Home LIVE ACTION

Netflix reveals first look images for ‘The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House’

Netflix revealed the first look images for the upcoming Japanese drama series ‘The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House’.

The series is based on the manga “Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san’ written and illustrated by Aiko Koyama. It has been serialized in Weekly Shounen Sunday magazine since December 2016. It won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award and is a best-seller with over 2.7 million copies sold.

Set in the Geiko district of Kyoto, the protagonist Kiyo becomes a ‘Makanai’, a person who cooks meals at a house where Maiko (apprentice Geikos) lives together. The story depicts the everyday life of Kiyo Maiko Sumire, her childhood friend who came with her from Aomori to Kyoto, amid a vibrant world of Geiko and Maiko courtesans and delicious food.

This is the first Netflix series by acclaimed creator Hirokazu Kore-eda. Alongside Kore-eda, Genki Kawamura will be producing. Kawamura’s previous works include Your Name, Attack on Titan: End of the World, and Space Brothers. Up-and-coming directors such as Megumi Tsuno, Hiroshi Okuyama, and Takuma Sato are directing individual episodes.

Nana Mori plays Kiyo, the Makanai at the Maiko House, Natsuki Deguchi plays Sumire, who comes from Aomori with Kiyo and is believed to be a “once-a-century talent” as a Maiko. Aju Makita plays Ryoko, the high school daughter of the manager of the Maiko House. Keiko Matsuzaka plays Chiyo, the previous manager of the Maiko House who still plays a key role in its operation. Ai Hashimoto plays Momoko, the most popular Geiko. Mayu Matsuoka plays Yoshino, a former peer of Momoko who decides to return back to the path of the Geiko. Takako Tokiwa plays Azusa, the manager of the Maiko House and Ryoko’s mother

Exit mobile version