Happy Marriage ?!, tome 3

はぴまり〜Happy Marriage!?〜 #3

by Maki Enjōji

Malgré quelques problèmes de communication, Chiwa et Hokuto continuent leur vie de couple en faisant chambre à part. Mais la jeune fille, de plus en plus amoureuse de son mari, doute des réels sentiments de Hokuto à son égard et ne peut se résoudre à franchir la prochaine étape, qui ferait d’elle une femme accomplie. Hokuto, quant à lui, se dévoile de plus en plus, ce qui aurait dû renforcer ses liens avec Chiwa. Mais son comportement est-il une vraie preuve d’amour, ou une manœuvre subtile destinée à le rapprocher de son but mystérieux ?

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

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2010

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

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good volume. Lots of family drama, but we learn a LOT about Hokuto's background, and motivations here.

[Kayla Brunson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much more than volume two. If Hokuto is going to turn on the charm, then I don't think I'm ready. I can't wait to see how their relationship evolves!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really steps up the series to a new, better pace.

We finally get some real confessions from our adorable couple! Chiwa and Hokuto start to get to know each other even better. This volume left me very giddy and has a good feel through the whole thing.

Also, a couple exciting moments. Especially Hokuto's family dinner. Both of them made me so proud there! So many ups and downs with these two. I just can't get enough of this series.

If you are looking for an adorable romance with a little comedy, you should check out this manga series. This volume was a big turning point for me. I liked it before, now I am eager to read each new volume!

*I received a review copy of this book from Viz Media via Edelweiss. All opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Rei Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

God, I wanted to like this, badly. But the ml was too aggressive in his approach(I know, stupid, but there's a thing called boundaries and he thought those didn't exist). I MIGHT come back to this and reread it in a different light. Out of curiosity? Yes. With my own free will? No. It'll be on the shelf collecting dust before I pick it up again.

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

Chiwa and Hokuto visit his hometown and family for new years eve and we discover that he is a bastard and his family are horrible people though his dad seems like an okay guy and his grandpa isn't bad, Chiwa loses it and splashes her drink all over his horrible cousin and they leave. Chiwa discovers that she loves her husband deeply and wants to stay with him.

[GuisBell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Va creciendo el amor y van apareciendo problemas muy fuertes...

[Jes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not going to lie to you. I pirated this volume while I wait on the next available editions from my library and I think I went over into what should have been volume 4.

[Nao ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

we GOTTA get chiwa a backbone and muzzle hokuto . immediately. but when u ignore all the crazy shit happening, its still very silly and quite hilarious. this all being said: maki enjoji shoulda given ME the plot, i think id do it justice

[MasterSal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't particularly impressed with this volume. Not much happens in the first 80% where our heroine spends most of her time running away from the hero. I get she is shy and all but this is ridiculous. Only the last chapter of the volume was worth reading IMHO.

We got to see the 'evil' cousins of the hero and our heroine confessed. So yay I guess??!!!

I will continue the series because my library has the entire collection otherwise this would have been a pass for me.

[fraulein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuma punya vol 3-6. Plotnya jauh lebih jelas dan kokoh klo dibanding Oh Butterfly. Art-nya juga lebih oke. Sebetulnya rada sayang krn dimasukin banyak adegan dewasa karena nggak dikasih itu pun ceritanya masih bagus. Apalagi mayan banyak adegan yg kocak. Apa Enjoji sensei pernah kepikiran buat komik yg aman damai sentosa, ya? Eh atau sebenernya udah ada?

[Manon「マノン」 · Rating 1 out of 5]

TW: Assault

I still don’t like the series and probably won’t continue.

[Laura✧˚ · . · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5
This volume was full of jealousy, angst, drama and family stuff and I liked it.
Hokuto and chiwa are still married and he is about to go on holidays. They didn’t have sex and she wants to know where he’s going for his 3 day trip, but in the end he got sick and she had to call his friend. He’s a doctor and he visits Hokuto to see what happens. He’s been overworking and now he needs to rest for 3 days. Chiwa is his family now so she needs to take care of him. His room is a mess and it’s been years since it was last cleaned so he ends up sleeping in her bedroom. She has to cook for him and he claims that he isn’t a picky either but in the end he refuses to eat the rice porridge so she has to call soma to ask for some instructions. She finally has a list of his fave foods and they go to sleep and share the bed together. Hokuto suggests that from now on, she should cook some meals for him and they should eat together so they can know each other better but the next day he has to leave soon for a meeting and Chiwa feels hopeless. He was the one who proposed to spend time together and now he’s ignoring it. The next day they have the day off and they go to visit his moms grave. She has to clean it and she cries and he offers her a meal. His mom died in an accident when he was in elementary school and he moved to Tokyo. He could’ve been a fisherman but now he’s a ceo taking over the mamiya company. They have to drive back but there’s a storm and he doesn’t use the gps so chiwa has to read a map and they end up lost. They have to spend the night in a hotel and they have one bedroom. She wonders if he hates her but he doesn’t. She wants to visit his mother’s grave the next year and the year after. Hokuto tells her the reason why he married him. He wants to take over the company and she’s a pawn. She knew it already but she’s okay with that and she wants to stay by his side. Christmas is around the corner and Hokuto is looking for a battery around the house and finds his present to her for her birthday at her drawer. She doesn’t know what to get him and she starts looking for her present but it’s gone. She couldn’t sleep and she goes with her friend to do some Christmas shopping for her boyfriend. Chiwa wants to get him some sports stuff but she doesn’t know his hobbies. He went golfing once with a client. She goes to his room but everything is expensive since he’s filthy rich. She realizes she doesn’t know anything about him. Once it’s Christmas Eve she decides to buy a small cake since she doesn’t know if Hokuto will join her later. Soma is talking to him and she asks Hokuto about the present but he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. She believes he hired a guy to follow chiwa so he could find out what she likes for Christmas but Hokuto says he didn’t do such a thing and he has a bad feeling. He has a last minute meeting with his dad but he ignores it and leaves. Chiwa is being followed by a creepy man. He met her at the hostess bar and he wants to spend Christmas Eve with her because he believes she’s his girlfriend. He attacks her but she manages to leave and Hokuto is there to save her. In the end, the stalker runs away before the police arrives but chiwa is glad he didn’t get what he wanted. They talk about Christmas and how they didn’t get anything to the other. Hokuto tells her about the birthday present. He bought a generic gift for any random women and then he took it back. They promise to spend the next year together and to buy presents for each other and it was actually cute. Chiwa wants more pots for the kitchen and he wants to have sex with her. He knows she wouldn’t have sex with a guy she doesn’t love so he needs to find a way to make her fall in love with him. She’s already in love with Hokuto but he doesn’t know it yet. During New Year’s Eve they go to the mamiya house. The grandfather is there and he’s lovely. He asks about children and Hokuto lies. He says they are trying hard but they need luck. She meets his cousins but they are all cold and rude as hell. There’s only one cousin who is nice but he’s his rival. Chiwa goes to the bathroom and she meets his dad. He wants to talk to her and they speak for a while. He’s working overseas but he seems nice. Hokuto finds them and he tells her to leave. His dad isn’t a nice guy and he doesn’t want to speak with him. He believes he’s tje one behind his mothers death. He had 5 brothers and they all wanted to have a son . His legal wife couldn’t have babies so he went back to his ex lover. One day he tried to get hokuto to leave with him for Tokyo but his mom said no. Next thing they knew she died in an accident. He doesn’t have any proof of it, but he wants her to believe him. During dinner one cousin is attacking Hokuto and he calls him a bastard. He says chiwa doesn’t have any class and she married him for money and for the mamiya name and it’s partially true. She did it because Hokuto paid for her fathers debt. In the end she faces the cousin and says they are a terrible family. They are related by blood but she loves hokuto the most. He can insult her all he wants but not the man she loves. She leaves as hokuto apologizes. The grandfather is senile but he likes Chiwa and her grandmother. Chiwa apologizes for her behavior. She thinks she has to be quiet and give him a baby but he wants to know more about her love confession. It matters because they are married and she tries to brush it off but Hokuto is convinced of it. Now that she’s in love they can have sex but she wants the guy to love her as well and Hokuto is kind of cryptic about his feelings towards her which is weird.
What I loved about this volume was the family aspect. The mamiya family is huge, there are lots of cousins and rivalry and they seem ruthless but I want to know more about them. The only nice ones are actually Hokutos rivals and I want to see more of their dynamic. Also the jealousy scenes were okay but I wish we could have seen more of them as a couple. Chiwa is already in love with him but she admits that she doesn’t know anything about him so I’m confused. Same goes for him, he truly doesn’t know her at all but he isn’t in love yet so… anyways I hope we can get to see more of them and his family because it’s intriguing. The stalker plot was so unnecessary but in these type of mangas there’s always one so…

[Nina {ᴡᴏʀᴅs ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ} · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a chapter in this volume where Chiwa goes to Hokuto's mother's grave with him, and finally he tells her honesty his end of the agreement regarding their marriage. It's funny that she doesn't really react because she already knows, and why she doesn't react is because several chapters before (as she mentions herself) she found out. The other part about this scene that I find is funny is that she DID freak out...she spent the chapters in between acting all freaky, going from hating him to wanting to change jobs and doing all things that she could that could possibly piss him off, and I swear, Hokuto's kinda an idiot for not really noticing. Hokuto really is funny!! Haha.

[Gobokairina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Masalah biasa dalam perhubungan -- komunikasi. Baik Chiwa mahupun Hokuto, masing-masing masih belum serasi bersama. Dan itu menimbulkan masalah yang besar dalam kehidupan mereka.

Salah faham dan suka buat tanggapan melulu amat merugikan. Bagaimana mereka mahu menyelesaikannya? Hohoho... okayy, akan bersambung ke siri seterusnya.

Aja-aja fighting~~

[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.

[Esra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ay deli bunlar :D :D

[T. Renee Doty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the best written of the series so far! The increasing bond between the protagonists is a slow burn and adorable! I teared up at the end...*sigh*

[Anastasiaadamov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much confusion, many embarrassment!

[Brandi (Brandi Janee's Bookshelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

[Yoyomaus Die Büchereule · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy Marriage?! 03 von Maki Enjoji



Zum Inhalt:

Da Hokuto sich überarbeitet hat, verordnet ihm Dr. Katagiri Ruhe. Chiwa ist froh, ihn endlich einmal für sich zu haben, muss sich aber bei Frau Soma Tipps für seine Pflege holen. So erfährt sie zufällig, dass Hokutos Mutter starb, als er noch zur Grundschule ging. An ihrem Todestag nimmt Hokuto Chiwa mit zum Grab, und sie erfährt, dass Hokuto ein uneheliches Kind ist. Endlich verrät er ihr, warum er sie geheiratet hat, und erklärt, warum Chiwa ein notwendiger Teil seines Plans ist.



Cover:

Das Cover gefällt mir wieder sehr gut. Wir sehen hier die beiden Protagonisten Hokuto und Chiwa, wie sie sich scheinbar schützend vor ihn stellt, während es ihm nicht so gut geht. Eine schöne Assoziation zum Inhalt dieses Bandes und durchaus auch mit einem Wiedererkennungsfaktor, da sich die Cover doch recht ähneln. Raffiniert gemacht.



Eigener Eindruck:

Da sich Hokuto überarbeitet wird er krank. Und obwohl noch wegen den jüngsten Ereignissen ein bisschen dicke Luft zwischen den beiden Ehepartnern wieder Willen herrscht, kümmert sich Chiwa um ihn, denn er ist der Meinung, dass nur sie ihn davon abhalten kann so viel zu arbeiten. Während die beiden so viel Zeit zusammen verbringen erfährt Chiwa mehr über ihren Ehemann und auch er gelobt sich mehr Zeit für sie zu nehmen, was aber wieder nach hinten losgeht. Als die beiden zum Grab seiner Mutter fahren, sind sie gezwungen nach einem Unwetter in dem kleinen Ort zu bleiben und sprechen sich abermals aus. Nun erfährt Chiwa die Absichten von Hokuto und auch die Familienzwistigkeiten, welche in seiner Familie herrschen. Außerdem wird sie plötzlich von jemanden verfolgt. Wer ist der Unbekannte und wie wird wohl das erste Treffen mit ihrer neuen Familie ablaufen? Chiwa muss sich entscheiden, ob sie die Krallen ausfährt oder alles über sich ergehen lässt.



Durch die Familienstreitigkeiten nimmt die Geschichte wieder Fahrt auf und macht richtig Spaß. Es kommen neue Charaktere dazu und man erfährt endlich mehr über Hokuto, welcher mir bisweilen wirklich ein absolutes Rätsel war. Fakt ist, dass diese Familie noch für eine Menge Zündstoff sorgen wird und Chiwa sich wohl ein sehr dickes Fell zulegen muss, wenn sie hier weiterhin bestehen will. Durch ihre impulsive Art ist mir Chiwa als Charakter noch mehr ans Herz gewachsen und ich hoffe, dass sie ihre Einstellung weiterhin beibehält. Neben humorvollen Szenen haben wir hier entgegen der anderen Bände viele dramatische Elemente, zum Beispiel, wenn es um den Tod der Mutter geht und wir haben auch viele Spannungen, besonders, als es endlich zum Treffen mit seiner arroganten Familie kommt – ich glaube ich mag einzig den Opa der Familie, der scheint vom charakterdesign der einzige zu sein, der noch reell im Kopf ist. Alle anderen sind genau das, was man aus so einer klassischen Seifenoper kennt. Da gönnt einer dem anderen nichts.



Fazit:

Wieder absolut lesenswert und vor allem für Freunde von romantischer Lektüre ein Leckerbissen, denn die beiden Charaktere nähern sich langsam immer mehr an.



Idee: 5/5

Charaktere: 4/5

Logik: 4/5

Spannung: 4/5

Emotionen: 4/5





Gesamt: 4/5



Daten:

ISBN: 9783842027244

Sprache: Deutsch

Ausgabe: E-Buch Text

Umfang: 192 Seiten

Verlag: TOKYOPOP

Erscheinungsdatum: 18.08.2016

[Luana · Rating 3 out of 5]

La parte più interessante è sicuramente quella dedicata all'incontro di capodanno a casa Mamiya - a parte il nonno, Hokuto (e quindi pure Chiwa) non può contare su molti alleati, visto che tutti i parenti puntano ad ottenere il controllo delle aziende di famiglia. Per di più, c'è il difficile rapporto tra Hokuto e il padre, che il primo considera responsabile della morte della mamma quando lui era solo un bambino. Mamma che non era la moglie ufficiale (altro motivo per cui il resto del parentado tende a guardare Hokuto dall'alto in basso), ma una ex fidanzata e il nostro protagonista era il figlio maschio necessario per ottenere il controllo. In questo contesto difficile, Chiwa è l'unica che sembra tenere seriamente alla felicità di Hokuto - non è la donna più brillante sulla faccia della terra, ma i suoi sentimenti sono sinceri. Hokuto mira a prendere possesso di tutto il patrimonio di casa Mamiya e Chiwa potrebbe giocare un ruolo chiave, vedremo come evolveranno le cose. Anche dal punto di vista sentimentale (anche perché gli struggimenti amorosi di Chiwa sono terribilmente pesanti...peraltro non si capisce nemmeno da dove arrivi questo grande amore o il perché lei non sia in grado di intavolare una conversazione civile, ma forse è meglio non farsi domande).

[Alicia Brautigan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading this just as a filler between series and was disappointed. Sure, the beginning starts off good, but it crashes and burns at a certain point. Chiwa tries to get along with Hokuto, but she can’t seem to shake that teenage mentality of “every little action that I take will affect me for ever, I have it the hardest of all people, you just have no idea.” Another thing she does is she avoids Hokuto at all costs, which is a feat since they work and live together. At any avenue where she and Hokuto could establish a connection, she runs to another male in her partner and her old senpai. After a certain point I couldn’t take her annoying antics and dropped the series.

[Veronica Ika · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Fairy Tales, Just Reality
Chiwa never dreamed of princes or romance, yet debt and duty push her into a marriage of convenience with the powerful—and distant—company president.

Loving the Man Everyone Rejects
As Chiwa learns about Hokuto’s painful past as an illegitimate child, her quiet devotion deepens into something fierce and unwavering.

A Public Confession That Changes Everything
In front of a hostile family, Chiwa chooses love over fear, boldly declaring her feelings for Hokuto, and forcing both him and the Mamiya clan to face the truth she can no longer hide.

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

2020 Read #5

I liked the raise of stakes towards the end of the volume, but these two really have a communication issue. I know it’s played mostly for laughs, yet even so I feel like communication is where so many couples go wrong. We see it in media all the time, so why don’t we fix it in our own lives? It takes bravery to be honest and vulnerable, I know, but still — we should know better after a certain point.

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

2.6!

i think the best way to read this is not take it seriously bc you’ll drive urself crazy otherwise. the last chapter was xtra juicy,,i loved seeing family drama go down. 😗 hopefully it won’t get boring as we read on(this volume was a bit slow and picked up near the end)…i can see the premise start to get repetitive so 🤞hokuto still has a log up his ass and chiwa needs to not be annoying thx ,,,and both of them—get it together pls!!

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan dan dan daaaaaaaaaaaan!! The theme for this volume is....



Sometimes, really sometimes, I want to do this to the heroine

[Vivian Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This plot line shows up in every rich guy who is illegitimate and poor girl romance. They visit the cold family for the holidays and yeah it just writes itself. It’s predictable but I’m enjoying it. I like it more than the second volume. I’m curious to know more about the father. I hope the romance will progress better, but we do get some forward movement in this. 3.5/5

[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.

[Soobie is expired · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beh, dai... È una situazione assurda quel del matrimonio per debiti, ma i due son troppo divertenti. Come quando lei esplode durante la cena con la famiglia di lui...

Almeno mi tiro su il morale dopo un paio di settimane molto bigie.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m this volume we find out more about Hokuto’s family. We learn about what happened to his mother. We meet his father and the family who doesn’t really accept him. And Chiwa makes a shocking revelation in front of everyone!