I am something of a weird person, especially when it comes to my history of food. I haven't met anyone that has had a similar experience with food, so forgive me if I sound overly general. I did not grow up poor nor had little access to food, at least from what I can remember, but almost my entire life I have eaten nothing except for pasta, rice and beans, and few other small meals like mashed potatoes or scrambled eggs. There's more foods I can name, but I didn't grow up eating different kinds of meats or knew of the world of food. I was eating the basics and knew nothing else than that.

That's the kind of mindset I want to present before I read this manga. I think it's important to note because what I gained out of this manga feels like an unique experience that many people won't get out of it. There are other themes I'm sure everyone will be impacted by, but how this manga touches on food, that feels personal to me alone.

When you start this manga, you think its about Maiko and it is but not quite. It is simply the setting of the manga rather than its main focus. Its little blurbs help set up the scene of each chapter. Every Maiko and their actions are always drawn with care, I believe the mangaka does care about their culture and craft.

But when the chapter goes to the kitchen, everything changes.

It's detailed beyond compare to anything else in the chapter. The dark shading, the little details in the kitckenware and the beauty of Kiyo washing dishes or cooking, that is where the manga shines.

You get to this part and you feel like you're home, about to eat something tasty.

Every chapter is centered on a particular dish and what it means to the character at that moment. Sometimes they have been working endlessley and skipped a meal or two that day. They're tired, almost to the brink of exhaustion. They might think, "I might eat a little snack to fresh myself up."

Kiyo doesn't allow that kind of thinking. She always notices when someone is hungry. So she cooks something unique for them. Might be their favoruite food or what they might think at the time.

The food itself is drawn with care. Like the kitchenware, I imagine the mangaka made the meals themself and drew from that. Some chapters you get to see the progress Kiyo goes through. That effort of skill and attentiveness is evident. The manga turns into a visual cookbook, almost to give you no excuse to not make these meals yourself.

For me, it was an eye opening experience. I was comforted by the meals, without knowing their taste, to know good, simple food like this existed. Admittedly, I haven't made all the meals I've seen by this manga except for one. Soboro Don. That meal appealed to me because of how simple it is. It's really just scrambled eggs, ground meat and peas in the middle on top of rice. But being able to make something like that gave me peace and energy to pull through, especially during the last month of my semester where I too skipped a meal or two, but always made sure to eat this meal to give me peace.

That's what this manga does so well. It captures what food can do. Beyond the basic need of humans to eat, it can connect us with other people. Everyone can be reassured that we are all share something in common, despite all the different things between us, food can bring us together so well. Nowadays, I feel guilty whenever I'm not hungry when I have the chance to eat with people. I see that connection, the joy of eating with others, and I want that at every meal time whenever possible.

Kiyo sums up these themes of food the best here:

But don't let this fool you into thinking the manga is only about food. It shows a lot about becoming an adult and finding your own path in life. As stated in the early chapters, Kiyo actually came with her friend to become a Maiko. While her friend became an amazing Maiko, she did not and ended up becoming the main cook for all the Maiko. But it's not a sad thing for Kiyo, in fact, she's very happy with her life. She found her own path, even if it's not her original goal.

It's something a lot of characters deal with in the manga. Growing up and trying to find their purpose. They compare themselves to others; New problems arise that meant mean changing paths or an injury that changes everything; Or maybe you fell out of love with what you currently do.

This manga tells you that no matter what, those experiences mean something and help shape the person you are. So many different characters in the manga do different things or stick with the same thing. But they're always happy because this story teaches you that all you should do is be the best you, in whatever you love to do. It's okay to restart, try again, do something else because you'll be happy in the end.

Then of course you'll always find people that will support you. Through the sisterhood of Maiko or friendships, people will always be there for you.

I encourage whoever is reading this to give the manga a go. This story is a reflection of what it means to be human and how we can connect with each other. You might even gain a better understanding about something that has been lacking in your life, like I discovered with food in this manga.

It's an important read for me that helped me understand myself and will support me in my life.