My opinion of Shenmu is solidifying and it's not really being impacted by the way the guys are playing. It's mostly based on the fact that this is a story and character centric game and the story and characters are all very awkward. Even if I look past the hilarious voice acting and the poor translation, the way one lead moves to the next doesn't feel true to actual life. There is a charm to the absurdity of the interactions but the way the game is defended, I'm finding it hard to see a point of view where the game can be taken so seriously.
The first game, due to its awful dub, is best treated like a kung fu story. If you've seen kung fu movies you know they will often present serious topics with bad translation/dubs. Shenmue 1 dubbed works the same way. For what it's worth, Shenmue in Japanese is a much better experience, story-wise.
As an example, watch a bit of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. A man is whisked away to the Shaolin temple to protect him from death after his teacher and friends are murdered. The dub is cheesy, but the story is great. Shenmue 1 present a similar duality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlJ1vsZXElI
Here's Shenmue in Japanese. Notice the far better voice acting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bikNcg1l1YM
The result is two different game experiences. In order to get the most of Shenmue 1 in English you have to be able to handle the dub. Treat the dub like it is - funny and awkward - but also know that there exists a Japanese version with far, far better acting and presentation. One thing to look for, story-wise, are themes, such as its use of colors. Gray is a constant, for example.
Shenmue 1 and 2 are my favorite games of all time. Even I don't like to suffer the dub. It completely detracts from the entire experience and takes what is an emotionally resonant game series into a cheesy kung fu movie tier game. I'm really rooting for a Japanese voice track option in Shenmue III. Otherwise, I may just import, because I refuse to experience it any other way. Fuck Shenmue dubs.