Shenmue The Animation Announced

I find it funny how people are peddling the whole Shenmue 3 was supposed to end the saga shit, passing it off as fact.

More and more I've come to realise that rationale and informed points of view are a thing of the past, excluding present company of course.
Yeah I saw that too...where in the kickstarter did it ever say "this is to be the final chapter"? Oh yeah, that's right...nowhere.
 
The marketing psychology of corporations and 'pack mentality' of humans and/or critics of something is to always bash one brand or product in order to boost the other. As someone in the tech business I couldn't help but feel angered by LG's smartphone demise this year (which was partially self induced due to marketing) since LG hands down had the most innovative, cutting edge, reliable, safest, best value for your dollar phones far better value than Samsung and especially Apple, yet people continued to crap all over LG because in order for Samsung and Apple to "win", there had to be a clear "loser", so the 3rd strongest smartphone brand based on sales and marketing alone was the whipping boy. In the last 5 years I've had every single iPhone, Galaxy and LG phone along with others pass through my hands at length and the overwhelming amount of issues with iPhone and Samsung is staggering from the littlest aspect of them not being reliable out of the box to many cases resulting in life changing injuries and death. Its disgusting but it tends to be that low vibration low intelligence of pack mentality that follow the hype from corporations, put too much stock into the *opinions* of critics and other follower troglodytes alike. I see this with the Shenmue/Yakuza dynamic all too often.

I miss the days about 10 years ago where the name Shenmue could be spoken without the words Yakuza or Ryu Ga Gotoku being anywhere within an earshot of it. Considering there are zero things in common between the franchise outside of Sega branded and Japanese people/Japan it's overly annoying to continue to see the comparisons, especially when its pure non-sense like "If you want to play a version of Shenmue that doesn't suck, play Yakuza!". Whether you like or dislike either of these franchises it's easy to see they're nothing alike and aren't even in the same genre or category. So, it's nice for once to see a few people attempting to distance these two franchises, it's especially nice to see that they are Yakuza fans too. That in and of itself is totally refreshing and not common. I'm not a fan of anime personally, but I am very excited to see what they do with the Shenmue anime as I'd like to support the franchise in any way I can. It's not the same as getting Shenmue 4, but its still SOMETHING!
 
Yakuza fans who use the series as a stick to beat Shenmue fans with are pathetic and childish people, and on that basis I'm glad this (hopefully) vocal minority are crying salty tears about Shenmue getting an anime but not Yakuza. You have eight going on nine mainline games and a ton of spin-offs, think yourselves lucky.

Think ShenSun is correct that these are newer fans though, because I recognise it as learned behaviour from game journalists who started doing the nonsense "It's Shenmue but good" line right around the time Yakuza 0 hit and the series started gaining popularity. Older Yakuza fans who had to endure the uncertain future of the series in the West for several years obviously had a lot to relate to with the Shenmue community, and I seem to remember there not being any friction between the fanbases at all during this period.
 
It's borderline lazy racism. Game stars a japanese bloke walking around ? Must be exactly the same then
You sir/ma'am are my hero of the day. Best comment I've read this evening, Thank You for the laugh 😂😂😂 I couldn't agree more.

On the note of lazy racism let's not forget Sleeping Dogs since that's identical to Shenmue and Yakuza as well!
 
Yakuza fans who use the series as a stick to beat Shenmue fans with are pathetic and childish people, and on that basis I'm glad this (hopefully) vocal minority are crying salty tears about Shenmue getting an anime but not Yakuza. You have eight going on nine mainline games and a ton of spin-offs, think yourselves lucky.

Think ShenSun is correct that these are newer fans though, because I recognise it as learned behaviour from game journalists who started doing the nonsense "It's Shenmue but good" line right around the time Yakuza 0 hit and the series started gaining popularity. Older Yakuza fans who had to endure the uncertain future of the series in the West for several years obviously had a lot to relate to with the Shenmue community, and I seem to remember there not being any friction between the fanbases at all during this period.
For sure! I'd love to have 8 mainline Shenmue titles and 0 anime than have 3 games in the series with no conclusion to the story yet and an 18 year gap between the last title. Shenmue has such depth that it could go 8-10 games, and if they can manage to squeeze some sort of story over 8 games and cash flow out of a franchise like Yakuza, then it should be a walk in the park for Shenmue to do the same, at least the story telling part. Shenmue's problem is it doesn't appeal to the masses, because the masses like simpler stuff with more flash, and it is what it is.

Regarding the Yakuza fans: Until recently I had experiences where they all acted that way regardless of age or when they jumped into the series. It wasn't only until a few people here showed a bit more maturity about discussing the franchise with an open mind did I find any faith that there were people like that. In my experience, Shenmue fans that don't like Yakuza (like myself) tend to stay away from mentioning it until a Yakuza fan compares it. A Shenmue and Yakuza fan is usually more open minded but oftentimes they try to blur the line and connect the two games perhaps cause they want to believe they're the same cause they like them both. Yakuza fans that don't like Shenmue, I haven't had a single good interaction with cause they simply do not understand Shenmue, it tends to go over their head with what Shenmue is all about.

I have to agree though on the older Yakuza titles, there wasn't even a comparison until about a decade ago at best when the franchise started getting some mainstream traction.
 
Think ShenSun is correct that these are newer fans though, because I recognise it as learned behaviour from game journalists who started doing the nonsense "It's Shenmue but good" line right around the time Yakuza 0 hit and the series started gaining popularity. Older Yakuza fans who had to endure the uncertain future of the series in the West for several years obviously had a lot to relate to with the Shenmue community, and I seem to remember there not being any friction between the fanbases at all during this period.

Yeah, Giant Bomb's quick look was the first time I had ever heard the words "it's like Shenmue but good." There were comparisons before that but for the most part it was known by people who had played both that they were doing different things. Yes, they had some areas of similarity, but mostly different methods.

They find one opinion to latch onto and run with it like it's their own...does get annoying. In general.

My entry into the franchise was with Yakuza 2 on the PS2. And of course I remember the fight to get them to localize Yakuza 3 when that was uncertain. Then the annoyance that Mahjong and Hostess clubs were stripped out. Then Yakuza 4 and Yakuza Dead Souls came, under-performed and went and the fight was on to get Yakuza 5 and proceeding games after that.

Hell, I remember importing Yakuza 3 because I thought for sure SEGA wouldn't localize it and ended up playing it in its Japanese form with the help of a walkthrough at points.

I have a love hate relationship with Yakuza 0...on the one hand, I love the fact that it gave the franchise new life and brought in a bigger audience allowing us to now get stuff like Lost Judgment day and date with Japan. But on the other, the new fanbase it brought with it certainly can be annoying.
 
To be fair to Yakuza and folks who compare the series, I only bought the first one because I thought it looked KIND OF like Shenmue. :\

Yeah, I too came to Yakuza 2 because of the Shenmue comparisons...that was the whole reason I bought Yakuza 2. Because I was hoping it would satisfy my Shenmue cravings. Even back then there was the air of "spiritual successor to Shenmue"...I just don't remember the vitriol being inherent. There were always comparisons but anyone who actually played the two noticed the differences immediately. I know I sure did. It certainly wasn't the Shenmue replacement I craved...but it definitely was fun in its own right and I appreciated it on its own terms.

I remember one of my thoughts being "wait, you have a SEGA arcade but no actual SEGA games to be played in said arcade? Shenmue's still better!" when walking into Club Sega for the first time on PS2 Yakuza 2. :D

Again, don't know why I'm writing this since I'm just preaching to the converted...but I was much the same too...I came to Yakuza because of Shenmue.
 
Yeah, that's sort of how it went for me. I liked Yakuza quite a bit, but it didn't at all even come close to feeling like Shenmue. I think they've done a fantastic job over the years and it's a shame the fandom has made some of us resent the series. I'm sure Shenmue could have blossomed into something "more mainstream" had Yu Suzuki continued producing games with AM2 and Sega. Today's Yakuza kids would NOT have enjoyed the first release.
 
This is going to come off as arrogant but so be it

If you like Shenmue, there is a very high chance you like deep meaningful experiences, with thought-provoking stories, characters, and philosophies. You question things around you in the real world, along with everything that makes up the human experience. You take pleasure in simple things such as learning about people, developing relationships, or experiencing new environments and cultures.

If you prefer Yakuza, there's a good chance you like and crave instant gratification, along with cheap dopamine hits every 5 minutes. You're more concerned about playing a fantasy role as a gangster and fulfilling that dopamine reward system by engaging in random battles, superficial explicit content, and arcade experiences at every corner. You have a desire to play around in a semi open world arcade playground, where you can do what you want and be stimulated on a regular basis. Some of the stories and characters are really good and the sub missions are brilliant, however, you only put up with this because of the extreme, over the top explosive nature of these events.

Shenmue is a much deeper game that requires a specific kind of person. I'd even say a deeper kind of person.

Yakuza is more mainstream and will always do better, because in 2021, the vast majority of people need to be stimulated every 5 seconds, be it on their smart phones, social media or a video game. If you're not giving it to them or you delay that gratification, they will freak out, throw a temper tantrum and look else where.

Shenmue is about friendship, love, self-discovery, and overcoming internal struggles that all of us will have to go through at some point in life. It may not be revenge like Ryo, but it certainly will be some form of inner demon that we must work hard to overcome.

Yakuza is a Hollywood blockbuster crime flick. which has some sprinkles of those shenmue themes, but is mainly focused on gangs, drugs, drama, violence etc.

I love Yakuza, but it is no Shenmue and it never will be.
 
Mhhhh, to be honest. I love Yakuza and Shenmue
BUT i dont actually play them because of the fighting mechanics.
I dont care about the fighting gameplay. Its nice if its fun and enjoyable to play
but i wont downgrade my review by 50% just because the fighting wasnt great.

I play both of these series because of the atmosphere, the setting, the characters and story.
Actually like 95% of the time i'm getting bored with the fighting gameplay in both series
after playing it for 13, 14, 15 hours. Doesnt matter if its the Virtua Fighter engine
or Yakuza Brawler or Yakuza Turn Based or whatever ...
I'm always reaching a point, always, where i'm just doing the battles because i have to
but i'm not enjoying it. But i enjoy all of the other things so much
that i can ignore this one thing.

Thats why i'm one of the people who didnt care about the Shenmue 3 fighting mechanic discussions.
I really dont care that much about the fights.
 
So many people can't think for themselves; they need the opinions of others to latch on to in order to achieve a sense of self worth. As a day 1 Yakuza fan, I find the Shenmue comparison tedious. I'm so glad the series is successful (the wait for Yakuza 5 was painful), but let's be clear; many fans are newbie fans from Yakuza 0 onwards. And that's fine. It's totally fine to enjoy something and be late to the party. What I can't stand is said fans being gatekeepers on what is considered OK.

In fact I hate gatekeepers of all kinds, but what the fuck does bashing Shenmue do? It doesn't make the Yakuza games any better. I've played every single mainline game to completion and love talking to people about the series, but bashing another game is just sad and pathetic.

Sometimes I have to wonder if commercial success is all its cracked up to be if you're going to have fans who act like jerks. It's a good thing the Yakuza series is consistently strong, because otherwise I would walk away.

There are bad Shenmue fans too. In fact, there are rotten apples in every fandom, but i'll never ever understand why people feel the need to pit the two together. Why can't you be happy with both? Do people feel *that* threatened?!

Also off topic, but as a pacifist, whoever said that Shenmue III is the last of a trilogy needs a kick in the sack.
 
This is going to come off as arrogant but so be it

If you like Shenmue, there is a very high chance you like deep meaningful experiences, with thought-provoking stories, characters, and philosophies. You question things around you in the real world, along with everything that makes up the human experience. You take pleasure in simple things such as learning about people, developing relationships, or experiencing new environments and cultures.

If you prefer Yakuza, you like and crave instant gratification, along with cheap dopamine hits every 5 minutes. You're more concerned about playing a fantasy role as a gangster and fulfilling that dopamine reward system by engaging in random battles, superficial explicit content, and arcade experiences at every corner. You have a desire to play around in a semi open world arcade playground, where you can do what you want and be stimulated on a regular basis. Some of the stories and characters are really good and the sub missions are brilliant, however, you only put up with this because of the extreme, over the top explosive nature of these events.

Shenmue is a much deeper game that requires a specific kind of person. I'd even say a deeper kind of person.

Yakuza is more mainstream and will always do better, because in 2021, the vast majority of people need to be stimulated every 5 seconds, be it on their smart phones, social media or a video game. If you're not giving it to them or you delay that gratification, they will freak out, throw a temper tantrum and look else where.

Shenmue is about friendship, love, self-discovery, and overcoming internal struggles that all of us will have to go through at some point in life. It may not be revenge like Ryo, but it certainly will be some form of inner demon that we must work hard to overcome.

Yakuza is a Hollywood blockbuster crime flick. which has some sprinkles of those shenmue themes, but is mainly focused on gangs, drugs, drama, violence etc.

I love Yakuza, but it is no Shenmue and it never will be.
There's nothing arrogant about stating the truth and being bold enough to do so in a culture and world where people often apologize for speaking it because many less cultured or less evolved minds can't perceive or see beyond what's placed in front of them. I love your post quite a bit because it captures the obvious about these franchises and their differences.

Shenmue is a Spiritual experience and message and is more grounded in reality.

Yakuza is a worldly experience with a worldly message and does come off as a cotton candy action flick.

I feel the take away from these differing energies behind the games and behind their experiences is to enjoy what you enjoy, but be cognizant and conscious about why you enjoy it. To know oneself and think for oneself. I'm someone who enjoys very little worldly material in any form of media or entertainment because a story has to have something important to say, even if it's on the shallower side of things, but the more depth, the more spirituality that is backed by science and psychology the more interested I am in the product, even if it's fantasy based, I want it to go super deep. Shenmue does that across the board. I occasionally enjoy some corn syrup cotton candy action flick type stuff, but Yakuza is not one of those franchises for me, though recently a non-toxic Yakuza fan shed some more light on the franchise dynamics so I see some value in it to one degree or another, but comparing it to Shenmue is old hat. I also find the energy of an artist of any kind to be interesting because whatever that artist births into existence you can feel their fingerprints all over their project. Yu Suzuki has really nice energy almost zen in his presentation and that's heavily displayed in Shenmue whereas Toshihiro Nagoshi comes off as arrogant, inauthentic with himself/not self aware and dark in his direction and that shows in the Yakuza games for better and for worse. Lost Judgment looks fairly decent as a story from what I've seen in the trailer and looks like something that Suzuki may not be good at creating, but is the perfect type of story for someone like Nagoshi to tell, but it clearly won't reach the depth of Shenmue, though it will no doubt be more popular and mainstream, as that tends to be the way of the world for millennia, the darker and more worldly the more popular something is.
 
Yeah, i love both series, but one is definitely more Zen, relaxing and spiritual, while the other is a faster paced, action packed, modern TV flick.

It reminds me of the rockstar games. I love red dead redemption way more than GTA for similar reasons. Red dead is a much deeper game. But i still like playing GTA now and then for action packed madness.

Both good games and serve a purpose
 
I hope they continue the animation into Season 2 to adapt the events of Shenmue 3 & 4. Hopefully, Shenmue 4 would have been announced by the time Season 1 launches (maybe even released around the same time to help boost exposure, but that's probably a bit too optimistic).

I would like to see the entirety of the Shenmue story be told in this new take, and get to see all the deleted content reworked back into the story like how they're doing with 1 & 2. I hope they don't just plan on covering the events of the first two games and leaving things there regardless of its reception.
 
Yeah, i love both series, but one is definitely more Zen, relaxing and spiritual, while the other is a faster paced, action packed, modern TV flick.

It reminds me of the rockstar games. I love red dead redemption way more than GTA for similar reasons. Red dead is a much deeper game. But i still like playing GTA now and then for action packed madness.

Both good games and serve a purpose
It's funny you mention Rockstar Games because I was going to mention GTA 5 in my last post in regards to something more on the shallow worldly side that I enjoy. GTA 5 has a decent story showing many of the issues of avarice, greed and ego driven life with over the top open world action and it doesn't feel broken or sloppy like many of the action flick type games, which is one of the big disconnects I have from Yakuza altogether. I never could really get into Red Dead Redemption mainly because where I currently live I deal with a lot of people who are cowboy types(I even acted as one at a job for a while, it was brutal), but my personal dislike for cowboy philosophy aside I do feel that outside of the zombie RDR game all 3 Red Dead games are solid and I can see why people enjoy them, and I did get into RD Revolver a bit more back in 2005 maybe because I hadn't dealt with these personality types in real life yet. I don't see any issue with enjoying both the deeper spiritually enriching titles as well as the corn syrup shallower action titles, but it's absurd when they end up getting compared to one another on a level of quality or purposeful impact. To say that Shenmue is a 'crap version' of Yakuza would be something a person with depth could laugh at the ignorance of such a statement, if only they don't have to hear that statement every time these two titles get put in the same conversation. What's amazing with this comparison from a technical standpoint too is that Yakuza doesn't even do a good job with it's gameplay mechanics. As much as I love Shenmue and its my number one franchise of any game I could respect someone giving it a more mediocre score for controls, fighting mechanics, some of the sterile voice acting and other technical issues, even though I love it no less and it is actually something I enjoy I'm not ignorant to these technical facts, but Yakuza is even more broken in those regards. GTA 5 on the other hand doesn't have too many flaws, if any when it comes to gameplay mechanics and feeling smooth so if someone on the more worldly side of things or with less scope or mental capacity said "GTA 5 is better than Shenmue and has better open world elements than Shenmue" I could see their argument from a technical standpoint only. Even GTA 3 which borrowed heavily in its time from Shenmue 1 could have had that same argument on the technical side of things, but from a purposeful depth and important story telling standpoint Shenmue is unique and in it's own lane entirely. If you enjoy Yakuza's brawler style with the Asian backdrop I recommend Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition which is often on sale for $5 USD. It's a much more fluid and better version of an open world brawler with an Asian city environment than Yakuza. It has a Donnie Yen 'Flashpoint' movie type of vibe to it.
 
Yeah, i love both series, but one is definitely more Zen, relaxing and spiritual, while the other is a faster paced, action packed, modern TV flick.

It reminds me of the rockstar games. I love red dead redemption way more than GTA for similar reasons. Red dead is a much deeper game. But i still like playing GTA now and then for action packed madness.

Both good games and serve a purpose
Completely on board with you on this one.
In my case I liked playing gta games specially Vice City wich was my favourite.
But Red Dead Redemption is in a completly different level; so much so that it is part of my top ten games.
I've got Red Dead Redemption 2 but I haven't played it yet; but i'm almost certain I will love it.
I've bought Yakuza 0 on a Steam sale and played it so far into the first Boss fight; but after that I haven't played ever since. I kind of liked it and see why a lot of people enjoy it; but when I was wandering in the city with all those lifeless npc's walking around; they felt super artificial when compared with Shenmue; they are just there to give the ilusion of a crowded city and nothing else; they are completely lifeless.
That just made me lose interest for the game.
I will certainly give it another shot but I'm certain it will never hit me like Shenmue did.
It is the same with the Rockstar games; gta is an interactive playground and Red Dead Redemption is a life experience; and that is what I feel in regards to Shenmue and Yakuza.
 
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