The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House

Name: The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Food & Cooking
Released: November 30, -0001
Rating: 70

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Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Critic Reviews

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The Makanai: Cooking For The Maiko House

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Series Details & Credits

Netflix | Release Date: November 30, -0001

Summary: Kiyo (Nana Mori) becomes a Makanai (a cook) at a Maiko (apprentice geishas) house in Kyoto in Hirokazu Kore-eda series based on a manga by Aiko Koyaman.

Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Food & Cooking

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Recent Episodes

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S1:E9. Kadode
Air Date: November 30, -0001
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S1:E8. Carnival
Air Date: November 30, -0001
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S1:E7. Illness
Air Date: November 30, -0001

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Meredith Hobbs Coons

Jan 11, 2023

Season 1 Review: There is no violence nor betrayal, only subtle arcs and fake-outs. It seems like an entirely different sensibility from most television fare—and it’s a welcome one. ... Can we accept the maiko/geiko path as legitimate high art when the connotation is that it exists purely for the male gaze? If we can take the characters at their words as we absorb the vivid, slow-mo sequences of food preparation, costuming, and rehearsal, as well as all of the ASMR-like sound design highlighting those rituals, then yes. Read full review

The Playlist Marya E. Gates

Jan 13, 2023

Season 1 Review: Every episode of “The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House” is crafted with such precision and care that even a brief visit to its world proves itself to be a rich and rewarding experience. Read full review

Empire Ian Freer

Jan 24, 2023

Season 1 Review: So light it could be blown over by the flutter of a fan, The Makanai: Cooking For The Maiko House is still as warm and comforting as nabekko dumpling soup. Gorgeous stuff. Read full review

Joel Keller

Jan 18, 2023

Season 1 Review: If you want to see a pretty straightforward series about two best friends going down different paths, then the gentle drama of The Makanai: Cooking For The Maiko House should fill the bill. Read full review

Angie Han

Jan 11, 2023

Season 1 Review: The Makanai doesn’t do much in the way of hand-holding, trusting that audiences will be able to absorb the traditions and relationships that define this society without awkward exposition dumps. As such, it may take a few episodes for viewers to get their bearings amid the intricate rituals, sprawling supporting cast and not-quite-translatable Japanese terms. Read full review

The Daily Beast Nick Schager

Jan 12, 2023

Season 1 Review: The story of young best friends endeavoring to become geishas in modern-day Japan, it offers an inviting glimpse into a unique foreign world—at least, that is, until it bogs down in inert, one-dimensional drama of the most insufferable sort. Read full review

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User Reviews

JLuis_001

Jan 13, 2023

Deceptively simple, but in the vein of Hirokazu Kore-eda, who is the showrunner and director of several of the episodes, The Makanani: Cooking for the Maiko House reveals its strengths and charms as it unfolds.

I think the show benefits more from being watched in one sitting than watchingDeceptively simple, but in the vein of Hirokazu Kore-eda, who is the showrunner and director of several of the episodes, The Makanani: Cooking for the Maiko House reveals its strengths and charms as it unfolds.

I think the show benefits more from being watched in one sitting than watching it episodically for the very reason that there are very few major events in its plot. I'm not a big fan of watching series in one sitting, but for some it works.

It spends over a year into its story, but it's not until the end that it shows that some changes have taken place.
More than anything this series is a comfort show, incredibly light on plot that you basically forget you're watching it because there's really no conflict, villains, or any kind of forced drama.

Maybe that style and development will not invite you to continue watching every time an episode ends, but if you are looking for something light and of very good quality, this is an excellent choice, even for the casual viewer, and for fans of Hirokazu Kore-eda it is a must-see.

Quite a surprise from Netflix.… Expand

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Seasons & Episodes

70

Series Overview
Season 1

70
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: January 12, 2023
- tbd
  S1:E9. Kadode
  Air Date: November 30, -0001
- tbd
  S1:E8. Carnival
  Air Date: November 30, -0001
- tbd
  S1:E7. Illness
  Air Date: November 30, -0001
- tbd
  S1:E6. Kataomoi
  Air Date: November 30, -0001
- tbd
  S1:E2. Otafuku
  Air Date: November 30, -0001