3000 Leagues in Search of Mother
Encyclopedia
is an anime
series directed by Isao Takahata
and aired in 1976. It is loosely based on a small part of the novel Heart
(Cuore) by Edmondo De Amicis
, i.e. the monthly tale (racconto mensile) From the Apennines to the Andes (Dagli Appennini alle Ande), widely expanded into a 52-episode epic.
The series was broadcast on the World Masterpiece Theater
, an animation staple that showcased each year an animated version of a different classic book or story, and was originally titled "From the Apennines to the Andes". Nippon Animation
, producers of the World Masterpiece Theater, would adapt Cuore into a second TV anime series in 1981, although this second series was not part of the WMT.
A summarization movie was released in the 1980s using edited footage from the TV run. Nippon Animation also re-animated 3000 Leagues as a feature-length film in 1999, with a theme song performed by Scottish
pop superstar Sheena Easton
("Carry a Dream", which was included in her 1999 album called Home that was only released in Japan).
The series was dubbed into several languages and became an instant success in some countries, such as Portugal
, Brazil
, Spain
, Venezuela
, Colombia
, Germany
, Chile
, Turkey
, the Arab
world and Israel
. In Hebrew, the series is called HaLev(הלב), meaning The Heart (the name of the novel which the series is based on, and which itself was translated in Hebrew and used to be very popular in 1990s Israel). In some European and in Latin American countries the series is simply known as Marco. In Arabic the series was a huge success, it was called "Wada'an Marco" ("وداعاً ماركو"), meaning "Goodbye Marco".
, Italy
during a depression period in 1881. Marco's father, Pietro Rossi, is a manager of a hospital who dedicates his time to treating poor patients, and therefore the family has financial difficulties. His beloved mother, Anna Rossi, goes to Argentina
to work as a maid
to earn money for Marco. When the letters from his mother stop coming after an indication that she is sick, Marco fears the worst for his mother's fate, and since his father is too busy working in his clinic and his older brother Tonio was sent off to train as a locomotive driver in Milano, he is the only one free enough to go search for her.
Marco takes with him his older brother's pet monkey, Amedeo and together they sneak aboard the Andrea Dora, a ship bound for Brazil
. In Brazil Marco boards an immigrant ship and finally arrives in Buenos Aires
, where he meets a puppeteer
called Peppino and his family, whom he knew from Genoa. They accompany him to Bahía Blanca
in order to try to locate his mother.
In Bahía Blanca, he discovers his uncle stole the letters which his mother had sent him. He returns to Buenos Aires, and sails off on a ship to Rosario; there he tries to figure out how to get on a train to Córdoba
. Marco's Italian friends collect enough money and buy him a train ticket. Marco arrives in Córdoba, and successfully manages to locate the agricultural engineer Mister Mequinez. He tells Marco that his mother works for his brother in Tucumán, and gives him enough money for a train ticket. But Marco ends up giving the money to a doctor to save the life of a poor girl he meets. Marco sneaks on the train but he gets caught and tossed off the train in the middle of nowhere. A group of travelling gipsies rescue him and give him an old donkey.
After a few days, the donkey dies and Marco continues to walk to Tucumán by foot. He eventually arrives to his destination hungry and tired, and finds his mother. His mother is very sick and needs an operation, but she is too weak. As soon as she sees Marco, she regains her strength and manages to go through surgery successfully.
At the end of the series, Marco and his mother return to Genoa, where the family is reunited.
The theatrical release date was July 19, 1980. It was distributed by Toho Towa. The screened theater was Toho Yoga group theater. The running time is 107 minutes.
The theatrical release date was April 9, 1999. It was distributed by Shochiku
. The screened theater was Shochiku-affiliated. The running time is 98 minutes.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series directed by Isao Takahata
Isao Takahata
is a Japanese anime filmmaker that have earned critical international acclaim for his work as a director. Takahata is co-founder of Studio Ghibli with long-time collaborative partner Hayao Miyazaki. He has directed films such as the war-themed Grave of the Fireflies, the romantic-drama Only...
and aired in 1976. It is loosely based on a small part of the novel Heart
Heart (novel)
Heart is a children's novel by the Italian author Edmondo De Amicis who was a novelist, journalist, short story writer, and poet. The novel is known to be his best known work to this day, having been inspired by his own children Furio and Ugo who had been schoolboys at the time. It is set during...
(Cuore) by Edmondo De Amicis
Edmondo De Amicis
Edmondo De Amicis was an Italian novelist, journalist, poet and short-story writer. His best-known book is the children's novel Heart.-Early career:...
, i.e. the monthly tale (racconto mensile) From the Apennines to the Andes (Dagli Appennini alle Ande), widely expanded into a 52-episode epic.
The series was broadcast on the World Masterpiece Theater
World Masterpiece Theater
is a Japanese TV anime staple that showcased an animated version of a different classical book or story each year on 7:30p.m. on Sunday. It originally aired from 1969 to 1997 then resumed in 2007....
, an animation staple that showcased each year an animated version of a different classic book or story, and was originally titled "From the Apennines to the Andes". Nippon Animation
Nippon Animation
is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City....
, producers of the World Masterpiece Theater, would adapt Cuore into a second TV anime series in 1981, although this second series was not part of the WMT.
A summarization movie was released in the 1980s using edited footage from the TV run. Nippon Animation also re-animated 3000 Leagues as a feature-length film in 1999, with a theme song performed by Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
pop superstar Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
("Carry a Dream", which was included in her 1999 album called Home that was only released in Japan).
The series was dubbed into several languages and became an instant success in some countries, such as Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
world and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. In Hebrew, the series is called HaLev(הלב), meaning The Heart (the name of the novel which the series is based on, and which itself was translated in Hebrew and used to be very popular in 1990s Israel). In some European and in Latin American countries the series is simply known as Marco. In Arabic the series was a huge success, it was called "Wada'an Marco" ("وداعاً ماركو"), meaning "Goodbye Marco".
Plot
The plot of the series focuses on Marco, a young boy who lives with his family in the harbor city of GenoaGenoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
during a depression period in 1881. Marco's father, Pietro Rossi, is a manager of a hospital who dedicates his time to treating poor patients, and therefore the family has financial difficulties. His beloved mother, Anna Rossi, goes to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
to work as a maid
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
to earn money for Marco. When the letters from his mother stop coming after an indication that she is sick, Marco fears the worst for his mother's fate, and since his father is too busy working in his clinic and his older brother Tonio was sent off to train as a locomotive driver in Milano, he is the only one free enough to go search for her.
Marco takes with him his older brother's pet monkey, Amedeo and together they sneak aboard the Andrea Dora, a ship bound for Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. In Brazil Marco boards an immigrant ship and finally arrives in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, where he meets a puppeteer
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
called Peppino and his family, whom he knew from Genoa. They accompany him to Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca is a city located in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Atlantic Ocean, and seat of government of Bahía Blanca Partido. It has a population of 274,509 inhabitants according to the...
in order to try to locate his mother.
In Bahía Blanca, he discovers his uncle stole the letters which his mother had sent him. He returns to Buenos Aires, and sails off on a ship to Rosario; there he tries to figure out how to get on a train to Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
. Marco's Italian friends collect enough money and buy him a train ticket. Marco arrives in Córdoba, and successfully manages to locate the agricultural engineer Mister Mequinez. He tells Marco that his mother works for his brother in Tucumán, and gives him enough money for a train ticket. But Marco ends up giving the money to a doctor to save the life of a poor girl he meets. Marco sneaks on the train but he gets caught and tossed off the train in the middle of nowhere. A group of travelling gipsies rescue him and give him an old donkey.
After a few days, the donkey dies and Marco continues to walk to Tucumán by foot. He eventually arrives to his destination hungry and tired, and finds his mother. His mother is very sick and needs an operation, but she is too weak. As soon as she sees Marco, she regains her strength and manages to go through surgery successfully.
At the end of the series, Marco and his mother return to Genoa, where the family is reunited.
Crew
| Crew Position | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Isao Takahata Isao Takahata is a Japanese anime filmmaker that have earned critical international acclaim for his work as a director. Takahata is co-founder of Studio Ghibli with long-time collaborative partner Hayao Miyazaki. He has directed films such as the war-themed Grave of the Fireflies, the romantic-drama Only... |
| Produced by | Junzou Nakajima Takaji Matsudo |
| Original Story by | Edmondo De Amicis Edmondo De Amicis Edmondo De Amicis was an Italian novelist, journalist, poet and short-story writer. His best-known book is the children's novel Heart.-Early career:... (Heart) |
| Screenplay by | Kazuo Fukasawa |
| Character Designer & Supervising Animator | Yōichi Kotabe Yoichi Kotabe , is a Japanese manga artist and animator who has worked with Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. He is a lecturer at Tokyo Designer Academy in their cartoon film course.... |
| Assistant Animator | Reiko Okuyama Reiko Okuyama , née , was a Japanese animator, notable for being one of the first female Japanese animators. She has also been credited as and .-Biography:Okuyama spent much of her early life confined to bed due to a series of illnesses. She developed her interest in drawing during this time... |
| Layout Supervisor | Hayao Miyazaki Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,... |
| Art Director | Takamura Mukuo |
| Music by | Kouichi Sakata |
| Sound Designer | Yasuo Uragami |
Primary characters
- Marco Rossi - a little boy, he is the main character of the series.
- Amedeo - Tonio's pet monkey, that comes on the journey with Marco.
- Anna Rossi - Marco's mother.
- Antonio (Tonio) Rossi - Marco's older brother.
- Pietro Rossi - Marco's father, a doctor of a village in Genoa.
- Fiorina - Marco's friend in Italy and Peppino's second daughter, she also assists her father in his puppet theater business.
- Peppino - a man who performs outdoor puppet shows for a living, with his three daughters, Concetta, Fiorina and Giulietta.
- Concetta - Peppino's elder daughter, who controls the puppets in his puppet show.
- Giulietta - Fiorina's baby sister.
Secondary characters
- Emilio - Marco's best friend in Italy.
- Gina Cristini - Marco's first employer, from the shipping company.
- Mr. Guillioti - a bottler, he is Marco's second employer.
- Ramón Mequinez - an engineer who employed Marco's mother to work for his brother in Tucumán.
Japanese version
- Opening theme: Sōgen no Marco (by Kumiko ŌsugiKumiko Osugiis a J-pop artist from Tokyo. In 1964 she recorded a song with Crown Records using the pseudonym . The first song to be released under her real name was , the opening theme for the Attack No. 1 anime...
) - Ending theme: Kaasan Ohayō (by Kumiko ŌsugiKumiko Osugiis a J-pop artist from Tokyo. In 1964 she recorded a song with Crown Records using the pseudonym . The first song to be released under her real name was , the opening theme for the Attack No. 1 anime...
)
Spanish version
- Opening theme: Adiós, mamá (music by José Torregosa Alcaraz)
- Ending theme: Mi mono Amedio y yo (music by José Torregosa Alcaraz)
3000 Leagues in Search of Mother
is the movie edited by the staff of the TV anime series.The theatrical release date was July 19, 1980. It was distributed by Toho Towa. The screened theater was Toho Yoga group theater. The running time is 107 minutes.
Staff
- Supervisor / Direction: Isao TakahataIsao Takahatais a Japanese anime filmmaker that have earned critical international acclaim for his work as a director. Takahata is co-founder of Studio Ghibli with long-time collaborative partner Hayao Miyazaki. He has directed films such as the war-themed Grave of the Fireflies, the romantic-drama Only...
- Director of reconstruction: Hajime OkayasuHajime Okayasuis an anime and film editor and director. Okayasu was nominated for two Japanese Academy Awards: in 1997 for The Eel and in 1998 for Dr. Akagi, both for Best Editor.-External links:...
- Assistant director: Kazuyoshi Yokoda / Kenichi Baba / Yasuo Kageyama
- Author: Edmond De Amicis
- Planning / Production: Nippon AnimationNippon Animationis a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City....
- Executive Producer: Koichi Motohashi
- Planning: Shoji SatoShoji Satois a male badminton player from Japan.Shoji Sato is regarded as one of the fastest on foot players in the world. -Career:He won four Japanese National Championships in a row between 2003 and 2006....
- Producer: Junzou Nakajima / Ryuji Matsdo / Yoshio Kato
- Script: Kazuo Fukazawa
- Character Design and Animation director: Yoichi KotabeYoichi Kotabe, is a Japanese manga artist and animator who has worked with Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. He is a lecturer at Tokyo Designer Academy in their cartoon film course....
- Art Director: Takamura Mukuo
- Editor: Takeshi SeyamaTakeshi Seyamais a Japanese film editor from Tokyo.He is the editor of many anime series and movies from Studio Ghibli, Katsuhiro Otomo, or Satoshi Kon, including hits such as like Princess Mononoke, Steamboy, and Paprika. In 1992, Seyama founded the "Seyama Editing Room," which specializes in editing...
/ Syuuichi Kakesu / Keiko Onodera - Cinematographer: Keishichi Kuroki
- Sound Director: Yasuo Uragami
- Audio mixing: Tsugio Nakatogawa
- Sound effects: Ishida SoundFizz Sound Creationis a sound effects company working in the television, movie, radio, video, CD, cassette and game animation industry in Japan.-Company history:The company was founded in 1971 by as...
/ Akihiko Matsuda - Music: Kouichi Sakata
Marco: 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother
is the remake movie based on the TV animation series which Nippon Animation having a production copyright produced. Original staff has not participated though the direction method and the script applied to the TV series. Moreover, under the influence of group negotiations to demand service improvement of the voice actors just at that time, the original casts did not participate in this.The theatrical release date was April 9, 1999. It was distributed by Shochiku
Shochiku
is a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
. The screened theater was Shochiku-affiliated. The running time is 98 minutes.
Staff
- Planning & Production: Nippon AnimationNippon Animationis a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City....
/ ShochikuShochikuis a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
/ Mitsui & Co., Ltd.Mitsuiis one of the largest corporate conglomerates in Japan and one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world.-History:Founded by Mitsui Takatoshi , who was the fourth son of a shopkeeper in Matsusaka, in what is now today's Mie prefecture... - Producer: Junzou Nakajima / 吉田剛 / Matsumi Tanaka
- Executive Producer: Toshikazu Motohashi / Rentarou Kohama
- Production Manager: 岩崎秀紀
- Planung: Shoji SatoShoji Satois a male badminton player from Japan.Shoji Sato is regarded as one of the fastest on foot players in the world. -Career:He won four Japanese National Championships in a row between 2003 and 2006....
/ Syunji Sone - Director: Kouzou Kusuba
- Assistant director: Takeyuki Satohara
- Author: Edmond De Amicis
- Original character: Yoichi KotabeYoichi Kotabe, is a Japanese manga artist and animator who has worked with Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. He is a lecturer at Tokyo Designer Academy in their cartoon film course....
- Character Design and Animation director: Shunji Saida
- Dramatize: Kazuo Fukazawa
- Speech: Yutaka Shintou / 幸甫 / Toshikazu Motohashi
- Cinematographer: Seiichi Morishita
- Cinematography: Studio Twinkle
- Sound Director: Sadayoshi Fujino
- Audio mixing: Chiaki SatoChiaki Satois a Japanese actress. She was born in Iwate Prefecture, and attended the private Yakumo Gakuen High School in Tokyo.-Drama:*Joshi Ana Icchokusen! *Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi *My Boss, My Hero...
- Sound effects: Fizz Sound CreationFizz Sound Creationis a sound effects company working in the television, movie, radio, video, CD, cassette and game animation industry in Japan.-Company history:The company was founded in 1971 by as...
- Art Director: Shouhei Kawamoto
- Key art design: Warren Nan
- CG director: Kazumi Hiruma
- Collar coordinator: Akiko Koyama
- Special effects: Masao Yoshiyama / Tomoji Hashizume
- Editor: Shinichi Natori
- Music: Tarō IwashiroTaro Iwashirois a Japanese composer.-Career:He has worked on music for many Japanese Television Series but is most well-known for his musical scores for film...
- Music Producer: Shigeyuki Onodera
- Music Coordinator: Takahiko Odaka / EMI TAGO
- Theme Song: Sheena EastonSheena EastonSheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...