When you think of geisha, “cute” and “homey” probably aren’t the first words that come to mind. But they’re the defining traits of “The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House,” a Netflix drama set in a shared residence for maiko (apprentice geisha) in Kyoto’s Gion district.
A synopsis of the show makes it sound like something created by an algorithm catering to Netflix viewers who’ve enjoyed the armchair tourism of “Emily in Paris,” the unpretentious foodie fare of “The Chef Show” and the plotless drift of “Terrace House.”
In fact, the series bears the imprimatur of Palme d’Or-winning filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, who acts as showrunner and co-writer as well as directing several episodes. It’s his first foray into serialized drama since “Going My Home” in 2012, though the most obvious antecedent is the cozy, female-focused “Our Little Sister” (2015).