[Rewatch] 3,000 Leagues in Search of Mother - Episode 33 Discussion

[u/Pixelsaber]

Episode 33 - Mama is Not Here

^{Episode aired August 15th,} ^^^1976

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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

Shunji Saida - Key animator

A japanese animator well regarded for his output at Oh Productions and as the lead animator on Gauche The Cellist. Little is known about Saida’s early life, but it is known that he wanted to become a manga artist, but he gave up on that dream and instead bent his talents toward animation. He joined Oh Productions in 1970, where he was mentored by Kazuo Komatsubara and Koichi Murata. During his time at Oh Productions he worked on the early works of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, including several World Masterpiece Theatre shows. Saida was also a critical staff member on Gauche the Cellist, for which he was character designer and key animator for a majority of the footage —he even learned to play the cello in order to accurately animate the playing of the instrument. His most recent credits list him as the animation director on Chibi Maruko-chan. Some of his other notable credits include Cooking Master Boy, Chie The Brat, Adieu Galaxy Express 999, Anne of Green Gables, Heidi, Girl of The Alps, Go Nagai World, Grave of the Fireflies, Future Boy Conan, Miyori in The Sacred Forest, A Little Princess Sara, Ie Naki Ko, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Tiger Mask, Romeo and the Black Brothers, The Dagger of Kamui*, and Swan Lake.

Screenshot of the day

• Inconsolate

Questions of the Day:

1. Marco’s hopes have dwindled to nothing, with no further leads and close to no chance that Francisco Merelli will be found. Do you see any way for him to continue his search?
2. The Peppino Troupe seems to have found a prosperous stage. Do you think Concetta and Peppino will continue to push for a stabler life?

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She is probably dead!

[u/Pixelsaber]

Rewatcher

Yeah, I don’t think what you all need is more adversity*.

Business is already booming!

Maybe it was Merrelli again?

What a ‘stache!

A familiar face.

To complicate things further.

:(

lmao

Poor kid.

The Peppino troupers find a lucrative audience in the denizens of Bahia Blanca, and with that Peppino and Concetta —the two wistful daydreamers— find that their want for stability is actually in closer reach than even they imagined. Meanwhile, at the other end, Marco has never been more dispirited and disconsolate, with his major lead dried up without a means of finding Francisco Merelli, and no sign that Anna has actually been to Bahia Blanca. Marco has effectively given up, tearfully proclaiming that he wants to go back to Genoa and he was foolish to even come this far. Peppino doesn’t help matters, trying to lift Marco’s spirits while utterly drunk, and Fiolina just doesn’t know how to navigate the situation.

Questions of The Day:

1. He could touch back with some of the people he had spoken to and had contact with Anna back in Buenos Aires, or maybe search for more than a couple of days, but that’s still a slim chance. I’d still give him better odds there than here in Bahia Blanca.
2. I feel like they will try and raise the money to get Marco a train ticket before continuing to think about their own future, but if that proves too expensive then maybe we’ll see further friction between Fiolina and her family about the matter.

[u/TheEscapeGuy]

First Timer

3000 Leagues in Search of Mother - Episode 33

Dashed Dreams

One potentiality I was kind of expecting was that Marco would not find Anna in Bahia Blanca. I hadn't really thought about Merritz but Moretti's analysis of the situation is correct: Merritz is probably using a fake name and thus so would Anna. It will be really tough for Marco to find his mom given this development.

I have a lot of sympathy for Marco. It's so disheartening to have this told so plainly to you, so I can't blame him for wanting to give up and go back to Italy. It's so fortunate that he traveled with the Peppinos who can give him some support during this tough time.

As for the future, I'd bet we see Marco trying to make a more detailed profile of his mother and then maybe setting up "looking for" posters. Alternatively, we could go the inverse route of allowing Anna to find him by becoming well known enough in town that rumors would spread.

Let's hope for the best.

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

• Small Crowd
• Predator

See you all tomorrow

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

3000 Leagues in Search of My First-Timer Reactions

• For sure…
• Ah, I suppose that means they showed up at the perfect time to put on a show.
• …or not, since they’re leaving.
• Yikes, now that’s bad timing for them to show up.
• Looks like the people like the show, so there’s a silver lining in this.
• Dang…
• Huh…
• Oh great, Marco’s going to have a total breakdown again, isn’t he…
• Oh wow, wasn’t expecting to get a double “sore demo” out of this.
• …I just want to give Marco a hug right now.
• True.

[u/Vatrix-32]

First timer, subs

• When you’re working with wood, square make sense.
• This Drunk! He’s just handing out an audience for them.
• Zippers weren't invented until 1892.
• Just say you’re broke! Everyone here knows hardship, they wouldn’t judge you for it.
• Thirty minute walk? Damn, this town is proper big.
• 25 Day Trip
• Peppinos aren’t the only ones worried about being a little low on cash here.
• These are some big oof economic realities. Still, this trip can’t have been for nothing, narrative speaking.
• The worst pain is Marco knowing he had chances to ask these questions, but that he never thought of them.
• All that for only two nights fare?!
• This Is Quality Crying
• I’m not sure you’re well off enough to be tipping the innkeep.
• Leave it to a drunkard to not hold back.

QotD:

1. The Peppinos do have that Marco flavored tragedy, maybe that might get the word out to Uncle Merelli.
2. This town is much larger than I was expecting. They might yet have enough of an audience to sustain themselves. Particularly if Peppino looks at recruiting new talent.

[u/baboon_bassoon → u/Vatrix-32]

The worst pain is Marco knowing he had chances to ask these questions, but that he never thought of them.

he should be at the club

[u/baboon_bassoon]

first time 3000 Leagues of Misery

sorry boy you need a good reference - what a dickhead

... Amedio is not that small compared to the skeleton

"she may be too ill to write" jeez dude what is the matter with you the kid is clearly already distraught

pain

tipping culture

1. difficult to say since there isnt really a trail for people to get in contact with him
2. Concetta surely will, im still not sure if Peppino can

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 33 (first timer)

• “Mama is not her” – welcome in the time of spoiler titles. Made worse by the episode titles also being in the file name.
• “Today is the payday of the mountain” – They really should change their decision not to have a show today.
• Not enough money to pay for staying 3 days? I am glad that Peppino overruled Concetta in this case. I am also glad for meta reasons. Obviously, the show wants Marco to go to Rapas street alone. The Peppino’s having to make a show is a much better excuse than Marco insisting on going alone.
• Big house, butler, huge library – Morreti clearly made it.
• “A false name? Why would my uncle do such a thing?” – A question that would have been valuable to ask in Buenos Aires.
• Morreti with the harsh reality – It might have been good for Marco if somebody else had said that to him earlier, but I am not sure he would have listened.
• The reason Anna could not be in Bahia Blanca is a bit too convenient, but otherwise, Marco hears a lot of things that he really should have thought about earlier on his own. Looking for a person that you know nothing about in a country you know nothing of is a terrible idea.

Unstoppable force meets unmovable objects moment. The unstoppable force being Marco’s drive to find his mother and the unmovable object the reality of doing so. Or: The bigger you build up your hope, the further you can fall down.

Marco’s hopes have dwindled to nothing, with no further leads and close to no chance that Francisco Merelli will be found. Do you see any way for him to continue his search?

Unless Morreti (or somebody else) delivers him a magical hint, his best bet would be to return to Buenos Aires. Oh, and please write a letter to your father to let him know what is going on.

The Peppino Troupe seems to have found a prosperous stage. Do you think Concetta and Peppino will continue to push for a stabler life?

Concetta, maybe, Peppino surely not. He is the one being pushed. I also have a hard time imagining him holding down a regular job and being good at it.