My Happy Marriage

Miyo is a young woman of no value to her family: her stepmother and stepsister work her like a servant, and the family gift she was expected to inherit never came. Her family marries her off to Kiyoka Kudo, the most feared commander in the army, of whom it is said that every previous candidate fled within days. Miyo does not consider fleeing when she enters the house, because she has nowhere to go. Kudo turns out not to be what he is said to be either. Ayuko Tsukahara's film adapts Akumi Agitogi's novel series. The narrative is set in a Japan resembling the Taisho era and keeps the supernatural elements in the background, giving the main weight to someone who has been abused learning to trust again. Ren Meguro plays Kudo and Mio Imada plays Miyo. The production design and costumes are the strongest part of the film. Who it's for: Viewers who like Japanese period romance, novel adaptations, and slowly developing relationship narratives. Who it's not for: The scenes of domestic abuse are constant and long. The narrative never leaves the romantic template either, and the outcome is clear from the start.