When you think about the My Happy Marriage manga, you probably think the story must be about the hurdles a woman has to face before it leads her to a happy marriage.

You know, something akin to a Harlequin novel and manga?

Well, you’re not wrong about that, considering that’s the manga’s whole premise.

But that’s not the only thing you’ll get out of this manga.

I’ll elaborate more about it later in this blog post.

But suffice it for me to say, this manga is more than just a romance manga.

So, don’t be fooled by the title, which is what I’d like to warn you.

To be honest, I can’t say how good the anime or the live-action drama is if you’ve seen one.

But if you want more Miyo and Kiyoka, then I don’t see anything wrong with giving the manga a shot.

What My Happy Marriage manga is all about

Here’s the book description that I got from Amazon.

Considered nigh worthless for having failed to inherit the superhuman powers of the bloodlines into which she was born, Miyo Saimori lives her days unwanted and unloved.

Her stepmother and very own father have little time or affection for her, and Miyo must suffer being treated as a servant by her half sister who, unlike Miyo, is blessed with the unusual powers of their blood.

Ultimately seen as nothing more than a nuisance and a drain on the family wealth, Miyo is packed off to the Kudo house as a bridal candidate for its heir, Kiyoka Kudo.

Whispers abound about the Kudo clan, the most powerful in all the land, but will the allegedly cold and cruel house into which Miyo aims to marry prove much warmer than the family she left behind?

What got me to read this manga

Okay, I admit that I’m not much into romance manga.

Thus, you only see a handful of them on this blog, such as Purikyuu and Penguin Prince by Motomi Kyosuke, and Hi, I’m a Witch manga.

Since I’m not reading that many romance manga, what is it that got me drawn to the manga?

Is it because I can read it for free on Manga UP!?

Well, I won’t deny that was part of it.

But another reason is that I was kind of curious about the manga.

As you can see here, I actually did want to give the anime a try when it came out.

It’s just that I didn’t have the chance to do so.

Now that I can read the manga on Manga UP!, I figure I should just give it a try and see for myself how good it is.

What makes My Happy Marriage manga worth reading

On the surface, the manga is what you would expect from a romance manga, specifically, a historical romance manga.

For one, we have Miyo, who comes from a well-known Saimori family. Her family wanted her to marry Kiyoka Kudo, who comes from a long line of family who serve in the military.

In case you’re wondering, this Kudo family is powerful.

While it’s all good, the issue with this Kiyoka Kudo guy is that he sent many women who were betrothed to him packing.

That’s not a good sign, of course, but that’s not unusual either.

Pretty much every romance manga will always feature the male lead with a significant flaw.

It can be something like he has a reputation for not treating women well, or he’s just a plain womanizer.

If the story can feel like a generic historical romance manga, then what is it that makes the manga an interesting read?

Well, I will say it’s the supernatural element and the mystery that surrounds Miyo’s unrealized power and her late mother’s family background.

And I will say it’s also interesting to see Miyo’s progression from someone who lacks self-confidence to someone who can stand side-by-side with Kiyoka.

Some of you may think the supernatural and mystery elements may seem like an afterthought in a manga like this.

But I assure you, those supernatural and mystery plots are just as important as the relationship between Miyo and Kiyoka.

If anything, they’re the things that strengthen their relationship in the first place.

What I didn’t expect when reading the manga

What is a romance manga without the presence of a third wheel?

The more of them, the merrier it will be, since that’s how you add complexity into the story.

But truthfully, I hate this kind of story because I believe you can make the story exciting without having to add tons of third wheels.

The only third wheel story that I can tolerate is Ranma 1/2.

But then again, you don’t categorize Ranma 1/2 as a romance manga since that’s not what it is.

Does it mean there’s no third wheel presence in My Happy Marriage, you ask?

Sad to say, you will still see third wheels in this manga.

But unlike the romance manga that has third wheels as its main premise, the third wheels in this manga feel like an afterthought.

Yes, you need them to make sense of the story, or perhaps to move the story forward.

But their roles in this manga don’t feel like you want to pull your hair out.

I can’t say for sure if we’ll see more of third wheels making their way into the story, considering that the manga is still ongoing.

Judging from the recent chapter on Manga UP!, it doesn’t seem to be that way.

If anything, what awaits them seems far more serious than the presence of a third wheel.

Who should read this manga?

There’s no doubt you should give this manga a try if you’ve already watched the anime or the live-action drama.

But if you’re into reading historical romance manga, especially the ones that offer more than just a love story, then this manga is a must-read.

And if you prefer a story that doesn’t revolve around annoying third wheels?

Well, you can rest assured that the manga doesn’t have that many pesky third wheels, at least for now.

It’s hard to say for now, considering the manga is still ongoing.

But it doesn’t look like we’ll have another third wheel coming out soon, based on the recent chapter.

Where to read My Happy Marriage manga

As you already know, you can read the manga for free on the Manga UP! website and app.

But you will need the XP points to read the latest chapter, though, which you can buy from your account if you run out of them.

You can also buy the XP for less during their XP sales, which tend to be in the last week of each month.

Alternatively, you can also opt for their Vault Pass monthly subscription, which gives you access to more than 30,000 chapters on the platform.

Want to give the manga a try?

You can read the manga right here on Manga UP!

Read My Happy Marriage manga on Manga UP!

Do you want to get your own copy? You can buy the manga in digital or print form on Amazon:

Buy My Happy Marriage Vol. 1 manga on Amazon

You can buy the manga on Bookwalker as well if you prefer:

Buy My Happy Marriage Vol. 1 manga on Bookwalker

Prefer to read the manga in Japanese?

You can get the print version of the manga in Japanese at CDJapan:

Buy My Happy Marriage manga in Japanese at CDJapan

Over to you

What do you think about My Happy Marriage manga? Are you interested in reading the manga after reading about it on my blog?

Let me know in the comments.