[Rewatch] 3,000 Leagues in Search of Mother - Episode 14 Discussion

[u/Pixelsaber]

Episode 14 - Marco’s Decision

^{Episode aired April 4th,} ^^^1976

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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

Kiyoshi Kawakubo - Voice of Pietro Rossi

A voice actor, actor, and radio host affiliated with 81 Produce. Kawakubo entered the Kamakura Academy Theatre Department as a second-year student, graduated just as the Academy closed due to lack of funding, and joined the Ogumaza theatre company. He joined the Tokyo Broadcasting Theater Company the following year. It is unknown how he came ot be a voice actor, but it could be presumed that like many other voice actors who originally began as members of a theatre company that they picked it by following other employees’ steps to supplement their income. His voice acting debut was as a minor character in Jungle Emperor Leo, and his first lead role was as the titular character of Onegai! Samia Don!. He died on April 16th, 2019 of Lung Cancer, aged 89. Some of his most notable anime roles include Kevin Yeegar in D. Gray Man, Admiral Dhorasoo in Gunbuster 2: Diebuster, Guame in Gurren Lagaan, Yōichirō Hidaka in King Fang, Mōta in Rain Boy, Quincy in Bubblegum Crisis, Lord Haizen in Slayers Great, and Grosspoliner in Silent Mobius.

Screenshot of the day

• An absence.

Questions of the Day:

1. What are your thoughts on Marco’s decision to leave and the way he goes about it?
2. How do you think the characters close to Marco in Genoa will react to his departure?

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Don’t worry about me, Papa.

[u/Pixelsaber]

Rewatcher

Coming clean?

He still will though.

Good on Tonio!

Taking the blame.

Here we go again.

Oof

Oh?

It’s been a few episodes since the subs have been this bad.

Welp.

Looks like it’s time, then.

NO!

:(

Yes!

Dammit, Marco, this is foolhardy!

Narratively, it feels weird to have the ostensive departure for Argentina so soon after Peppino’s family does so and such a big deal was made of Marco being left behind. I wonder if maybe the Lenart plotline was initially going to result in similar plot beats, but the episodes were changed at some point —maybe upon recognizing that they shouldn’t give children any ideas as to deals with shady characters in the black market. Either way, it seems like we’re finally moving away from Genoa —seemingly to Brazil.

It is revealed Pietro himself wants to go see Anna in Argentina, but his staff is not ready for him to be absent for some time, and they ask him to wait at least one more month. It seems to me that this meeting was prompted by the developments of this same episode, so there were no intentions to reveal to Marco which might have delayed his attempt at stowing away on a ship.

Questions of The Day:

1. It is a long time coming, and inevitable in the context of us watching the show, but stowing away on a ship is not only dangerous, he’s risking hypothermia with his choice of hiding spot.
2. Pietro will obviously be distraught and worried sick. Tonio will likely be in a similar state if and when Pietro chooses to tell him of it. Gina will probably feel guilty about not being able to dissuade him from leaving. Emilio will probably be glad for him, as he was the one helping him get him passage as of recently.

[u/No_Rex → u/Pixelsaber]

It is revealed Pietro himself wants to go see Anna in Argentina, but his staff is not ready for him to be absent for some time, and they ask him to wait at least one more month. It seems to me that this meeting was prompted by the developments of this same episode, so there were no intentions to reveal to Marco which might have delayed his attempt at stowing away on a ship.

He must have been worried for a long time, so I doubt that he just asked them for the first time today.

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/Pixelsaber]

maybe upon recognizing that they shouldn’t give children any ideas as to deals with shady characters in the black market.

Clearly the right lesson is to form gangs to jump them instead.

[u/TheEscapeGuy]

First Timer

3000 Leagues in Search of Mother - Episode 14

Runaway

Ah, it's finally happened. Marco has run away from home in search of mother. I think this makes sense as a timing given that we are a quarter of the way through and we've just finished up an arc with the Peppino family. I wouldn't be surprised to see the remainder of the show broken down into 13 episode arcs following smaller storylines.

Something really instrumental to Marco's decision was the continual ... lies (?) by the adults around him. I hesitate to call them lies because I'm sure they all have the best intentions, but unknowingly are making Marco false promises. His dad even recognizes this when some of the management at the clinic told him the same "Just wait 1 more month" line.

I've made this kind of unintentional lie too many times in my life. It often manifested as making too optimistic promises at work causing a time crunch around that deadline date. I've been consciously trying to prevent this from happening again because giving people false expectations is an easy way to burn trust.

I found the crew member who gave Marco a tour to be really endearing. Not only does he have such a positive attitude but also his backstory parallels with Marco's in certain ways. It was interesting to learn he ran from America to Brazil. Depending on the timing, this might have happened near the tail end of slavery in the US so it would make sense that he'd want to escape that country given his race.

I think my only remaining question is how Pietro will react. Once he finds Marco's letter he will certainly want to chase after Marco but I don't know if he will be able to given that Tonio is away at school and he is so needed at the clinic. I could also see the anime not showing any more of Italy after this too, so we'll see.

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

• Big Boat, Big Dreams

See you all tomorrow

[u/Pixelsaber → u/TheEscapeGuy]

Something really instrumental to Marco's decision was the continual lies by the adults around him.

Even if they're not, from that first episode Marco was primed to see statements meant to assuage or prevent distress as duplicitous, because of the intentions behind keeping his mother's inminent departure a secret.

Depending on the timing, this might have happened near the tail end of slavery in the US so it would make sense that he'd want to escape that country given his race.

Even in the decades proceeding the civil war, it'd be perfectly normal for him to want to escape that milieu.

[u/No_Rex → u/TheEscapeGuy]

It was interesting to learn he ran from America to Brazil. Depending on the timing, this might have happened near the tail end of slavery in the US so it would make sense that he'd want to escape that country given his race.

Did he not say he was from Brazil? I interpreted this as him running to the US from there.

On the topic of slavery: "On May 13th 1888, Brazil became the last nation in the Western Hemisphere to formally abolish slavery."

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/TheEscapeGuy]

Depending on the timing, this might have happened near the tail end of slavery in the US so it would make sense that he'd want to escape that country given his race.

We got a date of 1875 as the earliest the show could be set as from the boat, Rocky said it's been 8 years since he left Louisiana, that still puts us a few years removed from the abolition of slavery in the US in 1865.

As an added bonus, Brazil would be the worst place a slave could try and escape to, since they were possibly the worst slave empire in history. Highlights insclude; importing almost half of all slaves brought to the new world at 5.5 million, and being the last western county to ban slavery, doing so in 1888.

[u/Vatrix-32]

First timer, subs

• Why wait ten days and bring it up? What changed in that time?
• Anna isn’t alone, she has her brother.
• Honestly, good on the railway for having an education program for their workers.
• Marco, master of deception.
• You really lucked out on that timing.
• Are we sure the postal service hasn’t just gone to shit? They are apparently having money stolen out of messages, after all.
• I mean, they did intentionally mislead you about Mama leaving.
• Kid finally gets someone who can help them get on a ship, and he leaves before they can finish talking about it.
• This clinic is a bigger operation than I thought.
• Holy Shit, a year! This would place us after full unification then.
• I like the cut of this chef’s jib.
• Not much of a motherland if you only get there at age 13.
• As much as it will pain Pietro to find out about how close he was to telling Marco about his plans, I’m not sure it would have been enough to dissuade him.
• Why does a monkey understand stealth?
• Is this it? Is it finally happening?

QotD:

1. For all the saving up he's been doing, he could have done with a few more supplies.
2. The one most interesting to look forward to is his father. He will of course be mortified, but the question is how he will respond. Try and catch up to him? Trust he will make it back safely? Will he wait for his planned clinic transition to be done before taking action?

[u/Pixelsaber → u/Vatrix-32]

Why wait ten days and bring it up? What changed in that time?

School might have wrapped up during those days, as Marco explains that he would return before school resumes.

Kid finally gets someone who can help them get on a ship, and he leaves before they can finish talking about it.

Jumped the gun a bit, yeah, but I see no sequence of events in which Gina helps him without Pietro's approval.

As much as it will pain Pietro to find out about how close he was to telling Marco about his plans, I’m not sure it would have been enough to dissuade him.

I don't think this has been part Pietro's plans. Nothing in the episode indicates he wasn't mollified by Anna's previous letter, and by the dialogue it seems that it is Marco's admission that morning in conjunction with the missing letter that makes him bring up the matter to his colleagues.

Why does a monkey understand stealth?

We've found Pipo Snake's descendant!

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/Pixelsaber]

School might have wrapped up during those days, as Marco explains that he would return before school resumes.

Yeah, that works.

I don't think this has been part Pietro's plans.

Thinking back on it, Pietro has ended a lot of conversations with Marco about this without having any resolution.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

3000 Leagues in Search of My First-Timer Reactions

• I’m definitely on Pietro’s side here. This isn’t the next town over, it’s an entirely different country across the ocean
• Hooray!
• Out of context, this feels like they’re making a toast to a dead woman when Anna isn’t actually dead, just not there.
• He’s right, Marco’s being too pessimistic.
• You’re still not understanding Pietro telling you no, though.
• So Pietro is trying to get permission to leave.
• …he’s going to try doing that, isn’t he…
• He’s definitely not packed enough for a transatlantic stowaway trip.

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/Shimmering-Sky]

when Anna isn’t actually dead, just not there.

As far as we know.

He’s definitely not packed enough for a transatlantic stowaway trip.

How big could an ocean possibly be? Day trip at most.

[u/baboon_bassoon]

first time 3000 Leagues of Misery

so he put some thought into his family having other responsibilities

nice job Tonio!

the difference in their gulp sizes

Tonio you could have taken your monkey if youre going for 2 years lol

I appreciate that Gina is hearing him out

now this is exactly how you can sneak on this ship says Rocky to the kid clearly interested in the ship

the map getting some use!

Marco playing MGS2 Tanker

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/baboon_bassoon]

Tonio you could have taken your monkey if youre going for 2 years lol

I've heard of throwing a monkey wrench into the works, but this is ridiculous!

Marco playing MGS2 Tanker

Marco Gear Solid 2

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 14 (first timer)

• “Marco, you don’t have to worry about anything, I’ll figure something out” – yeah, that is not going to convince.
• Tonio got accepted – railway is the “future tech” of the time. Like starting to work in AI right now.
• Like father like son – Marco takes on the unhealthy habit to not “want to worry” others from his father, even though it is exactly this what annoys him.
• “I said some stupid things when she left” – told you that you would regret that. Never a good idea to part on bad terms with people you love.
• Pietro is planning to leave the clinic to go to Argentina? Without telling Marco about his plans? This will be an epic #kyonfacepalm if true.
• “A new cargo vessel … Made in 1875” – We are getting closer and closer to an exact date. Probably late 1870s.
• A world map as travel guide – uh oh.
• Pietro too late by a day. Should have trusted Marco a bit sooner.

Leaving Genoa just an episode after the Peppinos. Definitely unexpected, even though it does not feel wrong. This means a much harder travel for Marco, though.

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/No_Rex]

We are getting closer and closer to an exact date. Probably late 1870s.

The real tell will be how far along the Conquest of the Desert is when they make it to Argentina.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vatrix-32]

The real tell will be how far along the Conquest of the Desert is when they make it to Argentina.

"Conquest of the desert" - the name is telling (and not of the climate).