On November 23rd, 2007, a freak accident during the Cambodian Water Festival claimed the lives of five members of Singapore's national dragonboat team.Amongst the victims was a talented musician and Shenmue fan, Reuben Kee.His team mate, Justin Ong, recalls the tragic incident in a new article for Channel NewsAsia.Ten years later, Reuben's enchanting medley of Shenmue's Sedge Tree and Shenhua themes is still adored by his fellow fans, who are now able to look forward to a Shenmue III that was only a pipe dream for this 23-year-old.Reuben's story with regard to the game is one of many. There are tales of numerous Kickstarter backers reserving credits for the names of lost parents, siblings, and friends, with whom they have precious memories of enjoying the original chapters together.By resuming much later in our lives than most video game sagas, Shenmue has come to mean that little bit more. The human story of this game is more powerful and poignant than even its own script could hope to be.On this Thanksgiving, we raise a glass in gratitude to those who made us lifelong fans, and made the uncertain wait bearable for our shared dream to come true.When the title screen loads and we hear the music that inspired Reuben like it inspired us all, we'll find them beside us in spirit, keeping friends, those we love, close to us.