A nine-part Japanese drama created by renowned Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda,The Makanai is a quiet,detailed study of female friendship and camaraderie. It’s an unexpected delight,in as much as I never expected Kore-eda,who took home the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018 for the masterfulShoplifters, to work with a streaming platform,and I had no idea this show existed until I stumbled upon it. Turns out sifting through a planet of shows isn’t easy.
Adapted from Aiko Koyama’s hit graphic novelKiyo in Kyoto,the narrative begins with 16-year-old best friends Kiyo (Nana Mori) and Sumire (Natsuki Deguchi) leaving their rural town for the storied city of Kyoto,where they enrol as apprentices in a house of business that trains and manages geiko (Kyoto’s equivalent of a geisha). Portrayed with terrific naturalistic openness,the bond between the two is the show’s foundation – especially when Sumire flourishes with the intricate training and Kiyo struggles.
The show,which sees Kore-eda writing and directing several episodes alongside a handful of young Japanese filmmakers,is not made for an international audience. It assumes a knowledge of the centuries-old geiko tradition,but figuring out how the house – a female-led mix of business and family – and its young graduates work mirrors the discoveries Sumire and Kiyo make. The unhurried storytelling is filled with descriptive detail,especially when Kiyo pivots to being the house’s cook,or makanai.
Her dishes are not fancy,but they’re made with anthropological affection:find someone who looks at you like Kiyo looks at a kamo eggplant. Amid the collegial setting,there is no overt exploitation or sudden crises. The drama,per Kore-eda’s movies,has domestic rhythms,whether it’s Sumire’s disapproving father visiting or strands of romance that test the older geiko’s dedication (a geiko cannot be married). Crucially,The Makanai is genuinely wholesome,but never twee. Like Kiyo’s cooking,it’s reassuring and flavourful.
Harley Quinn:A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special
★★★½
Binge
Given that this adult animation – and I cannot stress the word adult enough – about the DC Comics character has come to be defined by Harley Quinn’s positive relationship with fellow supervillain Poison Ivy,this sardonic Valentine’s Day does effective double duty:it gets to poke fun at the day’s traditions,but it also genuinely explores the complexities of the pair’s chaotic bond. There’s cynicism and raunch,but also commitment.