So I just finished watching The Makanai: Cooking for the maiko house on Netflix and I have my thoughts on the live action version. First off They split Mother into three characters
Chiyo-san-okaasan: the wise mother of the house
Asusa-san-okaasan: her silliness and cuteness and care for the maiko. This is the one we're supposed to recognize as the character from the Manga I think.
Yoshino: the returning geiko. This character I think is supposed to be her past relationship with Momoko, the bitterness she had before they made up. And also her silliness
They spilt her up too much honestly. Probably to fit in other relationships.
Now I like Ryoko. Mother Ichi having had a daughter before she got back together with Momoko is *amazing.* What's more she wants to perform but not as a maiko.
Now, honestly, I'm not opposed to mention courting and wanting to marry Mother Ichi. But honestly I didn't really see the point of Momoko having a boyfriend if it didn't precede her trying to make up with Azusa. I understand it made her dance more authentic, I just think that Azusa and Momoko's relationship is an important parallel to Kiyo and Sumire's. This adaptation loses that by splitting her in 3. Honestly if they had gone the route of the men considering Momoko their rival for Azusa as they were rekindling their friendship it would have been better.
Speaking of Kiyo and Sumire though. This adaptation made it even more apparent how much Kiyo loves her Suu-chan and vice versa. We didn't have time to show the other third of their relationship *but* they made Sumire and Kiyo even more in love with each other(nigh until impossible, I know) and that counts for something.
As for Tsurukoma...mmmm....they shouldn't have touched her graduation storyline, honestly. They probably shouldn't have introduced Riko either. There was enough time to develop Tsurukoma. But not Riko or her relationship with Tsurukoma which impacted Tsurukoma's graduation arc quite a bit and vice versa.
You can tell from the way they rushed and omitted the relationships that important of their characters are missing.
I do like how they added in Momoko being a Horror nerd though.
9 episodes was...too short for a series like this and the fact that they squashed events and plot lines that took place years apart into the space of one year didn't help. The fact that it took place in the year before Sumire made he official debut as Momoghana certainly isn't doing it any favors
Overal... I'll be generous and call it a....6.6/10 adaptation. It's not *terrible* but Y'all should watch the Anime and read the Manga if there's a choice. Those are much better