Sunny-San

"Sunny-San" by Onoto Watanna is a story set in Japan during the early 1900s, that follows Sunny, a young girl suddenly burdened with her mother’s legacy after the famous dancer Madame Many Smiles passes away. Ensnared in the rigid structure of geisha life and influences from abroad, Sunny must grapple with tradition, identity, and her own desires for freedom. The story begins with the shadow of grief hanging over Sunny and the House of a Thousand Joys, where pressure mounts for Sunny to take her mother’s place. After an amazing performance captivates some American students that witnessed Hirata’s abuse, they rescue her from the abusive Hirata. Thus, she begins a journey toward independence and the chance to forge her own path, leaving heartbreak behind as she steps into an unknown new world.