Resemblance (Like / As If)
4 related grammar points that express the same core idea - compared below so you can tell which one to reach for.
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- ～みたいだ JLPT N4
- まるで～よう JLPT N3
- ～かのようだ JLPT N2
- Noun のごとき Noun JLPT N1
みたいだ / かのようだ
Writing a deliberate comparison, where the likeness is the point.
～かのようだ vs ～みたいだ: Use かのようだ. It presents the resemblance as a considered figure of speech, which is why it belongs in description and narrative. みたいだ is the casual spoken 'like', and in writing it reads as an off-hand approximation rather than an image.