SPOILERS Shenmue The Animation Episode 6 "Dignified" Thread

[Tomato Convenience Store]

Here's my only beef. I didn't like that they overlaid the end credit theme on the reveal of Xiuying as Master Tao. I felt it undercut what should've been a bigger moment. I get that it probably had more to do that the show had 23 minutes because of the broadcast and they were trying to stuff as much as they could within the episode. However all of Xiuying's scenes mean a lot to me so of course I'll be more of a purist regarding her appearances.

I agree with this. I think they would've had to cut something else to get more time for this moment and there's nothing too obvious I can think of. Perhaps they could have saved it for the beginning of next episode and ended with the Ren cliffhanger, but I'm not sure it would have the same impact.

I was a little worried they cut the Wude entirely, but the emphasis that was given to Gon has me thinking that Ryo will learn of them throughout the rest of his time in Hong Kong, but perhaps in different ways?

I was thinking this same thing. It seems he needed to know of 1 to "get an audience", but I imagine the other 3 might be interjected throughout the rest of the season. I think this would work a lot better than if Ryo just learned about the 4 Wude in succession, it can be weaved into events in the story and tie into his training.

And for all you folks who wanted extended training session scenes, there you go. I actually liked how they spread out the training across multiple days to learn "Gon", it seemed to better reinforce the lesson of that Wude. Perhaps a reason a lot of the training scenes were reduced in S1 is to emphasize the new focus on training in S2 and it would get tiresome to spend 5 minutes to learn a new move every episode.

 

[orient]

Great episode! So many great recreations of famous Shenmue II scenes like the Wong chase QTE and arriving at the Come Over Guest House.

I don't see why they'd emphasise GON and mention there are other wude if they weren't going to include them all. Having Ryo uncover wude "along the way" makes for a smart narrative framework, imo.

S2 is definitely easier to convert into anime form due to its more traditional Hong Kong action movie formula. You get the benefit of all the good stuff (plot, characters) without the boring parts (basically anything to do with earning money, following people around, etc.).

 

[Kazlab208]

Really liked this episode and was a great way to introduce Hong Kong. Kind of let down that the lost boat chapter was not adapted but hoping they will cover some cut content from Shenmue 2 down the road. Looking forward to the introduction of Ren in the next episode!

 

[Araviel]

That was perfection. Loved every minute.

More invested in II (fav) and now there’s no worries on my part. Convinced they’ll keep introducing the other wude as Ryo keeps learning, makes sense and really in line with learning new moves etc, classic story telling.

Very smart to let the Iron Palm learning breathe like that over time and allowed for some very heartwarming reflection back on Iwao. Seems father is a theme throughout, with Wongs story too. Found it very touching. Clever having Joy as some kind of city narrator, gives credibility to her character as someone who knows everybody’s business and is actually caring. Hope we get to see her fleshed out more, seems like it judging by that short scene.

Wish the final scene didn’t have the ending on top of it, but I get the time constraints. Xiuying herself is great, love her animation and voice actor. Hanhui is also very well done. Seems Xiuying is poking at Ryo already, making it clear to the audience that yeah Ryo wants the truth but he’s also keen on revenge. With this pacing we might get a lot more on Ziming from Xiuying, fingers crossed!

Thrilled to have a peak at Ren so early, newcomers will think it’s another Terry type as the shadow set up is the same, much like it felt when playing for the first time “oh here’s a new street gang boss”.

Very happy with this lot. Feels fresh, a different pace from Yokosuka, just like in the games. They showcased HK as a large, somewhat impersonal city excellent. Was hoping they would adjust the opening animation but maybe that’ll be next week (or not at all, keep people remembering Nozomi). Bet they’ll change the ending animation in any case, hope they don’t continue to have story beneath although it got us an extra two minutes.

 

[WuyingRen]

I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I didn’t enjoy this episode quite as much as some of the ones that came before it. Not a bad episode by any means (I’d give it an eight), but some of the changes made one or two of the key story beats feel kind of insignificant. I did like the scenes with Jianmin, but it pissed me off that they didn’t show him coat the floor with leaves with a single blow after Ryo leaves.

Oh. Also. The end credits were a mess. I get why they dropped the Nozomi-themed sequence, but had hoped that they’d replace it with a new Joy/Xiuying-themed version or something new rather than just slapping the credits and end theme over the action. The music didn’t match up with what was happening on screen at all, while the credits made reading the subtitles incredibly difficult.

 

[bcdcdude]

So this was an exciting episode for me, because in its own way it feels like a "Season 2". I'm not sure if it's being conditioned by the rapid pace of the first few episodes, but this episode simultaneously felt like it was whizzing past, but also in a controlled manner. Which is bloody impressive. I actually felt like I was learning something as someone who often runs to stand still.

I really enjoyed how they shuffled some things around and added a little bit of depth to make some things make sense. For example, his money and the Phoenix Mirror wasn't stolen this time around (so no crate carrying sadly!) and the use of non-force to get his bag back was really rather brilliant. I really liked the training scene as a metaphor for slowing down and taking your time. And i'm impressed with how quickly the wude was introduced (do you think it'll be one next episode, maybe two?)

It's been so long since i've played the Dreamcast version, but do you think the episode has done disc 1 already (if not, it must be pretty close). Again, it's impressive, because although I think it's sometimes going too quickly, the amount of stuff they've crammed in and it not feeling like too much has been cut out. I think we got the Poison brothers, Ren's gang, Joy, the Tai-chi master (sorry, can never remember his name), Xiuying, the temple master (again, name escapes me) - all within 23 minutes. Nice to see the end theme give us a little more story too.

One thing I never even thought about in 1987 was that Hong Kong was owned by the UK at the time, so the mention of that was a nice reminder. I wonder what Joy's flashback was too (it was very fleeting). Speaking of which, one thing I never really liked about the games was how cold Ryo was to Joy (I accepted it as part of his need for revenge), so I must admit I do like the friendlier anime Ryo (if he was like in the games, I think a lot of people might be turned off by the anime).

I'm still a bit confused why the Japanese version hasn't been shown yet, but I guess the announcement of the Japanese cast for Joy, Ren etc days before the episode was screened for the rest of the world was no coincidence.

So yeah, excellent stuff as always (although I miss Nozomi already).

EDIT: I forgot that Xiuying is introduced as Lishao Tao *after* learning the 4 Wude, so yeah, perhaps learning the remaining wude via flashback might work.

EDIT 2: Forgot to say that some shots of Hong Kong gave me Ghost in the Shell vibes. Most impressive!

 

[Spaghetti]

Easily knocked episode 4 off the top spot as my favourite episode, wow.

Plenty of meaty story stuff laid down that'll pay off in the rest of the season's run, I expect. I'm presuming the Four Wude will be something Ryo learns progressively over the next few episodes rather than all in one go, which makes sense for his arc in the wider context of an anime adaptation vs a video game quest.

Hopefully general audiences found it as satisfying as I did!

 

[Down by Law]

Terrific episode. Guess I'm in the minority that I liked the use of the ending credits to tell more story. That's going to add up to around 20 minutes of extra plot over the next 8 episodes, rather than me just turning it off as the credits roll.

Really liked how they created the pan up from shoes shot of Ryo getting off the boat. Loved how they handled Joy , Jianmin and even the old lady from the Apartments (Yan Tin?) was spot on . Ryo shouting his name to Joy out the window was such a nice character touch, as was him proving Jianmin wrong by being back at the tree the next day. The big emphasis on the Wude filling the screen tells me Ryo will learn all 4 during his time in Hong Kong . He'll probably pick up another during the spar with Xiuying.

Liked the shot of the plane too - the opening credits showing the overhead shot will probably appear next week too

Excited for the next episode!

 

[bcdcdude]

My favourite review of episode 6 so far:

 

[orient]

Yeah, I mean, having the credits play over that scene was clearly not ideal, but if you view it as them cramming in as much stuff as possible into these S2 episodes then it's a lot easier to forgive. And if you've watched a decent amount of anime you're used to it anyway.

 

[Down by Law]

Oh man, how could I miss out my truly fave part of this episode? The fact that Ryo didn't just smash Cool Z and co's faces in - not only as he promised Joy, but he also used what he learned from Jianmin - using a gentle, flow style using their own weight against them without actually striking them himself. The fact he scared then with the Iron Palm stopping short of their faces is a terrific way of showing, not telling that he took all of Jianmin's teaching on board .

 

[hazuki00]

Am I the only one who thinks the chapters are getting shorter and shorter when the credits appear?

I can't say anything except I loved it! Obviously the anime is more dynamic than the game but even with that they manage to include most important parts from the game. However, as some dojo mates have already said, I was expecting them to include some minutes (or scenes) in the ship with Chai and the little girl. I suppose it wasn't an important part if Yu removed from the game and didn't include here.

Some have said that maybe they should have shorten a bit the Yokosuka part because Shenmue 2 is greater and they can put more scenes but to be honest I love Shenmue 1, its familiar atmosphere, the characters, the music, Nozomi... I think they made the correct decission.

I wonder If they will include the Shenmue 3 part in this season or leave it for the second. Shenmue 2 has enough material to fill 10 episodes for itself.

I hope this marvelous anime has the success it deserves and they can keep on doing more!

 

[Jibby]

Wow!! This is everything I wanted from the start of Shenmue II's arc and more. Really love the rendition of Hong Kong they've gone with. It has a different vibe from the games, but I don't mind that one bit. I also like that they're wasting no time introducing the strong supporting cast, especially Ren. The fact that they've made Ryo a target for Ren this time instead of the other way round is a twist, but it definitely makes sense in the context. I'm curious to see how that plays out!

The way they're handling the Wude is also interesting. Drip feeding them to us throughout the journey is something I never considered, but I can see how it would make a good plot device for when Ryo runs into a blocker that only be resolved by learning a Wude.

Overall, this was my favourite episode by far. Next week can't come soon enough!

 

[Reprise]

Joy's still hot as fuck.

Edit: No, but seriously, the episode is good. Makes me want to get out Shenmue 2 and have yet another playthrough.

 

[Nictac]

Nice. Love the episode. Love how they had Joy give input on Wong's background and Hong Kong even.

Also they managed to put revenge on the menu with these lines from Joy.


Ryo was angry when he went back to Man Mo temple.

Spoiler: Ryo's response to Joy

He's had that on his mind ever since she said it.
Revenge is back on track(woo!). Even though he keeps masking it with "finding the truth about his father".
Much less subtle than in the game. I wonder if there will be a point where he does fully say he wants revenge.

Also I'm hoping we get a lot more Xiuying now that she's introduced.

Joy's still hot as fuck.

Agreed

 

[KiddMarine]

Near perfect adaptation of the greatest video game of all time. They've absolutely done it justice.

 

[Obi_Frans]

SH2 is my second favorite game of all time so I am heavily biased when I say this - but this was easily my favorite episode so far. And I've said that a few times already now, but wow this was perfect to me.

From the pacing to the action to the dialogue - it all landed. I do think SH2 lends itself to adaptation a bit more, so perhaps the pacing doesn't stand out as much.

6 for 6, a hellova run for this series.

And our second SH3 callback (call-forward?)!

 

[WuyingRen]

Yeah, I mean, having the credits play over that scene was clearly not ideal, but if you view it as them cramming in as much stuff as possible into these S2 episodes then it's a lot easier to forgive. And if you've watched a decent amount of anime you're used to it anyway.

Funnily enough, as I sat through the intro sequence this week debating whether or not I should just skip through it to get to the actual episode, I found myself wondering how much time was wasted by having a two minute odd intro rather than just a short title card. Over thirteen episodes, I dare say they could have squeezed in an extra episode’s worth of content, so perhaps that would have been a better approach if they were really stuck for time (even if just a few episodes used the short intro).

Either way, the execution of the end credits in this week’s episode felt lazy and really diminished the impact of the Lishao Tao reveal. Granted, it was fairly obvious anyway (more so in the anime than in the game), but I’dve still liked to have seen them do it justice rather than cramming it in in such a bizarre and disjointed manner.

 

[danielmann861]

Okay...I just watched it. I'm very late to the party this week. Was at the hospital all afternoon...I'm okay. But my Dad was taken in ill. He's mostly okay...nothing life threatening but we were in the hospital for most of the afternoon so I didn't get a chance to watch it when it dropped.

Anyways, just watched it.

Might be my favorite episode yet.

- Clearing the tree of the leaves...absolutely beautiful. God I hope the catching the leaf scene remains with Xiuying.

- Speaking of Xiuying....she looks so damn good in Anime form! That was the reveal I've been waiting for and outside of the actual true reveal happening in the closing credits...I enjoyed every moment of Xiuying's screen presence in this episode.

- I really like that they gave Wong a bit more of a backstory through Joy. I liked Joy a lot. I liked seeing the gang.

- Using the Tai Chi while fighting the gang as to not lay a finger on any of them was an inspired touch. That's a really cool implementation of that method in the anime and I really liked it!

- Hong Kong looks good!

- That brief hint of the Shenmue tree entering blooming season!

- Also, the brief tease of Lan Di in the castle took me by surprise

- Learning Gon! I can't wait for the other WUDE to make their appearance

Yeah, I really loved this episode! Viva la Hong Kong!

Also, they really are sticking to this whole "seek the truth" thing. Yet Xiuying is still acting like he is taking the wrong path? I was listening to the Japanese dub. I didn't hear any of the keywords I know for "vengeance" in Japanese. I was wondering if it's a mistranslation. I have to wonder, what is up with this whole "I'll find the truth" element while downplaying the revenge element?

There seems to be a bit of disconnect there as we go further along. At first I thought it was Ryo playing up the act of "finding the truth" while harboring revenge in his heart. There seems to be hints of it there. Everytime he touches the band aid its a clear reminder of Lan Di...but the story is also playing up that whole "search for the truth" element a great deal so its hard to say what's really going on here.

 

[I Got Sriracha In My DNA]

@danielmann861 hope everything is ok with your Dad or for a fast recovery.

Also, they really are sticking to this whole "seek the truth" thing yet Xiuying is still acting like he is taking the wrong path?

Considering that both Yamagashi and now Xiuying can see the look in Ryo's eyes and tell that there's something else beyond the truth that's driving him, whether it's revenge or obsession, I think it's still in play that it will be revealed to the general audience via Xiuying that Ryo is letting vengeance drive him. Perhaps this version of Ryo doesn't even realize it yet.