REVIEW: ‘My Happy Marriage’ Season 2 Episode 8 — “An Evening Banquet And Distant Snow”

My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 8, “An Evening Banquet and Distant Snow,” introduces the broader political situation within the government, expanding the conflict beyond the core characters. It also takes some time to dive into much of its cast, allowing for deeper glimpses into who the series’ protagonists truly are as a moment of relative calm plays out within the Imperial Palace.

Since the reveal of the Gifted Communion’s existence earlier in the season, the story has promised a larger scope. The threat that the clandestine organization poses could destabilize all of Japan. However, previous episodes only stated this expanding scope. My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 8 shows it with its opening ministerial meeting.

Seeing the chiefs of Prince Takaihito’s (Akira Ishida) government for the first time as they debate the situation allows the scale of the threat this season tackles to feel more realized. It is not an abstract, but a fact. The episode introduces each minister in turn, along with a little overview of their general attitudes and where they are likely to stand thanks to a peak into Takakura’s thoughts as the meeting plays out.

The opening meeting creates tension within the cabinet. There are a lot of dissenting opinions in the room concerning spiritual abilities and their place in Japanese society. This is especially true for some military representatives, who view them as inferior to modern-day weapons.

Old and new ideals clash in My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 8.

The clash between old and new feels symbolic, given the story’s setting. As the larger culture of the country strives to find a balance between older customs and new ideas from the West, the conflict within the meeting feels like a microcosm of that struggle.

My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 8 also breathes some extra realism into the meeting by allowing its participants to become sidetracked by unrelated differences. It’s nice to think that individuals could set aside personal differences to focus on a crisis, but that is not how humans work. Allowing brief moments of mundane conflict helps build an authenticity to the narrative.

My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 8 touches on themes of isolation and the struggle with moving beyond one’s past. But ultimately, romance and fear are the core components upon which the episode comes to focus. These two themes flow throughout the episode but come most clearly into focus during a “ladies’ night” hosted by Hazuki (Yôko Hikasa).

Miyo, Hazuki, and Kaoruko (Haruka Tomatsu) find themselves spending time together as they have a few drinks. Once the saki has flowed a bit, Hazuki inquires about Kaoruko’s feelings for Godo, if there are any. Kaoruko informs Hazuki that she has none, and even if she did, she wouldn’t act on them. Due to her recent past, she has come to view love as a weakness. Something enemies can exploit. This revelation is understandably troubling to the other ladies.

Hazuki offers a warning about romance from her own experience.

In response, Hazuki tries to warn about indecisiveness in romance, using herself as the subject. Her marriage was once a deep and loving one, but neglect caused it to suffer. By the time she summoned the courage to try to fix it, the pain was already too deep, resulting in her divorce. Her fear of action allowed the situation to get away from her, causing her to lose something special.

As the conversation flows through the scene, Miyo takes it all in. The feelings shared and the concerns they present touch her. In her hesitancy, may she miss something special with Kiyoka? Through her role as observer, Miyo feels like an avatar for the viewer, who may also find themself wondering about their choices.

My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 8 also offers further hints at the current status of Arata’s (Ryohei Kimura) allegiances. While the focus on this plot line is brief, what drops here delivers a strong sense of where the character is, or at least where the show wants him to be seen.

The mixed signals concerning Arata started in the last episode, and their persistence here continues to create apprehension around the character. Even the unrelated discussions concerning love and fear that Arata did not take part in accentuate the uncertainty surrounding him due to their timely placement.

My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 8 delivers on several strong elements. It takes time to flesh out the scope of the larger narrative while still focusing on the core characters that have always been the series’ central appeal.

My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 8 is streaming now on Netflix.