Ryo, Ren, and Guizhang would be the strongest duo if this happens in ShenmueIV. Ryo's serious and stoic deamenor combined with Guizhang, who also is serious and stoic mixed with Ren's cocky nature is a really interesting dichotomy among the three of them. And include Shenhua as well, and you have a calming force like her in a sea of clashing personalities.
Ryo and Guizhang are seriously the best duo in all of Shenmue.
This custom made poster of the title is what my fanfiction would look like if it was a game or a webseries.
🔗 Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ArevFGIinAawq20HY8RlBTD9Y1w8NN0pwznFFlKOcGQ/edit?usp=drivesdk
Wenyuan Dongye is a hyper-logical martial artist driven by a strict sense of duty to his family lineage and the weight of a 3rd-century Qin Dynasty mirror curse (involving the Dongye's, the Chonglin's, and the Xiong's) Unlike the emotionally reactive and impulsive Ryo Hazuki 5 decades later, Wenyuan operates as a cold strategist who filters every situation through cost-benefit analysis and rigid "Guoshu" discipline. This extreme rationalism makes him an incredibly efficient, linear fighter using brutal Xingyiquan mechanics, but it also renders him emotionally detached and socially clumsy—viewing human feelings as inefficient variables and relying entirely on calculation over sentiment to survive his family's ancient burden.
While he's highly logical and overly objective, he has a deep care for his friends and family, and would do anything for them but his way of going about it is strictly analytical, which he's been called out for several times by those around him. He's also highly devoted to the martial arts (the one thing he has in common with the impulsive and young Ryo Hazuki 5 decades later) and has a deep respect for his father, but the only thing he questions from his dad (is his mysterious past he never brings up involving travels with another person (Chaoxiang Chonglin and what happened 30 years ago in 1905 in a place called Hongshan Village located in Guizhou) and his father's involvement with the organization called the Seven Triangle Trinity (who actively oppose the Chi You Men. Wenyuan also has a tendency of doing things alone and not really relying on others as much, something that he himself notes and is aware of, but he has mostly a good heart and doesn't mind learning from others (even if people have the begrudgingly tell him that he has to listen/act more and think less).
All credit to the art displayed goes to SliverOfSand
The completed drawing of Wenyuan Dongye, the main character of my eight part/27 chapter fanfiction based in the world of #Shenmue called the Truth about Glass and Waterfalls: A Shenmue Prequel Saga and it looks absolutely artistically done and beautifully drawn. He looks exactly like how I imagined him and he feels so different from Ryo himself.
Here's a sketch of what he looks like before and now.
All credit goes to SliverOfSand on Instagram and Bluesky
IninGames have just extended the pre-order window for the Shenmue3Enhanced Collector's Edition to May 18th and for those of you who are running out of time to get it, or you just don't have enough funds, now you've got plenty of time, but it's still imperative that you get it while you can.
Image Credit: screenshot is taken from ININ_Games's post about the news
Shenmue Dojo had just released a new video urging the community and every single Shenmue fan on why it's imperative to support Shenmue3Enhanced and how this is the last chance that Shenmue has to succeed! Shenmue needs to conclude and finish its story, and show investors Shenmue still has demand.
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/jh5rOD2Wbno?si=NiiYLEBXuXYDtTph