Danica Davidson
January 20, 2022 
SEGA came out with the original Shenmue game in 1999, and next month the anime adaptation Shenmue the Animation will debut. It becomes available February 6 at 12:30 A.M., and you can watch it in English on Toonami or watch it in Japanese with English subtitles on Crunchyroll. A trailer in Japanese with subtitles has been released.
There were also some cast announcements, mostly on the English side. In the Japanese version, Masaya Matsukaze plays Ryo Hazuk and Takahiro Sakurai plays Lan Di. In the English version, Austin Tindle plays Ryo Hazuk, Scott Gibbs plays Lan Di, Natalie Rial plays Shenhu, Cat Thomas plays Nozomi Harasaki, Jeremy Gee plays Guizhang Chen, Greg Ayres plays Chai, Bryson Baugus plays Wong, Luci Christian plays Joy, Christine Auten plays Xiuying Hong / Lishao Tao, Cody House plays Ren, and Joe Daniels plays Dou Niu.
Crunchyroll gave this description of the anime:
“1986, Yokosuka. Ryo Hazuki has trained to master the Hazuki Style Jujitsu under his strict father in the Hazuki Dojo from his childhood. However, one day a mysterious man named Lan Di murders his father and takes the ‘mirror’ his father was protecting. Ryo is determined to find the truth behind his father’s murder, but soon finds himself getting stuck in a war between the underground organizations…. Traveling from Yokosuka to Hong Kong, Ryo’s long journey begins!”
The anime is being made at Telecom Animation Film and directed by Chikara Sakurai, who previously worked on the second season of One-Punch Man. The task of scriptwriting has gone to Kento Shimoyama, who has a background with Gintama and The Devil is a Part-Timer! The opening theme song is called “Undead-Noid.” and is performed by Kashitarō Itō. Production management is Sola Entertainment.
Shenmue III, the most recent part of the game franchise, came out in 2019.
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
