The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House

The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House (舞妓さんちのまかないさん) is a Japanese television series starring Nana Mori, Natsuki Deguchi, and Aju Makita, released by Netflix on January 12, 2023.[1] Hirokazu Kore-eda served as director, writer, and showrunner, The Makanai being his first time directing a Netflix production.[2]

The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House
Promotional release poster
Based onKiyo in Kyoto
by Aiko Koyama
Written byHirokazu Kore-eda
Screenplay byMami Sunada
Directed byHirokazu Kore-eda
Starring
ComposerYoko Kanno
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of episodes9
Production
ProducerGenki Kawamura
CinematographyRyuto Kondo
Release
Original networkNetflix
Original releaseJanuary 12, 2023 (2023-01-12)

Plot

The show is based on the manga Kiyo in Kyoto by Aiko Koyama.[3] The nine episodes follow the story of best friends Kiyo (Mori) and Sumire (Deguchi) as they move from their hometown in northern Aomori to Kyoto's Gion district to live in an all-female house of geiko and maiko with dreams of becoming geiko themselves. Though Sumire is hailed as a talent, Kiyo is deemed unfit to become a maiko and becomes the house's live-in chef.[4]

Cast

Production

Kore-eda directed the first two episodes, with the remaining seven directed by directors Megumi Tsuno, Hiroshi Okuyama, and Takuma Sato.[2]

Depictions of geisha

Previous portrayals of geisha and their milieu, such as Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha and its film adaptation, have been criticised for conflating geisha culture as a form of "highly-stylized prostitution".[6] The popularity of the film led to a surge in tourists in the geisha districts of Kyoto, instances of harassment of geisha in public, and a 2019 ban of photographing geisha implemented by the Gion geisha district. Kore-eda commented that the series might dispel some inaccurate beliefs perpetuated by Memoirs, such as maiko being sold by their parents. However, Kiyo's work as a makanai, the in-house cook and helper, is also unrealistic; there are no teenage makanai.[7]

References
  1. "『舞妓さんちのまかないさん』、森七菜、出口夏希ら豪華キャストと是枝裕和が語る"ほっこり"メイキング映像". MSN (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  2. Shackleton, Liz (January 11, 2023). "Hirokazu Kore-eda On His First Netflix Series 'The Makanai' And Revamping Japan's Film Industry". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  3. Hadfield, James (January 12, 2023). "Hirokazu Kore-eda's 'The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House' is light and dusted with sugar". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  4. Hadadi, Roxana (January 19, 2023). "The Makanai's Twin Appetites". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  5. "「舞妓さんちのまかないさん」Netflixでドラマ化！監督は是枝裕和、森七菜＆出口夏希のW主演". Natalie. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  6. "The Rich Culture at the Heart of Netflix's 'The Makanai'". Time. January 12, 2023. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  7. Brzeski, Patrick (January 13, 2023). "Hirokazu Kore-eda on Exploring World of Japanese Geisha for Netflix Series 'The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
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