I'm not sure if this is the right forum to be posting this but it concerns Shenmue 3 and the future story.
I was digging through old interviews today and I found something interesting, a translation of the text (poem) from the Project Berkeley Documentary (go to 17:00). Apparently a condensed version also appeared on Shenmue premiere promotional material. The Poem describes the entire story vaguely, some things we know and others to come. Here it is:
An adventure begins.
A boy thrown into the depths of deep despair.
Sadness wells up from inside the boy like boundless dark waters, washing everything away.
Sadness. Heart.
Before long this sadness will become a swelling anger.
The trembling soul of this young boy will face a single decision.
A vow.
He will make an oath to himself. And then decide.
Setting off on a journey. Heading West.
The boy set off to an as-yet-unseen far-off foreign land.
Hope rushes all throughout his body, becoming just like a heartbeat. At times swelling up to a head and at others almost losing sight and beginning to taper off.
All his memories, everything he's experienced, pulled into a chaotic world. An unknown world trying to suck him in with maelstrom force.
His spirit once again bound by angst.
Anxiety, Expectations, Dreams, Hope.
A boy controlled like a puppet.
Betrayal.
Mind. Body. A Vow. Courage. Pride. Love.
Everything begins to fade.
An encounter with a mysterious young girl.
She arrived suddenly, but with tenderness.
Tranquility.
The endless lands embracing the two of them.
Tenderness is broad, yet deep.
A new courage is budding.
The ones you love.
A moment of fate.
A battle of life and death
Body. Soul.
Stillness. Movement.
Light. Dark.
Sunlight. Shadows.
Wisdom. Skill.
Friends. Enemies.
Erupting into space and time.
Discover the meaning of pride.
Take hold of doubtless courage.
Companions, Friends and Love.
It was all over.
Or so it seemed.
There is no such thing as the future.
An empty world preventing the soul from breathing.
Love seemed to flicker.
Something little by little flowing into a frozen heart.
Love.
Big, deep, filling the entire body.
You are not alone anymore.
You feel a few power, a new sense of courage.
You are not alone anymore.
Friends.
Those you love.
A brand new journey... begins.
Some interesting notes, it seems that the part of the story before meeting Shenhua was a low point, referring to betrayal and everything fading. I always wondered if this corresponded to the VFRPG chapters showing Lan Di and presumably other CYM members in Suzhou prior to the Guilin chapter. Was some of this in Shenmue 3? I'm wondering how much of the castle scene was re-purposed from the unused Suzhou chapter considering Ryo loses his fight with Lan Di, and maybe begins to lose hope in the original draft?
Also the ending seems to imply that Ryo either takes his revenge or has it robbed from him, causing him to lose hope in the future and become lost. Ultimately realizing he is not alone in the world and embarking on a new quest. Which seems to confirm something Suzuki has said was the ending of the VFRPG for a while. Which, if we ever get to see it, sounds like a really interesting and unconventional ending to this story.
Anyway, analyze it. I'm wondering what you guys think.
I was digging through old interviews today and I found something interesting, a translation of the text (poem) from the Project Berkeley Documentary (go to 17:00). Apparently a condensed version also appeared on Shenmue premiere promotional material. The Poem describes the entire story vaguely, some things we know and others to come. Here it is:
An adventure begins.
A boy thrown into the depths of deep despair.
Sadness wells up from inside the boy like boundless dark waters, washing everything away.
Sadness. Heart.
Before long this sadness will become a swelling anger.
The trembling soul of this young boy will face a single decision.
A vow.
He will make an oath to himself. And then decide.
Setting off on a journey. Heading West.
The boy set off to an as-yet-unseen far-off foreign land.
Hope rushes all throughout his body, becoming just like a heartbeat. At times swelling up to a head and at others almost losing sight and beginning to taper off.
All his memories, everything he's experienced, pulled into a chaotic world. An unknown world trying to suck him in with maelstrom force.
His spirit once again bound by angst.
Anxiety, Expectations, Dreams, Hope.
A boy controlled like a puppet.
Betrayal.
Mind. Body. A Vow. Courage. Pride. Love.
Everything begins to fade.
An encounter with a mysterious young girl.
She arrived suddenly, but with tenderness.
Tranquility.
The endless lands embracing the two of them.
Tenderness is broad, yet deep.
A new courage is budding.
The ones you love.
A moment of fate.
A battle of life and death
Body. Soul.
Stillness. Movement.
Light. Dark.
Sunlight. Shadows.
Wisdom. Skill.
Friends. Enemies.
Erupting into space and time.
Discover the meaning of pride.
Take hold of doubtless courage.
Companions, Friends and Love.
It was all over.
Or so it seemed.
There is no such thing as the future.
An empty world preventing the soul from breathing.
Love seemed to flicker.
Something little by little flowing into a frozen heart.
Love.
Big, deep, filling the entire body.
You are not alone anymore.
You feel a few power, a new sense of courage.
You are not alone anymore.
Friends.
Those you love.
A brand new journey... begins.
Some interesting notes, it seems that the part of the story before meeting Shenhua was a low point, referring to betrayal and everything fading. I always wondered if this corresponded to the VFRPG chapters showing Lan Di and presumably other CYM members in Suzhou prior to the Guilin chapter. Was some of this in Shenmue 3? I'm wondering how much of the castle scene was re-purposed from the unused Suzhou chapter considering Ryo loses his fight with Lan Di, and maybe begins to lose hope in the original draft?
Also the ending seems to imply that Ryo either takes his revenge or has it robbed from him, causing him to lose hope in the future and become lost. Ultimately realizing he is not alone in the world and embarking on a new quest. Which seems to confirm something Suzuki has said was the ending of the VFRPG for a while. Which, if we ever get to see it, sounds like a really interesting and unconventional ending to this story.
Anyway, analyze it. I'm wondering what you guys think.