Shenhua's Powers In Shenmue 3

What do you guys think of Shenhua's powers? And will it play a big part in Shenmue 4?
I think Shenhua's powers aren't something that she can control (at least not yet). I'm fascinated by the flashback to Shenhua being named in S2 because we have no idea when/where that took place. Shenhua was born in 1970 but nothing about that scene indicates that it would take place in the 1970s or in Bailu Village. I'm also of the mind that the interrogation wasn't meant to illustrate her powers, it's played for comedy whereas most of the scenes with her powers are presented with a sense of awe (though S3 has some weird tonal shifts so this might very well be the case).

And will it play a big part in Shenmue 4?
I wish it played a bigger part in 3 but it appears that Suzuki wanted to downplay the more supernatural elements of the series, so who knows? Thus far Ryo is definitely aware of her powers and even refers to them as such but they don't appear immediately useful. I'm more curious how the prophecy originated, who knows about it and/or believes it, and why it pertains to Ryo and Shenhua in particular.
 
Thank you for reminding me how wonderful the foundations of Shenmue's story and characters are. Shenhua's concept is really interesting. Meeting her at the end of Shenmue II and getting the little hints about her connection with nature, history, and the series name, was really fascinating.

I also interpreted the scenes in III as additional hints in the same way (and not as pure comedy), but with III's script lacking weight and proper tone most of the time, it ended up being a bit confusing.

Let's hope, if IV is made, the execution of the rest of the story is improved and it can lives up to the expectations.
 
I think Shenhua's powers aren't something that she can control (at least not yet). I'm fascinated by the flashback to Shenhua being named in S2 because we have no idea when/where that took place. Shenhua was born in 1970 but nothing about that scene indicates that it would take place in the 1970s or in Bailu Village. I'm also of the mind that the interrogation wasn't meant to illustrate her powers, it's played for comedy whereas most of the scenes with her powers are presented with a sense of awe (though S3 has some weird tonal shifts so this might very well be the case).


I wish it played a bigger part in 3 but it appears that Suzuki wanted to downplay the more supernatural elements of the series, so who knows? Thus far Ryo is definitely aware of her powers and even refers to them as such but they don't appear immediately useful. I'm more curious how the prophecy originated, who knows about it and/or believes it, and why it pertains to Ryo and Shenhua in particular.

Did the Sword still float in S3?

Or maybe Suzuki had second thoughts about that since the fanbase didn't care for the magic stuff?
 
I loved how her powers were portrayed in Shenmue II but in Shenmue III I really disliked it. I articulated my thoughts a while ago in this thread:


And honestly nothing has changed from my perception of this scene now. I still dislike it. And above all every usage of her powers is rather negative in Shenmue III. If that is what Yu Suzuki wanted us to perceive this character as it would be no problem but it just doesn`t suit the Shenhua we got to know for quite a long time in Shenmue II...

On topic of the supernatural elements of the stone pit: I don`t see that anything that happened in there of being of any concern to any character. The only thing that came out of it, is that it establishes Shenhuas father to be the macguffin of Shenmue III even though her fathers letter doesn`t really implicate that that would be the case imo.

I mean there are many threads and post about why people dislike Shenmue III and I`m quite on board with all of it but the portrail of Shenhuas powers is on top of my list of things I disliked...
 
Shenhua has appeared in Ryo dreams throughout the series. Why hasn't Ryo acknowledged it?
I only remember her showing up in his dreams in the first game. Just because they were clear to us, doesn't mean they were clear to Ryo, though. I certainly don't remember the details of dreams I've had over long stretches of time (weeks/months).
 
Ryo acknowledges his dreams of Shenhua at least twice in the series, once during a conversation with Fangmei in Shenmue II and once during a backer-exclusive telephone call with Nozomi in Shenmue III.



Both times, it's uncertain just how clearly Ryo remembers what the person from his dreams looked like or even what gender the person was. However, in the conversation with Nozomi he does explicitly state that he doesn't remember the dream well enough to say for sure whether or not it was Shenhua.

This makes sense to me. As @Rydeen pointed out, our memories of the dreams we've had are not always clear to us and the details usually become even foggier as time passes. Personally, I barely remember any of my dreams at all these days (and when I do, the memory begins to fade after a day or two).

I don't think that Ryo remembered what the person from his dreams looked like by the time he actually met Shenhua, but I think there's a good chance that he subconsciously recognized her.
 
Ryo acknowledges his dreams of Shenhua at least twice in the series, once during a conversation with Fangmei in Shenmue II and once during a backer-exclusive telephone call with Nozomi in Shenmue III.



Both times, it's uncertain just how clearly Ryo remembers what the person from his dreams looked like or even what gender the person was. However, in the conversation with Nozomi he does explicitly state that he doesn't remember the dream well enough to say for sure whether or not it was Shenhua.

This makes sense to me. As @Rydeen pointed out, our memories of the dreams we've had are not always clear to us and the details usually become even foggier as time passes. Personally, I barely remember any of my dreams at all these days (and when I do, the memory begins to fade after a day or two).

I don't think that Ryo remembered what the person from his dreams looked like by the time he actually met Shenhua, but I think there's a good chance that he subconsciously recognized her.

Incredible finds. I never knew he spoke about his dreams to others like that.
 
Shenmue 3 would suggest that Shenhua knew how to control her powers. After she interrogates the thug at the Hermits Nest she makes repeated threats of doing it again unless he cooperates. Or maybe she knows how to control certain elements of it.

So from the evidence that's been presented Shenhua is telepathic and telekinetic?
 
So from the evidence that's been presented Shenhua is telepathic and telekinetic?
I think she might just be a Newtype, personally, with a sort of sixth sense for people's inner weaknesses. Like Amuro, I think she potentially just hasn't awakened the full extent of her abilities yet.
 
So Newtypes can read people? Their emotions, personalities, experiences and fears?
Well, kind of. I'm not sure how much the later Tomino series clarify Newtypes' abilities, but in the original series, I think it's somewhat up for debate. The way I interpret it is that they can relate to time and space more intimately than normal human beings ("Old Types"). On its face, they can almost control time and space, and communicate telepathically, but I feel like they sort of just gain extra-sensory data from a deeper connection to space after adapting to being slammed with higher levels of radiation as space dwellers. Although, I was watching the first couple episodes of Zeta, and the main character, Camille, seems to know people's names and military ranks without having met them before.

I see that as sort of analogous to how I view Shenhua's powers. I think she has access to extra-sensory information through her deeper connection with nature and her ancestors. I doubt she ends up being able to control funnels with it, like Lalah, but the awakening of her powers might lead to being able to use Taishiki, like in the Project Berkley video.

I don't know if Suzuki is a fan of Gundam at all, but I was watching the movie trilogy last week, and was struck by some of the similarities between Lalah and Shenhua. Also Char's main motivation is revenge, and at one point he reflects on partially enacting that revenge in a way that reminded me of how Suzuki has talked about the realizations Ryo is meant to come to about it. (Although, in Char's case, I don't think it was really sincere.)
 
Spoiler: Shenmue V ends with Ryo dropping a colony on Lan Di.
 
Interesting thread, i love to talk about Shenhua, she is a mysterious and interesting character. OP, i agree with everything you wrote, i love the Shenhua moments in Shenmue III, the parts that we get a little bit about her powers was not a comic relief in my opinion, i think she used her powers in all of this situations, but she don't have fully control of all of her powers yet

In my opinion Shenmue V will be the ending of the story, i think in Shenmue IV and V we will see a lot about Shenhua. a lot about her powers, her ancestors and much more.

The parts with Shenhua in Shenmue III is one of my favorite things about the game, the conversations between Shenhua and Ryo are amazing, and the soundtrack on Shenhua's House is beautiful.
 
Spoiler: Shenmue V ends with Ryo dropping a colony on Lan Di.
That's only the prelude. In Shenmue XIII, Ziming destroys TenTei Zabi's Great Tentei star destroyer with the Solar Ray Cannon, and reveals himself to be the son of Sunming Zhao, who was assassinated by TenTei Zabi in order to steer Sunming's championing of Newtypes like Ryo, Ziming, Shenhua and Xiuying, toward Nazi favoritism.


In all seriousness, though, I'm basically cool with anything up to, and including, a giant mystical beast battle, but one of the few things that would get me to throw a controller is if someone in the CYM pulls a Sephiroth toward the end. I feel the chances are pretty good that the stakes never get that ridiculous in Shenmue, though.
 
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