My Happy Marriage, Vol. 1 by Akumi Agitogi, Rito Kohsaka, Tsukiho Tsukioka
Series Name: My Happy Marriage (Manga)
Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-64609-146-1
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book
All She wanted was a bit of happiness…
Considered night worthless for having failed to inherit the superhuman powers of the bloodlines into which she was born, Miyo Saimori lives her days unwanted and unloved.
Her stepmother and very own father have little time or affection for her, and Miyo must suffer being treated as a servant by her half sister who, unlike Miyo, is blessed with the unusual powers of their blood.
Ultimately seen as nothing more than a nuisance and a drain on the family wealth, Miyo is packed off to the Kudo house as a bridal candidate for its heir, Kiyoka Kudo.
Whispers abound about the Kudo clan, the most powerful in all the land, but will the allegedly cold and cruel ouse into which Miyo aims to marry prove much warmer than the family she left behind?
Personal & Info
This is a fairly new release. It came out the same day as The Apothecary Diaries volume 6. I’ve seen it around a bit since the release, so when I saw it at my local bookstore, I decided to look into it.
This is apparently the manga version of the series, because there is also a light novel series. However, they are both extremely new to the English translation right now, so I don’t think it matters which one I start first. I think the light novel has a little more out than the manga does, but the manga was right there, so I wouldn’t have to order it.
Characters
Miyo Saimori is the main character. She experiences abuse from her own family, and is sent to court a man everyone considers cruel. Nobody expects her to stay long.
Kiyoka Kudo is the love interest of the story. Everyone thinks he is too cruel for anyone to marry, but he has high political standing and wealth, so many families try to arrange a marriage anyway. Most end in failure within a three day time period.
Yurie is Kiyoka’s housekeeper. She has taken care of him since he was young, and he trusts her implicitly. She is a very kind older woman.
Kanoko is Miyo’s step mother. She is a mean woman who resents Miyo. Her name does not come up in the volume, as far as I can remember, but it does in the short story at the end of the book.
Kaya is Miyo’s younger half sister. She receives everything Miyo does not.
Koji Tatsuishi is Miyo’s childhood friend, and the only person who is ever kind to her while she lives at home.
Shinichi Saimori is Miyo’s father. He cares not a whit for Miyo.
Sumi Usuba is Miyo’s mother. With this being a Cinderella inspired story, she is not around. We only see her in flashbacks.
Story & Thoughts
Halfway through the first chapter and this story already pulls on my heart strings. I was not expecting this to be this good. The cover doesn’t stand out to me, and the synopsis sounds mediocre, but dang. I’m going to have to keep reading the series.
The tone of the story comes off as rather serious. Miyo is a woman with a broken spirit. She’s sent to the Kudo household fully expecting to either be sent away or die there. She doesn’t even care which result occurs because either of them would be preferable to going back home, which she can’t do anyway.
There is some intrigue going on in the background, because it turns out the paranormal ability from the Usuba bloodline is special. There are people who want it. Even if Miyo herself does not have it, there’s still a good chance it could pass to her children. You know, because that’s how genetics work.
I don’t want to say too much, because I don’t want to detract from the experience of reading the book yourself. Just know that I am very interested in seeing where the story goes from here. I want to know what becomes of Miyo’s life under Kudo’s roof.
Combs and Memories
This is a short story in the back of the book. It’s about seven pages long. Miyo reminisces about a servant’s kindness regarding a comb. This is a novel style story, and if the light novel is anything like this, I’ll probably like that, too. I will likely get that version of this series eventually.