Among the upcoming Summer anime, viewers greatly anticipate a formerly unknown series entitled My Happy Marriage. MyAnimeList users rank this fantasy romance in the Top 10 most popular series. Sitting in the tenth spot, it has over 41,000 members waiting for the debut episode in July. From the trailers alone, My Happy Marriage is already becoming a stand-out series, especially among romance anime.
Often, an anime will gain traction prior to its premiere as a result of its original publication as a manga or, in certain situations, a video game. My Happy Marriage, on the other hand, is based on an original novel that was not immediately popular. While it received a manga adaptation that garnered a larger fan following than the novel, the story's fame did not spread until the announcement of the anime. More than just exquisite animation, the teasers have hinted at how My Happy Marriage could alter the romance genre for the better and be one of the best anime of the Summer, if not the entire year.
A Dramatic Cinderella Story
The new anime romance My Happy Marriage takes on the unique setting of 19th-century Japan and, interestingly enough, adds supernatural elements to it. This setting is fairly identical to the historic Meiji Restoration era, but throughout the fictional society is a unique supernatural hierarchy. From the trailers alone, there's certainly the pressure of gender roles matching the old-fashion aesthetics of this setting. However, in a world where people are capable of psychic abilities, there's also favor toward those with that power above those who don't. The protagonist, Miyo, is a woman with no psychic abilities who is mistreated by her own father, stepmother, and step-sister. Never understanding happiness, Miyo spends most of her days in misery.
Miyo, who has a Cinderella-esque history, mourns the loss of her mother, who has been replaced by her father's new bride. Miyo is treated like a servant by her negligent father, nasty stepmother, and step-sister, who has psychic skills. Her sole escape from this daily misery is her unexpected marriage to Kiyoka Kudou, a famously nasty military commander. As the teaser demonstrates, the captain is not at all what people have described him to be. This tragic relationship appears to be centred on a fantastic story of discovering one's self-worth in an unforgiving environment.
A Significant Change To The Formula
In many ways, My Happy Marriage is shaping up to be a unique and original romance series, which is great news for a genre so oversaturated with the same few settings and repeated tropes. For starters, it's incredibly rare for a series that isn't action-based to take place in a historical and fantasy setting. For a series so centered around romance, the supernatural elements of psychic abilities might appear random but already prove to serve a significant purpose for the character dynamics and potentially the plot. Many viewers excited about this series are especially thrilled for these reasons and the main couple.
While everything else in Miyo's life turns out to be painful and discouraging, she finally finds something positive in her life thanks to her surprisingly good relationship with Kiyoka, the captain. The trailer shows the potential of a wholesome romance between them and even signs that they may learn from one another in the best ways. So many viewers are tired of the usual romance tropes of "enemies to lovers" or tense romances, filled with disdain and rejection, and ultimately toxic. The relationship between Miyo and Kiyoka appears to have minimal drama and comes with wonderful character development supported by genuine love and care. Certainly, drama surrounds their relationship, but there's a sense of hope that they will somehow find a way through together.
There is also something to be said about a romance that involves legal adults, another detail rarely seen in romance anime. Based on the original novel, Miyo is 19 years old, and Kiyoka is 27. Despite the concern of age gap tropes, at least no minors are involved. With the potential to relate to older female viewers, this series could align with many josei series, one of the rarest demographics among manga and anime. My Happy Marriage has immense potential to shake up the anime industry in the best way.
With trailers alone, My Happy Marriage is building up a large fanbase of viewers waiting in great anticipation for its debut on July 5, 2023. With enough nuance and wholly original details incorporated, this series could certainly be worth the hype. My Happy Marriage is steadily proving to be something special. The anime community will see what this story is made of as it debuts throughout the summer months.
