel about the characters you're playing in MARRIAGETOXIN? What do you like or dislike about them?

Ishiya: I love everything about Gero, even the imperfections, and because of those imperfections there are "gaps" between the characters that, in a way, make them feel more human to me.

Wakayama: Kinosaki is great in the sense that they don't give up, especially in regard to Gero, which I respect. They're very clever in using their cunning as a weapon. There are so many great aspects that there isn't really anything that I don't like.

Ishiya: There is one thing... um, they [Gero and Kinosaki] don't look back on themselves when it comes to each other.

[Wakayama laughs]

Ishiya: There are moments where I'm hoping that the characters take care of themselves before they take care of each other.

Q: A little too selfless?

Ishiya: Yes, both of them are.

Q: Was there any particular aspect of each character that you paid attention to with each of your performances?

Ishiya: I took care of how I presented my voice when Gero is interacting with women, like when he's mumbling, or during the battles when he's super cool.

Wakayama: Kinosaki has varied perspectives—as a male, as a female—so I really take care of each line and think about how I need to act them.

Q: How did you go about preparing for your roles? Were you familiar with the manga beforehand?

Ishiya: I'm a big manga fan, and I've been reading it from the start. I had a lot of love and interest in the series, so I never expected an audition to come my way, but I admit I was reading it out loud with my voice. By reading out the manga, I imagined how I would do Gero's voice, and I used that as a base for my audition. Then, I took the feedback from my audition and used that for my final voice.

Wakayama: I first started reading the manga when I auditioned, and I became a big fan and read through all of it. Looking back, if I lost the role, I don't think I would be able to come to where I am right now. After I passed the audition, I started preparing for my role. In the original art, Kinosaki is very cute, and that's what I geared my voice towards. That became the reason that I had a hard time during the recording process.

Q: Ishiya-san mentioned this already, but since Gero oscillates between his expressions often, how do you approach these contrasts during the recording sessions?

Ishiya: As a basis, I'm focusing on acting out Gero "having a lot of confidence" and "having no confidence." When Gero is confident, he gets things done naturally and without much effort, which is quite cool. When he doesn't have confidence, he asks Kinosaki for help right away, which might be seen as uncool for some people, but to me that helps to make him look cool when he's doing things that he is confident with. That juxtaposition in confidence is something I really emphasize.

Q: Wakayama-san, Kinosaki has an attractive appearance that they use to ensnare both men and women. Is there anything in specific that you take into consideration when portraying their mannerisms?

Wakayama: Being able to switch between Kinosaki's many perspectives and sides—being cute, cunning, mature—is something that I emphasize for myself.

Q: The two of you mentioned that Gero and Kinosaki can be selfless. How do you see the relationship between them?

Ishiya: In the first episode, Gero, maybe unintentionally, saved Kinosaki's life, and that's where the "buddy" contract happened. Gero's relationship with Kinosaki is quite rare in that he can be honest because it's not often that that happens. I made sure to differentiate between the "voices" Gero uses with Kinosaki, with his family, and with the other users. I think he's most vulnerable when he's with Kinosaki, and saving someone that you can be most vulnerable with is important. Not like a lover, not like a friend, but like a "buddy." Though, I wonder how it seems from Kinosaki's side...

[Wakayama laughs]

Wakayama: Kinosaki probably sees Gero as putting others before himself. Kinosaki is the person who is most concerned for Gero, so I feel that their role is looking after Gero kind of like a sibling.

Q: What is your favorite moment in the series so far?

Both: There are so many...

Q: The first one that comes to mind.

Wakayama: The battle between Toshiro and Gero in the 12th episode. The action and the battle of willpower between them stuck with me.

Ishiya: Gero's Poison Blood because it resembles a red spider lily, which I really like. It's his first time using a move like that, which I found impressive.

MARRIAGETOXIN anime returns with Season 2 in 2027. In the meantime, you can catch up on Gero and Kinosaki's adventures on Crunchyroll.

Images: ©Joumyaku・Mizuki Yoda/SHUEISHA, MARRIAGETOXIN Project

Credits:
Interviewer: Sarca
Assistance: Buckylass, Andrea Tran
Interpreter: Jimmy Takashima
Editor: Tamara Lazic
Special Thanks: 33USA