SPOILERS Shenmue The Animation Episode 8 "Aspiration" Thread

Surprised to see Eileen. Thought she would've been cut. Since she's in I hope Izumi makes an appearance.
 
Lan Di-sama said:
Wow, loving the extra characterization we see with Joy and Wong and what a pleasant surprise that Eileen wasn't cut. Maybe they work her into a Wude somehow and cut out Zhangyu?
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I think I’d prefer the scene with Zhangyu myself, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being the direction they take. Given the time constraints, that’s the only reason I can see for her inclusion.
 
I enjoyed seeing Eileen and Izumi. It was a good episode. I am worried though that they won't be able to show Kowloon to its full extent, since we have 5 episodes left
 
The real strength of the anime continues to be its supporting characters. Contrary to what the previews might indicated it's not Eileen who gets the most character development. Or even Izum for that matter, although I'm pleased she appears at all. No, the real winner this time is clearly Fangmei; having her follow Ryo around (even unseen by the over characters) really helped with her own character development. Fangmei didn't so much grow as a character but at least her better understanding of Ryo's motivations gives her more depth then she ever did in the game.

Also, another thing I like is the anime's sense of nostalgia for old Hong Kong, that world that is slowly disappearing with all the modern development and the looming change represented by the British handover. Shenmue II always felt like a love letter to this point in time but never went out of the way to explicit say as much unlike the anime. There is much to be said for the maxim 'show don't tell' but here I think its warranted to have characters literally talk about the rapid changes overtaking Hong Kong, it is their world after all.
 
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What the hell have I been wearing my Tomato Convenience Store t-shirt every week for? Unacceptable. I'm done with this garbage show. :tonguewink:

Anyway. I love this anime folks. They are getting Xiuying so so right. I can't say enough to properly articulate how they are going further than I ever imagined with her.

Fangmei is feistier to Ryo in the anime than in the game but she still feels true to the character. Dig her.

And an IZUMI cameo?! This is just straight up bait for me now.

It's becoming quite clear how much more the creators care for Shenmue II's narrative over Shenmue I considering how slow they're taking things in Hong Kong. While I'm concerned that the general audience may feel like this is dragging, for me the things they are doing with Xiuying, Fangmei and Joy make this an utter delight for me.
 
Fangmei has depth in the games too, you just have to find it yourself. Which I like lol.
I really like this portrayal though, they've done a great service to hong kongs characters so far!
 
I feel like Shenmue I needed to hook the new audience, the beginning of Shenmue II needs to be a bit of a slow roast, with the epic payoff that will be Kowloon and the showdown with Dou Niu and the Yellow Heads.

Also...LOVE how they have done the Shenmue II and III bad endings!
 
Going to be "that guy" and say I prefer Fangmei's personality in the games over her sassier anime personality--it just seems a little "cliché teen anime girl". I felt in the game she broke that mold, even if you you needed to do some digging to get the cutscenes and interactions. Just my own tastes there!

That said, great episode overall. Pleasantly surprised to see Eileen and Izuma, however briefly. I really like how they've fleshed out some of the secondary characters, like Zongquan and Hanhui, or how we've taken some time away from Ryo to peak at other characters, like Xiuying and Fangmei as they interact. Even Ryo has a bit more personality without breaking too much from his stoic self.

As silly as it might sound to those who aren't fans of the game, I'm excited to see chawan signs, just because... chawan signs.

Anyway, far more pleased by this series than I expected. I love the loyalty to the games, partly because friends and family who have heard me talk about Shenmue for 20+ years are finally getting to actually see and appreciate it, even if in abbreviated form!
 
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