Category: Media

Anime with kimono eye-candy, take 3

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Now that I’m home in California and all settled in, I thought it might be nice to get back into the swing of things with a fun addition to my series featuring kimono-heavy anime. As usual, whenever possible there will be links to streaming services like Crunchyroll or Netflix where you can watch these!

Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon/My Happy Marriage (わたしの幸せな結婚)

My Happy Marriage starts out feeling like Cinderella (in kimono), morphs into Beauty & The Beast (in kimono), and ends up being a fantastic and unique series that just happens to include terrible step-relatives and a husband with an angry façade but a heart of gold. And there’s still lots and lots of kimono.

The story is about Saimori Miyo, a shy and quiet young woman whose father remarries an absolute harridan with a shrill, spoiled daughter. They treat her like garbage due to her lack of magical ability, and end up marrying her off to Kudo Kiyoka, a military man with a history of driving away potential brides.

Of course, everyone’s perception of the two of them is entirely off-base and they slowly learn about each other and fall in love, strengthening both their bond and Miyo’s magical abilities as the series progresses. He also takes her kimono shopping early on in the series and I dare any kimono aficionado to not fall for him right then and there. We’ve all had that dream!

Through Kiyoka’s love and encouragement, Miyo’s abilities bloom along with her determination and resolve. She remains her quiet self, but in a strong and self-assured way, no longer the doormat she once was. In turn, Kiyoka learns to open up and allow others to help him.

I also really appreciate that while yes, there are some awkward moments and misunderstandings, they are generally both open with each other about their thoughts and feelings, with the bulk of the conflict coming from outside instead of the typical petty nonsense some romance stories put their protagonists through.

The kimono in My Happy Marriage are so gorgeous, and such an integral feature of the show, that I nearly did a review of the show by itself. One illustrator, Halka, was responsible for all the designs to ensure they were accurate and cohesive. You can see her process and designs over on X but I’ve selected a few of my particular favourites here. She also did the beautiful title screen and eye-catch art designs.

So far there are two complete seasons of My Happy Marriage and it appears that a movie is in the works! There is also a live-action adaptation but I haven’t had the opportunity to watch it yet.

My Happy Marriage on IMdb
My Happy Marriage on Netflix
My Happy Marriage on Wikipedia

Taisho Otome Fairy Tale/Taisho Otome Otogibanashi (大正処女御伽話)

 Taisho Otome Otogibanashi (大正処女御伽話, Taisho Otome Fairy Tale) is a twelve-episode anime that was released in the autumn of 2021 and I’ve been meaning to write about ever since. If you’re a regular reader of my blog you likely know that the Taisho era is probably my favourite era for kimono style. This anime doesn’t disappoint, as nearly every character wears kimono the entire time, and we get to see a variety of Taisho-Roman influenced styles as well as more traditional styles.

The story starts out with an admittedly awkward-sounding premise; Shima Tamahiko is a seventeen year-old boy who has been disowned by his rich father after being in an accident that leaves his right hand paralysed and leaves him “useless.” After he falls into despair, his father sends the bubbly and optimistic fourteen year old Tachibana Yuzuki to live with him, after purchasing her from her impoverished family.

The idea of a rich father essentially buying a child bride/maidservant for his cranky teenage son could have been incredibly uncomfortable and inappropriate, but they handled it very deftly (if somewhat unrealistically). There’s no creepy or ecchi content, the romance is very slow, awkward, and feels genuine to teenagers forced to grow up early for varying reasons and then falling in love with each other.

There’s a cast of female characters, all in various absolutely lovely kimono, that might lead you to worry that this is a harem-style anime, but aside from a bit of playful subversion with one character there’s no evidence of that anywhere. Once these two realise their feelings, they are utterly devoted to each other. There is one big obstacle in the way of their relationship but it’s a historically valid and heart-wrenching one (that link is a spoiler, so don’t click if you don’t want to know), not some silly forced love triangle, which was incredibly refreshing.

The series ends on a very happy and optimistic note without being overly bogged down or trying to rush things. I really appreciated that. There’s currently no plan for any more seasons of the anime, but there is a manga by the same creator that takes place in the Showa era, and I still hold out hope that it will be adapted one day!

Taisho Otome Fairy Tale on IMdb
Taisho Otome Fairy Tale on Crunchyroll
Taisho Otome Fairy Tale on Wikipedia

 

Prima Doll (プリマドール)

Prima Doll asks the bold question “what if adorable singing cafe employees were also former military automata with post-traumatic stress disorders?”, and somehow manages to mostly answer it in twelve tight little episodes. It starts out as an adorable little slice-of-life/”cute girls doing cute things” show and morphs into an action-packed, emotional gut punch, so don’t be fooled by the initial tone. The show does deal with PTSD and briefly hints at suicidal ideation despite the cuteness so please do keep that in mind if it may be triggering to you.

Prima Doll is actually a couple of years old and I stumbled across it while looking up recipes, since Haizakura (the main character) shares a name with a brand of soy sauce… but of course, upon seeing them I immediately fell in love with the outfits. Nearly all the automata wear outfits in some form of wa-lolita, steampunk, or otherwise kimono-influenced outfit. Sure, they’re far from traditional, but the show isn’t exactly steeped in realism and I desperately want to cosplay Karasuba at some point in my life. We even both have a bum knee!

Despite my warnings above, the show is generally heartwarming and adorable, even if it does deal with some very intense subject matter. I would not necessarily recommend it for “comfort” watching, but it does end on a mostly optimistic note and is definitely charming enough to make it a net positive in the emotions department.

Unfortunately, this is no longer streaming on any big North American sites so it may be harder to find but if you are able to come across it, it’s worth a watch 🙂

Prima Doll on IMdb
Prima Doll on Wikipedia

I’d also like to give an honourable mention to Sono wa Bisque Doll/My Dress-Up Darling. It’s about Marin, a modern, gyaru cosplayer and Gojo, the shy, awkward, very traditional boy who learns to sew her costumes for her. He grows up making hina dolls at his family shop and wears samue pretty exclusively in his spare time, so there’s a bunch of lovely shots of those. Marin wears kimono or yukata a couple of times for her cosplays (and of course the requisite romantic/slice-of-life matsuri staple episode). It’s not a full review though, since a) there’s not a ton of kimono content and b) it’s not explicit but there’s definitely some mature/ecchi content that’s not appropriate for anyone under 16. If you’re okay with that and want a charming, slow-burn, silly teenagers confused about their feelings anime with lots of cosplay content, it’s definitely worth checking out!

My Dress-Up Darling on IMdb
My Dress-Up Darling on Crunchyroll
My Dress-Up Darling on Wikipedia

As always, thank you for reading and sticking around! And if you have any suggestions for anime or media that heavily feature kimono that you want me to check out, let me know in the comments!

Review – The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House (Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san)

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I have already made a post about Maiko-san chi no Makanai-san, back when it was released as an anime. I loved the manga and I loved the anime, so I had very high hopes for this live-action adaptation.

I am glad to say I was not disappointed. I binged through this show in two days and I’m already debating watching it again. There’s something so incredibly wholesome and comforting about it; the food, the love and support the characters share, and the quiet and understated tone of the whole thing. There is so much tension in the world right now; we need more cozy shows like this!

This is ostensibly a story of two girls, Kiyo and Sumire, who move from Aomori to Kyoto to become maiko. Sumire blossoms during training but Kiyo stumbles out of training and into the job of makanai, who is essentially the cook for the house where they live, along with their adoptive geiko mothers and maiko sisters. This is where it’s Kiyo’s turn to shine, as she pours all her enthusiasm and support of Sumire and her sisters into her food.

The manga and anime pretty much stopped there, presented in short vignettes followed by recipes or food trivia. Where this show differs is that there’s less focus on the food and more focus on the interpersonal relationships and development of all the background characters, something we hadn’t seen until now. It never veers into the mawkish or melodramatic tone you might expect of a house full of girls competing in an incredibly tough field. Instead the girls encourage and support each other, and what little tension there is eventually becomes a great source of charming comedy or personal introspection. (Yoshino, I am looking at you)

Another lovely thing about this show is how accurate it is. It was filmed partially on-location in the geisha districts of Kyoto, and you can tell they worked very hard to keep things close to the tradition-focused and rarified air that the whole city exudes. There are cameos from real working geiko, there are many mentions of the traditional seasonality of geisha life, the kimono are stunning, and while there will invariably be the occasional slip-up when it comes to minute details or accessories, it’s very clear that all of the traditional elements of the show were done with a huge amount of respect and research, and love.

At its core, this is a show about the many forms of love. The passion an artist has for their craft, the connection of family (both genetic and found), and the unbreakable bond between two best friends. Whether you’re a fan of food, geisha, or just want something incredibly warm and soothing to watch, I can’t recommend this show enough. You can catch it on Netflix in the original Japanese with subtitles as well as dubbed into a multitude of languages. If you have Netflix and have any interest in geisha, food, Japanese culture, or just love warm uplifting television, I urge you to check it out!

Anime with kimono eye-candy, take 2

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It’s been quite a long time since I did a post featuring anime with kimono front and centre. Since then, a bunch of new series have come out. I thought I’d share some of the ones I’ve particularly enjoyed with you all. If you have any suggestions I haven’t mentioned, I’d love to hear them!

Kakuriyo no yadomeshi (Bed and Breakfast for Spirits)

Sadly, this adorable romantic slice-of-life anime seems to have flown under the radar. It’s the story of Aoi, a young woman who ends up running a small restaurant in the Hidden Realm of spirits. She wears kimono nearly all the time, as do the bulk of the spirits she interacts with. Of course there’s a romance with master of the inn, the ogre king. It turns out her grandfather used to visit regularly and incurred significant gambling debts, and promised Aoi in marriage. The series features a wonderful combination of charming characters, a growing romance, and plenty of delicious food.

Unfortunately, only one season aired back in 2018 and so far there’s no hint of a second series at the moment. However, you can still catch that one season on Funimation right here.

Kakuriyo no yadomeshi on Wikipedia
Kakuriyo no yadomeshi on IMDB

Maiko-san chi no makanai san (Kiyo in Kyoto: from the Maiko House)

From the spirit world to the modern world, we now go to Maiko-san chi no makanai san. This is the story of Kiyo and her best friend Sumire. They move from Aomori to Kyoto to become maiko (apprentice geisha). While Sumire seems made for the job, Kiyo doesn’t have what it takes. Rather than leave embittered or jealous, Kiyo becomes the cook for the maiko house as well as essentially their head cheerleader. She’s supportive and encouraging and loves seeing Sumire and all the other girls in the house succeed.

This is a very slow, calm little series. Each episode is split into three chapters, interspersed with “Dish of the Day” featurettes. They get a little repetitive, but give recipes and trivia as well as giving us glimpses of the other girls in the house, so in the end I don’t mind them. If you’re looking for something lovely, soothing, and heartwarming to watch, you can check out Maiko-san chi no makanai san on NHK’s official website.

Maiko-san chi no makanai san on Wikipedia
Maiko-san chi no makanai san on IMDB

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

I feel like including this one is a no-brainer. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is an incredibly popular franchise now, spanning from a manga to anime to movies to a stage show. It’s even on Netflix in English now, that’s how widespread its popularity is. It’s the story of Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko, who lose their family after a vicious demon attack. Tanjiro becomes part of the Demon Slayer corps, determined to avenge his family.

Taking place in an alternate-reality Taisho-era Japan, this series has plenty of action, drama, and heart. There are many traditional kimono and kimono-inspired outfits on almost all the main characters, making this a great watch for anyone interested in that. You can find Demon Slayer currently on Netflix!

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba on Wikipedia
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba on IMDB

Intrigue in the Bakumatsu: Irohanihoheto

The next alternate history/fantasy series takes place at the very end of the Tokugawa Shogunate. We follow the story of supernatural-hunting mercenary Yojiro, who joins up with a theatre troupe bent on revenge. The premise sounds quite silly when written out like that, but I’m four episodes in and totally hooked.

The kimono factor in this one is way up there, due to the troupe’s costumes and the historical placement of the entire series. Unfortunately, this series is aired on a Japanese streaming platform 2007 and isn’t currently licensed anywhere so it might be hard to find. Typically I don’t condone piracy, but it seems to be the only way to watch this currently.

Intrigue in the Bakumatsu: Irohanihoheto on Wikipedia
Intrigue in the Bakumatsu: Irohanihoheto on IMDB

Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood

Another new, unfinished series, Joran takes place in an alternate history where the Tokugawa Shogunate never lost power. They’ve also found a way to extract a form of electricity from people with a mysterious power, so the aesthetic is a fascinating combination of turn-of-the-century Japan and a modern, almost cyberpunk style.

The story follows Sawa, a Changeling woman who can take the form of a white crow. Her entire clan was slaughtered by Janome, a man determined to create artificial changelings. Sawa is a member of the Nue, a government-sanctioned execution squad.

I can’t elaborate much more than this, because this series is still currently ongoing and I don’t want to spoil anything! But so far this show has a lot of promise, and I’m eagerly anticipating the rest of the episodes. You can follow Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood now on Crunchyroll. This series has some quite graphic violence, as well as explicit nudity and sex so definitely adults only!

Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood on Wikipedia
Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood on IMDB

(This post was voted on over at my Patreon. If you want a chance to vote on upcoming content, as well as get sneak peeks and exclusive content, please consider supporting me. Perks start at $1 a month!)

Mini-Review – Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san (Kiyo in Kyoto) Anime

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If there are three things I love in my media, it’s slice-of-life, food, and kimono. I got a good dose of all those while watching Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi and then all three of them with bonus drama while watching Watadou, and now there’s a new anime out to fill that niche even better! Only one episode is out so far, so this won’t be any sort of an in-depth review, but I’ve been anticipating this anime ever since I found out the manga (which I love) was being adapted.

Kiyo preparing a huge lunch for the maiko – All images courtesy of NHK

Known in Japanese as Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san and in English as Kiyo in Kyoto, this is the story of Kiyo, a teenager who moves to Kyoto and becomes the live-in cook for an Okiya (maiko residence) where her friend Sumire is in training to become a maiko. One of the things that makes their dynamic, and the whole show really, so wholesome is how supportive of Sumire Kiyo is. Initially they were training together, but it’s explained that Kiyo was too clumsy and not graceful enough, so she is taken on as the cook. Rather than be jealous that her good friend is en-route to become a very popular geisha, Kiyo is her biggest cheerleader. It’s sweet and charming and we need more positivity and happiness like this right now.’

Sumire and Kiyo in the kitchen – All images courtesy of NHK

The girls all dressed up for work – All images courtesy of NHK

There’s a broad range of kimono in just this one episode, from the day-wear of the maiko while they’re out running errands to the more elegant outfits of the Matron and dance Sensei. And of course, there are the elaborate, colourful outfits of the maiko which we see only briefly but I’m sure will become more of a central visual element as the show continues.

Squid Mince, an Aomori comfort food – All images courtesy of NHK

A cute segment is where Kiyo and Sumire discuss their “dish of the day”, a dish or food tradition mentioned in the show. There were several in this episode, and they do feel a bit filler-ish and repetitive, but they’re still informative and interesting so I don’t mind them yet. That might change after multiple episodes though XD. I’ll likely be doing a follow-up on this series (and a few others I’ve been meaning to share) in an Anime with Kimono Eye-Candy entry sometime soon.

You can watch the first episode of Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san/Kiyo in Kyoto in Japanese with English subtitles and occasional English narration explaining culture and traditions of the geisha district on NHK World right here!

 

Review – Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru (Cursed in Love)

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I’ve got something a little more fun and laid-back for you today. Over the past few weeks I’ve been dragged into an addictive j-drama called Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru, the story of Nao, a young wagashi artisan. As is typical with j-drama, especially ones based off manga, the story is quite convoluted,

Fifteen years ago, Hanaoka Nao and her mother lived in the staff quarters of Kogetsu-An, the famous wagashi shop. Young Nao grew close with Tsubaki, the heir to the shop. Everything seemed perfect until Nao’s mother was framed for the murder of Tsubaki’s father.

Nao currently has the chance to solve the mystery that threw her life into shambles by concealing her identity, rejoining Kogetsu-An and marrying Tsubaki. But can she keep her secret and guard her heart?

The manga and live-action adaptation both go by the full title of 私たちはどうかしている or Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru. It’s often shortened to Watadou, due to the title being a bit of a mouthful. Things get complicated when it comes to English translations; the most common translation is We Are Not Ourselves and most fansites will refer to it as such, but the official title on the English NTV page lists it as Cursed in Love, and the English manga is published under the name Something’s Wrong With Us. So if you see any of these titles and get confused, don’t worry, it’s all the same thing! This show has too many names, I swear.

I was initially drawn to this series because so many of the characters are always (or nearly always) in kimono. But once I started watching, I was hooked. Do you enjoy any of the following?

  • Delicious wagashi.
  • A dying patriarch.
  • A scheming oujo-sama matron.
  • Beautiful kimono.
  • Unhealthy but passionate romance.
  • Murder.
  • An enigmatic and fashionable gentleman.
  • Angry ikebana.
  • Hilarious secondary characters.

If so, you’ll find something to love about Watadou. This show really does have it all!

It’s definitely on the more camp/soap-opera side of j-drama, with plenty of intrigue and overblown drama (the aforementioned scheming oujo-sama matron literally throws a flower vase at Nao, fans herself with money while bribing someone, and even does the ~ohohoho laugh at one point). You can tell it was adapted from a manga, due to the level of theatrics and even the way many of the scenes are framed. Does that mean it’s bad? Absolutely not. For some reason I was expecting a more “serious” drama at first so it took me a few minutes to get into the swing of it all, but once I did I was hooked.

Of course, my fascination with it is helped by the fact that the show is steeped in traditional Japanese elements. Not just the wagashi, although that is the most prominent, but also tea ceremony, and most important to me – all the gorgeous kimono. Nao’s wardrobe is split between her Kogetsu-An uniform, western-style clothes, and kimono, and the Kogetsu-An kitchen staff are shown almost exclusively in their uniforms, but nearly everyone else is always in kimono. Whether it be Tsubaki and his family, or the traditional clients who patronise Kogetsu-An for their delicious sweets, the show never lets you forget that this is a world slightly removed from modern, bustling, urban Japan. The show is massive eye candy for anyone into kimono.

The show’s official page on the NTV site is all in Japanese, but it is a treasure trove of imagery worth exploring. There are separate pages for all the beautiful wagashi, as well as individual kimono fashion pages for Nao (the protagonist), Tsubaki (the love interest), Kyoko (the matron), Grand Master (the patriarch), Shiori (the jilted fiancée), Takigawa (the enigmatic gentleman), and even Yuko (the restaurant owner). You can use your browser’s translation features to read information and stylist thoughts for each outfit.

I also tried to grab a selection of screenshots that showed off the lovely aesthetic of the show without spoiling anything! There’s one feature wagashi from each episode, and a ton of kimono. You can really see how gorgeous the wardrobe is.

Typically, I don’t like to suggest piracy but currently this show has no official English subtitling or distribution, so the only way to watch it is through fan-subs. I’m following the ones over at Blitz Fansub and so far they’ve been quite fast and reliable (if you don’t mind the occasional typo). However, if the show ever does receive an official translation I do urge you to check it out. I just hope they don’t try to adapt and re-localise it, because it’s so dependent on the magic of traditional Japanese industries. I feel like it would lose too much if they changed the setting.