My Happy Marriage is not just another Cinderella story (and episode 5 makes it clear)

My Happy Marriage is a fantasy romance anime that debuted recently, captivating audiences worldwide. Adapted from a Japanese light novel written by Akumi Agitogi and illustrated by Tsukiho Tsukioka, the series has created a surreal world of fiction with its story of a lonely girl in an abusive environment and a man who changes her life. The anime is now being hailed as the Japanese Cinderella.

Although both stories share significant parallels, My Happy Marriage is far from being just another Cinderella story. With the essence of a fairy tale, the story becomes more intense and holds its own distinctive aspects that set it apart from any other story.

In a time of complex, twisted love stories, it's a tale of comfort, understanding, healing, and blooming love just like cherry blossoms - beautiful and pure.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.

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My Happy Marriage portrays the true essence of a fairytale couple

My Happy Marriage: Kudou and Miyo (Image via Kinema Citrus)

Cinderella is an iconic folklore that narrates the journey of an orphaned girl mistreated by her stepfamily but an encounter with a fairy godmother transforms her life, enabling her attendance at a royal ball.

There, she falls in love with the prince but flees, leaving behind a glass sandel. The prince's search, guided by the sandel, leads to their joyful happily ever after.

However, this isn't Cinderella's story; it's the story of the beautiful Miyo Saimori. Unlike Cinderella, the heroine of My Happy Family wasn't fortunate enough to be blessed by a fairy godmother. Nor did she meet her partner at a grand ball. Instead, she was discarded like old furniture by her family and sent to a stranger's place, believing that the man would eventually cast her aside too.

Kudou, the stranger who was now her fiancée, turns out to be her true prince charming. He not only accepted her but also chose to stand by her side in the face of society. He didn't stop there, as any other prince might have. He explored her past, learned about her traumas and fears, and decided to help her heal.

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Kiyoka Kudou - The perfect male lead from My Happy Marriage

Kudou as seen in My Happy Marriage (Image via Kinema Citrus)

Kiyoka Kudou is the head of the Kudou family and the commander of the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit. He was presented as a charming man with long hair tied in a ponytail.

His dreamy appearance was balanced by his seemingly cold and strict nature, but as the story of My Happy Marriage progressed, he was revealed to be a kind man with a heart of gold.

Initially, when Miyo arrived at his doorstep as his new fiancée, he didn't seem to care about her much, suspecting that she might have some greedy motive like girls who came there before. However, as his doubts began to clear, he started to care about her, becoming more understanding and loving as time went on.

Throughout the anime, fans could witness how he gradually helped her realize that the cruel words she had been fed since childhood, such as 'worthless', did not define her reality.

He made her see that she deserved happiness and that someone cherished her for what she was. Kiyoka Kudou set the bar high as the perfect hero of the story.

Unlike other heroes, he didn't just rescue her from her traumas; he also confronted the people responsible to make them face the consequences of their actions. As seen in episode 4, he confronted Miyo Saimori's abusive family and demanded they apologize to her.

This showcased his deep respect for her and his strong desire for her to move on from her past while healing both seen and unseen wounds.

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Miyo Saimori - The perfect female lead from My Happy Marriage

Miyo as seen in My Happy Marriage (Image via Kinema Citrus)

Miyo Saimori is a young girl born into a family of gifted individuals with supernatural abilities. However, she was seen as lacking such abilities, which served as the final straw for her father to cast her aside, resulting in her receiving inhumane treatment from her stepmother and stepsister.

She was physically and mentally abused for years by her own family, even more so after losing her mother at a young age. Treated as a servant and subjected to discrimination, she was denied the luxuries her stepsister enjoyed, and education was out of her reach.

Trapped in a life where she was brainwashed into believing she was worthless, unlovable, a nuisance, and undeserving of respect.

The hardship ended when she went to stay with her fiancé, Kudou. Though she found a place to live where she wasn't treated poorly, the constant fear of being deemed a burden held her back from fully embracing her new reality.

Slowly, as she opened up, she realized that Kudou was unlike any other man she had encountered.

Kodou accepted her even without supernatural abilities, going so far as to invite a lady who had worked at her childhood home and lost her job defending Miyo from mistreatment by her family.

In episode 4, Miyo encountered her stepsister and her fiancé, causing old wounds to reopen and her progress to regress. However, upon meeting the former worker, Hana, she recognized her own value in Kudou's eyes and the efforts he had made for her.

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Final thoughts

Kudou and Miyo as seen in My Happy Marriage (Image via Kinema Citrus)

My Happy Marriage offers a unique perspective on the typical fairytale narrative where the hero rescues the heroine. In this story, the hero does indeed come to the rescue, but he goes beyond that by exposing the world's mistake in mistreating her. He doesn't leave her to fight her battles alone; instead, he stands by her side, facing everything together.

Miyo Saimori's soft and kind character has garnered sympathy and has emotionally connected with fans. Their collective desire to witness her overcome hardship and blossom into a strong lady in the healthy environment provided by Kudou adds an extra layer of anticipation to the unfolding story of My Happy Marriage.