That was a better second episode of  Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon.  Or one more to my tastes, anyway.  It’s not as though the first ep was bad or anything – it was certainly competent and looked very nice indeed.  But there was an undercurrent of forced drama to it.  The situation was painted with a very broad brush, and the incumbent emotions along with it.  That was still true to an extent here, but things did gain an air of authenticity by being liberated (along with Miyo) from the Saimori estate.

I’m wondering if the supernatural element was obviously teased in the premiere and I just missed it, because that came as something of a surprise to me here.  And it appears to be a critical part of the premise, too.  The Saimori family is one known for supernatural powers – “spirit sight” among them – which makes their womenfolk valuable.  It was also at least part of the reason why Miyo was banished to the role of servant while Kaya became the favorite daughter – though the wicked stepmother would have found some way to ensure that anyway, one suspects.  Kaya has the sight, Miyo doesn’t (though I’d bet dollars to doughnuts that Miyo has some huge latent power(s)).

The magic side is also important because it’s Kiyoka’s job.  He’s in charge of the “Anti-Grotesqurie Unit” whose job it is to defeat the local youkai whenever they attack or become an inconvenience (which apparently doesn’t happen as often as it used to).  As such he considers himself a a pretty important guy – important enough to refused to eat food Miyo has prepared for him unless she tastes it first, and then accusing her of trying to poison him.  Not that he ever actually believed that, but the tsun is strong with this one.

Their relationship is certainly off to an uneven start, unsurprisingly.  Not only is Kiyoka possessed of no sense of decorum, Miyo is so beaten down from her Cinderella nightmare that she constantly apologizes (which is indeed incredibly annoying), and can’t seem to transition out of servant mode and into fiancée mode.  Yes, this was an incredibly sexist time in what’s still a very chauvinistic country, but Miyo was brought into the Kudou house as an aristocrat to marry into another aristocratic family.  As such her demeanor is totally inappropriate, which gets under Kiyoka’s skin.

If this is a crucible of sorts for his character, I’d say Kiyoka passes it pretty well.  He invites Miyo to prepare his breakfast the next day (even inventing a lie that his kindly old servant Yurie will be late).  He apologizes for accusing Miyo of trying to poison him, and admits he never seriously believed it.  Most importantly, he uses his wits to deduce that something very weird is going on with this new fiancée.  She doesn’t act like a noble, her hands are those of a servant girl, and something altogether doesn’t add up.  His curiosity about the Saimori family has firm practical merit, but it also reflects a nascent affection for his new fiancée.

What he finds when he investigates will likely be secrets not shared with the audience yet.  And the fact that Miyo’s father has apparently reneged on a deal to marry Miyo into another noble (magic?) family – and the anger that’s caused – suggests her latent power could be formidable indeed.  It’s interesting that her father would choose to do this – whatever value she has he seems unlikely to have been unaware of it.  It’s an interesting setup, and there are seeds of some interesting elements in the main relationship that may eventually bear fruit.  I’m still not totally on-board with Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon, but I’m more invested than I was after the first episode.