Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House (舞妓さんちのまかないさん, Maiko-san chi no Makanai-san), is a slice-of-life manga by Aiko Koyama, which began serialization in Shogakugan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine in 2016. The manga received an anime series in 2021 with the same name, and later, a live-action series in 2023 by Netflix, named The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House.
Dreaming to become maiko, Kiyo and Sumire leave their hometown Aomori to join Ichi Manor, a maiko house in the old-and-glamorous Gion District of Kyoto. But while Sumire quickly becomes the jewel of the manor, Kiyo struggles to follow the training and ends up being expelled. Luckily, her cooking talent is discovered, and she's hired as the new cook of the house. The manga is a collection of daily stories of the girls at Ichi Manor, connected by Kiyo's hearty food and Sumire's inspiring determination.
Kiyo In Kyoto: From the Maiko House features the following tropes:
- The Ace: Momohana is a once-in-a-lifetime maiko prodigy. She even gains the nickname "the jewel of the district", and rightfully so; her talent far surpasses that of anyone else in the story, except for Momoko, who's also considered as a genius.
- Affectionate Nickname: Kiyo calls Sumire "Suu-chan", even after the latter has become Momohana. Riko's "Glasses-san nee-san" can also be considered as one.
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Momoko is a dark-haired beauty admired by many. Her cold personality gives her a certain mysterious aura.
- Ambiguously Gay: Lots of girls in the manor display an interest in women. One girl is into OSK Nippon Revue, an all-women theatre company that's rather popular to the queer Japanese audience. Momoko is an aloof woman with little care for men or romance. The only person she's ever acted differently around is Chikako/Mother Ichi.
- Ambiguously Bi: Sumire loves both Kenta and Kiyo, but there's no confirmation about the romantic nature of her love for the latter yet. Chikako used to like a boy when she was younger, and she has showed some affection for the stage assistant that frequents the manor. She also had a very intimate relationship with Momoko, even exchanging their house key like a couple would.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Riko likes nothing more than to annoy Tsurukoma. They bicker everyday, but they do genuinely consider the other as a real sister.
- Big Eater: Momoko eats a lot more than an average lady. This trait has been there since she was a teenager, as shown in a flashback.
- Call-Back: The manga mentions past events frequently, such as Mother Ichi's losing streak at gifting or Kiyo's dishes.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Both Sumire and Kenta have a crush they're unable to confess to, Kenta for Sumire and Kiyo for Kenta.
- Can't Live with Them, Can't Live Without Them: Tsurukoma is often annoyed by Riko, but as soon as the girl stops arguing back, she becomes worried.
- Character Tics:
- Kiyo's facial expressions. They usually come in three flavors: beaming (for happiness), dejected (for sadness or tiredness), and furrowed brows (for almost every other moods).
- Mother has a habit of turning her face away when she gets emotional.
- Childhood Friends: Kiyo, Sumire and Kenta have been friends since at least elementary school.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Kiyo has a tendency to get lost in her own thought. Her simple-mindedness makes her both straightforward and hard to understand.
- Comically Serious: Kiyo is a strange mix between this and Cloudcuckoolander. She's serious when it comes to cooking, but her seriousness comes across as odd to many.
- Cool Big Sis: Momohana might not be the oldest in the house, but she's definitely the most reliable onee-san to everyone else. She also has her own big sister Momoko, though the latter is only cool when it comes to work.
- Crush Blush: Sumire almost always blushes when she thinks of Kenta. He also blushes around Kiyo. It's smaller, but very noticeable on his stoic face.
- Cuddle Bug: While not generally a cuddly person, Momoko likes hugging Momohana a lot. Kiyo also tends to hug Sumire, which she has to stop sometimes as to not smear the makeup.
- Cute Clumsy Girl: Kiyo is an adorable little girl with terrible, terrible motor performance. You can almost guarantee a small accident of some kind whenever she goes out for stuffs, be it bumping to someone or dropping her things. Her cuteness makes it impossible for you to frown at her antics.
- Dance of Despair: Momoko sometimes uses her dance to forget about things that upset her. The first time it happened was when she got a cavity. The second time she did it, Chikako and her split way and she felt deeply betrayed.
- A Day in the Limelight: Other characters get the camera focus quite frequently. Some even get several chapters dedicated to themselves.
- Delayed Reaction: Kiyo is a bit slow to react. It usually takes a while for her to process what's happening, unless it's cooking-related.
- Determinator: Sumire, Kiyo and Kenta. If they want something, they're gonna do it, even if it costs them an arm and a leg (literally, in Kenta's case).
- Differing Priorities Breakup: The reason behind Momoko and Chikako's separation. Momoko wants to dedicate her life for dancing and wishes to have Chikako by her side, but Chikako feels inadequate to do so, and so she steps back to the backstage. This breaks Momoko's heart. They eventually reconcile after Momoko understands what Chikako is trying to do.
- Don't Tell Mama: The maiko in Ichi Manor are afraid of Mother's scoldings. They always whisper "don't tell Mother" whenever they do something sneaky, though it rarely works for them.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Most characters look different from their early appearance. Their personalities are also different, like Momoko who was much less aloof than how she currently is. The list could go on.
- Emotionless Girl: Momoko.
- Endearingly Dorky: Everyone has a soft spot for the clumsy, absent-minded Kiyo. Even random strangers on the street find her endearing.
- Everyone Can See It: Pretty much everyone knows about Kiyo and Sumire's incredibly intimate relationship. Kenta and Sumire's crush is also obvious to those around them, except for the target of their affection.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: A maiko's hair shows their progress and experience. After debut, their hair will change from modern style to a traditional one. The style and accessories they're allowed to wear continues to change to reflect their status up until they mature into geiko.
- Facial Dialogue: Kiyo and Sumire have excellent grade at "Understanding Each Other" class. They can talk without even saying a word, and sometimes, ''without the other being around''.
- Fantasy-Forbidding Father: A lot of parents don't support their daughter's dream of becoming maiko. It's an understandable concern, as the girls will have to quit high school and live (almost) alone in a city far away from their family.
- Feminine Women Can Cook: Inverted. None of the girls in Ichi Manor can cook, not even Mother.
- Festival Episode: Since maiko have to work during holidays, most episodes are about their festival days.
- Flashback B-Plot: Whenever the story involves Kiyo, Sumire and Kenta, a flashback to their childhood days in Aomori will usually appear.
- Flowers of Femininity: Maiko wears floral accessories to match their clothes and the current season. They also have to learn traditional skills like floral arrangements during their training period.
- Food Porn: As expected for a cooking manga, Kiyo's food usually gets the best shots.
- Found Family via Work: Members of a maiko house call the proprietresses "mother" and other maiko "sister", no matter their age. Stage assistants, the only men in the district, are called "brother". Ichi Manor in particular is very family-like, something regarded as peculiar by other houses.
- Four-Leaf Clover: A less literal case. Momohana once gets on a four-leaf clover taxi, a legendary taxi that's said to bring happiness to whoever rides it. She gets her wish fulfilled shortly after and comments on the taxi's good luck.
- Geisha: Or in this case, geiko. Naturally, since the story takes place in a maiko house in a geisha district.
- Genius Ditz: Momoko might be a prodigy when it comes to dance, but she's a slob in every other area.
- The Glasses Gotta Go: No maiko or geiko is allowed to wear glasses during work, as it goes against their image as traditional Japanese ladies.
- The Heart: True to the saying, Kiyo and her kitchen is the heart of Ichi Manor. Her cooking brings people together, and it's Kiyo's charm that motivate them to change for the better.
- Heavy Sleeper: Once Momoko falls asleep, no one will be able to get her up. Momohana has to physically drag her home.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Sumire and Kiyo check all the romance tropes you can have, but they're only confirmed as friends. Later, we learn that Chikako and Momoko also had the same thing going on, even sharing their spare apartment key.
- Hidden Depths:
- Tsurukoma's criticism seems like nagging to Riko at first, but it's revealed that she's actually saying it out of concern. Her juniors were expelled because of those mistakes before, so she doesn't want Riko to leave like that.
- Some girls at Ichi Manor used to play sports before they joined the manor. Riko was in a volleyball team, and Sumire in general is really athletic.
- Sumire is surprised upon seeing Momoko in a marathon. Momoko then explains to her that in order to dance well, she has to train her body too.
- Komaemi is embarrassed of Tsurukoma's clumsiness, but then she herself almost makes the same mistake as her big sister. It's thanks to Tsurukoma that she doesn't ended up on the ground. Later she learns that Tsurukoma has helped many other sisters by warning them of the mistakes she's gotten. Komaemi remarks that it's pretty cool of her to do so.
- We learn a lot about Mother and Momoko during their two-volume flashback. They used to be best friends years ago, but broke up when Chikako took over the manor. Their motivation for the path they've chosen is also revealed: Momoko wants to dedicate her whole life for dancing, and Chikako, not having the same talent and dedication, decides to step back and train the new generations, supporting Momoko's dream from behind.
- Homoerotic Subtext: Sumire and Kiyo is compared to a loving married couple more than once. Sumire even says it herself that she loves Kiyo, and though Kiyo never says it out loud, her actions show it better than words. Chikako turns out to have one too: she and Momoko check every single boxes of romance. Sharing food? Check. Inspiring each other? Check. Understand the other so well they can communicate without words? Check. Hell, they even exchange their house key, something only romantic partners do.
- I Call It "Vera": Played With. Kiyo refers to the kitchenware as their name plus honorifics, like "Miss Holloware". She even roleplays conversations with them, much to other's confusion.
- Identical Panel Gag: Employed very frequently.
- Impossible Pickle Jar: Kiyo often struggles with jars. Her grandma has to open it for her back in Aomori. In Kyoto, it's Sumire who helps her open up the jar.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Sumire likes Kenta, but knowing his crush on Kiyo, she decides to support him and Kiyo instead.
- Job Title: The word "makanai" in the title refers to a live-in cook, which is Kiyo's job at Ichi Manor.
- Like an Old Married Couple: Kiyo and Sumire take care of each other like they've been married for at least a decade. Everyone else in the manor is in awe of their bond.
- Local Hangout: Maiko and geiko are familiars of many restaurants in their area, as they're often invited by patrons to dinner. They have their own frequented hangouts too, like Kiritoshi Shinshindo café and Blue Fir Tree café, to name a few.
- Love Triangle: Sumire-Kenta-Kiyo. Sumire likes Kenta, but Kenta likes Kiyo instead. It goes even more complicated: Sumire also likes Kiyo, and while Kiyo doesn't seem to pay attention to romance, she seems to reciprocate the affection somewhat.
- Mama Bear: Mother Ichi is very protective of her children. Upon learning about Momohana's ankle injury, she declares no one is allowed to injure her daughter's ankle any more, not even the girl herself.
- Mistaken for Profound: When someone has a problem and talk to Kiyo, they'll usually hear her saying some kind of deep food metaphor related to their problem. They usually know she's really just talking about food, but it motivates them to change their way anyways.
- The "Mom" Voice: Used mainly by Mother Ichi and Momohana.
- Oblivious to Love: Kiyo doesn't seem to notice Kenta'c crush on her. The boy himself is no less oblivious, as he is completely unaware that Sumire likes him, despite how obvious her crush is.
- Not So Stoic:
- Mother is not nearly as serious as others would think. She often joins the girls in what they're doing, like burying herself in layers of blankets on a freezing winter day. One time, the girls are worried Mother will scold them, then turn over and catches Mother right next to them with a big bowl of ramen too.
- Momoko seems poised and mature, but she's a Big Eater with a huge sweet tooth, a blunt but enigmatic person, and a big airhead. She's also really bad with chores and cleanings, which annoys Chikako to no end.
- Odd Friendship: Chikako and Momoko can't be any more different than each other. One is attentive, friendly and responsible; the other is standoffish, lazy and a bit uncaring. No one thought they would be able to become friends, and yet their friendship is still going strong after one decade and a half.
- Old Friend: Chikako and Momoko used to be best friends. Their relationship only turned sour after the former inherited Ichi Manor.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Maiko and geiko are only known as their stage name, or geimei. The previous caterer is only known as "Aunty". Mother's name wasn't shown at first, she's only called "Mother" or "Ichi" - after her role and the maiko house she's in charge of. Both their name got revealed later in Mother's flashback, Sachiko for the caterer and Hirose Azusa for Mother.
- Picnic Episode: Sumire is very excited to go on a picnic with Kiyo on her break day, but things happened and they couldn't leave the manor. Kiyo prepares a picnic on the balcony instead.
- Plucky Girl: Kiyo. She lost her mother from a young age, failed her maiko training so bad she got expelled, and has gone through quite some ordeals, but she never seems to lose her peppiness.
- Positive Friend Influence: Kiyo and Sumire's appearance inspires people to do their work.
- Pseudo-Romantic Friendship: Again, Kiyo and Sumire. Also Chikako and Momoko.
- Puppy Love: Kenta and Sumire have had their crush since primary school.
- Really Fond of Sleeping: There's three things Momoko loves to do more than anything else: eating, dancing, and sleeping. She'd rather go to sleep than playing with her sisters. She does get better, though.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Mother is strict to the maiko, but she's also caring and kind to them. She understands that someone has to push them to become better, and the girls understand it too.
- Raised by Grandparents: Kiyo grew up with her grandmother in Aomori.
- Running Gag:
- Kiyo's clumsiness and simple-mindedness is a large source of comedy. Her bed hair also makes its appearance every now and then.
- Riko and Tsurukoma's quarrels.
- Shared Family Quirks: Kiyo inherited granny's love for cooking and the dopey smile.
- She Is Not My Girlfriend: Kenta's senpai mistakes Kiyo for his girlfriend, which he denies.
- Ship Tease: There's a hefty amount of teases between Sumire and Kiyo. It gets to the point that even other people InUniverse gossip about the romantic air between them.
- Shounen
- Sick Episode: A few characters got sick at different times in the manga. Their sickness varies in severity, ranging from sore throat to fever.
- Sleep Cute: Sumire and Kiyo are often caught falling asleep around each other. Sometimes Kenta joins in, too.
- Slice of Life
- Soup Is Medicine: When someone is sick, Kiyo will cook some easy-to-eat food for them, namely udon for Mother and porridge for Sumire.
- Supreme Chef: Even though she's only 16, Kiyo is a plenty talented chef. She can work almost non-stop in the kitchen, serving a large amount of food with strict requirements without collapsing under the stress.
- Sweet Baker: Kiyo is as sweet as the goods she makes. Her warm smile and sweet treats can melt the heart of even the strictest people.
- Take Back Your Gift: Momoko was so upset about Chikako's decision to inherit Ichi manor that she returned the key to her house, breaking up their long-time friendship.
- Talented, but Trained: Both Momohana and Momoko are considered "genius", but they have to make double the efforts to achieve their current position.
- Tastes Like Friendship: Kiyo is close to many people after offering them food. She's friends with the policeman, the stage assistant, and the maiko in and out of Ichi Manor. Both Kenta and Sumire are close friends with her thanks to her treats, too.
- Team Mom: Both Mother and Sumire have to play the "Mom" role, even though they're younger than everyone else in the manor when they first joined.
- Token Mini-Moe: Who else but the tiny cutie Kiyo?
- Through His Stomach: Kiyo has a knack for conquering people's heart with her food.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Sumire and her fried food. And later, Momoko and her Mont Blanc cake.
- Tsundere: Both Riko and Tsurukoma are bad at expressing their feelings. They love the other dearly as sisters, but they rarely show it with words.
- Verbal Tic: Kiyo's verbal mannerism is a bit peculiar. She likes to use strange reduplications and has a strange "oh ho ho"/"ufufu" laugh. It makes her speech sounds more childish than her peers.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: They are less "best buds" and more "best sisters", but Riko and Tsurukoma definitely qualifies. Their daily quarrels might be mistaken for dislike, but they secretly care for each other behind the mask. When Riko finally got her hair put up, Tsurukoma is so nervous she can't stop shaking the table. Later, she's very joyous to learn that their name, Tsurukoma and Komaemi, share the same word.
- Your Favorite: Kiyo remembers the favorite food of every members of the house. She often serves them dishes they like when they're feeling down, but the most served favorite foods are Sumire's.
