Shenmue story theories and stuff

[Master Kyodai]

The bad endings are pretty much a joke. No way any normal player can ever see them as I think you'd need to waste hundreds of days (I think at least over 100 in-game days) to see them. There are a few scenes where you can quickly "waste a day" by failing over and over which has been abused to see the "bad ending", but normally you will never see them, so don't feel too spoilt if ya just look them up on youtube.


Personally I'd welcome the "choices" thingy, as i liked that pretty much in Fallout 3. Like you could decide to work with a faction and help them, just ignore them or kill everyone. Not sure if this fits much into the Shenmue world though, but for Fallout 3 it pretty much enhanced the replay value.

[mue 26]

Yeah, but I can understand why they were so hard to get. Clearly there was only ever one proper ending for two games. So rather than go through the game and get the 'bad' endings accidently, and thus potential ruin your first (and most memorable) experience with the game, it's probably for the best that they are only there for people who really want to see them and have no doubt already completed the game.

[shengoro86]

I just read that "Baihu translates as White Tiger." Which could easily be his code name. Didn't someone on the forum say Lan Di translates as Blue Dragon? If so that is also a code name since Lan Di's real name is Longsun Zhao. So I'm not sure but isn't Niao Sun's code name Red Phoenix?

Kiyuu??


Reading this makes me feel like its 2005 all over again. I also think that Lan Di is not the villian we think he is. Sure he sped through Sakuragaoka, well he might not have been driving or they were speeding to get away from the dojo and not get caught.

Yu saying that Ryo loses his revenge mindset really opens the story up. Maybe Lan Di and Ryo team up to destroy the Chi Yu when Lan Di releases it not knowing that it will turn on him.

[Kiyuu]

I just read that "Baihu translates as White Tiger." Which could easily be his code name. Didn't someone on the forum say Lan Di translates as Blue Dragon? If so that is also a code name since Lan Di's real name is Longsun Zhao. So I'm not sure but isn't Niao Sun's code name Red Phoenix?

Kiyuu??


Reading this makes me feel like its 2005 all over again. I also think that Lan Di is not the villian we think he is. Sure he sped through Sakuragaoka, well he might not have been driving or they were speeding to get away from the dojo and not get caught.

Yu saying that Ryo loses his revenge mindset really opens the story up. Maybe Lan Di and Ryo team up to destroy the Chi Yu when Lan Di releases it not knowing that it will turn on him.

Actually, Lan Di (藍帝) means "indigo emperor," though his original name was Cang Long (蒼龍) which means "blue/green dragon."
Niao Sun (鳥隼) means "bird falcon," but she was introduced as a guardian of the south at the Shenmue Premiere, anyway.

[Spokane]

You pronounce Sun like Joy pronounces the foreman at Fortune Piers name? She says Mr. Soon but its spelled Sun.

[Kiyuu]

You pronounce Sun like Joy pronounces the foreman at Fortune Piers name? She says Mr. Soon but its spelled Sun.

Apparently, they are pronounced similarly in Chinese with a slight difference in tone. (Remember that Chinese has four tones, though I'm far from expert in Chinese language.)

In Japanese, on the other hand, they are pronounced very differently. "鳥隼 (Niao Sun)" is pronounced as "cho-jun" while "孫 (the foreman's family name)" is pronounced as "son."

[KiBa]

Also, the game takes place in Hong Kong during British rule, so they still use the traditional characters because the communists didn't get to simplify them as in mainland China. Given that fact, I wonder if Hong Kong used predominately Wade-Giles romanization for names instead of PRC Pinyin, or maybe Yale, since Yale romanization is generally used for Cantonese, and the main topolect of Hong Kong is Cantonese.

[Pulse]

I know the last reply was in April or whatever... But, I saw some of you trash talking Iwao because of the Lan Di's father death, but the fact is Iwao didn't know that Zhao Su Ming had been killed, according to some part of the game....

[Bluecast]

He was also gay and a pedophile not to be confused with Peter Phile.

[Peter]

Eh?

[Bluecast]

Eh?

Not you. Gotta watch IT Crowd.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTaKDnSIb4c[/youtube]

[Pulse]

He was also gay and a pedophile not to be confused with Peter Phile.

I guess thats why Ryo has "daddy issues", then.

[Himuro]

NO because he tells Iwao he will allow him to die like a Warrior. For all we know Iwao was some dickhead.
Iwao supposedly killed someone dear to him. For all we know he is a puppet. Wanting out but feeling his hand is forced. Be a boring story if all it was Lan-Di is evil prick and the series just want to lead up to them have a fight. Not worth several games if that's the case. It's not good writing. We also don't know for sure Shenhuas father is dead. He was just gone. Ziming is part of the same stable. Ziming & Lan Di bith set out for revenge and ended up there. I think they are trying to stop Ryo from doing the same. Maybe Ryo is supposed to save one or both of them from the Chyu. Maybe Ryo becomes one. Just to have them fight is the most boring lame thing you can do.

I respectfully disagree.

Lan Di is clearly set up to be a villain in a very binary, black and white manner. Let's take an example from the bad endings: Lan Di comes to kill Ryo, willingly, through his own accord. I don't think Lan Di is as morally gray as you hope he is, considering all evidence to support this is flimsy at best, conjecture at worst.

[aura&chu]

Interesting stuff I just figured. Niao Sun (Bird Falcon) would suggest she has traits such as; being particularly vicious, and powerful while swift in movement. A Falcon is the bird in the cutscenes. Chiyou men - Men means Group or sect, and Chi You is a mythical tyrant who fought against the then-future Yellow Emperor during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors era in Chinese mythology. Yellow Emperor - Indigo Emperor. The Yellow Emperor was called Huang Di - Lan Di. Huang Di was renowned and glorified - Lan Di is notorious and seen as evil through Ryo's eyes.

[Fenix]

Interesting stuff I just figured. Niao Sun (Bird Falcon) would suggest she has traits such as; being particularly vicious, and powerful while swift in movement. A Falcon is the bird in the cutscenes. Chiyou men - Men means Group or sect, and Chi You is a mythical tyrant who fought against the then-future Yellow Emperor during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors era in Chinese mythology. Yellow Emperor - Indigo Emperor. The Yellow Emperor was called Huang Di - Lan Di. Huang Di was renowned and glorified - Lan Di is notorious and seen as evil through Ryo's eyes.

Yellow emperor is Tentei in that case. Representing the center of the cardinal point and the yellow dragon.