English Dub Review: Shenmue the Animation “Thunder Clap”

Overview

Based on the cult classic Sega franchise of the same name by Yu Suzuki, and co-produced by Crunchyroll and Adult Swim. The story takes place in 1986 Japan where the Heir of the Hazuki Karate Dojo, Ryo Hazuki, witnesses a sinister & well-dressed Kung-Fu master called Lan Di attacking the Dojo and proceeds to straight-up interrogate and torture his father. Ryo attempts to fight against Lan Di in retaliation, but he is easily defeated…



Our Take

For the premiere episode, this stays surprisingly true to the game’s basic setup. In the aftermath of the games, Ryo is just getting started on scouting for Lan Di and searching for answers regarding his father’s past and learning the significance of an object called the “Phoenix Mirror” which so far, seems to be the only clue Ryo has…

Given how painfully slow the original game started out, there is no way to tell an extremely long story as the original game did. Shenmue’s appeal was being a slow-paced detective story with an absurd amount of detail and interaction in its environments and people as it was one of the first games to pioneer the concept of a free-roaming, 3D open-world, experience which was further expanded upon and popularized years later by games like Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row, and later Sega’s very own “Yakuza” and “Judgement” franchises.

Overall this episode was WAY better than it had any right to be. From an anime perspective this first episode really feels like a throwback to early 2000s anime, but not in a bad way in terms of directing/art style which appealed to me at least. It doesn’t waste time setting up the plot and the main antagonists while fleshing out Ryo’s motivations effectively more than the games did, which were infamous for their unintentionally bad voice acting and stiff delivery. Thankfully that’s not the case here, as it was fixed in spades thanks to Austin Tindle’s Dub performance as Ryo. While the intro was energetic and colorful with its rocking theme, it still manages to keep the orchestral majestic soundtrack the original game had which is also an added bonus for people who have actually played the game. I don’t know if this is will appeal to anyone outside of established fans on a standalone level, but my expectations remain sky-high for this one!