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"Just how did we get here?
1122: For a Happy Marriage was an interesting look into unhappy marriages. I’ve vacillated in my rating because I can’t say that I liked any of the characters nor was I satisfied with the ending.
Ichiko and Otoyan have been married for seven years, seemingly happy to all of their friends. What no one knows is that they haven’t had sex in two years and Otoyan has a lover that Ichiko approves of. Being a rational person, Ichiko set up guidelines, mainly don’t bring his affair into the house. Everything seemed to be working until Otoyan violently rejected her sexual advances one night. Suddenly thrown into an existential crisis, Ichiko contemplates acquiring her own lover which shakes Otoyan up. Otoyan’s lover is having her own problems. She’s caring for an autistic child with no help from her husband and keeping her affair on the down low.
Ichiko was a tough nut to crack, she viewed herself as a calm ocean. Calm or horribly repressed, I’m not sure which. She often had a blank look on her face when others talked with her as if she was barely present. The child of an abusive father and needy mother she valued order over emotions. She often heard only what she wanted to hear. People have different sex drives to be sure, but Otoyan seemed like the kind of guy who didn’t even wrinkle the sheets, so it made me wonder if Ichiko had ever actually had an orgasm. One night with the handsome Rei seemed to answer that question, though she wasn’t hot to repeat the experience which I found confusing.
Otoyan took the path of least resistance in his life which unfortunately doesn’t always take you where you want to go. Extremely helpful and kind hearted he enjoyed taking care of others. He blissfully didn’t realize the pain he caused by bringing home the flowers from the ikebana class he took with his lover, smiling all the time from being in love, and taking phone calls from his lover at home. He also didn’t seem to be of this world, especially when he glossed over being violently attacked one night, later easily forgiving his attacker. However, he seemed to draw the line with Ichiko stepping outside of their marriage for sexual fulfillment. And while he refused to touch his wife out of loyalty to his lover, Mizuki was still having sex with her husband. His repression abilities rated right up there with Ichiko’s. Their lack of communicating about important topics often landed them in marital hot water, though with this couple it was always luke warm.
What ultimately caused my issues with this drama was that I didn’t find either Ichiko or Otoyan particularly interesting. Watching two people go through the motions with conversations scripted out of a therapy textbook wasn’t exactly riveting. Even Ichiko’s friendship with the passionate Rei had all the life sucked out of it as she barely acknowledged his existence. I didn’t mind that the drama explored different couples handling the doldrums and challenges marriage can offer in unconventional manners, but with all the sex going on, no one was very satisfied. I honestly wasn’t surprised the way the drama ended, it was as monotonous as Ichicko and Otoyan’s relationship.
31 July 2025 7.25 rated down to a 7.0
Trigger warning: One sexual encounter though no bits and pieces were shown.
Ichiko and Otoyan have been married for seven years, seemingly happy to all of their friends. What no one knows is that they haven’t had sex in two years and Otoyan has a lover that Ichiko approves of. Being a rational person, Ichiko set up guidelines, mainly don’t bring his affair into the house. Everything seemed to be working until Otoyan violently rejected her sexual advances one night. Suddenly thrown into an existential crisis, Ichiko contemplates acquiring her own lover which shakes Otoyan up. Otoyan’s lover is having her own problems. She’s caring for an autistic child with no help from her husband and keeping her affair on the down low.
Ichiko was a tough nut to crack, she viewed herself as a calm ocean. Calm or horribly repressed, I’m not sure which. She often had a blank look on her face when others talked with her as if she was barely present. The child of an abusive father and needy mother she valued order over emotions. She often heard only what she wanted to hear. People have different sex drives to be sure, but Otoyan seemed like the kind of guy who didn’t even wrinkle the sheets, so it made me wonder if Ichiko had ever actually had an orgasm. One night with the handsome Rei seemed to answer that question, though she wasn’t hot to repeat the experience which I found confusing.
Otoyan took the path of least resistance in his life which unfortunately doesn’t always take you where you want to go. Extremely helpful and kind hearted he enjoyed taking care of others. He blissfully didn’t realize the pain he caused by bringing home the flowers from the ikebana class he took with his lover, smiling all the time from being in love, and taking phone calls from his lover at home. He also didn’t seem to be of this world, especially when he glossed over being violently attacked one night, later easily forgiving his attacker. However, he seemed to draw the line with Ichiko stepping outside of their marriage for sexual fulfillment. And while he refused to touch his wife out of loyalty to his lover, Mizuki was still having sex with her husband. His repression abilities rated right up there with Ichiko’s. Their lack of communicating about important topics often landed them in marital hot water, though with this couple it was always luke warm.
What ultimately caused my issues with this drama was that I didn’t find either Ichiko or Otoyan particularly interesting. Watching two people go through the motions with conversations scripted out of a therapy textbook wasn’t exactly riveting. Even Ichiko’s friendship with the passionate Rei had all the life sucked out of it as she barely acknowledged his existence. I didn’t mind that the drama explored different couples handling the doldrums and challenges marriage can offer in unconventional manners, but with all the sex going on, no one was very satisfied. I honestly wasn’t surprised the way the drama ended, it was as monotonous as Ichicko and Otoyan’s relationship.
31 July 2025 7.25 rated down to a 7.0
Trigger warning: One sexual encounter though no bits and pieces were shown.
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