Highlights
- My Happy Marriage is an outstanding romance anime that goes beyond the genre by incorporating action, thriller, and horror elements.
- The character development in the series is carefully crafted, with Miyo and Kiyoka growing from timid and uncaring individuals to confident and deeply in love.
- The first season of My Happy Marriage only scratches the surface of the overall story, leaving many mysteries and unanswered questions, promising an even more intense second season.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for the first season of My Happy Marriage, now streaming on Netflix.
After 12 weeks on air, My Happy Marriage finally completed its first season. Not only does this series prove to be one of the best, if not the best, romance anime in Summer 2023, but it can also proudly stand as one of the best anime of the season.
There’s a lot that can be said about My Happy Marriage, but this review will focus on the three most outstanding aspects of this new series, which are the genre-bending romance, the carefully crafted character development, and finally, the fact that we barely scratched the tip of the iceberg.
My Happy Marriage: A Pinch of Horror
My Happy Marriage sneaks in a little bit of horror to spice up the romance.
A Genre-Bending Romance
My Happy Marriage is a romance anime, there’s no question about that. How Miyo and Kiyoka heal and complete each other and the journey and hardship that they have to go through for them to be united as a married couple is nothing short of heartwarming and inspiring. If the series focuses on that aspect alone, it’ll still be a great romance anime. However, rather than stand still on a small box, My Happy Marriage decided to incorporate different genres into its already stellar romance. And the result is sublime.
First up is action. In the world of My Happy Marriage, certain people are born with supernatural abilities. Among them, Kiyoka Kudou is often considered to be one of the strongest in the country, and we get to see his intense fights on multiple occasions throughout the series. From blasting a huge wooden gate to slashing through grotesqueries with his flaming swords, My Happy Marriage provides ample action sequences for Kiyoka to prove that there is more to him than just the prince in a romance story.
There are also elements of thriller and mystery going on in this series, particularly concerning the aforementioned supernatural beings called the grotesqueries. As it happened, it seems that the recent outbreak of grotesqueries is part of a larger sinister scheme from the imperial palace. As if that’s not enough, to complement the mystery, My Happy Marriage also brings horror to the audience, particularly in the very last episode where Miyo has to face a dark version of herself while Kiyoka is stuck in a strange demonic realm fighting against hordes of rampaging grotesqueries.
So as you can see, watching the 12 episodes of My Happy Marriage is a roller coaster journey in its truest sense.
A Carefully Crafted Character Development
My Happy Marriage is a character-driven story. As such, other story elements such as world-building take a step back in order to put character development at the forefront of the story. So let’s use this chance to highlight some of the most notable character developments in this series.
At the beginning of the series, Miyo Saimori is a timid girl who never dares to speak her mind. She is the eldest daughter in the Saimori house, and yet she is treated worse than a regular servant. But things begin to change as soon as she meets a man named Kiyoka Kudou. Slowly but surely, Miyo regains her lost confidence. Now, she is brave enough to talk about what she thinks and pursue what she wants to do. Not only that, she is more than capable of standing up for herself now. She can express her feelings to Kiyoka with pride and is willing to do anything and go against anyone in order to be with her future husband.
The first time Miyo meets Kiyoka Kudou, he is a cold and uncaring man. His head is filled with suspicion and prejudice towards Miyo during the first few days they live together under the same roof. As time goes by, Kiyoka begins to see the kindness and sincerity behind everything that Miyo says and does. Slowly but surely, his appreciation turns into a deep love. By the end of the series, that uncaring man has turned into somebody willing to do anything and go against anyone in order to be with his future wife.
Other than the main couple, the supporting characters also get their fair share of development, although not as thorough as Miyo and Kiyoka. The most notable one is Miyo’s sister, the rude and spoiled Kaya Saimori, who is forced to admit her wrongdoings and face the consequences of her actions. Another good example is Kouji Tatsuishi, the cowardly young man who loves Miyo, realizes that he needs to stand up for himself and decides to go far away from his family so that he can forge his future with his own hand.
My Happy Marriage: How To Write An Annoying Character
My Happy Marriage's newest supporting character is generating tons of buzz for all the wrong reasons.
Just The Tip of The Iceberg
There are several conflicts and mysteries introduced in the first season of My Happy Marriage. Some of them have been properly resolved, such as the conflict with both the Saimori and Tatsuishi, the truth about Miyo’s past, and the strengthening of Miyo and Kiyoka’s relationship. However, many other mysteries haven’t been solved yet. Many questions haven’t been answered yet.
Why is the Emperor so afraid of Miyo’s power? What is the true relationship between the Imperial Palace and the Usuba family? How come the Kudou family held so much power and influence? What is the true role of the grotesqueries in the story? With so many unresolved mysteries and unanswered questions, it’s clear that the first season barely scratches the surface of the overall story of My Happy Marriage. With that in mind, it’s safe to assume that the second season will be even more intense than the first one.