Casting

According to journalist Laranjeira, Cristiane Torloni's beauty "has never been shown so well in any other telenovela".^[10]

The cast was chosen by the network's own drama department. Maitê Proença was the first to be chosen for the show, but she was scheduled to return to TV Globo.^[5] Rede Manchete tried to hire successful actors from Globo, such as Glória Pires, Joana Fomm, Cláudia Raia and Marcos Paulo, but was not very successful, as several decided to stay with the rival channel.^[11][12][4] Ernesto Piccolo, Mário Gomes and José de Abreu were auditioned to play Alex, but Raul Gazolla got the part.^[7][13]

Scenery and characterization

The setting for the majority of the plot is the Grêmio Recreativo Familiar Kananga do Japão, located in Praça Onze. More than 200 professionals were involved in the construction of a scenographic city of around 6,000 square meters in Grumari, Rio de Janeiro.^[14][15][6] The set design was entrusted to director Rodrigo Cid, who created stores, fountains, streetcar lines, schools and the Grêmio Recreativo Familiar Kananga do Japão. Other images were filmed at Manchete's studios in Vista Alegre.^[6][4]

A few days before the premiere, Rede Manchete signed a partnership with the Fundação do Cinema Brasileiro, which confirmed the transfer of scenes from films released between 1930 and 1939. The work of 500 engineers, architects and set designers to build the streetcars, tracks and houses lasted around four months and consumed 1.5 million dollars of the telenovela's 5.5 million dollar budget.^[16][17] According to the writer, "the biggest commitment was to portray what Praça Onze was like at that time."^[18]

Kananga do Japão mixes fiction, romance and history, with inevitable folkloric undertones. The plot involves a love triangle - a fascinating heroine impoverished by the crash of 1929, the son of a wealthy industrialist and an attractive bohemian adventurer - the residents of a boarding house in Rio's famous Praça XI and the visitors to a cabaret.^[19]

Make-up artist and aesthetician Guilherme Pereira and costume designer Colmar Diniz were responsible for the characterization of the actors based on the era presented.^[20] According to Pereira, "make-up in the 1930s exalted a woman's beauty like never before, and demanded a profound aesthetic sense, precision and harmony from a professional. Hair in small waves, thin eyebrows and drooping eyes made for a perfect face. But any slip-up could spell disaster. So, to arrive at the final composition of each character, a consensus is needed with the costumes, art, set design and the direction of the telenovela, as well as the actors themselves."^{[21][9][22][2]}

Special appearances

Audience

In Rio de Janeiro, Manchete's main audience, Kananga do Japão scored 20 points in its first chapter, representing an increase of 14 points compared to the previous premiere, Olho por Olho, which scored 6. Throughout its run, the telenovela maintained an audience of between 15 and 25 points in the state. The average in the city of Rio de Janeiro was 20 points, considered a success above expectations. However, in São Paulo, where the broadcaster didn't have much presence, Kananga do Japão premiered with 6 points, tripling the result of the previous telenovela's premiere, and had an overall average of 5 points.^[42][43]

Retrospective evaluation

Veja magazine commented shortly after the premiere: "At this early stage, it was clear that the directors intended to use cinematographic style shots, escaping the routine of cameras very close to the characters whenever there is dialogue [...] Rede Globo evidently perceives the telenovela as a major competitor and considers it possible for Manchete to repeat the success of Dona Beija, from 1986".^[44]

A columnist for Última Hora positively evaluated the story and commented that "what Rede Manchete has been trying to do in terms of plastic and artistic quality to make Kananga do Japão a telenovela on the level of Rede Globo's best productions is commendable, [it's] a healthy and necessary dispute because hundreds of jobs are being created behind it". Linda Monteiro, from the same newspaper, analyzed Raul Gazzola: "young, handsome, with good body expression, [has] great intimacy with dance, a figure of a typical bohemian rascal [with] the look, the voice, the mannerisms, the body swagger and the naughty smile of a gentleman."^[45][46]

Braulio Tavares, from Jornal do Brasil, said: "the high-quality production, the impeccable visuals, the historical and social background, the skillful handling of lights and cameras, the fluid choreography, the convincing costumes and sets [are all there]". However, journalist Fernando de Morais criticized the dance, saying that "the ballet montage is an insult; Olga Benário, who was Jewish but didn't attach any importance to it, would shout cheers to Israel. And the German and American producers who were interested in the film blackmailed me to shoot a police-only tape. I didn't authorize it".^[47]

Reporter Arthur Laranjeira, from O Dia, said that "[there are] beautiful images, [with] excellent reconstitution work of the 1930s revealed in perfect make-up, costumes [and] sets [...] Guilherme Pereira [proved to be] concerned with every detail of the many faces he worked with, modifying them during the various phases of the telenovela". He also evaluated the actors and their performances: "Raul Gazzola [became] a new sex symbol. Cristiane Torloni's beauty has never been better shown in any other show. Tônia Carrero has been showing good moments, facing dangerous scenes without falling into ridicule."^[10]

Journalist Regina Rito criticized the nude scene of the character Dora: "she appears with her breasts entirely naked!" However, one viewer from Rio de Janeiro sent a letter of disagreement: "If the scene were from the telenovela Tieta, would it deserve censorship or would Isadora Ribeiro's breasts and the boy's buttocks at the end of the telenovela Brega & Chique be absolutely normal? Attitudes like this reinforce an iniquitous stance, that of a journalist who pits opinion and taste against the work of serious people."^[48]

Awards and nominations

The APCA trophy, an award organized by the São Paulo Association of Art Critics, nominated Kananga do Japão in six categories for the television section, which won all of them. Rodrigo Cid, Sérgio Perricone and Gil Haguenauer were selected for best set design, Guto Graça Mello for best soundtrack, Colmar Diniz received the award for best costume design, Adolph Rosenthal and Tony Cid Guimarães were chosen for best opening and Cristiana Oliveira won in the category of best female revelation.^[49][50] The Press Trophy, held annually, nominated it for best telenovela and selected Raul Gazzola to compete for revelation, but they didn't win.^[51]