The Miracle of Crybaby Shottan - CinemAsia

In the Japanese chess game of shogi, the all-important cutoff is 26 – the age limit for players to qualify for professional rank. Falling short after years of struggle, Shoji Segawa (Ryuhei Matsuda, Before We Vanish) is forced to give up his only dream. His passion and natural gift, however, eventually brings him back to the chessboard. Taking on the Japan Shogi Association, he makes an unprecedented bid to turn pro in his 30s.

Featuring a staggering all-star cast, this real-life story speaks wholeheartedly to all strivers and dreamers. Toshiaki Toyoda, who played shogi to national level, directs the stirring biopic from an insider’s perspective. Yet, you don’t need to know the rules to be swept up by the enthralling suspense of every match. In his 4th collaboration with the Blue Spring director, Matsuda earnestly embodies the late-blooming underdog, who inspires others chafing under Japan’s rigid hierarchical system.