Review of My Happy Marriage

This is a beautifully done "damsel-in-distress needs saving" anime but with a twist: there is magic. Story: 7/10 The plot has been done so many times throughout literature and media. A damsel in a toxic environment that needs saving. This anime doesn't focus on that aspect a lot; a majority of it is about Mio healing from her traumas. It's a slow burn and her healing is also as slow. It gets frustrating at times because you want her to man up and stand up for herself, but it takes on a realistic approach of a character not changing over night. She still has trauma responseseven though she is out of the toxic environment. The romance is nice, too. It's cheesy. Its sweet.

Art: 9/10
Its beautifully drawn. I love all the cherry blossom motifs and magic animation. It's on a similar level to Demon Slayer in animation (with less budget). Any shortcuts taken by the team is overshadowed by beautiful backgrounds and storytelling.

Sound: 7/10
The dub and sub are both great. Usually dubbing puts me off, but theyre both wonderfully casted. The soundtrack fits well with the show, too.

Character: 7/10
There is depth to the characters. Well, there is enough depth to tell the story and the MCs, but some of the side characters are just there. Very few of the side characters have depth to them other than "I grew up privileged so I'm mean." The show did amazingly focused on Mio (as expected as she's the main character). Kudo's character is a bit more nuanced. They don't established well enough other than being the lover who loves unconditionally.

Overall: I enjoyed this anime. I wouldn't mind watching S2. Its beautifully made but it falls victim to being cliche.