Franchise Shen Mue was one of the pioneers of adventure games in open environments, but its gameplay has aged well over time. Just look at the mixed reception from Shen Mue III, lost between the codes of the previous parts and his desire for modernity, to be convinced.
Trailer with English dubbing
If you don’t feel like browsing the games to find out the story of Ryo Hazuki, good news. The scenario of the classic published on DreamCast in 1999 will be adapted in Shenmue the Animation, an animated series in 13 episodes produced by Telecom Animation Movie (Tower of God, Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation), Adult Swim and Crunchroll Originals. A first teaser was unveiled at the end of last year, with the promise of a broadcast in 2022.
Good news, the release date of the first episode has just been set for February 6 at 6:30 a.m. French time, on Crunchyroll in VOST internationally and Toonami with an English dub in North America. Two different trailers and part of the voice cast were revealed in passing.
Discover the cast
- Ryo Hazuki will be voiced by Masaya Matsukaze (Japanese) and Austin Tindle (English): A high school student and the heir to the martial arts of the Hazuki style. When his father is murdered by a mysterious man named Lan Di, Ryo embarks on a journey to perfect his martial arts and uncover the truth behind his father’s death.
- Lan Di is portrayed by Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese) and Scott Gibbs (English): A high-ranking member of the underground Chi You Men organization who murders Ryo’s father and steals the Dragon Mirror.
- Shenhua is voiced by Natalie Rial (English): A young girl who lives in a rural village in Guilin under the care of her adoptive father. Plain and simple, she has a great knowledge of plants, animals, and other natural survival skills.
- Nozomi Harasaki is voiced by Cat Thomas (English): Ryo’s classmate who secretly admires him since he saved her from middle school bullies. Strong and caring, she usually spends her time helping out in her grandmother’s flower shop.
- Guizhang Chen is played by Jeremy Gee (English): Guizhang was born in Yokohama and his father taught him martial arts from an early age. Like Ryo, he received a similar upbringing, although Guizhang acts cold, he feels close to Ryo.
- Chai is voiced by Greg Ayres (English): A member of the Chi You Men. He has a unique condition that allows him to make superhuman movements. After Lan Di takes the Dragon Mirror, he begins to search for the second mirror.
- Wong is voiced by Bryson Baugus (English): A member of Heavens. He regards Ren as a brother and aspires to become like him.
- Joy is voiced by Luci Christian (English): Joy is a young woman who loves motorcycles. His father runs a trading business and is trusted by many people. Like Ryo, Joy also lost her mother at a young age.
- Xiuying Hong is voiced by Christine Auten (English): His priest name is Lishao Tao. Although she is young, she is proficient in martial arts like Tai Chi and Bajiquan. Her facial expression is still calm, but her clear eyes give the impression that she can see right through people’s hearts and intentions.
- Ren is voiced by Cody House (English): The charismatic leader of the Heavens, a street gang that operates in the Beverly Hills Wharf area. He is obsessed with money and only trusts his friends. Ren is a rival to the Yellow Heads gang and plans to beat them one day.
- Dou Niu is voiced by Joe Daniels (English): While being the leader of the Yellow Heads, Dou Niu is also part of the Chi You Men. To gain Lan Di’s trust, he also goes in search of Yuanda Zhu. Dou Niu has a large bear body, which puts Ryo and his friends in a tough spot when fighting him.
Japanese cast members Masaya Matsukaze and Takahiro Sakurai have commented on their roles.
- Masaya Matsukaze (Ryo Hazuki)
With everyone’s help, I was able to experience the release of the latest game in the series 20 years after its initial release, and now the animation! For me, Shenmue is a special series. I hope fans and those unfamiliar with Shenmue can enjoy this anime. I am also very enthusiastic about it. Let’s enjoy it together.
- Takahiro Sakurai (Lan Di)
I will play Lan Di. My first encounter with Shenmue dates back to the beginning of my voice acting career where I participated in an audition for Shenmue. This experience was important and opened my eyes. And now Shenmue is back in animated form. I was very excited when I heard this news. Even 20 years after its initial release, the story of Shenmue still lives on. I hope we can enjoy it together.
More seiyu will be announced soon.
Staff
Shenmue the Animation is a Crunchyroll ORIGINALS and Adult Swim series directed by Chikara Sakurai (One Punch Man Season 2) with animation production by Telecom Animation Film and production management provided by Sola Entertainment.
The opening music “UNDEAD-NOID” will be performed by Ito Kashitaro.
The creator of the original video games, Yu Suzuki, is on the project as an executive producer. Kensuke Ishikawa (Tower of God) will serve as animation director, with scripts by Kento Shimoyama (We Rent Tsukumogami and Bleach) and original character design by Udaka.
Other Crunchyroll ORIGINALS and Adult Swim series include Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Fena: Pirate Princess.
Synopsis
After witnessing his father’s murder in the family dojo, Ryo Hazuki dedicates his life to finding the culprit; a mission that takes him from the streets of Yokosuka, Japan, to the sprawling metropolis of Hong Kong, and beyond. As he continues his quest for revenge by seeking to become an ultimate martial arts master, he will learn that far greater mystical forces are at play…
VOSTFR Trailer
For those interested, Shen Mue III is available from €14.95 on Amazon.co.uk.
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