The following article contains mild spoilers for the Shenmue anime and game.
Shenmue’s third episode carries the anime series roughly midway through the plot of the first game, and though small differences continue to surface between this and Yu Suzuki’s Dreamcast legacy, the overall experience remains interesting even when there's not that much action going on.
In Shenmue’s second episode, Ryo obtained some valuable information from Shigeo Yamagishi that now leads him to find out more about the mysterious letter sent to his father shortly after being murdered. However, besides marking the protagonist’s first friendly encounters with the criminal underworld, it also happens to be the show’s most video game-like chapter so far, which in Shenmue’s case translates to a slower episode.
All of this is accomplished by introducing a familiar part of Shenmue games, as Ryo has to solve his first real puzzle in the anime in order to find his way to Yaowen Chen’s Warehouse 8, where he learns about the existence of another mythical mirror. Although the episode is about as long as the ones that came before it, this quest-like theme results in a duller experience where there’s actually very little character development going on, save for the mandatory interaction with Nozomi Harasaki.
Up until this point, the biggest win for Shenmue as a series has been Suzuki’s ability to expand some of its characters in very subtle ways, whether this is done by giving Ryo a life and backstory fitting for the young man he is, the flashbacks to Iwao raising him, as well as additional scenes featuring more of Lan Di and Shenhua that would be out of place in the games. The latter is especially true given she’s a character that doesn’t really show up until the sequel, nevertheless, her being used in every opening scene helps the audience prepare for what will come next.
Episode three, “Yin-yang”, does away with the flashbacks because it’s pretty much focused on what’s going on in the present time as Ryu runs around Yokosuka practicing his problems solving skills, all without distracting himself with a game of darts or a trip to the arcade like he would in the game. Due to this, the anime’s third episode feels like it takes a bit too long to get Ryo, the Phoenix Mirror, and the Chen family all together in the same room.
Speaking of which, the Chens, Yaowen and Guizhang are perhaps the only characters that get a bit of an upgrade here, because the father and son duo now have a rather strange relationship dynamic that makes Ryo’s final lines sound much more impactful. Again, the name of the game here is subtlety, and it’s these few changes that will make or break the anime, it’s just that this time around the episode’s pacing doesn’t let that shine.
This is an episode that aims to do well by the franchise’s history with puzzles, and it pulls that off competently enough, despite it not being the most engaging scenario for Ryo and company. There is some action here and there, as Shenmue fans might recall a specific quick time event when Chai tries to steal the Phoenix Mirror for Lan Di, or when Ryu quickly takes down some street thugs, but it’s definitely not the main course and won't remind many of any video game button mashing moments from the Dreamcast era.
Nevertheless, there is a good tease of what’s to come as the Mad Angels are not only mentioned but the gang’s leader, Terry Ryan, is shown a couple of times to establish some sense of familiarity with them. Combining this with the extra exposition the Chens get, should make Ryo and Guizhang mission to fend off his thugs a bit more exciting.
Lastly, the anime now officially starts to mention the Chi You Men, the famed Chinese crime syndicate, whose iconography is displayed in the same way the show tells the story of the Dragon and Phoenix mirror, which could be a detriment to some. While Shenmue's animation has been well received by fans, these shots offer some of its worst instances when transitions aren't as seamless as they should be.
Shenmue's lore expansion arguably takes a bye week on this episode, but in any case, the story continues to move forward smoothly at a solid pace, which could indicate Ryo arriving in Hong Kong before the season ends.
The anime has covered a solid nine hours worth of gameplay in its first three episodes, and it’s fair to say the essence of Shenmue games is truly in all of them. Please do keep in mind that this won’t always be the most entertaining of traits for an anime series, but just like in the games, they are what usually lead Ryo to have to use all that Hazaki karate he learned from his father.