Did ‘My Happy Marriage’ Anime On Netflix, Live Up To The Manga?
Simultaneous manga and anime enjoyment and the sum of its parts
‘My Happy Marriage’ is by far one of the best mangas I’ve read already, and the year is still new. The story is heavily inspired by Cinderella and is full of extra surprises and intrigue along the way.
In the story, Miyo Saimori is mistreated by her father, stepmother, and half sister. Miyo is the product of a loveless marriage between her father and birth mother, and so after her birth mother passes away, Miyo’s father married the woman he actually loved, and had a beautiful daughter, Kaya, with her.
The problem is that Miyo is abused and used as a servant in the household and her stepmother could still be hurt that Miyo is the product of Mr. Saimori’s first marriage, when it should have been her.
To make matters worse, Miyo doesn’t have any supernatural gifts like her half-sister, and so this is also thrown in her face making her feel less valued.
Eventually Miyo is sent to be the wife of a beautiful man who's rumored to be cold and callous.
This sets the tone for the rest of the story.
The manga was hard to put down. Seriously!
Miyo is so horribly mistreated by her family, that you as the reader weep with joy when she is finally just sent away — but that is when the nightmares truly begin. Miyo is having a hard time adjusting to her new home because she is not used go such kindness and she constantly keep her head bowed low to the ground. I’m surprised her forehead isn’t bruised.
The story surprisingly includes supernatural gifts, darker elements of lore, and a tight plot that keeps you hanging on every moment. The artwork is amazing, but then again, I love the art within most mangas.
Does Netflix’s animated version hold a candle to the manga?
While reading volume 4 of My Happy Marriage, I decided to watch it on Netflix also — currently I am on episode 7 and so far I enjoy the lovely stroke of colors, how close to the dialogue it is from the manga, and the music is lovely indeed.
I get the feeling that the anime’s episodes are combining two chapters into one. For example, Episode 1 seems like a mesh of chapters 1 and 2. I wonder if most animes do this? I have not simultaneously read mangas while watching anime before, so I do don’t know.
I find myself excited about a certain scene, to be sure it is done well. Of course, some scenes from the manga were changed in the anime. for example, in volume 2 of the manga, the scene where Miyo brings Kiyoka Kudo his lunch, we “thrown” into the scene immediately and there is a little square box letting us know that Miyo wanted to do something nice for him.
In the anime, the scene is more elaborate: Yuri, Miyo’s caretake/servant gives Miyo a new satchel and they are off to bring lunch to Kudo. They meet a guard there who gawks and says, “You’re his fiancée?”
These are not major or distracting changes of course, just tiny differences.
Overall I give the manga 5/5 stars and the anime 5/5 stars too!
Thank you for reading!
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