Review of My Happy Marriage

I picked this anime up because it was my comfort genre, a period romance with a bit of magic and duels. what more could you want? But it far exceeded my expectations, both in terms of its writing and production. The story is yet another adaptation of a Cinderella-esque structure with an overpowered Male lead who swoops in to save the Female lead from the clutches of abuse and unhappiness. But here it diverts from the tropes a bit and we are presented with a story, although quite simple but more dramatic and political at its roots. It starts slow, but the story quickly picks up aplot that spans a political motive, negotiations between noble families, and pretty good action set pieces for a romance-drama anime. The characters are simple, rememberable, and conveyed very aptly. I like that most of the screen time is given to exploring the Female lead and her perspective rather than other events that happen in tandem. I wish though, that we get more about the Male lead as well in the second season.

The production is excellent. With the budget they were given, the studio has put out beautiful animated sequences and the character designs are pleasing to look at, to say the least. The sound design and the soundtrack itself are great as well. It lacks a bit in its thematic areas but overall the music goes pretty well in most of the episodes.

It's a really easy watch for those who like this genre but I would not recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone not accustomed to the genre and its slow progression of plot. Eager to see how they improve in the second season.

8/10