My Happy Marriage – Season 1 Episode 4 Recap & Review

 The Gift

Episode 4 of My Happy Marriage begins with Miyo seeing Sumi ask Shinichi not to abandon Miyo. Shinichi refuses, resulting in Sumi apologizing to Miyo and telling her things will be different for her in the future. Miyo awakens from the dream, visits Yurie, and tells her she wants to get something for Kiyotaka.

Yurie offers to help Miyo find Kiyotaka a gift. She suggests Miyo make or get Kiyotaka a gift he can use daily. Yurie hands her a handicraft guide. Miyo loves the braided cords in the book. She decides she wants to make Kiyotaka one. Miyo asks Kiyotaka if she can leave the house for an errand and promises Yurie will tag along. Although he says she can wait another day for him to go, Kiyotaka accepts but asks her not to follow any strangers.

Kiyotaka hands Miyo an amulet and tells her to keep it with her. We receive a scene of Kazushi (Koji’s older brother) messing with Koji. Afterwards, Miyo and Yurie visit a shop to pick up a braid that’ll suit Kiyotaka. Once Miyo finds the perfect color, they leave the shop. However, Yurie forgot to shop for salt, so she asks Miyo to stay put until she returns. Suddenly Miyo notices Kaya and Koji in the distance.

Meanwhile, Kiyotaka visits Shinichi at his home and tells him he wants to make his engagement with Miyo official. Further, Kiyotaka intends to establish a relationship between their families and tells Shinichi he knows of the things he did to Miyo. At the same time, Kaya criticizes Miyo and believes Kiyotaka abandoned her because she’s still wearing the same ragged kimono. Kiyotaka tells Shinichi that he has no issue in providing him with Miyo’s dowry. However, he must apologize to her face-to-face. Otherwise, Kiyotaka promises to cut ties with him.

Suddenly, Yurie returns, and Kaya introduces herself to her. Yurie says Miyo isn’t her colleague as she’ll soon be addressed as Lady Miyo after marrying Kiyotaka. Surprised, Kaya says she had heard a rumor that Miyo was going to be abandoned and assumed it was true. Yurie and Miyo return home, and Miyo tells her to rest for a while. Miyo heads to her room and hates herself. Kaya and Koji return to the Saimori household and spot Kiyotaka leaving it. Kiyotaka returns and notices something’s off about Miyo.

Later, Yurie tells Kiyotaka that Miyo looked terrified and drained when she interacted with Kaya today. Yurie apologizes for leaving her alone. Kiyotaka tells Miyo that she can open up to him whenever she feels like it. He returns to his quarters, pondering what else he can do to give Miyo confidence. Yurie suggests showing Miyo love by cherishing her in a meaningful way. Miyo finishes Kiyotaka’s gift but questions how to give it to him.

Yurie tells Miyo she has a visitor, and it’s Hana. Hana tells Miyo that she’s married and had her first child. Hana says she’s always wanted Miyo to have a happy ending and asks her if she’s happy now. Miyo says she doesn’t know how she could be happy with no special gift. She doesn’t feel worthy to become Kiyotaka’s wife. Hana reveals Kiyotaka sent her a letter which led her to come here to see Miyo. After seeing the letter, Miyo questions if Kiyotaka knows everything about her now. Miyo promises Hana she’ll find her courage.

She visits Kiyotaka and reveals everything to him about her not having Spirit-Sight to her growing up as a servant for her family. Miyo thanks Kiyotaka for everything he’s done for her and presents him with the braid she made for him. Kiyotaka tells Miyo that he plans to make their engagement official and wants her to be with him forever. He asks Miyo to help him put on the braid and promises to cherish this gift.

Miyo thanks Hana for stopping by and assisting her before she departs. Miyo thanks Kiyotaka for everything as we see the Shiki-gami from the previous chapter floating above them. We cut to Mr. Tatsuishi in his office, furious that Miyo is doing well with Kudo. He ponders how to prevent Miyo from falling out of his family’s possession. The episode closes with a shot of Koji and Kaya.

The Episode Review

My Happy Marriage continues delivering solid episodes for fans to watch every week. This episode continues to show viewers how incredible of a person Kiyotaka is, despite the rumors shared in the earlier chapters. It was nice seeing him confront Shinichi about Miyo and demand that he apologize to her for all the years of torment she dealt with in the Saimori household. It makes her character one worth cheering for and appreciating.

The scenes between Kaya and Miyo were tough to sit through. It shows how one’s happiness can be taken away instantly when they reunite with past aspects that made it terrible. It’d be great to see Kaya redeem herself by the series’s end and treat Miyo like family, though.

On top of it all, we get reintroduced to Hana and get a brief glimpse of what Koji’s brother Kazushi’s like, which was a plus in my book. Hana and Miyo’s scene together was heartfelt and touching. It’s wonderful knowing that Hana’s life got better after the incident between her and the Saimori’s.

Overall, this chapter was masterfully written and was jam-packed with many alluring themes and scenarios that’ll make viewers care for Miyo and Kiyotaka’s characters. Unfortunately, it looks like Mr. Tatsuishi will do his best to meddle in Kiyotaka and Miyo’s affairs. Let’s hope our loving couple can pull through by My Happy Marriage’s conclusion.