Kore-Eda Hirokazu, Japan’s most well-known filmmaker of auteur films and the Tokyo International Film Festival regular, has revealed the first images of ” The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House,” his first series of drama for the streaming service Netflix.
Kore-eda (“Broker,” “Like Father Like Son,” and the Palme d’Or-winning “Shoplifters”) is the co-writer, producer, and showrunner of the series and also oversees a portion of the nine episodes.
Alongside Kore-eda Kawamura Genki (“Confessions,” “Villain,” “Your Name,” and Mirai”) will be producing. Young directors such as Tsuno Megumi (“Ten Years Japan”), Okuyama Hiroshi (“Jesus”) as well as Sato Takuma (“Any Crybabies Around?”) are in charge of individual episodes. The four directors, as well as Sunada Mami, write screenplays.
The show is based on Manga “Maiko-San Chi No Makanai San” written by Aiko Koyama (Weekly Shonen Sunday). The story is set in the Geiko district in Kyoto The main character Kiyo transforms into a Makanai who cooks food in a house where she and Maiko (apprentice Geikos) live with her. The story focuses on the daily life of Kiyo Maiko, Sumire, her childhood friend who travelled along with Kiyo after her move from Aomori to Kyoto and is surrounded by a lively life filled with Geiko as well as Maiko courtesans as well as delicious food. The manga was awarded the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award and is a best-seller, with over 2.7 million units sold.
Mori Nana plays Kiyo. Deguchi Natsuki portrays Sumire, who hails from Aomori with Kiyo and is considered “once-a-century talented” as Maiko. Maiko. Makita Aju portrays Ryoko, the daughter of a high school student who is the director of the Maiko House. Matsuzaka Keiko is Chiyo, the previous director of the Maiko House, who still plays a central part in the operation. Hashimoto, a top performer in the show and Tokyo festival ambassador, is Momoko, who is the most viewed Geiko. Matsuoka Mayu is Yoshino, an ex-peer to Momoko that decides to come to the ways that led to the Geiko. Tokiwa Takako is Azusa, the director at the Maiko House and Ryoko’s mother.
Story Inc. and Bun-Buku Inc. produce the series for Netflix. The streaming company will begin streaming the show worldwide in January. 12th, 2023.
