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From: ronniemonnie
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  • Competition sucks.

  • I didnt like reading the book. I thought the main character was so conceited in a look-at-me, I'm so special kind of way. Hated her.

  • they looked so cute when the were running to school!

  • Actually, I don't sympathize with Hatsumomo. In the book she managed to scrape by in a lot of situations for her legendary beauty, which exceeded even Sayuri's. She plotted and connived and hurt people to get what she wanted, her looks such a huge advantage that it outweighed her horrid personality. By contrast, Sayuri had to be clever to get ahead.

  • If this film is good in English, think how much better it could be in Japanease!. That way I could watch this and study for my japanease exam at the same time.

  • Hatsumomo is portrayed perfectly in this movie. Beautiful in an untouchable, regal, haughty way, but her beauty marred by her cruelty and self-serving goals. The woman who acted Hatsumomo was absolutely perfect.

  • 03:08

    I just love Hatsumomo's gaze here. Just with her eyes, we can see it's the moment when she understand the full potential of Chiyo, even if she's just a child... and she's frightened of that.

  • People should really read the book. Its goes into much more detail, and you get to know the characters more. :P

  • FYI The meaning behind the blue eyes are meant to show TWO things: FIRST:how beautiful the child is, and how anyone who laid their eyes on her would be taken back by her captivating beauty. SECOND: for those who aren't familiar with seeing asians, some ppl tend to think asians all look alike or the same. So in order for the viewer not to get lost in the characters the Blue eyes helps pinpoint out who is who, especially the main character Sayuri. Which is good soo its pretty good idea :)

  • @kira24ist I had to be "that girl," but the book describes that, in the culture at the time, the eyes of most people in Japan were brown, symbolizing that they had a proper balance of the elements within them (wood, water, fire, earth, etc.). However, people believed that Chiyo's blue eyes meant she had far more water than anything else in her personality, meaning she was strong, like water, but also adaptable, resourceful, and unable to be held down.

  • I've seen this movie already fully hahhaa!

  • I know Hatsumomo is a bad person, but I'd be lying if I'd say that she's ugly :)

  • This movie makes me wish I was Asian. >.<

  • why is hatsumomo's hair so messy? lol at first i thought it was just cause she just got out of bed, then later it was still like that

  • @IAONGL I think it's representative of her character. I read somewhere that each character had hairstyles symbolic of their personality: Hatsumomo's was always sort of wild, Mameha's simple and elegant, and Sayuri's was understated to show off her natural beauty.

  • -.- whatever it is.. Maybe~ .. hatsumomo's..cruel.. But she's beautiful.. She's GORGEOUS!!!

  • 3:11 you see fear and jealousy in Hatsumomo's face

  • wait....wait hatsumomo never paid her debts by 20 that was the deal mameha set up with mother for chiyo !

  • Hatsumomo did pay her debts by age 20. Although she was the most popular geisha, she was unable to find a danna since she made the mistake by angering the mistress of her prime teahouse, Mizuki. This is why she remained in the Nitta Okiya under Mother's watch. Mameha mentioned that to Chiyo

  • I watched the movie A Geisha, which is on youtube too, it's a great movie

  • Hatsumomo is the all Japanese bitch! She's so cruel and beautiful......It's nice to see a bitchy Asian woman....usually they're white or in some cases black in the fiction genre....

  • 5:56 I remember that part in the book....so descriptive and now that I see it for reals, oh god...scary D: But the movie is aweshum :D

  • I wish that they showed how she got fucked over by tanaka

  • @Deneezy1 Yeah the movie left out so many fucking things. >_>

  • not the same as the book....

  • I love the actor that plays Chiyo, she's so adorable and sassy! Haha <3

  • FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

  • I hate how even in the beginning the movie leave SO much out that the book has. It makes me sad. ;;

  • Hatsumomo is gorgeous but she is a bitch. :c

  • @Applebutter799 ohhhh, ok. i wasn't sure what was going on. lol.

  • That girl just picked up a stick with meat on it and said, "Mmmm... squid." tf...?

  • @kybridancer7 they are only being fed enough to keep them alive and mostly healthy - she was starving and it was a treat

  • hatsumomo is so beautiful to bad her personality isnt..

  • Hatsumomo is just jealous because she can see that chiyo will become much more beautiful than her :P

  • what did she say to the little girl if she wants to find her sister back?

  • Hatsumomo told Chiyo if she wanted to find her sister, then she'll do whatever she tells her to do. Basically she wants her to do her dirty work so she'll get blamed for everything. Auntie warned Chiyo not to get involed with Hatsumomo because she'll ruin her life if she does.

  • awww it looks so fun to wear those pretty kimonos since young

  • @menteri168 try again, if you've read the book, it states clearly how much the kimono's weigh and how much padding and everything that goes into it. And not just the kimono... but makeup and hair too (especially the hair)

  • What is the little girls' character name?

  • Chiyo. Her Geisha name when she get's older is Sayuri

  • hatsumomo may not be as sweet as her name is, but her red dress is rlly pretty! :)

  • GONG LI IS SO BEAUTIFUL <3

  • If I was Chiyo I would just told her, "Well i have to clean it, they told me so. Unless you want rats in your room, then I'll leave it alone. Enjoy being bitten, bitch!"

  • @unwrittenmariposa09 bahahahaha o shit you're funny

  • @unwrittenmariposa09 well today sure we would say something that to her but back then hatsomomo was her senior so she had to show respect to her no matter what. it was all about respect back then. kids didnt talk back and rarely disobeyed in those times. jsut the way things were...

  • @HeartbrokenAngel009: Yeah I understand. I know how it was different now, but it doesn't hurt to put my opinions on what I would do in that moment or to make fun of that moment anyways. xD

  • @unwrittenmariposa09: I LOVE IT!!!! :D

  • Another inaccuracy, Geisha didn't start buying wigs til the 60s

  • @xShadowxPhoenix ??? they dint say anything about wigs .

  • @darliiingz03 Even though they used her real hair in the movie, you see hatsumom wearing something on her head, that's what geisha use on their head to put on the wigs, plus if you look closely to the left of her mirror after scaring off chiyo you can see a wig on a stand

  • Just because Hatsumomo had a hard life does not mean that gives her the right to be such a bitch. lots of geisha have had hard lives but you do not see them being so mean, hell some geisha have it worse than she does, they are improper geisha with poor okiya and no engagements, while Hatsumomo is beautiful and has many admirers and revenue. Chiyo had a hard life also but she was always nice.

  • Hatsumomo is like an asian Keira Knightly

  • @melmelmax hell yeah

  • @melmelmax

    Hotter, however.

  • I LOVE Hatsumomo :X

    

  • ...you're fingers smerr. :)

  • @HarajukuBarbieLov you forgot the word HAWT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • I really feel for Hatsumomo. Imagine spending your entire life training to be a Geisha, putting yourself through hell over and over again to be the best, and then realising you can't be the best anymore, just because some country girl who has never tasted the kind of pain you have has blue eyes. She didn't have to work to stand out, she just did.

  • @bedheadsweetie

    It's different if you read the book..

  • @bedheadsweetie yea but she was kind being a dick so karma had to step in....

  • @bedheadsweetie I love Hatsumomo even if she is a bitch

  • @bedheadsweetie I guess it depends if you've read the book or not before this.  I'm sure you might've read it by now, but Hatsumomo is no one you'd feel sorry for in the book. She's a horrible woman with nothing but herself in mind. I suppose the movie paints a slightly different picture.

  • @bedheadsweetie I don't feel for Hatsumomo. Her life was probably only as painful as Chiyo's - probably less, because Hatsomomo never had to work as a slave. In fact, Chiyo probably had a harder time than most geisha because she had to learn everything so fast. Chiyo didn't destroy Hatsumomo's chances; Hatsumomo did that herself, because she was too much of a bitch to ever attract a dana and become independent.

  • @OneDarkAutumn True that. Hastumomo has her own defect of character that makes her not quite as successful as Mameha. Mameha became independent and lives outside of an Okiya, Hastumomo lives in the Okiya because she isn't nice enough to keep a danna.

  • is it me or is there some strange sexual tension between hatsumomo and the little girl...

  • @DanielDownNdirty its..just u. or maybe just not me ;)

  • In the book the real name is HatsuMono , but i preffer Hatsumomo

  • @piiikj ehhh NO. it is hatsuMomo in the book you genius. i have it right in front of me and i am staring at it right now. MY book says hatsuMomo. dont know what you are looking at.

  • @504AVP well , im latinoamerican , and well you know , and im not telling myself a genius , ehh i dont get why you say that , well , i tell you again in the spanish version ( cause im latinoamerican) her name its hatsumono , :3

  • It bothers me how they called her Pumpkin before Chiyo came to the okiya. In the book, Chiyo came up with the name because of Pumpkin's plump face and how her tongue looked like a stem from sticking it out in concentration.

  • hatsumomo's jealouuuuuuuuuuuuuussssssss

    LOL

  • What would Pumpkins name be in japanese?

  • @UnrealHel kabocha which is a cute nickname because it sounds like kabo chan that's just a twist with words but in japanese it sounds cute. 

  • at 3:12 the both stared at each other they looked like the same

  • Geisha are not like normal people.they must be elagant,smart,respectful,talen­ted,and a virgin. they suffer to please men for money but without sex. like in the movie they create another kind of world a world of beauty.

  • that was at HAMMIEGRI425

  • ummm this doesnt take place in china.... it takes place in japan

  • Hatsumomo, so wicked, bitter and one hell of a bitch yet she's so beautiful and elegant, I can't help but like her as a character both in the book and film.

  • "We don't display our naked feet like monkeys."

  • That maybe sounds weird, but Hatsumomo somehow reminds me of a female version of Severus Snape and Chiyo reminds me of a female version of Harry Potter. I mean look at this hateful gaze in 3:15, iisn't this actually Snape looking at Harry? Bedroom eyes...

  • i love how the costume maker made the kimono modern looking and flashy yet still so elegant and tasteful!!! i wanted them all

  • @ladyjosephinelover i agree!

  • @ladyjosephinelover not a costume. its a real kimono that a real kimono maker made some of them are actually vintage in this movie. for the actors sake they dnt wear every single piece of the under laters of the kimono for comfort

  • @SocaMusicLova layer

  • @SocaMusicLova it's the most beautiful

  • Gong Li I love you lol and you are an excellent actress

  • @omarish5 her first name is Li and her last name is Gong. in china, the traditional way to say or write a name is LAST NAME, FIRST NAME instead of FIRST NAME, LAST NAME

  • @HAMMiEGRl425 who gives a shit......idiot

  • @omarish5 sorry for being smart... asswhipe

  • Hatsumomo is almost divine. She's so beautiful, even the way her hair falls over her face. Although she's damaged, her beauty is her power, I wish I could be like her!!

  • The only reason why Hatsumomo treated Chiyo poorly is because she saw her as a threat.

  • hatsumomo is so beautiful yet wicked...shes so great in playing her role it was as if she was THE original character!!!she is beautifully terrible

  • Chiyo is so cute looking

  • "we don't not sell skin" okay she never said that in the book one everything thier was all about proititues in the geisha world, geisha's are beautiful and have a stories but "we do not sell skin" was a whole bumch of bullshit

  • @lovelyminu10113 no it isnt

  • only asia would have classy prostitutes :]

  • They didn't portray Hatsumomo as cruelly as she was in the book. In this movie she seems almost kind, but boy, she was a bit@@!

  • @HarajukuBarbieLov yeah but shes still a bitch...

  • @tonnhoohnnot haha yeh and a major diva in real life too.

  • Well girl listen open your ears nobody else has problems.

  • it's so difficult to understand them. I 've already got headache.

  • hahaha "Hatsumomo you stink "

  • lol

    "mmmm....squid"

    XD

  • So..being a Geisha is in comparison to the American Burlesque? They aren't Prostitutes or strippers, but they entertain in a sensual way?

  • People, I'm well aware of the fact that Japan is a male-dominated society (so please, enough with the history lessons already)

    Besides, it can be argued that most societies in the world are male-dominated (including the U.S.) To me, it's not about culture of society, it's about free will: about what people are and aren't capable of doing regardless of all that other stuff (Besides, I found a show about males entertaining females so my point has already been proven) ^_^

  • I love Hatsumomo, but she does have her slightly psychotic tendencies throughout the film, haha. I find it funny how 9:34 through 9:42 is somewhat of a touching moment between her and Chiyo and it's ruined by the end.

  • Gong Li does not really speak English. She memorizes the English scene by scene. She does very well. Now that she lives in Singapore, maybe she is fluent now.  She is very professional.

  • @onedarkautum i do 2 i wanna be a geshia

  • OMG, never heard such a bad speaking in an English film, the German synchronization is soooooo much better!!!

  • geil

  • I want to go to geisha school. :\

  • Stuck up Broad!

  • Hatsumomo is pretty, but she's a BITCH

  • Read the book...

  • I just finished watching this AMAZING show. . .Ouran High School Host Club, it totally proved that beautiful men can provide quality entertainment for the opposite sex ^_^ (BTW, thank you to however recommended the show to me, I know it was a while ago. . .)

  • wow the kimono look hard to wear ( 1:57 to 2:22 )

  • she' gorgeouse

  • wow and here I thought I could get away from the drama..lol...looks like it's EVERYWHERE

    ll

    ll

    V

  • I love how in the beginning Pumpkin was always helping and taking care of Chiyo

  • dat woman is a bitch. >:(

  • @CxHxRxIxSxTxIxAxN They're called hosts, and they are very popular.

  • Karl yune is hott. {hatsumomo's bf)

  • that older girl the one that is the geisha is a bitch

  • i bet hatsumomos mean to chiyo cuz she thinks that shed be huge competition for her

  • Hatsumomo was scared of Chiyo for a reason. Not only she was beautiful with her rare blue-grey eyes, she was also gifted and graceful. If Chiyo becomes a successful geisha and Mother adopts her, she'll be thrown out. That's why Hatsumomo was doing all the mean things to her, she wanted to knock off the competition early. Whereas, she saw Pumpkin as no threat to her because she was slow and clumsy. Hatsumomo knew she would help secure her position.

  • @ladyfire44 It wasn't clear to me why Pumpkin betrayed Chiyo. What was it that Chiyo took from Pumpkin?

  • Sayuri was named Mother's adopted daughter and heir to the Nitta Okiya when it was learned how much money she would make. I'm sure she didn't mean to take that away from Pumpkin. However, Sayuri didn't have a choice since Hatsumomo was still determined to get rid of her. Over the course of the war, Pumpkin grew bitter and blamed Sayuri for her homeless status.

  • @ladyfire44 Thank you! And so prompt. You could be Japanese yourself.

  • I read the book first before I saw the movie.

  • @dymchurch1 HI ......Pumpkin betrayed Chiyo because chiyo ending up getting adopted and inheritting the Okiya(the house) which was promised to Pumpkin apparently......

  • @omarish5 thank you

  • @dymchurch1 Sayuri had the upper hand because she began making more money further on. . in the book sayuri said that in the end she was in mothers favor because she had more revenue but that wouldn't stop hatsumomo in the long run and becoming adopted mother was her only way

  • @ladyfire44

    i agree it seems like she saw her as her as a early threat

    and thats why she was so mean to her. And wanted to put fear

    within early so when so she gets older she wouldn't dare disrespect her.

  • true, however Hatsumomo did overlook Mameha's eventual interest in Chiyo, which caused her to worry again.

  • @ladyfire44 Wow! That is so true! I actually didn't notice that. Thanks for saying that! :D I can finally understand the whole story a bit better now! :) Arigatou gozaimasu~ ^^

  • What does it mean when hatsumomo says if you promise to swear yourself to me?

  • @XpeanutttX Basically Hatsumomo want's Chiyo to do all of her dirty work so that Chyio will get the blame and not her (for instance how she made Chiyo destroy the kimono). Well that's how I see it.

  • @XpeanutttX it means do whatever i say

  • Hatsumomo knows where Satsu is and if Chiyo wants the information, then she'll do whatever she orders her to do. She wanted her to do her dirty work and get blamed for it so she won't have to worry about her later on. Auntie warned Chiyo not to trust Hatsumomo because she'll end up ruining her potential career as a geisha.

  • Im always afriad hatsumomo is going to rape someone. seriously....

  • "It is not flesh we are selling here

    This is a Geisha House....

    You listen, you learn"

    That's a deep statement

  • Gongi Li is so gorgeous, and a great actress. I also think that Suzuka Ohgo is adorable in this.

  • i want to be a geisha!

  • @LoiseAriane no, no you don't. While geishas are not prostitutes, and were very respectable, it was an extremely hard life to live. You had to entertain men non-stop, with hold any negative emotion. One mistake could ruin you and your reputation. While I admire them their courage, I would never want to be in their postition.

  • Hatsummomo is such a bitch, but you gotta love her!!!

  • I dream to be a Geisha. -_-''

  • 3:08- almost like Hatsumomo is looking in a mirror of souls.. like she sees who she was.

  • @wolfheart310 I don't get that impression. I don't think Hatsumomo was ever like that, pure and innocent. I think she immediately sees how beautiful Chiyo is - or will become - and therefore feels threatened.

  • Geishas are like rich people in show-buisness...

    they get to go to school, they get nice clothes, and they put on performances. They are well-respected people in society.

  • the little chiyo looks

    mch like the oldr 1

    n i luv her accent ^.^

  • 3:08....that´s true acting. I literally see how Hatsumomos mind works behind her forehead :)

  • I fully understand that the first geishas were male and that there are SOME male geishas, but I'm assuming that like with prostitutes, cheerleaders, and exotic dancers the women outnumber the men. . .

    i just dont think it's fair but. . . .*shrugs*

  • @CxHxRxIxSxTxIxAxN True, but then look at the music industry. I'd say that's an extremely male saturated entertainment business. Yes there are women, but the amount of exposure and respect they receive pales in comparison. And, at least in the U.S., success is based mostly on looks and marketing instead of quality. Good looking men get whored out to the female fans as an image. Boy bands are a perfect example. There are so many "eye candy" professions that end up oddly gender specific.

  • @CxHxRxIxSxTxIxAxN Ah! Cirque de Soleil comes to mind too. Some acts feature nothing BUT sexy dudes performing awesome skills. Some actors have a hard time retaining their integrity too. It would suck to loose out on some good dramatic roles because you're typecast as a pretty boy. That's why DiCaprio went off the map for a while, and why Johnny Depp was very selective after 21 Jump Street. They didn't want to be stuck in hot-guy mode for the rest of forever.

  • Can someone tell me where I can find images of japanese cities like in 9:48? It's for a project in school and I'm having a really hard time looking for a photo that's close enough. I've tried tons of really good keywords but none of them seem to be working. Can someone help me please? Links would be really appreciated. Thanks so much!

  • hatsumomo is 40? im gonna go on an all japanese food diet :)

  • @alibugbug Better grab some Japanese genetics while you're at it, otherwise you might be disappointed. ;)

  • @Loveydvy99 haha true, although the actress portraying her is actually chinese...

  • I'd fuck Hatsumomo, even if she is 40.

  • The word Geisha translates to artist.

    I would suggest to any wanting more info about Geisha to read the book that this movie is based off of or Geisha a Life by Mineko Iwasaki. I would love to be pointed in the direction of more books about Geisha.

  • @nesuada

    Not a lot of books on Geishas but there is a 1983 Japanese movie called Yoriko (english title- The Geisha) starring .Kimiko Ikegami. Gritty and no where near as romantic as Memoirs but worth viewing. Netflix has it.

  • @AQuietNight Thank you.

  • ohh... i thot geishas were prostitutes lol either way theyre treated badley...

  • the bitch envy her blue eyes

  • I don't think that there's anything wrong with being a geisha (for the most part) like someone else said, they aren't prostitutes. But just to be fair, they should have a male version of a geisha too: handsome looking men who learn various skills in order to entertain women. It shouldn't just be a one way street, you know? If it's possible for men to enjoy female company in a non-sexual way, then it's perfectly natural and possible for the roles to be reversed, right?

  • @CxHxRxIxSxTxIxAxN The first geisha's were male. The females just became more popular over time.

  • @Sirena101 LOL well, I think it's about time for males to become geisha's (or whatever the correct term may be) again. Like I said, it wouldn't be fair if it's just women putting in all the time and sacrifice to please men (and still trying to keep their own dignity and self worth through the whole ordeal) I definately think it's possible for a woman to appreciate a handsome/skilled man ^_^

  • @CxHxRxIxSxTxIxAxN i do agree with the equal opportunity idea but just to clarify the first geisha in history actually were men... i just dont know what happened to them. hahaha

  • @CxHxRxIxSxTxIxAxN there are men geshia in fact men were the first geshias