Relationships in Shenmue III

[chris1986]

To be honest the bond Ryo has shared with all the female characters felt meaningful in their own special ways, like, Nozomi is the friend from school with the crush, she's sweet, pretty, and perfect wife material. Joy was wild and fun and she's a tough girl but has a soft spot for Ryo. Xiuying had a special bond with Ryo, but maybe she didn't want to lose him like she did her brother, plus she seems to be able to beat up Ryo if she wanted and that might put Ryo off in terms of a love relationship, not that being able to beat up your girl is something that must be so but she can give him a good kick if need be. Shenhua is a girl who I think Ryo will like but Nozomi is the one, but that's if he even sees her again, Shenhua will become more of a friend I think, Nozomi and Ryo were (in my eyes) the most intimate, I don't think Shenhua and Ryo will be an item.

[shredingskin]

Most people forgot that Ryo tries to tell Nozomi he loves her if you call her before going to China ?

[jcjimher]

I think it's quite obvious that romance is not one of the main topics of Shenmue and probably never will be.

Xiuying, Fukusan, Master Chen, Gui Zhang, Yuanda Zhu, Lan Di, etc.. There's no allusion to their potential partners or wifes/husbands or to any kind of interest towards them. It's like if romance was treated as an obstacle, or as a second tier thing next to the growth or the path or the martial artist...

Of course we know Ryo has a mother (he has to come from somewhere LOL), but she died a long time ago and nobody seems to care. There's not even a photo of her in the entire house (while there's a Sega Saturn and other trivial stuff) and none of the Ryo flashbacks involve her.

And I'm perfectly fine with that. There's plenty of other romance-based literature and movies and even some games.

[alexh86]

I don't think romantic relationships will ever be a big part of the game. At most, I think Ryo will develop a very deep friendship that borders on romantic but never becomes physical. Sexual relationships just don't fit Shenmue. Ryo might be running across Asia in search of his father's killer, meeting transgendered individuals, meeting seductive women, meeting people in bars, infiltrating street gangs, and gambling but he always maintains a naive innocence. A sexual relationship would completely change the dynamic of his character and I hope it never becomes a big part of the story.

[Himuro]

Of course we know Ryo has a mother (he has to come from somewhere LOL), but she died a long time ago and nobody seems to care. There's not even a photo of her in the entire house (while there's a Sega Saturn and other trivial stuff) and none of the Ryo flashbacks involve her.

Mmmm, not true. There are things such as combs and vanity sets in the basement which are obviously belongings to Ryo's mother, hinting that his mother may be Chinese. Also, she died when he was three. How is he going to remember her exactly?

Also, you're incorrect on a few other things. Fuku-san for instance has a huge crush on Akemi. Mayumi has or had a thing for Ryo but stepped aside for Nozomi. Ryo obviously loves Nozomi but is unable to say it. Goro and Mai. Dou Niu and Yuan have a romantic relationship. There's a lot of romance and potential romance in Shenmue, you merely choosing to ignore it.

[Himuro]

As for Ryo and Shenhua, I think there being a romantic element between them is a possibility. I think it was Mittenz who said the other day that he likes the idea of Ryo and Nozomi not hooking up because she's one that got away. I like that as well. I think that Ryo, who was so consumed in his revenge that he didn't take care of those he cares about, including Nozomi, and the ramifications of doing that being a more distanced relationship, is a very, very important thing. Ryo and Nozomi couldn't work out then because of Ryo's dead set attitude on finding revenge. Nozomi, however, has moved on with her life. That boat has sailed. I think Shenhua is a very large potential being either a romantic partner or his possibly his blood sister. My evidence includes:

Sister evidence:

1. Age. Ryo is 18, Shenhua is 16. Shenhua lost her parents at a young age and has never met her mother and father. Ryo's mom died when he was 3, so when Shenhua was 1. We don't know what happened to either Ryo's mother or Shenhua's parents. I have a feeling we will eventually find out.

2. Ryo's mother. As said above, it's pretty heavily hinted that Ryo's mother is probably Chinese. There are a lot of feminine care products in the basement, including combs, mirrors, and more. They look like they're Chinese as well.

3. Shenhua flashback. It seems as if the flashback of her doesn't even happen in the 1900's. It looks like it occurs way back in ancient China. Never mind the architecture of the green palace. How do you go from a green palace to a house with dirt walls in 16 years? Not likely to be Shenhua we know nor her parents. It's likely and strongly hinted at that Shenhua is reincarnated.

4. Shenhua and Ryo feel a natural connection to each other and Ryo even says that he recognizes the Shenmue tree as if he's seen it before.

Romantic partners evidence:

1. Ryo opens up to her in two minutes more than he opened up to any other girl in the entire series.

2. There's a scene where she tries to kiss Ryo.

I think both are very possible ideas on the nature of Shenhua and Ryo's relationship. Either could be right, but it's pretty clear that their relationship is much, much different than the other relationships he has with other characters you meet across the two games.

[Kenshin]

Great points all around Himuro. Hard to argue with anything youve said. Alot of people people do seem ignore the connections Ryo makes or will make. But obviously Yu has not as you can find example all throughout the game. Its hard to leave that aspect out of an epic story because it is so much apart of human nature that it wouldnt even make sense to leave it out.

Something that is interesting to note is that Yu has basically opened the door for Ryo to connect with four main females so far in the story:

Nozomi - obviously had feelings for Ryo. Ryo also cared for her. Maybe not inlove but certainly strong feelings.

Joy - Quite obviously has a crush on Ryo. Helps him out with several things, flirts with him, asks him out on a date, follows him to Kowloon etc... And Ryo does grow to care for her aswell, as a deep friendship at least.

Xiuying - Ill admit, this is my personal favorite because she is my favorite character and I thought the chemistry and understanding between the two was the best. Xiuying obviously feels a connection with Ryo immediately when she meets him. Part of it probably stems from her not wanting him to end up like her brother. On the other hand she, there scenes between her and Ryo that were obviously meant to convey sexual tension between the two, like when Ryo thinks she intends for him to sleep in her bed and she somewhat playfully asks him if his mind is in the gutter and he will be sleeping on the couch. Also when Ryo watches Xiuying sleep it certainly could be interpreted that he could have some attraction to her. Again, im sure it was intentional. We see Xiuying follow Ryo all over Hong Kong and Kowloon where she watches his back in one scene and saves him in another. She obviously cares for him. The last scene before he goes to Guilin is a scene where he meets her at night under the moon. The intimate music and the close proximity when they speak obviously is hard not interpret as romantic. Im sure Yu could see that when he made the scene. Ryo tells her firmly that he wont die, which shows that Xiuying is worried about his safety and not just his morality like her brother. Lastly, we see when Ryo is talking to Shenhua around the campfire, he talks about Xiuying and how she helped him and how important it was that he met her. Shenhua then tells Ryo that he was destined to meet Xiuying. Again these scenes all easily leave the door open for possible relationships. Its ambiguous for a reason.

Shenhua - Himuro already explained her relationship with Ryo perfectly.

[shredingskin]

The gal outside the bar is hinted to be Iwao's lover, and yamagishi san has the hots for ine san.
The girl from the barber is always asking ryo out.
Fangmei loves Ryo (I like her the most because she was the only one with guts and straight told him).
The chinese fortuneteller also says he fell in love with him.
Didn't know about megumi sister, Ryo is a chick magnet.

[7heavens]

I always considered ryo too young and naive for xuiying. I considered xuiying to b ryos mentor and teacher. Therefore even though he can acknowledge her beauty but at the same time can't have a romantic relationship with her. She obviously cares for him and watches out for him but as a mentor and protector.

[Himuro]

I never saw romance between Xiuying and Ryo. The only perceived sexual tension there is from Ryo only. He is, after all, teenage boy. Xiuying routinely reminds Ryo of his place. He's much younger, and she treats him as a student pretty much from the get go. However, she empathizes with and assists him because she worries he will go the same path as her brother. Having her parents murdered as well, they have a silent bond and understanding, at least on her end. There relationship is never sexual, and I don't understand how you got that.

The lady outside of Yokosuka Bar was hinted at being Iwao's lover? I didn't know that.

My favorite potential romance has always been Ryo and Shenhua, but at the same time I recognize that not all relationships because a man and woman needs to romantic in nature. So it's not really that important to me. I'm honestly fine with Ryo never having a romantic partner throughout the course of his journey.

[Kenshin]

Xiuying is very young though actually. Shes only a few years older than Ryo. If you ask people around Wan chai about her when you first meet they will tell you how very young she is. shes not She acts very mature when it comes to MA, but really shes still the same scared lonely young girl that we see in the flashbacks. You see her crying in her room. I see their relationship as quite interesting because she teaches him MA and cares for him and he teaches to open her heart and care for someone again as well. We are told that she is a person who is very withdrawn and closed. She genuinely seemed to open up more with Ryo. She even had a picture taken, which is something she never does. I think we will see more of this relationship in Shenmue 3. I think its pretty obvious imo.

[Himuro]

She's 26 though. I know that when I was 26 I sure as fuck didn't want to date a teenager. I already realized how dumb teenagers were by then. I'm sure a smart woman with a good head on her shoulders like Xiuying would feel similarly at 26.

[Kenshin]

Ryo doesnt act like an 18 year old kid. He acts more like an adult and the game treats him like one.

Shenhua is 16 ... Shes def a KID.... Infact in most parts of the developed western world Ryo would be in danger of jail time if he touched that...

[Himuro]

Not in Japan or China. In Japan, age of consent is 13. In China it's 14.

And the game does not treat Ryo like an adult. Ryo is clearly still a mere boy. He spends time at the arcade, he buys capsule toys, he's naive and bullheaded, he struggles expressing his feelings, he's reminded endlessly of his age and lack of experience. In fact, one of the larger themes of the story is Ryo's loss of boyhood innocence. It's a story of a boy who becomes a man, in my eyes. And he's very, very much still situated in the boy stage.

[Yokosuka]

The chance of seeing Ryo with Xuying in the canon story tends towards 0.001 %. The reason she cares so much of Ryo is because he reminds her of his brother and his tragic destiny. I can't believe it was ever possible to think there was "obvious sexual tension" between them.