Motivations and Secrets: The Significance of Two Letters

[Switch]

In this blog post we analyze two letters that Ryo finds early on in the game - the one from his father, and the one that arrives from Zhu Yuan Da - and review the evidence to consider questions such as:

- Did Iwao Hazuki really know Lan Di was coming?
- Although it was received too late, what prompted Zhu Yuan Da to send a warning letter to Iwao?

Motivations and Secrets: The Significance of Two Letters
https://www.phantomriverstone.com/2023/07/motivations-and-secrets-significance-of.html

 

[code l name]

Wonderful post and analysis. I am curious there are some additional threads which are covered if not expanded upon slightly in Shenmue 3 but I see your article doesn’t reference it. I am curious why, do you believe because of some inconsistencies around some lore and retcons it doesn’t hold as much water as first two games?

 

[Switch]

Wonderful post and analysis. I am curious there are some additional threads which are covered if not expanded upon slightly in Shenmue 3 but I see your article doesn’t reference it. I am curious why, do you believe because of some inconsistencies around some lore and retcons it doesn’t hold as much water as first two games?

Thanks for your comment! I would be interested in making the discussion as comprehensive as possible by including relevant S3 material. This may have been an accidental nostalgia bias on my part as I find myself replaying the first two games over the third. Which information from S3 in particular did you have in mind? I'll look to include it in the post.

 

[code l name]

Which information from S3 in particular did you have in mind? I'll look to include it in the post.

”While he appears not to be working with the Chi You Men, it does seem that he is selectively controlling the narrative for reasons yet to be discovered.”

While admittedly it’s been a while since I played Shenmue 3, I was immediately thinking of the DLC with Zhu’s associate Zhang. I thought at the end he implies something about the organization but maybe I am wrong.

 

[Switch]

While admittedly it’s been a while since I played Shenmue 3, I was immediately thinking of the DLC with Zhu’s associate Zhang. I thought at the end he implies something about the organization but maybe I am wrong.

Definitely sounds worth reviewing! It has also been a while since I've played.

 

[code l name]

Definitely sounds worth reviewing! It has also been a while since I've played.

So I was watching @BlueMue excellent summary video of the DLC and I may have misspoke.

It appears there’s some throwaway lines related to Zhu’s organization which I assume is 5 star corporation (Didn’t it go bankrupt in Shenmue 2?) and rival faction that the former member wanted to create.

I was always curious about Chai’s line in original game that Lan Di hates Yunda Zhu. It’s never explicitly explained why. Because he may know more about his father’s death? That he may have stolen some secrets related to his martial arts style and wrote the Wulinshu? Who is to say…

 

[jurassicriveria]

So I was watching @BlueMue excellent summary video of the DLC and I may have misspoke.

It appears there’s some throwaway lines related to Zhu’s organization which I assume is 5 star corporation (Didn’t it go bankrupt in Shenmue 2?) and rival faction that the former member wanted to create.

I was always curious about Chai’s line in original game that Lan Di hates Yunda Zhu. It’s never explicitly explained why. Because he may know more about his father’s death? That he may have stolen some secrets related to his martial arts style and wrote the Wulinshu? Who is to say…

That and much more all to be revealed in the next action packed episode of Dragonball Z!!! (outro music)

 

[Reprise]

A really interesting read, thanks switch. I really enjoyed your analysis. There was a lot of information in the article I hadn't really considered or wasn't aware of (like those edited scenes concerning the chi you men's motivations).

I would also like to know what impact the stuff we learn in Shenmue 3 has on these theories too.

 

[Switch]

It appears there’s some throwaway lines related to Zhu’s organization which I assume is 5 star corporation (Didn’t it go bankrupt in Shenmue 2?) and rival faction that the former member wanted to create.

That's an interesting comment from Wei in the DLC on the reason he created the Blue Spiders gang ("I wanted to start my own organization! I wanted to be like Zhu! I'm not like you! I'll never be satisfied unless I'm on top!"). I agree that this presumably refers to 5 Star Corporation. As you say, Joy does mention to Ryo in Shenmue II that she heard it went bankrupt, although that may be speculation from the locals after Zhu closed it up and went into hiding.

I was always curious about Chai’s line in original game that Lan Di hates Yunda Zhu. It’s never explicitly explained why. Because he may know more about his father’s death? That he may have stolen some secrets related to his martial arts style and wrote the Wulinshu? Who is to say…

There's definitely a lot of mystery surrounding Zhu and his relationships with others. Since Chai mentions Lan Di specifically rather than the Chi You Men in general, then perhaps it is a personal grudge with Lan Di growing up blaming his father's death on both Zhu and Iwao.

 

[Switch]

I came across this unused model of Zhu's letter to Iwao on the game disc which contains the same content as the one used in the final game, but it doesn't use a special font and is not mirrored. I guess it may have been used as a placeholder during an earlier development stage. I've added mention of it to the blog post.