Music CDs
Manga - Shenmue: Side Story
Guide Books
Trading Cards
Watches
Calendar
Mugs
T-Shirts
Ren Wuying Doll
Telephone Cards
Pens
Phone Straps
CD Cases
Stamps Clocks
Postcards
Clear Files
Screensaver CD Cards
Mouse Pads
Copyright 2001, 2002
Julian McKenzie
There is an official Shenmue manga. It appears to be part of a magazine. It is called Shenmue: Side Story and features stories not yet revealed (if they ever will be) in-game. We have Volumes 3 and 4. Each of the pages here take up a full page, and so click on each page to see them. Unfortunately they are in Japanese so I don't really know what is going on but I have written a short summary for each as they reveal good story bits that people have been wondering about like the Ship, Chai, the Yin-Yang, and Niao-Sun. Click on the page numbers to see that page of the manga.
We have rough translations of the pages up courtesy of Mitchell Wareham. His words are quoted exactly. Note Shuei is known as Hong Xiuying in the English version. If anyone can read Japanese and thinks they can translate it better, please email me.
Volume 3
Page 1
Panel #1: Fangmei: Hmm?Panel #3: Fangmei: Oh!
Panel #4: Fangmei: Shuei-san...
Panel #7: Fangmei: How cool!!!
Panel #8: Shuei: Fangmei?
Panel #9: Fangmei: Ahh. (Embarrased)
Page 2
Shuei is embarrased that she watching but Shuei says it's okay. Shuei then comments that since it's late they should head home. At that point Fangmei asks Shuei about Hakkyokuken. Shuei then explains something about Hakkyokuken (something being the part I cannot read) and then Fangmei asks Shuei when she started learning Hakkyokuken. Shuei then says that while it has been some time and she can't really remember very well, it is a very important memory to her.Page 3
Basically Shuei's brother calls to her and tells her that she should learn Hakkyokuken, but Shuei says she is a girl so therefore shouldn't learn. Her brother thinks that is silly and tells her so. Shuei than says in the last panel something about her brother still walking some kind of path.Page 4
Shuei looks at the magatama and says this was to (stop) my brother. Then we see that unknown chick and she says, "what is that." Shuei's brother (I think) then says that it is none of the unknown chicks business. (It's a famous Ryo line, "Omae ni wa kankei nai.") The brother than says something else about Shuei, but I can't read it.Summary:
This starts off with Xiuying practising her martial arts at the Man Mo Temple. Fangmei, walking about, sees her and seems incredibly shocked at something. Fangmei and Xiuying then have a long chat with each other. Then it seems that Xiuying has a flashback. It is of when she was younger and practising martial arts with her brother, Ximing. They talk about something, then Xiuying looks worried. It seems that Xiuying then has another flashback. First it shows two people's hands, each holding one half of the yin-yang pendant from Shenmue II. Then Niao-Sun appears and says something! There is a large shot of Niao-Sun and the back of another character. Then the flashback ends.This is intriguiing as it possibly tells of the history of Xiuying and Ximing and also about Niao-Sun and the pendant.
Volume 4
Page 1
Panel 2: Ryo: You’ve been on this boat?Panel 3: Ryo: Chai!
Panel 4: Chai: You will lose without fail.
Panel 5: Chai: The reason being...
Page 2
Panel 6: Ryo: Shomei!Panel 7: Shomei is crying.
I am missing page 3
Page 4
Panel 2: Chai: Ahhhh!!!!Panel 5: Towards Shenmue II...
Summary:
This starts off with Ryo on the boat after the end of Shenmue chapter one, on the way to Hong Kong. Suddenly Chai turns up! So, he managed to climb out of the ocean and on to the boat. He then holds a young girl hostage, most likely the one Ryo talks to at the beginning of Shenmue II who thanks him for saving her. Ryo then chases Chai out onto the deck of the ship, and finds the girl tied up. I am missing page 3 so I don't know what happens, but I guess Ryo and Chai fight again. This culminates in Chai been knocked off the boat and Ryo reuniting the girl with her mother. The manga ends with the ship on its way to Hong Kong, saying "continued in Shenmue II".An interesting story, as it ties up the loose end of Chai at the end of Shenmue I and also removes the mystery of what that girl was talking about on the boat.