Shenmue The Animation Announced

Well... I'm excited but also disappointed.

Excited because we will finally get a version of the entire story and finally get some closure.

Disappointed because I'm 95% sure this means that Shenmue as a game series is over. There will be no Shenmue 4 and no conclusion on game form. I just don't see it happening. Suzuki wanted to ensure fans got an ending and he was able to get this deal to do it.

So yeah.... excited... but disappointed.
 
Well... I'm excited but also disappointed.

Excited because we will finally get a version of the entire story and finally get some closure.

Disappointed because I'm 95% sure this means that Shenmue as a game series is over. There will be no Shenmue 4 and no conclusion on game form. I just don't see it happening. Suzuki wanted to ensure fans got an ending and he was able to get this deal to do it.

So yeah.... excited... but disappointed.

it’s confirmed to not be replacing Shenmue IV
 
Well... I'm excited but also disappointed.

Excited because we will finally get a version of the entire story and finally get some closure.

Disappointed because I'm 95% sure this means that Shenmue as a game series is over. There will be no Shenmue 4 and no conclusion on game form. I just don't see it happening. Suzuki wanted to ensure fans got an ending and he was able to get this deal to do it.

So yeah.... excited... but disappointed.
Successful anime get game adaptations every week. I wouldn’t be so down just yet. It’s easier to pique someone’s interest in a story/IP with a thirteen episode anime than a 20-30 hour game that everyone tells them has “aged poorly.” Especially in a game like Shenmue where a lot of the joy is found in deliberately going out of your way to find and appreciate the smaller details. To me, it’s a game I love more every time I play it because I discover things that I’ve missed in previous playthroughs. To the general public, it’s a game that they will bounce off. But to the fans invested enough to explore it the way it requires, it turns them into super fans.

So if the anime is good and becomes popular (though that isn’t necessarily a causal relationship lol), I imagine that we’ll be seeing less people pushing the opinion that,

“Oh god this game is so old and why do I have to wait around,” and more,

“Hey, Nozomi stans, did you know you can call her on the phone in the game?! So cool!”

This is good for bitco- I mean Shenmue.
 
That's just 2020 being 2020 again. Good or bad, better or worse it's safe to say 2020 is the year of the unexpected. Sega started their goodwill towards Shenmue by throwing money to remake the first two games knowing that this would be a large undertaking. Even though we didn't get it, it speaks volumes in the renewed faith they have in the Shenmue brand.

I'm really excited for what's to come. If Sega is willing to fund a Shenmue anime and a Shenmue I and II remake, I'm quite certain they'll be funding Shenmue IV. This likely means that Suzuki will have access to AM2 resources for a much better combat experience (a.k.a porting the Virtua Fighter engine over)

We byke boys. Shenmue byke in this biyotch!!!

I'm still kind of annoyed that Sega put Yu Suzuki in a position where he had to resort to Kickstarter to fund Shenmue III. He's their most beloved developer and had a huge role in the company's success. A lot of us are realistic that it's kind of a niche series, but I always thought there was a pretty decent guaranteed sales floor on each future installment. Then the response to the kickstarter is what compels them to greenlight the Shenmue anime and 1 and 2 remasters? While Yu Suzuki has to scrap together any bit of funding possible through multiple parties, and scrap together a dev team and almost start from scratch for Shenmue III? While the anime announcement should be a positive step (unless it's poorly done, but it seems the anime fans here are encouraged), I think the series would be in a better spot if Shenmue III was properly funded from the start.

It is what is it though and and in the grand scheme I'm happy Sega is investing in the series in some way. Of course if they fund Shenmue IV it would fully rekindle my fanboy-dom. ;)

EDIT: Ok, I suppose that's where the "sweet and sour" feeling comes in, haha.
 
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Random thoughts:
- While 13 episodes feel very short, the fast narrative might be the solution to make Shenmue "watchable" and unexpectedly catchy unlike Shenmue the Movie (although I think the movie has still a lot of proper charm) or any highlights re-using the ingame cutscenes. I'm still very skeptical but the potential and the material are both there.

- The fight animation is not going to be Jackie Chan's Adventure for sure, but it could be a nice opportunity for the animators to express some personality. It's not everyday you can animate a non-fantasy martial-art story. So the project is interesting both as a Shenmue fan and anime enthusiast.

- Yu could have decided to just produce Shenmue 4 with two pennies and put an end to the end and move on with other licences. He was ready to make Shenmue 3 with only 2 million after all. But he's always trying to power his odds like he tried hard with Shenmue Online and Shenmue Gai at the time. Today he accepted to spend his few time on producing a non-game rather than just giving his moral permission. Don't know whether his motivation is fully artistic or self-interested but you have to respect the man.

- Yu Suzuki: "Let's use my new Shenmue logo!" Sega & Crunchyroll : "No, no, no".
 
Holy shit, I honestly didn't see this coming. I mean, in the past I jokingly thought it would be cool to see a Shenmue anime but I always considered Shenmue to be essentially unfilmable. Those digest videos for new players don't really do Shenmue justice, it’s always so hard to convey that immersive atmosphere which makes Shenmue unique. Nevertheless, with Yu Suzuki on board I know he'll figure it out somehow. Count me in!
 
Having had time to digest this news, I can’t help but feel positive about Shenmue and the series as a whole. A couple of stray observations-

- I’m pleased to hear Yu Suzuki is being consulted and involved in this project.

- I’m pleased to hear Sega and their production house are involved too. Frankly their support could make a prospective Shenmue 4 with the dedicated budget and resources beyond our wildest dreams

- Interesting to read this was greenlit right after Shenmue 3 was released. What curious timing. In a parallel universe consider if a Sega stuck to their guns, we got proper remake of first two games, they threw their support towards Shenmue 3 and then had anime series. Still interesting

- I want to see this in motion but the artwork, logo and design look very faithful

Consider me more optimistic then ever. Keep the passion burning folks.
 
For anybody who’s interested, there will be an interview with Yu discussing the project on the Crunchy Roll expo webpage later today. Right now it’s unclear exactly when / where, but I’d guess it will be included in the panel where they’d originally planned to announce the anime.

I have my fingers crossed that we might get a sneak peek at the anime too, but we’ll have to wait and see.
 
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18793c6f135ba8187559dab835d6dcef.gif
 
- Interesting to read this was greenlit right after Shenmue 3 was released. What curious timing. In a parallel universe consider if a Sega stuck to their guns, we got proper remake of first two games, they threw their support towards Shenmue 3 and then had anime series. Still interesting
I have a feeling this is what Cedric was alluding to when he mentioned Shenmue IV being 50/50, regardless of Shenmue III's sales. At this point, I'm sort of wondering if Sega just wanted Suzuki to prove to them with Shenmue III that if they gave him a budget, he could deliver something. Otherwise, I can't really see why they would put so much effort behind the franchise while not just publishing Shenmue III themselves.
 
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