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Pile of Shame - MARCO: 3,000 Leagues in Search of Mother


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GVman



Joined: 14 Jul 2010
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:16 pm Reply with quote
You know, despite the issues inherent with adapting a several-episode TV series into a single movie, Japan's obsession with doing so made sense for these years when home video and whatnot wasn't much of a thing. I wonder why it has persisted into the modern day, though?
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insert name here



Joined: 27 Jul 2011
Posts: 84
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:40 pm Reply with quote
One advantage that the original series had that it sounds like this movie doesn't, is that the melodramatic story is stretched out over 52 episodes. The series focuses more on the day to day lives of the characters within the context of the larger narrative. This gives the creators time to flesh things out and lends an air of verisimilitude to the proceedings that the story doesn't always merit. For a 70's anime, the limited animation holds up a lot better than you might expect it to, and Takahata's direction, at least to my eyes, seems as though it is well informed by the classics of Italian cinema. I'm in the middle of watching it right now, and there are moments that are straight up breathtaking.
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belvadeer





PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:58 pm Reply with quote
GVman wrote:
I wonder why it has persisted into the modern day, though?


That's a good question. I think it's the overall and underlying themes they appreciate in this "child suffering" genre.
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GVman



Joined: 14 Jul 2010
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 3:27 pm Reply with quote
@belvadeer: I was mainly speaking of the practice of producing summary movies themselves, though; not just child suffering ones. Although, I do definitely agree that Japan has a great appreciation (possibly even obsession) with the child suffering genre.

Or were you saying that most of these summary movies have been works that could fit into the child suffering genre?
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Greboruri



Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 373
Location: QBN, NSW, Australia
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 3:38 pm Reply with quote
The film did get two English subbed releases; one from Universe in Hong Kong, the second from Dawoori Entertainment in Korea. I have the Hong Kong version which is OK in terms of video and the subs are pretty good. Video is 4:3 letterbox. No idea what the Korean version is like. Both versions seem to be out of print.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 3:50 pm Reply with quote
I saw the first episode of the TV series year ago but never felt compelled to continue on. I find that's a general problem with the WMT anime the things like it, it's just too little spread out over too many episodes, so easy episode only focuses on a small bit a story, bit by bit.
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StudioToledo



Joined: 16 Aug 2006
Posts: 847
Location: Toledo, U.S.A.
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 3:54 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
The first of these, Dog of Flanders, was a decent success, and even got a hacked-apart release in the US via Pioneer Animation's short-lived family film division.

A travesty in it's own right sadly.

Quote:
After meeting a neighboring family of street performers, Marco learns that a ship will soon be leaving town en route to Argentina, and Marco is obsessed with going there himself to try and find his mother. And, in a feat of stunningly poor parenting, Marco's father lets him.

I suppose that takes it out of Nick Jr. territory immediately Not to say Belle & Sebastian hasn't had it's share of child endangerment.

Quote:
World Masterpiece Theater stories are a hard sell to current otaku. There's nothing cool or sexy about the blobby, workmanlike designs, and stories about European kids suffering (or ANY kids suffering, really) generally don't tickle the escapist fantasy tastes of most fans.

Those fans can go home, Justin. I can't take their crap! Evil or Very Mad

Quote:
Maybe that's why so few attempts to fansub them have borne fruit, and only one series has ever been licensed for sale in North America. (Animated Classics of Japanese Literature, CPM).


Anything Nippon Animation has been quite verboten it seems around these parts. Only a scant number of shows ever made it over to TV or VHS in the past like Tom Sawyer on HBO or Little Women (which I think is currently airing on TBN's "Smile of a Child" if anyone cares to go there). I only found out recently Shout! Factory released their TV adaptation of "The Jungle Book" on DVD last year (of course a non-WMT entry but one that I only ever remember best from Christian TV broadcasts a few decades back). It's true to say many of these are not commercially viable to today's rather rather fickled crowd, of course I would say good literature is better than "disposable entertainment".

GVman wrote:
You know, despite the issues inherent with adapting a several-episode TV series into a single movie, Japan's obsession with doing so made sense for these years when home video and whatnot wasn't much of a thing. I wonder why it has persisted into the modern day, though?

Money, that's all it is.

insert name here wrote:
One advantage that the original series had that it sounds like this movie doesn't, is that the melodramatic story is stretched out over 52 episodes. The series focuses more on the day to day lives of the characters within the context of the larger narrative. This gives the creators time to flesh things out and lends an air of verisimilitude to the proceedings that the story doesn't always merit. For a 70's anime, the limited animation holds up a lot better than you might expect it to, and Takahata's direction, at least to my eyes, seems as though it is well informed by the classics of Italian cinema. I'm in the middle of watching it right now, and there are moments that are straight up breathtaking.

Just imagine being in Japan in the 70's and having to wait week after week to know what happened next? Wink
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belvadeer





PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 5:44 pm Reply with quote
GVman wrote:
@belvadeer: I was mainly speaking of the practice of producing summary movies themselves, though; not just child suffering ones. Although, I do definitely agree that Japan has a great appreciation (possibly even obsession) with the child suffering genre.

Or were you saying that most of these summary movies have been works that could fit into the child suffering genre?


The former. I thought you were speaking specifically about the genre, not the movie summary practice, though you do make an excellent point about that too.
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GVman



Joined: 14 Jul 2010
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 6:31 pm Reply with quote
StudioToledo wrote:

Money, that's all it is.


But how are they still profitable in this day and age? That's what I don't get. Why do audiences want to keep watching these summary films in this day and age when Japan, apparently, still has a thriving video rental system (among other ways) that'll let audiences watch a whole series?

belvadeer wrote:
GVman wrote:
@belvadeer: I was mainly speaking of the practice of producing summary movies themselves, though; not just child suffering ones. Although, I do definitely agree that Japan has a great appreciation (possibly even obsession) with the child suffering genre.

Or were you saying that most of these summary movies have been works that could fit into the child suffering genre?


The former. I thought you were speaking specifically about the genre, not the movie summary practice, though you do make an excellent point about that too.


Ah, I see. And thank you.
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Maokun



Joined: 11 Nov 2004
Posts: 53
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 7:10 pm Reply with quote
This, like many other "child-suffering" anime (Heidi, Tom Sawyer, Cuore-'Heart', the parent story to Marco-, Butch Bee, Banner Tail, etc.) found its way into Latin-American TV during the late 80's. Pretty great stuff if you can take having your heart ripped out of your chest every weekday afternoon as an 8-year old, speaking from experience. Razz
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StudioToledo



Joined: 16 Aug 2006
Posts: 847
Location: Toledo, U.S.A.
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 7:25 pm Reply with quote
[quote="GVman"]
StudioToledo wrote:

Money, that's all it is.


But how are they still profitable in this day and age? That's what I don't get. Why do audiences want to keep watching these summary films in this day and age when Japan, apparently, still has a thriving video rental system (among other ways) that'll let audiences watch a whole series?
Quote:

The real problem is that the majority of Japanese tend to be an older demographic rather than to cater to the young crowd all the time, that's the problem. They're use to doing the same things we were bothering with 30 years ago.

[quote="Maokun"]This, like many other "child-suffering" anime (Heidi, Tom Sawyer, Cuore-'Heart', the parent story to Marco-, Butch Bee, Banner Tail, etc.) found its way into Latin-American TV during the late 80's. Pretty great stuff if you can take having your heart ripped out of your chest every weekday afternoon as an 8-year old, speaking from experience. Razz

I wouldn't mind watching that at all, really. I did it before and I can do it again.
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief


Joined: 28 Jul 2003
Posts: 1684
Location: Los Angeles, CA
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 9:25 pm Reply with quote
Greboruri wrote:
The film did get two English subbed releases; one from Universe in Hong Kong, the second from Dawoori Entertainment in Korea. I have the Hong Kong version which is OK in terms of video and the subs are pretty good. Video is 4:3 letterbox. No idea what the Korean version is like. Both versions seem to be out of print.

Ooh, thank you kindly! Added to the article.
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EricJ2



Joined: 01 Feb 2014
Posts: 4016
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 9:34 pm Reply with quote
At least Azumanga Daioh remembered the series, when they named the class kitten Marco. ("He's probably traveling to find his mother!")
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GVman



Joined: 14 Jul 2010
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 10:45 pm Reply with quote
[quote="StudioToledo"][quote="GVman"]
StudioToledo wrote:

Money, that's all it is.


But how are they still profitable in this day and age? That's what I don't get. Why do audiences want to keep watching these summary films in this day and age when Japan, apparently, still has a thriving video rental system (among other ways) that'll let audiences watch a whole series?
Quote:

The real problem is that the majority of Japanese tend to be an older demographic rather than to cater to the young crowd all the time, that's the problem. They're use to doing the same things we were bothering with 30 years ago.

Maokun wrote:
This, like many other "child-suffering" anime (Heidi, Tom Sawyer, Cuore-'Heart', the parent story to Marco-, Butch Bee, Banner Tail, etc.) found its way into Latin-American TV during the late 80's. Pretty great stuff if you can take having your heart ripped out of your chest every weekday afternoon as an 8-year old, speaking from experience. Razz

I wouldn't mind watching that at all, really. I did it before and I can do it again.


I'm guessing that top part of the bottom quote was your response to me? If so, targeting this older demographic does account for part of it, but I feel like there's still more to it. I guess I'm thinking too much.
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Greboruri



Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 373
Location: QBN, NSW, Australia
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 10:52 pm Reply with quote
jsevakis wrote:
Ooh, thank you kindly! Added to the article.
Yeah think you’re right, probably from a script used for a film festival print. I wish more companies would just dump these on to DVD/BD (screw rights of the various parties in the production committees!). A small number of “family” anime films have had English subtitled Hong Kong/Korean DVD releases this way.
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