'Taiwan Travelogue' to be adapted into a TV series; Taiwan-Japan co-production aims to reach global audiences

The TV series adaptation of the International Booker Prize-winning novel 'Taiwan Travelogue' has been confirmed as a co-production between Taiwan and Japan. Taiwanese producer Chang Chen-yu stated on Facebook today that he hopes to move more audiences through different forms of the story.

Chang recalled being in London when the award was announced on May 19. Beyond the excitement, he was deeply moved, stating, 'A good story has such immense power to transcend time and borders, tightly connecting the hearts of countless people.'

As a producer at World Soft Digital Image Culture, Chang was looking for content with international market potential that remained rooted in Taiwan. After colleagues and Japanese partners highly recommended 'Taiwan Travelogue,' he decided to secure the rights immediately upon reading it.

Chang noted that the work has a fascinating dual narrative. On the surface, it is a sensory journey through Taiwan in the 1930s, blending elements of railways, gourmet food, and yuri (lesbian romance), while the underlying layer points to a profound dialectic between linguistic power and colonial perspectives.

Chang explained, 'The relationship between the two characters in the story is not just a simple romantic understanding, but a micro-reflection of the colonizer and the colonized. Through constant translation and mistranslation, it delicately and realistically portrays the tensions between class, gender, and nationality.'

Chang expressed his desire to collaborate with partners worldwide who resonate with the story, aiming to move more audiences through different formats of 'Taiwan Travelogue.'

Writer Sumiki Hikari, who has long focused on Taiwan-Japan cultural exchanges, also expressed optimism about the co-production on Facebook, saying, 'It is truly exciting to think that this novel might become the starting point for tourists from all over the world to visit Taiwan in the future.'