Greatest/Your favourite cutscene from the Shenmue series?

Only for Shenmue 1 and 2 :
>I think my favourite is when Shenhua introduces the Shenmue tree.
The music and camera-work around the tree afterward is epic-ly poetic.
>Second is probably Ryo borrowing the motorcycle :
The way Ryo ring the bell and the English voice answering always make me chuckle.
Then, the scene just captures the moment finely, ending into the motorcycle challenge.

Other scenes of note are :
>Fangmei frying pan-ing the thughs, and the whole restaurant QTE cutscene.
>The falling leaves scene when Jaimin teach Ryo
and
>When Ryo save its opponent and prevent her falling to her death.
 



Those two cutscenes for me demonstrate why Shenmue II is a timeless classic. Why ? Because not only they show a true mastery of cinematic direction (those angles and shots are just STUNNING) they also demonstrate what kind of narration is possible in video games that isn't in other medias. For exemple, that Xiuying fight is unbeatable. It just serve as a narration tool. And that HUD in the Shenhua lullaby cutscene, which allows you to stop her also demonstrate that.

Those two cutscenes are not only master pieces, well crafted and perfectly done, they're also very interesting in term of game design.

That's something that Shenmue III was really lacking and that's really sad.
 
The scene after Ryo and Gui Zhang defeat the Mad Angels might be my favorite of the first game. Great music and dialog between the two "I can't just let this go" "I'll talk to my father and see what we can do"

So many from Shenmue 2...they really upped the cinematic quality of the scenes in the sequel. Watching the hawk as Ryo and Shenhua enter the cave was epic. The Shenmue tree reveal, and the whole ending scenes are also my favorite. Other than Guilin, basically any scene with the queen Xuiying was superb, the scene with Chunyan had so much dramatic tension, I'm sure I can think of a dozen more.
 
It might be because they’re fresh in my memory, but the cutscenes that played out before and after the fortified castle really got me hyped. The cave cutscene at the beginning of 3 also meant a lot to me, but this was more down to how long I’d waited to see it than the contents of the scene itself.
 
Jimmy getting pressed by Ryo after her fucks him over
The Guizhang/mad Angel's fight
The land di/Ryo staredown on the rooftop
 
I actually really liked Ren throwing the fake mirror out the window after he saved Ryo's life. a real FU to lan di!
 
I'm gonna be cheesy and say Ryo and Nozomi on the bike.
When she puts her head on Ryo knowing they'll both leave, it's just amazing.
I remember when I first played it I got a ripped version that didn't have the music (probably to fit on a regular CD), and I thought "yeah, it means it doesn't need anything else to feel complete", it makes me blush now that I think about it.
 
There are so many especially in S2, but one that sticks in the mind (probably because i just watched it again today), is at the end of Bailu where Shenhua is reciting the prophecy and it closes in on Ryo training at night in the Martial Hall. Coupled with the music, the night sky and the awesome massive looking moon, it’s pretty evocative stuff. The moon in Bailu was stunning overall.
 
So many great cutscenes to choose from.

1. Ryo chases Ren and Ren first sees the Phoenix Mirror.

2. Ryo and Ren escape from Dou Niou and Ren learns that Ryo wants revenge on Lan Di.

3. Yuanda Zhu tells Ryo about Lan Di's identity and the phoenix and dragon mirrors are keys to a treasure.
 
In Shenmue III, I really like everything to do with the group that assemble to storm the castle. In any other story, this would be a rag-tag group of misfits (a local martial artist; a semi-retired grandmaster who now works as a fisherman; a shrine maiden), but here they're presented as a formidable force— and when they actually fight, they are indeed effective. It was a sequence that was very emblematic of the series' appeal (to me, anyway): of taking a very grounded and even mundane tone, but embracing and even celebrating it. No other series would have a shrine maiden fight with a broom and not make it into a joke.
 
Many great and obvious examples chosen. I would like to highlight two lesser scenes.

My first choice is Shozo teaching Ryo the shadow step-


To me it’s emblematic of what makes first game in particular very special. Emphasis on martial arts, learning a new move often from someone unexpected. I also love how they use small environmental cues to assist in the story telling along with clean choreography of the fight moves.

Second choice is Ryo departing Doubita, specifically leaving home-


Love whole sequence but seeing Ryo’s hand ball into a shaking fist as the camera pans around to his face that turns to steely determination, perfectly summed up the revenge story he was about to embark on.

Funny Bear Burger said:
It was a sequence that was very emblematic of the series' appeal (to me, anyway): of taking a very grounded and even mundane tone, but embracing and even celebrating it. No other series would have a shrine maiden fight with a broom and not make it into a joke.
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I disagree. To me all scenes with Mr. Hsu and Shiling at the Castle were broadly comical and frankly nonsensical, which totally removed me story first because of tone but also removed a lot of the stakes of the narrative at that point watching them comically dispatch members of the Chi You Men.
 
Besides the classic scenes already mentioned: I will always love scenes that cement friendships/relationships between Ryo and the characters. So naturally one of my favorite moments is when Ren gets a key to the elevator for himself and knowingly leaves Ryo to climb the building. That death glare Ryo gives Ren is fantastic. It acts as a great summary of their friendship.

I also really enjoy all the moments of calm with Shenhua.
 
code l name said:
Second choice is Ryo departing Doubita, specifically leaving home-


Love whole sequence but seeing Ryo’s hand ball into a shaking fist as the camera pans around to his face that turns to steely determination, perfectly summed up the revenge story he was about to embark on.
Click to expand...
I was literally planning on posting this today. That whole sequence is great, especially the part that you singled out. Ryo giving one last look at the only home he's ever known, as his fist balls up and his expression changes before turning around to embark on an arduous and life-threatening journey. All the while, Sadness and Hope is playing. Really powerful stuff.

One cutscene that no one has mentioned yet that I really like is the one in which Ryo pets the kitten and says, "You and I have a lot in common. Our parents died on the same day." It shows that he's not only taking care of the kitten because he's a good person but also because he sees himself in the kitten. They both had one of their parents killed by the same people on the same day. Then Nozomi shows up and Ryo is seemingly embarrassed that he was having a serious conversation with a cat. But her concern over Ryo's reluctance to talk to her further illustrates the strain on their friendship/relationship that Iwao's death has caused. A lot happens in this relatively short cutscene. It contains some excellent character development for both Ryo and Nozomi.

 
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