Learning Cooking and Culture: Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san

Synopsis

Set within the winding streets of Kyoto’s geisha district, this is the story of Kiyo. A 16-year-old girl who had wanted to become a Maiko, an apprentice traditional Japanese performer but had failed. Now she works as a caterer for the troupe and this is a look into her daily life.

The Good

The biggest appeal in the series lies in how relaxing and fun it can be. Each chapter while similar in pattern brings something new and provides a tone that immerses the reader. Another appeal of the series is how Kiyo’s cooking connects with the story and characters. It is as the title says, this is a story that takes on a relaxed but fun look at cooking for others and provides an interesting account of Maiko training and culture. If you think about it, the manga can be rather educational.

If the cooking and culture don’t catch your eye, then maybe the characters will. While the story is mainly about Kiyo’s life as a caterer, it does bring an interesting look at the perspective and stories of other characters such as Kiyo’s childhood friends. It’s especially nice how it touches on different points of the past and relates it to the present.

The Bad

As interesting as the different information is shared by the series, the general tone and flow may not agree to all. Being a slice-of-life work, there isn’t a solid story-line to follow, but rather different segments that follow one theme/idea. On a different note, it seems that Kiyo was not as highly developed as Sumire, but it could be that it’s very subtle. Still, she could have had a little more exploration outside of cooking. Other than that, the chapters do have a sort of pattern to them but it’s not highly obvious.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a series that is worth immersing yourself into for the characters and culture it presents. It is a simple and cute work which presents characters that are interesting and both food and culture that are enjoyable. The only thing that can be said against it is that, it does have a slight pattern to it and that Kiyo could have been developed better. If you’re looking for a series that makes you want to sit back while also learn something new, this is it.

Rating: 7/10