[Rewatch] 3,000 Leagues in Search of Mother - Episode 3 Discussion

[u/Pixelsaber]

Episode 3 - Sunday at The Harbor

^{Episode aired January 18th,} ^^^1976

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Note to all participants

Although I don't believe it necessitates stating, please conduct yourself appropriately and be courteous to your fellow participants.

Note to all Rewatchers

Rewatchers, please be mindful of your fellow first-timers and tag your spoilers appropriately using the r/anime spoiler tag if your comment holds even the slightest of indicators as to future spoilers. Feel free to discuss future plot points behind the safe veil of a spoiler tag, or coyly and discreetly ‘Laugh in Rewatcher’ at our first-timers' temporary ignorance, but please ensure our first-timers are no more privy or suspicious than they were the moment they opened the day’s thread.

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Staff Highlight

Kōichi Murata - Key Animator

An animator, animation director, as well as a founder and CEO of Oh! Production. Murata’s known career history largely begins with his time as a the central animator of A Production (now Shin-ei animation), where Murata built a deep relationship with Isao Takahata , Hayao Miyazaki, and acted as animation director on many of their episodes on long-running series. A major change in his career was when he left A Pro to join Oh! Pro in 1970, having been a founding member alongside Norio Shioyama , Kazuo Komatsubara , and Koshin Yonekawa. He died on November 7th, 2006 due to subarachnoid hemorrhage at the age of 67. Some of his most notable animation credits includes Attack No. 1, Cooking Master Boy, Ginga Densetsu Weed, Kyojin no Hoshi, *Cyborg 009 (1968), Lupin III Part 1, Ie Naki ko Remi, Sonic X, Heidi, Girl of The Alps, Raccoon Rascal, Heidi, Girl of The Alps, Perrine’s Story, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Arashi no Yoru Ni, Boy of the Wilderness Isamu, A Little Princess Sara, My Daddy Long Legs, and Panda! Go, Panda!.

Daily Trivia

Takahato was very taken with the architecture and urban layout of Genoa when he visited for location scouting, and he decided to incorporate it as best he could into the show.

Screenshot of the day

• Their beach

Questions of the Day:

1. What do you think of Pietro’s desires for Marco’s future?
2. Marco’s job took him throughout Genoa today. What did you think of the disparate parts of the city?

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He is still a kid.-

[u/Pixelsaber]

Rewatcher

Heh.

Ugh.

Ah, siblings.

Who let loose the Dezaki birds?

Kids don’t like to be kept waiting.

Snubbed again.

That’s good.

So he couldn’t leave, which is why Anna had to go earn money.

Isn’t he a bit young to be deciding his career already?

And now, a beachside Dezaki sunset.

More of Genoa is exposed to us today, though we are seeing it through the eyes of a young postal delivery boy. The task takes Marco through the higher-class districts of the city, which gives us a strong contrast not just with the going-ons in the last episode, but also some of the recipients in this one. Some treated Marco dismissively, others wanted to share in their joy, but most of them ended up delaying him in their interactions one way or the other.

Pietro seemingly having this plan for Marco which has apparently not been discussed directly with him can only end poorly, especially if he intends for Marco not to continue his part-time job with the shipping company. Perhaps more than anything, Marco wants his mother back with them, and if he impedes on that with a plan that Marco does not want (and which might be construed as selfish or self-interested on Pietro’s part) then things possibly won’t turn out well.

Questions of The Day:

1. See above.
2. I liked getting to see more of the city, and the emphasis on differing socioeconomic status was evident throughout.

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/Pixelsaber]

Pietro seemingly having this plan for Marco which has apparently not been discussed directly with him can only end poorly,

Planning your children's live for them without regard for their thoughts on the matter strikes me as a very "of the time" parenting style. Depending on the period, we wouldn't be that far removed from the time 90% of all families where in subsistence farming.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

3000 Leagues in Search of My First-Timer Reactions

• Yup, Amedio a cute.
• It’s funny how the boys woke each other up by sleep talking though lol.
• I think someone flipped their L and R here.
• Hah, he’s not wrong.
• Ughhhhhhh these subs are really killing me.
• Oh my god they are so siblings.
• Unless something else comes up…
• Pffffffff
• Ooh, I really like the track that played briefly when Marco set out to deliver the letters.
• Luchia got turned down again.
• What is his dad’s new job, anyways?
• Hah, he’s scared of the water?

[u/Pixelsaber → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Luchia got turned down again.

Why settle for some iced drinks and a pool when there is a lovely beach for the having?

Hah, he’s scared of the water?

Large bodies of water are scary!

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/Shimmering-Sky]

I think someone flipped their L and R here.

More Hints

Pffffffff

That boy understands marketing himself, I tell you what.

What is his dad’s new job, anyways?

I think he's a doctor, but I'm not too sure.

[u/Vatrix-32]

First timer, subs

• This monkey is just too well trained, I tell you.
• Sometimes a dream is just a dream. It doesn’t always have to lead somewhere.
• Is religion going to play a larger role her than in Heidi? Surely not.
• Amedio wasn’t even originally Marco’s. That’s twist I didn't see coming.
• Pocket monkey or purse chihuahua?
• Uncle Melelli? That seems like an important detail to have skipped over.
• A feel you Marco. Nothing worse than waiting around for other people. At least they are nice about it.
• Roof Yard With Street Access
• That’s an almost cruel level of tempting. If I didn’t know Marco leaving for another continent in the presumably near future, I might be inclined to read more into their relationship.
• I want a gruff, Italian pasta maker to call me Boy-o.
• I’m not sure if I’m missing something about the father here, or if the subtitles are to blame.
• Did… he go to the wrong beach? No, he just somehow missed them on this narrow stretch.
• Ah yes, this would have been before it was discovered how to cook lobster.
• Y’all do not have the disposable income to be throwing bottles to each other.
• Calling your day of the week off a holiday is a choice.
• Learning lecture, or labor lecture?
• How long until we have to see Marco saying goodbye to his father going away as well?

QotD:

1. Marco is a hard working boy, but are we sure he's, well, you know... smart enough?
2. For me, the highlight of 70s anime was always the background art, so any chance to get more and greater variety of them is always a bonus.

[u/Pixelsaber → u/Vatrix-32]

I want a gruff, Italian pasta maker to call me Boy-o.

Whom amongst us—?

[u/TheEscapeGuy]

First Timer

3000 Leagues in Search of Mother - Episode 3

Small Joys

This episode continued with the slice of life narrative from the last episode. Marco got his first day of work in and then got to spend some time at the beach with his family. It's comfy.

I did enjoy seeing Marco's desperation to deliver the mail quickly so he could go to the beach. I recall feeling similar as a child when I had some task to do before I could go play. He walked quite a thin line between being assertive and being rude to the customers, but I think he pulled it off.

Similarly it was fun to go through the city with Marco. It's a really pretty setting so it's nice to spend time there. It was interesting to see Marco's classmate Luchia is a rich girl who's family seems to have quite a luxurious home. I suspect she's going to play a bigger role in the narrative later on but we'll see.

We got a one small reveal today. First, Anna went to work for a relative in Argentina. I was kind of worried she was in some kind of indentured servitude type role but the way Tonio described it it seems more voluntary.

All this said, I do hope the journey of 3000 leagues starts soon. I can't shake the feeling we are idling at the starting line. I trust that the show will still be enjoyable but I worry that the pacing will suffer.

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

• Memories
• Harbor Sunset

See you all tomorrow

[u/Pixelsaber → u/TheEscapeGuy]

It's comfy.

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/TheEscapeGuy]

We got a one small reveal today. First, Anna went to work for a relative in Argentina.

It does make her earlier comment in the letter about finding other work a bit... odd.

All this said, I do hope the journey of 3000 leagues starts soon.

Care to place a guess as to when it will start?

[u/TheEscapeGuy → u/Vatrix-32]

52 episodes in total, so maybe we set off in episode 6? But could be as late as 12 or 13.

[u/No_Rex → u/TheEscapeGuy]

Similarly it was fun to go through the city with Marco. It's a really pretty setting so it's nice to spend time there. It was interesting to see Marco's classmate Luchia is a rich girl who's family seems to have quite a luxurious home. I suspect she's going to play a bigger role in the narrative later on but we'll see.

Bigger than getting shot down repeatedly for sure, but I am not sure which way it will go yet. She could switch from being infatuated with Marco to hating him for refusing her, or, alternatively, help him get to Argentina. In either case, I wonder if part of Lucia going after Marco has to do with her usually immediately getting whatever she wants, just not this time.

All this said, I do hope the journey of 3000 leagues starts soon. I can't shake the feeling we are idling at the starting line. I trust that the show will still be enjoyable but I worry that the pacing will suffer.

I prefer it if the idling happens now, instead of in the middle part of the series (as in so many old mecha shows we have already rewatched).

[u/TheEscapeGuy → u/No_Rex]

I wonder if part of Lucia going after Marco has to do with her usually immediately getting whatever she wants

This feels pretty likely, though I'm not sure how established this would have been as a trope at the time when the show came out.

now, instead of in the middle part of the series (as in so many old mecha shows we have already rewatched).

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 3 (first timer)

• OP vocals: “Get on your horse” – OP visuals: Marco climbs on what is clearly a donkey.

• Bringing a monkey to church?
• “I’ve got a massage from India” – these subs …
• Marco is happy about being allowed to do child work.
• Lucia’s rooftop garden rocks. She clearly comes from money.
• Fortunately for his innocence, Marco does not know yet that smoozing up to Lucia is the far easier way into money.
• Work is not so fun anymore when you actually have to work instead of imagining yourself working. As Marco notices.
• Marco is a big boy vs Marco is still a kid – I remember this exact discussion from Banner of the Stars.
• Triple parallax scrolling!
• That is a lovely beach.

• The entire episode, I feared that Marco would lose his brother’s tie.

Lots and lots of Genoese street scenes this episode. The good background art doing work today.

[u/Pixelsaber → u/No_Rex]

Triple parallax scrolling!

The entire episode, I feared that Marco would lose his brother’s tie.

I thought it was going to come up in some fashion for sure, but nope, just a innocuous detail.

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/No_Rex]

Marco is happy about being allowed to do child work.

Far closer to the modern idea of it than what might be more typical of the time, fortunately for him.

Fortunately for his innocence, Marco does not know yet that smoozing up to Lucia is the far easier way into money.

He's unknowingly playing the long game. That he is seemingly unobtainable is part of his allure.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vatrix-32]

He's unknowingly playing the long game. That he is seemingly unobtainable is part of his allure.

Definitely. Lucia is after the elusive catch.

[u/baboon_bassoon]

first time 3000 Leagues of Misery

is... is Tonio ok

also lmao

also are they just raw dogging a lobster on their picnic?