I'm on the "MOTHER", She Wrote website???

I don't listen to podcasts really, life has been too busy for a while for me to dedicate myself to a longrunning series like that. However, as my schedule is shifting, I wanted to get back into the only podcast that ever held me as a listener.

I discovered "MOTHER", She Wrote back in... I want to say Fall 2023? They were several episodes in, but not so many that I felt like it would be too daunting to catch up. I gave it a listen, and fell in love instantly. The hosts Cat and Jessica are both lovely ladies, and clearly have a ton of love for media and art. Hearing them talk about the MOTHER series, about MOTHER 1 in particular, I could tell just how passionate these two are, and I enjoyed hearing them share their progress through the game, taking it one step at a time, bringing the listeners along for the ride.

The biggest draw of the show, aside from being a spectacular commentary on the MOTHER games, is the "Letters to Mom" section at the beginning of each "chapter". In these, they have written and performed a series of audio drama scenes retelling parts of the game as they progress, with the narrative framed through the lens of the protagonist Ninten writing letters to his mother at home. This is not only a perfect narrative framing device that centers the themes of family, friends, and love, as well as the title of MOTHER, this also serves as the basis for wonderful performative interpretations of scenes from MOTHER 1, and hopefully in the future, EarthBound and MOTHER 3. By all means, this is not the only draw; the depths of pop culture discussion, analysis of contemporary influences and lasting legacy, as well as a general love for this series and the works of Shigesato Itoi are the reasons to continue with the show. Come for the riveting audio drama, stay for the intellectual pop culture and gaming discussion.

When using iTunes to put music on my iPhone 3GS (now repurposed as an MP3 player) my eyes drifted to the podcasts option, and immediately I though of Cat and Jessica. At this point, it's been several months since I last listened to an episode, and even that was me attempting to pick up where I left off after another several months gap. So in all, it's been probably close to a year since I was last a dedicated listener. I instantly switched menus and subscribed on iTunes so I could download it all to my iPhone. There's currently 20 episodes available on iTunes when you subscribe, though not all of them are mainline "chapters" of their MOTHER adventure. They also do intermission episodes called "Dimensional Slips", a reference for MOTHER fans who're in the know. In these episodes, they interview people such as Jazzy Benson, director of EarthBound, U.S.A. (a documentary I highly recommend you watch, as it's truly fantastic), or chiptune musician PixelH8, to discuss the technical side of the MOTHER 1 soundtrack and give a first-time listener's perspective on the music of MOTHER. Though not a part of the main story, these Dimensional Slips are no less fascinating a listen, and are wonderful to mix up the standard stock of progression with something a little more casual and personal, featuring guests with unique perspectives and plenty to bring to the conversation on these beloved games. There's definitely an argument for making a playlist of just the main chapters and keeping the flow of the narrative, but for me, the Dimensional Slips that intersperse chapters are a part of the "MOTHER", She Wrote experience, and I hope you choose to listen to them regardless.

In the process of downloading the show, I realized that iTunes doesn't automatically download the cover art? Strange, but no worries, I can always check their website! I checked the about page first, but when I got there I had to blink a few times and ask my girlfriend to double-check what I was seeing to be sure I wasn't imagining it. On their about page, they have a section of excerpts from people and publications that have commented about their show, and

I was shocked to see my name there. I'm beyond honored to be quoted here! I did indeed comment on the Spotify upload of the show at least twice (which is where my quote here comes from), it's just a bizarre feeling to see my name cited alongside actual publications like Starmen.Net! It made me smile wider than I can recall in recent memory, thank you so much to "MOTHER", She Wrote for featuring little old me!

For the record, I will reiterate those comments I left however long ago, because I absolutely stand by them. I'm obsessed with the "Letters to Mom" segments, the creative framing and the performance of it all is wonderful! It's easily one of the greatest things to have ever hit the MOTHER community! Please, if you yourself are a fan of Shigesato Itoi and his trilogy, give Cat and Jessica a chance to make you fall in love with it all over again! If you click on the image above, you can find the aforementioned about page where you can read up on the lovely hosts and find their links, as well as the show itself and where you can listen to it.

Thank you again to Cat and Jessica for bringing all of us along for the journey! I cannot wait to hear the rest of MOTHER, and jump into the rest of the series with you!

~ Alex Amelia Pine