Happy Marriage?!, Vol. 6

はぴまり〜Happy Marriage!?〜 #6

by Maki Enjōji

In order to help her father, Chiwa Takanashi agrees to an arranged marriage with the company president, Hokuto Mamiya, a man she doesn't know, at the request of Hokuto's grandfather. Chiwa believes the arrangement isn't binding, but her new partner seems to think otherwise. Can two strangers living together find their way to a happy marriage?!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Josei, Adult, Contemporary, Graphic Novels, Comics Manga

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2011

About the author

Name (in native language): 円城寺マキ (えんじょうじ マキ)

Maki Enjōji is a Japanese manga artist. Among her works, Happy Marriage!? is one of the best known and it has been published in English under VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat, in French by Kazé, in German by Tokyopop and in Italian by Star Comics.

Reviews

[Beary Into Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Beth (^v^)/ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was on board with this manga for a while, and I'll continue to read it. But this book was so sexist and degrading it hurt.

The main male character calls his wife stupid repeatedly. It's supposed to be funny, but it's just painful to read. And then she just accepts that she's a stupid girl and apologizes. I cringed. Stand up for yourself woman!

[GuisBell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que maravilloso, el amor que se tienen va creciendo mas y mas, es hermoso de verlo, creo cada uno, es un complemento del otro...

[Gobokairina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bila dah melalui musim cinta, tak thrill lah kalau tak diuji. Apa lagi hubungan suami isteri, ada masanya lidah pun lagi tergigit. Ya tak?

Dalam siri ini, hubungan Chiwa dan Hokuto turut dilanda masalah. Masing-masing rupanya ada rahsia tersendiri. Orang kata, barang yang lepas jangan dikenang. Kalau dikenang, merana badan.

Hmm... lebih memburukkan bila ada masalah komunikasi antara mereka berdua. Apa kesudahan konflik percintaan mereka? Tunggu dan lihat seterusnya.

[Deniz Atakan Çamlıca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allah seni kahretmesin, ne ettin sen be Hokuto :(

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا · Rating 4 out of 5]

That other girl, the michele hearts CEO seems like problem to me.

[Bente · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short comic at the end is really weird tho 🤣

[Laura✧˚ · . · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5
This book is really forgettable. We find out more about his mom and what happened during the accident. Chiwa discovers a car hit her and she was trying to protect Hokuto. His dad came to visit them when he was 8 years old and then people followed them and his mom was nervous. Later on she died and he believes his dad was behind her death but Chiwa believes he was the real target and she saved him. He has to leave for a trip so she doesn’t have a chance to tell him about what she found out. He got mad because she went to see his dad at the hospital and they had a big argument. Once he’s overseas she wants to be the perfect wife so she decides to clean the house and wait for him to come back (anyways…). Later on, Hokuto is with soma and there’s a blonde secretary and Chiwa sees his doctor friend who was around the block to see Hokuto. She gets a message from him (even though she’s been texting him for a week with no answer) and it’s a picture of him with the blonde. The doctor believes he’s having an affair and she gets mad but she acts as if she doesn’t and calls him later to ask how he’s doing but he’s asleep and he gets mad and ignores her. She decides to go out with her colleague and she wants to have an affair with him but gets scolded because she shouldn’t be doing that. She changes her mind and once she’s going back Hokuto is there because he got back earlier. He’s mad because she went out and she’s enjoying her freedom without him (okay asshole). They have a big argument because he ignored her and didn’t reply to her texts and he was with a blonde girl and to get back at him she says she’s been cheating on him with his ex coworker. The whole misscomunication thing was terrible but it was even worse to find out the reason. He wanted to see if she got jealous because the week before they didn’t have sex. The real reason was because Chiwa was worried about him and she was fine with him holding her. Instead of talking like adults they did a whole show to get the other jealous but hokutos reasons were off? Like ignoring her messages because she didn’t have sex with you?. Anyways, later on they go to a party and he has some business so he tells her to get ready and grab some food for him while he’s talking to other people. Somehow she manages to help an old man who fell and they talk and suddenly she’s joined by a circle of older men😭😭😭 Hokuto sees another girl who happens to be the same one that Chiwa saw at the hospital and she wonders why Hokuto married a hostess and what convinced him to do it when he was against it. The girl is the president of a makeup and clothing brand and Chiwa used to buy those products. She feels out of place because people there are beautiful and they exude power. She doesn’t know how to introduce herself but Hokuto wants her to talk with every man and say that they are husband and wife. It was a nice gesture and it made Chiwa happy but she’s aware of how different they are and she decides to study economics and read articles to talk about it with Hokuto and understand his business. He says she’s a slow learner but he’s fine with her doing it. We get to see more of Chiwa at work and how his boss and ex boyfriend/fling meets Hokuto and finds out about her marriage, even though she wanted to keep it a secret. She wonders how her life would’ve been with him but now she wants to be with Hokuto forever and that’s all that matters. Later on she faints and Hokuto is in the middle of a meeting and he decides to visit her once he’s done. Asahani is mad because he knows he’s a ceo but he’s also her husband and should behave differently but Chiwa says that’s between her husband and her. Later on, Hokuto apologizes and he wants to know more about her work and he’s going to sleep with her at the hospital.
My main problem with this volume is hokutos behavior. He claims to love her but his actions are so weird. He excuses himself by saying his parents never got married so he doesn’t know how it works but it’s so weird? He ignored her texts and calls and then got mad because she didn’t react to the picture. They don’t talk and the misscomunication trope is annoying. Also he was happy that she was learning economics because now they had topics in common and I’m just like did it take you TWO years to realize that? And she has to study articles to have something in common with you while you don’t care about her work?. Also I think asahani is a better match for her in some ways. Hokuto is really closed off and cold and him not going to the hospital was annoying. I think she fainted because maybe she’s pregnant but idk. Also in this volume we got to see more of his mom and the incident but in the end Chiwa forgot about it and didn’t say a word? Like what’s happening there? Where’s the Mamiya family and what are they doing? Who is that president girl and did she have a relationship with Hokuto?. Is asahani in love with Chiwa?. So many questions so I’ll be reading the next one

[Jes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chiwa and Hokuto are so toxic it’s unbelievable. This series is at the point where I cheer when Chiwa gets petty and hostile on the same level Hokuto is. These people are not good for each other. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

[Füsun · Rating 1 out of 5]

kızın 'kocama işi eş olmalı ve evde onu beklemeliyim,dediklerini yapmalıyım zaten çok yoruluyor' kafasını görmezden gelemiyorum artık. hayır.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

There doesn't seem to be a ton happening now. I am over the miscommunication stuff honestly. But it is very soap opera which is the fun part.

[Léna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This whole 'I need to be a perfect housewife for my husband, cleaning his mess, stop working, have heir for his company, being worth of him because I'm less rich, less beautiful, story his business and get to understand what he does by being interested and invested so we can have a discussions about him and his business is really bothering me. Especially because she auto inflects it to herself, stop being self depreciating about yourself and stop thinking your life is all about being a good house wife and pleasing your husband. I don't really know if it's normal in Japan but it REALLY bothering me, maybe it's because I'm European, I don't know but one last time, it's hard for me not to be revolted. I hope she gets more independent and set her own objectives in the next books.

[Niquie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. Unlike other shoujo series this one focuses on an adult couple who are married. While Chiwa is emotional and yells a lot her and Hokuto actually communicate as a result and as they talk and fight their relationship grows and changes.

This vol we finally find out more about Hokuto's relationship in the past and what happened when Hokuto's mother died. I'm pretty excited about the next vol.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for complete series



Chiwa's father has been nothing but trouble and a financial mess for her to clean up. Even working extra nightshifts don't seem to round up the money but an unusual offer might get her out of this mess: her company's CEO Hokuto can only keep his position in the family business if he were to marry. Hokuto is in need of a wife, Chiwa needs the money. A quickly signed marriage certificate turns them into unlikely flatmates - it's not as though they are romantically involved.

For the longest time, I only read shoujo manga and disregarded any series that were targeted at older readers. I'd often seen Happy Marriage?! during the time when I was working at a comic store and mentally shelved it as not interested - office romance, married couple - none of it caught my interest. It was only during a moment of extreme boredom that I picked the first volume off the shelf and flipped through it. I came to the conclusion that it was one of the most hilarious manga romances I had read and immediately ordered the entire series and promoted Maki Enjouji to an auto-buy author.

About a decade later, I still love this series. Chiwa and Hokuto's relationship is absolutely hilarious, they have me laughing so many times. But in addition to the comedy, I love the chemistry between them and the bond that grows between them as the series progresses. I think this is most strongly seen in Hokuto who transforms from a calculating businessman into a caring husband. I also consider both Chiwa and Hokuto to be very realistic characters as they both definitely have their faults. Funnily, this seems to be one of the most common points of criticism this series seems to receive from other many other readers.

It seems others consider Chiwa a weak female lead and Hokuto as abusive and arrogant. Arrogance aside, I can't agree on either of the other points. Both of them have an argumentive nature - they argue, in fact, they argue a lot. I don't believe either of them is worse than the other in this point and, as both of them rightly say, it's part of their relationship dynamics - they grow stronger after each argument. The difference is the way they express themselves; Chiwa is less confident and cries easily, but she rarely backs down and stands her ground - crying in itself is not a weakness of character, the fact that she can still pull through shows that. Hokuto is very reserved when it comes to showing warm feelings but he is very outspoken when he's upset which in my mind is very realistic. Not everyone is able to express how they really feel and I think it's why these two are often irritated yet also bring out the good in each other.

While domestic abuse certainly is an issue that needs to be addressed more often, I do feel that many people overshoot their target by narrowing down on books or movies that show even the slightest hint of a male character not playing the perfect gentleman. Hokuto is by no means perfect but there isn't a single action of his in this entire series that I would consider as abusive. There is a scene where he slaps Chiwa - a slap is a far cry from hitting or abuse. There is a reason why it's called a wake-up slap - there are times when something like that might really be the only way to get through to someone who is, as in this particular case with Chiwa, in a complete panic and not listening to reason. Had it been the other way around with Chiwa slapping Hokuto, no one would have said a thing. People aren't always rational and the way many fictional characters are criticized in this regard sets unrealistic standards of real people.

With that off my chest, other than the comedy and romance, there's also a bit of a mystery and family issues on both sides to deal with. I don't usually like longer romance series (although Happy Marriage?! isn't all that long with 10 volumes) as they tend to drag but here there are plenty of other elements that keep the story going. Despite the introduction of other love interests along the way, I like how neither Chiwa nor Hokuto ever showed the slightest interest in others.

Finally, I really enjoyed the art in this one. I generally like Maki Enjouji's art but I am particularly fond of it in this series. Her art is also a strong drive for the comedy but the romantic scenes are also beautifully drawn. While I may still prefer shoujo manga (I don't seem to outgrow it...), thanks to Happy Marriage?!, I know that there certainly are manga for older readers that can appeal to me as it's been one of my favourites since I first read it.

[Emoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love & enjoyed reading comic.... this is one of my fav comics.

[✿яσsαℓιη∂α✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hokuto'ya bazen gıcık olsam da seviyorum ya, ne yapayım.. (=

[Luana · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

La presenza di quella Misaki è destinata a creare problemi, così come certi atteggiamenti di Asahina, che sembra provare ancora qualcosa per Chiwa.
A dispetto della sua tendenza a lasciarsi andare a pippe mentali infinite, con il suo candore e la sua tendenza a farsi in quattro per gli altri, Chiwa è in grado di farsi benvolere. Anche in un ambiente molto diverso da quello a cui è abituata di solito, come un party dell'alta finanza, pieno zeppo di presidenti e pezzi grossi. Nella sua semplicità, Chiwa sa fare colpo. Certo, non tutti apprezzano questa cosa...
C'è da registrare anche lo sforzo dei due coniugi di venirsi incontro e di imparare qualcosa di più dei rispettivi interessi (al di fuori della camera da letto). Visto che abbiamo superato la metà della storia, voglio sperare che i problemi di comunicazione siano finiti, ma non ci spero troppo 😢
Ah, massimo interesse, come sempre, per le questioni legate al passato di Hokuto e su quanto accaduto il giorno della morte di sua madre (visto che quello che stava per essere investito era proprio lui). Questa rimane, a mio parere, la storyline migliore è voglio vedere se Chiwa avrà un ruolo nel risolvere questo mistero e nello stabilizzare il rapporto tra Hokuto e il padre 🤔

[Vivian Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m tired of this couple but I still want to read to the end which I’ll probably force myself to do. The husband calls his wife stupid multiple times in an unkind manner. He has moments of uncontrollable anger which isn’t good. The wife lies and goes behind her husband’s back to do the things he forbade her. Like... their marriage doesn’t make sense and so doesn’t her characterization. The wife has moments of wanting to be an independent young woman but always reverts to being lacking in confidence. We already have this dumb non love triangle with the wife’s superior. Now, we are introduced to the female version: Misaki. I truly hope it’s not a recycled troupe. The mangaka is good at making the sweet moments extra sweet to hide the fact that this ain’t a good marriage. Yet, I’m still reading. 2.8/5

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

-1 star for the part where she decides to have an affair to get back at her husband for something she doesn’t even know he’s doing. Good thing the guy didn’t take her up on it.

It was good to see that she has the ability to be “useful” to Hokuto when she’s just being herself and getting to know the other people at that party. Honestly expected her to announce she was pregnant when she fainted, but no such luck. Just working too much. Hey, and now he’s telling people she’s his wife. Progress!

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chiwa rappresenta buona parte delle cose che non mi piacciono delle protagoniste di manga. É sempre lei che si scusa, ad esempio. Come se fosse lei a sbagliare sempre, mentre il marito è perfetto. Cerca di impegnarsi, ma fallisce miseramente. E il marito le dà della «Stupida!» ogni secondo momento. Ma siamo impazziti?!

Però io continuo a leggere e, tutto sommato, ad apprezzare. Anche perché la parte che riguarda il passato di Hokuto riesce a pareggiare tutto il resto.

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 2 out of 5]

2020 Read #8

Um...I’m really starting to get annoyed with this series. I like the idea of this couple growing together over time, but it is irritating how they seem to backtrack more than progress. They still know very little about each other; they also really just don’t seem to learn from their mistakes either. I don’t know, I feel like this series could have been four really good volumes instead of ten sub-par ones. But that is just my take so far.

[bee ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

hokuto really annoys me ! when he was ignoring her on the trip i actually was fuming. and yeah, chiwa gets on my nerves too, but this guy is on another level...

i'm thinking i probably won't be reading another series from this author after this one... in the other series i read, the doctor got on my every last nerve, too. i'm a little concerned about how she seems to think men should behave (or rather, what they can get away with), even if it's only fiction !!

[Nisa Greennnpanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review (for the whole manga):
Out of most of the mangaka's manga that I have read so far, I enjoyed this one the most. It's a typical story of how an ordinary girl is forced to marry a rich and superior guy (who was previously her boss) and how the overcome their differences and obstacles that they face along their marriage journey and yet I still enjoyed reading it.

[bow down to our ace king victor vale · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.78!

im glad chiwa didn’t quit her job!! T^T and im interested in how the love rival plot will go; i wonder what the truth will be regarding the two-timing situation,, im guessing it’s just good ol’ miscommunication and unnecessary third party involvement. speaking of third party involvement, im curious to see who killed the mom,, so glad hokuto’s backstory plot line is developing!

[Annie Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love seeing Chiwa and Hokuto getting closer. You can tell that they are starting to rely on each other more, and figuring out how marriage works.
I look forward to getting more volumes, and getting further into their story!

[Cydney Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Communication

Okay, we have more communication but we also have poor decision making. I'm glad to see these two are finally making an effort, and I'm glad their at least communicating and not using...relations...to solve all of their marital problems.

[Abigail Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

the ceo of michele hearts gotta chill, like really judging somebody because they get sensitive around their partner. like chiwa is already built this inferiority complex because of this silly arranged marriage like stop adding fuel to the fair. my girl needs a break tbh😭

[Sammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it :) another great add to the series .

[KStar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much, beautifully written

[Nicole Falardeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to continue reading Maki's mangas.