| Kano | |
| Director: | Umin Boya |
| Starring: | Masatoshi Nagase Tsao Yu-ning Hsing-Chen Yeh Togo Igawa Maki Sakai Takao Osawa Tenma Shibuya Aoki Ken Rose Yu |
| Music: | Naoki Satō |
| Cinematography: | Chin Ting-chang |
| Studio: | ARS Film Production |
| Runtime: | 180 minutes |
| Country: | Taiwan |
| Language: | Taiwanese Hokkien Japanese Hakka language Formosan |
| Budget: | NT250 million |
Kano is a 2014 Taiwanese baseball period film directed by Umin Boya and produced by Jimmy Huang and Wei Te-sheng. It is based on a true story depicting the multiracial Kano baseball team from Japanese-era Taiwan, overcoming extreme odds to represent the island in the 1931 Japanese High School Baseball Championship at Koshien Stadium (located in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture). Performing beyond all expectations, the underdog team advanced to the championship game in the tournament.[1] [2]
The film stars Masatoshi Nagase as Hyotaro Kondo, who coaches an underdog multi-ethnic high school team comprising Taiwanese aborigines, Han Taiwanese and Japanese players. The team's star pitcher, Meisho "Akira" Go, is played by Tsao Yu-ning, who won a Best Supporting Actor award at the 2014 Taipei Film Festival for his performance in the film.
The film also won Audience Awards from the Golden Horse Film Festival (where it also won a FIPRESCI Prize), the Taipei Film Festival and the Osaka Asian Film Festival. Kano is the 6th highest grossing domestic Taiwanese film of all time.
Taiwan version (Japanese + Mandarin): 勇者的浪漫～風になって～/勇者的浪漫 Brave Romance[3]
Composer: Rake / Lyrics: Rake, Yan Yunnong
Singer: Van Fan/Fan Yi-chen, Kousuke Atari, Luo Meiling, Suming Rupi/Shū Mǐ Ēn, Rake
HK version: 勇者的浪漫 Brave Romance (Cantonese)[4] [5]
Composer: Rake / Lyrics: 林若寧 / Supervisor: Schumann@Zoo Music / Arrange: Schumann@Zoo Music
Singer: Jason Chan/Chan Pak Yu, VnP
Taiwan version (Chinese): 勇者的浪漫(中文版) Brave Romance (Chinese)[6]
Composer: Rake / Lyrics: Rake, Yan Yunnong
Singer: Luo Meiling (Irene Luo), Umin Boya, Wei Te-sheng, KANO staff (Yan Yunnong, Xie Jun Jie, Xie Jun-Cheng, Zhong Yan-Cheng, Zhang Hong Yi, Chen Jing-Hung, Zhou Jun Hao, Zheng Bing Hong, Sun Ruei, Ye Xing Chen)
Director: Li Su Qing
Japan version (Japanese + English): 風になって～勇者的浪漫～ / Rake feat.中孝介 Brave Romance[7]
Composer: Rake / Lyrics: Rake
Singer: Rake, Kousuke Atari
| Year | Awards |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Osaka Asian Film Festival 2014, Audience Award |
| 2014 | 16th Taipei Film Festival, Audience Choice Award |
| 2014 | 16th Taipei Film Festival, Best Supporting Actor – Tsao Yu-ning |
| 2014 | 51st Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, Audience Choice Award |
| 2014 | 51st Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, FIPRESCI Prize |
A 3-volume comic series and a novel based on the movie were published by Yuan-Liou Publishing Co., Ltd.[8] [9]