This is the true story of shogi prodigy Satoshi Murayama, whose tragic death at 29 sent shock waves through the shogi world. Sickly from birth, Murayama was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome as a child and with cancer in his twenties. Murayama said it was because of his useless body that he turned to shogi. Wracked with pain, he endured his physical symptoms with the stoicism of a samurai, as he rose to beat the reigning Meijin champion Yoshiharu Habu in a historic match. (Film description from The Hollywood Reporter)
The actors who play the two shogi champions, Kenichi Matsuyama and Masahiro Higashide, were nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.
Articles and Reviews
"The sentimentality of the film morphs into a genuinely touching portrait of a driven genius who knows game time is running out. It bowed as the closing film at Tokyo and should easily win invites to other festivals."
"Satoshi Murayama, a shogi master who was just 29 when he died, is being feted in print and film 18 years after his passing. Even to this day, Murayama's passion for shogi, commonly referred to as Japanese chess, is widely shared by the generation that came after him."
