Little Marios
| The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! live-action segment | |
|---|---|
| "Little Marios" | |
| |
| Production number | 140 |
| Airdate | October 23, 1989[?] |
| Guest star(s) | Brian Bonsall |
| Title reference | Little Women |
| Cartoon episode | "Koopa Klaus" |
| Zelda preview | "Underworld Connections" |
| << List of episodes >> | |
"Little Marios" is the thirty-sixth live-action segment of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Its corresponding animated episode is "Koopa Klaus."
Plot synopsis
At home in Mario Brothers Plumbing, Mario and Luigi are watching a wrestling match on television to see who wins, and at first fail to notice a young boy with a suitcase walking down the steps into the basement. Turning his head, Luigi identifies the boy as Brian Bonsall, and questions as to why he is carrying a suitcase. Brian claims that he is selling pots and pans door-to-door, but Mario and Luigi do not buy his story. Brian then tries to convince them that he is instead selling encyclopedias, and then Tupperware; however, the brothers do not fall for his lies, although Mario is tempted by the Tupperware. Realizing that he cannot hide the truth, Brian reveals that he is running away from home.
Mario asks Brian why he is running away from home, and he explains that his parents do not love him anymore. Brian figures that he can teach his parents a lesson by making them miss him while he is gone. Luigi suggests that they should talk about this situation a bit, and Mario nods in agreement.
Sitting down at the table to some pizza, Mario tells Brian that he does not want to run away, but Brian merely thanks him and Luigi for the pizza, stating that he does not want to run away on an empty stomach. Mario explains to Brian that he should not want to run away, no matter how bad things may seem at home. However, Brian states that he has made up his mind and wants his parents to learn to appreciate him. Mario then tells Brian that when he and Luigi were kids, he ran away from home, and begins to explain his story through a flashback.
As kids, Mario and Luigi are shown to be living in the same basement where Mario Brothers Plumbing is located in present day. Rushing in through the back door, Mario runs over to some toys, excited that he just beat Luigi in a little race. Luigi then bickers with Mario, until Mama Mario shows up, telling her sons not to fight. Mama then tells Mario that since he is the oldest he should know better, and grounds him, much to Luigi's delight. Mario complains that he has already been grounded five times this week, so Mama instead tells him to peel garlic for the next five days.
Mario whines about not wanting to peel any garlic and complains to Luigi that since he is always getting him in trouble, that he will run away. Grabbing a stuffed dog and a baseball mitt, Mario runs off, with Luigi unconcerned about his brother's welfare, and the flashback ends.
Brian then tells Mario that he must have had fun being on his own, and Mario assures him that such a thing was not the case. Mario explains that back at home, his family's hearts were breaking. Luigi then sarcastically tells Mario that they were miserable without him, and another flashback starts up.
At home with Mama, Luigi helps himself to some popcorn, and is thrilled to not have to share it, or the couch with Mario. Luigi praises Mama, and she explains that without Mario around, there is more of everything for them. Just then, Mario returns home and apologizes for running away. However, Mama does not appear to be very grateful. Mario asks if she missed him, and she replies that she does not miss his yelling, his fighting with Luigi, or his messy room. However, she admits that she did miss Mario, and smacks him with her purse. Mario questions why, and she tells him that it was just in case.
After the flashback ends, Mario comments that he can remember the events as if they happened the previous day. Brian tells him that the story was so beautiful, he is ready to barf. Mario asks Brian if he has learned a lesson or not, and Brian claims that he should not run away since his parents will enjoy his absence too much. Mario agrees, and Brian decides to head home before all the popcorn is gone. As Brian leaves, Mario and Luigi bid him farewell. Luigi then begins to chuckle about how he and Mama "missed" Mario when he ran away.
Dub edits
- In the Latin American Spanish dub, Brian's initial claim of selling pots and pans is changed to selling children's clothes.
- On a related note, his offer of Tupperware is changed to going on a trip.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| German | Kleine Marios[1] | Little Marios | |
| Italian | Piccoli Mario[citation needed] | Little Marios | |
| Spanish | Los Pequeños Mario[2] | Little Marios |
Trivia
- Brian Bonsall's last name is misspelled as "Bonsell" in the credits.
