Anime / Shenmue

Shenmue (or known as Shenmue: The Animation) is a 2022 anime based on the video game series of the same name. The series is animated by Telecom Animation Film ^note  owned by TMS Entertainment who happens to be a subsidiary of Sega and has been since 2015 , directed by Chikara Sakurai and produced by the creator of the series, Yu Suzuki.

Crunchyroll is streaming the original Japanese version with subtitles outside of Japan, while in the US, it aired on [adult swim] via their Toonami block with an English dub produced by Sentai Filmworks. It aired 13 episodes beginning on February 6th, 2022, and ended on May 1st.

The game takes place in Yokosuka in 1986 where Ryo Hazuki hunts down Lan Di, the man responsible for killing his father in the Hazuki dojo while looking for the Phoenix Mirror.

From the streets of Yokosuka to British Hong Kong and mainland China, Ryo learns that the mirror is part of a larger scheme.

The website is here.

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This anime provides examples of:

• Action Dad: Ryo’s father Iwao, a martial arts master who fights against the Big Bad Lan Di to his last breath.
• Action Girl: Will anyone ever be able to share this trope with Xiuying?
• Actor Allusion: Luci Christian once again plays a redhead wearing jeans and a bikini top.
• Adaptational Attractiveness:
  • While Ryo in the games had a cute baby face that was indicative of his age, he looks like a handsome young man in the anime. As a Hunk, he even gets a Shirtless Scene or two, which arguably makes him Mr. Fanservice, and this has shocked some fans.
  • Frankly, the trope also applies to Lan Di, as his face was much more intimidating in the games. Here, his cold beauty is pronounced.
  • Add Guizhang to the list. If his fans weren’t already swooning, there’s no doubt they are now.
  • Mark originally had the Face of a Thug as he was slated to be a Mad Angels member in pre-development before his role was changed to a heroic one. His features have been softened for the anime and he is quite good-looking.
• Adaptational Badass:
  • A minor example, but Cool Z actually tries to kick Ryo when he tries to get his bag back, while in the games he was a defenseless Paper Tiger who ran whenever he was in danger.
  • Although Yuanda Zhu gets kidnapped offscreen here as well, he's shown to be quite capable of defending himself using his cane until Yuan breaks it with his knife.
  • Downplayed with Joy. She doesn't demonstrate any fighting ability in the games ^note Although Guizhang notes that he's never been able to beat her because she gets "catty", but here she's able to put one of the Yellow Head punks into a hold once he grabs her. However, she's quickly taken down by Baihu.
• Adaptation Deviation: While the anime is rather faithful to the games with some mild changes here and there, the season finale mixes things up a bit. Ryo actually fights Lan Di on the top of the Yellow Head building and loses, and the Chi You Men leader only leaves after Yuanda Zhu tells him that what he's looking for is in Guilin.
• Adaptation Distillation: Pretty obvious when you try to condense two multi-dozen hour video games into 13 episodes, a lot of the smaller story beats get skipped over or shortened. For example, Ryo sneaking into the warehouse in the games is cut out entirely, instead having Master Chen's men simply knocking out Ryo and bringing him inside right after he gets past the guard.
• Adaptation Dye-Job: Nozomi's light brown hair is based on her original concept art rather than the first game where it was a much darker shade.
• Adaptation Expansion: The anime expands more on the backstory of Ryo and the other characters. Joseph Chou said that Suzuki's involvement is to add backstory information that wasn't seen in the games.
  • In "Thunderclap", Ryo fights in a karate tournament with his classmates just to show that he's an experienced martial artist.
  • In "Shackles", Nozomi asks her grandmother about permanently relocating to Canada in order to be with her parents.
  • In "Comeback", Ren explains that the Yellow Heads were originally hired muscle for the White Thai, a syndicate that controlled all the casinos in Hong Kong, and rose to power after they betrayed them and assassinated a member of the head family, who happened to be Joy's mother.
  • In "Entangled", Joy confronts Ren about why he's helping Ryo, and deducts that it's because Ryo makes him feel little and Ren wishes he was more like him, which the Heavens leader doesn't deny.
  • In "Guidepost", after taking Wong to the Yellow Head building, Joy uses herself as bait to buy Wong time to find Ryo and Ren, but Dou Niu calls for her capture instead and Baihu carries out the deed. Furthermore, Wong is able to rescue Yuanda Zhu before they're both caught by Dou Niu.
• Adaptational Nice Guy:
  • Although he's still driven by Revenge, impulsive and eager to fight, Ryo isn't as stoic as he was in the games, is friendlier overall, and learns to hold back against fighting when he can. For instance, in order to get his bag back, Joy tells him where to find Larry, Sam, Cool Z and Wong on the condition that he doesn't hurt them, and Ryo defends himself against them just long enough for them to realize how outclassed they are.
  • Joy isn't nearly as rude and condescending to Ryo as she was in Shenmue II, and it's more evident that she suffers a lot of grief not only from her mother's death, but feeling helpless to do anything around her.
• Adapted Out: Considering the games are filled to the brim with characters, the anime still gives many of them cameo appearances, but some are omitted outright. Some notable examples are Mai's older sister Hisaka, the street fighters Rod Stunt and Chunyan, and the Tomato Convenience Store.
• Adaptational Wimp: Some characters who were difficult opponents in the games are beaten rather quickly in the anime, sometimes in a Curb-Stomp Battle. Yuan was actually able to put up a decent fight against Ryo in Shenmue II, but gets taken out the moment he strikes.
• Air-Vent Passageway: At Joy’s suggestion, Wong uses this to keep tabs on all activities in the Yellow Head building and eventually stumbles upon Yuanda Zhu, the one our heroes are trying to rescue.
• All Love Is Unrequited:
  • It's possible that Joy has a crush on Ryo, but he's too focused on his quest for revenge to notice either way. Besides, there’s his relationship with Nozomi that remains unresolved.
  • On Shenhua's end, it's clear that Mingyang Lei is trying to get her attention, but she, being Oblivious to Love, barely seems to notice him.
• Anachronism Stew: The story is set in 1987, but features technology and other elements that should’t exist yet.
  • Virtua Fighter is one of the games in the arcade despite the fact it didn’t come out until 1993.
  • A Sega Saturn is hooked up to the TV at the Hazuki residence. The Saturn wouldn’t be released in Japan until almost a decade later.
  • There's a Tails figure in Ryo's room. Tails wouldn't exist until 1992.
• The Anime of the Game: The anime covers the events of the first two games, and the scenes involving Shenhua depict Bailu Village as it was seen in the third game.
• Arch-Enemy: Lan Di is this to Ryo for murdering Iwao, although it has yet to be seen what the real threat is that’s set Ryo and Shenhua out on their journey.
• The Artful Dodger: Wong, a Street Urchin who is a Master of Unlocking and the Tag Along Kid in the Hong Kong portion of the story.
• Ascended Extra: Mai Sawano appeared as a minor character in the first game, who Ryo has to stop from going down the wrong path and also turns out to be Goro's girlfriend. Here, she appears more frequently and even helps Ryo's friends save Nozomi from the Mad Angels.
• Ascended Meme:
  • Of a sort. The opening features synchronized dancing forklifts. Ryo actually drives one in "Shackles" and quite enjoys it.
    • It wasn't Ryo driving it, but Mark uses a forklift to save Nozomi in "Equal". The two thugs guarding her are terrified he's trying to run them through. In other words, they fear Mark will try to kill them with a forklift.
  • Averted with the "Hey, I'm looking for some sailors" and "Years ago... I was Chinese" memes. The dialog is written in such a way that neither lines appear. Ryo actually doesn't say the word "sailor" at all!
• Ax-Crazy: We've seen all sorts of baddies on this show and none have been on Chai's level yet, although Chainsaw Good Yuan is a strong contender.
• Badass Bookworm:
  • Iwao tried to get Ryo to read martial arts books when he was younger, including one he penned himself.
  • Xiuying, a martial arts master and scholar who can be seen reading in her spare time. That she has such an extensive library at Man Mo Temple speaks to her vast knowledge of Daoism and other cultural influences in literature, which also makes her a Cultured Warrior.
  • Yuanda Zhu wrote a book called the Wulinshu, which can be found in Xiuying's library.
• Badass in a Nice Suit: Guizhang, per his original appearance.
• Badasses Wear Bandanas: Does Ren ever take his off?
• Bald of Evil: Chai and Dou Niu, although the latter isn’t necessarily ugly.
• Bar Brawl: Ryo fights sailors at the Heartbeats bar, which quickly leads to Flipping the Table and overall quite a big mess in the place.
• Beard of Evil: Terry stands out as the only Arc Villain so far to have one.
• Big Damn Heroes:
  • Mark crashes a forklift into the warehouse where Nozomi is being held, allowing Goro and Mai to rescue her.
  • Xiuying frequently appears from the shadows to save Ryo from the Yellow Heads.
• Big "NO!": Yuan unleashes a loud one after he's defeated and left covered in trash.
• Bishie Sparkle: Used ironically in Joy’s introduction. It’s not her beauty that stuns Ryo, but the fact that she almost crashes into him with her motorbike.
• Braids of Action: Shenhua’s valiant attempt to save her lamb from the strong river current is commendable at the very least.
• Breakout Character: While Xiuying was always among the popular characters since her debut in the second game, her anime portrayal has made her the fan favourite among veterans and newcomers alike, beating out even Ren. Her Invisible Advertising for the anime makes this quite ironic.
• Bring It: Lan Di does this gesture when Ryo attacks him on the roof of the Yellow Head building.
• Brutal Honesty: Guizhang and Joy always tell it like it is rather bluntly, although Joy isn’t condescending about it like she was in her second game debut, and neither one opens up about their personal issues right away.
• Bully Hunter: Ryo, and a pretty efficient one at that. The bullies either run off with their tails between their legs or become allies!
• But Not Too Foreign:
  • Nozomi Harasaki was born in Japan and raised in Canada. A common assumption among fans is that she’s half-Japanese, but the fact that her maternal grandmother - with whom she lives when in Japan, mind you - has the Japanese surname Aida should be enough to indicate she’s fully Japanese in terms of ethnicity.
  • Joy is a natural redhead as evidenced by her childhood flashbacks and lack of visible roots, which isn’t common for Hong Kong and Chinese people in general. Is it possible that she has ethnic minority roots?
• Calling Your Attacks: Ryo does this when he performs the Swallow Dive against Master Lishao Tao.
• The Cameo: Figurines of Tails, Akira and Pai appear in the background during "Daybreak." Figures of Robo and Mobo later appear in "Comeback."
• Character Development:
  • Over the course of the series, Ryo starts to realize what his father really meant when he said he was "lacking" and grows as a person and a martial artist. As he leaves Hong Kong, the flames of revenge begin to deteriorate as he decides to pursue the truth behind his father's past, his death and the mirrors, although revenge isn't completely out of the question.
  • After Ryo leaves Hong Kong, Wong abandons his ways of being a thief and tries to make an honest living selling bananas.
• Cheer Them Up with Laughter: In "Thunderclap", Nozomi has a Growling Gut right when she suggests to Ryo to visit Tom's hot dog stand with her. Ryo, who'd been mourning his father's death and has the seeds of revenge planted in him, laughs unexpectedly and accepts her offer. Nozomi is glad she is able to do this for him.
• Cherry Blossoms: Although not Sakura, the idea is still the same. When Ryo sees the Shenmue tree in Bailu Village, he pictures his late father Iwao under its falling petals.
• Childhood Friends: Ryo and Nozomi, as mentioned in promotional materials.
• Climactic Elevator Ride: Ryo, Ren, and Joy near the end of “Guidepost” heading up to the roof of the Yellow Head building where Yuanda Zhu is being handed off.
• Close-Knit Community:
  • Yokosuka - Dobuita in particular - is this for Ryo as he’s familiar with many of the people there. Initially a Fish out of Water in Hong Kong, he quickly makes friends that help him along.
  • Bailu Village is this for Shenhua, although we’ve yet to see even more characters she’s familiar with from the third game.
• Color-Coded Eyes: The light in Ryo's eyes glow a unique color when he becomes serious in combat, with the color indicating his mood and how focused he is. They tend to glow blue, green, red and purple. For added effect, sometimes the wind around him becomes the same color. To a lesser extent, we also see Xiuying and Ren's Glowing Eyes and, at one point, Dou Niu's Glowing Eyes of Doom.
• Combat Pragmatist: Terry, although he’s a Dirty Coward about it. His men do most of the fighting for him, and he relies on flailing around makeshift weaponry rather than any legitimate skill of his own. Without all that, Guizhang makes sure he’s toast.
• Commonality Connection: The anime explores the deeper reasons why certain characters started befriending Ryo.
  • Goro reveals that his dad left his family when he was a kid and didn't have the strength to go out and find him, whereas Ryo refuses to give up pursuing the truth behind his father's death. Because Ryo's father was actually killed, Goro thinks his own situation pales in comparison and wants to help out Ryo however he can.
  • Mark dismisses Ryo as another punk looking for some easy money, until he learns that Ryo is looking for the Mad Angels because his father's death is somehow connected to them. He tells Ryo that he didn't start working at the harbor for money either; his brother had joined the Mad Angels, and Mark was looking for him.
  • Although Ryo doesn’t explicitly tell Joy that his father was killed at first, her mother was also killed when she was young, and perhaps Joy notices something similar about him before getting that confirmation.
• Conditioned to Accept Horror: Joy and Wong are used to seeing land sharks bullying tenants as a response to Hong Kong’s handoff from British control. Considering, for example, that Wong fends for himself on the streets as an orphan and Joy watched her mother get killed as a child, this is likely one of the least disturbing things they witness on a daily basis.
• Contemplative Boss: Lan Di, although he will glance back at whoever he’s speaking to.
• Cool Big Sis: Joy is this for Wong. Even though it’s said that Wong looks up to Ren and Ryo, he’s mostly associated with Joy and it’s clear that the two care deeply for one another despite the occasional quips and quarrels. He knows she’s stronger than she gives herself credit for hence why he implores her to confront the Yellow Heads with them.
• Cool Bike: Joy’s red sport motorcycle, naturally.
• Cosmic Keystone: We know so far that the Dragon Mirror and Phoenix Mirror, when used together, grant the ability to do things beyond human comprehension. See also Mystical Jade.
• Coy, Girlish Flirt Pose: Nozomi, who is usually demure and has a roundabout way of expressing her feelings, does this in "Daybreak" while asking Ryo about his plans for university.
• Crash-Into Hello: Almost, anyway, how Ryo and Joy meet, as shown in the "Meet Joy" video example at the bottom of this page.
• Creator's Favorite: Shenhua is this for Yu Suzuki.
• Creepy Shadowed Undereyes: Yuan has these at one point when he’s chasing down Ryo and Ren with a knife yet again in the Yellow Head building.
• Cry into Chest: After discovering that Ryo will head to Hong Kong in pursuit of Lan Di upon her rescue from the Mad Angels, Nozomi nuzzling Ryo’s back in tears as they’re riding on the motorcycle might be considered a variant of this.
• Cuddle Bug: Nozomi is this to Ryo in their final illustration of the end credits. It’s a reference to a scene in the first game where he finds her crying on the bench at Sakuragaoka Park because she’s being forced to return to Canada and she asks him to sit with her. It’s one of many moments between them meant to highlight the bittersweet nature of their relationship, which the game explores more in-depth: while he has feelings for her, as gentle as he can be, he’s nonetheless conflicted due to his revenge quest and is unable to comfort her (the latter of which he explicitly admits to in a journal entry).
• Cute Bruiser: Izumi is a cute Japanese store clerk in Hong Kong who happens to know martial arts, and can't help but lunge her fist at Ryo to see if he's any good.
• Damsel in Distress: Nozomi, Shenhua, and Joy willingly puts herself at risk to buy Wong time as he snoops around the Yellow Head building in search of their allies.
• Death by Origin Story: Although “Thunderclap” adds additional scenes before the inevitable, this still applies here: Iwao’s murder in their own home is what ultimately prompts Ryo to seek out Shenhua per the will of destiny. You know what they say: The Call Knows Where You Live.
• Death Glare: When Xiuying is challenged by two Yellow Head thugs, she stares them down while waiting for them to make their move, which is enough to send them packing.
• Defeat Means Friendship: Because Bullying a Dragon is never a good idea, Goro gets what’s coming to him despite all his talk although Ryo initially confronts him when he sees Goro harassing someone else for money. From that day forward, Goro becomes Ryo’s self-proclaimed “Bro”.
• Defrosting Ice King: Mark dismisses Ryo as another punk who only wants to work for cheap cash and is barely willing to train him, but once he realizes that Ryo has a much larger and similar objective at hand, he starts acting much friendlier to him.
• Determinator:
  • Once Ryo sets his mind to tracking down Lan Di, absolutely no one can stop him.
  • On the other hand, Chai is quite keen on obtaining the Phoenix Mirror so that he may become The Dragon to Lan Di.
• Didn't Think This Through:
  • Much like his game counterpart, Ryo doesn't look before leaping and walks right into every trap laid out for him, but in most cases, his enemies aren't nearly as strong and skilled as he is. And as determined as he is to face Lan Di again, several others point out that Ryo is still completely outclassed against him.
  • When Nozomi finds out that Ryo is going after the Mad Angels, she's determined to help him by gathering information on them and even starts following them, which is how she ends up being captured.
  • When Goro tells Mai about this, she's determined to save her friend by using a forklift, until Mark points out that she doesn't even know how to operate one. She deserves credit for coming up with the idea, at least, since Mark does the driving instead.
• Died in Your Arms Tonight: In “Thunderclap” Ryo cradles Iwao, who pleads with him to keep his friends and loved ones close to him, just before he dies from Lan Di’s fatal blow.
• Disappeared Dad: The reason Goro started helping Ryo is because his dad left him when he was young and didn't have the strength to find him, and was inspired by Ryo's refusal to give up when his own father was killed.
• The Dreaded:
  • The names of Lan Di, the Chi You Men, and the Yellow Heads strike fear into those who have heard of them.
  • Joy is feared as the daughter of a wealthy businessman, but hardly anyone knows that her family is part of the White Thai syndicate.
  • Xiuying becomes this to the Yellow Heads as they see her as a powerful ally to Ryo.
• Driving Question: Why did Lan Di kill Iwao Hazuki? And what does he want with the mirror?
• Early-Bird Cameo: Baihu appears when Ryo is about to challenge Greg More, but disappears shortly after they make eye contact.
• The '80s: The era in which the story takes place. Some notable elements include the Heavy Metal subculture and the popularization of Hip-Hop.
• '80s Hair: Although less pronounced compared to the games, Ryo’s Spiky Hair is this.
• Establishing Character Moment: Nozomi is first seen in "Thunderclap" defending a child from bullies and she ends up getting pushed by them. This foreshadows her getting kidnapped in "Shackles" when she tries to help Ryo investigate the Mad Angels.
• Evil Counterpart:
  • Lan Di to Ryo.
  • Ziming to both Ryo and Xiuying.
• Evil Is Hammy: Just imagine Chai and Dou Niu in the same room.
• Evil Laugh: Terry, Dou Niu, and Chai in particular has one that sounds quite nasty.
• Evil Redhead: Yuan, Dou Niu's boyfriend and right hand man in the Yellow Heads gang.
• Expy: (Note that these are possible but unconfirmed):
  • Chai to The Lord of the Rings’s Gollum.
  • Joy to One Piece’s Nami.
  • Nozomi bears a striking resemblance to Touka Miyashita from the Boogiepop Series.
• Family Portrait of Characterization: There is a Precious Photo in Xiuying’s room of her and her brother Ziming when they were children. That they are huddled together in it suggests a close bond between them. However, Xiuying is smiling while Ziming isn't, which could be hinting at his state of mind that isn't in sync with hers - specifically that he isn't content simply staying with her and wants to hunt down their parents' murderers. Sadly, Ziming has not been in Xiuying’s life since that time due to this lust for revenge. She cries when she looks at the photo, indicating that she misses and wants to be reunited with him.
• Fangirl: Fangmei is quick to defend Xiuying’s expertise when Ryo questions her method of discipline - namely, getting him to air out books from the temple library.
• Feminine Women Can Cook:
  • Shenhua normally prepares her father Yuan’s meals before he heads off to work each morning.
  • Phone calls with Nozomi in the first game can reveal that she does the cooking at home, so it’s possible she prepares meals for herself and her grandmother in the anime as well. That, or they cook together.
• Fiery Redhead: Joy, and Eileen when it comes to martial arts. Neither of them is the Love Interest, however.
• Fighting in the Playground: Ryo fights Enoki and Nagashima at Sakuragaoka in “Thunderclap” when he sees them bullying Nozomi and a little boy.
• Floral Theme Naming: Shenhua, who is indeed as beautiful as a flower, is named after the Shenmue tree blossom.
• Food Porn:
  • Tom’s hot dogs in “Thunderclap”.
  • Nozomi and her grandmother’s dinner in “Shackles”.
• Former Teen Rebel: Although Mai is sixteen years old in the series, she quickly turns away from the wrong crowd to become a responsible employee at Hokuhoku Lunches. Goro claims he was the one to straighten her out, but Mai aggressively denies this.
• Freeze-Frame Bonus: In "Thunderclap", Ryo checks the letter handed to him and sees that it came from Zhu Yuanda.
• Get A Hold Of Yourself Man:
  • When Goro finds out that Nozomi has been kidnapped, he tries to tell Mai about it but ends up babbling in complete gibberish to her. Mai has to slap him to get him to calm him down.
  • After Ryo takes a beating from Dou Niu and Lan Di, Ren unloads on him and tells him that he's so blinded by revenge that he can't see everything else around him and is going to get himself killed. It's enough for Ryo to finally snap out of it and regain his senses.
• Girls Love Stuffed Animals:
  • Nozomi has a large teddy bear in her bedroom at Aida Florist.
  • Xiuying is Not So Above It All and has a small blue teddy bear in her bedroom at Man Mo Temple. Could it be a gift from Fangmei or Ziming?
• Girlish Pigtails: Shenhua, Fangmei, and child Xiuying sport them.
• Girl of My Dreams: In a literal sense, Shenhua occasionally appears alongside Lan Di in Ryo’s dreams as a possible reference to the bad ending in the second game.
• Giving Someone the Pointer Finger:
  • Master Chen does this to Ryo in the warehouse at one point as they’re discussing the Mirrors, the Iwao-Lan Di-Yuanda Zhu connection regarding them, and whether Ryo fears his possible death should he continue to pursue the truth of Iwao’s murder in Hong Kong.
  • There’s a photograph of Eri doing this to Ryo in a scolding manner on Nozomi’s photo board. It may be referencing how she always had high expectations of him in his relationship with Nozomi in the first game, and thus would always scold him.
  • Guixiang does this to Ryo when he bumps into her and almost causes her tea set to fall and break on the ground.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: Courtesy of Lan Di, Ryo’s is a thin line on his cheek that’s covered with a bandage; Lan Di’s is a discoloured raised slash on his cheek although it’s unknown how he received it.
• Good with Numbers: In addition to nanny-housekeeping at the Hazuki Residence, Ine-san also keeps track of its finances.
• Graceful Ladies Like Purple: Xiuyu is an elegant elderly woman, and her blouse is this colour.
• Gratuitous English: Non-Japanese characters have English phrases peppered in their dialogue in the Japanese dub. Tom in particular comes across as a Funny Foreigner.
• Greaser Delinquent: Goro, complete with '50s Hair and Totally Radical catchphrases.
• Handwraps of Awesome: Chai has them on both his arms and legs.
• Happily Adopted:
  • Fangmei, by Xiuying.
  • Shenhua, by Yuan.
• Heart Symbol: There’s a white fence with heart shapes at Sakuragaoka Park that’s particularly emphasized whenever Ryo and Nozomi are in frame.
• Helmets Are Hardly Heroic: Justified as the story takes place in the 80s when wearing one wasn’t mandatory.
• Heroic Second Wind: After Ryo is beaten during the final fight against Dou Niu, our hero reflects on the words of the people who have helped him, which is enough to get him back on his feet and finish the fight while a remix of the Shenmue theme plays.
• Hero Stole My Bike:
  • In “Shackles”, Ryo kicks a Mad Angels member off of his motorcycle to get to Warehouse No. 17, where Nozomi is being held captive, and later in “Equal” gives her a ride home on that same motorcycle.
  • A villainous variant happens in "Guidepost". After Joy drives off on her motorcycle, a Yellow Head punk steals a bicycle and chases after her. He arrives at the Yellow Head building long after she does, winded and exhausted, only for his buddies to show up in a fancy car shortly afterwards.
• Hollywood Healing: Considering Ryo’s gotten bandaged up on three different occasions by Ine-san, Xiuying, and Fangmei, you’d think he’d have more scars than just the one Lan Di gave him.
• Hope Bringer: Although many characters tell Ryo that he is foolishly throwing his life away in his quest for revenge, the fact that he's so determined and will stop at nothing to find the truth behind his father's death ends up inspiring many others who have already given up on their own situations to take action and turn things around themselves.
• Hope Spot: Wong is able to rescue Yuanda Zhu from the Yellow Heads, but the attempt fails when they run straight into Dou Niu.
• Innocent Flower Girl: While she can be quite bold, Nozomi is a lovely, good-natured introvert who works - and lives - at Aida Florist with her grandmother. The end credits really dial up the Flowers of Femininity with her first illustration.
• It's All My Fault: Essentially what Ryo says to his friends at the harbour after Nozomi is rescued from the Mad Angels, as he believes he’s the one who’s gotten them into this mess with all his fighting and investigating. Frankly, it’s only true in the cases of Mai and Mark, as they wouldn’t have anything to do with this had it not been for Ryo, Goro, Guizhang, and Nozomi involving themselves in one way or another.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Compared to his game counterpart, Ren is less of an Opportunistic Bastard and even less of a Manipulative Bastard in the anime.
• Just a Kid: While it happens a lot more often in Shenmue I, Ryo still does hear variants of this from some thugs in the anime. Ren also thinks of him as one at first.
• Kicking Ass in All Her Finery: Xiuying is a Lady of War whose Qipao is as effortless as her martial arts skills.
• Kick the Dog: Not only does Lan Di murder Iwao, his driver splashes water on Nozomi and knocks over Tom’s hotdog cart as he and his entourage leave the crime scene.
• Kindhearted Cat Lover: Ryo and Nozomi can be seen playing with a Cute Kitten together in the end credits.
• The Klutz:
  • Ryo and ladders don’t seem to get along very well. He also tends to bump into people during chase sequences.
  • Yuan tends to trip over himself when bested in a fight or chase.
• Kubrick Stare:
  • There’s a frame of Lan Di giving one in the opening credits.
  • Terry gives one just before the 70-man battle begins.
• Large Ham: As our resident Plucky Comic Relief, we can always rely on Goro to have No Indoor Voice and to be Milking the Giant Cow.
• The Lancer: Ren is this to Ryo, although he's far more cooperative here than he was in the games.
• Lap Pillow: After defeating Master Baihu, Ryo is this for the kidnapped and unconscious Joy until she wakes up. It is the platonic variant where Ryo is comforting his injured friend.
• Large and in Charge: Dou Niu of the Yellow Heads. He’s still got that Stout Strength but is even more of a Dumb Muscle here than in Shenmue II where he debuts.
• Last-Name Basis:
  • Everyone calls Wuying “Ren”.
  • Ryo and Nozomi, who are classmates, call each other by their last name per Japanese cultural expectations despite being close friends. This may be due to them not being intimate yet and thus aren’t comfortable addressing each other by their first name.
• Leave the Two Lovebirds Alone: After the Mad Angels are defeated and the heroes gather on the dock, Mai sees the Held Gaze between Ryo and Nozomi, and, with a kind smile, moves to the side. Goro, of course, doesn’t seem to get the memo, so she gives him a slap.
• Limited Wardrobe: Most of the characters are depicted wearing the same outfit, with Nozomi being the major exception as she wears her usual sweater and skirt, a jacket, a florist’s apron, and her school uniform.
• Literal Ass-Kicking: Precisely how Dou Niu ends up in Yuan’s closet, courtesy of Ryo and Ren.
• Locked Out of the Loop: In this adaptation, it seems that Nozomi never tells Ryo about her dilemma about returning to Canada, thus he departs for Hong Kong not realizing that she's also leaving Japan.
• Love Theme: “Sympathy” by Narudora became the new “Wish” for Ryo and Nozomi.
• The Mafia: The Chi You Men are this.
• Martial Pacifist: Ryo notices that Zongquan isn't putting his full strength on display against the Yellow Heads, doing just enough to knock them down. He realizes that he's still following the teachings of Master Zhoushan, and urges him to stick to those virtues.
• Meaningful Look: Ryo and Shenhua share this twice in “Shenmue”: once in the cave where they discover the Stone Pit, and the other time on a cliff in Bailu Village where Shenhua has been seen reciting the prophecy. It suggests they realize that they are destined to meet and go together on a journey greater than themselves.
• Mysterious Past: Throughout the series, Ryo is slowly learning about Iwao’s history to understand why he killed Sunming Zhao despite them being best friends, and the significance of the Mirrors in all this.
• Neat Freak: Ren calls Yuan this after seeing him visibly disgusted at and frantically avoiding anything dirty and messy. Ren enjoys exploiting this Weaksauce Weakness of his later in a We Have Ways of Making You Talk moment when he threatens Yuan, who he handcuffed to the rail inside an elevator, with a trash can if he doesn't tell the heroes where Yuanda Zhu is being handed off. Ren throws it at Yuan anyway even when they get the information they need.
• Never Bareheaded: So far, Shenhua and Ren, much like their game counterparts.
• No Guy Wants an Amazon: Ren tells Joy that nobody in Hong Kong would ever think about hitting on her. She later tells herself this after Ryo runs off on her when they grab something to eat.
• Nonchalant Dodge: Absolutely nothing that we’ve seen can cause Lan Di and Xiuying to so much as flinch in a fight. Xiuying in particular is known for her Motion Blur or Flash Step.
• No One Gets Left Behind: During the 70-man battle, Ryo tells Mark, Goro, and Mai to leave with Nozomi after they rescue her. While riding on the forklift, Nozomi tells them they should go back for him and Guizhang after all, to which they agree.
• "Not So Different" Remark:
  • Mark sees similarities between himself and Ryo in terms of why they both work at the harbour: to confront the Mad Angels regarding the whereabouts of the former’s brother and Lan Di in the latter’s case so he may get one step closer to learning the truth about his father’s murder.
  • Guizhang teaches Ryo the Swallow Dive because he would do the same thing as Ryo if Master Chen, his own father, were murdered.
  • Xiuying notes that Fangmei could be just as impulsive as Ryo hence why she believes she must be patient with him. She also fears Ryo will turn out like Ziming if he doesn’t get revenge out of his thoughts soon.
• Only in It for the Money: Ren’s Greed is his motivation for helping out Ryo, or so he claims.
• Parrot Exposition: Ryo will often do this to get other characters he speaks with to elaborate further on details that pique his interest.
• Perpetual Frowner:
  • It’s hard to believe Lan Di may actually be capable of smiling until you see one of his promotional images for the anime. Compare this to Ryo, whom the trope no longer applies because he’s seen smiling often now!
  • Guizhang never smiled in the original game, but can be seen doing so several times here.
  • Even after Mark opens up to Ryo, he doesn’t smile very much.
  • While Xiuying certainly was this for the most part in Shenmue II, she can actually be seen smiling a few times in the anime as an adult, not just as a child.
• Phoneaholic Teenager: The end credits may have one believing Nozomi is this.
• Photo Montage: Played straight at the end of “Shenmue” with all the key characters except for Ryo and Shenhua, and any Flashback that shows off multiple characters or moments at a time throughout the season might also be considered this. However, there’s also a different take on it in the end credits with Nozomi, where she and the cat she and Ryo play with lay on her bedroom floor with many photographs scattered around her. Of course, the photo of her and Ryo at the harbour is highlighted.
• Piggy Bank: Fuku-san had one that he’d been using for his savings until “Shackles” when he gives it all to Ryo for his ferry ticket to Hong Kong.
• Pink Means Feminine: For a Plucky Girl like the adorable Fangmei, only a Cheery Pink outfit will do, although it does include a blue vest.
• Police Are Useless: Ryo thinks the detectives assigned to the case won't be able to get much done to arrest Lan Di, so he decides to do the legwork instead.
• Pose of Supplication: Dou Niu and Yuan do this out of respect when speaking with Lan Di, indicating their desire to impress him and become members of the Chi You Men.
• The Power of Friendship: Iwao urges Ryo to believe in this just before his death. There are many characters throughout the series who help Ryo on his journey; their contributions take the form of active participation, emotional support, protection, training, and/or advice, among other things.
• Prayer Pose:
  • Joy does this in “Shenmue” when Ryo defeats Dou Niu, glad that her deceased mother has been avenged. Ren appears happy for her as well.
  • Nozomi can also be seen doing this at the end of “Shenmue” as a possible reference to Ryo’s flashback in the first game where he sees her praying and they say their goodbyes when she gives him her amulet. It’s also quite fitting given her name means “wish” or “desire”.
• The Quiet One: Mark, Guizhang, and Xiuying, although Guizhang is the most prone to strong reactions of the three.
• Quivering Eyes:
  • Ryo has these at the harbour when Terry reminds him of what’ll happen to Nozomi if he doesn’t take out Guizhang.
  • It happens again in Kowloon just before Ryo passes out from Dou Niu’s attack.
• Rebellious Spirit: Coming from a wealthy family doesn't seem to matter to Joy, especially since she isn't on speaking terms with her father Chun until "Shenmue". It does help, however, in that nobody except for the Yellow Heads messes with her, although it can be assumed that her tough personality may have something to do with this as well. She's One of the Boys in the Heavens gang and wildly drives her motorcycle everywhere. She doesn't feel she can do anything about her circumstances until it's time to confront the Yellow Heads but is always loyal to and concerned about her friends no matter what. While she can be nosy, she really is just trying to help and is definitely one of the heroes in the Hong Kong arc. She might also be considered a variant of the Rebellious Princess minus any sort of romantic arc.
• Recitation Hand Clasp: Shenhua does this at the end of “Daybreak” as she recites the prophetic poem told in Bailu Village.
• Red Baron:
  • Xiuying Hong is “Lishao Tao”.
  • Wuying Ren is “Ren of Heavens”.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: The light in Ryo's eyes become red when he confronts Lan Di in the season finale, signifying just how consumed and blinded by rage he is. Even the wind around him becomes red until it's knocked out of him.
• Red/Green Contrast: In “Shackles”, the poinsettias at Aida Florist indicate that it’s the holiday season.
• Religious Bruiser:
  • Ryo is a Buddhist - this presumably extends to Iwao and Fuku-san as well.
  • It’s possible that Xiuying follows both Daoism and Catholicism given that she was raised in a covenant, where she even brings an unconscious Ryo to heal him, as an orphan with Ziming before becoming a master at Man Mo Temple.
• Returning the Handkerchief: Mostly played straight with Ryo and Nozomi in “Thunderclap”. Ryo offers Nozomi his handkerchief to tidy herself up after saving her and a child from bullies Enoki and Nagashima at Sakuragaoka Park. Breaking the ice, she returns it to him when she later finds him walking around Dobuita. However, their budding relationship is put on hold as Ryo pursues Lan Di in his quest for revenge.
• The Reveal:
  • When Ryo discovers that Xiuying is Master Lishao Tao in “Dignified”, he is shocked as he figured she would be a man instead. Also a Samus Is a Girl moment.
  • "Comeback" reveals that Joy's mother was assassinated by the Yellow Heads in order to gain control of Hong Kong.
• Rooftop Confrontation: Ryo fights both Lan Di and Dou Niu on the roof of the Yellow Head building.
• Sailor Fuku: Nozomi is depicted wearing one when she and Ryo go out to eat ramen, and Mai per her original appearance.
• Scary Teeth: Visiting a dentist doesn’t seem to be high on Chai’s list of priorities, what with his goal to become Lan Di’s right hand man and all.
• Scenery Gorn: The very dilapidated Kowloon Walled City is this.
• Scenery Porn: Much like the games, there are many picturesque sights to see in the anime. Some notable examples include the Yokosuka Harbour at sunset and Shenhua’s home - particularly when the Shenmue tree is in full bloom - in Bailu Village.
• Sci-Fi Bob Haircut: Nozomi’s hairstyle is this.
• Secret Room: Iwao has one where he keeps the Phoenix Mirror and his photo with Sunming Zhao hidden until Ryo discovers it in “Yin Yang”.
• Shipper on Deck: In "Aspiration", Wong teases Joy that Ryo is a Chick Magnet and she'd better make her move before he's off the market. She's not pleased.
• Shout-Out: Arguably, the scene where Joy sees a little girl running up to the bullied tenant with a balloon is a subtle one to Bansky’s “Girl with Balloon” murals, which have been created in response to various social issues since 2002. In this context, it could be foreshadowing that Joy, too, can make a difference in her community despite her pessimism about the precarious state of Hong Kong. In “Entangled”, we see Wong giving her the push she needs to help him, Ryo, and Ren confront the Yellow Heads, the ones responsible for her mother’s murder and who threaten to take over Hong Kong beyond the underworld.
• Skewed Priorities: After Lan Di takes his leave after defeating Ryo a second time, our hero is so consumed by revenge and his target that he ignores everything else around him, leaving himself wide open to be attacked by Dou Niu. Even after he's knocked into a gate, Ryo still ignores his attacker until Ren snaps him out of it.
• Slapstick: Mai frequently smacks Goro whenever he says something stupid or to calm him down. Of course, it's Played for Laughs.
• Smoking Is Cool:
  • Guizhang can be seen with a cigarette in one of his promotional images.
  • The Heavens gang’s hideout wouldn’t be complete without an astray full of cigarettes, right?
• Snooping Little Kid: Some Yellow Heads members catch Wong Exact Eavesdropping on their conversation regarding the surveillance of Ryo and Ren, but our little hero is too fast for them to catch.
• Snow Means Death: Snow foreshadows Iwao’s murder in “Thunderclap”. Even Ryo is surprised that it’s snowing before he runs home.
• Somewhere, a Mammalogist Is Crying: Shenhua’s animal companion is supposed to be a kid, but the way it’s drawn more closely resembles a lamb. It’s also a Retcon of the deer that represents Bailu Village in the games.
• Speaks Fluent Animal:
  • In “Thunderclap”, the Sweet Sheep that follows Shenhua around looks to the Eastern sky in amazement when she tells it to.
  • There’s a funny (though nonetheless clever) example of this in “Comeback” where Ren uses Yuan’s parrot to lure Dou Niu into a trap. Also a Kansas City Shuffle moment.
• The Starscream: Originally bodyguards for the White Thai, the Yellow Heads rose to power after turning against them and killing a member of their head family.
• Street Smart: Joy, Wong, and Ren especially is shown to be resourceful in a pinch.
• Stern Teacher: Iwao and Xiuying. It’s possible that Iwao, as Ryo’s father, has always been harder on him than his other students.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Even though Guizhang and Xiuying both act like The Stoic it cannot hide how vulnerable and compassionate they really are.
• Swarm of Rats: Wong unleashes these on Yuan as a distraction to rescue Yuanda Zhu.
• The Syndicate: The White Thai - Joy’s family - are this.
• Talking to the Dead: Joy tends to speak to her mother whenever she visits her grave.
• The Triads and the Tongs: Longsun Zhao is known as “Lan Di” in the underworld. Either way, those are Names to Run Away from Really Fast.
• Thief Bag: Ren steals a bunch of these from the Yellow Heads. A thief thieving other thieves, if you will.
• Thinking Tic: Ryo will often run his fingers over his bandaged scar whenever he thinks of Lan Di, the one who caused it in the first place. Ren even lampshades this in “Shenmue”, and mentions that Ryo has stopped doing it when he resolves to go to Guilin and find out the truth about Iwao’s murder.
• Thou Shall Not Kill: Xiuying knows Ryo just wants revenge, even though he may not realize this himself yet. She is actively trying to discourage him from going down that road, lest he becomes consumed by hatred, through her unique teachings. At this point, Ryo may be conflicted, as he tells her in “Shenmue” he understands Ziming’s decision to get revenge for their parents’ murder and even argues that she, too, possibly feels the same deep down, which takes her aback. Ren has picked up on it as well, though rather than discouraging Ryo from eventually going through with it, he wants him to focus on the fight with Dou Niu, who currently poses a threat to all the heroes.
• Tomboyish Ponytail: Mai wears her hair in one.
• Too Desperate to Be Picky: After spending a day being rejected by all the hotels in Aberdeen and Wan Chai, Ryo would’ve gladly slept on the streets if it weren’t for Joy arranging for him to stay at the Come Over Guest House, so he’s definitely not complaining about the lack of room service and maintenance there.
• Tragic Keepsake: Xiuying and Ziming, her brother with whom she’s currently estranged as he tries to avenge their parents, each possess half of a Yin Yang pendant. Also a case of Sibling Yin-Yang. Xiuying gives her half to Ryo when he visits her one last time before heading to Guilin.
• Translation Convention: When Ryo arrives in Hong Kong, everyone he interacts with speaks the same language he does in both dubs. However, many of them compliment Ryo's ability to speak Cantonese, indicating a language barrier, and he refers to his notebook often to find the phrases he's looking for.
• Trauma Swing: After Iwao’s murder in “Thunderclap”, Ryo sitting alone at Sakuragaoka Park while watching a father and his son play on the swing set might be considered a variant of this.
• True Blue Femininity: The lovely Xiuying primarily wears this colour and possesses all the characteristics associated with the trope. Her being a temple master even fulfills what is normally considered a sign of high rank in Mediterranean cultures.
• Tsundere: Ren, of the modern variety. Don’t expect him to keep his cool if things don’t go his way or he feels he’s being “bossed around”.
• The Unfought: Terry is the only baddie Ryo doesn’t fight so far in the series.
• Vanity Is Feminine: Nozomi says she wouldn’t hide a mirror; she agrees with Mai, however, that she wouldn’t want people seeing her use one and wishes she had a secret room for it.
• Vibrant Orange: From her design to her very name, the extroverted Joy embodies nearly all the traits associated with this. The only difference is that, compared to her game counterpart, she’s neither unserious nor obnoxious.
• Video Arcade: Ryo visits one in Dobuita while asking around about Charlie.
• Villain Respect: Lan Di gives fellow martial artist Iwao one last chance against him so that he dies honourably, and (sort of) compliments Ryo on his improved abilities during their face-off in Kowloon.
• V-Sign: There’s a photograph of Nozomi, Eri, and Noriko making this sign on the former’s photo board.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: Ryo gets two of these, although he’s being bandaged up both times.
• Warrior Poet: Both Iwao and Xiuying are rather poetic in their speech, though Iwao's tends to be more cryptic.
• Wham Episode:
  • Yamagishi teaches Ryo how to execute the Double Blow strike in "Daybreak."
  • Nozomi gets kidnapped by the Mad Angels in "Shackles".
  • Wong goes to Ren Wuying at the end of "Dignified" and learns of Ryo's presence in Hong Kong.
• Wise Beyond Their Years: Xiuying is the youngest martial arts master we’ve seen so far and yet her command of the practice and its surrounding philosophies is on par with, if not surpassing, her fellow elder masters.
• Wolverine Publicity: While it was Shenhua for the games, now it's Nozomi for the anime. She's heavily featured in the opening & end credits and merchandise. Additionally, her image on the promo poster is quite prominent compared to most of the featured characters. A possible explanation for all this is that it's meant to make up for her not taking on as big of a role in the show as she should or could have given her relationship with Ryo. A May 2022 Famitsu interview with Suzuki, Matsukaze, and Kiyozono essentially confirms that this was the purpose of the end credits.
• The Worf Effect: Like in the first game, Lan Di easily takes out Ryo, despite the latter being an experienced martial artist, just to show that he's not to be messed with after he killed Iwao.
• Working-Class Hero: Ryo works as a forklift driver to make more money for his Hong Kong trip, and to learn more about the Mad Angels.
• Would Hit a Girl:
  • Well, the Yellow Heads SAY this whenever they’re faced with Xiuying, but they stand no chance and are terrified of her even when she’s just glaring at them.
  • Baihu tells Joy that he doesn't wish to harm her and to cooperate with the Yellow Heads. When she asks him what he'd do if she doesn't, he knocks her out in one blow.
• Wouldn't Hit a Girl: Although Ryo still ends up sparring with Xiuying, it's apparent he's holding himself back because he normally wouldn't hit a woman. Even when Eileen spars with him or Izumi tests him, he only defends himself and doesn't go on the offensive. This starts to change upon his second sparring session with Xiuying.
• Would Hurt a Child: Dou Niu threatens to throw Wong off the roof in “Shenmue” if the heroes come any closer. When Yuanda Zhu reveals where the Phoenix Mirror is, however, Lan Di, who has a Code of Honour, tells Dou Niu to release Wong.
• Wretched Hive: Hong Kong. Joy tells Ryo that people do what they need to do in order to survive, including stealing from each other, and that he simply needs to accept anything bad that happens.
• Yamato Nadeshiko: Word of God considers Nozomi an ideal character in this regard.
• You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Essentially Ryo’s reaction to Shenhua diving into the dangerous current to rescue her lamb.
• You Killed My Father: Why Ryo is after Lan Di. It remains to be seen whether Ryo just wants to learn the truth behind Iwao’s death or is actually seeking revenge. Considering that Ryo gives in to his impulses and goes straight for Lan Di upon seeing him again in Kowloon, it’s doubtful that revenge is completely off the table no matter how hard he tries to convince Xiuying otherwise. It’s also notable that he admits to sympathizing with Ziming’s own revenge quest in “Shenmue”.