![]() ![]() ![]() Tanabe (Arata Iura) and Mother Azusa who don’t have much romantic development a fawning former geisha Yoshino (Mayu Matsuoka) hoping to re-enter the trade and a maiko Tsurukoma (Momoko Fukuchi) wants to go back home losing her interest in the art. There’s also the forgotten unrequited love between mother Chiyo and a kabuki actor, a top-ranked geisha and Sumire’s mentor Momoko (Ai Hashimoto), torn between her lover and her art, wanting to change the rule of married women not being allowed to perform the courtship of Mr. The most poignant subplot is that of the strained relationship between mother Azusa and her teenage daughter Ryoko (Aju Makita), as well as Ryoko’s longing for her estranged father. Beyond the central story of the enduring friendship between Kiyo and Sumire, there are other sub-stories and conflicts that the episodes focus upon. This female-centric series bears a resemblance to Kore-eda’s Our Little Sister (2015), in which the characters share the same tenderness and compassion. ![]() The series opens with scrumptious sweet azuki bean soup with rice dumplings, home-cooked with love and prepared by Kiyo’s spirited and supportive grandmother. The cooking scenes are shot in lush detail, with authentic color tones and freshness that makes it feel authentic. Kore-eda skillfully arranges a close-up shot of a mouth-watering dish in each episode which is shown at the end of its opening credits sequences. She finds pleasure in her perfectly finished and presented food and in servicing others. Kiyo prepares each meal with dedication and respect, keeping in mind that she has to satisfy the varied palates of her fellow inmates and the slightly older mothers. Kiyo cooks from the heart and presents her culinary creations beautifully, thus uniting the inmates of the yakata house as a family. The Makanai is an unpretentious world of foodie delights, in the spirit of Jun’ichi Mori’s duology Little Forest, that expresses love, affection, and nostalgia through cooking and sharing food. The reference to the outdated rules and principles governing geiko life – artists must remain unmarried as they are only allowed to be married to their art, retire if they get married, keep intricate traditional hairstyles intact, cannot use cell phones in the maiko house – gives attention to the challenges and difficulties faced by the artists. Though the maiko is considered bearers of Japanese traditions and leaders of historical performance art, it is an entertainment business that restricts and regiments the existence of the artists. Through the life of Sumire, which unfolds over the course of a year leading to her official debut as a full-fledged maiko, we get a close look at the typical geiko life. And thus begins the culinary and introspective journey of Kiyo as the youngest Makani, tasked with feeding half a dozen maiko, while Sumire rises as a famous maiko in the town with cameras flashing around her.Įven though the main narrative revolves around the coming-of-age tale of longtime friends who support each other through thick and thin, discover and succeed in their passionate aspirations and vocations, it is also an exploration of traditional Japanese art as well as the appetizing and comforting food served by Kiyo. Kiyo instead finds her true calling as a Makanai, the traditional cook who prepares the meals within the yakata house where all of the maikos in training live together. While Sumire, graceful and prudent in temperament, excels as maiko in the traditional art with her natural inclination towards Mai dancing, music, and singing, impressing her teachers, Kiyo, a happy-go-lucky bright-eyed teen with a sunny disposition, proves to be an awkward fit and finds herself on the verge of being expelled for her clumsy and uncoordinated moves and for her inability to even say the traditional maiko greeting unerringly. Set in the traditional Geiko district of Kyoto, the duo reach the Maiko house, gets acquainted with the mistresses/guardians of the household, Mother Chiyo (Keiko Matsuzaka) and Mother Azusa (Takako Tokiwa), and starts their training to be a maiko. ![]()
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