The Innocence of Mr. Saturn

How the helplessness ("helpless-Ness"?) of Mr. Saturns help to drive the plot of EarthBound.
Part 6 of the EarthBound Analysis series.
Watch all the episodes: • EarthBound Analysis Se...
Correction: The “nearly-hour long” sequence of prehistoric apes in 2001: A Space Odyssey is factually wrong, only running 15 minutes. Not sure where this error originated from on my part. My apologies.
Twitter: / monkeyness
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Stream Edits Channel: / @primateninten
Clips Channel: / @monkeynessshorts

[@Cybershell13]

The game forcing you to stand still for three minutes is still my favorite gag in the whole game.

[@Andr3G908]

I was about to comment how monkeyness sounded like you

[@loj2252]

cybershell meets cybershell 2

[@EngyneMac]

​@@loj2252cybershell26

[@moosesues8887]

@@loj2252we unlocked cybershell alpha and cybershell beta now we need cybershell omega

[@majin8326]

I played the game recently, and I didn’t think the game would give any indication that the three minutes passed so I set a timer for three minutes. Nothing special, just felt like sharing. Escargo Express being really slow crossed my mind immediately and that’s probably my favorite joke in the game.

[@rainbowmacaroon9189]

The title of this video makes it sound like you're defending Mr. Saturn in court

[@MonkeyNess]

12 Angry Men for a new generation

[@thatoddshade]

it made me think that it was going to be a 2 hour video essay of what inspired Mr. Saturn, a deep analysis of his depiction in and outside of Earthbound and how much he impacted both gamer and non-gamer culture without us realising.

[@valeriathetoadgal7196]

love this reference ​@@MonkeyNess

[@ThatGrimmzly]

Mr Saturn Ace Attorney

[@ToadSquad3]

@@MonkeyNess omg yes i watched that in school for an english assignment

[@Stichez]

Yellow: the color of uneasiness, happiness, and Mexico.

[@MonkeyNess]

And banana 🍌

[@IsabellaDehnel2389]

And cheese 🧀

[@Kyumifun]

And urine

[@xthax0511]

And juandice

[@BlueMarioGangsta]

And submarines

[@BigPoppaShawarma]

Mr. Saturn captures the essence of young children so well. They're constantly saying silly, nonsensical things, but you can tell they mean it all in complete earnestness. It's like when a toddler says "I like ice cream because I don't like frogs" and you can't help but be like "hell yeah dude"

[@plasmapro6651]

The Mr Saturns were so pure that Giygas' influence couldn't turn them evil.

[@senseicorey9979]

We should all be like Mr. Saturn

[@greengrapeguy70]

I love how you follow up "How earthbound seduces you" with "the innocence of Mr. Saturn" lol

[@Duckular]

Ah yes, lacing tea with LSD and offering it to teenagers is very innocent and wholesome! Gotta love those quirky Mr. Saturns!

[@solidifiedwatergatherer]

You look familiar

[@spagootest2185]

what's worse than that is that they're just 13, only teenagers in the loosest sense

[@oluglyrass]

to be fair, mr saturn are kooky folk whose doctor lives in a trash can in their house its better than the woman who offers them the cake overall i think these children are too trusting to be accepting food from strangers

[@senseicorey9979]

They sell "Secret herbs" in the shop too.....I like these guys

[@16bitrpglabs68]

Its not laced with lsd u fool, its just regular ayahuasca tea.

[@zSphericle]

you forgot to mention that you’re only allowed to go through the factory AFTER talking to the SPECIFIC mr saturn placed to tell new players what to do next, which is something people replaying the game would most likely skip or forget about

[@Deku2424]

It’s possible the gold miner mentioning that he hates pizza is a way to remind the player that they can order pizza from Mach Pizza via the phone inside the nearby cabin in case they literally don’t have any food otherwise

[@runnersdialzero1244]

I never realized that before because I always had something or other on hand. It's cruel, but I gave him a ketchup packet once. But yeah, that IS a cool hint and something I haven't picked up on in, y'know, about 29 years.

[@Mr_HammerExe]

“Zoom! Boing! Much innocence! Zoom!”

[@imonly1man_]

"Romeo and Juliet but in clown makeup" was like a comedic shanking to me

[@SomeRando92]

I could see a skit in Monty Python's Flying Circus called "A Comedic Shanking" and I hate that fact.

[@imonly1man_]

@@SomeRando92 you're welcome

[@NebNebula]

Romeo and Juliet but they're both little worms in the soil

[@KajiCarson]

Lovely seeing this. The Mr. Saturns of EarthBound are like the Kokiri of Zelda. They exemplify the ikigai and connection that the hero is attempting to restore to the land.

[@candy1049]

I just think it's funny that the Mr. Saturn's are supposed to be "weird", and one of the things that's supposed to be weird about them is that they offer free healthcare and shelter.

[@jusbequiet]

You have no clue how long I’ve waited for this😭😭

[@JezElectro13]

Worth mentioning is that the grass in Saturn Valley is yellow. Yellow is the exact opposite of blue. This sounds so random if you haven't watched the previous videos from this series, especially Pursuit of Happy-Ness.

[@fornkly]

for the first (and certainly not last) that cup of coffee made me cry. such an emotional, yet supportive pause, kinda like your Dad calling in to say that it's all going to be ok!

[@jeltajink]

WE FEEL GROVE

[@MrSaturnZoomBoing555]

No problem here

[@Iliveinuratticandatethepizza]

I honestly imagine the Mr. Saturns speaking with Patrick Star's voice but slightly deeper and goofier while the doctor speaks in a more higher pitch.

[@RandomDude1487]

17:46 so THATS where Toby got inspiration for that one song

[@veggiequeen77]

I've been waiting for this FOREVER! Thank you so much! @monkeyness you've made my whole day! :)

[@xandergrab7890]

Tarantino and Space Odyssey call outs in my MonkeyNess video? Groove!

[@luciamortar]

I was so excited to see this in my feed!! this series has been fantastic

[@heyzbeauz]

I love these retrospective style videos for each part of the game. I cant wait for the fourside video!

[@MasIndie]

The waterfall scene should have been longer. Bathroom or grabbing food breaks are great if you don’t want to use save states.

[@BOLONEIS]

YES LETS GOOOO NEW MONKEY NESS VIDEO

[@ZiggyPalffyLA]

The 1964 Olympics were in Tokyo so that event / winner may be a strong memory from Itoi’s youth (Also the monkey sequence in 2001 is only 15-minutes long. I love that movie but can’t imagine a full hour of that lol)

[@MonkeyNess]

Absolutely, I just don’t really see the thematic connection.

[@MonkeyNess]

In the original cut of 2001, it’s 45 minutes! Versions released more recently have cut it down to the current 15!

[@ZiggyPalffyLA]

@@MonkeyNess oh wow! I’d love to see that. I can’t imagine what audiences in 1968 were feeling after 45 minutes of that

[@MonkeyNess]

Hi! Just popped in my Blu-ray to check and found I was totally wrong. I’m not sure where this error occurred on my part, and I thank you for pointing it out. Will make a correction.

[@ZiggyPalffyLA]

@@MonkeyNess that’s ok! I loved the video and look forward to the rest of the series!

[@axeldeeker5644]

When I realised this was another video in the Earthbound analysis series I hit my head on the ceiling, I love this series so much

[@SuperStarStudiosPlush]

ZOOM! BOING!

[@theabbeast]

I really appreciate your videos. I've been working on my own passion project RPG for a couple years and videos like these give me ideas to help create a more appealing story. Thank you!!

[@dessichu]

While I do disagree that the 3 minutes in front of the waterfall is a moment to reflect on the journey so far, (the hot spring is quite literally a recap of what you've done up until this point, and the music that plays is incredibly relaxing) it is still by far my favourite gag in the entire game, LOL

[@WhimsicalLittledawg]

I remember when I first played Earthbound, I couldn't figure out how to enter the place in the waterfall without looking it up. I really wish I just talked to that one Mr. Saturn.

[@testitcalls1118]

I always had a crush on mr Saturn as a kid

[@wavejumper3]

That's my new response to "who's the hottest character in smash" now, thank you

[@Ness_from_Earthbound]

i still do

[@KumatorasLittleCutie-Pie]

What the huh?

[@Nessisinyourwalls]

@@KumatorasLittleCutie-Pieayo that name

[@KumatorasLittleCutie-Pie]

@@Nessisinyourwalls Lucas X Kumatora. 😍😉

[@kirbo337]

the three minutes you wait is a well known thing in Japan. It's a sign to make ramen because it takes three minutes to make. So the game put in a snake break.

[@bananabuns1369]

i love them so much, theyre so puntable

[@Jurt619]

I remember entering Saturn village for the first time. I had been a huge Earthbound fan for a long time before that but had never played it. I heard the music and thought it was odd but didn’t associate it with Mr. Saturn. Then I say the first little guy. I actually yelled “Mr. Saturn!”. Good times.

[@Equ3strianGam3r]

I love the coffee scene here and the tea scene later in Tenda Village. The music that plays is one of my favorites in the game.

[@jellybreath_]

WOO I just got caught up with this series, what a pleasant surprise

[@Ibrahim-xq4up]

i cant wait for fourside, its the PEAK of earthbound you cant change my mind

[@spagootest2185]

the mole cave and monkey cave suck, my favorite parts of the game are twoson and summers

[@Ibrahim-xq4up]

@@spagootest2185 caves were pretty creative honestly, the fact that all the moles thought they were the 3rd strongest and in the end they actually were all the same boss was kind of fun. I get your point though. the mole cave is pretty annoying first attempt but if you get healing items and save your psi on healing the poison effects you should beat it easily. the monkey maze was clever too, it showed how earthbound doesnt need flashy and wacky enemies to boil your blood. i still get a good laugh seeing streamers go back and forth just to do it all over again for the pencil eraser.

[@lawxz23]

Let's go the review series is finally back 🔥

[@mantlegade5045]

Currently my favorite channel

[@nsnisamazing111098]

dude i need you to continue posting in this series pleaaasseee, ive already rewatched 3+ times

[@dracozeon_]

Just started watching this series and i hope you finish it, ive been loving it

[@MonkeyNess]

@@dracozeon_ it will be! Thanks for the support!

[@jonyvillalobos1315]

I just got into earthbound and started watching these kind of videos talking about earthbound and it has just made the game way better now at the point where Ness has a vision of himself as a baby and wakes up in pajamas wish me luck

[@josephconover5270]

Fun fact: Not using the fly honey isn't a challenge, the fight becomes unwinnable. You have to use the fly honey to be able to beat Belch.

[@MonkeyNess]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fanbXpaBYpuhqJo

[@fishdubx]

Just wait til the fanartists who want to differentiate Ness and Ninten without using Ninten's sort-of-but-mostly-not-canon shirt from that one commercial realize this!

[@erikaisadiah]

"...and a mole doesn't look out of place in the desert." I see what you set up there 😏

[@mr.saturn]

BOING! Many thanks for talking about my species and our tragic imprisonment under Belch. Truthfully, we don't venture into that back cave, too strong foes. (Okay, in all seriousness, I actually do save that cave for after I have Poo).

[@K_KLove2010]

Love the vid! Random thing I think I am the entire COGDIS fandom right now. It’s SUPER underrated.

[@MapleMoriko]

STEVE! :D

[@BobKirbyman-kz1fo]

:D

[@AntiTrumpNews]

On my playthroughs, I skip the sanctuaries that aren't locked into an order So I do 1,4,7 Then I go back and do 2,3,5,6 and finish with 8

[@BlouePickdMan]

why tho

[@frankiesalatino547]

I think the hot springs is outside that cave to grind and use it when you get mushroomed.

[@_JadeDragon_]

Was super hyped for this video

[@josephconover5270]

Secret Herbs are also available in Happy Happy Village prior. There is even an NPC that lets you know what they do.

[@majin8326]

I’m still confused on the Mr. Saturns - like, a lot. First, where did they come from? I’m sure there’s supplementary information given on that, but in the games they’re just LITERALLY chilling in a hidden valley, and like, no one comments on their existence. It’s like “hey there’s aliens” and the people are just like “oh cool, dgaf”

[@redshell9205]

15:00 my brother was watching me play at this point, and he simply just said "man was inside that coffee?"

[@theblarneystone1023]

BOING

[@Microwavethemicrovae]

Ding Ding

[@lmlimpoism]

i remember seeing mr saturn's writing in mother 1 i think they really wanted to reuse that font super badly, so they made an entire character to use it.

[@MonkeyNess]

@@lmlimpoism where can it be found in Mother 1?

[@lmlimpoism]

@@MonkeyNess i completely forgot where, actually. i'll try to find it next time i play earthbound beginnings.

[@oddmontsoddington8961]

If you arrive in Saturn Valley with dead friends: LOL N00BS

[@n8with8s]

My first time playing this game I actually didn't pick up on the Fly Honey hints and I had the master Belch fight on auto for what must have been like at least 20 minutes

[@dsdom2]

i got stuck twice, once when i was 12 and once when i was 18, i grinded for like an hour and then finally realized i need to use fly honey and I don't think the game was unclear i think im just stupid

[@duodec1222]

this is peakington .

[@Morgil27]

It took me litterally _years_ before I realized that it was _Tomas_ Jefferson and not _Thomas_ Jefferson.

[@EmilXOM]

I kinda thought this video was an analysis of Mr Saturn, and it would go over their role in the end game and Mother 3 as well.

[@MohammedShabib-bv7oy]

Worth it

[@thefrubblewarrior4678]

12:40 Or they should have made alternate strategies of whittling down these foes more viable. Like, and this is just a small suggestion: Make status conditions more useful?

[@EchidnaSharp]

22:36 ...what are those enemies doing?

[@churupinha3510]

3:13 this concept art was drawn by itoi??

[@MonkeyNess]

Yup!

[@churupinha3510]

@@MonkeyNess damn he draws pretty well

[@tsawy6]

Pizza may be reminding the player that they could always order a pizza to be delivered, should they not have any food, but given that the nearest phone is /also/ in a store that sells Calorie Sticks...

[@StarfazeGD]

I remember getting to the pink swirl before the milky well so ipthe enemies just ran

[@CliffConway]

Great video! Loved it

[@wtfsamusidk7574]

Love earthbound so much

[@Narteketh]

10:26 actually no, you cant defeat belch without the fly honey, he will just endlessly heal sort of like gyigas... sort of, you can kill him, but that would require confusing him with PK flash B (or Paula's Pray), because for some reason his own attacks hurt him.

[@MonkeyNess]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fanbXpaBYpuhqJosi=wb5Nbe9L9yp_hKiA

[@Narteketh]

@@MonkeyNess oh yeah guess the hp sucker works too, but still direct attacks wont work

[@mikumika3819]

These analysis videos are my meth

[@JezElectro13]

Out of curiosity, part 7 when?

[@Zarathustra-rj4yz]

The opening of a space Odyssey isn't an hour-long.It's like eight minutes l o l

[@MonkeyNess]

@@Zarathustra-rj4yz This correction was made in the description a few months ago. 👍

[@gibrandiaz7300]

I fucking love me saturn

[@oigygiy]

wait a minute... i have a theory,,, what if stealing the mani mani statue in fourside is written in the Apple of Enlightenment?

[@firecrackerd]

LETS GOOOO

[@sahilhossain8204]

Lore of The Innocence of Mr. Saturn momentum 100

[@ICountFrom0]

What effect DOES the hotspring have on mushroomization anyway?

[@quinduodecillion]

this feels like its a small section to a 4 hour long earthbound retrospective. wheres the full thing

[@MonkeyNess]

It’s ongoing! This is episode 6, every episode is in a playlist in the description :)

[@brisklloydavator]

jeez, these characters have names. every time you say femc a little part of my soul dies.

[@MonkeyNess]

This series takes the point of view of someone with no context of the game outside their exposure to it by playing.

[@LeonardoRodrigues-uj1sm]

MonkeyNess, have you ever played Ultimate Chimera Hunt? It was a pretty popular Garry's Mod Gamemode back in the early to mid 2010's. I used to play it all the time, it was so cool...

[@MonkeyNess]

Didn't really play it myself, but am well-aware.

[@Applemangh]

I hope you keep making these until you get to the end of the game. I love your analysis and I appreciate your interpretations through the lens if Christian theology. I'm not religious myself, mind you, but I still appreciate a lot of the themes and motifs I grew up with.

[@MonkeyNess]

This series will eventually cover the entire game. It's not however one using a lens of Christian theology to analyze it, but one of a person in the 1990s experiencing the game for the first time with and understanding of archetypal storytelling.

[@Applemangh]

@@MonkeyNess oh, I didn't mean to imply that it was a "Christian interpretation", I'm just saying I appreciate the way you point out those subtle parallels of the story. Maybe I misused the word "lens" in this context.

[@professoryeetus8955]

another banger video but also... yellow?? my life is a lie

[@shring727]

Why did you not talk about mother 3's saturns?

[@MonkeyNess]

This series is solely about EarthBound, I’ll get to Mother 3 eventually.

[@shring727]

@@MonkeyNess fair yeah, just got confused because i thought it was a video about saturns

[@RareDust76753]

I can't believe anyone would dislike. Are these 7 people the devil?

[@chris1229sonic]

you make how to speak Mr Saturn zoing ding

[@acidrain7]

lets gooooooooooo

[@mastermarkus5307]

I prefer the way the hot springs make you wait to heal in Mother 3 than Earthbound making you wait for 3 minutes to open the door to the factory. It doesn't bother me, but I also don't think of it as necessarily the BEST place to put a long break. It feels weird that I like the hot springs in Mother 3 when it feels like in a lot of games, I'm impatient about healing. But when I think of, say, Pokémon, the surrounding context is way different. Like I'm being forced to listen to music that I think is annoying and there's no semblance of relaxation.

[@taylorthesillyguy]

3:03 can i just say how much this annoyed me I can clearly like, jump off the ladder to the very clear land.. AND I SWAER A BUTTERFLY SPAWNED THERE I DJSHSJHDUDNSJ Sorry.

[@JYGamingGuys]

Please do this for the entire game

[@MonkeyNess]

I am! This is episode 6 of the series :)

[@statboosts279]

Answer: he is just a little guy

[@MaybeLLego]

monkeyness you should play/watch deltatraveler at least until section 2

[@davebob4973]

im evil

[@IFREAKINGLOVEFINALFANTASY]

BOING!!

[@awesrdtfcgvybhu]

12:55 bro skipped a magic butterfly

[@user-ks2ww4bh7f]

BOinG