My Happy Marriage – Season 1 Episode 2 Recap & Review

About My Husband-to-Be

Episode 2 of My Happy Marriage Season 1 begins with Kiyoka explaining his household rules to Miyo. Afterward, Yurie shows Miyo to her quarters and tells Miyo that Kiyotaka is a kind-hearted gentleman despite the rumors. As Miyo sleeps, she questions if Kiyotaka believes she has supernatural powers since she was born into the Saimori family.

We cut to a flashback of Shinichi checking to see if Miyo or Kaya was born with Spirit-Sight. Kaya is frightened of the Grotesqueries (spirits) originating from Shinichi’s box. Shinichi congratulates Kaya for seeing spirits and says she’ll possibly obtain supernatural powers one day. Six months later, Kaya’s abilities grow stronger while Miyo’s unable to use Spirit-Sight at all, according to Kanoko. Miyo talks to one of the female staff and lets out her frustrations with her family. She feels unwanted because of the ways they belittle and mistreat her.

Miyo wakes up from her dream and plans to be useful to Kiyotaka and Yurie. Yurie notices Miyo making food. Miyo apologizes for not asking for permission, but Yurie says it’s okay. Yurie tells Miyo that preparing meals is her job, so she thanks Miyo for lending a hand. Yurie asks Miyo if she could make breakfast, so Yurie can work on other tasks, and Miyo gladly accepts. Eventually, Kiyotaka wakes up, and Yurie hands him the breakfast Miyo made. Kiyotaka orders Miyo to eat the dish, but she doesn’t respond in the way he expects. Therefore, he refuses to eat the meal. Kiyotaka tells Miyo to try harder next time and leaves the room.

We cut to Kiyotaka and his comrade welcoming the new Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit recruits. He says through sheer discipline, Kiyotaka will help them sharpen their supernatural abilities like telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and clairvoyance. His comrade explains that Grotesqueries have lived in their world for a long time and are harmful to humans. Therefore, the recruits must use their supernatural abilities to stop these demons and spirits.

Kiyotaka overhears some recruits complaining and demonstrates his powers. He explains Grotesqueries have diminished over time, but that doesn’t mean they should relax, as they can sprout their heads anytime.

As Kiyotaka handles some paperwork in his office, his comrade enters his office to deliver more paperwork. He irritates Kiyotaka because he knows Kiyotaka has a new fiancee. Kiyotaka tells him to leave him alone. He then remembers a discussion he had with Yurie before fleeing to the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Headquarters. Yurie defends Miyo’s dish and tells Kiyotaka not to think poorly of her. In the present, Kiyotaka questions Yurie’s judgment but lets it go to focus on his work. At the same time, Miyo questions if she made the right decision and wonders if she should leave Kiyotaka’s household.

Meanwhile, Shinichi tells Koji that his room is ready and that he should start preparing to enter the family. Koji bumps into Kaya and her female servants. He offers to lend them a hand with moving Kaya’s things to Miyo’s old room.

In Miyo’s old room, Koji declares he still holds Miyo close to his heart and questions if there’s anything he can still do for her. We transition to Miyo welcoming Kiyotaka home and apologizing for her cooking. She informs Kiyotaka that Yurie prepared his meal this time and promises she didn’t put poison in the dish she made for him. Kiyotaka admits that he was only worried about eating food prepared by a stranger and didn’t suspect her of ill intent.

Kiyotaka and Miyo revisit his eating quarters, and he tries Yurie’s food. He complains about how cold it tastes, and Miyo consistently apologizes. Kiyotaka tells her to stop apologizing so much and asks her why she didn’t make a meal for herself. He wonders why Yurie didn’t make her a meal, but Miyo says she didn’t have an appetite to avoid Kiyotaka looking down on Yurie in the future. Miyo offers to make Kiyotaka’s bath, but he tells her not to worry about it and to stop doing unnecessary things, making Miyo feel useless.

Later, Kiyotaka apologizes to Miyo for not eating her breakfast and says Miyo’s in charge of making him breakfast since Yurie won’t be able to come in tomorrow. He suggests she take a bath while the water is hot and leaves. Miyo vows not to mess things up tomorrow since Kiyotaka gave her another shot. We cut to a flashback involving Hana (Miyo’s servant friend) and Miyo as a child. Miyo tells Hana that her mother’s kimono and heirlooms are missing. Miyo confronts Kanoko about the matter, and Kanoko abuses Miyo for accusing her of stealing. Kanoko steps on Miyo’s mother’s comb and locks her away as punishment.

Miyo awakens from that dream and uses her mother’s comb to brush her hair. She wonders what happened to Hana after she got fired that day. Yurie arrives, shocking Miyo. She tells Miyo that she came early today because she was concerned about what happened yesterday. Miyo explains what occurred between her and Kiyotaka, and Yurie’s glad things worked out. Yurie assists Miyo with the breakfast. Miyo wonders if Kiyotaka will prepare a dish made by someone like her. Kiyotaka complements Miyo on her cooking, resulting in her being driven to tears and apologizing again.

Kiyotaka ponders Miyo’s circumstances alone and wonders why she wears rugged clothing and acts the way she does, despite coming from a prominent family. He asks Yurie if he should ask her questions about her life. Kiyotaka plans to look into the Saimori family and wants Yurie to keep a watchful eye on Miyo. Yurie says Miyo won’t like her if he doesn’t express his feelings. Kiyotaka confirms his former spouses were after his wealth and status, so he doesn’t mind if Miyo doesn’t like him.

Meanwhile, Koji’s father yells at Shinichi for not fulfilling his deal regarding Miyo. The episode closes revealing that Miyo was supposed to be given to the Tatsuishi family and not to be sent to Kudo’s place.

The Episode Review

My Happy Marriage continues shedding more light on Miyo’s character and highlighting the torment she went through with her family after her mother’s passing. From Kanoko stepping on her mother’s treasure to her father refusing to show her any sympathy when she gets locked in a shed for her behavior, many viewers can sympathize and understand why Miyo became the insecure person she is now.

Although Kiyotaka’s not the most uplifting person, he showers Miyo with enough kindness and consideration to make her feel joyous and important. It was nice seeing him compliment Miyo’s cooking and apologize to her for assuming her first meal was filled with poison. While this episode had gorgeous visuals and great story beats, some moments were difficult to follow. This episode jumped between many perspectives and situations often. 

This could be challenging for those who want to digest the important details shared in this chapter. Along with the questionable statement made during this chapter’s conclusion, it’s difficult to declare this episode as a flawless addition. Nevertheless, episode two had a lot of relatable content and charming moments that’ll help them stay invested in Miyo and Kiyotaka’s romantic affairs. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of Kiyotaka’s investigation into the Saimori family.