Warning: Spoilers for Shenmue: The Animation episode 1
Shenmue: The Animation made a major change to Ryo’s first battle with Chai. In the show’s series premiere, Ryo had an unexpected encounter with Chai, a recurring antagonist and the final boss of the first game. In the world of Shenmue, Chai is the creepy, Gollum-like villain who is always lurking around Ryo and getting involved in his search for Lan Di.
Developed as an Adult Swim and Crunchyroll original, the Shenmue anime retells Ryo’s story from Sega’s iconic video game franchise. Similar to how things played out in the 1999 open-world Shenmue game, Shenmue: The Animation kicked off with Lan Di murdering Ryo’s father in the very first episode. While still in the process of deciding what to do about his father’s tragic death, Ryo was abruptly attacked by Chai in the Hazuki Dojo. Apparently, the villain was acting under the misguided assumption that Ryo had the Phoenix Mirror. Despite being initially overwhelmed by Chai’s skill and power, Ryo ultimately defeated Chai and vowed to take down Lan Di next.
Ryo beating Chai at the dojo in Shenmue: The Animation is quite different from how things started in the game and how his conflict with Chai began. In the original version of the story, Ryo didn’t cross paths with Chai until he had already made significant progress in his investigation. After making some important discoveries, Ryo purchased a ticket to Hong Kong, believing that he would find Lan Di there. He faced a major setback when he was attacked by Chai, who ate the ticket he worked so hard to purchase. Whether Ryo won or lost was determined by the actions of the player. Either way, the fight ended with Chai getting away. Ryo fought him a second time at the end of the game and secured a decisive victory.
In Shenmue: The Animation’s take on Ryo’s adventure, his journey has already gotten off to a different start thanks to the unexpected visit he received from Chai. Chai was an incredibly challenging opponent for Ryo in the game, as evidenced by the fact that he was the final boss. And while it was technically possible for the player to beat him in the arcade fight, winning the fight was so difficult that the story moved forward regardless, as if Ryo was supposed to lose. Ryo proving that he can defeat Chai as early as Shenmue episode 1 could potentially change how the anime approaches their future encounters.
Now, both Ryo and Chai know that the former has the skills to win, which could have an impact on Chai’s strategy when he attacks him at the arcade, as well as the outcome. Since Ryo already figured out how to beat him, taking him down the next time they meet shouldn’t be so hard. The same could apply to their battle at the harbor. To ensure that it maintains the epic feel of the original fight from the first game, Shenmue: The Animation may have to make some big changes to Shenmue’s ending.