Based on Aiko Koyama’s Kiyo in Kyoto cooking manga, the live-action drama The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House released a new trailer, a key visual, and more information about the project.
The drama is based on the popular original manga by Aiko Koyama, which won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award and has sold more than 2.7 million copies in total. It will feature 9 episodes to be distributed exclusively worldwide on January 12 on the Netflix streaming platform.
Hirokazu Koreeda, winner of the Palme d’Or, the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival, will be in charge of the series as Showrunner.
The trailer shows Kiyo (played by Nana Mori) and her best friend Sumire (played by Natsuki Deguchi), who have left their hometown Aomori to come to Kyoto and fulfill their dream of becoming maiko in the Gion district. Shortly after, we can see how Kiyo gives up her dream, due to the fact that she cannot perform with Sumire’s ability despite all her efforts to practice dances and develop her skills.
Finally, we get to see Kiyo’s cooking and how the Oyako-don she prepared for everyone became so popular that she starts working as a cook. The trailer ends with Sumire’s question to Kiyo: Don’t you regret coming here? to which Kiyo answers: I feel like I came here to be a cook from the very beginning.
In addition, the original soundtrack for the drama, composed entirely by Yoko Kanno, will be released on January 11, 2023 on Kanno’s official web store, and will be available at CD stores in Japan on January 18, 2023.
▍The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House Official Trailer
▍The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House Story
Kiyo and her best friend Sumire leave their hometown of Aomori and come to Kyoto, dreaming of becoming a maiko in Gion. Kiyo lives in a house where maiko lives together and practices drumming and dancing, but she is told that she is not suited to be a maiko and should go back to Aomori. Kiyo is depressed, but one day, the oyako-don that she makes for everyone becomes popular. She is offered a job at Yagata as a Makanai, a cook who prepares food every day. Meanwhile, Sumire demonstrates her talent in Kyoto-style dancing and becomes famous in the venerable Gion district as one of the best dancers in 100 years.
The delicious and beautiful days of Makanai and maiko begin in Gion.
▍The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House Staff
Original Story: Aiko Koyama
General Director/Showrunner: Hirokazu Koreeda
Producer: Genki Kawamura
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda, Megumi Tsuno, Hiroshi Okuyama, Takuma Sato
Screenplay: Hirokazu Koreeda, Mami Sunada, Megumi Tsuno, Hiroshi Okuyama, Takuma Sato
Cinematography: Ryuto Kondo
Lighting: Eiji Oshita
Audio: Kazuhiko Tomita
Art Direction: Yohei Taneda
Set Decoration: Takuma Sakai
Costume Design: Sachiko Ito
Hair and Makeup Design: Katsuhiko Yuhmi
Food Stylist: Nami Iijima
Music: Yoko Kanno
Production: STORY inc.
▍The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House Cast
Mori Nana as Nozuki Kiyo
Deguchi Natsuki as Herai Sumire
Makita Aju as Ryoko
Matsuzaka Keiko as Chiyo
Hashimoto Ai as Momoko
Matsuoka Mayu as Yoshino
Tokiwa Takako as Azusa