Differences Between the Anime and the Games (SPOILERS!)

[iknifaugood]

I thought our introduction to Shenmue 2 was wonderful but not quite as good as the intro to Shenmue 1 IMO. It was mostly a very faithful translation of the game (which means it was bound to be at least "good") but what they did change was hit and miss for me.

1. Ryo knows enough Chinese (Cantonese) to get by! A very simple throwaway line clears up a lot of the confusion that can't just be handwaved with "it's a videogame" and it combines nicely with the fact that they never establish that Ryo doesn't know any Chinese in the S1 portion. A simple change that I like, especially Ryo checking the translation book.

2. Ryo no longer loses the Phoenix Mirror (or his money) with his bag! I understand why they would change this because it's kind of weird for him to not immediately stop everything he's doing in order to find it and there's still A LOT that they needed to fit into the run time but ultimately I think the game handled it way better. Ryo losing the Phoenix Mirror as soon as he gets to Hong Kong not only frames Hong Kong as a more dangerous place, it shows how out of his depth Ryo is and why he needs to get his bag back. In the show I didn't really understand why he wanted it back. He even goes to the police!

3. Joy explaining Wong's backstory. This struck me as either part of the condensing that will depend on what they change later, or characterizing Joy as a more protective character who sees Ryo as more of a threat. I don't think it needed to be condensed but I can totally understand why they'd want to introduce Joy as more than "really horny for Ryo". That comes later.

4. Ryo learns of the Wude from Jianmin! I like this change and I can understand why the anime would want to cut certain scenes of Ryo performing manual labor (see also Ryo keeping his money). It also gives Lishao Tao more of a mysterious Yoda vibe, which is in line with how she trains Ryo later on. I like that Xiuying is framing the path Ryo could be on rather than the path that he is on as well; it's a small distinction but it keeps the series feeling lighter and less dour which is clearly a deliberate tonal shift. I do wish they kept Jianmin's badass moment with the tree though...

5. Return to Bailu! I guess the Shenmue tree is in bloom? It really feels like we're going to get to the end of S2 at this pace even though they said that we wouldn't.

 

[Demon's Triangle]

5. Return to Bailu! I guess the Shenmue tree is in bloom? It really feels like we're going to get to the end of S2 at this pace even though they said that we wouldn't.

Are they not adapting disc 4 of shenmue 2 in this series? You see a flash forward to the cave scene. I thought it might come full circle.

 

[iknifaugood]

Are they not adapting disc 4 of shenmue 2 in this series? You see a flash forward to the cave scene. I thought it might come full circle.

I remember them saying that season 1 would get part/most of the way through Shenmue 2, but I could be misremembering.

 

[spud1897]

I remember them saying that season 1 would get part/most of the way through Shenmue 2, but I could be misremembering.

No you're remembering correctly.

 

[hmjohnny]

I really liked this episode overall. The changes mostly made sense and I didn't mind the moving around of some events to make them make more sense in the show's context i.e. meeting the Poison Bros. or not fighting Sam and Larry until after learning a (new) lesson from Jianmin. I also really like how they handled Jianmin in general and how they had Ryo learning Iron Palm over multiple days of training. Although I was a bit disappointed to not see Jianmin demonstrate the move on the tree like the game.

I guess they're changing how the 4 Wude are shown since Ryo didn't need to know them all before getting an audience with Xiuying; I'm curious to see how that plays out over the next few episodes but I think it could work organically with Ryo learning Chinese martial arts and other life lessons in HK while tying the Wude into the story.

The nod to him always checking the Cantonese guide I guess was to allay the fans that really had a gripe with the language in the games, I didn't think it was necessary but it adds a dose of realism I suppose. I'm wondering if they're going to extend that for Mandarin when he goes to the mainland.

The one change I didn't really like was that there was no impact in him losing his bag anymore. I get that they didn't want him to lose his money since that was a gimmick in the games to force you to work and the anime wouldn't need to spend time on that, but simply having him lose the Phoenix Mirror and get it back at the end of the episode adds a bit of stakes to the event and adds to the culture shift that Ryo isn't in Kansas anymore and things are about to get serious.

No you're remembering correctly

This was from really early interviews if I recall where they weren't even sure if they were going to include S2 at all, and if they did, how much. It seems pretty clear now that the anime is going to the end of S2, although they might truncate the Disc 4 events a bit to get there.

 

[iknifaugood]

This was another episode that was extremely close to the game. It seems that very little is being changed or even condensed from S2, considering how much time is devoted to just one of the wude. I really only noticed a couple of things:

1. The introduction of the Yellow Heads. This makes a lot of sense since there are only 5 episodes left and Kowloon is part of Hong Kong anyway. I like this change even though I'm sure it was mostly added to inject action scenes into S2's earlier moments because it's the kind of thing that a TV show needs to do to avoid each new location feeling like a new beginning.

2. Ren is now actively looking for Ryo. This is another change that makes a lot of sense because it's not like they're going to waste time showing Ryo earn money to meet him (hopefully!) and it helps set up the mini Ren-Ryo-Joy "love triangle" if it can be called that. I always liked the touch of jealousy Ren has toward Joy having the hots for Ryo and it's great to see that maintained in the anime.

3. Xiuying lets Ryo stay with her before he's learned all the wude. This was a little strange and was the only part of the episode that really felt "condensed" to me but I assume next episode is going to cover the rest of the wude and Ryo's chores, so it makes sense. It seems like they're removing a lot of the sexual tension that exists kind of for no reason in the games (seriously, every female is thirsty for Ryo) and I can appreciate that though I did find it a little on the nose how hard they went on Ryo for his sexist attitude toward Xiuying.

Some minor points: Ryo buys the street performer a beer (a San Miguel at that!), he's still spamming Swallow Dive, and the trail effects in combat are back! It was so good to see Xiuying dodging all his moves in that classic Shenmue fashion. About the only criticism I have is that, despite their best efforts, this does kind of feel like the start of a new season but that's unavoidable due to the structure of the story. This is about the best that anyone could have hoped for imo.

 

[iknifaugood]

This was probably the most fan servicey episode so far. I didn't expect an episode that felt this leisurely paced with such a focus on minor characters but it was another example of how the anime has this amazing ability to evoke the spirit of the games while making pretty substantial changes:

1. Shenmue 2's bad ending dream! I guess this is a recurring dream of Ryo's? In the game he has multiple dreams of Shenhua but they're all just of her posing. I didn't even think the bad endings were cannon but it makes sense for the story because it adds the idea that Shenhua is also an important character to Lan Di.

2. Wong and Joy help Ryo find the Wude! I love how they're both characterized here and it wouldn't be possible without having them tag along. Plus how can you not love cameos by Eileen and Izumi? And Wong lampshading how every woman instantly falls in love with Ryo? Perfect.

3. Hong Kong contextualized! They've mentioned it a couple of times now but the British hand over of Hong Kong and the redevelopment of its "slums" was a huge thing at the time (the agreement was signed in 84). Shenmue isn't as obnoxious about being set in the 80s as other properties are, but it is definitely informed by that time period and paints a Hong Kong that simply doesn't exist anymore which is doubly true of Kowloon. I love this attention to detail and it really helped this episode to make Hong Kong feel like a "character" in a way that the game excelled at.

4. Xiuying gets a new badass moment and finally says the R word! Revenge is obviously a much bigger theme in the games but here it's re-contextualized as something that is driving Ryo that he can't even see. Xiuying's ability to recognize the pattern is pushed a little far when she chastises the kid for potentially going down the wrong path but it was worth it for her to grab the pipe before it is swung (and evidently she dents it?!).

This whole episode captured the vibe of disc 1 and 2 of Shenmue 2 perfectly imo. I can't imagine any fan of the game having a problem with this episode.

 

[hmjohnny]

Wong and Joy help Ryo find the Wude! I love how they're both characterized here and it wouldn't be possible without having them tag along. Plus how can you not love cameos by Eileen and Izumi? And Wong lampshading how every woman instantly falls in love with Ryo? Perfect

They could have had Fangmei link Eileen like in the game but I like this change because it gives more screen time to Joy and Wong who play a bigger role in the story. Also, Eileen and Izumi's appearance this episode was just fan service anyway, I don't think we'll see them again but I appreciate their inclusion.

Xiuying gets a new badass moment and finally says the R word! Revenge is obviously a much bigger theme in the games but here it's re-contextualized as something that is driving Ryo that he can't even see. Xiuying's ability to recognize the pattern is pushed a little far when she chastises the kid for potentially going down the wrong path but it was worth it for her to grab the pipe before it is swung (and evidently she dents it?!).

I wished they leaned into the revenge confrontation a little more but I have a feeling it will be saved for future episodes when Ryo finds out about Ziming. I really liked the addition of her confronting the thugs and the way she just moves her foot and they scatter was perfectly done. It will lead into next episode when she saves Ryo from the ambush in the park without revealing her abilities too much yet.

The other change I really like is stretching out the 4 Wude to be parallel to the rest of the plot. It amplifies their importance without losing the momentum of the story in the way just having a single episode dedicated to them at the start would have. Overall I'm really appreciating the pacing of the S2 arc. It doesn't dawdle too much but takes enough of its time to flesh out each scene and character without feeling rushed. This is where I was feeling an extra episode could have helped S1 but with a limited episode count I'm glad they saved it for S2.

I'm only slightly concerned that with this pace they wont reach the end of S2 in 5 more episodes but with the way the anime has panned out so far I think we're in good hands. I'd be happy if it ends with him arriving in Guilin and they save the rest for season 2.

This whole episode captured the vibe of disc 1 and 2 of Shenmue 2 perfectly imo. I can't imagine any fan of the game having a problem with this episode.

I'm loving this show so far. It's not perfect but it really feels like a labour of love made by people who understand and like Shenmue

 

[iknifaugood]

Also, Eileen and Izumi's appearance this episode was just fan service anyway, I don't think we'll see them again but I appreciate their inclusion.

This is fan service done right imo, especially because it sets up that wonderful joke where the thug asks if everyone in the neighborhood is a kung fu master. Shenmue operates on borderline John Wick rules when it comes to how adept the average person is at martial arts.

The other change I really like is stretching out the 4 Wude to be parallel to the rest of the plot. It amplifies their importance without losing the momentum of the story in the way just having a single episode dedicated to them at the start would have. Overall I'm really appreciating the pacing of the S2 arc. It doesn't dawdle too much but takes enough of its time to flesh out each scene and character without feeling rushed. This is where I was feeling an extra episode could have helped S1 but with a limited episode count I'm glad they saved it for S2.

I'm only slightly concerned that with this pace they wont reach the end of S2

I really like the way they've decided to pace S2 out because they've somehow managed to include every important scene in the game so far. We'll see what happens with Kowloon but it wouldn't surprise me if Ryo makes it there by the end of the next episode and they leave the Guilin stuff for season 2, which I really hope happens.

It's not perfect but it really feels like a labour of love made by people who understand and like Shenmue

This. It's easy for an adaptation to feel like it was made by a fan but this really feels like they GET it and have translated it properly. The fact that it's this good and they don't even have the music to elevate it is ridiculous.

 

[iknifaugood]

I'm absolutely amazed at how much they were able to fit into 4 episodes. It truly feels like when you watch a good adaptation of a book and you realize what they have to cut and rearrange to fit the story into a shorter run time and there are very few game storylines that lend themselves to this. There were a lot of changes set up before that made this episode feel different and also like a perfect translation of the game:

1. Ryo learns Dan differently. I actually like this better! I always felt that Dan was the weakest of the Wude but by tying it to Ren and making it something that Ryo has to return to, they both better incorporated it into the story (like the other 3) and give a better demonstration of what it represents. Hat's off, they improved Shenmue 2!

2. No fight outside the Dou Jiang Diner. This is obviously a budget issue because this anime has already been packed with action sequences and we still haven't got to Kowloon, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel slightly underwhelmed by Yuan's introduction (who also looks more masculine in this version). In the game, Yuan attempts to attack Ryo from behind with a pipe (which would have been the third time that happened this episode), he trips her and that sets us up for Xiuying to go to work. Here, Xiuying just magically knocks everyone out and Ryo seems surprised by this even though he was watching it happen? Something about the sequence just didn't work as well for me. Hopefully they nail Yuan and the chainsaw.

3. Ren! So Ren no longer asks Ryo to get him money, no longer carries a switchblade, and no longer actually attacks Ryo. The money thing was obviously going to be cut (and should be cut from the games but that's another story), the switchblade is obviously a budget thing (I prefer the butterfly knife from the Shenmue Online trailer), and him not attacking Ryo ties it into Dan, which I like. His introduction would have felt really rushed if they didn't have him pop up earlier on so, yet again, this series proves that we're in good hands. A minor quibble but when Ren and Ryo fall off the building, I always liked that Ren actually picks up the Phoenix Mirror and Ryo comically yanks it away. They kept something similar in the anime but, as with the Dou Jiang Diner, I just felt it was done better in the game. These are both EXTREMELY minor nitpicks.

Also someone clearly likes Mexican alcohol because Ren is has ben drinking tequila reposado in addition to the San Miguel beer we saw earlier.

4. Ryo dreaming about Lan Di again. This isn't in the games and I'm not sure what purpose it's supposed to serve, I would have preferred this scene be cut and some of the other scenes be extended a bit. Again, a minor nitpick on an otherwise brilliant episode, but still.

It looks like that's it for Wan Chai! About the only thing I'm a little disappointed in is that we didn't get any catching falling leaves (a duck racing in joke would have been nice too) but otherwise I'm completely floored at how much Shenmue 2 they were able to cram into 2 hours.

 

[hmjohnny]

Some things that I noticed were cut from the show that may have downstream effects:

1. No catching leaves. It's a bummer but ultimately makes sense why they cut it. Subsequently this means no "mind like a polished mirror" lesson. Although Ryo may learn this later from someone else
2. Xiuying doesn't teach Ryo the Counter Elbow Assault. Again, this may be saved for later (Xiuying will return). They could just have him know the move already or they might change up how Dou Niu is defeated
3. The flashback with Ziming has no dialogue. We now don't know exactly why he left (although it's more subtly implied on the show) and more importantly we don't know that he went to join the Chi You Men. This also dampens the parallel between Ziming and Ryo, but I suspect we will learn more about Ziming during the orphanage scene.
4. No mention of Kowloon. Either they will just mention it at the start of the next episode or otherwise the show will make no distinction since they don't leave HK. I'm suspecting the latter since Ren is shown to be in his Dragon St. hideout when Ryo first meets him.
5. Ren's introduction felt a little rushed and he doesn't even acknowledge who Ryo is. Makes it sort of weird that they introduced him earlier trying to find Ryo and now he just acts like he never heard of him.
6. Yuan is mentioned to be male, so they are going with the gay man/crossdresser rather than (trans)woman. I suspect like the games the english dub is different on this

Here, Xiuying just magically knocks everyone out and Ryo seems surprised by this even though he was watching it happen? Something about the sequence just didn't work as well for me

I'm also a bit disappointed that they cut one of the best set pieces from the show. Although if you watch the scene in the game it actually makes less sense since Ryo is standing only a few feet away from Xiuying but doesn't even acknowledge her. Both scenes are essentially the same but I think the anime is slightly better.

 

[iknifaugood]

No catching leaves. It's a bummer but ultimately makes sense why they cut it. Subsequently this means no "mind like a polished mirror" lesson. Although Ryo may learn this later from someone else

It was a little weird that the polished mirror line was said in a private conversation with Fangmei but there is more Xiuying to come so I'm not really concerned. They were obviously focused on her teaching Ryo the Wude, she even stated that she wouldn't train him at all until he understood the Wude, so it makes sense from the POV of the story they're telling.

Xiuying doesn't teach Ryo the Counter Elbow Assault. Again, this may be saved for later (Xiuying will return). They could just have him know the move already or they might change up how Dou Niu is defeated

Swallow dive

The flashback with Ziming has no dialogue. We now don't know exactly why he left (although it's more subtly implied on the show) and more importantly we don't know that he went to join the Chi You Men. This also dampens the parallel between Ziming and Ryo, but I suspect we will learn more about Ziming during the orphanage scene.

I would bet that the scene in the orphanage or the flashback when she gives Ryo the yin yang is where we'll get the full flashback.

No mention of Kowloon. Either they will just mention it at the start of the next episode or otherwise the show will make no distinction since they don't leave HK. I'm suspecting the latter since Ren is shown to be in his Dragon St. hideout when Ryo first meets him.

This is probably to avoid it feeling like the start of another brand new season. I kind of liked how unceremonious it was but we'll see what the intro to Kowloon is like.

Ren's introduction felt a little rushed and he doesn't even acknowledge who Ryo is. Makes it sort of weird that they introduced him earlier trying to find Ryo and now he just acts like he never heard of him.

I thought it was there to give Ren a reason to meet with Ryo and fuck him over. Having Ren pop up before was more for the audience and establishing his relationship with Joy and Wong than anything to do with him and Ryo. I very much look forward to how they're going to depict their relationship.

Yuan is mentioned to be male, so they are going with the gay man/crossdresser rather than (trans)woman. I suspect like the games the english dub is different on this

Yes but in the games he/she is still presented as far more feminine, I think they straight up made her a girl in the English version of S2. Not a huge deal but it just felt a bit more stereotypical in the anime.

Although if you watch the scene in the game it actually makes less sense since Ryo is standing only a few feet away from Xiuying but doesn't even acknowledge her. Both scenes are essentially the same but I think the anime is slightly better.

But in the game, Ryo doesn't seem confused as to what he just witnessed (and all the action takes place behind Yuan, whereas the anime has it purposely staged in front and behind her/him in the anime), whereas the anime seemed to heavily imply that Xiuying moves so fast that Ryo couldn't even see her despite looking right at her. Again, not a huge deal, just a little weird in terms of how it was staged.

 

[iknifaugood]

What an episode! The amount of content they crammed into 30 minutes is just insane, if you're flying through the game it takes at least 2 hours to go from entering Kowloon to finding Yuanda Zhu so hats off for basically translating that experience perfectly. Another episode where I kept hearing the QTE sound effects in my head. But they still managed to change a bit:

1. Shenhua is aware of her father leaving? This seems like it will either cause a conflict later on in the story or potentially fix one of the biggest problems with Shenmue 3. If her father is gone and they find out later that he's been kidnapped by the CYM, then that will remove the ticking clock from Bailu Village and allow the slow nature of that part of the story to feel more natural. We'll see.

2. Kowloon is treated as an extension of Hong Kong. I'm a little disappointed that we didn't at least get a line about the walled city but they did such a good job of contrasting it visually and they made the Yellow Heads a much bigger threat by suggesting that they basically run HK, that I don't mind it. Especially considering how full this episode was.

3. Slight backstory with the Yellow Heads betraying the family that they were meant to protect (who Joy appears to be a member of). I'm hoping this tangent gets elaborated on later but as it stands it's a nice addition that works well with characterizing Master Chen as more of a gangster. In the games, Joy simply has a "wealthy" father who "trades" with Master Chen but this basically says the quiet part out loud. Also makes a lot more sense why she's slumming it with Ren and the Heavens.

4. Yuanda Zhu's new hiding spot! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to watching Ryo cross the planks in the Ghost Hall building but they instead had Zhu hidden behind an absurd number of hidden doors (seriously, it felt like the beginning of Get Smart). I can see why they made this change because it better incorporates the keys and the "puzzle solving" without having them wander around a room, but this was the only part where the episode felt rushed imo.

I really hope we get a season 2 because they're clearly going to get through all of Shenmue 2! I would even guess that the next episode will take us partially into the Yellow Head building. They nailed Ren and Ryo's dynamic, the chase with Dou Niu, tailing Yuan, hiding in the closet, finding Zhu--everything! This was Shenmue 2 perfectly translated, about the only thing I missed was Ren pulling a fast one on Ryo with the double sided coin but there's still time for that. This was an episode that could have benefitted from being a little longer but how can you complain given what we got?

 

[hmjohnny]

1. Shenhua is aware of her father leaving? This seems like it will either cause a conflict later on in the story or potentially fix one of the biggest problems with Shenmue 3. If her father is gone and they find out later that he's been kidnapped by the CYM, then that will remove the ticking clock from Bailu Village and allow the slow nature of that part of the story to feel more natural. We'll see.

I don't think he framed it as leaving. Just that he was going into the cave to work for a long time, which we already know in S2. Shenhua hasn't seen her father in some time since he was building the mirrors, she just drops off food for him.

2. Kowloon is treated as an extension of Hong Kong. I'm a little disappointed that we didn't at least get a line about the walled city but they did such a good job of contrasting it visually and they made the Yellow Heads a much bigger threat by suggesting that they basically run HK, that I don't mind it. Especially considering how full this episode was.

I like this change since it doesn't require establishing a lot. It also delivered what I hoped which is a Kowloon that looks truer to real life rather than the games while still keeping some of the specific game locations intact

They also did a smart job of consolidating the Dancing Dragon and Yellow Head buildings. Having Ren follow Ryo in makes more sense for the show rather than having him follow off screen. We also get the great characterization of Ryo bumbling forward naively while Ren notices the tip off between the guards.

3. Slight backstory with the Yellow Heads betraying the family that they were meant to protect (who Joy appears to be a member of). I'm hoping this tangent gets elaborated on later but as it stands it's a nice addition that works well with characterizing Master Chen as more of a gangster. In the games, Joy simply has a "wealthy" father who "trades" with Master Chen but this basically says the quiet part out loud. Also makes a lot more sense why she's slumming it with Ren and the Heavens.

I'm wondering how much of this was made up for the anime vs backstory that was cut out of the game or just written down in treatments, etc. It would be cool if this was originally planned.

I wish they delved a little more into Joy's backstory/connections even with Guizhang but that might be for the next episode. Overall this addition is great as it really cements the Yellow Heads as a powerful organization relative to the Mad Angels and gives the CYM more clout too. I'm really liking that the show is giving attention to the criminal organization side, this is more of what I personally wanted to see in S3.

4. Yuanda Zhu's new hiding spot! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to watching Ryo cross the planks in the Ghost Hall building but they instead had Zhu hidden behind an absurd number of hidden doors (seriously, it felt like the beginning of Get Smart). I can see why they made this change because it better incorporates the keys and the "puzzle solving" without having them wander around a room, but this was the only part where the episode felt rushed imo.

I really liked this, I think it improved upon the game. I was originally thinking they were going to cut the keys but keep the planks but this makes Yuanda Zhu even more mysterious/powerful and it makes entering the Ghost Hall Bldg. far more interesting. I wish the games had something like this instead of those stupid planks.

I think overall this show is in good hands, it looks like they are going to capture everything but they were smart about re-arranging some of it to make it more suitable for TV. Next episode I think we're going to get counter elbow assault and maybe even the leaves scene, especially if they haven't distinguished between HK and Kowloon and Ryo can easily go back to Man Mo Temple with Xuiying. I do hope they keep the orphanage though.

 

[Demon's Triangle]

They make Yuanda Zhu look even more shady in the adaption, Ren saying he's a legend in the underworld and Lan Di saying "Everything lies with Yuanda Zhu"

 

[iknifaugood]

I don't think he framed it as leaving. Just that he was going into the cave to work for a long time, which we already know in S2. Shenhua hasn't seen her father in some time since he was building the mirrors, she just drops off food for him.

It was a little confusing since he says that “this next job is important” and “I won’t be returning for some time” and Shenhua says she’ll bring him food when it’s ready. Sorta sounded like he was finished the mirrors and starting something new but it could go either way.

They make Yuanda Zhu look even more shady in the adaption, Ren saying he's a legend in the underworld and Lan Di saying "Everything lies with Yuanda Zhu"

I totally forgot that they officially establish that Lan Di knows about Ryo and that he is only one of the higher ups of the CYM, not the leader!

 

[hmjohnny]

This episode took us to about where I expected meaning the next episode should cover the yellow building.

Some changes I noted:

1. I called that we would have the "mind like a polished mirror" and counter elbow assault lesson moved and merged with the orphanage. No catching leaves though
2. We now have confirmation that the little girl in the flash back is Joy which adds to her backstory not in the game. I particularly liked her visiting her parents grave
3. Kai is now an acquaintance of Zhang and is no longer pretending to be blind. I'm a little disappointed they didn't include him as a cameo in the previous episode but I still think this works
4. Way more backstory for the villains in general in this show. More mention of how the YH got to power and their relationship with the CYM. The YH now run the Kowloon fights rather than just scout them.
5. Dou Niu knows about Ryo and Ren and there is much more awareness and pro-activeness on the villains part. We now get a scene where Wong is caught by the YH and Dou Niu springs a trap for Ren/Ryo in the YH building. In general it makes the villains a lot smarter and more menacing. Helps expand on the reach and power of the CYM as well
6. the scout is given a name, I don't recall them naming him in the games
7. The street fights are heavily edited/trimmed down. I understand this was done for timing purposes but it would have been good to see the other fighters anyway (could they appear in the YH building next episode instead?). I personally would have preferred they did Chunyan than Greg if they had to pick one, since she's much more menacing, but I guess they really wanted the gag with Ren betting against Ryo. It's interesting that they showed Baihu though, I guess this is to contextualize him more for the next episode
8. Ren's character is a little different now. He seems much more genuinely concerned/interested in his relationship with Ryo rather than the money. He also accompanies Ryo and helps him a lot more in the anime

Some other things I noticed which may be substantial changes but are more likely subtitle goofs:

1. Dou Niu speculates that Xiuying is "Chun's" daughter - does he mean Chen or is this a new character?
2. Kai mentions that Ryo's father was in HK a decade ago - I think it was meant to say 2 decades

Lastly, I'm not really feeling all the Shenhua intercuts in the show. I think especially because it looks like they are going to Guilin in the last episode they should have kept those out and kept her more mysterious. It would have freed up a little screen time to flesh out some other scenes too.

 

[Tomato Convenience Store]

I called that we would have the "mind like a polished mirror" and counter elbow assault lesson moved and merged with the orphanage. No catching leaves though

I would have loved the catching leaves scene, too. Perhaps it's one of those cases where it didn't really translate well into a linear medium? Consider that the gameplay segment moves to first person here.

Kai is now an acquaintance of Zhang and is no longer pretending to be blind. I'm a little disappointed they didn't include him as a cameo in the previous episode but I still think this works

I didn't mind that he wasn't introduced sooner, but I feel there was something lost by him being an acquaintance of Zhang. In Shenmue II the Chawan signs can sometimes lead to negative consequences, and you weren't sure if you were stepping into a trap when you were meeting Kai because you didn't know if he was a friend or foe.

Way more backstory for the villains in general in this show. More mention of how the YH got to power and their relationship with the CYM. The YH now run the Kowloon fights rather than just scout them.

Dou Niu knows about Ryo and Ren and there is much more awareness and pro-activeness on the villains part. We now get a scene where Wong is caught by the YH and Dou Niu springs a trap for Ren/Ryo in the YH building. In general it makes the villains a lot smarter and more menacing. Helps expand on the reach and power of the CYM as well

I've been really enjoying this change, and it was also done very well with the enemies in the S1 segment of the story.

The street fights are heavily edited/trimmed down. I understand this was done for timing purposes but it would have been good to see the other fighters anyway (could they appear in the YH building next episode instead?). I personally would have preferred they did Chunyan than Greg if they had to pick one, since she's much more menacing, but I guess they really wanted the gag with Ren betting against Ryo. It's interesting that they showed Baihu though, I guess this is to contextualize him more for the next episode

I think if the street fights took up more time it would have taken away from more of the true "set piece" fights, imo. Too many fights in a quick succession could diminish their impact, and the episode started with a major fight as well.

I'm interested to see if they flesh out Master Baihu in any way. We barely have a hint to go on at this point.

Ren's character is a little different now. He seems much more genuinely concerned/interested in his relationship with Ryo rather than the money. He also accompanies Ryo and helps him a lot more in the anime

To be fair, I always thought this was the case in the games but he always tried to play it off with the "money" comments. Otherwise I can't imagine why he would follow Ryo through the Yellow Head Building up to the rooftop fight.

Some other things I noticed which may be substantial changes but are more likely subtitle goofs:

1. Dou Niu speculates that Xiuying is "Chun's" daughter - does he mean Chen or is this a new character?
2. Kai mentions that Ryo's father was in HK a decade ago - I think it was meant to say 2 decades

For 1, I think there could be a few possibilities. At first I thought Chun might be the name of Joy's father, so maybe they thought Xiuying was Joy and she was old enough to take revenge? However, I imagine they would know who Joy was if they were keeping tabs on the family? Unless maybe they never considered it since Joy was so young at the time?

Another option could be that it's a "not yet revealed" character, perhaps one of Xiuying's parents? Maybe there was something significant about them before they were killed?

I can't imagine she's Master Chen's daughter because I take "her parents were killed" at face value and don't think it's symbolic in any way.

For 2 - I agree, must have been a mistranslation since Ryo would have been born by then.

 

[SB00]

Also someone clearly likes Mexican alcohol because Ren is has ben drinking tequila reposado in addition to the San Miguel beer we saw earlier.

San Miguel is the top beer in Tomato Stores and Bars in Hong Kong. Had many cans when i used to party there a few years back.

 

[iknifaugood]

This was probably the most different episode of Shenmue 2 so far and the hardest one from a structural standpoint because it had to incorporate a ton of action and backstory without really moving the main plot forward all that much. These episodes are the ones that tend to feel as though they would benefit the most from some extra time. In addition to what @hmjohnny listed I noticed:

1. Shenhua's father is definitely still in the quarry but she seems to recognize the mirrors or at least their design. Shenmue has always been kind of confused about how the mirrors are presented (in S1 and 2 very few people know about them, in S3 they are the sign of the emperor and replicas are sold at a gift shop). It will be interesting to see how this is presented moving forward because thus far the anime has been avoiding the mirrors at all costs (likely building to the Yuanda Zhu reveal).

2. Yuanda Zhu has some fight in him! It was nice to see the author of the Wulinshu throw down but he was unfortunately no match for Yuan's Valerian steel knife, I guess.

3. Xiuying is concerned with Ryo following "the wrong path" and also doesn't want him to be killed, which is very true to the game even though many of the scenes and dialogues are different. I really hope this puts to rest the idea that CEA was ever intended as a magic move to defeat Dou Niu (something I was a little worried about ngl) because Xiuying's whole arc has been to tie Ryo's training of martial arts to his personal development, which was actually executed far better in this series than in the game imo given the time constraints. The fact that she doesn't teach him a move until before the YH building is a change that I thought I wouldn't like but actually ended up preferring.

4. Every major character has been given just a little boost in development and has at least SOME role to play in this episode, which is a much better way to set up the YH building than having Ryo get in a bunch of fights. Joy, Ren, and Wong are all different but they feel like natural extensions of their game counterparts (though I really wish Wong would call Ryo bro).

1. Dou Niu speculates that Xiuying is "Chun's" daughter - does he mean Chen or is this a new character?
2. Kai mentions that Ryo's father was in HK a decade ago - I think it was meant to say 2 decades

Chun might have meant to be Hong? Decade is definitely a mistranslation or miscalculation.

Even when this show just does its own thing it still manages to capture the spirit of the games perfectly. The beating heart of S2 is Ryo's relationship with the characters around him and they nail that. I wish Ren was a little more antagonistic to Ryo, it seems like they kind of jumped straight into bromance, but that's a super minor nitpick that will be completely forgiven if they include the high five next week.