| Genre: | Puppetry |
| Director: | Studio Nova |
| Voices: | Sosuke Ikematsu Koichi Yamadera Wataru Takagi Masashi Ebara |
| Narrated: | Yuji Tanaka |
| Theme Music Composer: | Ken Hirai |
| Endtheme: | ("Hitori ja nai", You are not alone) |
| Composer: | Spanish Connection |
| Country: | Japan |
| Language: | Japanese |
| Num Episodes: | 40 |
| Executive Producer: | Nobuhisa Kihira |
| Runtime: | 20 min. |
| Channel: | NHK Educational TV NHK General TV |
The Three Musketeers (Renzoku Ningyo Katsugeki Shin Sanjushi) is a Japanese puppet television show produced by NHK and broadcast by NHK Educational TV from 12 October 2009 to 28 May 2010. The show is written by Kōki Mitani and the puppets are designed by Bunta Inoue.
In 1625, d'Argtagnan heads for Paris from Gascony and tries to meet the Three Musketeers there. From this, he grows up into a musketeer despite being involved in a struggle of power between Anne of Austria and Cardinal Richelieu.
But the dissolution of the Guards by Richelieu makes the lives of the musketeers change a lot. D' Artagnan meets former captain Treville who is a groom for king and then searches Athos, Porthos and Aramis with labour. Then Trėville tells the musketeers that d'Artagnan is a son of Bertand who taught them fencing and train him to a full-fledged musketeer. He also tells d'Artagnan to learn courage from Athos, wisdom from Aramis and humour from Porthos.
One day Bonacieux, owner of the house the musketeers and d'Atragnan live in asks them to search his young wife Constance who serves Anne of Austria. At that time, Constance is imprisoned and questioned by Cardinal Richelieu about the Duke of Buckingham, who is said to visit Paris incognito. After that, Constance runs away from prison and make the queen meet the Duke of Buckingham secretly. Anne hands him her necklace with twelve diamonds as a memory of their tryst.
However, Milady de Winter, a spy for Richelieu who serves Anne under the false name of Charlotte schemes the queen to wear a necklace at a ball to be held one week later. Then the musketeers, d'Artagnan and Constance hurry to London to take back it despite being chased by Milady and Rochefort. Finally only d'Artagnan and Constance reach the residence of the Duke of Buckingham safely but find that two of twelve diamonds are stolen by Milady and O'Reilly, a jeweller adds two diamonds anew. Though they lose it on their way to Paris, the necklace is sent to Anne miraculously.
After the ball, d'Artagnan becomes a musketeer for the achievement. At the same time, Milady tries to revenge the musketeers and seduces Bonacieux to kidnap his wife Constance but Aramis saves her and she is sheltered in a convent. On the other hand, d'Artagnan is worried about the request of leading the Guards of Richrlieu and his isolation from the three musketeers for he never hears of the kidnaping of Constance and what Aramis does for her. Finally he accepts the cardinal's offer.
Both the Guards of Louis XIII and that of Richelieu march to La Rochelle but are forced into a hard fight against the Protestant rebel supported by the Duke of Buckingham and d'Artangan and his soldiers are commanded to spearhead. It is schemed by Richelieu to kill the king's musketeers at an early stage though he survives the war while the three musketeers leaves the battlefield. And Milady goes to England to assassinate the Duke of Buckingham who is killed by a scorpion at last.
After the war, Trėville is killed by Rochefort after a duel and tells Constance and d'Artagnan that he is a son of Rochefort in reality before his death. Milady is arrested for killing the Duke of Buckingham and about to be executed but saved by the musketeers. She then runs away breaking the promise of living with Athos. It makes Athos disappointed but he is encouraged by d'Artagnan, who is appointed as a new captain of the Guards. Porthos, who becomes shell shock at La Rochelle gets back his health by Madame Coquenard's dedicated care and marries her. And Aramis returns to their house from monastery in which he shuts himself.
One evening, the three musketeers are in their favourite tavern and find a boy who resembles young d'Artagnan imitates fencing. He tells them that he would like to become a musketeer and serve king so they teach him how to fence uttering "attack, attack, and parry!"[1]
Mitani was impressed by a puppetry "Shin Hakkenden" adapted from Nanso Satomi Hakkenden that was broadcast by NHK in his childhood and longed to produce puppetry.[2] At that time, he played with many soldier figures but let them play family framas for he didn't like war stories. According to Mitani, he was "exactly like a hero of 'Toy Story'". The experience helped him write the script of this show. After that, he wrote a bunraku play in 2012.[3] Before writing the script of "The Three Musketeers", he discussed appearance of the puppets with Bunta Inoue and was concerned in selecting the voice actors/actresses also.[2]
The puppets are made of resin but put grain of wood to give warmth. Their costumes are handmade and devised to give the atmosphere of Europe in the 17th century as well as the set construction.[4] All characters are voiced by seven voice actors/actresses.[5] Koichi Yamadera voices six characters as Athos, Louis XIII, Rochefort, Patrick, Duke of Orléan and Planchet.
There are some jokes in the show as the Duke of Buckingham jogs wearing a jogging suit daily and the dishes with the words "Fin." (End) and "Rappel" (Curtain Call) are on a table of at the end of the final episode. In addition, Bonacieux crosses the Channel using washtub as a boat while Milady cooks unappetising stew for d'Artagnan whom she falls in love with. In addition, the puppets of O'Reilly and Bassonpierre are made after Koki Mitani and narrator Yuji Tanaka.
Various properties appear in the show. Not only swords, guns, armour and the queen's necklace but also food, books and handkerchieves Porthos is given by many women are included.[6]
Spanish Connection is in charge of music. And the ending theme "Hitori ja nai" (You are not alone) expresses the bonds of friendship, especially that of d'Artagnan and the musketeers and the words are written by Mitani.
| Episodes | Air date (ETV) | Air date (GTV) | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 October 2009 | 4 April 2010 | "Tabidachi no asa" (Departure to Paris) |
| 2 | 13 October | 11 April | "Chichi no yuigon"(Bertrand's Words) |
| 3 | 14 October | 18 April | "Densetsu no jushitachi"(The Legendary Musketeers) |
| 4 | 15 October | 25 April | "Saikai no yoru" (D'artagnan meets Rochefort again) |
| 5 | 16 October | 2 May | "Unmei no deai" (A Fateful Encounter) |
| 6 | 19 October | 9 May | "Jushi no okite" (Rule of Musketeers) |
| 7 | 20 October | 16 May | "Himeru omoi"(A Hidden Love) |
| 8 | 21 October | 23 May | "Mangetsu no mori" (A forest that the full moon shines) |
| 9 | 22 October | 30 May | "Konsutansu no himitsu" (The Secret of Constance) |
| 10 | 23 October | 6 June | "Ohi no koi" (The Queen's Love) |
| 11 | 30 October | 13 June | "Koi no otoshiana" (The Queen Caught in a Trap) |
| 12 | 6 November | 20 June | "Ohi no tegami" (The Queen's Letter) |
| 13 | 13 November | 27 June | "Aramisu no kisaku" (Aramis resorts to Clever Schemes) |
| 14 | 20 November | 11 July | "Arata naru inbo" (Another Scheme of Richelieu) |
| 15 | 27 November | 18 July | "Miredi no sakuryaku" (Milady's Plot) |
| 16 | 4 December | 25 July | "Kiken na tsuribashi" (An Insecure Suspension Bridge) |
| 17 | 11 December | 1 August | "Iza, Rondon e"(Hurry up to London) |
| 18 | 18 December | 8 August | "Senjo no damashiai" (Cheating Milady on Board) |
| 19 | 25 December | 15 August | "Kybikazari no yukue" (The Queen's Necklace is Lost) |
| 20 | 8 January 2010 | 22 August | "Haran no butokai" (A Ball with Trouble) |
| 21 | 15 January | 29 August | "Jushi eno michinori" (A way to become a Musketeer) |
| 22 | 22 January | 5 September | "Atosu no kokai" (The Remorse of Athos) |
| 23 | 29 January | 12 September | "Miredi no takurami" (Milady's Plot) |
| 24 | 5 February | 19 September | "Rishuryu no sasoi" (The Cardinal's Offer) |
| 25 | 12 February | 26 September | "Toraware no Konsutansu" (Imprisoned Constance) |
| 26 | 19 February | 3 October | "Yurusarenu koi" (Unoforgiven Love) |
| 27 | 26 February | 10 October | "Sanjushi tono ketsubetsu" (Farewell to the Three Musketeers) |
| 28 | 5 March | 17 October | "Honto no kimochi" (Milady's real intention) |
| 29 | 12 March | 24 October | "Ikusa eno josho" (Prologue to the battle) |
| 30 | 19 March | 31 October | "Senjo e" (Departure to La Rochelle) |
| 31 | 26 March | 7 November | "Roshuforu o sukue"(Save Rochefort) |
| 32 | 2 April | 14 November | "Tekisho, Bassonopieru"(Bassonpiere, Leader of the Rebel Army) |
| 33 | 9 April | 21 November | "Darutanian kyushutsu sakusen" (D'Artagnan has a Narrow Escape) |
| 34 | 16 April | 28 November | "Hanrangun tono kobo" (Offence and Defence against the Rebel) |
| 35 | 23 April | 5 December | "Tatakai no hate" (At the End of the Battle) |
| 36 | 30 April | 12 December | "Jinsei no kiro" (Crossroads of Their Lives) |
| 37 | 7 May | 19 December | "Ketsudan no toki" (Time of Decision) |
| 38 | 14 May | 26 December | "Toreviru no yuigon" (The Last Words of Trėville) |
| 39 | 21 May | "Saigo no tatakai" (The Last Battle) | |
| 40 | 28 May | "Jushitai-cho Darutanian" (D'Artagnan, Captain of the Guards) |
From 5 to 10 October 2009, "Countdown! Shin Sanjushi" was broadcast daily by NHK Educational TV and "Shin Sanjushi Mamonaku Sutato Special" ("The Three Musketeers" will start soon) was broadcast on 12 October by NHK General TV. And another special programme was put on the air on 29 August 2010 by NHK General TV.
The puppetry was played on the stage in Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse from 23 to 25 July 2010.
At the end of the final episode in the DVD, voice actors/actresses appear one by one with the puppets they voice and bow to viewers. And at the end of the volume 6 (episode 30), main characters sing the ending theme "Hitori ja nai" by one phrase and finally becomes the chorus by all characters.