Manga Review: Happy Marriage?!, Volume 4, by Maki Enjoji

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: February, 2014

Volumes: 10

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Chiwa Takanashi has married a total stranger—company president Hokuto Mamiya—to get her father out of debt.

With her first attempt at making love with her husband foiled, Chiwa starts going out drinking every night with Yu Yagami. Hokuto blames himself for what happened, but how long will Chiwa allow her husband to keep her at a distance?

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) Rated M

Review:

There was a surprising turn of events near the beginning of the volume, but then around the middle it got rough, as Chiwa made a very clichéd decision. It got on my nerves, as it’s such an overused, unneeded plot point, and it was resolved in very little time. I can see the meaning of it for this story, and for Chiwa (kind of, I guess), but I still don’t really think it was necessary.

The ending of the volume, or the last two chapters, though, made up for it. Chiwa and Hokuto took very big steps in their relationship, finally. I’m glad that we don’t have to wait any longer, although of course something else will come up in the next book.

The last two chapters were filled with a lot of romantic, cutesy, love-proclaiming scenes, and I loved it. It also included the awaited smut, which I’m happy about. I really enjoyed them, and it’s what upped the rating.

I’m just really enjoying this series thus far; it’s cliché, and the heroine is rather stereotypical and overly shy, sure. But I like seeing the characters grow closer and develop (at least somewhat), the art is nice, and the humor fits pretty well for me. The smut in this chapter was also rather well done, nicely intense and sweet. 

I’m looking forward to reading the next volume, and seeing where the story goes from here.