English Dub Review: My Happy Marriage “Promise”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Determined to save her fiancee, Miyo sneaks out and runs into a young boy with a familiar face.  Later, she dreams of a tragic promise from the past.

Our Take:

I feel like this is the second time this week that an anime has a climax that’s full of despair and worry.  Seriously, it’s starting to resemble life itself.  The shocking shift, at least in this show, is primarily due to Arata, Miyo’s “trusted” cousin, who stabs Kiyoka in the back and frames him for the plot against the Emperor.  Regardless of the reason behind Arata’s actions, he certainly deserves a beating for disrupting Miyo and Kiyoka’s happy marriage and betraying his own family.  While we don’t know whether Arata will receive this punishment, we do see Miyo finally taking matters into her own hands to compensate for her confrontation with the Grotesquerie.

Most fairy tales usually have the traditional narrative involving a man rescuing the damsel in distress from certain danger until recently.  Now, it’s the other way around to showcase a woman’s independence.  My Happy Marriage continues to be no exception, as season two copies off the season one finale by having Miyo do the rescuing.  Of course, she receives additional help from a surprising ally: a shiki resembling a young boy who is revealed to be Kiyoka’s apprentice.  Identified by Miyo as “Kiyo”, the young boy serves as a temporary assistant in Miyo’s quest to rescue her fiancé.

However, the real heart of the episode is its further examination of Usui’s past, mainly his relationship with Sumi.  In addition to Usui breaking the rule of not hurting normal people, the episode showcases his sorrowful path to villainy due to a broken promise.  Sumi’s engagement with the Saimoris caused a chain reaction that left Usui heartbroken, causing him to be the person he is now.  This shines a more understanding light on Usui’s seemingly mischievous personality, which is enough to make him more of a formidable foe for Miyo’s future and the season overall.  With the second season drawing close to its conclusion, we can only hope that Miyo is ready to face this threat head-on with her Dream Sight ability.