Mirror Lore & Celestial Connections in Shenmue | Part Two

[Switch]

The second half of a two-part series about the Mirrors and related lore in the Shenmue games. I decided to post this one in the Shenmue III section since it mainly covers information learned in the third game. The post also covers the wording in some of the English subtitles in cases where another translation might be possible (or, occasionally, is simply incorrect).

Mirror Lore & Celestial Connections in Shenmue | Part Two
https://www.phantomriverstone.com/2023/04/mirror-lore-celestial-connections-in.html

@James Brown's second podcast on Shenmue Lore is also linked at the end of the post, which ran through a preview of this post.

Part One can be found here.

 

[iknifaugood]

The second half of a two-part series about the Mirrors and related lore in the Shenmue games. I decided to post this one in the Shenmue III section since it mainly covers information learned in the third game. The post also covers the wording in some of the English subtitles in cases where another translation might be possible (or, occasionally, is simply incorrect).

Mirror Lore & Celestial Connections in Shenmue | Part Two
https://www.phantomriverstone.com/2023/04/mirror-lore-celestial-connections-in.html

@James Brown's second podcast on Shenmue Lore is also linked at the end of the post, which ran through a preview of this post.

Part One can be found here.

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Excellent analysis, I like that they brought up the fact that Puyi was only a child when the mirrors were commissioned though they neglect to mention the fact that the Qing dynasty fell in 1911, just one year after the mirrors were created. It's interesting to see him draw the conclusion that the mirrors were always intended to be created in the early 20th century based on translation differences. I always wondered the accuracy of the translations of some of these conversations myself (especially Shenhua speaking of them in S2). It certainly makes the historical implications of people fighting and dying over the mirrors much easier to track.

 

[JP_]

Excellent analysis, I like that they brought up the fact that Puyi was only a child when the mirrors were commissioned though they neglect to mention the fact that the Qing dynasty fell in 1911, just one year after the mirrors were created. It's interesting to see him draw the conclusion that the mirrors were always intended to be created in the early 20th century based on translation differences. I always wondered the accuracy of the translations of some of these conversations myself (especially Shenhua speaking of them in S2). It certainly makes the historical implications of people fighting and dying over the mirrors much easier to track.

Worth noting that though the Qing dynasty fell, as part of a deal the new republican government let Puyi and the imperial household continue in the Forbidden City. Indeed there was a brief restoration to power in 1917. They were kicked out in 1924.

 

[iknifaugood]

Indeed there was a brief restoration to power in 1917. They were kicked out in 1924.

Technically it was "restored" for two weeks in 1917 by overtaking Beijing (I mean, technically, this could even be what Shenhua is referring to when she says that people fought over the mirrors) but the fall of the Qing dynasty was a complex historical event and China is very cagey about their history so I don't know how much it will factor into the story of Shenmue. Restoring the dynasty is an interesting goal for the CYM though, since the Qing dynasty is one of only a few that was not ruled by the Han people and many of the people who wanted to see it restored were ethnic minorities.