Random Shenmue Thoughts

is this from 1999? because image 1, yu suzuki " future prospects" is depressing.
It is yes, around mid-1999.
Lengendary. Thank you so much. I will get these uploaded tomorrow.
You're welcome! I also have some old CVG magazines, so if I see anything not on the site already, i'll post them here too :)
 
Reading that review of the Japanese import, they don’t seem to have got very far in the game. On balance I think fair enough, given they were trying to play without understanding what anyone says. But it’s revealing that they thought the three discs included Ryo’s home town, the harbour and “an entire other city”. Presumably Hong Kong? Whoops.

Also, the fact they thought Fuku-san was Ryo’s brother is not unreasonable in the circumstances, but still amusing.
 
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Just finished the anime on my second watch through, and I loved it just as much as the first time! I forgot how many changes were in the final episode, and I think it adds a lot of payoff to the characters and story.

But what really got me was the end title where it inevitably says “The Story Goes On”. Just made me sad how often Shenmue fans have to see those words and hold out hope for something that might take years and years of waiting. Seeing all the support for the anime when it first released made me think that getting a season 2 would be easy, but apparently the Shenmue curse couldn’t keep away from the anime either. Well here’s hoping that 10 or 15 years down the line we get a continuation of the anime haha.
 
I was just thinking of the bad ending of the second game. If I'm correct, Lan Di's words have slightly different meanings in the dub and the original. This slight difference has quite an impact on the meaning of the dialogue, though.

In the dub, Lan Di says he will take Shenhua's power for the Chiyou, which could be interpreted as meaning the actual beast. In the original, however, I'm nearly certain he says 'take your power...for the Chiyoumen' (the organisation).

If you only played the dub and saw that ending, you would likely think it's confirmation that Chiyou exists and Lan Di plans to use Shenhua's powers to assist in some nefarious plan to awaken it or something. Whereas, in the original, taking her powers for the organization is a lot less shocking (at least to me).
 
I was just thinking of the bad ending of the second game. If I'm correct, Lan Di's words have slightly different meanings in the dub and the original. This slight difference has quite an impact on the meaning of the dialogue, though.

In the dub, Lan Di says he will take Shenhua's power for the Chiyou, which could be interpreted as meaning the actual beast. In the original, however, I'm nearly certain he says 'take your power...for the Chiyoumen' (the organisation).

If you only played the dub and saw that ending, you would likely think it's confirmation that Chiyou exists and Lan Di plans to use Shenhua's powers to assist in some nefarious plan to awaken it or something. Whereas, in the original, taking her powers for the organization is a lot less shocking (at least to me).
They really need someone who speaks both English and Japanese to work with ys net and keep the lore in line for both versions lol, or else stuff like this happens a lot
 
Hazuki garden. I believe that's sort of a test when you introduce someone to Shenmue in person.
If they explore the residence indoors they're caught for sure but its also normal they run by accident into Ine-san cutscene trigger and get ahead to the garden.
Now, if they rush into Yamanose streets the odds fall into not engaging with what Shenmue slow life is; but by my experience every new player who takes a pause at the residence outdoor, interacting with the pond, tree, the dojo elements... Odds 80/90% they're in.
 
Always reminds me of how much bleaker and melancholy the first game is compared to the 2nd one

If I recall in one of Suzuki’s talks or postmortems they have ‘feelings’ describing various beats of the Shenmue story and I vaguely recall Chapter 1 being described as “sorrow”. I think it’s very apt for the general feeling and theme of the first game.

Edit: It was actually "sadness" as seen here-

O9sqhoW.jpg
 
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