A series is nothing without a solid protagonist to carry the story. The anime My Happy Marriage has an excellent lead character that viewers have come to adore. Straying away from the usual expectations of anime protagonists, Miyo Saimori is not the most outgoing or outspoken. In fact, there are moments where she falls into the background, but there is a great purpose behind that struggle.
For long-term anime fans, Miyo's timid personality and focus on a romantic relationship aren't new to the niche genre, especially and unfortunately in regard to female characters. In many ways, she is incredibly similar to Naruto's Hinata Hyuga; both have likable traits and well-defined journeys of growth. Fans of Hinata will surely enjoy rooting for Miyo to find happiness, but they'll also be surprised to find that she doesn't suffer from the same flaws that Hinata did. In this way, the Hinata haters will love Miyo even more because she is far more than another cute and shy anime girl.
Powerless Heroes With the Right Kind Of Strength
In both fictional universes, supernatural powers are possible for human beings. In Naruto, ninjas have combat, deception, and information-gathering skills to serve as soldiers protecting their nations and homes. In My Happy Marriage, there are designated soldiers charged with protecting civilians against supernatural dangers, but supernatural prowess is most often perceived as a sign of status throughout society. Both Miyo and Hinata are members of high-ranking families with noble reputations to uphold and deep histories of overwhelming strength. However, they themselves don't possess any special strength that makes them stand out. For that reason, both ladies are left to struggle with deeply rooted pains from insecurity, not feeling like they are enough to hold their respective family names. Despite their overwhelming melancholy, they continue to live one day at a time, making up for their supposed flaws.
Hinata and Miyo share in their strength of resilience. Granted, much of this is inspired by their male counterparts who push them to believe in themselves and love themselves, but they both have moments where they find their own resolve. This is the side of them that is most likable; they keep trying, and at their cores, they are both kindhearted and good-natured. It's unfortunate that they were both born into unfortunate circumstances. A part of the thrill of watching these two women is their character growth and journey that leads them to believe in themselves and find a new strength they never knew they had.
The Search For Confidence
When they are first introduced, both Hinata and Miyo are shy, insecure, and very quiet. As the other main characters and the audience learn more about their characters, these two ladies show that their biggest weakness is not a lack of physical strength but rather a lack of confidence and self-love. They don't like who they've been for multiple reasons, but their journey toward confidence and loving themselves is worth rooting for because they still have a deep desire to be the best version of themselves.
Hinata's journey is more straightforward as her progress is shown through her status as a fighter and ninja. Her physical strength becomes symbolic of her growth and development, but of course, she also becomes more outspoken as she grows into a more confident self. In Miyo's case, there are more complications that come along with her growth. The main conflict in her journey is she has no supernatural abilities whatsoever, and because of that, her family treats her more like a servant than a family member. There is a long history of neglect and abuse that Miyo has endured almost her entire life. Unlike Hinata, who has moments of encouragement in her adolescence, Miyo was wounded from a young age with scars that will take a long time to fully heal.
Miyo does learn to be more confident and loving toward herself, but it doesn't come without an intense emotional struggle as she faces the mental and emotional trauma from her family. With more psychological aspects to Miyo's growth, it's understandable why she struggles as much as she does. No amount of love from her fiance or even a physical power boost will be enough to heal her. This part of her journey she has to take on her own. It's rare to find a protagonist who is so reserved, but the anime does an excellent job of making Miyo equally sympathetic as she is inspirational. With her own story to tell, Miyo is making strides that Hinata should have taken but never did.
Miyo Is What Hinata Should Have Been
Among the fans who disliked or downright hated Hinata, the common reason behind their feelings is how obsessed she is with Naruto. While her fans see it as her admiration and love, others see it as unhealthy. To meet in the middle, the honest truth is that Hinata is not as independent as she should have been. Like many characters in Naruto, Hinata had her own journey, flaws, and potential, but she became one of the many characters who were forgotten in the story and had wasted potential. The only times Hinata became relevant later on in the anime was when Naruto was directly involved. This is another case of a female character only being important to serve her male counterpart. She has no independent story of her own moving forward, making her character a disappointment for many. This is where Miyo is different from Hinata.
As the central character, Miyo's story and growth have to be told in full. The issues of abuse from her family, the pain that is caused her, and the conflict of societal factors controlling her life are all a part of the story. Though Miyo is a rather emotionless character, this reflects the impact of her trauma; in short, old habits die hard. Since her childhood, the idea that she is worthless has been forced into Miyo's head. As an adult, it proves to be the most overwhelming challenge for Miyo to simply change the behavior that has been practically beaten into her for so long. As mentioned earlier, this is not something that love or friendship alone can fix. This part of Miyo's journey is all up to her. She has to see for herself the beauty that others see in her. In this way, Miyo has her own story. If and when she takes the steps to heal from her trauma, it'll be on her terms in her own way, and that makes her and her story remarkable.
At first glance, viewers might not expect much from My Happy Marriage's Miyo because, on the surface, she doesn't look that different from the many disappointing female characters that anime has presented in the past. Fans of Hinata will look at Miyo with great admiration, while Hinata's haters, and by extension, those who are frustrated with anime female characters overall, will love Miyo even more. Her positive traits make her incredibly likable, while her worst flaws are developed to make her human. Like Hinata and many other female anime characters, she may have needed romance and friendship to help pull herself out of the shadows, but for Miyo, the rest of her journey is up to her. Without a doubt, she is a character worth rooting for, the perfect protagonist to lead this riveting story, and she redefines how a female character should be.