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(4.31/5)A cozy and enjoyable read
I'm really enjoying the series so far, so much that I almost devoured the first volume and already got my hands on the second. The story follows 16-year old Kiyo in her daily life as a makanai in Kyoto: she is responsible for preparing the meals of the young maiko, the apprentice geishas. The story is pleasant, and made me feel like I was standing in the corner of a room, peeking at the daily lives of the characters. It also gives a lot of insight into the cultural aspects and customs of geishas/maikos and life in Kyoto, overall.
The main tricky point is the Kyoto accent/dialect: while I could understand - overall - most of what was said, I struggled with some dialogues and grammar points. For those who have read The way of the househusband (since I was reading them at the same time), I saw a clear parallel between trying to understand the Kansai dialect over there and the Kyoto-dialect in here. However, I'd say the dialogues are deeper/longer in this book comparatively, although many chapters are quite light in terms of text. In terms of actual vocabulary, though, I didn't encounter that many unknown or geisha-specific vocabulary, so I didn't have much trouble there.
Overall I would recommend the read, but not for absolute beginners or those who are looking to stick to more standard Japanese dialects.
Good, but I prefer the drama. Good for Kansai-ben
I came from the drama, and found this nice, but a bit too simplistic in comparison. The drama was much more filled out, and added focus to interpersonal relationships, the professional, familial, and household dynamics, maiko training, and various other themes that (at least in volume 1), barely show up. The cooking is much more prominent, but not overly complicated, and not over-emphasized either.
It's good practice for Kansai-ben, and particularly Kyoto-ben (as opposed to the more default Osaka-ben). So I'll probably eventually continue it, with that in mind. Also it's surprisingly text-light in certain places, so it goes by quicker than you'd expect.