Yes, it is amazing how Shenmue helped so many people dealing with traumatic events.
I finished Shenmue for the first time in 2015. I finished Shenmue II for the first time in the end of 2017, my mother died in November of 2017, i remember playing Shenmue II at that time and it helped me so much.
Shenmue helps me dealing with my mother’s death and other losses i had in my life, after i lost my mother i lost my grandfather and grandmother.
In 2021 i lost another important person to me, this person was like another mother to me, like Ine-san is for Ryo.
I don’t want to talk in detail about my life but i feel that my depression got worse this year. One of the things that is helping me is Shenmue, even just talking about Shenmue helps me.
I’m playing the first game again and it even feels like therapy to me, the first game is so calm, slow pace, peaceful and relaxing, i’m trying to make 100% of the game for the first time and now i love even more this game. Sometimes when i’m playing i just stop to look at the sky in the game, to look at the characters, to feel Yokosuka, to feel the Shenmue World and i feel so calm and relaxed doing this, it is a unique and special feeling, Shenmue is a masterpiece to me and time will not change this.
Ryo lost his father and one of the people i lost is my mother, i can connect with the character Ryo in a deep level, and being able to experience Ryo’s journey is something beautiful and emotional to me. I’m grateful that Yu Suzuki and the team at SEGA created this series, i hope one day i can say to Yu Suzuki how Shenmue helps me dealing with the losses i had in my life and with anxiety and depression.
Shenmue is my favorite game series. Shenmue helped me in the past and now is helping me a lot these days, it is a beautiful feeling and i’m grateful for everything.