According to Japanese culture, a geisha is taught 101 ways to please a man. Kiki Takehashi is descended from a line of strong-willed women. The granddaughter of a geisha, Kiki realises that she has to accept her family heritage before she can hope to understand her own tangled relationships.
The exploration of a father's complex legacy drives this narrative, revealing the contradictions of Mako Yoshikawa's father, Shoichi. A wealthy prewar Japanese man turned squalid recluse, he was both a respected physicist and a victim of severe bipolar disorder. As Yoshikawa grapples with her mixed feelings of love and fear, her quest for understanding delves into themes of racism, mental illness, and gender treatment in Japan. Ultimately, her journey uncovers hidden truths about his childhood, shedding light on the secrets that shaped their relationship.