Kanoko is a major supporting character in My Happy Marriage and one of the antagonistic forces constantly oppressing and discriminating against the protagonist Miyo.
Miyo Saimori was once a merry child, hopping about in bliss with an adoring mother who later passed away, and with her also vanished the last person who cared for her daughter.
Soon, Miyo’s father remarried, this time with his former lover, Kanoko. The stepmother’s eyebrows twitched at the sight of Miyo and the cruel frown on her face never went away, as she came to bully and abuse the little girl for years and years.
Frustrated former lover
Kanoko and Shinichi Saimori, Miyo’s biological father, used to be lovers, but their love would fail to bloom into a relationship when Shinichi was arranged to marry Sumi Usuba.
This made Kanoko resentful of Sumi and then her daughter when she first met her. The expression of contempt she wore on her face the first time she came across Miyo was clear as water.
Later on, when Miyo would fail to display any sort of signs that she has the gift, while young Kaya would show her talents of Spirit-Sight at the age of three, this would only go on to become Kanoko’s reason to hate on her more.
Searing stepmother
Kanoko goes on to verbally, emotionally, and even physically abuse Miyo over the years. While once a cheerful kid who knew how to speak her mind, years of abuse at the hands of her stepmother would render her a shell of her former self.
Kanoko is relentlessly vindictive towards Miyo and often takes away from her happiness as that would bring her some sort of gratification through revenge.
She starts by taking away the things that belonged to Miyo’s mother, including even the ones that Miyo kept with herself inside her own room. Gradually, she would take away all her mother’s belongings and even destroy some in front of her eyes.
As an adult, Miyo gets abused and bullied by Kanoko, who has filled Kaya with her abusive tendencies and taught her well in that regard. She also makes sure her biological daughter is married off to a well-to-do family while Miyo gets thrown into one with a shady reputation.
Also Read: Miyo Saimori: My Happy Marriage character explained
