5 things I love in particular about Shenmue I
Despite being relatively new to the Shenmue world, I have already formed observations and opinions on the game as well as an emotional attachment that no other video game has ever given me. Although there are more than 5 things I love about the game, these are my main ones. I must warn that there are spoilers, just in case anybody who hasn't completed the game (or it's successors) has made their way to this thread. So, here we go...
Is this love that I'm feeling?
A big part of the first game is Ryo’s relationship with Nozomi. After Ryo defended her at school against bullies, her feelings grew for our hero Hazuki-san and I feel it’s one of the most interesting parts of the game. Due to Ryo’s mind being fully focused on avenging his fathers death, he doesn’t seem to care much when Nozomi shows him affection or expresses her feelings toward him. Nozomi shows what a kind-hearted girl she is by leaving Iwao Hazuki's favourite flowers in the altar room. If my timing was correct, a conversation takes place between Ryo and Kurita (who owns the military shop) who has just split up with his partner. Kurita resents the fact that he didn’t value his partner and tells Ryo that he should value “his girl”, but he already knows that, right? Ryo says “not really”. Now, I may not have got the order of that right, but it happened when I spoke to Kurita after Nozomi left the flowers while I was waiting around for the infamous 12 noon date at the arcade. Either way, it’s a fine example of Ryo not caring much about romance in his situation and makes me feel that when Ryo doesn’t express himself towards Nozomi, it’s more of a state of mind thing, rather than knocking her back. Also, since Kurita says “his girl” I assume he is referring to Nozomi as it seems that the neighbourhood believe that there is something going on between Ryo and Nozomi with one example being Mario of Bob's Pizzeria offering to cook Nozomi’s favourite meal when Ryo interacts with him.
My emotional investment only increased when the devastating news arrives that Nozomi would be leaving for Canada. I often wonder if she would have stayed in Yokosuka if Ryo had shown her the same feelings back. Of course, it wouldn’t have mattered either way as Ryo would end up leaving for Hong Kong. Even if they were together, I doubt that Ryo would have brought Nozomi over to China with him due to the potential danger that could lie ahead - just like when he knocked back Fuku-san’s request to go with him. With that in mind, I would say that the whole thing is bad timing for Ryo himself, as I'm sure Nozomi would have happily become his girlfriend at this point. The scene between the two at the harbour is also a fantastic idea. The photo taken by Eri is a nice item to have (I picked the one where they are closest together - why don’t you smile Ryo?!) but the more the story progresses in Shenmue 2 and 3, the more it saddens me to look back on it which was probably the desired effect.
It’s clear to me that Ryo cares enormously for Nozomi and that belief is only strengthened when he rescues her from the Mad Angels. It lead to one of the most memorable scenes in all three games to date in my opinion, when the two rode back home on a motorcycle. During the scene, I feel Nozomi seizes a rare opportunity of some form of intimacy with Ryo when she places her head against his back during the journey. Maybe she felt that this was going to be the last time she would have a chance like this with him, either forever or for a long time at least, due to her impending move to Canada. To me, it’s both a beautiful and very sad scene. The same can be said for the amulet scene and Nozomi wishing that they had more time together.
I truly wish that we see Nozomi resurface in-person, in a future Shenmue title. She did say that she would head back to Japan when on vacation and for all we know, Ryo could return to Japan himself in one of the future games. After all, the events of the first game and the ending of the third are only roughly six or more months apart although it feels much longer for fans that were waiting since 2001 for Shenmue 3. Both Nozomi and the subplot involving her were unforgettable to me.
The Forklift job at Yokosuka harbour and all it entails...
I must confess that I disliked this part of the game when I first started it. I didn't have a clue on how to work the forklift - let alone find the warehouses I needed to offload the boxes at! My dislike and poor attitude lasted for around 2 shifts but then I ended up getting the hang of it, and finally used to the routine itself. Of course the job serves its purpose in relation to finding out more about the Mad Angels, but aside from that, you end up getting used to the characters you work in and around with, such as Mark. From the conversations at the work breaks, to the whacky transformation of Goro and everything else, I started to become more invested these characters. I think there's a part of Ryo himself that becomes invested when he is sat around on those breaks. Especially his supervisor Mark, whom he has something in common with as Mark has a deeply strong reason to hate the Mad Angels too. When Ryo interacts with his other colleagues, he seems interested in chatting to them and finding out what they are planning to do after their time on the harbour. The job is also a part of Ryo becoming a man in the real world. His father Iwao often drilled values into him from a young age, like when we saw the flashback where Ryo doesn't want to eat his carrots. Now, he is living a life not too dissimilar to that for the first time. Of course it's all for his own self-interest in pursuing the Angels and ultimately Lan Di, but he's living it all the same.
The moments where Ryo saves Goro and Mark from the Angels' thuggery is made more meaningful by the fact that he has formed rapports with both men and the whole thing is built so well. The more this period of the game went on, the more I started to enjoy it. I really started to embrace everything about it. This was a complete transformation from when I first started when I didn't like it so much. Then of course, Ryo gets fired from the job due to his war against the Mad Angels. I was so disappointed because I was happy with the routine. I believe that this is one of the many beauties of Shenmue. You get used to things, whether it be people or the surroundings, yet it gets taken from you but you still go on to enjoy and love whatever is next in store for Ryo.
A respect that is hard-earned but ultimately worthwhile
The relationship between Ryo and Guizhang gets off to a bad start when Ryo turns up unannounced at the old warehouse no.8. Guizhang probably sees him as a no good, arrogant kid that has no business around him or his father that he loves and respects so much. Guizhang antagonises Ryo with jibes and the two seemed destined to just simply not get along, at first. As they get to know each other more, that respect from the side of Guizhang grows. The first time I'd say it grew probably would have been when the two came to blows after it's revealed Guizhang has been set as Ryo's bodyguard by Master Chen. That respect probably went to hell when he found Ryo wasting his money at Asian Travel Co. if he was still following him at that point, though! Joking aside, we start to see the first signs of respect from that point. Ryo's words and animated body language towards Guizhang when he asked what he would do if something happened to his father will have struck a chord, but the fact that Ryo could handle himself probably meant that little bit more too.
I felt it was rather emotional when Guizhang trains Ryo on how to do a move and then tells him that if he was in his shoes, then he would do the same as what he plans to do in regards to avenging his father's death. It's a good scene and nobody is doubting that Guizhang wouldn't do it due to the clear affection he has for his father. The two clearly have something in common, they are/were both close to their fathers. Maybe Guizhang starts to sympathize with Ryo more, but finds it difficult to show it, due to the way he is. I can only describe Guizhang and Ryo taking on all 70 members of the Mad Angels (after initially fighting each other) as epic.
It was such a shame that he got hurt before setting off for China with Ryo. I honestly played Shenmue 2 expecting him to show up halfway through the game to save Ryo in a hopeless situation (which instead fell to Xuying Hong as it turned out). I lost faith in that thought the more Ryo advanced into Hong Kong and sadly it never happened. I thought Ryo and Ren's relationship was interesting, but imagine a Guizhang and Ren relationship?! I can already picture Guizhang scolding Ryo, telling him that he shouldn't associate with a thief and that they need to focus on finding Zhu rather than waste their time on "scum" like Ren. Or how about Ryo, Ren and Guizhang being backed into a corner and having to fight 70 Yellow Head members? Anyway, I digress. Guizhang was a great character in this game and I loved how his relationship with Ryo developed from a rocky start. I hope that we see him again in the series. It's about time that he caught up with Ryo in China!
Enter: ''The Great'' Chai
Following Guizhang and Ryo's first scuffle, we see Chai emerge on top of one of the neighbourhood's houses. I honestly didn't know what the hell he was at first. He spooked me out and instantaneously gave me vibes of the cannibals from the movie 'The Hills Have Eyes''. I even wondered if there was more creatures just like Chai and that he had his own brotherhood that worked for Lan Di, at first. I'm now a lot wiser in hindsight and know he was just one individual that works for Lan Di, but when he debuted with that music, it opened up a lot of possibilities in my mind. The music is excellent and you know who's around when it plays. Going back to his first appearance, I thought the plot was getting even more interesting since at the time the Phoenix Mirror was fresh in the mind and now this mysterious threat had joined the story.
I quickly came to dislike him after he ate the Hong Kong ticket. It's obvious from there that he's gonna be a thorn in Ryo's side but given the way he beat me at the arcade, there was respect for his toughness, which is important considering he ultimately turns out to be the game's final boss. My dislike for him increased further when kidnaps the lovely Nozomi with the Mad Angels and threatens to kill this innocent young lady unless Ryo turns up at a certain time. Then, he makes matters worse later on by injuring Guizhang when he and Ryo look set to travel to China together!
Don't get me wrong, Chai won't be the strongest villain that Ryo will come across. Since Shenmue is a drawn-out story, he is perfect for the first game. He brought a different vibe when in many ways I didn't expect somebody (or something?) like him to turn up and it just adds another layer to the story in the right way. He's got all of the ingredients of a good villain: easy to dislike, does despicable things and is a genuine threat despite his destitute appearance.
Everybody's changing and I don't feel the same...
Although the circumstances of why Ryo is rooting around Yokosuka trying to find clues on how he might Lan Di are very sad, I found the setting of his hometown and the characters rather likeable. The sight of running past Nozomi who is stood outside Aida Florist and Tom dancing around by his burger van becomes all too familiar with the music and surrounding noises playing. Especially the first time I played the game since I was really new to it and didn't know where to go or who to speak to. It's easy to get used to it all, and quite homely if I do say so.
Things start to change. Ryo starts to fight sailors and gangs. He discovers the Phoenix Mirror which I thought was the real first tinge that he is going to be on an adventure of a lifetime. His heart starts to become set on going to Hong Kong, which would mean leaving virtually everybody that we have come to know behind. Some are leaving him behind in their own way too, though. Potential love interest Nozomi has to go back to Canada and Tom is shutting his van down and heading back to America. It's scary with how things are moving rather fast. That homely feeling I previously described is now gradually turning into a clock ticking to potential catastrophe as Ryo gets himself into further danger. His dying father told him to keep those he loves close to him, and it feels like Ryo is neglecting that amid his pursuit of Lan Di. Not just all of that, but we then start to realise that the Phoenix Mirror holds great power and there's a lot of responsibility on Ryo's shoulders now he has it in his possession. All of these changes are happening but we as players only know our human emotion. It ''got me'', most of the time. On the other hand, it's hard to tell what Ryo is thinking when other things (aside from his pursuit of Lan Di) are happening. We see him watch Tom's plane fly away to the the land of opportunity and say ''My friend... Tom.'', so he isn't oblivious to it, but what is he thinking?
This may come across as a ''depressing'' part of my positives and in some ways, it is. It's reality though, and I feel Shenmue prides itself on realism. The music changes around the time you discover the Phoenix Mirror and that's so poignant in relation to where things start heading. Don't get me wrong, I love a happy ending and I want one for Ryo. I want him to be with Nozomi in the long-term. I was sad that Tom left, it was out of the blue and something I never expected at the time. These things such as potential heartbreak and friends drifting away from one another are all apart of life, though. Yu Suzuki and his team are telling an important story in such a brilliant way. With that being said, I simply couldn't leave this out of my favourite parts of the game, even if it is bittersweet.
Despite being relatively new to the Shenmue world, I have already formed observations and opinions on the game as well as an emotional attachment that no other video game has ever given me. Although there are more than 5 things I love about the game, these are my main ones. I must warn that there are spoilers, just in case anybody who hasn't completed the game (or it's successors) has made their way to this thread. So, here we go...
Is this love that I'm feeling?
A big part of the first game is Ryo’s relationship with Nozomi. After Ryo defended her at school against bullies, her feelings grew for our hero Hazuki-san and I feel it’s one of the most interesting parts of the game. Due to Ryo’s mind being fully focused on avenging his fathers death, he doesn’t seem to care much when Nozomi shows him affection or expresses her feelings toward him. Nozomi shows what a kind-hearted girl she is by leaving Iwao Hazuki's favourite flowers in the altar room. If my timing was correct, a conversation takes place between Ryo and Kurita (who owns the military shop) who has just split up with his partner. Kurita resents the fact that he didn’t value his partner and tells Ryo that he should value “his girl”, but he already knows that, right? Ryo says “not really”. Now, I may not have got the order of that right, but it happened when I spoke to Kurita after Nozomi left the flowers while I was waiting around for the infamous 12 noon date at the arcade. Either way, it’s a fine example of Ryo not caring much about romance in his situation and makes me feel that when Ryo doesn’t express himself towards Nozomi, it’s more of a state of mind thing, rather than knocking her back. Also, since Kurita says “his girl” I assume he is referring to Nozomi as it seems that the neighbourhood believe that there is something going on between Ryo and Nozomi with one example being Mario of Bob's Pizzeria offering to cook Nozomi’s favourite meal when Ryo interacts with him.
My emotional investment only increased when the devastating news arrives that Nozomi would be leaving for Canada. I often wonder if she would have stayed in Yokosuka if Ryo had shown her the same feelings back. Of course, it wouldn’t have mattered either way as Ryo would end up leaving for Hong Kong. Even if they were together, I doubt that Ryo would have brought Nozomi over to China with him due to the potential danger that could lie ahead - just like when he knocked back Fuku-san’s request to go with him. With that in mind, I would say that the whole thing is bad timing for Ryo himself, as I'm sure Nozomi would have happily become his girlfriend at this point. The scene between the two at the harbour is also a fantastic idea. The photo taken by Eri is a nice item to have (I picked the one where they are closest together - why don’t you smile Ryo?!) but the more the story progresses in Shenmue 2 and 3, the more it saddens me to look back on it which was probably the desired effect.
It’s clear to me that Ryo cares enormously for Nozomi and that belief is only strengthened when he rescues her from the Mad Angels. It lead to one of the most memorable scenes in all three games to date in my opinion, when the two rode back home on a motorcycle. During the scene, I feel Nozomi seizes a rare opportunity of some form of intimacy with Ryo when she places her head against his back during the journey. Maybe she felt that this was going to be the last time she would have a chance like this with him, either forever or for a long time at least, due to her impending move to Canada. To me, it’s both a beautiful and very sad scene. The same can be said for the amulet scene and Nozomi wishing that they had more time together.
I truly wish that we see Nozomi resurface in-person, in a future Shenmue title. She did say that she would head back to Japan when on vacation and for all we know, Ryo could return to Japan himself in one of the future games. After all, the events of the first game and the ending of the third are only roughly six or more months apart although it feels much longer for fans that were waiting since 2001 for Shenmue 3. Both Nozomi and the subplot involving her were unforgettable to me.
The Forklift job at Yokosuka harbour and all it entails...
I must confess that I disliked this part of the game when I first started it. I didn't have a clue on how to work the forklift - let alone find the warehouses I needed to offload the boxes at! My dislike and poor attitude lasted for around 2 shifts but then I ended up getting the hang of it, and finally used to the routine itself. Of course the job serves its purpose in relation to finding out more about the Mad Angels, but aside from that, you end up getting used to the characters you work in and around with, such as Mark. From the conversations at the work breaks, to the whacky transformation of Goro and everything else, I started to become more invested these characters. I think there's a part of Ryo himself that becomes invested when he is sat around on those breaks. Especially his supervisor Mark, whom he has something in common with as Mark has a deeply strong reason to hate the Mad Angels too. When Ryo interacts with his other colleagues, he seems interested in chatting to them and finding out what they are planning to do after their time on the harbour. The job is also a part of Ryo becoming a man in the real world. His father Iwao often drilled values into him from a young age, like when we saw the flashback where Ryo doesn't want to eat his carrots. Now, he is living a life not too dissimilar to that for the first time. Of course it's all for his own self-interest in pursuing the Angels and ultimately Lan Di, but he's living it all the same.
The moments where Ryo saves Goro and Mark from the Angels' thuggery is made more meaningful by the fact that he has formed rapports with both men and the whole thing is built so well. The more this period of the game went on, the more I started to enjoy it. I really started to embrace everything about it. This was a complete transformation from when I first started when I didn't like it so much. Then of course, Ryo gets fired from the job due to his war against the Mad Angels. I was so disappointed because I was happy with the routine. I believe that this is one of the many beauties of Shenmue. You get used to things, whether it be people or the surroundings, yet it gets taken from you but you still go on to enjoy and love whatever is next in store for Ryo.
A respect that is hard-earned but ultimately worthwhile
The relationship between Ryo and Guizhang gets off to a bad start when Ryo turns up unannounced at the old warehouse no.8. Guizhang probably sees him as a no good, arrogant kid that has no business around him or his father that he loves and respects so much. Guizhang antagonises Ryo with jibes and the two seemed destined to just simply not get along, at first. As they get to know each other more, that respect from the side of Guizhang grows. The first time I'd say it grew probably would have been when the two came to blows after it's revealed Guizhang has been set as Ryo's bodyguard by Master Chen. That respect probably went to hell when he found Ryo wasting his money at Asian Travel Co. if he was still following him at that point, though! Joking aside, we start to see the first signs of respect from that point. Ryo's words and animated body language towards Guizhang when he asked what he would do if something happened to his father will have struck a chord, but the fact that Ryo could handle himself probably meant that little bit more too.
I felt it was rather emotional when Guizhang trains Ryo on how to do a move and then tells him that if he was in his shoes, then he would do the same as what he plans to do in regards to avenging his father's death. It's a good scene and nobody is doubting that Guizhang wouldn't do it due to the clear affection he has for his father. The two clearly have something in common, they are/were both close to their fathers. Maybe Guizhang starts to sympathize with Ryo more, but finds it difficult to show it, due to the way he is. I can only describe Guizhang and Ryo taking on all 70 members of the Mad Angels (after initially fighting each other) as epic.
It was such a shame that he got hurt before setting off for China with Ryo. I honestly played Shenmue 2 expecting him to show up halfway through the game to save Ryo in a hopeless situation (which instead fell to Xuying Hong as it turned out). I lost faith in that thought the more Ryo advanced into Hong Kong and sadly it never happened. I thought Ryo and Ren's relationship was interesting, but imagine a Guizhang and Ren relationship?! I can already picture Guizhang scolding Ryo, telling him that he shouldn't associate with a thief and that they need to focus on finding Zhu rather than waste their time on "scum" like Ren. Or how about Ryo, Ren and Guizhang being backed into a corner and having to fight 70 Yellow Head members? Anyway, I digress. Guizhang was a great character in this game and I loved how his relationship with Ryo developed from a rocky start. I hope that we see him again in the series. It's about time that he caught up with Ryo in China!
Enter: ''The Great'' Chai
Following Guizhang and Ryo's first scuffle, we see Chai emerge on top of one of the neighbourhood's houses. I honestly didn't know what the hell he was at first. He spooked me out and instantaneously gave me vibes of the cannibals from the movie 'The Hills Have Eyes''. I even wondered if there was more creatures just like Chai and that he had his own brotherhood that worked for Lan Di, at first. I'm now a lot wiser in hindsight and know he was just one individual that works for Lan Di, but when he debuted with that music, it opened up a lot of possibilities in my mind. The music is excellent and you know who's around when it plays. Going back to his first appearance, I thought the plot was getting even more interesting since at the time the Phoenix Mirror was fresh in the mind and now this mysterious threat had joined the story.
I quickly came to dislike him after he ate the Hong Kong ticket. It's obvious from there that he's gonna be a thorn in Ryo's side but given the way he beat me at the arcade, there was respect for his toughness, which is important considering he ultimately turns out to be the game's final boss. My dislike for him increased further when kidnaps the lovely Nozomi with the Mad Angels and threatens to kill this innocent young lady unless Ryo turns up at a certain time. Then, he makes matters worse later on by injuring Guizhang when he and Ryo look set to travel to China together!
Don't get me wrong, Chai won't be the strongest villain that Ryo will come across. Since Shenmue is a drawn-out story, he is perfect for the first game. He brought a different vibe when in many ways I didn't expect somebody (or something?) like him to turn up and it just adds another layer to the story in the right way. He's got all of the ingredients of a good villain: easy to dislike, does despicable things and is a genuine threat despite his destitute appearance.
Everybody's changing and I don't feel the same...
Although the circumstances of why Ryo is rooting around Yokosuka trying to find clues on how he might Lan Di are very sad, I found the setting of his hometown and the characters rather likeable. The sight of running past Nozomi who is stood outside Aida Florist and Tom dancing around by his burger van becomes all too familiar with the music and surrounding noises playing. Especially the first time I played the game since I was really new to it and didn't know where to go or who to speak to. It's easy to get used to it all, and quite homely if I do say so.
Things start to change. Ryo starts to fight sailors and gangs. He discovers the Phoenix Mirror which I thought was the real first tinge that he is going to be on an adventure of a lifetime. His heart starts to become set on going to Hong Kong, which would mean leaving virtually everybody that we have come to know behind. Some are leaving him behind in their own way too, though. Potential love interest Nozomi has to go back to Canada and Tom is shutting his van down and heading back to America. It's scary with how things are moving rather fast. That homely feeling I previously described is now gradually turning into a clock ticking to potential catastrophe as Ryo gets himself into further danger. His dying father told him to keep those he loves close to him, and it feels like Ryo is neglecting that amid his pursuit of Lan Di. Not just all of that, but we then start to realise that the Phoenix Mirror holds great power and there's a lot of responsibility on Ryo's shoulders now he has it in his possession. All of these changes are happening but we as players only know our human emotion. It ''got me'', most of the time. On the other hand, it's hard to tell what Ryo is thinking when other things (aside from his pursuit of Lan Di) are happening. We see him watch Tom's plane fly away to the the land of opportunity and say ''My friend... Tom.'', so he isn't oblivious to it, but what is he thinking?
This may come across as a ''depressing'' part of my positives and in some ways, it is. It's reality though, and I feel Shenmue prides itself on realism. The music changes around the time you discover the Phoenix Mirror and that's so poignant in relation to where things start heading. Don't get me wrong, I love a happy ending and I want one for Ryo. I want him to be with Nozomi in the long-term. I was sad that Tom left, it was out of the blue and something I never expected at the time. These things such as potential heartbreak and friends drifting away from one another are all apart of life, though. Yu Suzuki and his team are telling an important story in such a brilliant way. With that being said, I simply couldn't leave this out of my favourite parts of the game, even if it is bittersweet.