Welcome to my Shenmue anime Analysis, this time for EP6 Dignified, this Analysis will have SPOILERS of the anime and the games. The episode begin with Ryo on the boat looking at the photo of Iwao with Sunming Zhao, he starts to remember a lot of things that happened in the Yokosuka arc and then touched the plaster, was a nice detail to show a lot of things that happened in the previous episodes.
Hong Kong
Ryo gets off the boat and remembers the conversation he had with Master Chen about him introducing someone who can help Ryo in Hong Kong, that someone is Master Lishao Tao, after that Joy appears with her motorcycle at great speed and yelled Ryo to move, Ryo move and Joy asks if Ryo is a foreigner, Ryo says he came from Japan, Joy comments that he seems to understand Cantonese, these detail about Cantonese is really nice and add even more to the experience in my opinion. Joy explains that if Ryo hangs around in Hong Kong he’ll get run over, so at least for Ryo to be careful and watch out for pickpockets, after that she leaves on a motorcycle.
In the next scene we see Ryo walking down the streets of Aberdeen, Ryo is searching for Yan Tin apartaments, the place where Lishao Tao lives, Ryo sees Wong running and asking for Ryo to help him because thugs are threaten him. Ryo say “New Town in a new country, but the same old pieces of trash” and then he put his bag on the ground and prepare to take them down them but Wong take Ryo’s bag and passed the bag to the other thief and they start to run away, Ryo learned that everything was a setup to robbed him.
Ryo tries to run to retrieve his bag but he lost sight of them, this scene made me remind the QTEs parts in the game, really nice detail. Ryo go to the police of Hong Kong but the policeman said that pickpockter and theft are common fare for folks in Hong Kong, he asked how money Ryo lost, and Ryo answer that his cash and valuables are in his pocket, the policeman said that this is great news and that looks like Ryo know Cantonese to get around, and that they will get in touch if they have any luck finding Ryo’s stuff, again another character noticing that Ryo is able to speak Cantonese a little, these details are beautiful, something that don’t have in the games, i appreciate these details.
The police asked where Ryo is staying, Ryo say that he haven’t decided yet, the policeman said for Ryo to come back when Ryo figured that out, another nice detail that Ryo tried to go to the police first. Ryo tried to find a place but the hotels he went don’t have rooms available.
Ryo noticed that at least he have with him the Phoenix Mirror and the introduction letter for Lishao Tao, Ryo asked one person for information and then Ryo walks till he arrive in Lotus park, there he see Jiamin Tao practing Tai Chi. Jiamin Tao tries to talk with Ryo and asked if he can speak Cantonese, Ryo said a little, one more characters noticing that Ryo speak Cantonese a little, i love these details.
Tao asked if Ryo is experienced in martial arts, Ryo replied that he is just looking for someone, then Tao said that sometimes the best method to find someone is to simply stop looking, and he said he want to spar with Ryo, Ryo thought that Tai Chi wasn’t for fighting, Tao said enough of talk, for Ryo to take his best shot and spar with him. Tao bested him and the introduction letter for Lishao Tao fall on the ground, Jiamin Tao pick the letter and then gave it to Ryo, he asked if Tao know where the Yan Tin Apartments in the South Carmain Quarter are.
Jiamin Tao explained that’s easy, he just need to head out to that street and folow it down a ways. Ryo thanked him and ran away, Tao doesn’t undertand why the hurry, that he didn’t have a chance to ask what Style Ryo uses. Ryo enter in the Yan Ti Apartments and found the place he was looking for, then Guanxing Lee appears, she first thought Ryo was someone bad but after that she understood that he is tourist and said this is not a place for a tourist. Ryo explained that he is not a tourist, that he is there to meet with Lishao Tao. Lee say that Lishao Tao is not someone that a tourist like Ryo can meet. Ryo ask if she knows Lishao Tao and she said that Lishao Tao doesn’t live there anymore, Ryo ask where she could find this person, then Lee say… “Go to Man Mo Temple.” Ryo go to Man Mo temple, the temple is beautiful just like in the game, inside the temple he sees a woman and looks stunned by her.
She turns around and Ryo say to her that he is looking for someone named Lishao Tao, if she know him, she just say that she is only there to pray, she apologized for Ryo and leave. Hanhui Liu, a monk working in the temple asked if Ryo wish to meet with Master Lishao Tao, Ryo showed the introduction letter for him but he said that this alone is not enough to get Ryo a meeting with Master Tao. Ryo want to know what should he do, the monk replied that he must not rush, When the time is right, what will be, will be… Ryo go outside and see the woman again, she ask if he found the person he was looking, Ryo say no and asked what brought her to the Man Mo Temple. The woman explained that there is a wish she would like granted.
That she have long come there to pray for it. She continues and say that Ryo also seem to have a wish, Ryo asked how did she knew about that, she say that Ryo have been consume by his desire, becoming blind to what stands before him, that this is what his eyes tell her, and that perhaps the more he continue to search, the more he will lose sight of what really matters. She said all of this things to Ryo and then leave, after that we see Ryo serious touching his plaster. Xiuying already noticed that Ryo want revenge and i love everything that she said, i love this scene and the Man Mo temple is beautiful.
In the next scene we see Ryo back again in the Lotus Park talking with Jiamin Tao, Tao say that he never imagined that Ryo would be looking for Master Lishao Tao, and asked if Ryo is in some sort of trouble, Ryo didn’t replied, then Tao said he shall offer Ryo a hint and showed for him the Iron Palm that covered the ground in leaves.
Tao explained that to unleash the full strength in a single strike by channeling it through his arms and legs, for Ryo to practice that technique by striking this flame tree, and when Ryo become good enough to cover the ground in leaves, then he shall tell Ryo the hint he just mentioned.
Ryo tried but only one leaf fell, he asked if he have to cover the whole ground, Tao laughed and the scene ended. I love these scenes with Jiamin Tao, very beautiful, the essence of Shenmue is in the anime.
In the next we see Joy in the motorcycle, she saw Wong and decided to talk with him, asked what’s Wong up to, she said for Wong to don’t come crying to her if the cops bust him while his loafing around like this, Wong said for Joy to just shove off, Joy asked whats got Wong so pissy, Wong explained that they pulled off a smooth swipe on a mark, but all of his stuff was worthless junk, that this was a total waste of time and energy. Joy said she didn’t realize there were still people left in Aberdeen stupid enough to fall for Wong’s tricks, then Wong said he was a Japanese tourist. I love these scene with Wong and Joy.
Back to Lotus Park we see that Ryo continues to try the Iron Palm but with the same result, then Ryo asked for Tao if there is just some trick to it that he is not getting.
Tao explained that the Key is to practice kung-fu on top of even more kung-fu, that there is no need to rush, that Ryo will master it in due course. Ryo say he don’t have that kind of time, Tao say… “Oh? you thought it would be easier? Like fixing a cup of instant noodles?” Ryo replied no, that there is a reason that he must meet with Master Lishao Tao as soon as possible, that he can’t waste precious time. Jiamin Tao say that perhabs it would be better if Ryo relied on someone else for help then, that in Hong Kong Ryo will find no martial arts that are equivalent to instant noodles, that other techniques may have come to Ryo quickly in the past, but that Ryo will not be so fortunate in Hong Kong, Jiamin Tao said all of this things and leave. I love how Jiamin Tao teached Ryo here, i love every scene with Tao in this episode, beautiful.
In this moment Ryo remember about the time he trained with his father in the Dojo, and how the training was not something faster, that he had to practice the same move many times for years, Ryo reflected about that and decided to continue trying the Iron Pall in the tree.
In the next scene we see that it is night time, we see Ryo walking in Aberdeen and thinking that he need to find a place to stay, at this time Ryo was confronted by two mans calling themselves the Poison Brothers, they wanted for Ryo to give money to them but Ryo refused, then one of them tried to punch Ryo but Ryo used his cantonese study book to help block the attack.
The punch destroyed the book, will Ryo buy another Cantonese study book or not? After that the other man tried to kick Ryo but Ryo was able to block the kick, that fight was getting intense when… when Joy appears to stop the fight, the duo know Joy and said for her that they will let her off the hook for today, they left the place.
Joy asked what happened to Ryo’s bag, Ryo explained the situation that his bag was stolen, that there were four of them, one was a kid. Joy noticed that Ryo met Wong, Ryo want to know where is Wong but Joy say that she don’t know, that even if she did know, she wouldn’t say, that Ryo is a tough guy and Wong is just a kid. That Wong is an orphan, who never met his own parents, that his only doing what he needs to survive. The scene is nice and i hope we can see more about Wong’s story in the anime, this way expanding more the Shenmue story.
Joy explained more about Hong Kong that the U.Ks handover of Hong Kong is right around the corner, that nobody knows what the futures gonna be like, that kids like Wong aren’t the only ones. Everybody is doing what they can just to scrape by, and no one looks out for others in Hong Kong, so they all have to look out for themselves, even when someone catch a bad break.
After Joy said all of this a flashback appear about when Joy was a child, she was crying near a man that probably is her father, the flashback ended and Joy continued saying that if someone get screwed on a raw deal, they just gotta accept it, that’s the law of the land, but that she bet this doesn’t make much sense to a tourist like Ryo, but that’s the kind of town Ryo ended up in.
Ryo say he understand but that is not a tourist, then Joy ask if Ryo got a place to stay, Ryo respond that he will sleep outside if he have to, after that Joy say she will do Ryo a favor. Joy finds a place for Ryo to stay, the Come Over Guest house, Joy say for Ryo to say inside that she send him and that he will get a discount, Ryo is grateful for that and thanked her.
Ryo enter The Come Over Guest house and we see Ren Dan, another NPC from the game, he said no vacancies and then Ryo said that Joy sent him, Ren Dan picked the key and threw it for Ryo. Ryo enter in the room and open the window, he sees that Joy still outside, then Ryo tell his full name for Joy, after that Joy leaves. In the next scene we see Shenhua in Bailu Village. She is happy to see that the tree is already budding. The scene with Shenhua was short but it was a nice detail about the Shenmue tree, and i really feel we will see the Gulin part of Ryo with Shenhua in the anime. The anime began with the cave scene so i think the anime will end in the cave scene as well.
Meanwhile
In the next scene we see Ryo continue his training of the Iron Palm in the tree. Jiamin Tao is there, he thought Ryo would quit. This time Ryo made a little progress and Tao noticed that Ryo is getting the hang of it, then Ryo asked what he call this particular form of martial arts, Tao said Chen-style Tai Chi. Ryo didn’t imagined Tai
Chi could be used to attack, Tao explained that Tai Chi is different, that Tai Chi starts out gentle and develops into force, that people think that Tai chi lacks force because it is gentle, but that in fact, it is a union of both gentleness and force.
Ryo understood this wrong but Tao explained that the true purpose of martial arts has nothing to do with blindly inflicting harm upon others, Ryo learned in this moment with Tao and decided to talk with Joy again, he wants to know where Wong is, he wants to retrieve his bag and promised for Joy that he will not harm Wong and the others.
In the next scene we see Wong in Pigeon Park, Wong is watching a father play with his son, Ryo appears and then Wong starts to run away, Ryo say he wants his bag back, this was another scene that made me remind about the QTE scenes in the game, really nice detail.
Wong continue ro run and this leads him back to the three gang members that helped him in the begining of the episode. A fight begin but Ryo uses the Iron Palm to scare them, he kept his promise and didn’t hurt them, after that Wong agreed about giving the bag back to Ryo.
Ryo go to where Wong lives and Wong said there wasn’t anything that looked like it could be hocked for cash, that he didn’t saw that much and for Ryo don’t tell the cops. Ryo say that all he wanted was to get his bag back, for Wong to be careful about who he steal from next time. Wong is surprised and even admired but what Ryo said.
In the next scene Ryo is back in the Lotus Park, he tries one more time the Iron Palm in the tree, this time he managed to cover the ground with many leaves and Tao was impressed by what he saw.
Tao say that he was right about Ryo, that Ryo diligence in life has given him mastery of a Wude, Ryo question “Wude?” Tao say… “Train yourself each and every day without neglect. That is one of the Wude known as Gon.” When Tao said that the kanji of Gon appeared and was really nice touch in this scene.
Jiamin Tao explained that Master Lishao Tao has no qualm meeting those who understand the virtue of martial arts, that Ryo will surely be granted an audience with Master Lishao Tao. Ryo say that he never answered Tao’s question before about what Style Ryo’s practice, Ryo say that he practice Jujutsu, Hazuki Style, Tao doesn’t know that and Ryo explained that
is his father’s style, that his father spent countless days of hard training, to creat this style himself, that then he passed it down to Ryo, then Jiamin Tao said that this is a precious gift.
Like i said other time, i love every scene with Jiamin Tao in this episode, Ryo learned many things with Tao and the pacing is very good about that.
After that we see Ryo encountering Joy again, she said she heard about what happened, that Ryo really didn’t lay a single finger on them, Joy thanked him but Ryo say that this is nothing that deserves thanks. Joy say that if Ryo is not a tourist then why he is Hong Kong? Ryo say that he is there to learn the truth, that if the law of the land there is to just accept whenever someone given a raw deal, that then he can’t abide by that until he accomplished his goal, that Ryo came to Hong Kong to make that happen.
While Ryo said that Lan Di appeared really fast in a place that is probably Niaowu, to me it is an easter egg about Shenmue III and it is a beautiful detail.
In the next scene we see Ryo in the Man Mo temple, he say for the Monk about the Wude Gon, the Monk now know that Ryo learned about the Wude, then Ryo say that he will visit the temple every day, until Master Lishao Tao agree to meet with him, the Monk question Ryo about what will happen if he meet the master, Ryo explained about Yuanda Zhu, that he is searching for him, and that Lishao Tao is the only person that can help him, the Monk ask why he seek Yuanda Zhu, Ryo explained that his father was killed, and that Yuanda Zhu may know the truth behind his
murder.
In this moment the same woman from the other scenes appeared but in a blue outfit, she asked Ryo if this is what his father would have wished for him, that one day he will be led astray if he continue down this path. Ryo said that he wasn’t talking to her, that this conversation is between him and the monk, the monk said for Ryo to stop and to not be rude and he called her Master Xiuying.
Master Xiuying then revelead that she is who Ryo seek, that she is Lishao Tao, after that we see a plane passing that remind me of a similar scene the game, nice detail.
After that we see Wong with the gang inside a place but we see a new character, this character is Ren Wuying, Ren was talking about Ryo, that Ryo sounds like he is no ordinary tourist, that things are about to get interesting, then the episode ends.
What can we expect to see in the next episode?
In my opinion we will probably see Xiuying saying for Ryo to go back to Japan, that she can not help him, maybe this episode will focus about learning the other Wude, i think is possible that we will see that and only after Ryo learn the 4 Wude i think Xiuying will accept Ryo in relation to help him in some way.
I think in this episode we will see more about Joy and Wong, maybe more about Joy’s past, maybe we will even see Guizhang again in a flashback of Joy just like chapter 1 of the manga side story.
I feel that the anime will expand more about these characters and i really want to know more about them, Ren will probably appear more in this episode and maybe we will even see Ryo fighting with him. I really hope that Fangmei appear in the next episode, if the anime cut out Fangmei i will really not understand this cut, it will be sad for me so i hope we see her in the next episode.
So in a few words, i think the next episode will focus on Ryo searching and investigating so he can learn the remaining of the 4 Wude so Xiuying can accept him, he will probably meet Fangmei, i think he will meet Ren and maybe a fight will happen, maybe we will learn more about Wong, about Joy, maybe we will see more scenes with Shenhua, and scenes with Lan Di in his search for Yuanda Zhu. Would be nice if we see some things about Xiuying and Ziming in this episode, i really hope the anime expand this part of the story, and maybe we will even see Ziming and Niao Sun just like in the manga side story, it is not impossibel, i really hope that we will see this characters in the anime, this way expanding even more the Shenmue story.
What NPCs you want to see in the next episode?
I want to see Guixiang Lee, Zhoushan Xuan, Zhangyu Kong, Ren, Joy, Wong, Xiuying, Hanhui Liu, Shenhua, Lan Di, Ziming, Niao Sun
Fangmei and many others. What NPCs you want to see in the next episode?
Final Thoughts
Beautiful episode. Was really nice to see Ryo with the Cantonese study book in a lot of parts of the episode when talking with some characters, for us Ryo is talking in japanese, Shenmue is made in Japan so the language of the anime is japanese, but it feels like in the story he is speaking cantonese with the help of this book, even in the Yokosuka arc i saw Ryo with this book sometimes, really felt to me like he is studying Cantonese and talking in Cantonese in this part of the story, but for obvious reasons Ryo is talking in japanese for us.
This is what i feel the anime team tried to show with this episode in relation to this, Joy noticed that Ryo know some Cantonese, the policeman noticed that Ryo know enough Cantonese to get around, and when Tao asked for Ryo if he speak Cantonese Ryo said a little, i really enjoy these details in this episode, something that don’t have in the games and i really appreciate these type of details.
The anime team are doing a beautiful job in creating Hong Kong in the anime. Yokosuka is Ryo’s hometown, a more calm and secure city for him where he knows the city and many people, in Hong Kong is not like that, Hong Kong to me in the game have an adventure feel where Ryo is in a foreign country that he doesn’t know many things, a different city and the anime team so far did a beautiful job in relation to this.
Looks like the anime team will expand Wong and Joy in the anime, i love every scene with them, and i love how Joy in
this episode shows how much she care about Wong and even about Ryo, Joy wants to protect the people dear to her.
In this episode we even saw a fast flashback of Joy’s past, she was crying, this made me remember of chapter 1 of the
manga side story, i hope in the next episodes we see more about Joy’s story, this way expanding even more the Shenmue
story, maybe she was crying because her mother died, i don’t know, something like that, this don’t have in the game
so i don’t know, would be nice if we see more about Wong as well.
I love all the scenes of Ryo with Jiamin Tao, Ryo learned many things with Jiamin Tao in this episode, he learned more
about Tai Chi, he learned the Iron Palm and the pace about this was really good, during the episode we saw Ryo
training many times, was not something fast and i love how Jiamin Tao teached Ryo about this things saying about
instant noodles, that Ryo have learned other techiniques faster in the past, but this is not how it works in Hong
Kong, these parts are so beautiful. I thought the pace was okay about these things, he learned that the true purpose
of martial arts has nothing to do with blindly harm upon others, and he learned the wude Gon, and i love how the
Kanji appear when Tao said about it, Ryo will probably learn one more Wude or all the others in the next episode.
The scene with Shenhua was short but it was a nice detail about the Shenmue tree, i hope Shenhua appear in the next
episode. Was nice seeing Lan Di, it was fast but it looks like he was in Niaowu, the place looks like the fortified
castle in Niaowu, was a nice easter egg about Shenmue III. The scene with Guixiang Lee was nice, it was nice that she
was the one that gave the clue about the Man Mo Temple.
The Man Mo temple is beautiful just like in the game, Lotus Park and Pigeon Park as well, like i said the anime team did a beautiful job with the places in Hong Kong.
Xiuying in this episode is amazing just like in the game. i love that we can see her with her 2 clothes just like in the game. In this episode Xiuying said to Ryo… “You have been consumed by your desire, becoming blind to what stands before you. This is what your eyes tell me. Perhaps the more you continue to search, the more you lose sight of what really matters.”
To me it is clear that she already noticed that Ryo really want revenge, Yamagishi-san noticed that in the Yokosuka arc and now Xiuying, after that Ryo even touched the plaster. and in the ending of the episode she said… “You will one day be led astray if you continue this path you are now.”
I think it would be nice if at least one time in the the next episode Ryo admit for Xiuying that he wants revenge and this way she will remember even more about Ziming.
To me was not an issue that this scene is with the credits, maybe in the beginning of the next episode we will even see this scene again in a different way, it is not impossible, all i know is that it was not an issue to me. Nice to see Ren in the ending, Ren will probably appear more in the next episode.
I have the games and i love the games but i really don’t want the exact same experience with the anime, watching the anime it feels like home and nostalgic but also it feels new, it feels like i’m seeing the Shenmue story for the first time again and this is beautiful, the Shenmue essence is in the anime in my opinion.
Beautiful episode and so far beautiful adaptation. Next week i will come back for my Analysis of EP 7 Future, bye bye ~
