My Happy Marriage is back, though briefly, with the series’ first OVA. Opening with Miyo putting future sister-in-law Hazuki’s etiquette training to use at a party, this episode is a more in-depth take on the finale of season 1. This time, rather than using the party to focus on Miyo’s growth as in the finale, here the party is really just a backdrop for a series of vignettes that set up the second season. A conversation between Miyo, Kiyoka, and Prince Takaihito (no big deal) provides a graceful recap of the events of season 1, while also fleshing out the political mechanics of this world. We find out a little bit more about Hazuki’s former marriage and meet her young son, who initially has a bone to pick with Miyo, in another subplot. After the party, we peek into Miyo and Kiyoka’s domestic life to see how their blossoming romance has evolved since the end of the first season, and we even get brief glimpses of what some of the side characters have been up to since we saw them last. This vignette style of storytelling allows the OVA to cover a lot of ground in preparation for the second season.

My Happy Marriage has always been a visually stunning series, and this has stayed consistent in this OVA, with its lovely use of lighting and color, though the animation is just a little bit flatter. While it occasionally feels like a retread of past events, the OVA fleshes out the existing content just enough to give us new things to look forward to in the second season. Story-wise, it’s lovely to see Miyo continue to grow in confidence in this episode. As I’ve been following along with the light novels, I’ve often wondered how they were going to be adapted because they seem to spend a lot of time in Miyo and Kiyoka’s heads. This has been cleverly handled primarily by externalizing Miyo’s internal monologue through her voice acting and body language. The lack of internal monologue makes it hard to convey some of the nuances of Miyo’s feelings, so she generally seems to be happier and less anxious in the anime than she is in the light novels at any given time—which, frankly, I don’t mind at all. I am anxiously awaiting the “happy marriage” part of My Happy Marriage, so the slightly lighter and less complex tone of the anime is fine by me. The OVA also feels like it is speeding up the romantic development by quite a bit compared to the light novels, but that’s another change I will happily buy into. If the light novels have one flaw, it’s a tendency to drag things out, so the snappier pacing that this OVA sets up is definitely welcome. Evan Call’s soundtrack for this series remains one of my favorites in any anime, and oh, how I’ve missed that opening! (Totally haven’t been listening to it on loop for almost two years…what are you talking about?) AlI the elements that made me love the first season so much are still there, and I’m very excited for the second season!

My Happy Marriage can be streamed on Netflix.

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When not writing about anime, guest writer Sarah’s ministry of choice is foisting baked goods on anyone who is willing to be fed.