This one is on Crunchyroll and Adult Swim.
Shenmue is a Japanese anime television series animated by Telecom Animation Film based on the Shenmue video game series by Yu Suzuki and published by Sega. So we’re talking about… 1999 video game.
The first two episodes are out right now, but I’ve only seen the first since it’s behind a Crunchyroll Premium wall. Crunchyroll has the Japanese/English Subs and Adult Swim has the English Dub. I’m always a fan of the subs. Just at a glance, the series looks interesting. Since I never played the game, I don’t have a clue about the storyline.
The protagonist witnesses his father’s murder and this sparks him on a journey. He’s a karate guy. So that’s all ready enough to get my interest perked. The story starts in Japan, but the Wikipedia article says that he’ll be heading to Hong Kong and beyond. So Japanese Karate, plus Chinese influences~! The fight scenes they had in episode 1 are hopefully a good sign of how interesting this will go. It’s not all about power.
“You are lacking. Keep that in mind.”
Iwao Hazuki (Ryo’s father)
His dad’s advice seemed a bit confusing and a bit insulting until later in the episode. Someone’s always going to be stronger than you. You’ve got to use what you’ve got to be able to handle things.
It takes place in the ’80s so the art style really reflects that. I really love how watching it gives me a sense of nostalgia. Without the horrible, artwork/proportioning from back then. No offense to the older anime work, but I’ve loved some of the remakes like Fruits Basket. I can’t wait to see more episodes! If you like martial arts and anime, it’s definitely one I’d recommend.
Atelier Whootique 