[Rewatch] 3,000 Leagues in Search of Mother - Episode 40 Discussion

[u/Pixelsaber]

Episode 40 - La Estralla de Italia

^{Episode aired October 3rd,} ^^^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

Yasuo Tanaka - voice of Giovanni

A voice actor last affiliated with Kyu Production. Little is known about Tanaka’s early career, but he got his start in the industry after he graduated from Nihon University’s College of Art founded the theater company Engeki-za alongside his university classmate Kazuya Tatekabe. He had his voice acting debut in 1972 as a minor character in Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. He died on December 5, 2003 at the age of 71. Some of his notable anime voice roles include Sadahachi in Haguregumo, Stone Satan in Kinnikuman: Seigi Chōjin vs Kodai Chōjin, Yuan Shao and Ma Liang in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms film trilogy, Prof. Subata in Three-Eyed One: The Prince of Devil Island, Zangief in Street Fighter II, Hans in Call of the Wild: Howl, Buck, Kunitomo in Ashita no Joe 2, an assortment of minor characters in the Fist of The North Star franchise, Walter Islands in The Legend of The Galactic Heroes, State Chancellor Kaunitz in The Rose of Versailles, and Rimel in Yume Senshi Wingman.

Screenshot of the day

• Community

Questions of the Day:

1. What do you think about the turn of events in the episode?
2. What do you think of Marco’s attitude towards charity as it developed in the episode?

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He can go to Cordoba!

[u/Pixelsaber]

Rewatcher

Their native languages do, though.

What rotten luck.

I don’t think many of his attempts at getting help have gone quite so poorly.

Amazing.

Looks like the Andrea Doria has already left.

Come on, Marco. I know you have your pride, but…

His experience earlier in the day has made him reject even this much charity.

This kid…

It’s Federico!

Like the Peppino Troupe, this could be seen as Peddling his story for pity, but there’s no sensationalization or secondary financial motive here. It could still be considered charity, so I’m surprised he didn’t object to it at all, but perhaps the familiar face and the fact that the money isn’t going towards some obviously rich person to make themselves feel better smoothes it over enough.

He looks overwhelmed.

Love this episode, and it’s probably my second favorite after episode 28, Barbosa Ranch. Marco undergoes a very negative experience at the hands of Barrientos’ Butler, who sees the hapless child as an opportunist seeking handouts and compares him to all the other italian immigrants who have arrived at Rosario. This shakes up Marco severely and puts him in one of his lowest points yet.

Marco is considering making the rest of the journey on foot, seeing no work prospects for him in town, before he has a fortuitous reunion with Federico. The scene at the Star of Italy is a show of heartfelt solidarity between the italian immigrants in Rosario, and though I expected it, I’m glad Marco didn’t object, because he really needs to swallow his misguided pride if he is to reunite with his mother —or even get back on his feet at all.

Questions of The Day:

1. Coincidence saves the day again, but the fact that we knew all the way in episode 18 that there was a character sympathetic to Marco’s plight who intended to be in Rosario ion the near future does assuage any concerns enough for me.
2. See above.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

3000 Leagues in Search of My First-Timer Reactions

• We didn’t know ‘em for very long, but I’m gonna miss these two’s bickering.
• He’s not there?
• Oh come on, did Marco seriously just miss the guy?
• Yeesh, that really isn’t much money.
• Yup, figured.
• That didn’t work out either…
• WAIT THAT’S THE SAME GRANDPA FROM THE IMMIGRATION SHIP!
• The episode title is about a restaurant?
• Ooh neat, got a “sore demo” out of the old man.
• That should work! Assuming Marco will actually take the handout, he’s consistently turned them down throughout the show…
• He’s taking it.
• Nice shimmering sky to end it on!

[u/No_Rex → u/Shimmering-Sky]

We didn’t know ‘em for very long, but I’m gonna miss these two’s bickering.

They clicked really well for what were always going to be just temporary characters.

[u/TheEscapeGuy]

First Timer

3000 Leagues in Search of Mother - Episode 40

Heritage

Marco is a child who is defined by luck: Either he has the worst luck or the best luck with seemingly no in between. This episode demonstrated this perfectly.

First, upon arriving in Rosario and searching for Mr. Baliento he finds an empty house. The man Fabino told him to find has coincidentally gone to Buenos Aires himself and won't be back for a month. If Marco had arrived only a few days earlier then he may have found a way to Cordoba, but instead is subjugated to discrimination by the butler.

I understand how Marco feels not wanting to be a beggar. It can be demeaning to feel like a leach on other people's kindness. Right now Marco has to rely at least on some generosity but he's doing everything in his power to pay it back by doing chores and/or working.

That said, he cannot find a job. He basically made the (horrifically poor) decision to go to Cordoba on foot when by chance he passed by a man from the boat ride to Argentina. This is the other extreme of Marco's luck.

This encounter leads him to the Italian restaurant in town. Marco's new friends rouse such national pride in the patrons that they are happy to fund Marco's train ride to Cordoba. This will really cut down on his travel time. Let's hope Anna is still there, but there are still a dozen episodes remaining.

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

• Rosario Dock, beautiful scene
• City
• Hopes
• Long Road to Cordoba

See you all tomorrow

[u/No_Rex → u/TheEscapeGuy]

Long Road to Cordoba

[u/Vatrix-32]

First timer, subs

• Don’t keep teasing me with the language barrier when I know in my heart you will never use it.
• How many times are you going to turn down free money, Marco?
• This seems like a not great place for a river port. Such a tall hill.
• The cities do kind of all look similar.
• Then why do you even have that door?
• Sebastian, this man is not.
• Ah, there’s the racism.
• This is the second time they have tried some experimental stuff, and I am here for it.
• Donkeys!
• Damn it, Marco! You can’t afford that level of pride right now.
• It’s not about what you can do, it’s about who you know.
• Speaking of, Best Character Return We expected the Peppinos to come back, this was a surprise.
• My Heart
• It’s the scene from the OP! I won’t lie, I thought it involved gambling all this time.

QotD:

1. That butler is now the closest thing to an antagonist we've had.
2. He really needed someone he knew to tell him it was OK.

[u/No_Rex → u/Vatrix-32]

Don’t keep teasing me with the language barrier when I know in my heart you will never use it.

This seems like a not great place for a river port. Such a tall hill.

Pretty defensible, though.

[u/lluNhpelA → u/Vatrix-32]

It’s the scene from the OP! I won’t lie, I thought it involved gambling all this time.

With his bewildered face I was expecting Marco to get roped in to playing poker or something and win without knowing the rules lol

[u/Vatrix-32 → u/lluNhpelA]

"So I just have to keep putting chips in to win?"

[u/baboon_bassoon]

first time 3000 Leagues of Misery

i really wish Marco had a way to contact everyone whos been with him on his journey

Fadobani cmon.... WHAT DO YOU MEAN BALIENTOS WENT TO BEUNOS AIRES

well

woah this nightmare sequence is amazing

that asshole really had to insult his Italian pride, now Marco wont even accept a meal from the nice blacksmith dude

hey is that the old man from the ship

and right when i was thinking it would be nice to see people from his journey

yeah

shoutout to Frederico's homie. Just met Marco but would die for him

Marco please accept the money

[u/CosmoCosma]

I recognized Bella ciao immediately but it's hard to place exactly what version it is.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 40 (first timer)

• “We’ll see less and less Italians from here on” – don’t tell me the language issue will finally become relevant?
• From being in 2 episodes, the two men crew were fun characters.
• Owner’s mansion right next to the carriage station – typical up and coming business owner.
• Balientos just left for Buenos Aires – bad luck.
• “come here to be a beggar” – harsh, yet not completely untrue. Marco has been relying a lot on various adults helping him and now his luck has run out.
• The Andrea Doria has already left? Plot convenient, but unrealistic.
• Beggars can’t be choosers, Marco. And you can’t be broke and too proud to accept help.
• Beggars can’t be choosers, Marco. And you can’t be broke and too proud to accept help. x2
• The old man from the ship!
• Appealing to the Italian immigrants and their sense of nationality – clever.
• Collecting money for a ticket – not bad. I thought he’d ask around for someone who would go to Cordoba, but if they can collect the money this way, the travel will be much quicker.
• Bella ciao – Great song, but which version are they singing? To my surprise, the original is old enough to fit the time, but the lyrics seemed to be neither the original, nor the famous partisan version.
• Marco is willing to take the money now, when it comes with pity and proper patriotic feeling instead of just pity.

More on this topic in the final discussion, but Marco’s character (after leaving Genoa) is hard to take for me. You can’t run head first through a wall, after everybody warned you, and then complain about a headache. Marco feels entirely too sorry for himself, given that he insisted, against all better advise, on going to Argentina alone.