Shenmue: The First Animation Trailer Revealed During New York Comic Con 2021

On By

[ad_1]

The first trailer for Shenmue: The Animation is officially here, offering a glimpse of how the pioneering Dreamcast series translates into anime. As expected, it’s packed with a lot of solid kung fu action, which should please longtime fans of the series.

You can check out the trailer below, which appeared shortly after the conclusion of the Shenmue: The Animation panel that took place during New York Comic Con 2021.

The panel featured series creator Yu Suzuki, as well as director Chikara Sakurai and producer Yu Kiyozono. Along with Sola Entertainment producer Joseph Chou, they discussed how the anime will adapt the game’s extensive story and its unique world.

Speaking about Shenmue’s legacy, Suzuki said the Shenmue story is “so great and long that it is difficult to convey to many people as a series of games.” Suzuki has previously said that Shenmue 3 only brings the epic martial arts expansion to about 40% completion.

“Animation is much simpler than a game. It is perfectly suited to creating a linear story,” Suzuki said.

Meanwhile, Sakurai admitted that she hadn’t actually played the original Shenmue, saying that she didn’t have enough money at the time. With a bit of self-awareness, Sakurai said, “I’m making a movie with a game that I couldn’t play. That’s interesting.”

Set in both Yokosuka and Hong Kong, Shenmue: The Animation will feature familiar characters and scenes from the series, including flashback scenes featuring characters like Shenmue. You will use a combination of hand drawings and computer animation to create many of your backgrounds.

The series was first announced last year at Crunchyroll Expo, with Suzuki confirmed as executive producer. It will comprise 13 episodes and a dubbed version will stream on Adult Swim and stream on Crunchyroll. The anime has been in production since before Shenmue 3’s release, and it will see the return of several of the games’ main voice actors.

Shenmue 3 revived the series in 2019, picking up the story from Shenmue 2 from 2001. In our review, I wrote that it feels like it’s from “a different era” and that it is about “five steps behind modern games.”

“This direct continuation of the story and gameplay of Shenmue 2 felt like coming home to someone who had given up hope of returning to Ryo Hazuki’s world, and for that reason, I am glad that Shenmue 3, in all its weirdness , it exists. I wish it had given me the satisfying story I came back for, “wrote critic Kyler Hilliard.

The best anime series on Netflix right now