Random Shenmue Anime Thoughts

tomboz said:
I dunno. Negotiations began during development of Shenmue 3, so unless they knew it was going to bomb way ahead of release it seems a little odd that they’d already be planning for it to fail. What’s more, assuming the first season ends in the cave (which the anime seems to suggest that it will), I can’t see them stretching Shenmue 3 into a full cour, meaning that any theoretical season 2 would likely comprise of content from both Shenmue 3 and Shenmue 4.

Releasing the story ahead of time doesn’t seem like the best way to pave the way for a game, so if this were the case I’d be more inclined to believe that the anime was always conceived as a way of wrapping up the story without the need for more games. Granted, we’ve been told that that definitely isn’t the case, but I think that the end point of season 1 will provide us with a more definitive answer as to what their intentions were.

If season 1 ends halfway through S2’s story we can perhaps assume that the plan was always to release two seasons of the anime to cover up to the beginning of Shenmue 4 (season 1 taking us to the halfway point of Shenmue 2 and season 2 to the end of Shenmue 3). If season 1 ends in the cave, I’d guess the plan was either to provide a less archaic entry point or wrap things up entirely. I guess it’s also possible that they’d hoped to have S4 ready for the release of season 2, but this would seem like wishful thinking on their part.
Click to expand...
The likely case is it means nothing for the game series, but at least we might possibly see a conclusion to the story and Yu Suzuki will also feel like he’s free to develop something else after carrying the weight of Shenmue for three decades. And if somehow the anime becomes popular, we get Shenmue IV. Win win win.
 
I thought it was a lock in that this series would end with the cave in Shenmue 2. Not only is it a natural stopping point, but we have seen the promo material showing us the top of the Big Ox Building in Kowloon. If it stopped there, then that would be cool, but they have animated the cave, as well as Shenhua, so for me the showing of that scene at the very beginning is a storytellers way of telegraphing what's coming at the end. It's a standard method of saying here is where we are going to end up, and this is how we got there. If they didn't go back and address that by the end of the season, it would be a weird scene for first time viewers who don't know the story demonstrated in the games.
 
I actually do hope they’ll finish the story via anime. Yu can calmly plan out the rest of the story (more than the general outline that he already has) and see it to fruition, and then if a game ever happens, he can easily plan the gameplay around the story rather than vice-versa, which is what III felt like.
 
I am hopeful that some of the investigative aspect of the first half of Shenmue 1 remains in the next couple of episodes. I don't fault Ep 1 at all for moving quicker and presenting Zhu's letter early, but I'd like to see some of the conversations Ryo has with various NPCs while investigating how to find Master Chen (in Russiya China Shop for example)
 
Lord Tentei said:
Game form first at all cost. I am just not okay with concluding in anime form.
Click to expand...

We are 2.5 years since the release of Shenmue 3 with no sign of 4. The anime will finish the series long before the 8-10 years a Shenmue 4 and 5 would take, hate to say it. This is assuming that the anime does not also get canceled before it reaches a conclusion.
 
Lan Di-sama said:
We are 2.5 years since the release of Shenmue 3 with no sign of 4. The anime will finish the series long before the 8-10 years a Shenmue 4 and 5 would take, hate to say it. This is assuming that the anime does not also get canceled before it reaches a conclusion.
Click to expand...

Thats the downside of this anime in my opinion. If we get Shenmue 4 I believe is gonna be another 4-5 years then another 2 year break and another 4-5 year development for Shenmue 5. The anime will finish the story long before the games. If we make it that far. I still believe we get a Shenmue 4 announcement this year its the only plausible outcome IMO.
 
Exactly why I think the only logical path is anime ending at 3 and leading to a 4th game, if we’re getting another game. I don’t think we’re gonna go back to games if the anime passes Shenmue 3. The hunger for the story as told through the game just won’t be there for most people.
 
I wonder if the anime will keep in the censorship for that one character who I forgot the name to when it reaches Shenmue II. Speceficly for the English dub. I guess nowadays there are enough people with a voice that will call out on the censorship nowadays. If that happens then it will give Shenmue a bad name on the net. And if that happens then very slim chance for a Shenmue IV.
 
Last edited:
Catchanysailorshere? said:
I wonder if the anime will keep in the censorship for that one character who I forgot the name to when it reaches Shenmue II. Speceficly for the English dub. I guess nowadays there are enough people with a voice that will call out on the censorship nowadays. If that happens then it will give Shenmue a bad name on the net. And if that happens then very slim chance for a Shenmue IV.
Click to expand...

Really?
 
I just want the story finished in a worthy way. If Anime is the medium to get there, fine. If it's in game form, I'm ok to, if the story is told well enough. I don't need it to be told in game form, though. If the anime passes the games, and finishes the story first I'd still buy all future Shenmue games, but only out of fanboyism, not because I need Shenmue in game form.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top