Keiichi has had it with his debilitating job and his boss who he “imagines” has the head of a sheep. He finally ends up quitting, but one day he spots his boss out on the street. Unwilling to make any sort of contact he rushes into the nearest building, and realizes he went into a bar. But this bar happens to have a beautiful, kimono-dressed lady whose name is Miyako. With her charm and caring disposition, Keiichi airs all the abuse he’s gone through at the job to her. He then starts to fall for Miyako. And then…
All of a sudden he wakes up with Miyako gone. Where did she go? Well, he’s not gonna like why she left though. Or you’d think!
Miyako’s Night Tales is an interesting one-volume series featuring short and vaguely connected stories revolving around Miyako. So it’s not just finding out Miyako’s true goal while listening to Keiichi. It’s also about learning about a geisha who meets a woman aiming to carve her own future with acting; a young woman who learns from the doctor she may have a serious head injury and her stay at the hospital; a daughter meeting a lovely young woman who might know way more about her dad than she should; and how in some way they connect with Miyako, who did have someone she loved growing up, but with only one hairpin to really treasure said person.
The only real knock is some tales feel too vague, especially for the tale revolving the geisha, at how they tie all with Miyako. But in a vacuum, the stories are intriguing. It’s a case where we learn a little about how Miyako’s somewhat eccentric nature — her being into ghosts and always dressing in kimono — has led to some unexpected friendships and relationships. The story starts us off with Keiichi, who worked at a toxic company with poor conditions (if your grandma dies, your company should get you the time off for the funeral!). We then move onto a few more tales that will vibe with you or they won’t.
While all the tales were neat, my favorites were the second tale and even the extra tale at the end. It’s somewhat typical, in that it brings forth a woman who has no control over her future vs. Keiko, who’s driven to set out on her own. But by working hard enough to become a #1 actress, she was able to set up her own future. Meanwhile, the geisha was set up with a husband and she couldn’t turn it down. Back in those days it was typical for these arranged marriages to occur, but let’s just say there’s one detail her husband didn’t inform the geisha or her caretaker that made that end in a mess.
The other tale that stood out was one with the manga artist. This involves a bit of the supernatural — the manga artist has been working long hours and trying to make it big, but mysteriously, she became aware of certain drawings or things created while asleep, culminating in one manga one-shot being created…by a doll. This doll she happened to pick up one day ended up being the creator, which then led to the manga artist taking that one-shot to the publisher. It became popular, and then when it began serialization, turned out to be a success. But the manga artist didn’t create it. So you probably won’t be surprised at how it ends for her…but the way it ends stuck out at lot.
From its smooth translation to the lovely, sometimes haunting artwork, Miyako’s Night Tales is a great read. There’s a lot to chew on for a number of different women despite there being only a few tales. If you can make time, feel free to check this out.