Justin: It was early in Miyo Saimori’s childhood where she considered herself happy — when her mother was alive and well. But unfortunately, she died and her father remarried. Since then, and after one particularly harrowing incident with her cruel stepmother, Miyo hasn’t known happiness since. The only things she’s experienced instead has been abuse from her stepmother and half-sister Kaya, ignorance from her father and most of the servants, and an upbringing less of someone from a noble house but one of a lowly servant. And with her not even acquiring the gift of spirit sight, while her own half-sister has her own spirit sight, she’s essentially considered dead weight to the family.
That’s why when it was announced Miyo would be sent to the Kudo house as a bridal candidate, she can only accept her future is as good as over. Kiyoka Kudo is part of one of the most powerful families in the country, so riches and status isn’t the problem — it’s just rumors of his cruelty and him turning away bridal candidates after just a few days have spread all around, so once he kicks her out, she’ll never be able to return to a home ever again. So upon arrival to Kiyoka’s home, she meekly and wearily bows, not just out of respect, but because that’s all she’s ever known to do, and only expects the worse.
But well, this manga is called My Happy Marriage, right…?
Set in Taisho-era Japan, this manga based on Akumi Agitogi’s light novel might get you to check out the source after immediately finishing the first volume. Cinderella type rags-to-riches stories are fairly common in fiction, and while there’s a supernatural twist, the general core is seeing Miyo and soon enough Kiyoka happy. The majority of the first volume goes into the general backstory of Miyo, the internal quagmire that was her family, and her overall mental state. It’s tough to see what did occur to where she’s just totally frightful for her future, where she went out of her way to avoid being seen by her family her entire life, which affects her relationship with Kudo.
But in what turns out to be a boon for her, Kiyoka finds her odd…that’s good in this case. From how she acts and reacts, he’s met no woman like her before, and soon enough he suspects something terrible went on within the Saimori household. That makes even simple actions such as taking her on a trip or buying her a gift a struggle since she questions if she even deserves anything. Aided by a few people he knows, he slowly becomes the person ideal for Miyo, and slowly starts to realize himself that she might be the one for him.
The series also hints that despite not receiving the gift, she has something else within her that can bloom into something no one could have even predicted. I think most who read this will be looking forward to that. But for now, My Happy Marriage will continue to show how Miyo slowly overcomes her long years of abuse and lack of love by meeting people who will show her the type of happiness that she hasn’t had for ages. Alongside some terrific artwork, the manga version of two seemingly opposite personalities finding happiness with each other is worth checking out.
Justin’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
Krystallina: When I first started this manga adaptation of My Happy Marriage, I forgot at first the manga and the light novel were being released by different publishers. Here in Square Enix Manga’s release, it’s “Koji” and “Kudo” versus Yen On’s “Kouji” and “Kudou”. Miyo calls Kiyoka “My Lord” versus “Mr. Kudou” in the English novel. Some names do carry over between the two, such as the supernatural beings being called the Grotesqueries.
Plot-wise, the manga follows the novel very closely so far. Miyo, a girl born from an arranged marriage, lacks any supernatural power despite her lineage. When her mother dies, her father quickly marries and has a child with the woman he truly loved. Over the years, Miyo has emotionally walled herself off to get through the days of being treated worse than a servant by her family. Her last light of hope is extinguished when her only ally gets engaged to Kaya. Miyo is sent off to be married to Kiyoka, the head of the most powerful of the Gifted families, but it’s a one-way trip: at best, she’ll be thrown out of Kiyoka’s estate and will have to live on the streets; at worst, the supposedly ruthless soldier will have her life.
But while the first day seems to start off as Miyo expected, she soon begins to wish to stay, even if she knows that an uneducated, unbeautiful, ungifted girl like herself could never be Kiyoka’s bride. But just as surprised at how things are turning out is Kiyoka, who soon senses Miyo’s overly demure attitude is the result of something deeper and finds himself wanting to lead her out of that emotional (and physical) abyss.
I don’t know how a reader would manage to get through this first volume and not root for Miyo and Kiyoka. Sure, the title essentially gives the story away, but by most standards, Miyo has it worse than Cinderella. Miyo’s father is alive, but he silently sips his tea as his wife and child physically and verbally lash out as his other biological child. It’s no wonder Miyo has no self-worth. And Kiyoka, unlike many love interests, isn’t the sort where his heart is buried underneath many layers of ice.
But on that subject, I’m going to post a comparison:
In the light novel, Miyo seems to tell her only friend she’s put aside such strong emotions like hate — or love. In the manga, it’s almost like she’s admitting to him she did have feelings for Koji.
It could be a matter of translation, but combined with how Miyo recounts to readers her horrid past and tries to navigate living at the Kudo estate, manga-Miyo doesn’t seem quite as doll-like to me as her novel incarnation. While the art here is certainly beautiful, and the manga balances both Miyo’s and Kiyoka’s blossoming feelings as others target one or both of them, I think what would have really elevated this work was more visual subtext and metaphors. Things like you see in the opening pages of the manga of the water fountain clanging as Miyo continuously bows her head — it shows there’s a long period of silence without spelling it out to the reader.
Perhaps the anime will be a little closer to my ideal take on the story (at the very least, I’m certainly curious about the subtitles’ translation/localization choices), but My Happy Marriage volume 1 is still certainly worth checking out for a historical, supernatural spin on a fairy tale classic.
Krystallina’s rating: 4 out of 5