REVIEW: ‘My Happy Marriage’ Delivers A Tale About Trauma And Perseverance

In a version of our world where a person’s worth is heavily dependent on their access to special, spiritual powers, Miyo Saimori (Reina Ueda, Mashle: Magic and Muscles) was always scorned by her family for her lack of any. Abused by her stepmother and stepsister, and completely shunned by her father, Miyo had to shut herself off from hope and love in order to get through her days. However, when she suddenly finds herself betrothed to Kiyoka Kudo (Kaito Ishikawa, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpei), she is given a second chance to find happiness. All she has to do is find the courage and self-love to reach out and grasp it in My Happy Marriage from Kinema Citrus.

The emotional story that runs through this series’ 12 episodes wastes no time in establishing Miyo and the horribly abusive situation she is forced to endure. Her lack of a spiritual power relegates her to the role of a servant, where she finds every verbal abuse, and many physical ones, heaped upon her. While none of her family are shy about expressing their displeasure with everything she does, none are more cruel to her than her stepsister Kaya (Ayane Sakura, My Hero Academia).

Throughout My Happy Marriage, Kaya makes it her personal mission to see Miyo miserable. Her superiority complex grows so strong that it is revealed all of her self-worth has become completely wrapped up in seeing herself as happier than Miyo. She cannot build herself up without bringing her sister down. Her unabashed, torturous attitude toward her sibling leaves a powerful impression on the viewer. The venomous spite of Kaya plays out for the viewer perfectly on every level. From the voice work to the animation, both deliver with, incredible skill, the negative force that she is in Miyo’s life.

While it delivers the forceful power of Kaya’s unpleasantness like a sledgehammer, My Happy Marriage explores its staring duo and their burgeoning relationship with far more nuance and grace. This leads the pair to possess a truly special chemistry on screen.

The best part about how this series explores Miyo and Kiyoka’s relationship is how they both mutually struggle with each other. It would be easy for the show to depict Kiyoka as infinitely patient with his betrothed, leaving all of the growing up to Miyo. But rather than take this route, the story presents Kiyoka as having just as many struggles with the situation as Miyo. While his intentions are always good, he repeatedly says the wrong thing in a situation, making a moment he sought to help only grow worse. His mounting frustration with his inability to break through Miyo’s barriers is powerfully delivered. He just wants what’s best for his betrothed. But figuring out what she truly wants from him can be a puzzle the lifelong military man is often ill-equipped to decipher.

His task is made no easier by Miyo’s inability to let go of the survival mechanisms she has had to develop in order to survive the harsh life with her family. She sees every misfortune as solely her fault, even if she has nothing to do with it. She cannot accept the fact that she deserves to be as happy as anyone else. Her self-image as a walking misfortune machine keeps her from fully accepting Kiyoka, as she fears she will bring the man nothing but pain and ruin.

Making the pair’s search for happiness together even more complicated are the conspiracies surrounding Miyo’s lineage. Her bloodline is coveted for extremely rare and powerful spiritual abilities, and there are many who wish to possess access to that potential. Plots spring up as some will go to great lengths to steal Miyo or, if that option is unavailable, kill her so others can not gain access to her potential.

While the great plotting and intrigue of My Happy Marriage deliver, it never gets in the way of the series’ core focus on Miyo and Kiyoka. Rather, it uses these exceptional circumstances to further push the pair’s emotional turmoil to the foreground, as well as cement how far, ultimately, each goes for the other. The action moments that spring from these larger plots are skillfully animated and the emotional weight the background builds gives each great significance. A world may not be at stake when swords are drawn, but by the end of the series, Miyo and Kiyoka’s love feels like a treasure that is worth far more than a world.

My Happy Marriage delivers a story filled with hope, struggle, love, cruelty, and perseverance. It reminds us that overcoming trauma is a massive undertaking not only for those who have endured it but also for those determined to help them reach the happy life they deserve.

My Happy Marriage is streaming now on Netflix.