# The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House (2023)

> Two inseparable friends move to Kyoto chasing maiko dreams, but find their own passions while sharing a kitchen and a roof.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/117458

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 9
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Created by: Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Nana Mori, Natsuki Deguchi, Aju Makita, Keiko Matsuzaka, Ai Hashimoto, Mayu Matsuoka, Takako Tokiwa, Kairi Jo
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15964848/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: slow
- Intensity: subtle
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: calm, intimate, heartfelt, understated, gentle

## What critics say

Audiences broadly praise the gentle, intimate portrait of friendship and Kyoto daily life, though the slow pace is a matter of taste.

## Synopsis

The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House (2023) is a Japanese slice of life drama miniseries created by Hirokazu Kore-eda for Netflix. Adapted from a manga, it follows two inseparable friends who move to Kyoto to chase dreams of becoming maiko, the apprentice geisha of the city's traditional teahouse world. Their paths diverge as they discover other passions while living under the same roof, and the story centers on Kiyo (Nana Mori) and Sumire (Natsuki Deguchi), with Ryōko (Aju Makita) and Chiyo (Keiko Matsuzaka) among the household members whose lives intersect in the maiko house kitchen. Across nine episodes of roughly forty-three minutes each, the show is built around the daily preparation of makanai, the simple staff meals cooked for the apprentices, and each episode unfolds at the pace of the kitchen, the seasons, and small domestic rituals. The register is calm, intimate, and understated, with a heartfelt warmth that rewards patient viewing. Its atmosphere recalls the quiet household dramas of Hirokazu Kore-eda and the contemplative food-centered portraits in the vein of Samurai Gourmet and Still Walking, offering a gentle, observant look at friendship, craft, and the quiet ache of growing apart.

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