Reviews for Happy Marriage?!

The saying ‘never judge a book (manga) by its cover’ is like a spot-on adage when it comes to Hapi Mari. The series starts off with an overused plot: poor-girl-marries-rich-stranger-to-pay-off-father’s-debts and whether there could be true love in a marriage that was built upon a monetary mutually beneficial arrangement. Story: Despite the cliched plot and smutty moments (which to my surprise wasn’t that overwhelming), the story itself actually has depth and I was somewhat amazed at how the concept of marriage is exemplified here. The mangaka adopts a realistic approach towards illustrating the challenges young couples struggle with in today’s society. Chapters are often slappedwith small bickering, huge fights, jealousy over an ex-flame, making up and then fights and making up again. Yet it is though these bits and parcels of encounters that the main characters know each other better, establish and strengthen that romantic connection that was absent at the beginning.

Within the context of Hapi Mari, conflicts are often made intricate because of differences in values, priorities and statuses between the couple. What make it appealing is how the characters, from diverse upbringings and backgrounds search for ways to balance that chemical equation to keep the marriage going. As the story goes, what turns out to be a superficial marriage-on-paper pact evolves into something that ties the main characters together beyond ways they could ever imagine.

Characters:

What I like about this series is the sensible practical approach the characters take when faced with issues and conflicts. It’s nothing you get from shoujo titles where the hero goes beyond being an impossible romantic and does things to protect the heroine that readers know will never happen in reality.

Here in Hapi Mari, the hero, Hokuto, is one ego-centric character who despite all the glamour and success, is a guy with many flaws and a dark past. As the story develops, his flaws amplified but yet at the same time, he builds up that warm compassionate side of him and breaks that cold exterior because of influences from the heroine.

The heroine, Chiwa, whisked in with that strong tough girl image who doesn’t tolerate nonsense from guys. But as the story progresses, she becomes more and more vulnerable and often relies on Hokuto to save her from distress. Despite that, I have no complaints with the shedding off of her tough girl image – I believe it is the mangaka’s way of sending the message that even the strongest woman becomes the most susceptible when it comes to love.

As well as the saying of opposite attracts goes, when these two people from different worlds meet, it creates a chemistry that bounds them together. The characters are by no means perfect and yet they still portray that level of maturity that is simply relatable.

Coupled with the issues they face in life (and when I mean issues, they are SERIOUS-PRACTICAL –I-MEAN-REAL-SH*T-ISSUES and not your high school child-like conflicts), these makes the series one that strike a balance between being entertaining and sensible at the same time.

Art:

The artwork is clean and crisp. The characters are decently drawn with a pleasing level of attractiveness. Although readers won’t be able to find gorgeous bishonens with dreamy eyes here, the artwork is fine enough to not deter readers from the series.

Like what previous reviewers have pointed out, the artwork on the manga cover definitely doesn’t do justice to the artwork and the appearances of the characters inside.

Overall:

Within josei-romance genre, Hapi Mari has done a decently good job that satisfies readers into buying the story. Well at least for me, I was pretty entertained throughout the chapters and not once did I consider dropping the manga.

This is definitely not a manga with cheap smut (which was the initial impression I got judging the cover) and shallow story development. It stands on its own the pride and hard work of the mangaka. Overall a very entertaining and fulfilling read.

I haven't written a review before so I will ask readers to bear with me. This manga was recommended by someone I consider elite when it come to mangas and animes. I was hooked from the on-set. It is not one of those animes that wastes too much time delving into the main story. Despite the somewhat unrealistic circumstance that surrounds the two main characters, Chiwa and Hokuto, I enjoyed how the author made the development of their relationship very realistic. For me, both characters strengths lie in the simplicity of their personalities with Chiwa being your average working girl and Hokuto being the serious,rich businessman (with various unusual but pleasant behaviours). I particularly enjoyed the maturity of the characters as adults and not as a highschooler and an adult or both highschoolers.

The sexiness in the story also made it a worthwhile read. At the moment, the smut is not too heavy but there are signs that this coulld possibly change in upcoming chapters. This is currently one of my favourite mangas as it is one of my personal fantasies come to life or in this case, manga.

Outstanding! I have really enjoyed every bit of Hapi Mari. Hokuto... and Chiwa.. their love is absolutely the best kind. I was mesmerized by Hokuto's love and affection to his lover, Chiwa. The characters are well put together, you can emotionally get attached to them and get lost in the great art. The story and overall was perfect. I don't think I will read a better romance manga than this ever again. Truly recommended. (I intentionally listened to the song: Rude- Eternal Youth. Which made the atmosphere while reading way too intense).Hapi Mari thank you for being a part of my life.

tldr: read it if you are just looking for a smutty josei/shoujo manga with no real substance in terms of plot story - 4, started off decent and went downhill art - 8, falls into the “pretty” category character - 4, some side characters are amusing but the lack of dimension really shows in the main characters enjoyment - 4, poor plot and characters ruined my enjoyment despite the art overall - 5, the art can’t cover the poor areas of the manga This is far from the worst manga that I’ve ever read but it puzzles me how it managed to get such a high rating. I had enjoyed thestory initially but lost interest as the same pattern kept repeating in the plot.

A “forced marriage” plot is not that original but the beginning of the story was set up pretty well. It started going downhill when the two main characters repeatedly REFUSED to talk about their issues face to face and just kept avoiding each other, keeping secrets and throwing tantrums. The female lead basically lost all of her initially strong-willed personality as the story progressed, reduced to just a lovesick woman that has a great figure and is great at housework. It didn’t help that she was intentionally protrayed as an idiot that can’t understand a single word in the economics newspaper.

I don’t know if the original meaning was lost in translation but the male lead often threaten to RAPE the female lead which really disturbed me too.

The potential “rivals” introduced never seemed like they stood a chance and sometimes felt like just filler material for the story. The reveal(s)/plot twist(s) were unsurprising and there wasn’t any sense of fulfilment gained from them. The ending was abrupt and felt like the mangaka just wanted to finish up the story.

The art style is pretty but the poor plot and characters really ruined my overall enjoyment of the manga. Majority of the chapters are littered with some smut too so if you’re into that it’s there. The setting (office workplace) and the ages of the characters (mid to late 20s) suggest that it would be a Josei manga but the actual characters themselves and the plot makes it lean a lot more towards a Shoujo manga.

Upon opening the pages of "Hapi Mari: Happy Marriage!?", I was instantly captivated by the stunning visuals and intriguing characters. Yet, as I delved further into its narrative, certain themes began to unsettle me. I genuinely appreciate well-crafted illustrations and engaging character interactions, but the story's approach to delicate subjects, such as rape and harassment, bothered me. The idea of romanticizing these themes and using intimate encounters as a crutch for emotional fulfillment just didn't sit right with me. Even in fiction, I believe it's crucial for us to be critical of the messages we consume, especially when they touch on such sensitive topics. In summary, whileI wanted to fully enjoy "Hapi Mari: Happy Marriage!?" for its aesthetics and character dynamics, I was disheartened by its portrayal of certain relationship aspects. It's a stark reminder for me that not all that glitters is gold and to approach narratives with a discerning eye.

Basically, these two people who do not know each other get married. One is the powerful boss of the company, the other is a little minion who works there. The story follows their relationship, and I guess the basic question of- can you fall in love with someone who doesn't love you? With someone who you did not love before? I gotta say. I like this this story. The art was fine - it is clean, the expressions are great, and I can follow who is saying what! More importantly though, I like the two main characters. I really enjoy them! Haruto and Chiwa. Chiwa isditzy and kind, and has the emotional control of a two year old. Haruto is all dark and brooding. And their developing relationship is really sweet!

It isn't particularly deep, and so far, I really like where it is going. It is a little bit smutty, and I suspect that it may get a bit smuttier in the future, but in way that is part of its charm. Ultimately, this is a romantic comedy. I have only read the first three volumes (as it is all I could find. Woe!), but it has been humerous and well paced. Speaking of pace - it is fast paced! gets to the point quickly (they are married in the first chapter!). Despite the lightness of it all, it is quite moving in parts (Chiwa wears her heart on her sleeve) and it is quite sexy in places too!

It is light, and sweet, and I can't wait for it to continue!

I find it overrated. Josei plot with shoujo approach. The result is what happens when an ok chef try avant garde menu, still edible but obviously feels like a waste as a simpler menu will taste batter. If you're still puberty, this will be an awesome series. But if you past those hormones-filled phase, you won't find it as great as people claim. But hey, the story is full of pleasure buttons of shoujo genre, so if you like it, it might help to dull the faults. I mean, being average and offering no benefit to the relationship, but receiving uncondional love from a cool handsomerich guy who sometimes throw cheesy lines... that's one giant familiar pleasure button setting. If it's a thing for you, go ahead and read, but don't expect good characters or plot.

I gotta admit the first few chapters is so painful, so much that I wanna drop it right away. But it gets better fast, at least the painful parts, many major faults remains until the series ended. But I gotta admit it is not entirely average as the story can give some pleasure, which is why I give it 6/10

The last chapters exceptionally filled with "aww" scenes, so I understand people that evaluate the whole series with a big bias. But its core plots still riddled with faults, so I can't just give it a 7/10. It's like saying a restaurant with bad menu is good overall just because you enjoy the final dessert.

Shallow characters, not only the "perfect man" but even also the main protagonist.There is no good show of motivation behind the characters' action. All motivations or internal conflict are skin deep. This also includes *vague spoiler* the guy deliberately hurting the girl, physically by pressing on her wounds (don't worry, doesn't effect plot at all, which also makes it even worse).

Storytelling might be a little confusings. Sometimes the characters jumps across the setting in terms of time, place, or thoughts. Not to the extend that you can't get the idea, but seriously leave you hanging because no proper transition.

Many topics used within definitely need further research. Many are just big false assumptions that in a way neglectable for young audience in their puberty, but will be incoherent for mature individuals. Especially regarding work ethics and life, the office and family politic is also too shallow.

It's a real pity, if the mangaka mature further both as a person and a mangaka, this series actually has a potential to be a josei masterpiece.

I had some hopes with this manga, because it really tries to have both a developed story and a romance that starts early. Unfortunately, it's marred with extremely toxic behavior from both protagonists that makes their relationship's development unrelatable as well as unrealistic. The problem is that the manga tries to cast a positive light on those behaviors. The protagonists On one side, there's Chiwa. She's supposed to be an adult, but she has the emotional maturity of a grade schooler. Every meaningful interaction she has is done through crying or shouting. When there's an important discussion to be had she either runs away or refuses totalk. She handles every situation badly, and never learns. In many occasions, her behavior with her husband borders on emotional blackmail.

On the other side, there's Hokuto. He's a successful businessman, with a cold and calculating demeanor. Some tragic events in his past do explain his emotional immaturity, but the main problem is that, although he keeps telling Chiwa that he loves her, he keeps mistreating her, both physically and psychologically. He's always forcing his decisions on her without a hint of empathy… decisions about jobs, but also about their couple and even about their sex life. He's borderline sociopathic.

That last point is one that poisons the whole story. In almost every bed scene, he forces himself on her, it's shown to be painful for her (but she has to "get over it" because she loves him). And by the end of the story, there's a secondary character that reflects that he's still single because he's gentle with women. Are we supposed to understand that mistreating women is acceptable? This manga certainly seems to think so.

By the end of the manga their relationship clears up, but the author still has no idea how to depict a working relationship, so she resorts to the old cliché: they're always arguing, so they must be in love.

Conclusion

As for the plot itself, well, it's based on good ideas, but the author certainly bit more than she could chew. Many important developments happen off screen, and on several occasions a mystery is claimed to be solved… but the details aren't given.

Overall, I'd call this manga "toxic marriage" instead of "happy marriage". It's very painful to watch those two characters hurting each other every time, never communicating (otherwise most of the artificial drama would vanish!) and unable to make their good intentions a reality. Which makes the ending all the more difficult to believe.

Having seen it praised around as a staple of josei manga, and having read and liked 'Private Prince' by the same author, I approached 'Hapi Mari' with the hope that I'd find a decent story and compelling characters. And at first I found both of those, even accompanied by great art! But, soon enough, 'Hapi Mari' devolved into a mess of unpleasant clichés that are more typical of shoujo than josei. Story – 6/10 I've encountered the forced/arranged marriage trope before in manga, but this iteration has something different going for it, with Hokuto being more level-headed and Chiwa - more assertive and reluctant to "make thingswork", as opposed to characters in similar situations. The pacing, story and character development are decent until about 1/3 in, after which nearly all following chapters can be summed up as one half of the couple (most often Hokuto) keeping a secret from the other, who gets jealous and acts rashly while at the same time lamenting about the lack of communication. The problem is solved, Chiwa cries a bit, and on we go, ad nauseam, until the story is over.

Most chapters are standalone, but there's also an arc about Hokuto's family, which is spread out so thin that it becomes boring to follow. This manga should possibly have been about half its current length, since about half of it is pointless, repetitive filler – and not even the kind where the couple grows, because they run into the same issues again and again. Very predictable and frustrating, especially when most are minor issues that can be solved by communicating better - but, of course, that would be too reasonable.

Characters – 4/10

'Hapi Mari' fails the hardest exactly in the area where it's supposed to shine brightest. For the first 1/3, Chiwa and Hokuto have a good dynamic, as both are stubborn and somewhat inexperienced in romance, but past that point Chiwa turns more and more into a melodramatic, jealous, crying mess, losing the rebellious streak that made her interesting and sinking into pointless tsundere insecurity (often caused by herself spinning false ideas in her head). Hokuto becomes somewhat more tolerable, but still makes bullying comments and occasionally gets physically rough and controlling with her, which put me off.

I feel that an initially dysfunctional relationship from which both parties learn and grow would be a fantastic story, but the absolute lack of healthy communication between these two - who seem to believe that crying your eyes out, controlling your partner, and expecting them to read your mind, are the way to go in romantic relationships - had me groaning a lot and took the fun out of reading this.

Other characters, like Chiwa's colleagues, Hokuto's family, and his secretary, Souma, are about what you'd expect from them as supporting characters. They're decent, with Souma being the most interesting out of the lot and quite probably the most reasonable character in the manga.

Art – 8/10

It's the only redeeming aspect that kept me reading until the end. The art is clean and pretty to look at, with good character design and attention paid to details such as eyes and hair. However, I'm deducting 2 points because Chiwa is drawn crying and screaming at least half of every chapter, which becomes tedious and grating if you read multiple chapters in one go. Half of it is the plot's fault, but come on - if I wanted to see women crying I'd just go watch a telenovela.

Enjoyment – 3/10

It's easy for me to get lost in a story and wind up reading multiple chapters at once, but for 'Hapi Mari' the repetitiveness of the plot and the frustrating choices made by the characters made it a chore to get through the last 2/3, and I almost gave up on it because of the flimsy situations used to drag this story on. I mostly finished it to find out what the resolution to the Mamiya family arc was, but even that wasn't satisfying enough to justify reading all of it (and if you pay attention at the beginning, the outcome is clear as day). I guess most of all I hoped Chiwa and Hokuto would snap out of it and realize how toxic both of them are to each other, but, again - that would be too reasonable.

Overall – 4/10

The only saving graces in my eyes are the art and the first 1/3. If I knew all the above before having read the manga, I probably wouldn't even have started it. It's tedious, badly written (even for a wish fulfillment story), the characters learn nothing from the hardships they go through repeatedly (of their own fault), and the fact that the abuse – both physical and emotional – is romanticized, turned me off of this good.

It's a mind blowing manga for a normal american girl like me. It'll give you highs and lows and keep you interested. If you like romance mixed with a lot of drama this is probably the story for you. Story(8): I really enjoyed the story, and it kept me wanting more. I basically was real sad when it ended. But be warned, theres a lot of smut, and I mean ALOT! But if that's your thing (it is mine, smut makes for an interesting story most of the time) then this will be a great manga for you to read. If you don't like smut, don't read it.The romance kept me on my toes, and I was jumping in my seat like a girl my age would do normally.

Art (8)

The art work is really cool. I mean it was fun to look at and the main characters are very handsome and beautiful. The bodies were drawn fabulously when they were naked (Don't worry manga doesn't fully portray genitals or breasts so you really won't see that, but there is a suggestion that they are there).

Character (9)

The characters were developed very nicely. You learn about both of their pasts, and why they are both so wounded in their hearts. Why they need someone to love and want to protect one another.

Enjoyment (10)

I enjoyed this manga full hardheartedly. It's in my favorite manga list. I only have 5 places for other manga and this made the top 5.

Overall (9)

You should read this manga if your into smut, romance, and drama, and an interesting plot.

After hours of searching for a good anime that was not about high school drama, I came across this one manga! This manga is definitely is for a mature audience, if you know what I mean! This made it important for me because I had just finished high school so I wanted to read something a bit more mature. What I liked about this manga the most was the art. All the characters were drawn beautifully so this made the manga bearable in my part. There is good character development and life lessons that you can apply in your life with your significant other (trustme this manga helped me with my relationship!). The manga also did a great job of showing aspects of a marriage: the struggles, the overcoming of struggles, role as a wife, and role as a husband. Although the story ran a bit slow sometimes, as long as you stick with it you won't be disappointed! In terms of smut, I think there was a perfect amount of it. I didn't come to this manga for smut, but it does add an exciting factor to story. I did not feel nasty seeing it unlike other mangas I have read so that's a plus!

What I did not like about the manga was the cliche poor/hardworking girl marries rich man story line, but it does deviate from that as the story progresses. I did not like how women were portrayed as clumsy, emotional, and just a pretty face. But, then again that's just the typical young female character.

I do recommend this manga.

If somebody described this manga as a 'story about a fake marriage leading to obsession and emotional enslavement', I would totally buy it. However, when it's supposed to be a story about finding love and building a true marriage, it definitely is not. It is more a story of how someone who never loved thinking that trying to possess someone's time, body and soul, and to control every aspect of their life, is love. The story has some hot moments for the people who enjoy development of sexual tension, and it has some interesting themes, but in general it is just meh. In real lifeI would find the relationship very disturbing. I know it's for entertainment, but then let's call it what it really was: a story of a Stockholm syndrome.

I am appalled by the way how the female protagonist was treated. She was emotionally, sometimes physically abused, completely lacking agency and constantly yelled at, pushed on the floor, threatened and patiently waiting 95% of this relationship. Her entire being depended on being useful, patient and never complaining as long as she believed to be loved. In the past, I have ready many accounts by women who escaped abusive relationships, and this one is the exact replica of the accounts that they have given. I'm sorry, but there are way too many near-rape scenes for me to even mention love in that. You don't threaten someone with using sexual violence because you are jealous when you love them. That's not how it works.

If you enjoy those type of stories in which an abusive jerk uses the threat of violence and sex to get what he wants due to his obsessive tendencies, by all means give it a try. If you are looking for an actual story about love that started because of a fake marriage, do yourself a favor and read Kore kara Hajimaru Koi o Oshiete instead.

This manga could be rated with a 7, if it weren't for the fact that it has a serious and almost unforgivable plot mistake. The story is kind of a "fairy tale": poor girl that falls in love with the handsome and wealthy company president. We’ve seen that already. But it is told in a way you can believe it. Things aren´t rushed... they don´t fall in love at first sight... their marriage is arranged, and -in the beginning- they are both distant. Both main characters have strong personalities, and they fight a lot. They must work to get to know each other, and learn tocommunicate properly.

There is some sex (not much and not from the very beginning: it starts by chapter 16 or so), but it´s very mild and tasteful.

The characters are charming, the art is nice (the interiors are much better than the cover) and it is entertaining. But the mistake in the plot is almost unbelievable and it makes me wonder if the author was even focusing when designing the plot, or if the editors were paying attention when they approved it.

At some point Chiwa (the heroin) starts working somewhere under the supervision of an ex-boyfriend who is very surprised to find out she is now married. They talk as if he didn´t know anything about her marriage, as if they were meeting for the first time after long.

Has the author really forgotten that they had already met at a friend´s wedding, a few chapters before, and that the ex even got to talk to her husband? It is really difficult to understand how the author could make such a mistake.

I´ve been told that these two men are not the same person, because they have different names, which I hadn´t noticed. But they look the same, and their stories with the female protagonist are just too similar. Even if they are not the same person everything is too confusing. Therefore, I would still regard it as a serious mistake in terms of plot construction.

I´m still rating the manga with a 6, mainly because the characters are somehow interesting and their interaction is funny, because the mistake is not central to the main conflict in the story, and because -to be true- it wasn´t that serious so as to make me drop the manga.

In short... regardless of the issue I've just pointed out, I wouldn´t tell you not to read this... the manga is entertaining.

Wow... okay...needless to say, this wasn't what I was expecting. I had heard of this manga on a recommendation site, so I was curious as to what it could be. When I saw it was only 40 chapters (and the fact that I lacked any reading material at the time and was bored) I thought, "Hey, why not?" The plot (at times) is very cliche and repetitive. Before you click away, stick around, this review only STARTS negative. Chiwa is 'average' but yet she is unexpectedly popular and has more drama in her life than any living being. She spends her time (excessively) crying (she must'vecried at least once every chapter), getting slammed against walls, blushing, getting kidnapped, and making angry faces. On the other hand, Hokuto is the classic alpha male, who spends his time being busy, slamming people against walls, and getting angry for no apparent reason as he closes off his feelings.

Regardless of all these cliches (and the totally non-pc way many characters regard things like sexual assault and a woman's role) I found this manga somewhat enjoyable. There was somewhat tasteful smut, a little bit of romance, and still enough plot to hold it all together. There were some fluffy moments as well, along with some humor that actually made me laugh (I might cry at pretty much anything, but I hardly ever laugh). In addition to this, the drawings were mostly well done (at times they seemed slightly disproportionate or too sharp or round) and the characters seemed more or less believable and nice to watch grow.

Will I read this again? Possibly, if I'm bored or need my fix of an alpha male.

Will I recommend this? To anyone who likes cliches, isn't offended by slightly offensive 'humor' about sexual assault, doesn't mind the male-female stark dynamic, doesn't mind smut, and likes it when people are kidnapped, have harems, or are slammed against walls (I swear it's a theme in this manga!).

In the end, I actually enjoyed my time reading this!

I guess it had to eventually come to this. Going over the piles and piles of manga, the josei genre has always been considered somewhat disreputable, given its low sales figures and its association with the "ladies comics" which contain rather overt amounts of sexual content. But the Wikipedia page stated that the content portrayed "realistic relationships". Having never been in one, I decided to see the side of the world that not only belongs to a different voice and demographic, but also a different set of concerns. I admit, I was not ready for this. Not the story, or the characters, or the art,or any of the other things that most would expect to see in such stories. What I saw was myself feeling bad about making fun of my mom and my sister when they were watching their regularly scheduled soap operas, which are produced with the kind of alarming frequency all over India that one can understand how women are kept away from the streets, protesting about unequal wages or mistreatment. Not that I felt that I was wrong in making fun of them (yeah, I am a terrible person); I just understood the appeal.

See, I have understood for some time that Steins;Gate's melodramatic elements were necessary for producing that extremely effective climax in episode 22, melodrama that arises from its interpretation of romance. Romance is not really frowned upon in media aimed at men, of course- it is just an extension of the main course of events, and these would involve an adventure that always keeps the pace, so that nobody complains that "nothing is happening". But, here, the point is the nitty-gritty. You touch upon the circumstances surrounding two people who see their relationship as an adventure (a statement I, not too long ago, would be physically unable to write given how stupid and trite it used to sound in my head), or, rather, whose relationship the author sees as an adventure.

The protagonist is Chiwa, a part-timer who just-so-happens to work at the same firm whose chairman fell in love with her grandmother. The chairman is obsessed with having some part of her grandmother in his genetic line (in some creepy justification that makes me want to celebrate the dying trend of believing in the purity of bloodlines and other such close-minded nonsense) and feels that she would make a good wife for Hokuto, his grandson.

Hokuto, the guy who has slept around quite a lot in an (allegedly) conservative society like Japan because he is young, successful, and everything else Japanese women seem to want of a man. Hokuto, the guy who kisses his wife without her permission early on and, at least twice, threatens her with rape, once in front of her. "But he was joking, dude. Besides it was 2005; don't be so harsh." But I am not: I am not trying to suggest that Hokuto is a "bad" guy or a "bad guy" or a bad "guy", even though, to current sensibilities, the latter traits might make him unacceptable to many of the prospective readers (unless it is Japanese women, in which case I genuinely don't know what their reaction will be). The point is that Hokuto is not a man who is driven to change the world or go where no one has gone before, but someone who shows his less-than-palatable side within the context of a relationship that society offers and forces upon him. He claims that he does not want to get married or have kids, but also does not want to be disloyal to his new wife now that he is committed to her- the latter concern eventually triumphs and he comes out a model family man who loves his wife by the end. What bothered me most was how both Chiwa and Hokuto are committed to making the marriage work even though there is no reason why these two people would end up together, because here, in India, arranged marriages are still a thing and I am starting to dread what this manga is suggesting.

That there is nothing of value within this manga is, obviously, untrue- the final line deriding Asahina, one of Chiwa's bosses and her ex-boyfriend from her university days, did hit home a little too hard. But what bothered me more was the realisation that there is an alternative ethics at work here- an ethics which justifies a man threatening her wife with rape to shut her up while she is trying to show her concern for him, or the way in which he tries to make his wife jealous by not calling her or returning her messages when out of town, to the readers. By claiming that all of it is a way for the characters to show that they love each other, the readers have no choice but to keep making concessions about what they thought was the right thing to do in a given situation (and, unlike the shonen or seinen genres, these situations are not out of the realm of possibility for most of the readers). It was, indeed, just like going to a different land and finding yourself talking to people only using the most basic of terminology, without really understanding how alone you really are among this large group of happy people with nothing on their minds except petty squabbles, family politics, and other boring things. I know many may find the trip enjoyable, even enlightening to a certain extent.

But all I could do was remember to call a friend and write this review before I went to bed tonight.

I did enjoy Hapi Mari quite a bit, but it definitely started out with a cliche forced marriage because of heavy debts kind of thing. The beginning was also quite fast. It does change my opinion of it about a few chapters in, when they start realising they have feelings for each other. I did like the story, I thought it was good and they had their cute moments, I just wished there were more things that would have helped the transition from the like to love relationship! The art was good, not amazing, but it's a style I enjoy looking at. Character-wise, the main characterswere good but the side characters were just okay. Overall, I did enjoy this manga.

BUT I was not satisfied with the ending though, I really needed an "epilogue" chapter ;-;

I was very excited about this but here's why I wouldn't say I liked it. The story started off interestingly but progressively got worse as the story went on. Hokuto is insufferable and unnecessarily rude to Chiwa. He makes these sly "jokes" alluding to r*pe that I'm not comfortable with. Chiwa is also annoying. She starts off as this strong and independent woman and then folds for this bad excuse for a "man" who can't even clean his own house. I also didn't like how uncertain Chiwa's "friends" were of her, as if she was any less capable of finding a boyfriend than they were. Noone saw Chiwa as a woman unless she had a boyfriend, cleaned the house, and submitted to Hokuto's absurd behavior. I personally really liked An Incurable Case of Love by Makki Enjouji thinking that this would be just as good but I have been proven wrong. DNF

I feel that there is an important comparison to make with Takane to Hana and Happy Marriage!? They both have the same premise and are a lot alike. Only real difference is two things. 1. Takane to Hana Is about a High School girl being Engaged to the president of a high class business, Happy Marriage is about a worker becoming married to the President of a high class business . The 2. Takane to Hana Takes itself less seriously while Happy marriage takes itself too seriously. Honestly i feel that Takane to Hana just does a better job at tell this story. "Happy Marriage" tendsto add in these plots that just don't fit in with this romance story being told and just feel like filler. "Takane to Hana" Keeps itself on tract and doesn't really distract itself with stories that feel forced or just aren't entertaining to read through.

I do enjoy this story though. I feel that the constant back and forth of them getting mad at each other and always hiding stuff from each other to be annoying. At first it was kind of interesting. I feel that they meant to make this come across as adorable and romantic with each other not wanting to hurt each others feelings but the execution is wrong.

Near the end is probably the worst part. Such as the Husband suddenly leaving and all of a sudden skipping a few months and they both appear at the family house. Then them finding out who killed the husbands mother and no one really seems to care about it either.

Then the husband not getting his job back and becoming Chairman ( His whole motivation for the story ) now living at his wife's fathers house.

The thing i dislike after that would be that the Husband's mother is dead. It's not even really needed for the story and i feel that they could've done more if she was alive.

Finally. We get some scenes that should be a lot more intense but aren't. Such as when the wife get's stabbed. Instead of her being in serious condition she just has a cut on her arm. Then when she is about to get hit by a car. I feel things such as the car hitting her should've happened. That would have made more sense and actually made the Husband seem a lot more reasonable for his overprotective personality. I would have also loved to see the Husband reacting to his wife in a coma hospitalized. Would have made it so more intense later on

Overall a good story that has issues. If you're looking for other stories similar then i recommend checking out Takane to Hana.

This series was funny, serious, and quite realistic in a lot of ways. I really enjoyed it. There were times where I found myself laughing out loud or talking to myself . I love the art work. There's something about it that's fits my tastes perfectly. The panels were really easy to read/follow. Sometimes I read mangas where the story gets confusing to follow in parts or the dialogue just doesn’t work for me. I didn’t have this problem with Hapi Mari. The plot flowed nicely and I enjoyed the dialogue because it felt very natural and realistic. What I like most about this series isthat despite some of the obvious clichés here, the relationship between the main characters developes in a very believable manner. It seems natural and it pulls you in. The relationship is charming and that charm carries the story to the end.

The main characters were great - funny, insightful, cute, etc. I also liked a lot the ensemble cast and getting to know about the male lead's past. I think the mystery there could have been a bit stronger, but I was glad that it wasn't over the top. It didn’t take away from the story. I think my only issue is that our heroine’s father disappears for too much of the story. We don’t really get to know much about him except that he’s a bit of a trouble maker that means well.

Overall, if you’re looking for a mature romance manga, I’d definitely give this one a try. It was a lot of fun.

DEFINITELY RECOMMEND! Story: I liked the story. Not sure if this theme of arranged marriage is new in the manga world but it's a bit different than what I have read. Overall, I thought this idea was refreshing and fits perfectly with the characters. (After all, the characters are well into their mid and late 20's which contrasts from the usual "high school age" epitome in mangas. In the beginning, I was a bit confused on why the marriage came to be. He's a rich president of a big company and yet he's marrying a basic girl like her simply because his grandfather said to? ...A bit unrealistic that, eh?

Art:

Loved the art. The girl looks cute and pretty while the guy is pretty good-looking as well. Emotions are also portrayed nicely on the characters.

Character:

Like I have said before, why did the guy marry the girl if he can possibly have any he wants? Seems confusing to me and I'm still puzzled... (But again, I put this on hold during chapter 20/40, so if the story answers that question more clearly, I would find out after this review) Again, we know he has to marry her because his grandpa said so, but most primarily because he wants to retain ceo position but seems too easy?

I like the girl. She's doing this to repay her father's debt. Ok... sounds reasonable enough. Their decision to marry each other in the beginning seems a bit rash but after their love blossomed, I have totally forgotten about it. Seriously, their love is just too adorable but realistic at the same time.

Enjoyment:

Smut is one of the genres of this manga (according to KissManga) but honestly, 20 chapters in, I can only really think of 2 smutty moments which makes this manga even awesome. Really realistic and those "sexually intimate" moments doesn't block the core of the story or the characters.

Overall: Definitely recommend to everyone who enjoys romance, comedy, and realistic mangas.

Then why did I put the manga on hold/dropped it? Because this manga doesn't really suit what I'm looking for. I like shoujo mangas with a high school theme. But I might go back to finish it out of curiosity.