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1122: For a Happy Marriage #1
1122: For a Happy Marriage Vol. 1
Ichiko Aihara. Otoya Aihara. Married for seven years, they get along well, but sexless and without children, they agree to see other people. Otoya has an affair with Mitsuki, and Ichiko is aware of it. Looking at Otoya in a state of bliss with Mitsuki, Ichiko begins to change, too ... Peko Watanabe tells a story of lies and truth—whether or not you ever want to get married, the real life of this thirtysomething couple might give you some second thoughts about that institution we call marriage!
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
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58 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 24, 2019
So! There is a lot to unpack with this manga. I know it is well worth four stars because of the art and subject matter being tackled tastefully, but the characters tend to be pretty unlikable. The only one who was getting sympathy from me was the mistress whose son was showing signs of autism while her husband basically ignored the issues. Even so, this story shines a light on the reality that every marriage functions differently, just as people’s sex lives and sex drives can vary widely person to person. I would recommend this series if you want a mature manga that highlights the problems of married adults. Very intriguing, to say the least!
July 4, 2020
This book takes a unique manga premise - the slow-burning death of a marriage - and pairs it with wall-to-wall unlikeable characters. They have their saving graces, but spending almost 200 pages with these people is off-putting and laborious.
Husband cares for but does not love his wife. She wants to fix things but turns out she ruined things (and apparently she only gets one chance?) to begin with. The mistress is using the husband to escape from her life. The mistress’ husband is walking around in a fugue state ignoring all the problems in his life.
Throw in one of the worst mothers in history (I don’t think ‘sins of the fathers’ is meant to be taken THAT literally) and it is, as the French say, A BIT MUCH.
It even has an annoying ‘family is a man and wife having kids’ through line that shames the wife and calls out her womb for daring to be fallow that I especially hated. I think this might appeal to some people, particularly if you like watching an entire cast wallowing in misery, but I would be hard pressed to keep going with this even if the world wasn’t on fire as I read it.
Husband cares for but does not love his wife. She wants to fix things but turns out she ruined things (and apparently she only gets one chance?) to begin with. The mistress is using the husband to escape from her life. The mistress’ husband is walking around in a fugue state ignoring all the problems in his life.
Throw in one of the worst mothers in history (I don’t think ‘sins of the fathers’ is meant to be taken THAT literally) and it is, as the French say, A BIT MUCH.
It even has an annoying ‘family is a man and wife having kids’ through line that shames the wife and calls out her womb for daring to be fallow that I especially hated. I think this might appeal to some people, particularly if you like watching an entire cast wallowing in misery, but I would be hard pressed to keep going with this even if the world wasn’t on fire as I read it.
December 4, 2024
This manga deals with a few heavy topics and is definitely not for everyone.
May 24, 2023
This is a very brave (and somewhat depressing) exploration of a marriage in transition. It had strong Esther Perel vibes, so if you're a fan of her work you should read this.
September 3, 2025
I'm on the fence about continuing.
December 12, 2020
Wow, this manga was so realistic!
I'm loving these realistic Josei. This one is something unlike anything I've ever read. It's essentially about a married couple in their mid thirties, struggling with being sexless. It's their journey trying to keep their marriage alive, it's really powerful and dark. While I don't agree with the main character on some things, it's not my place to judge her for her decisions. I'm hoping I see both of these characters grow throughout the series. If you're looking for something different in your Josei romances, pick this up!
I'm loving these realistic Josei. This one is something unlike anything I've ever read. It's essentially about a married couple in their mid thirties, struggling with being sexless. It's their journey trying to keep their marriage alive, it's really powerful and dark. While I don't agree with the main character on some things, it's not my place to judge her for her decisions. I'm hoping I see both of these characters grow throughout the series. If you're looking for something different in your Josei romances, pick this up!
October 22, 2019
3.5 starsaaa
August 28, 2022
Well, this was an interesting one. It got a bit OTT at once point with the mistress, but overall, it's a very interesting premise and realistic.
Ichiko and Otoyan have a comfortable marriage. They like and care for each other, but their marriage has gone sexless to the point they're affable roommates and best friends rather than husband and wife. Ichiko is the first to reject Otoyan when he wanted to have sex and suggests he see a prostitute to fulfill his sexual needs since she can't/won't. This hurts Otoyan deeply but we get a lot of reasoning why he goes along with it: Otoyan is a very kind and caring guy, who can be accommodating to an excessive degree. This arrangement seems to work for them -- they create rules, number one being their marriage and partnership and commitment to the other comes first. Otoyan only sees his mistress on Thursdays.
Otoyan is the first one to test these limits. He falls in love with his mistress, who is the most unlikeable person in this story (I do not like sad sacks, regardless of if they have something to be sad about -- her husband isn't even that bad of a guy and she doesn't bother to communicate with him at all. The story doesn't say it, but I think she's got something up with her in the head and a few of her inner monologues, words and especially, her actions suggest this.) Because Otoyan's in love, he suggests postponing his and Ichiko's anniversary trip to spend time with his mistress because she's going through a rough time. Ichiko objects to this vehemently and eventually Otoyan agrees he was breaking their "rules" and goes on the trip.
This interaction causes Ichiko's sexless calm to ripple, in her own words. I imagine this is a euphemism for jealousy or feeling she's being edged out as Otoyan's family. Thus, on their trip, Ichiko tries to initiate sex, but Otoyan rejects her by literally shoving her off him.
This sets off the events of the rest of the volumes. Lots of a psychological insight into why the characters act the way they do. The situation Ichiko and Otoyan find themselves in is one that's interesting to ponder: what do you do when you're married to your best friend but things have gone stale? Can an affair revitalize a marriage or is there no coming back once a partner stays, even with permission? What is more important, stability and comfort or romantic love? What makes a marriage successful?
Another question the manga asks is: what is family? Contextually, it makes absolute sense that family is framed as having a baby -- you have to understand the story is set in Japan and it's expected your marriage will lead to a child. In addition, the topic of sexless marriages makes sense as well. Dead bedrooms are NOT exclusive to Japan but it's a topical issue within the Japanese cultural context along with infidelity. The story does a good job of flipping this traditional idea of what a family is. Ichiko is adamant that Otoyan's her family. She had a bad childhood; he dad beat her mom and her mom is emotionally abusive, even blaming Ichiko as a child for not defending her (the mom) when her dad got abusive. Ichiko and Otoyan, despite their problems, have mutual love and respect for each other and are relatively peaceful and always there for each other. Meanwhile, Otoyan's mistress has a family and outwardly the ideal life...yet she's beyond miserable.
Strangely, the person with the most character growth seems to be the mistress' husband. There was a rather nice chapter where he cares for his son for the day and really, finally, realizes all the work his wife does. It's a very muted, quiet chapter with little dialogue -- just him and his son. You really get the feeling he understands how deeply lonely his wife is and why she's so closed off. Mind you, he's really the only one being cheated on in this story. He accepts why his wife cheated and doesn't make a fuss about it too much, but he wants her to end it (which she doesn't, obviously). Their conversations going forward, as well as her gaining a backbone once she stops leaning on Otoyan for happiness and realizes she can't run from her marriage forever, are very real even if sometimes distasteful at some points.
I could have done without the mid-series drama that wasn't really needed and ruined the slice of life feel they were rolling along with, but overall very much enjoyed this manga.
Ichiko and Otoyan have a comfortable marriage. They like and care for each other, but their marriage has gone sexless to the point they're affable roommates and best friends rather than husband and wife. Ichiko is the first to reject Otoyan when he wanted to have sex and suggests he see a prostitute to fulfill his sexual needs since she can't/won't. This hurts Otoyan deeply but we get a lot of reasoning why he goes along with it: Otoyan is a very kind and caring guy, who can be accommodating to an excessive degree. This arrangement seems to work for them -- they create rules, number one being their marriage and partnership and commitment to the other comes first. Otoyan only sees his mistress on Thursdays.
Otoyan is the first one to test these limits. He falls in love with his mistress, who is the most unlikeable person in this story (I do not like sad sacks, regardless of if they have something to be sad about -- her husband isn't even that bad of a guy and she doesn't bother to communicate with him at all. The story doesn't say it, but I think she's got something up with her in the head and a few of her inner monologues, words and especially, her actions suggest this.) Because Otoyan's in love, he suggests postponing his and Ichiko's anniversary trip to spend time with his mistress because she's going through a rough time. Ichiko objects to this vehemently and eventually Otoyan agrees he was breaking their "rules" and goes on the trip.
This interaction causes Ichiko's sexless calm to ripple, in her own words. I imagine this is a euphemism for jealousy or feeling she's being edged out as Otoyan's family. Thus, on their trip, Ichiko tries to initiate sex, but Otoyan rejects her by literally shoving her off him.
This sets off the events of the rest of the volumes. Lots of a psychological insight into why the characters act the way they do. The situation Ichiko and Otoyan find themselves in is one that's interesting to ponder: what do you do when you're married to your best friend but things have gone stale? Can an affair revitalize a marriage or is there no coming back once a partner stays, even with permission? What is more important, stability and comfort or romantic love? What makes a marriage successful?
Another question the manga asks is: what is family? Contextually, it makes absolute sense that family is framed as having a baby -- you have to understand the story is set in Japan and it's expected your marriage will lead to a child. In addition, the topic of sexless marriages makes sense as well. Dead bedrooms are NOT exclusive to Japan but it's a topical issue within the Japanese cultural context along with infidelity. The story does a good job of flipping this traditional idea of what a family is. Ichiko is adamant that Otoyan's her family. She had a bad childhood; he dad beat her mom and her mom is emotionally abusive, even blaming Ichiko as a child for not defending her (the mom) when her dad got abusive. Ichiko and Otoyan, despite their problems, have mutual love and respect for each other and are relatively peaceful and always there for each other. Meanwhile, Otoyan's mistress has a family and outwardly the ideal life...yet she's beyond miserable.
Strangely, the person with the most character growth seems to be the mistress' husband. There was a rather nice chapter where he cares for his son for the day and really, finally, realizes all the work his wife does. It's a very muted, quiet chapter with little dialogue -- just him and his son. You really get the feeling he understands how deeply lonely his wife is and why she's so closed off. Mind you, he's really the only one being cheated on in this story. He accepts why his wife cheated and doesn't make a fuss about it too much, but he wants her to end it (which she doesn't, obviously). Their conversations going forward, as well as her gaining a backbone once she stops leaning on Otoyan for happiness and realizes she can't run from her marriage forever, are very real even if sometimes distasteful at some points.
I could have done without the mid-series drama that wasn't really needed and ruined the slice of life feel they were rolling along with, but overall very much enjoyed this manga.
August 26, 2023
Marital Distress is more like it
As a warning to sensitive readers there is breast exposure and themes of cheating (as well as one scene of fantasizing forced intimacy though it is not graphic) in this volume so if these things offend you you should turn back now.
Okay first off I can't really get behind an of these characters who all have their personal flaws. Secondly I am against people saying they are dedicated to someone else but then run off to another behind their backs. Certainly I understand Wife A knows and possibly agreed to having an open relationship with others but Husband B is unaware of what is happening with his wife which irks me a bit. Certainly Wife B has a special interest child which can be stressful (especially considering her husband seems to be busy to the point she can have the affair in the first place) and I don't know the situation between them but it still bothered me. Honestly I wasn't expecting a lovey dovey story but as a beginning to the story I find myself already bothered to the point I can drop it with no problem. Hopefully people that are into scandals and/or stories with real issues will enjoy this more than I did. :)
I guess I should say the art in this book is really nice though and although the characters are not very likable from the beginning they are very realistic personality wise being a manga for older audiences. Not a book you want for escapism unless you are into reading about people worse off than yourself.
As a warning to sensitive readers there is breast exposure and themes of cheating (as well as one scene of fantasizing forced intimacy though it is not graphic) in this volume so if these things offend you you should turn back now.
Okay first off I can't really get behind an of these characters who all have their personal flaws. Secondly I am against people saying they are dedicated to someone else but then run off to another behind their backs. Certainly I understand Wife A knows and possibly agreed to having an open relationship with others but Husband B is unaware of what is happening with his wife which irks me a bit. Certainly Wife B has a special interest child which can be stressful (especially considering her husband seems to be busy to the point she can have the affair in the first place) and I don't know the situation between them but it still bothered me. Honestly I wasn't expecting a lovey dovey story but as a beginning to the story I find myself already bothered to the point I can drop it with no problem. Hopefully people that are into scandals and/or stories with real issues will enjoy this more than I did. :)
I guess I should say the art in this book is really nice though and although the characters are not very likable from the beginning they are very realistic personality wise being a manga for older audiences. Not a book you want for escapism unless you are into reading about people worse off than yourself.
August 18, 2025
Shout out to S for the rec!
This was immediately a very engaging story with characters who felt like tangible people instead of just genre-typical josei characters. The conflicts and conversations between the different couples was engaging and offered insights on communication and sexuality that was entertaining and a little sexy.
I wish the mangaka was willing to keep the story going for longer, because the ending felt very rushed and some characters felt like they took two steps back away from lessons they learned or decisions they made.
This was immediately a very engaging story with characters who felt like tangible people instead of just genre-typical josei characters. The conflicts and conversations between the different couples was engaging and offered insights on communication and sexuality that was entertaining and a little sexy.
I wish the mangaka was willing to keep the story going for longer, because the ending felt very rushed and some characters felt like they took two steps back away from lessons they learned or decisions they made.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2024
Really intriguing premise and well executed. Got the first volume on sale thru comixology (RIP) awhile back and randomly picked it and really enjoyed it. I've read the 2nd and 3rd volumes already. I like the solid thread of tension through the whole story--how are the decisions this couple is making going to affect their marriage? How do I feel about the morality of the decisions they are making? It's thought-provoking and chock full of emotional suspense. I really love it.
September 17, 2024
This book was so good. Devoured it once I got into the story. I feel like its more of a horror though haha. Got me thinking about the kind of marriage I want and the realities of marriage. Is sex really important in a marriage? Can you still love your partner deeply even if theyre having an affair that you know about? I love this manga and I want to read more !
March 13, 2022
realistic almost to a fault. depressing af.
makes me hate life
makes me hate life
May 17, 2022
Not for me. Way too real and depressing.
November 22, 2023
Girl what did I just read rn
July 11, 2024
A Very Weak 4/5 Manga Volume
November 12, 2024
This was supposed to be a book about the complexities of marriage so I wasn’t expecting a picture perfect couple however there’s nothing complex here everyone simply just needs to divorce. The end.
January 19, 2020
If this had been a novel or TV show, I don’t think I would have picked it up. Adding a third person to a relationship when it’s on shaky ground never sounds like a good idea. Even a show like “Big Love” seems too frustrating, no matter the critical acclaim. But there’s something about the comic book format that straddles the line between real and abstract, which makes this an interesting exploration of human relationships. I like how the main character thinks she has found a way to compartmentalize and approach her marriage logically — she and her husband are family, and his (open) affair is separate from that. But humans are so messy and illogical. The world can be tiring. She doesn’t really have anyone else she can lean on other than her husband, who is actually a really nice guy, but who gets hurt by his wife’s prickliness. Then there’s the woman he’s dating (I don’t think the translators were really able to find a label for her — “other woman” and “mistress” kind of rob her of her personhood) who isn’t a caricature but another person with layers, who is caught up in loneliness, love and obligations. I wasn’t sure going into it, but any hesitation over the subject matter was overcome by a thoughtful story.
December 16, 2019
It's seinen, as I suspected, but I like the art and the characters work, even if the set up is a little forced.
(Am I on a mission to buy everything even remotely in cooee of josei? Why yes, yes I am.)
(Am I on a mission to buy everything even remotely in cooee of josei? Why yes, yes I am.)
July 31, 2022
雖然從書名以及封面來應該是本Happy的書
然而內容是關於無性生活以及出軌（受認可）
另外，11/22是結婚紀念日
很奇妙的書
然而內容是關於無性生活以及出軌（受認可）
另外，11/22是結婚紀念日
很奇妙的書
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews