The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House

Overall a wonderful series, offering deep sweetness without sentimentality. It celebrates Japan's restrained aesthetic of beauty - a row of different coloured jars and bottles on a shelf becomes a revelation.

Two 16 year old girls enter a house for the training of geisha (geiko). Sumire (Natsuki Deguchi) displays exquisite sensitivity, captured by close ups of her face. Her friend Kiro (Nana Mori) is a creature of sunlight; dark words and experiences slide off her, unable to get any hold on her personality. When she can't make the grade as a trainee geisha she becomes a dedicated "makanai" cooking for the household. Tsurukoma (Momoko Fukuchi) stood out for me in the supporting cast - one of the young trainees full of liveliness and charm, within the constrained atmosphere of the house.

Early on the show sharply separates geisha from sleaze. The geisha's audience is represented by a handful of middle aged men who know and appreciate the intricate meanings of the performances. The action is mainly in a traditional house and handful of traditional streets, meticulously preserved in modern Japan; we only have faint hints of drunken salarymen or tourists after instant-gratification pics with a geisha.

In taking her geisha training Sumire defies her father's wish that she train to be a doctor. The show celebrates close female bonding and gentle but firm refusal to submit to fathers or lovers. It can also be seen as celebrating Japanese women's physical beauty and delicacy, their role in providing pleasure and entertainment, their deference, and even perhaps the many forms of restriction they face in the Maiko House.

You might expect Memoirs of a Geisha, but this is far from it. Set in modern day, the story follows two young friends and aspiring maikos. One of them succeeds, the other becomes the makanai. Conflicts are small and ultimately love and kindness are at the heart of this visually stunning show as the characters, regardless of their differences, are genuinely concerned for one another's well being.

The sets are very interesting and you will feel like you live in the close quarters with these women. I'm not sure if this was an intentional character choice, but both grandma's house and the maiko's house are completely cluttered with things: papers, books, knick knacks, fabric, pots, pans. Everything is everywhere. Organized chaos.

You will almost be able to taste the food, as it is beautifully shot and almost educational the way each recipe is filmed.

Kyoto and all of its scenery is also a visual treat and you will probably start googling what a trip their costs.

All in all, a sweet show. Tender and lovely and not in a hurry.

Two girls leave their rural village to travel to Kyoto where they join a maiko (apprentice geisha) house in the hope of realising their dreams. Sadly one is a naturally elegant whilst the other seems to lack coordination and will never make the grade. The story is gently told over 9 episodes and we get to see that even though dreams are thwarted new ones can appear. The people in the house are addressed as mother, sister or brother and we see how even though they are not blood relations they all have a bond. Food is an important part of the story and many of the best scenes centre around the kitchen and how important taste and flavours can be to connect us with our past. A beautiful story with an insight into the lives of maiko but more importantly a story of true friendship.

I've been inside the homes of 3 elderly Japanese women (one in Okinawa and two in the U. S.) and they all had that "organized chaos" feel. LoL! Books and knick knacks stacked to the ceiling, yet they knew exactly where to find things. I love the innocence conveyed by Kiyo and Sumire. I enjoyed the details shown when Kiyo was preparing food and how impressed everyone was with her offerings. The most touching part for me was when the man ate Kiyo's rice ball and said she must be emitting something from her hands (for it to taste so good). What a profound compliment. I cried so hard at that part.

An outstanding work of art that draws you into a world and its characters like nothing else in TV show form that I can remember. It's easily my favourite Koreeda project since Shoplifters, and I strongly suspect the overall experience made me more feel healed and embraced than any other new show I could have watched instead. I saw a lot of familiarities to Hou Hsiao-hsien in his direction here, which I'm not sure means he is more conciously taking inspiration this time, or if my own recent investment in Hou's filmography has made me notice it more.

It is a show that manages to be devoid of sentimentalism, instead refraining from any unbelievable gimmicks or cheap moments of tension in favour of retaining a sincere heart, and exploring its subjects as earnestly as possible. He continues to emphasise believable stakes which may seem uninterestingly small or insignificant on paper, but mean everything in the world of these people who are just trying to find themselves and do what they can to get by. As much as it's easy to label 'mundane nothing', it is only ostensibly so, with layers of deep and thoughtfully constructed emotionality, giving you space to reflect upon seemingly everything should you choose to engage.

You follow a cast of unique, complex and lovable characters that you grow to learn about in the most organic and impactful way. As you watch the last two episodes, what you've taken in throughout starts to bubble to the surface of your consciousness - much like the gradual preparation of a distinct and familiar meal.

Koreeda manages to crush your heart in his hands before picking it up and helping put it back together again. He places you in a world of such cultural specificity and unfamiliarity, but ends up making you believe you've been there your whole life. It all reminded me why I love him. His last two films ultimately didn't as much, so this one delivering on every level is a much needed gift I'll always be thankful for.