Kyoto Maiko Monogatari (2001)

Developer: Visit
Platforms: PlayStation
Genres: Simulator

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How it feels

It feels like a patient, step-by-step apprenticeship where small successes in music and movement mini-games slowly unlock the next stage of a quiet cultural journey.

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About

Kyoto Maiko Monogatari is a simulation game in which the player controls a young girl that begins her training to become a maiko, the game features music mini games (like copy the movements of the trainer in a drum), and different levels of training that only can be reached when the girl pass the previous ones. During the game there are video sequences to show different things about maiko way of life and the player can also interact with different trainers. The game features 2D graphics, first person perspective & japanese voice acting in the video sequences. Maiko is a Japanese word for 'dancing girl' and is an apprentice geisha. A geisha is a traditional, female Japanese entertainer, whose skills include performing various Japanese arts, such as classical music and dance. It is the maiko, with her white make-up and elaborate kimono and hairstyle, that has become the stereotype of a "geisha" to westerners, rather than the true geisha. A woman entering the geisha community does not have to start out as a maiko, having the opportunity to begin her career as a full geisha. In fact, a woman above 21 is considered too old to be a maiko and becomes a full geisha upon her initiation into the geisha community. However, those who do go through the maiko stage enjoy more prestige later in their professional lives.

Screenshots

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