Kiyo Nozuki and Sumire Herai are childhood friends who share a common desire to become maikos—apprentice geishas. When they join a maiko house, Kiyo is deemed unfit to be a maiko and ends up employed as a live-in cook. On the other hand, Sumire perfectly fits the maiko image and undergoes training to become one. Although disheartened by her own failure, the ever-optimistic Kiyo cooks for everyone in the house, happy to nourish and encourage them in their endeavors.

In the harem of the Khan, wisdom is beauty. The time: the thirteenth century. The place: Yeke Mongol Ulus, the greatest empire the world has ever known. The woman: Fatima, hailing from Persia, where medical technique and scientific knowledge have been perfected beyond all precedent. Fatima's desire for a stage where she can put her knowledge to work has brought her to the palace of the Mongols, where she falls under the wing of Töregene, the sixth wife of Ögedei, the second Great Khan—a mighty woman with complicated feelings about the direction of the empire. These two women are the axel upon which the politics of the palace, and soon the very world, will turn... (Source: Yen Press)

In an alternate version of the early 20th century where technological progress evolved along a different path shaped by steam power, Kyoto is blanketed in constant smoke. A boy, hardened by the loss of his brother, grows distrustful after their shared dream of an Age of Electricity is cut short. A deeply devout girl hides her dreams and regrets for her deceased mother deep within her heart. When the two cross paths, they set about exploring the secrets of the 20th Century Electrical Catalog, a glimpse into the future they long for. Together, they must confront their pasts and carve a path toward the future they once believed in. (Source: Press Release)

The science lessons are short omake bonus features originally present on the first two volumes of the original release. Each short lasts around two minutes, and stars super deformed versions of Noriko, Kazumi and the Coach explaining the various scientific aspects of the series. (Source: Wikipedia)