Justin: Miyo begins becoming more comfortable with Kiyoka Kudo and his household, as her demeanor and emotional state begins to slowly change. But years and years of abuse don’t go away quickly, so even with Kiyoka at her side the nightmares of her days there occur and there’s little that can be done except be open and honest about what’s happening. And even time away can’t change the fact that the Saimoris’ hatred of Miyo remains — especially Miyo’s mom and younger sister Kaya — and one particular encounter reverts Miyo back to her state of beating herself up emotionally. Now Kiyoka has to try to resolve that, all while keeping a persistent and mysterious stalker at bay.
Well, mysterious stalker to Kiyoka, but we know it’s the Tatsuishi head keeping track of the situation, hoping to eventually bring Miyo and her true gift into his family once she’s tossed out of the Kudo home. He’s not going to get his way at this rate though. Contrary to what should’ve occurred, Miyo and Kiyoka are getting along, and that puts a dent into Tatsuishi’s grand plans. That’s why involving Kaya in his latest scheme only stands to benefit him and him alone, and no one else.
My Happy Marriage still remains “slow” in the sense that our two main protagonists don’t really kiss and dote on each other, but the romance between Miyo and Kiyoka continues to be quite heartwarming and sweet. The actions seem mundane — Sayo just wants to get a gift for Kiyoka, or she’s reunited with her former housemaid, Hana — but these are major moments for her, one that speaks to where she’s at emotionally and how she’s starting to find a place where she can feel comfort and feel comforted. It’s nice to see this done visually, and how this is shown in manga form is quite good.
The drama for this volume still involves her former family, who failed to realize that as much as they’ve been declining in terms of spirit-sight users, they might’ve just ended their growth by simply giving away Miyo. Instead of her being tossed out on the streets, looking dirty and disheveled, she’s flippin’ gorgeous and now has an attentive Kiyoka with her. Wasn’t he supposedly the lady-killer or something? Well they won’t stand for her to be happy, and getting more or less in depth with why Kaya has grown to only think less of her elder sister is a nice touch, even if it leans into more obsessive territory.
Naturally, the classic conceit of a hidden power that no one can see within Miyo is still in the background, but right now the focus continues to be on how she adjusts to her new lifestyle, and how Kiyoka and his family can help her. Still quite the page-turner, even if what’s on the page comes across as slow.
Justin’s rating: 4 out of 5
Krystallina: Miyo, long abused by her family, has finally started to taste happiness again thanks to her forced fiancé, Kiyoka, and his caretaker/housekeeper, Yurie. But with that comes fear — fear that she’ll be ejected once Kiyoka learns she doesn’t have Spirit-Sight. Are these days destined to end?
Of course not. This is called My Happy Marriage after all. And besides, Kiyoka already knows about Miyo lacking the Gift — and the type of relationship he wants with her.
While Miyo she is starting to grow as a person after having her emotional development stunted by her stepmother and stepsister, Miyo is disgusted by herself when she comes face-to-face with Kaya. Author Agitogi does well in showing that personal development sometimes comes with setbacks, and the art from Kohsaka beautifully accentuates Miyo’s mindstate. We see her world go dark when she is unable to tell Kaya off, and when Miyo finally has a heart-to-heart with Kiyoka, his face is only shown once, with a rather neutral expression, until she finishes speaking.
Readers know from both volume 1 and even moreso in volume 2 Kiyoka has no intention of pushing Miyo away. In fact, he quietly works to help ease Miyo’s burdens, including gently assuring her that she’s the one he wants to marry. Even dedicated romance fans can be a bit jaded by all the depictions of romantic leads who hurl sharp words and/or is forceful, and that’s why Kiyoka is such a joy to follow. He doesn’t want to fix all of Miyo’s problems or have her rely on him because he’s (or technically will be) the husband; it’s because he’s one-half of a couple. It’s a fine distinction, and one especially surprising and welcome to see even with the historical setting.
On the other hand, we have Kaya. Kaya’s attitude toward Miyo appears to be more learned than a natural sense of superiority, but she certainly doesn’t do herself any favors to help readers redirect their anger elsewhere. And when she teams up with Koji’s father, who is targeting Miyo for his own reasons, well, Kaya only becomes more of a hated character. It’s somewhat easy to sympathize with Koji for having to be forced into an engagement with such a selfish bully and having a cruel father, especially when Koji recognizes his faults and failures. But well, there’s at least one part where he flushes readers’ sympathies away.
We don’t really see the supernatural side of the story until the end of the volume, and events then seem a bit forced and sudden to help reach the climax of this arc. Still, it’s not like the machinations of Kaya and others have been subtle, but I wish we could have seen the drama be more like a ripe opportunity after a long observation rather than a plot that seemed to come together out of nowhere.
That being said, if you’re focused on the secrets of Miyo’s continuing dreams or wanting to see the other Saimori family members get their comeuppance, I have to disagree with your priorities here. Sure, we all want to see those, but Miyo and Kiyoka are the heart of the story, and this manga adaptation wonderfully captures their individual struggles and charm as a (future) married couple.
Krystallina’s rating: 4 out of 5