My Wedding and the 7 Rings | Seiichirou Hayami Review: The Cyborg Executive Who Stole My Heart

So here’s my review of Seiichirou Hayami’s route in My Wedding and the 7 Rings! I didn’t know what to expect from this route going into this route. In the other routes, he is merely the facilitator of the late CEOs will, and the man in charge of the Marriage Program. Sei mostly takes on an advisory role, assisting the MC as she completes the program.

Despite his role in the marriage game, not much is known about Sei. At work he’s one of the top executives of the Sanno Corporation. Having worked under the former CEO, his skills are second to none. His emotionless disposition earned Sei the nickname cyborg around the office.

Thoughts on Seiichirou Hayami: The Man Pulling All the Strings

It has been three months and the MC hasn’t picked one of the Special Executives for the Marriage Program. The Special Executives unleash their inner stalker, and begin relentlessly pursuing the MC at work and at home. It gets to the point that her neighbors and family members start to notice. So to go to Seiichirou for help. Sympathizing with her situation, Sei agrees to let her stay at his apartment temporarily. In return she must choose one of the Special Executives by the end of the month. As the month wears on, the MC finds herself falling in love with him.

On the surface, Sei is a driven, determined man. Despite his young age, his dedication earns him a place among the top execs at Sanno Corporation. Sei is meticulous at his job, carrying out his duties with such flawless precision. After the CEO’s passing, Sei is promoted as acting chair of Sanno Corp. While Sei is a powerhouse in the office, his personal life is shrouded in mystery.

Prior to the game, Seiichirou served as the late CEO’s right hand man and closest confidant. He served his former boss with an unwavering loyalty, carrying out every task set to him without complaint. His main job being to gather information about the MC and to report it back to the CEO. Initially, Sei felt that his time could be better spent serving the CEO. But the more he watched her, the more enjoyable it became. In time he became genuinely invested in making her happy. His feelings for her run much deeper than even he realized. He constantly allows her to postpone selecting a fiancé even though the future of Sanno depends on her decision. He even goes to bat for her when the Board of Directors began pressuring him to expedite the Marriage Program.

The relationship between the MC and Sei is a slow build. Sei’s loyalty to the company and the former CEO kept him from acting on his feelings. It was heartbreaking to see him constantly pushing the MC towards the other Special Execs. Despite his manipulative nature, it’s apparent that Sei cares deeply for the MC. He’s even willing to give up his own happiness for hers. Whenever the MC would get too close to him, he would put up his business persona. But, the thought of losing the MC to another man proves to be too much for him. So he eventually declares his love for her in one of the most dramatic and OOC ways possible.

---

Thoughts on the MC: I’ve Watched You for So Long

So it looks like the guys of the Department of Wishes have been listening to my poor otome prayers, because this MC rocks! I found myself really relating to this MC so much more than I thought I would.  My Wedding and the 7 Rings has had some of the best Voltage MCs ever! Not only does this woman have a backbone, she’s even capable at her job.  

She realizes early on that the ball is very much in her court with the Marriage Program. So she uses that to her advantage. It’s her choice who the next CEO will be and boy does she keep it hanging over everyone’s heads. Her indecision isn’t intentional. But the fact that she literally keeps six handsome, intelligent, and wealthy men under her thumb for three whole months is boss b*tch energy.

The relationship between the MC and Sei is constantly interrupted by the Marriage Program. Both characters are held back by their obligations to the company and to honoring the CEO’s last wishes. So there are a lot of unspoken moments of affection between them. Sei is used to handling every burden on his own. So it’s refreshing to see the MC step up and take charge when he is unable to do so. Unfortunately, each step forward in their relationship is quickly shut down by Sei, who feels bound by his obligation to uphold the late CEO’s wishes.

Her, stubbornness and determination is what ultimately wins Sei over and it is interesting to see her bulldoze her way into his heart (not that it was that difficult). The MC definitely handles her circumstances well. She is willing to put her own feelings to the side for the good of the company. She realizes her feelings for Sei about halfway through the route. But she doesn’t put pressure on him to reciprocate. She doesn’t run away from her responsibilities. Instead she faces them head on, despite her personal feelings.

---

Do I Recommend Seiichirou’s Route?

Seiichirou’s route focuses on exposing some of the negative aspects of the Marriage Program. Delving into both Seiichirou and the MC’s struggles to reconcile their personal feelings with their obligations to the company.

While I enjoyed Sei immensely, there were two guys that really showed out in this route, Asahi and Chitose. These guys were the real MVPs. Chitose felt less like a potential love interest in this route and more like a fairy godmother of sorts to the MC. He is so sweet and attentive. And he’s always willing to offer the MC advice about her relationship with Sei. Then there’s Asahi. I was most surprised by how awesome he was to the MC.

There are two endings in this route: Happy End and the Super Happy End. In the Happy End, the MC goes public as the late CEO’s granddaughter during the Stockholder’s meeting. Sei then declares to the astonished crowd that he will marry the MC and become the next CEO.

Afterwards the MC and the Execs celebrate at Oasis and Hayami reveals what he’s like drunk. Hilarity ensues. In the Super Happy End, after clearing up the Stockholders meeting, Hayami and the MC leave work early. Before they can get far, Sei and the MC share a sweet passionate moment together. Both endings have their merits, but I like the Happy Ending best, a drunk Sei is hilarious!

While playing Seiichirou’s route I couldn’t help but think back to the anime, Hanasakeru Seishonen. In both a man is tasked by the protagonist’s wealthy relative to oversee a marriage game. The overseer falls in love with the protagonist. Causing them to struggle with the dilemma of following through with their assigned mission and their duty to their heart.

The character development in Sei’s route amazing. This is a solid addition to My Wedding and the 7 Rings and I highly recommend it. However, I couldn’t help but want more from the story. I just can’t put my finger on it, but something was missing.  Maybe I’ll feel more satisfied after playing the Sequel.

---