Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House - Vol. 30 Ch. 327 - Final Chapter: Time to Eat!

[freakofnature]

This was such a wonderful manga, and I shall miss it very much.

 

[YaboiYokai]

Such a wonderful story. Good job to the consistent translation group. Thank you!

 

[tamarakko]

Thanks Koyama Aiko-sensei and all the scanlators for the years of hard work. It's one of the best cozy examples of cooking manga with some maiko trivia sprinkled on top of it.

Certain criticisms others have touched upon already over the course of the series (Keita taking significant space from the girls, the yuri bait-and-switch, the style becoming generic cutesy to the detriment of adult characters gradually looking like children, the lack of self-reflection regarding the exploitive aspects of maiko culture, etc) but at the end of the day I think what really makes me not give this work a 10 is how flanderized all the characters became, particularly Kiyo-chan. There's no sense of growth after a while, nothing new regarding other aspects of maiko, Kyoto, Aomori, or even Kiyo's other prospects, hobbies or types of interactions within their world. It's just work, break from work by thinking about work, work, recovering from work while thinking about work, work. Did I forget to mention work? It makes me feel bad about how trapped these characters are that we barely see other aspects of them because they're so strictly defined about their careers.

And to finish things, Kiyo's feelings for Keita stayed unknown until the very end where meanwhile she would happily state anytime that she'd go anywhere for Suu. It's like the author deep down knew Kiyo just isn't fit for romance with Kenta (or romance in general even) but had to give a conclusive outcome somehow if at least to make Kenta's hard journey matter. 🤷‍♀️

Best girl overall: Momoko.​

(too bad Aiko-sensei nerfed her imouto lover side and made her go to Mother instead. Aiko-sensei is definitely into age gap yuri but hasn't left the closet yet. Enough of boys and go fully on your desires, Aiko-sensei!!!).

 

[Yatsuki]

Thank you for the mass ending upload! Nice gentle ending fitting of the manga, I can't ask for more. Hope this series gets published in my country in the future.

 

[Tds-PdV]

Congrats for completing the series (in a final sprint of chapters to boot).

I think the ending was done well. As others have commented, we have thoroughly seen Kenta and Suu’s thoughts and feelings (and others of Kiyo as well!), but not so much of Kiyo herself at the end. Like, Kenta and Suu got some sort of “promotion” in the path they pursue, but Kiyo kind of remain herself.
But that’s fine I guess, she is their and everyone else’s “home” as implied in the final chapters.

 

[BloodCoveredAngel]

It's over now, and I feel so sad, but I prefer this over a love triangle. (┬┬﹏┬┬)

 

[SuperOniichan]

Thanks Koyama Aiko-sensei and all the scanlators for the years of hard work. It's one of the best cozy examples of cooking manga with some maiko trivia sprinkled on top of it.

Certain criticisms others have touched upon already over the course of the series (Keita taking significant space from the girls, the yuri bait-and-switch, the style becoming generic cutesy to the detriment of adult characters gradually looking like children, the lack of criticism and self-reflection regarding the exploitive aspects of maiko culture, etc) but at the end of the day I think what really makes me not give this work a 10 is how flanderized all the characters became, particularly Kiyo-chan. There's no sense of growth after a while, nothing new regarding other aspects of maiko, Kyoto, Aomori, or even whether Kiyo's other propects, hobbies or other types of interactions within their world. It's just work, break from work by thinking about work, work, recovering from work while thinking about work, work. Did I forget to mention work? It makes me feel bad about how trapped these characters are that we barely see other aspects of them because they're so strictly defined about their careers.

And to finish things, Kiyo's feelings for Keita stayed unknown until the very end where meanwhile she would happily state anytime that she'd go anywhere for Suu. It's like the author deep down knew Kiyo just isn't fit for romance with Kenta (or romance in general even) but had to give a conclusive outcome somehow if at least to make Kenta's hard journey matter. 🤷‍♀️

Best girl overall: Momoko.​

(too bad Aiko-sensei nerfed her imouto lover side and made her go to Mother instead. Aiko-sensei is definitely into age gap yuri but hasn't left the closet yet. Enough of boys and go fully on your desires, Aiko-sensei!!!).

Reading some of the comments, it seems to me that the manga in the author's head and the manga in the heads of many fans are two completely different stories. Considering how some complaints are essentially just disappointment that Aiko-sensei did not develop the story in the direction they expected or brought up things that were not interesting to them. Especially the persistent attempts by a part of the fandom to convince her that she wanted to write yuri or that the story should be all-female because some people are only interested in reading about female characters. This is fine since we can't read her mind and have to guess her intentions, but it would be weird to expect the author to satisfy our headcanons instead of writing the story she wanted to write herself.

 

[LucidDayDreamer]

I got teary eyed. I think it's pretty clear what's gonna happen in the future, but I'm glad it wasn't shown explicitly because I don't want my Yuri fantasies to be shattered LMAO. I always knew Su and Kiyo would never be endgame, and that this manga wasn't a Yuri (or even a romance for that matter), but I'm glad I don't have to see my fantasy be shattered before me and see Kiyo being romantic with Kenta. The ONLY thing I really wanted to see was Momohana wearing the Geiko fit.

 

[CosmicWitch]

i choose to believe the true (delulu) ending is a poly throuple. this is my truth.

 

[SuperOniichan]

i choose to believe the true (delulu) ending is a poly throuple. this is my truth.

Considering the rise of two girls and boy main cast titles (excluding the pure romance titles built on a love triangle), it seems you're not the only one who likes the idea.

 

[LucidDayDreamer]

how flanderized all the characters became, particularly Kiyo-chan. There's no sense of growth after a while

This is something that has ALWAYS bothered me in the back of my mind, but the chapters are so short that I would just forget. Everyone has growth but Kiyo stays the same. I get she's Su and Kenta's "rock" but she's a person (character) too and deserves growth of some sort. It was fine in the beginning when it was just a typical slice of life story where time doesn't really exist and we repeat the same events over and over again for all of eternity. But once you start getting into continuity, and character development territory, all characters, especially one who is your main, deserve & should have some development.
I would've loved to see Kiyo grow (physically too) into her own person. Her relationship with Su is special to me, and her connection to her doesn't have to be erased even if Kiyo has more personality outside of her.

 

[phoenixir]

Absolutely amazing. It looks like...it's definitely a throuple now. Suu-chan loves Kenta and belongs to Kiyo. Kenta loves both of them and. Kenta and Suu-chan are Kiyo's most precious people. And importantly: they've all crossed the river together.

Putting that aside. Thus was a fun little manga. I loved it. 10/10

 

[SuperOniichan]

This is something that has ALWAYS bothered me in the back of my mind, but the chapters are so short that I would just forget. Everyone has growth but Kiyo stays the same. I get she's Su and Kenta's "rock" but she's a person (character) too and deserves growth of some sort. It was fine in the beginning when it was just a typical slice of life story where time doesn't really exist and we repeat the same events over and over again for all of eternity. But once you start getting into continuity, and character development territory, all characters, especially one who is your main, deserve & should have some development.
I would've loved to see Kiyo grow (physically too) into her own person. Her relationship with Su is special to me, and her connection to her doesn't have to be erased even if Kiyo has more personality outside of her.

I wouldn't call Kiyo self-insert, but I wouldn't be surprised that we had so little content from her POV because she was really meant to be the protagonist and the character through whom we viewed the world of the story. It makes some sense, especially if you consider that in the flashback arc, the formal protagonist was also Mother. However, while I'm not sure if the ending was pushing Kiyo x Kenta instead of Kiyo x Suu, if so I agree that due to the reasons above it didn't work as well as it could have. Kenta has a good dynamic with Suu, but with Kiyo it feels like a formulaic attempt to bring together female lead and male lead in my opinion.

 

[Deien]

All I wanted was for the story to end before the grandmother passed and it seems like that’s the case!

 

[Northern]

The Kenta parts always felt disjointed and slightly out of place from the setting which was originally Gion rather than Kyoto. I'm glad that they didn't force the romance.

 

[lexy]

Well, that's it

While I would have loved just one more final chapter focused solely on Kiyo's inner thoughts, if any, I can at least say it was still beautifully wrapped just right.
Maybe we have to accept she had kinda found her path much earlier than the rest of her peers, after leaving the maiko path behind fast

ONE of the few, if not the only manga to have done a "love triangle" of sorts Without crazy drama and what's more, oh so gracefully.
Truly a unique read, it really shines the slice of life quality
10/10 read

 

[justanothermanganerd]

thank you so much for your fabulous and continued work on the manga

It's just too bad it became like 50% kenta for so long with the most generic HardWorker story that we've all seen a thousand times over taking us away from the much more unique maiko world. I really can't believe how the last 2 volumes in particular were so much about him

 

[justanothermanganerd]

Absolutely amazing. It looks like...it's definitely a throuple now. Suu-chan loves Kenta and belongs to Kiyo. Kenta loves both of them and. Kenta and Suu-chan are Kiyo's most precious people. And importantly: they've all crossed the river together.

Putting that aside. Thus was a fun little manga. I loved it. 10/10

suu literally dances her humongous several chapter series ending dance of heartbreak while thinking of kenta. her life being a geiko will keep her from kenta. kenta just wants kiyo. kiyo jumps across a small water gap without knowing what it means and kenta now believes that they're destined to be married. I'm sure we're supposed to assume kenta / kiyo end up together but suu is obviously solo.

 

[Yuyu_yusha]

I KNEW IT! Kenta ends up with Kiyo. Like no way Sumire would be allowed to have a boyfriend or husband without backing out from being geisha and being geisha is everything for her. Oh boy, that girl having big heartbreak. She knows the rule and brace it gracefully.

My only disappointment in this story how author just make Kenta give up baseball and be a chef. Yeah, well, it's a good story and a good ride.

 

[Liar]

I don't believe this was as open ended as people have said.

It's clear the themes and imagery subtly indicated how things are going to happen moving forward. Kiyo and Kenta are going to be together in the future, and Suu lets go of her heartbreak and first love with her dance that lets her graduate into a Geiko. I'm satisfied. It was as poetic and thematic as the art each character themselves to.

Anyway, thanks to the scanlators for letting us read this to completion. It's been a great couple of years together with you guys.