Miyo Saimori’s arranged marriage with Kiyoka Kudou is a blessing in disguise. He gave Miyo a fresh start to love and feel again, following her miserable servitude life from her own family. So, if you’re looking for a storyline like this, here are 12 anime like My Happy Marriage to watch!
My Happy Marriage is the latest addition to the historical, supernatural, and romance anime genres.
It contains mature themes like abuse and discrimination, so don’t expect My Happy Marriage to be as happy as the title says.
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The Story of Saiunkoku
Similar to My Happy Marriage, The Story of Saiunkoku is set in a period akin to the Meiji era, where arranged marriages have become an instrument for powerful households to solve clan issues and, most importantly, gain more power in society.
In The Story of Saiunkoku, the impoverished noblewoman Kou Shuurei takes the offer of becoming the Emperor’s escort for six months.
Shuurei doesn’t like the idea of arranged marriages, but she is more than determined to sacrifice her own freedom in order to persuade the Emperor to take his responsibilities seriously.
Will Shuurei be able to accomplish her main objective for the sake of her country and achieve her dream of becoming a government official?
Fushigi Yuugi: The Mysterious Play
The main female protagonists of My Happy Marriage and Fushigi Yuugi: The Mysterious Play are both damsels in distress who want to grow as characters.
But these two protagonists are also protected by their own love interests, who will go above and beyond just to make sure they’re happy and safe.
In Fushigi Yuugi: The Mysterious Play, a graduating high schooler named Miaka Yuuki finds herself inside the Book of the Universe of Four Gods.
Inside, Miaka encounters a peculiar yet handsome young man named Tamahome, who will eventually become one of her Celestial Guardians.
Set in Ancient China, Fushigi Yuugi: The Mysterious Play is a romanticized Asian period anime similar to My Happy Marriage.
Raven of the Inner Palace
If you’re looking for an Asian period anime that features traditional women wearing beautiful kimonos, then look no further. Raven of the Inner Palace is a gorgeous anime similar to My Happy Marriage.
In terms of romance, Ryuu Jusetsu and Ka Koushun never fail to make us fall in love with their special moments, though they are a little bit more low-key than Miyo and Kiyoka’s romance.
Understandably, Raven of the Inner Palace is more of a mystery anime that is episodic in nature.
Raven of the Inner Palace revolves around Ryuu Jusetsu, the special consort who holds supernatural abilities that she uses to help the Emperor.
She lives deep inside the palace, where all the court women wonder what her true identity and abilities are.
Bibliophile Princess
Just like in My Happy Marriage, the main couple in Bibliophile Princess was betrothed to each other.
Both couples also provide audiences with heartwarming moments that will make any shoujo anime fan squeal in happiness.
Both shows also have superior male protagonists with important positions in society, in addition to their gorgeous looks.
Bibliophile Princess follows a bookworm named Elianna Bernstein, who got betrothed to the crown prince Christopher Selkirk Asherald.
They have an unusual relationship bounded by books, as Elianna agreed to stay by Christopher’s side only if she could peacefully read any book she wanted in the world.
But unbeknownst to Elianna, Christopher is head over heels in love with her.
Unfortunately, Elianna thinks nothing of their relationship, believing that Christopher doesn’t have any romantic feelings for her.
Hana Yori Dango
Hana Yori Dango is set in the modern world, but this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have any similarities with My Happy Marriage.
The main male protagonists of both shows have very possessive and protective personalities, and they will stop at nothing to protect their special someone.
The same goes for the main female lead, in that they are both damsels in distress.
This romance anime revolves around Tsukushi Makino, a young girl with a strong personality despite coming from a poor family.
She is studying at the prestigious Eitoku Gakuen, and she never expected that the day would come when she would stand up against the very elite students of the school—the F4.
From here on, trouble started following Tsukushi wherever she went on campus. Will Tsukushi give up, or will the F4 raise the white flag first?
Taisho Otome Fairytale
Taisho Otome Fairytale also has an arranged marriage setting similar to My Happy Marriage.
But the difference is that the female lead is full of optimism over the male lead, who sees himself as useless after he was involved in an accident that took his mother’s life as well as the use of his right hand.
Tamahiko Shima belongs to the reputable Shima Clan, but after his accident, he was sent to the mountains by his very own family.
They don’t want people to know about Tamahiko’s situation, so he was exiled and left to live on his own, doing nothing but sleep and read.
That’s when Tachibana Yuzuki appeared before Shima’s door, announcing herself as the young man’s bride-to-be.
As it turns out, Yuzuki was a payment sent by her own family to settle their debts to the Shima Clan.
Will the two of them find comfort in each other despite their situation?
Romeo x Juliet
Similar to Miyo, Juliet also lost her family early in the series. It’s just that Miyo lost her mother due to natural causes, while Juliet’s family was tragically murdered.
The difference lies in Juliet’s character development as she becomes the male Red Whirlwind, fighting the oppressors of her country and her family’s murderers.
Romeo x Juliet follows Juliet Capulet in her attempt to rescue Neo Verona from oppression, avenge her family’s death, and kill the father of the man she loves the most.
Emma: A Victorian Romance
An important romance anime of its time, Emma: A Victorian Romance, shows the difficulties of falling in love between two people with different societal statuses.
Emma is the beautiful and hardworking maid of the retired governess, Kelly Stownar.
Due to her pleasing personality and kind behavior, many London men have fallen head over heels in love with her, only to face rejection in the end.
But one day, Emma encounters William, the eldest son of the wealthy Jones household.
Soon after, both Emma and William fall in love, not thinking or caring about what society will say about their forbidden relationship.
Will Emma and William have their own happy ending despite strong opposition from the polite society of 19th-century England?
Haikara-san: Here Comes Miss Modern
There are a lot of differences between Haikara-san: Here Comes Miss Modern and My Happy Marriage, but mature themes like arranged marriages exist in both shows.
The two female leads also lost their mother at such a young age, leaving them under their father’s watch as they grew up.
However, Haikara-san: Here Comes Miss Modern has a very strong-willed female lead, unlike My Happy Marriage's Miyo Saimori.
This rom-com anime movie features Benio "Haikara-san" Hanamura, who defies traditions, including arranged marriages.
In fact, Benio will stop at nothing to fight for her own right to love and choose the man she will marry for the rest of her life!
Psychic Princess
While My Happy Marriage has an unwanted daughter for a female lead, the comedy, drama, and romance anime Psychic Princess has an exiled daughter for its female lead!
Both protagonists were treated badly by their own fathers, who see them only as tools for the pursuit of power and/or bargaining agreements. They also have sisters, who were favored by their fathers instead of them.
In Psychic Princess, Qian Yun Xi becomes a stand-in for her sister’s arranged marriage to the ruthless and cold Ye Youming.
Both of their families have bad blood with each other, so the emperor decided to have a marriage between the two clans to resolve the issue.
However, Ye Youming will never acknowledge Qian Yun Xi as his fiancé, no matter what happens!
Kimi ni Todoke
My Happy Marriage and Kimi ni Todoke share the same dandere female protagonists. Both Sawako and Miyo are very gentle, kind, and soft-spoken, and their attitudes toward their friends and loved ones are also similar.
We also watched both of these female protagonists develop from being frail young girls to a much stronger and better version of themselves.
Kimi ni Todoke revolves around Sawako, also known as Sadako, and her attempts to speak out for herself, make friends, and reach the one person she loves the most—the always bright and lively Kazehaya Shouta.
Cinderella Monogatari
Since My Happy Marriage has a lot of similarities with Cinderella, this anime based on the famous version of this folktale from the Contes of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm will be on the list!
Cinderella Monogatari, also known as Cendrillon, revolves around Cinderella, a young girl abused into a life of servitude by her stepmother and her wicked stepdaughters.
Despite this bad treatment, Cinderella remains thoughtful and kind, not only to her family but also to other people and animals.
We all know what happens with Cinderella at this point, right? Well, Cinderella encounters Charles, who has a mysterious affiliation with the prince of Emerald Castle. Is he Cinderella’s savior?
What we know is that Cinderella will go to the Royal Ball, where she will have a fateful encounter with her dashing Prince Charming!
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