Images: Kinema Citrus
The narrative jumps from one point to another in My Happy Marriage Season 2’s latest episode, and it’s not doing the show any favours.
Episode 7 is chock-full of sweet moments between Kiyoka and Miyo, something that’s definitely needed as the story unravels this season. However, desired as it may be, one can’t help but feel like the pacing is incredibly scattershot. Everything is happening too fast, and yet too slow, at the same time.
Spoiler warning: major plot points ahead
But as much as I’d love to complain about the pacing of season 2, specficially with the disastrous episode that was The Man Called Naoshi Usui haunting me still, Episode 7, titled A New Year’s Commotion, has just the right amount of fluff and drama to distract me from the stewing disappointment I’m feeling.
The struggle of adapting this anime from its source material is evident
Is it just me, or is the establishment of time and setting in My Happy Marriage getting blurrier than ever? There’s not really enough markers in the show to establish months or time periods, given that it portrays a fictionalised version of the Meiji and Taisho eras. It’s proven to be a bit of a detriment to its worldbuilding. Time seems to fly by with rapid momentum, taking me out of enjoying the show altogether at some points.
The general consensus online for Episode 7 appears to be that it’s quite relaxing, given all of the drama in the past, but I just can’t bring myself to agree. I’ve been a casual fan of the series, and read the few available volumes of light novels it’s based on. My Happy Marriage’s first season tackled the first two volumes of the series, which to me, is perfectly workable and doesn’t create too many pacing issues.
Season 1 did have some hiccups during the last few episodes of Arata’s introductory arc, but it’s nothing atrocious enough to make it a defining failure of the series. So why is Season 2’s pacing this bad?
There’s no official confirmation about the specific volumes the second season is pulling from, but community discussions have revealed that the series finished covering a whole volume (the third, specifically) by Episode 2, with the rest of the season projected to pull from volumes 4 to 6. The breakneck speed at which this anime adaptation takes from its source material is confusing, and doesn’t do the show any good in the long-run. As much as the showrunners wish to streamline events to make for a more palatable show, it’s clearly not working in their favour.
I appreciate all the Miyo and Kiyoka fluff
Miyo and Kiyoka’s engagement period feels arduously long, given how much romance we’re getting from their relationship. The episode starts out with a sweet New Year’s eve celebration culminating in the couple’s second kiss of the whole series, and jumps to the next day, where they do their hatsumode–the first shrine visit of the year.
The atmosphere wants to make you believe that this episode will pace itself in a more relaxed way, since the first 6 minutes or so just focus on giving you that Miyo-Kiyoka fluff, but then you’re pulled away from that sweet moment immediately, with the appearance of the Gifted Communion attempting to recruit more followers in the midst of the celebrations. And then suddenly, we’re back to planning against the cult, with characters info-dumping on the government and the Gifted Communion, without so much as a warning.
After which, we jump to Miyo dreaming of Sumi and Usui’s past together, in a scene that explores their close relationship and dynamic, before Usui looks at Miyo, as if sensing her presence there. This scene alone could have been the peak of this episode, as it begs the question of Miyo’s ability: is it more about looking into the past, or physically visiting it? But the emphasis on what should be considered a pivotal moment is overshadowed by the anime jumping from one big thing to another.
This mystery is shoved in the corner when Kiyoka brings up Arata’s sudden disappearance, then shoves Arata’s disappearance into another corner to showcase the grandeur of the imperial palace. And then it tells viewers that Miyo will be staying at the palace alongside Prince Takahito, to be protected by the anti-grotesquerie unit from Usui. But then Arata suddenly makes an appearance, so what was the point of him vanishing into thin air for a moment in time? Wasn’t he at the celebratory new year’s dinner literally just yesterday?
This season is pulling viewers in multiple directions without even giving them room to process and breathe.
Look, I appreciate how much Miyo x Kiyoka content we got in this episode… truth be told, it’s the only silver lining that kept me from total despair over its pacing. There’s still a hint of intrigue, albeit shoved down your throat, that definitely piques interest. What’s going to happen next, and what will Arata do, knowing he’s conflicted about Usui’s proposition? Is Arata looking to betray Miyo and Kiyoka? Or will this be another ploy to bring Usui down? How exactly will Miyo unlock her full potential as the Maiden of Dreamsight? We’ll just have to wait and see.
If you want to glean more information, look into missed details, or just read our thoughts on each episode, we’ve compiled a My Happy Marriage Season 2 review collection for your perusal!
