First Glance: My Glad Marriage
Alternative title(s): Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon
Light Novel Adaptation by Kinema Citrus
Streaming on Netflix
Premise
Miyo Saimori has been treated mercilessly by her stepmother and stepsister and ignored by her father ever since her mother passed away. She has lived as a servant in her own home. Miyo is a passive, depressed young woman with little hope for the future as a result of years of abuse and hardship, yet she is nonetheless kind-hearted and appreciative of even the slightest pleasures in life. Miyo fears the worst when she is forcibly set up to marry Kiyoka Kudou, a military officer so infamous for his coldness that all of his prior fiancées have run away. But is there more to her future husband than meets the eye?
Artemis’ verdict: The Japanese Version of Cinderella. (Also Foreigners Are Probably Bad.)
To some extent, the idea of this series already gives it away, for better or worse. Congratulations! This program is most definitely for you if you read the blurb above and were immediately intrigued. You’re probably 100% right if you read that and rolled your eyes, began to calculate how many clichés, romantic or otherwise, My Happy Marriage would probably contain. You might want to avoid it. It’s not necessarily a horrible anime in and of itself, but My Happy Marriage is well aware of its target audience and caters to them. You can pretty much predict every plot twist several scenes in advance, thanks to the main character’s internal monologue, which is always delivered in a deadpan breathless whisper, and the main male character, who is just so breathtakingly attractive that Miyo can’t help but gasp in shock and awe when she first sees him at the end of episode 1.
I would admit that My Happy Marriage does seem rather striking in several scenes. Certain pictures are without a doubt brilliantly lit, especially those that also beautifully portray the Meiji Restoration-era environment. The show might even be worthwhile to watch for historical fiction aficionados on its own. But aside from that, I think this one might only appeal to a relatively small number of people, especially if dramatic shojo romances aren’t typically your style.
