My Happy Marriage Season 2 Episode 11 struggled with pacing issues, but it showed us what girl power is all about.
My Happy Marriage is on a roll with its last few episodes of Season 2, and although we got the unfortunate news of the last two episodes being delayed, the excruciating wait for the finale is worth it, because Miyo has finally showcased the true extent of her power. She’s not about to let anyone take away her happiness, and I’m here for it.
Spoiler warning: major plot points ahead.
With Episode 10, titled “Promise” letting Miyo harness the full capability of her Dream-Sight, Episode 11, “ A Resolute Departure”, shows us just how powerful she is, now that she isn’t being held back by her own self-doubts. The episode is great at pointing out the fruits of Miyo’s character growth in the span of two seasons, and it’s a sight to behold indeed. But what really made this episode for me is Fuyu. Yes, Kiyoka’s overbearing, annoying mother, who has grown since the last time we saw her.
Fuyu, I will no longer catch you
I’ve been honest with the fact that I don't think highly of Fuyu. In Episode 2, she was completely domineering and antagonistic towards Miyo, and was an overall unbearable character to watch, with how full of disdain she was towards Miyo and Kiyoka’s engagement. In Episode 3, I even declared that if Fuyu didn’t get a satisfactory redemption arc, I would resume being her certified hater.
Look, it’s not all that satisfactory if I have to be honest, but I can’t deny that Fuyu certainly changed for the better. When she talked about how she used to dislike Miyo and then came to realise her better qualities, it warmed my heart to see that she was genuinely trying to be the mother-in-law that Miyo deserved. Sure, we were robbed of Sumi and Miyo’s relationship, but seeing Fuyu try to be the mother Miyo never had was a great step forward for her character.
So yes, Fuyu, I will no longer catch you. You will no longer get these hands.
Miyo and Kiyoka reunite
Although Miyo and Kiyoka reunite in this episode, the observations I’ve made about the anime’s pacing back in Episode 7 is very evident in Episode 11. Everything feels like it’s happening too quickly and it feels like you’re running out of breath by just watching. Scenarios are thrown at you with full force, and convenient details make it feel like the writers for this episode are simply trying to squeeze in as much of the original material as possible before the anime ends.
This pacing issue actually harms Miyo a bit. At the latter half of her, Kiyo, and Kazushi’s infiltration of Usui’s base, she comes across a grotesquerie she can’t seem to bring down the barrier hindering her ability. But instead of exploring more about how Miyo can overcome this hurdle, the convenience of ending up in Kiyoka’s prison cell takes away from what could have been another compelling moment of self-growth for Miyo. But you know, at the end of the day, it’s still a romance anime.
Arata and Usui when I catch you Arata and Usui
When you think about it, Arata and Usui are just reflections of each other. Both of them are driven by an obsession; Usui is obsessed with what he perceives as Sumi’s will, and Arata is obsessed with finding meaning disguised as his will for the Usuba family.
Through it all, I’ve always held a fading hope that Arata’s just pulling a fast one on us, but it’s clear that he’s truly lost his way. It’s not like I think this isn't a good direction to his character, considering how he was put in his place last season, but it begs the question: how can Arata overcome this? What kind of redemption could be possible for him, considering that there’s only one more episode to go before the season comes to an end?
Usui’s characterisation is no doubt better than Arata’s at this point, given that the past episodes humanised him greatly, by showing us just how broken he was at the loss of Sumi. I can’t wait for him to finally get the dose of reality he deserves.
But at the end of the day, Arata’s an incredibly wasted character. I just hope a third season comes around to fix this season’s mistakes.
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!
