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** In the book, Mother and Auntie are described as quite ugly--one of them with yellow teeth and red eyes, the other with skin ruined from bad geisha makeup. In the movie, they look like perfectly normal older women.
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** In the book, Mother and Auntie Granny are described as quite ugly--one of them with yellow teeth and red eyes, the other with skin ruined from bad geisha makeup. In the movie, they look like perfectly normal older women.
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** Some geisha did prostitute themselves to American soldiers, leading to the early American image of the "geisha girl," a cheapening and oversexualization of the geisha.
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** Some geisha did prostitute themselves to American soldiers, leading to the early American image of the "geisha girl," a cheapening and oversexualization of the geisha. (You'll see this preconceived notion corrected, ''beautifully,'' in ''Theatre/TheTeahouseOfTheAugustMoon''.)
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* AManIsNotAVirgin: Or in this case, a woman. Sayuri states she found Pumpkin childish after losing her virginity while Pumpkin had not and found other maiko who had more relatable.
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* TheCollectorOfTheStrange: Doctor Crab. Not only does he spend all of his money on teenage girls' virgnities, he likes to keep a sample of their blood from when the hymen breaks.
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* TheCollectorOfTheStrange: Doctor Crab. Not only does he spend all of his money on teenage girls' virgnities, virginities, he likes to keep a sample of their blood from when the hymen breaks.
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* FatalFlaw: Hatsumomo wasn't able to destroy Sayuri and preserve her popularity in Gion due to her bad character that has alienated people who could be useful to her (such as Mother or proprietaress of the Mizuki teahouse), and her own admirers. Sayuri specifically points out that Hatsumomo was successful enough that most okiya would still have wanted her after she bit the kabuki actor, but because she was also known to be cruel enough to do something like that again, no one would think it was worth the trouble.
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* FatalFlaw: Hatsumomo wasn't able to destroy Sayuri and preserve her popularity in Gion due to her bad character that has alienated people who could be useful to her (such as Mother or proprietaress proprietress of the Mizuki teahouse), and her own admirers. Sayuri specifically points out that Hatsumomo was successful enough that most okiya would still have wanted her after she bit the kabuki actor, but because she was also known to be cruel enough to do something like that again, no one would think it was worth the trouble.
** Sayuri considers the true turning point for her and Hatsumom when she discovers the broach that Hatsumomo had accused her of stealing years ago. Hatsumomo assumes that Sayuri will again be accused of stealing from her and have to pay her back, telling Mother that she discovered it in Sayuri's makeup box and that Sayuri has been keeping a journal with less than flattering portrayals of Mother. When she is unable to find the journal, Mother tells her she will have to repay Sayuri for accusing her of stealing the broach and have to pay for the tatami mats that she ruined after she cut her foot. Hatsumom discovers her plan for ruining Sayuri's life will never come to pass and laughs in defeat.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Mameha is very strict but this is because she takes her job very seriously, even suggesting a new Danna when Sayuri pleads for it not to be Nobu.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Mameha is very strict but this is because she takes her job very seriously, even suggesting a new Danna when Sayuri pleads for it not to be Nobu.
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* ParentalAbandonment: Sayuri and her sister's mother was dying (and eventually died), while their father sold them to Mr. Tanaka and then died not too long after their mother. Pumpkin says that her father died of someone putting a curse on him, and afterwards she lived with an uncle who eventually sold her to Mother.
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* ParentalAbandonment: Sayuri and her sister's mother was dying (and eventually died), while their father sold them to Mr. Tanaka and then died not too long after their mother. Pumpkin says that her father died of someone putting a curse on him, and afterwards afterward she lived with an uncle who eventually sold her to Mother.Mother, claiming she was one of the stupid girls and needed to live in a place she could be controlled.
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** The practice was outlawed in 1959, the same year prostitution was outlawed in Japan. So by the time Iwasaki became a geisha, it was already gone. Geisha do often have danna now but not mizuage.
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** The practice was outlawed in 1959, the same year prostitution was outlawed in Japan. So by the time Iwasaki became a geisha, it was already gone. died out. Geisha do often have danna Danna now but not mizuage.mizuage is no longer about losing their virginity.
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** The practice was outlawed in 1959, the same year prostitution was outlawed in Japan. So by the time Iwasaki became a geisha, it was already gone. Geisha do often have danna now but not mizuage.
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* NoNameGiven: "Dr. Crab", Granny, and Auntie. We do know that Granny and Auntie's surname is Nitta, same as Sayuri's and Mother's.
* NotSoDifferent: Hatsumomo and Sayuri. Hatsumomo is what Sayuri could have been if she had not been able to have a relationship with the Chairman. In the films, Sayuri says "I could be her. Were we so different? She loved once. She hoped once. I might be looking into my own future."
* NotSoDifferent: Hatsumomo and Sayuri. Hatsumomo is what Sayuri could have been if she had not been able to have a relationship with the Chairman. In the films, Sayuri says "I could be her. Were we so different? She loved once. She hoped once. I might be looking into my own future."
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* NoNameGiven: "Dr. Crab", Granny, and Auntie. We do know that Granny and Auntie's surname is Nitta, same as Sayuri's and Mother's.
Mother's. Mother's name is briefly mentioned in the novel.
* NotSoDifferent: Hatsumomo and Sayuri. Hatsumomo is what Sayuri could have been if she had not been able to have a relationship with the Chairman. In the films, Sayuri says "I could be her. Were we so different? She loved once. She hoped once. I might be looking into my own future."" However as Sayuri said, the real future fell from the air (World War Two)
* NotSoDifferent: Hatsumomo and Sayuri. Hatsumomo is what Sayuri could have been if she had not been able to have a relationship with the Chairman. In the films, Sayuri says "I could be her. Were we so different? She loved once. She hoped once. I might be looking into my own future.
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* WorldWarTwo: Takes place during this time
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* {{Jerkass}}: Hatsumomo, who gets away with it because she's the okiya's breadwinner. This gradually gets subverted in the novel however, as Mother's patience starts to wear thin.
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* {{Jerkass}}: Hatsumomo, who gets away with it because she's the okiya's breadwinner. This gradually gets subverted in the novel however, as Mother's patience starts to wear thin.thin after Hatsumomo stops bringing in as much money as she once had.
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** In Japanese culture at the time (and somewhat today) this wasn't remotely a big deal. Most of their clientele were married with families. In the present day scenes, Sayuri actually keeps some facts quiet out of respect for the Chairman's family.
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** In Japanese culture at the time (and somewhat today) this wasn't remotely a big deal. Most of their clientele were married with families.families, due to the prevelance of arranged marriages back then. In the present day scenes, Sayuri actually keeps some facts quiet out of respect for the Chairman's family.
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* CaliforniaDoubling: The movie was filmed mostly in California as present-day Kyoto was judged to be too modern-looking for the period. The Gion district seen in the film was an elaborate set built specifically for the movie.
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* PetTheDog: In the film version. Mameha is not cruel to Sayuri, but as in the book, she both cares about her and uses her as revenge on Hatsumomo. Mameha sets up the bidding for Sayuri's ''mizuage'', and the Baron bids the highest. Mameha arranges for it to go to Dr. Crab instead, as the Baron had assaulted Sayuri before.
-->'''Mameha''': It was my fault. I could not protect you.
-->'''Mameha''': It was my fault. I could not protect you.
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* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: [[spoiler:Averted. Mameha has aborted three children she conceived with the Baron. Dialogue among characters implies that this is common with ''danna'' and their geisha. In this book, at least--see HollywoodHistory below.]]
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* AdaptationalAttractiveness
** In the book, Nobu's face is so terribly scarred and disfigured that Sayuri thinks it cruel to try and describe him, and he's missing an arm. In the film, his face is only somewhat scarred, and he's actually fairly handsome. He also has both arms.
** In the book, Mother and Auntie are described as quite ugly--one of them with yellow teeth and red eyes, the other with skin ruined from bad geisha makeup. In the movie, they look like perfectly normal older women.
** In the book, Nobu's face is so terribly scarred and disfigured that Sayuri thinks it cruel to try and describe him, and he's missing an arm. In the film, his face is only somewhat scarred, and he's actually fairly handsome. He also has both arms.
** In the book, Mother and Auntie are described as quite ugly--one of them with yellow teeth and red eyes, the other with skin ruined from bad geisha makeup. In the movie, they look like perfectly normal older women.
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* AgeLift: In the novel, Mameha says she's three years younger than Hatsumomo (and at one point, falls back on this when she needs something nasty to say to her). In the film, Mameha is portrayed as older and more womanly, while Hatsumomo looks younger and more like TheVamp.
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* MayDecemberRomance: The Chairman is in his 40s when he first meets Sayuri when she is a pre-teen, and yet she pines for him. Likewise, Nobu has one-sided affection for Sayuri and is about the same age as the Chairman. In the novel, Chiyo and Satsu's mother is implied to be a lot younger than their father because he remarried after his first wife died. In fact, Sayuri's one night hook-up with Yasuda (who is in his 20s) when she is 19 and brief fling with a man during WW2 are some of the only examples that avert this trope.
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* MayDecemberRomance: The Chairman is in his 40s when he first meets Sayuri when she is a pre-teen, and yet she pines for him. Likewise, Nobu has one-sided affection for Sayuri and is about the same age as the Chairman. In the novel, Chiyo and Satsu's mother is implied to be a lot younger than their father because he remarried after his first wife died. In fact, Sayuri's one night hook-up with Yasuda (who is in his 20s) when she is 19 and brief fling with a man during WW2 [=WW2=] are some of the only examples that avert this trope.
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[[note]] Arthur Golden caught a good deal of flak for naming his sources. As noted in the 'translator's note' prologue, geisha ''are'' expected to be discreet, regarding what they know and who they know it about, and about their own trade in general. One of Golden's primary sources, former Geisha Mineko Iwasaki, specifically asked to be kept anonymous, and Golden went and thanked her in the author's note anyway. She herself netted criticism (and even ''death threats'') for opening up in such a way, and eventually ended up publishing her actual memoirs, ''Geisha of Gion''. She also said that either Golden downright lied about the geishas and their lives for creative purposes, or [[ValuesDissonance showed experiences that were beneficial to Iwasaki and Co. in a negative light.]] [[/note]]
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[[note]] Arthur Golden caught a good deal of flak for naming his sources. As noted in the 'translator's note' prologue, geisha ''are'' expected to be discreet, regarding what they know and who they know it about, and about their own trade in general. One of Golden's primary sources, former Geisha Mineko Iwasaki, specifically asked to be kept anonymous, and Golden went and thanked her in the author's note anyway. She herself netted criticism (and even ''death threats'') for opening up in such a way, and eventually ended up publishing her actual memoirs, ''Geisha of Gion''. She also said that either Golden downright lied about the geishas and their lives for creative purposes, or [[ValuesDissonance showed experiences that were beneficial to Iwasaki and Co. in a negative light.]] Though some controversial details were not inaccurate, the fact that the novel was supposed to be based on her life thus made Iwasaki feel that she and others were watered down to being little more than prostitutes when her focus was always on art. [[/note]]
* TruthInTelevision: A maiko often did sell her virginity to the highest bidder as a coming-of-age ritual, though this was done very discreetly and tastefully, not like an auction. This was not necessarily required, as Iwasaki (who the book is based on) did not, which is why she got irritated when Golden made it seem inevitable.
** Some geisha did prostitute themselves to American soldiers, leading to the early American image of the "geisha girl," a cheapening and oversexualization of the geisha.
** Some geisha did prostitute themselves to American soldiers, leading to the early American image of the "geisha girl," a cheapening and oversexualization of the geisha.
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* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment Let's just say that]] Golden took a ''lot'' of [[RuleOfDrama creative]] [[HollywoodHistory liberties]] with the story to turn it part-fairy tale, part-historical fiction. He based the story off interviews with famed geisha Mineko Iwasaki, though Iwasaki herself was never abused and willingly became a geisha out of true passion (her required separation from her doting parents, though voluntary, was still [[TearJerker no less heartbreaking]]), and unlike other meiko, never had to sell her virginity, her mizuage a purely symbolic ritual. She was also involved with an older, married man, but he ultimately passed away from cancer and she married a man her own age.
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* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment Let's just say that]] Golden took a ''lot'' of [[RuleOfDrama creative]] [[HollywoodHistory liberties]] with the story to turn it part-fairy tale, part-historical fiction. He based the story off interviews with famed geisha Mineko Iwasaki, though Iwasaki herself was never abused and willingly became a geisha out of true passion (her required separation from her doting parents, though voluntary, was still [[TearJerker no less heartbreaking]]), and unlike other meiko, maiko, never had to sell her virginity, her mizuage a purely symbolic ritual. She was also involved with an older, married man, but he ultimately passed away from cancer and she married a man her own age. Golden's artistic liberties caused an infamous amount of flak from Iwasaki, who was angered by the story's alleged preoccupation of sex that, being supposedly based on her life, inaccurately made her look like a prostitute.
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* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment Let's just say that]] Golden took a ''lot'' of [[RuleOfDrama creative]] [[HollywoodHistory liberties]] with the story to turn it part-fairy tale, part-historical fiction. He based the story off interviews with famed geisha Mineko Iwasaki, though Iwasaki herself was never abused and willingly became a geisha out of true passion (her required separation from her doting parents, though voluntary, was still [[TearJerker no less heartbreaking]]), and unlike other meiko, never had to sell her virginity, her mizuage a purely symbolic ritual. She was also involved with an older, married man, but he ultimately passed away from cancer and she married a man her own age.
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This crops up all the time, but the sale of virginity as mizuage was NOT fictionalization or a lie. Just because it did not happen to Iwasaki does not make it a lie — in her own memoir she mentions that it indeed did occur. Everything else however is true.
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[[note]] Arthur Golden caught a good deal of flak for naming his sources. As noted in the 'translator's note' prologue, geisha ''are'' expected to be discreet, regarding what they know and who they know it about, and about their own trade in general. One of Golden's primary sources, former Geisha Mineko Iwasaki, specifically asked to be kept anonymous, and Golden went and thanked her in the author's note anyway. She herself netted criticism (and even ''death threats'') for opening up in such a way, and eventually ended up publishing her actual memoirs, ''Geisha of Gion''. She also said that either Golden downright lied about the geishas and their lives (specifically, the whole "Sayuri gets her virginity auctioned" was supposedly based on Iwasaki's experience, but she claims it never happened to her), or [[ValuesDissonance showed experiences that were beneficial to Iwasaki and Co. in a negative light.]] [[/note]]
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[[note]] Arthur Golden caught a good deal of flak for naming his sources. As noted in the 'translator's note' prologue, geisha ''are'' expected to be discreet, regarding what they know and who they know it about, and about their own trade in general. One of Golden's primary sources, former Geisha Mineko Iwasaki, specifically asked to be kept anonymous, and Golden went and thanked her in the author's note anyway. She herself netted criticism (and even ''death threats'') for opening up in such a way, and eventually ended up publishing her actual memoirs, ''Geisha of Gion''. She also said that either Golden downright lied about the geishas and their lives (specifically, the whole "Sayuri gets her virginity auctioned" was supposedly based on Iwasaki's experience, but she claims it never happened to her), for creative purposes, or [[ValuesDissonance showed experiences that were beneficial to Iwasaki and Co. in a negative light.]] [[/note]]
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** In fact, the book was VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory by the life of the real geisha [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineko_Iwasaki Mineko Iwasaki]]. After ''Memoirs'' was published, Iwasaki lost friends, received criticism and even death threats. She got so upset at the author, Arthur Golden, that she sued him for breach of contract and defamation of character and then wrote her own book (Geisha of Gion) to counter all the fictionalization.
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** In fact, the book was VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory by the life of the real geisha [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineko_Iwasaki Mineko Iwasaki]]. After ''Memoirs'' was published, Iwasaki lost friends, received criticism and even death threats.threats, as geisha are supposed to treat their clients with the utmost confidentiality, and in putting her name in the book, Golden broke that confidentiality. She got so upset at the author, Arthur Golden, that she sued him for breach of contract and defamation of character and then wrote her own book (Geisha of Gion) to counter all the fictionalization.
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* HollywoodHistory: The book is meant to be a fairy tale combined with historical fiction, complete with a beautiful rags-to-riches Cinderella, a mysterious Prince Charming, and a sort of wicked stepmother -- which would be fine, except the book gives the impression of being a biography and based on real life, though it's pure fiction and contains many inaccuracies and inconsistencies, making most casual readers with no background to real geisha believe that it's all 100% true, much to the chagrin of those with prior interest. The one most aficionados would name first is the auctioning of the virginity of maiko about to graduate as geiko.
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* HollywoodHistory: The book is meant to be a fairy tale combined with historical fiction, complete with a beautiful rags-to-riches Cinderella, a mysterious Prince Charming, and a sort of wicked stepmother -- which would be fine, except the book gives the impression of being a biography and based on real life, though it's pure fiction and contains many inaccuracies and inconsistencies, making most casual readers with no background to real geisha believe that it's all 100% true, much to the chagrin of those with prior interest. The one most aficionados would name first is the auctioning of the virginity of maiko about to graduate as geiko.[[labelnote:*]]Note that the selling of a maiko's virginity ''was'' practice at the time, but was done much more tastefully and discreetly, not at all like an auction as in the film. It was also not necessarily ubiquitous, as Iwesaki's mizuage was a symbolic ritual instead of a sale of her virginity.[[/labelnote]]
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* HollywoodHistory: Despite how the book gives the impression of being a biography and based on real life, it's pure fiction and contains many inaccuracies and inconsistencies. The one most aficionados would name first is the auctioning of the virginity of maiko about to graduate as geiko.
** In fact, the book was "inspired" by the life of the real geisha [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineko_Iwasaki Mineko Iwasaki]]. After ''Memoirs'' was published, Iwasaki lost friends, received criticism and even death threats. She got so upset at the author, Arthur Golden, that she sued him for breach of contract and defamation of character and then wrote her own book (Geisha of Gion) to counter all the fictionalization.
** In fact, the book was "inspired" by the life of the real geisha [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineko_Iwasaki Mineko Iwasaki]]. After ''Memoirs'' was published, Iwasaki lost friends, received criticism and even death threats. She got so upset at the author, Arthur Golden, that she sued him for breach of contract and defamation of character and then wrote her own book (Geisha of Gion) to counter all the fictionalization.
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* HollywoodHistory: Despite how The book is meant to be a fairy tale combined with historical fiction, complete with a beautiful rags-to-riches Cinderella, a mysterious Prince Charming, and a sort of wicked stepmother -- which would be fine, except the book gives the impression of being a biography and based on real life, though it's pure fiction and contains many inaccuracies and inconsistencies.inconsistencies, making most casual readers with no background to real geisha believe that it's all 100% true, much to the chagrin of those with prior interest. The one most aficionados would name first is the auctioning of the virginity of maiko about to graduate as geiko.
** In fact, the book was"inspired" VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory by the life of the real geisha [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineko_Iwasaki Mineko Iwasaki]]. After ''Memoirs'' was published, Iwasaki lost friends, received criticism and even death threats. She got so upset at the author, Arthur Golden, that she sued him for breach of contract and defamation of character and then wrote her own book (Geisha of Gion) to counter all the fictionalization.
** In fact, the book was
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* DistractedByTheSexy: There's a scene with the Mameha (Michelle Yeoh) teaching the protagonist, Sayuri (Zhang Zhiyi) that a true geisha can stop a man with her eyes. She demonstrates and then asks Sayuri to do so, which Sayuri does to a passer by riding a bicycle, causing him to crash.
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* DistractedByTheSexy: There's a scene with the Mameha (Michelle Yeoh) teaching the protagonist, Sayuri (Zhang Zhiyi) that a true geisha can stop a man with her eyes. She demonstrates and then asks Sayuri to do so, which Sayuri does to a passer by riding a bicycle, causing him to crash.
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* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The Chairman, the Baron, the General. The Chairman is an odd case, because Mameha ''does'' refer to him by his real name (Iwamura Ken) at one point but Sayuri, who's in love with him, does not. Pumpkin to. Though her geisha name is Hatsumiyo, everyone just calls her Pumpkin.
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* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The Chairman, the Baron, the General. The Chairman is an odd case, because Mameha ''does'' refer to him by his real name (Iwamura Ken) at one point but Sayuri, who's in love with him, does not. Pumpkin to.too. Though her geisha name is Hatsumiyo, everyone just calls her Pumpkin.
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* BreakTheHaughty: Hatsumomo, and how.
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* BreakTheHaughty: Hatsumomo, who had her tactics gradually turned against her. She eventually became violent to her clients, causing her to be thrown out of the okiya and how.never seen again (not even as a prostitute).
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Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
''Memoirs of a Geisha'' is an 1997 novel by Arthur Golden -- later [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted into a 2005 film]] -- about the life of a famous {{geisha}}, Sayuri (formerly Chiyo), who was sold to a geisha house by her father at a young age to be trained in the profession. One day, she meets a man who becomes her main motivation to pursue a career as a geisha, although she soon starts to realize that he is unobtainable. Meanwhile, Sayuri becomes a pawn in an intrigue between two of the most successful geisha in the district. The plot is set in UsefulNotes/{{Kyoto}}, mainly in the decades around the [[WorldWarII Second World War]].
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''Memoirs of a Geisha'' is an 1997 novel by Arthur Golden -- later [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted into a 2005 film]] -- about the life of a famous {{geisha}}, Sayuri (formerly Chiyo), who was sold to a geisha house by her father at a young age to be trained in the profession. One day, she meets a man who becomes her main motivation to pursue a career as a geisha, although she soon starts to realize that he is unobtainable. Meanwhile, Sayuri becomes a pawn in an intrigue between two of the most successful geisha in the district. The plot is set in UsefulNotes/{{Kyoto}}, mainly in the decades around the [[WorldWarII [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Second World War]].
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* ButtMonkey: Pumpkin.
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* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The Chairman, the Baron, the General. The Chairman is an odd case, because Mameha ''does'' refer to him by his real name (Iwamura Ken) at one point but Sayuri, who's in love with him, does not.
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* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The Chairman, the Baron, the General. The Chairman is an odd case, because Mameha ''does'' refer to him by his real name (Iwamura Ken) at one point but Sayuri, who's in love with him, does not. Pumpkin to. Though her geisha name is Hatsumiyo, everyone just calls her Pumpkin.
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* KimonoFanService: all three kinds.
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* KimonoFanService: all All three kinds.
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** Hell, Sayuri is this to her older biological sister, Satsu. Before they get separated, people are constantly remarking how much prettier Chiyo is than Satsu, quite often when Satsu is within earshot.
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** Hell, Sayuri is this to her older biological sister, Satsu.Satsu, although not intentionally. Before they get separated, people are constantly remarking how much prettier Chiyo is than Satsu, quite often when Satsu is within earshot.
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* CostumePorn: Have you ''seen'' those kimono? But given the importance of kimono - well-made kimono and lots of them were expected of geisha - this is hardly unexpected. In the movie, this is an EnforcedTrope: the directors didn't want the costumes to be perfect replicas. Rather they wanted them to look good on screen, and purposefully changed them slightly.
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* CostumePorn: Have you ''seen'' those kimono? But given the importance of kimono - well-made kimono and lots of them were expected of geisha - this is hardly unexpected. In the movie, this is an EnforcedTrope: the directors didn't want the costumes to be perfect replicas. Rather they wanted them to look good on screen, and purposefully changed them slightly. It was also explained that the designs of the kimono reflected each character in subtle ways.
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* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The Chairman, the Baron, the General. The Chairman is an odd case, because Mameha ''does'' refer to him by his real name (Iwamura Ken) but Sayuri, who's in love with him, does not.
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* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The Chairman, the Baron, the General. The Chairman is an odd case, because Mameha ''does'' refer to him by his real name (Iwamura Ken) at one point but Sayuri, who's in love with him, does not.
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* {{Jerkass}}: Hatsumomo, who gets away with it because she's the okiya's breadwinner.
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* {{Jerkass}}: Hatsumomo, who gets away with it because she's the okiya's breadwinner. This gradually gets subverted in the novel however, as Mother's patience starts to wear thin.
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* NiceToTheWaiter: Mameha makes a point of being kind and respectful to even the lowest maids, because she understands that she owes her success to everyone who thinks well of her.
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* NiceToTheWaiter: Mameha makes a point of being kind and respectful to even the lowest maids, because she understands that she owes her success to everyone who thinks well of her. Sayuri also acts in a similar manner, although it's less clear whether she was taught this or if it's because she can empathise with them.
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* ObfuscatingStupidity: Pumpkin, in a way. [[spoiler:She plays the drunk bimbo when Sayuri asks her for help, but winds up completely screwing her over.]]
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* ObfuscatingStupidity: Pumpkin, in a way. [[spoiler:She plays the drunk bimbo when Sayuri asks her for help, but winds up completely screwing her over.]]]] Mameha also encourages this behaviour in Sayuri at first, purely to avoid Hatsumomo's abuse.
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* HollywoodHistory: Despite how the book gives the impression of being a biography and based on real life, it's pure fiction and contains many inaccuracies and inconsistencies. The one most aficionados would name first is the auctioning of the virginity of maiko about to graduate as geiko.
**In fact, the book was "inspired" by the life of the real geisha [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineko_Iwasaki Mineko Iwasaki]]. After ''Memoirs'' was published, Iwasaki lost friends, received criticism and even death threats. She got so upset at the author, Arthur Golden, that she sued him for breach of contract and defamation of character and then wrote her own book (Geisha of Gion) to counter all the fictionalization.
**In fact, the book was "inspired" by the life of the real geisha [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineko_Iwasaki Mineko Iwasaki]]. After ''Memoirs'' was published, Iwasaki lost friends, received criticism and even death threats. She got so upset at the author, Arthur Golden, that she sued him for breach of contract and defamation of character and then wrote her own book (Geisha of Gion) to counter all the fictionalization.
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* LieBackAndThinkOfEngland: Though it's made clear that geisha are not prostitutes, they do traditionally lose their virginity to the highest bidder. In Sayuri's case, her thoughts during the procedure run along the lines of her attempts to "put all the force of my mind to work in making a sort of mental barrier between [the man] and me… I searched the shadows on the ceiling for something to distract me."
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* LieBackAndThinkOfEngland: Though it's made clear that geisha are not prostitutes, they do traditionally at the time the movie is set in, it's known that some greedier okiya forced them to lose their virginity to the highest bidder.bidder (a practice more common amongst [[HighClassCallGirl Oiran]]). In Sayuri's case, her thoughts during the procedure run along the lines of her attempts to "put all the force of my mind to work in making a sort of mental barrier between [the man] and me… I searched the shadows on the ceiling for something to distract me."
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** Sayuri relates an anecdote about a party she and Mameha attended at a man's house. On their way out, the man's wife paid each of the geisha, and asked Mameha the favor of passing along another geisha's share, since she had "gone home earlier with a headache." Sayuri explains that the geisha in question was actually the man's mistress and was keeping him company in another wing of the house, and the man's wife knew it just as well as they did.
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Moved to the Trivia tab.
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* EnforcedMethodActing: MichelleYeoh's unexpected exit, following "If you are found to be worthless...!" according to the director's commentary. They told her to leave the room after delivering the line, but Ziyi Zhang wasn't told that she would do so. It worked — after shouting in reply "I am not worthless!", she started crying before tearfully repeating the line to the now empty room.
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* FakeNationality: The three lead actresses are Chinese; Ziyi had to not only learn English for the role, but learn to speak it with a Japanese accent.
** While the actress who played the young Pumpkin is of Japanese origin she lives in America and had to learn how to speak in an Japanese accent as well.
** While the actress who played the young Pumpkin is of Japanese origin she lives in America and had to learn how to speak in an Japanese accent as well.
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* [[HeyItsThatGuy Hey, It's That Guy!]]: [[Series/{{Monk}} Captain Stottlemeyer]]. Or if you prefer, [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Buffalo Bill]].
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* WorldWarII
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<<|{{Film}}|>>
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<<|{{Literature}}|>>
<<|{{Film}}|>>
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Changed line(s) 47 (click to see context) from:
* [[HeyItsThatGuy Hey, It's That Guy!]]: [[{{Monk}} Captain Stottlemeyer]]. Or if you prefer, [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Buffalo Bill]].
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* [[HeyItsThatGuy Hey, It's That Guy!]]: [[{{Monk}} [[Series/{{Monk}} Captain Stottlemeyer]]. Or if you prefer, [[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Buffalo Bill]].
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* FatalFlaw: Hatsumomo wasn't able to destroy Sayuri and preserve her popularity in Gion due to her bad character that has alienated people who could be useful to her (such as Mother or proprietaress of the Ichiriki teahouse), and her own admirers. Sayuri specifically points out that Hatsumomo was successful enough that most okiya would still have wanted her after she bit the kabuki actor, but because she was also known to be cruel enough to do something like that again, no one would think it was worth the trouble.
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* FatalFlaw: Hatsumomo wasn't able to destroy Sayuri and preserve her popularity in Gion due to her bad character that has alienated people who could be useful to her (such as Mother or proprietaress of the Ichiriki Mizuki teahouse), and her own admirers. Sayuri specifically points out that Hatsumomo was successful enough that most okiya would still have wanted her after she bit the kabuki actor, but because she was also known to be cruel enough to do something like that again, no one would think it was worth the trouble.
