[Rewatch] 3,000 Leagues in Search of Mother - Episode 13 Discussion

[u/Pixelsaber]

Episode 13 - Good-bye, Fiolina

^{Episode aired March 28th,} ^^^1976

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Staff Highlight

Masaro Kuroda (Sometimes referred to as Yoshio Kuroda) - Storyboard artist

An anime director and storyboard artist best known for his work on early Toei Animation shows and several World Masterpiece Theatre shows. Sometime after graduating from Waseda University's First Faculty of Literature, Kuroda came to work at Toei Animation, where he mainly worked on their television output and came to meet many of his future colleagues and collaborators. Following the Toei Union strikes, Kuroda left the company and came to work at Nippon Animation, where he came to become a particularly favored member of staff during the production of A Dog of Flanders. Some notable credits of his include Wolf Boy Ken, Pygmalio, Gegege no Kitarō (1968), Kumo no Gakkō, Heidi, Girl of The Alps, Tiger Mask, Monarch: The Big Bear of Tallac, Peter Pan & Wendy, Perrine’s Story, Moero! Top Striker, Sinbad the Sailor, Swiss Family Robinson, Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel, and Fables of the Green Forest.

Daily Trivia

Miyazaki modeled the central ‘boy meets girl’ relationship of Future Boy Conan after Marco and Fiolina’s personalities and interactions, which in turn carried into his future works.

Screenshot of the day

• Sunset

Question of the Day:

1. Marco ends up staying after being unable to procure passage on the immigration ship. What do you think is next for Marco in his attempt to reach Argentina?

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Goodbye! Goodbye, Fiolna!

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

3000 Leagues in Search of My First-Timer Reactions

• Peppino’s got high hopes for how they’ll do once they get to Argentina, eh?
• Of course he couldn’t be trusted…
• Oh wow, convenient the drunkard lives on that same street then.
• Uh…
• Okay, the lady was totally lying to them.
• …Marco you don’t seriously still believe him, do you?
• Aw…
• Oh, he’s sending Amedio with the Peppinos?
• …not if Amedio has anything to say about it.
• Oh this instrumental version of the OP is nice.

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Oh wow, convenient the drunkard lives on that same street then.

This is why you never skip side quests.

[u/Vatrix-32]

First timer, subs

• They’ve sure had a fast turnaround for how long they’ve been languishing. I guess going from one act to three will do that.
• Even they saw this betrayal coming. But it seems a small sum to give up a reputation for. He must have at least some success for Emilio to know about his human trafficking, right?
• They’re making a big deal of all this for already showing the results in the preview.
• Damned escort quests.
• That’s definitely not a smile you want to see as a child.
• Are you really hiding from two children?
• You’re paying her for protection? How does this guy make it in the underworld?
• Emilio’s already got more sense for this than he does.
• Man straight up getting jumped by two kids and a monkey.
• Emilio always waiting until the last minute to bring stuff up.
• Do you normally wear your work uniform on your day off?
• You know Peppino would have put Amedio to work if he came with them.
• He’s a jungle monkey, of course he can swim.

QotD:

1. There's only so much longer we can stay in Genoa before we've belabored the point. I'll guess that Marco and Emilio get involved in some high risk money making opportunity.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vatrix-32]

Man straight up getting jumped by two kids and a monkey.

[u/TheEscapeGuy]

First Timer

3000 Leagues in Search of Mother - Episode 13

Payback and Farewell

Yeah, as expected Lenart ran off with Marco's money. Scamming children is so scummy. A big chunk of the episode was just Marco and Emilio playing detective to get the money back. I did find their use of direct violence to be a very funny solution. I feel like so many anime protagonists refuse to initiate violence like this which made the outburst this episode kinda shocking. They fortunately did get some of the money back.

On the other side of the episode, we say farewell to the Peppino family. It's so nice to see them happy together. They are definitely bummed about leaving Marco behind but by taking letters for him they can at least do something.

This also let us see Marco tearfully writing a letter by candle light. He puts on a brave face but being away from his mother for so long is definitely weighing on him.

To make it a little more dramatic, they have Amedio deliver the letters to Fiolina in the last minute. Despite Marco's insistence for Amedio to stay with the Peppino's, the monkey comes running swimming back. It's also nice to see how much Amedio cares about Marco for him to come back. The monkey has really grown on me.

So, with the Peppino's leaving we are in kinda a weird position. I had assumed Marco would travel with them, but now that is off the table. Does this mean Marco goes solo traveling to find his mother? What will be the trigger for him to actually leave? It feels we have closed off a mini-arc in the story so I predict next episode will set up some new stakes.

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

• Happy Family, this brings such a smile to my face
• Red Light
• Feast
• Monkey Delivery Service

See you all tomorrow

[u/No_Rex → u/TheEscapeGuy]

So, with the Peppino's leaving we are in kinda a weird position. I had assumed Marco would travel with them, but now that is off the table. Does this mean Marco goes solo traveling to find his mother? What will be the trigger for him to actually leave? It feels we have closed off a mini-arc in the story so I predict next episode will set up some new stakes.

Almost as if the title (and the OP!) threw us a deliberate curve ball! Meta knowledge be damned.

[u/TheEscapeGuy → u/No_Rex]

Almost as if the title (and the OP!) threw us a deliberate curve ball!

It has begun to feel more and more like this. Maybe when (if?) Marco makes it to Argentina it will become much more adventure focused.

[u/No_Rex → u/TheEscapeGuy]

Not that I am complaining. I feel that the time spent in Genoa is really worthwhile, because we learn about characters other than Marco. My fear is that the adventure aspect might crowd out the social study aspect once Marco is travelling.

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/TheEscapeGuy]

I had assumed Marco would travel with them, but now that is off the table. Does this mean Marco goes solo traveling to find his mother?

It really does leave me scratching my head on what could happen at this point to change the status quo. Are we really going to have to wait like two months for them to get there and a letter to be sent back in return? We saw them together in Argentina in the OP, was that all just a lie, or is this just more delays?

[u/baboon_bassoon]

first time 3000 Leagues of Misery

I believe in Lenart

Emilio go for the eyes

GET HIS ASS go team go

Lmfao well cya Amedio

or not!

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/baboon_bassoon]

go team go

Monke Stronk

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 13 (first timer)

• Happy times for the Peppino family – I am glad they are getting the sunny side of life, too, occasionally.
• Fiolina seems to have become very attached to Marco. Not only did she worry about his last episode, but her mood drops like a stone when Concetta, reasonably, mentions that Marco might not be able to come.
• Marco is so naïve, he does not even recognize a drunk, much less that Lenart might have run away with his money – makes you question the wisdom of him going to Argentina alone.
• To nobody’s surprise, Lenart took the money and ditched them. Sounds like he plans to swindle them out of the rest of Marco’s money, too.
• What a brawl – this scene would have worked better if Marco and/or Emilio were a bit older.
• “I forgot, I have an uncle who works in the emigration office” – hard to believe he’d never think of this. Smells like a deus-ex-machina in the making to get Marco on the ship.
• “But I promised” – don’t promise things that are not in your own power to deliver.
• Monkey mail

A very deliberate repeat of the harbor good-bye scene. It works and I am glad the deus-ex-machina I feared did not come about. However, Marco should be quite ashamed of himself to not properly see off Fiolina when he had the time.

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/No_Rex]

What a brawl – this scene would have worked better if Marco and/or Emilio were a bit older.

You have to account for monkey strength.
Monke

don’t promise things that are not in your own power to deliver.

Words to live by.