Highlights
- Episode 8 of My Happy Marriage marks the beginning of a new arc, with two distinct storylines focusing on Miyo's wholesome learning experience and Kiyoka's thrilling supernatural experiences.
- Miyo's storyline showcases a gentle, heartwarming slice-of-life story as she learns the ways of an upper-class lady under Kiyoka's sister, Hazuki. However, nightmares start to negatively impact Miyo's life.
- On the other hand, Kiyoka's storyline is filled with thrills, mysteries, and supernatural elements as she protects the citizens from malicious creatures. This part offers a stark contrast to Miyo's storyline, making it exciting to watch. The two storylines eventually intersect, reflecting the journey of the main characters.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for My Happy Marriage Episode 8, “Nightmares And Ominous Shadows”, now streaming on Netflix.
The first seven episodes focus on Miyo Saimori’s tragic story and how her life changed after she met her fiancé, Kiyoka Kudou. There was lots of drama and quite a few fiery explosions in this arc. And by the time episode seven came along, everybody finally got the ending that they deserved. So for all intents and purposes, Miyo’s Cinderella story is finally over.
Episode eight marks the beginning of a new arc for My Happy Marriage. A new story that seems to take the series in an entirely different direction than the first arc. One that is more thrilling and action-packed. But what’s more interesting is the fact that this new arc will branch out into two storylines. One focuses on Miyo’s wholesome learning experience, while the other follows Kiyoka’s thrilling supernatural experience.
Miyo’s Wholesome Learning Experience
After such a horrible upbringing with the Saimoris, Miyo finally got the chance to start a new and meaningful life with her fiancé, Kiyoka Kudou. The first challenge that she wants to tackle is to learn the ways of the upper-class lady of the West. That means lessons on table manners, how to engage in small talk, a graceful way to walk in a Western dress, and many others. And the one who teaches her these things is none other than Kiyoka’s older sister, Hazuki Kudou.
Th story has a similar vibe to the previous arc. A gentle, wholesome, and slow-paced slice-of-life story. We see Miyo learn how to eat with a knife and fork, we see her trying to walk as gracefully as possible in a Western-style dress, which seems to be quite a challenge for somebody who wears nothing but traditional Japanese attire all her life. But the most heartwarming moment of them all is when Hazuki teaches Miyo how to smile by telling her funny stories about Kiyoka, which works like a charm.
And just like the first part of this series, some unsavory things are happening alongside the good and heartwarming things. This time around, however, it is not a drama with Miyo’s family. The bad things come in the form of nightmares that persistently invade Miyo’s dreams every night. It gets so bad to the point that Miyo loses sleep due to her dream. She chalks it up as nothing but a simple nightmare and doesn’t want to bring it up to Kiyoka or Hazuki. But it negatively impacts Miyo’s life.
Kiyoka’s Thrilling Supernatural Experience
Kiyoka’s story begins with the sudden news about the forbidden seal that has been broken by unknown individuals. This seal is the only thing that prevents the malicious creatures known as the Grotesqueries from appearing in the real world. But now that this seal has been broken, Grotesqueries will soon emerge and cause untold amounts of damage to the people of the imperial capital. As the commander of the special anti-grotesqueries unit, it is Kiyoka’s responsibility to protect the citizens from the incoming threats of the Grotesqueries.
Th episode is all about thrills and mysteries. Putting the supernatural part of the series in the forefront. An absolute contrast to the other part. We get to see the world open up and meet quite a few new characters through Kiyoka’s journey. The most notable one is the time when Kiyoka visits the grandiose yet serene imperial palace and meets the captivating yet strangely intimidating second prince of the Imperial Family.
This one is the menacing part of My Happy Marriage. The side of the series is packed with action, horror, and mystery. The terrifying fights against the Grotesqueries, the mystery regarding Miyo and the rest of the Usuba lines, and the delicate dance of politics, loyalty, and betrayals. The moment we get to follow Kiyoka’s supernatural experience, the mood and the vibe of the episode change drastically, which makes this episode that much more fun to watch.
Merging The Two Distinct Experiences
Both Miyo and Kiyoka’s storylines have enough content and potential to be their own series. A wholesome and heartwarming slice-of-life drama featuring Miyo Saimori, and a thrilling supernatural mystery featuring Kiyoka Kudou. These two genres don't usually go together, yet here it is being blended perfectly.
However, it’s clear from this episode that the two storylines don’t always thread their own path. Occasionally, they both will meet and intertwine, connected by certain things, such as Miyo’s nightmare.
Furthermore, the way the two seemingly distinct storylines develop together and cross each other’s path is actually a reflection of Miyo and Kiyoka’s journey in the series. A heartfelt drama on one end, and a gripping mystery on the other end, connected only through romance. That is what makes this new direction so interesting to see. Needless to say, we can’t wait to see where the story will take us in the subsequent episode.