Is there really a Cinderella story? Was the question Miyo asked before meeting her husband-to-be. Forced into a foreign home by her abusive parents and her stepsister, Miyo enters the marriage expecting more of the same. Instead, she finds something she has been missing for years–hope.

My Happy Marriage is originally a Japanese light novel series written by Akumi Agitogi, which was adapted as an anime in 2023. It simultaneously aired on Netflix and Japan, and was a huge success overall, gaining more than 9/10 score in multiple critic websites.

This romance series is set in early 20th century Japan, with a twist – some gifted humans are imbued with magical powers at birth. They all share the power known as spirit-sight, a tool that allows them to fight the Grotesqueries – evil spirits that mortally wound anyone they attack.

At the front door she meets Kiyoka Kudou–tall, intimidating, but shockingly handsome. His tone of voice is cold and unforgiving, but Miyo, having been mistreated her whole life, nods to everything he says, fearing that defiance will bring her death.

Surprised by Miyo’s behavior, Kiyoka’s attitude towards her begins to change. Kiyoka is taken aback by Miyo’s compliant attitude, but soon realizes the terrible things she has gone through in her family. Miyo also starts to sense the hidden kindness in Kiyoka’s words. Touched by a kindness that she had never received as a child, Miyo’s eyes start to sparkle for the first time. Slowly but surely, their relationship grows closer.

Seeing this, Kaya feels a sense of burning jealousy. Unwilling to let her ‘loser’ stepsister have such a powerful and handsome husband, along with her mother, she kidnaps Miyo off the streets, and locks her inside their cellar.

Upon hearing this news, Kiyoka is furious. He quickly marches over to Miyo’s old house, demanding their father free her. Meanwhile, Miyo is being tortured by her stepmother and stepsister, who are trying to ‘persuade’ her to leave Kiyoka. Through her pain, Miyo remembers the kindness and true care that Kiyoka offered her. She defies her parents for the first time in her life.

Outside, Kiyoka battles Miyo’s father in a duel of powers, with Kiyoka eventually triumphing. Rushing to the shed, Kiyoka discovers an injured Miyo, and Kaya with her stepmother. Furious, he warned Miyo’s family to never come between them again, and takes Miyo away in his arms.

There is a lot more to this story than I have mentioned, but I think they should be reserved for you to watch with a fresh perspective, without any spoilers.

Thoughts:

This series is a must watch. First of all, the animation is incredibly smooth and well made, especially the duel scenes between Kiyoka and Miyo’s father. Every second was made intense with the magical forces clashing against each other. Every scene displays incredible attention to detail. From hair movements to subconscious little things the characters do, this series captures it all perfectly.

This series did an amazing job of making a great spinoff of the Cinderella story. Miyo, although abused throughout her childhood, kept faith in her innocent heart that maybe, one day, her moment would come. The way Miyo slowly recovered from her traumatic past was a wholesome sight to see, even if it took a very long time.

One of my favorite characters is Kiyoka, who has a surprisingly deep lore, even though he’s normally a stock figure in the ‘cinderella’ tale. Kiyoka was always cold towards his partners, not because he was rude, but because all the women that came to him only looked for fame and glory, instead of true love. However, seeing Miyo, his cold facade melted away. Kiyoka did everything to protect her, showing how caring a person he actually was. It resonated with something inside me, that he was someone who wanted to be kind, but who was forced to steel himself against those seeking to take advantage of him. There are a lot of such tragic cases in this cruel world. So even if there’s someone who’s cold and steely on the outside, there might be a kind and caring soul, locked away inside. If we show some care and compassion towards them, their shell may just melt away…

Other characters were also well sculpted. Kaya, the main antagonist, was egotistical and rude to Miyo, wanting to take everything away from her. The selfishness of this character easily made her one of the most hated characters in my book. Even when Kiyoka carried Miyo away, Kaya still flaunted her powers, claiming to be ‘better’ than her sister every way, not realizing that the bond between Miyo and Kiyoka surpassed anything in her power.

My favorite moment of the entire series is when Miyo finally stood up against her abusive stepmother. Miyo’s heart finally found a place that she could belong in, a place that she would be comforted and loved –Kiyoka. She trusted that he would come for her, finally realizing the hope she had carried since childhood. After years of trauma and abuse, she braved her fears and faced them, by holding her dear fiance to her heart. Having finally found his one match, Kudo decided to not let go of her. With his power, he could’ve easily ignored a powerless girl brought up under harsh conditions, but he pursued his happy end with Miyo above all else. Miyo saw Kiyoka as her beacon of hope, and Kiyoka saw Miyo as his confidant. Their relationship only strengthened after this event, and this wholesome couple grew even closer.

My Happy Marriage is a masterpiece. With its beautiful animations, vibrant characters, and expansive story, it is definitely worth watching. Let’s all hope for Miyo and Kiyoka’s happy ever after.

Unfortunately for Miyo, our main character, she shows no sign of having the powers, leading to her being brought up as a servant by her abusive stepmother and stepsister – Kaya, and to her own father giving her the silent treatment.

As Miyo grows into a young woman, she is ordered by her parents to marry into the Kudou family, which, although it has one of the strongest lineages of power users in Japan, is notorious for its harshness. Kaya, by contrast, gets to marry the person Miyo has a crush on. This is devastating for her, but she silently accepts her fate and moves into her future home.

At the front door she meets Kiyoka Kudou–tall, intimidating, but shockingly handsome. His tone of voice is cold and unforgiving, but Miyo, having been mistreated her whole life, nods to everything he says, fearing that defiance will bring her death.

Surprised by Miyo’s behavior, Kiyoka’s attitude towards her begins to change. Kiyoka is taken aback by Miyo’s compliant attitude, but soon realizes the terrible things she has gone through in her family. Miyo also starts to sense the hidden kindness in Kiyoka’s words. Touched by a kindness that she had never received as a child, Miyo’s eyes start to sparkle for the first time. Slowly but surely, their relationship grows closer.

Seeing this, Kaya feels a sense of burning jealousy. Unwilling to let her ‘loser’ stepsister have such a powerful and handsome husband, along with her mother, she kidnaps Miyo off the streets, and locks her inside their cellar.

Upon hearing this news, Kiyoka is furious. He quickly marches over to Miyo’s old house, demanding their father free her. Meanwhile, Miyo is being tortured by her stepmother and stepsister, who are trying to ‘persuade’ her to leave Kiyoka. Through her pain, Miyo remembers the kindness and true care that Kiyoka offered her. She defies her parents for the first time in her life.

Outside, Kiyoka battles Miyo’s father in a duel of powers, with Kiyoka eventually triumphing. Rushing to the shed, Kiyoka discovers an injured Miyo, and Kaya with her stepmother. Furious, he warned Miyo’s family to never come between them again, and takes Miyo away in his arms.

There is a lot more to this story than I have mentioned, but I think they should be reserved for you to watch with a fresh perspective, without any spoilers.

Thoughts:

This series is a must watch. First of all, the animation is incredibly smooth and well made, especially the duel scenes between Kiyoka and Miyo’s father. Every second was made intense with the magical forces clashing against each other. Every scene displays incredible attention to detail. From hair movements to subconscious little things the characters do, this series captures it all perfectly.

This series did an amazing job of making a great spinoff of the Cinderella story. Miyo, although abused throughout her childhood, kept faith in her innocent heart that maybe, one day, her moment would come. The way Miyo slowly recovered from her traumatic past was a wholesome sight to see, even if it took a very long time.

One of my favorite characters is Kiyoka, who has a surprisingly deep lore, even though he’s normally a stock figure in the ‘cinderella’ tale. Kiyoka was always cold towards his partners, not because he was rude, but because all the women that came to him only looked for fame and glory, instead of true love. However, seeing Miyo, his cold facade melted away. Kiyoka did everything to protect her, showing how caring a person he actually was. It resonated with something inside me, that he was someone who wanted to be kind, but who was forced to steel himself against those seeking to take advantage of him. There are a lot of such tragic cases in this cruel world. So even if there’s someone who’s cold and steely on the outside, there might be a kind and caring soul, locked away inside. If we show some care and compassion towards them, their shell may just melt away…

Other characters were also well sculpted. Kaya, the main antagonist, was egotistical and rude to Miyo, wanting to take everything away from her. The selfishness of this character easily made her one of the most hated characters in my book. Even when Kiyoka carried Miyo away, Kaya still flaunted her powers, claiming to be ‘better’ than her sister every way, not realizing that the bond between Miyo and Kiyoka surpassed anything in her power.

My favorite moment of the entire series is when Miyo finally stood up against her abusive stepmother. Miyo’s heart finally found a place that she could belong in, a place that she would be comforted and loved –Kiyoka. She trusted that he would come for her, finally realizing the hope she had carried since childhood. After years of trauma and abuse, she braved her fears and faced them, by holding her dear fiance to her heart. Having finally found his one match, Kudo decided to not let go of her. With his power, he could’ve easily ignored a powerless girl brought up under harsh conditions, but he pursued his happy end with Miyo above all else. Miyo saw Kiyoka as her beacon of hope, and Kiyoka saw Miyo as his confidant. Their relationship only strengthened after this event, and this wholesome couple grew even closer.

My Happy Marriage is a masterpiece. With its beautiful animations, vibrant characters, and expansive story, it is definitely worth watching. Let’s all hope for Miyo and Kiyoka’s happy ever after.

Seeing this, Kaya feels a sense of burning jealousy. Unwilling to let her ‘loser’ stepsister have such a powerful and handsome husband, along with her mother, she kidnaps Miyo off the streets, and locks her inside their cellar.

Upon hearing this news, Kiyoka is furious. He quickly marches over to Miyo’s old house, demanding their father free her. Meanwhile, Miyo is being tortured by her stepmother and stepsister, who are trying to ‘persuade’ her to leave Kiyoka. Through her pain, Miyo remembers the kindness and true care that Kiyoka offered her. She defies her parents for the first time in her life.

Outside, Kiyoka battles Miyo’s father in a duel of powers, with Kiyoka eventually triumphing. Rushing to the shed, Kiyoka discovers an injured Miyo, and Kaya with her stepmother. Furious, he warned Miyo’s family to never come between them again, and takes Miyo away in his arms.

There is a lot more to this story than I have mentioned, but I think they should be reserved for you to watch with a fresh perspective, without any spoilers.

Thoughts:

This series is a must watch. First of all, the animation is incredibly smooth and well made, especially the duel scenes between Kiyoka and Miyo’s father. Every second is made intense with the magical forces clashing against each other. Every scene displays incredible attention to detail. From hair movements to subconscious little things the characters do, this series captures it all perfectly.

This series did an amazing job of making a great spinoff of the Cinderella story. Miyo, although abused throughout her childhood, kept faith in her innocent heart that maybe, one day, her moment would come. The way Miyo slowly recovered from her traumatic past was a wholesome sight to see, even if it took a very long time.

One of my favorite characters is Kiyoka, who has a surprisingly deep lore, even though he’s normally a stock figure in the ‘cinderella’ tale. Kiyoka was always cold towards his partners, not because he was rude, but because all the women that came to him only looked for fame and glory, instead of true love. However, seeing Miyo, his cold facade melted away. Kiyoka did everything to protect her, showing how caring a person he actually was. It resonated with something inside me, that he was someone who wanted to be kind, but who was forced to steel himself against those seeking to take advantage of him. There are a lot of such tragic cases in this cruel world. So even if there’s someone who’s cold and steely on the outside, there might be a kind and caring soul, locked away inside. If we show some care and compassion towards them, their shell may just melt away…

Other characters were also well sculpted. Kaya, the main antagonist, was egotistical and rude to Miyo, wanting to take everything away from her. The selfishness of this character easily made her one of the most hated characters in my book. Even when Kiyoka carried Miyo away, Kaya still flaunted her powers, claiming to be ‘better’ than her sister every way, not realizing that the bond between Miyo and Kiyoka surpassed anything in her power.

My favorite moment of the entire series is when Miyo finally stood up against her abusive stepmother. Miyo’s heart finally found a place that she could belong in, a place that she would be comforted and loved –Kiyoka. She trusted that he would come for her, finally realizing the hope she had carried since childhood. After years of trauma and abuse, she braved her fears and faced them, by holding her dear fiance to her heart. Having finally found his one match, Kudo decided to not let go of her. With his power, he could’ve easily ignored a powerless girl brought up under harsh conditions, but he pursued his happy end with Miyo above all else. Miyo saw Kiyoka as her beacon of hope, and Kiyoka saw Miyo as his confidant. Their relationship only strengthened after this event, and this wholesome couple grew even closer.

My Happy Marriage is a masterpiece. With its beautiful animations, vibrant characters, and expansive story, it is definitely worth watching. Let’s all hope for Miyo and Kiyoka’s happy ever after.

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