Meet Joanne Missingham, Taiwan’s Goddess of Go: Part 3
Meet Joanne Missingham, Taiwan’s Goddess of Go: Part 3
2024-06-23
Tonight we give you the third and final installment in our in-depth feature on Joanne Missingham, Taiwan’s top female Go player. We pick up with her mother’s death from cancer, which dealt a devastating blow to Joanne. For eight months, she was unable to play the game she loved. But when she did emerge from her grief, her career took off in ways she could never have imagined. Join us for the journey in our Sunday special report.
Early summer, 2014. Joanne’s mother, Hei Nan-ping, feels unwell. At first, she thought she’d just caught a cold. But medical tests revealed it was very serious. She had acute leukemia.
Hsuan-hsuan Missingham
Sister of Joanne Missingham
It’s scary to hear the word “cancer.” I thought, in that situation, I should be able to comfort her. But, actually, she comforted me. She said, “Don’t worry.” “Carry on with your studies in the U.S.” “People will take care of mom in Taiwan.”
Joanne’s dad and sister came to join them in Taiwan. The whole family took turns caring for Nan-ping, whose health rapidly deteriorated. She passed away after 10 months of treatment.
Joanne Missingham
Taiwan Go player
I brought things that I had learned in Go into my life. For example, I can respond calmly to whatever I meet in life. Immediately, I think about how to resolve this problem that has appeared. I don’t get panicky or anxious about the problem.
Chou Chun-hsun
The “Red-faced Go Master”
I think her mom wasn’t just a mom. They were like friends. She was her mom and her friend, her best partner. Because, when Joanne came back to Asia to train, her mom was almost always by her side. In Taiwan and in China, every day, Joanne always faced the pressure of Go games, and the pain of defeats. Her greatest spiritual support was her mom. So, losing her mom was a great blow.
After Nan-ping’s death, Joanne’s father and sister returned to the U.S. leaving Joanne by herself in Taiwan. But she didn’t have a trusted confidante. At one time, she turned away from Go,and withdrew into herself.
Hsuan-hsuan Missingham
Sister of Joanne Missingham
She didn’t compete for eight long months. It was a big deal. Perhaps, in those conditions, she couldn’t calm herself down enough to play Go.
Joanne Missingham
Taiwan Go player
I fell into a long low period, I suppose. Before that, I guess I was someone who was taken great care of by my mom. My mom arranged my whole schedule for me, and helped me manage everything. So, when she was gone, it was very hard to bear, but also, I felt forced to grow up. After that, I had to find a way to manage everything for myself.
After almost a year of quitting, Joanne gradually emerged from her sorrow. In 2015, she began to retrace her steps on the international Go circuit and to win. She finally gained the 7 dan ranking, making her Taiwan’s highest-ranked female player.
In 2016, Joanne and Chen Shih-yuan represented Taiwan as a doubles team at the World Cup in Japan. They made a splash in the world of Go, and were on the cover of an airline magazine. Suddenly, Joanne was spotted by a talent scout. Her stardom was about to grow.
Felix Wu
Seed Music chair
I was on a flight back to Taiwan, and I saw her interview in the airline magazine. I looked at how the photo was taken, and thought, “It looks like she doesn’t have an agent.” The photo made her look sort of mature and foxy. But that’s not how I saw her, at all. I guessed she didn’t have an agent to help her with the entertainment business. So, straight away, I asked some of our people to get in touch with her Go association.
In late 2016, Joanne entered the world of entertainment, a whole new realm. She was a newbie in show business, but her sweetness and beauty and Go fame quickly won her contracts as an ambassador for scooters, cosmetics, and video games.
Felix Wu
Seed Music chair
I thought it was just a matter of time. She was always going to be discovered by the media. and become famous across Asia. And that’s what happened. But if nobody had helped her manage it… She told me, “When I head out to Go matches,” “it’s dawn, I don’t have time for styling my hair.” I said, “You need to pay attention to this.” Because she’s representing the whole of Taiwan, it’s even about Taiwan’s image. Someone needs to help her manage it. We’re just helping her with that.
Joanne Missingham
Taiwan Go player
The day before the shoot, I went to a posing class. The teacher gave me some hints on how to pose. At first, I felt a bit out of place, a bit nervous. But the photographer guided me, made me laugh. So then I started to relax.
With support and promotion from her agency, Joanne was inundated with work. But she didn’t get complacent. Rather, it brought out her unique humility.
Felix Wu
Seed Music chair
She doesn’t particularly want to, for example, capture the Taiwan market, and then become the queen of Asia, or the world, the universe. No, she just wants to be herself. If work comes to her, and she likes it, then she does it, not because it’s a big pay jump or a big upgrade in status. She’s never like that. Most of the time, she’s running away from it. I think, to this day, the entertainment industry is not her top priority. It’s still Go.
Go always comes first. In 2019, Joanne competed at the Senko Cup in Japan. After four days sparring with the world’s best, she reached the semifinals, winning bronze.
Joanne Missingham
Taiwan Go player
When we play Go, and we choose a move, we should be thinking about 10 or 15 moves ahead. You need to consider the possibilities. If I do this, they might go here, here, or here. Maybe there are three options. You calculate what could play out for all three.
With her earnest yet lively expressions, Joanne became a darling of Japanese media. She was dubbed the “Once-in-a-Millenium Go Beauty.”
As her popularity in Japan skyrocketed, she was hired as a cast member on an NHK show, teaching Go.
Hsieh Yi-min
Go player based in Japan
Joanne isn’t just beautiful. She’s great at Go. So I think it’s natural that she gets attention. On that NHK show, they had a segment of just a few minutes, where she explained Go tactics. I remember, lots of people would watch that. People who played Go, and people who didn’t!
After working in Japan, she returned to Taiwan, and got many bookings to model for fashion brands and magazine covers. Her show business career entered a new phase.
In 2020, aged 26, she made her first outing on the big screen in “My Missing Valentine,” playing a colleague of the lead at the post office.
Joanne Missingham
Taiwan Go player
I’ve learned a lot through performing. Maybe in the past, because of Go, I got used to suppressing my emotions. I would press them down, both good and bad emotions. I thought I couldn’t have emotions. But now I remember them. For example, if I feel a bit disturbed inside, then I remember that feeling. I think, “I can use this in acting one day.”
Joanne wants to give back to the world of Go. As her career has progressed, she’s dedicated herself to Go education. In 2021, she opened an online Go studio under the name “Teacher Chia-chia.”
Joanne was part of Team Taiwan once more at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. At the age of 28, she is already a pro Go player, a representative of Taiwan, an actor and entrepreneur.
Joanne Missingham
Taiwan Go player
My biggest wish is to introduce more people to Go. I think Go is still quite niche in Taiwan. Not many people really understand it. When people think of Go, they think, “It must be so hard.” “You have to be a genius to play it.” But, actually, the basic rules are very simple. It’s easy for anyone to start playing.
Life is always changing, just like a good game of Go. Joanne lives by one of the “10 Maxims of Go,” “Do Not Covet Victory.” Her careful courage and understanding of loss see her advance slowly but surely on her own path.
For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53
圍棋女神 黑嘉嘉 (三)
2024-06-23
延續前兩周的話題，台灣目前段位最高的女棋士黑嘉嘉在母親罹癌病逝後，陷入了悲傷情緒，甚至長達八個月時間，沒有辦法下圍棋，後來黑嘉嘉重新出發，也因為一篇雜誌的專訪，讓她被星探相中，因而跨入演藝圈。頂著職業棋士的光環，加上氣質出眾、甜美外型，黑嘉嘉的廣告代言不斷，還獲得日本棋界，稱譽為「千年一見美女棋士」。至於圍棋本業，黑嘉嘉也沒有放棄，2021年起，成立線上圍棋教室，導入AI練習，致力於圍棋教育推廣。
2014年，入夏，黑嘉嘉的母親黑南萍身體不適，原本以為只是單純地受寒，看診之後才知道病情嚴重，是罹患急性白血病。
[[黑嘉嘉姐姐 黑萱萱]]
“聽到癌症一定覺得很可怕，我會覺得在那個情況下，應該是我要去安慰她(妹妹)，反而是她反過來安慰我，她說妳不要擔心，妳在美國就好好念書，媽媽在台灣，一定會有人照顧”
在美國念書的姊姊與父親，趕回台灣，全家人團聚，輪流照顧病榻上的母親，無奈，天不從人願，黑嘉嘉的母親經過十個月的治療，仍不敵病魔纏身，離開人世。
[[台灣圍棋選手 黑嘉嘉]]
“把圍棋當中學到一些東西，帶進去我的人生跟生活當中，包括所有我遇到的事情，我都可以算是很冷靜地去應對，馬上想說我現在出現這個問題，我應該要怎麼去解，而不會想說我現在出現這個問題，非常地慌張焦慮”
[[紅面棋王 周俊勳]]
“我覺得已經不是媽媽，她們很像朋友，又像媽媽又像朋友，是這輩子最好的夥伴，因為嘉嘉後來又回亞洲訓練的時候，大部分都是媽媽陪在她身邊，不管在台灣、在中國，其實嘉嘉每天要面對圍棋上面勝負的壓力，輸贏的痛苦，其實對嘉嘉來講，最大的精神夥伴應該就是媽媽，所以媽媽離開對她來講，真的是一件打擊很大的事情”
母親辭世後，父親與姊姊返回美國繼續生活，留下黑嘉嘉獨自一人在台。只是，身邊缺少熟悉的陪伴，黑嘉嘉一度選擇逃避圍棋，她將自己的心禁錮起來。
[[黑嘉嘉姐姐 黑萱萱]]
“有長達八個月的時間，她是沒有參加任何比賽，這就是很大的事情，所以她可能在那個情況下，沒有辦法把心安定下來下一盤棋。
[[台灣圍棋選手 黑嘉嘉]]
“那時候其實算是陷入了一個很長時間的低潮，因為我過去其實算是一個，被媽媽照顧得很好的人，媽媽會幫我安排好所有的行程，幫我處理好所有的事情，所以當媽媽離開的時候，除了本身心裡非常難受以外，也有一種被迫要成長的感覺，接下來所有的事情，都得自己想辦法應付”
沉寂近一年，黑嘉嘉漸漸走出傷痛。2015年，重拾腳步，出國比賽，屢創佳績，也終於晉升職業七段，成為台灣段位最高的職業女棋士。
二０一六年，黑嘉嘉與陳詩淵代表台灣，赴日本參加世界杯圍棋配對賽，一路過關斬將，榮獲亞軍。在圍棋界闖出名號，登上航空公司雜誌封面，無意間，被星探相中，為她打開另一條演藝星路。
[[種子音樂集團董事長 吳鋒]]
“我是在坐飛機回台灣的時候，在雜誌上看到有她的一篇專訪，看到雜誌就覺得，拍得很像沒有經紀公司的樣子，整個偏成熟冶豔，我心裡的嘉嘉不是這個樣子，我在猜她應該沒有經紀公司，幫她打理藝人這方面的事業，我就馬上請我們公司的人，跟她所在的圍棋社聯繫”
2016年年底，22歲的黑嘉嘉，踏入演藝圈，挑戰全新領域，雖然是演藝圈菜鳥，憑藉甜美氣質，以及在圍棋界的高知名度，出道後，機車、保養品、遊戲廠商代言，陸續上門。
[[種子音樂集團董事長 吳鋒]]
“我那時候就覺得她遲早的事情，她遲早會被媒體看見，她遲早會被整個亞洲看見，後來果然如此。可是如果沒有人幫她打理，她有跟我說一大早要去下圍棋，沒辦法，頭髮就是不能整理，我說稍微要注意一下，因為她代表整個，可能甚至整個台灣形象，要有人幫她整理。我們只是在做這方面幫助的工作。
[[台灣圍棋選手 黑嘉嘉]]
“在進棚前一天有特別去上體態課，老師有稍微教我怎麼擺姿勢，一開始還是不太適應也有點緊張，不過攝影師很會帶，也會逗我笑，後來就比較放鬆一些”
有了經紀公司的加持與宣傳，黑嘉嘉工作邀約不斷，但她不因此志得意滿，反而展現謙卑獨特的一面。
[[種子音樂集團董事長 吳鋒]]
“因為她沒有特別很想是說，譬如先拿下台灣市場，最後進軍亞洲、全世界、宇宙之王，沒有，她大概就是做她自己，如果有工作找上，她覺得工作很開心就做，不會因為很高的價碼，或是可以上位，她從來不這樣，多半時間她都在逃，演藝我想到今天為止，都不是她生活最重要的事情，我想還是圍棋”
凡事以圍棋為重，黑嘉嘉2019年，赴日參加扇興杯世界女子圍棋最強戰，歷經四天的激戰，最後擠進世界前四強，獲得季軍。
[[台灣圍棋選手 黑嘉嘉]]
“我們在下棋的時候，下一步，要算到後面可能十幾步左右，算中間出現的分支，我現在下在這裡，對手有可能下在這裡，這裡，這裡，可能會有三個懸點，再把這三個懸點後面的變化圖也全部算進去”
沉著應戰，空靈有神的眼眸，黑嘉嘉深獲日媒喜愛，受到高度關注，被棋界譽為「千年僅一人的美女棋士」。
隨著在日本人氣迅速攀高，黑嘉嘉還受邀到NHK電視台圍棋節目，擔任固定班底，講解棋盤。
[[旅日棋士 謝依旻]]
“嘉嘉不僅人漂亮，棋也下得好，大家關注她，我覺得是一個非常正常的事情，當時她在NHK的圍棋節目裡面，有一個不是很長，大概有幾分鐘的圍棋講解，她的那段時間我記得很多人，會下棋的人也看，不會下棋的人也在看”
自日本返台後，各式時尚品牌活動、雜誌封面拍攝，合作邀約，接二連三。黑嘉嘉演藝事業展開新觸角。
2020年，26歲的黑嘉嘉，首次挑戰大銀幕，電影《消失的情人節》，飾演女主角在郵局一起工作的美女同事。
[[台灣圍棋選手 黑嘉嘉]]
“透過表演我也算是學習到了很多，我覺得可能因為過去下棋，所以我很習慣去壓抑自己的情緒，不管是好的還是壞的情緒，我都會刻意地去把它壓下來，覺得我不太能夠有情緒，但現在我會記得那份情緒，比方我現在覺得內心好像有點煩躁，我就會記得這份情緒，想說我之後表演上面可以用得到。”
黑嘉嘉飲水思源，事業順遂之後，不忘將成就致力於推廣圍棋教育，2021年，以嘉嘉老師的身分，開設線上圍棋教室。
2022年，杭州亞運，黑嘉嘉再度獲選進入國家隊，28歲的她，已是職業棋士、選手、演員與創業家，多棲身分。
[[台灣圍棋選手 黑嘉嘉]]
“我最大的一個期待跟希望，應該是能夠讓更多人認識圍棋，因為我覺得圍棋在台灣其實算是比較小眾，比較不被大家認識，因為大家想到圍棋，第一個一定是覺得好難，一定要很聰明的人才能夠玩，但實際上圍棋的基本規則是很簡單的，所有人都可以很容易上手”
儘管環境瞬息萬變，人生如棋，黑嘉嘉身體力行，體現圍棋十訣不得貪勝，在慎戰與能捨之間，黑嘉嘉穩中求勝，步步為營。
更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週日至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00
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