D'Artacan y los tres mosqueperros

In the late '70s, up to the mid '80s, there were a lot of awesome shows being made in Europe. This is just one of them, coming specifically from Spain, with some great help from the Japanese.

The classic Alexandre Dumas' novels get a respectful adaptation in a world of anthropomorphic dogs, and children everywhere went crazy over it.

The character design, the action scenes, and the song, were all perfect, but what made this series special was its message and its heart. Dogtanian was a kid that truly wanted to do good for others, and through hard work and some humbling lessons became a true hero.

Inspiring as well as good fun!

I've just watched "Dogtanian & the Three Muskehounds" one of my favourite childhood shows along with Around the World with Willy Fog. I was wondering was it as good as I remembered it when I watched it as a 10 year old in 1985 (what a great time of my life that was)? The answer is a big YES. The animation is charming, and the anthropomorphization idea of animals as people is just great & cute. Awesome voice acting by Cam Clarke as Dogtanian & rebecca forstadt as Juliette. I have not seen the new version of this show but this one is just fantastic. I wish I could go back to 1985, bring back so many happy memories of family life, boy do I miss my parents.

Having seen lots of movies and having gained a wide experience in watching various stories on screen, I tend to ask myself "what is, in fact, a timeless work?" Is it something deeply hidden within your memory, a cinematic work that you re-watch with pleasure many times? Yet, wouldn't that be too subjective? Or is "timeless", perhaps, something popular that many movie buffs see and praise? Wouldn't that be, to the contrary, too statistical? Or we'd better not dwell in definitions but just decide to see one. DOGTANIAN AND THE THREE MUSKEHOUNDS, a cartoon I saw as a 6 year-old kid and which I have just re-watched almost 25 years later seems to give the answer...

The first aspect which makes this cartoon worthy the name "timeless" is its uniqueness in the genre. Being the faithful adaptation of the famous novel by Alexandre Dumas, it is, at the same time, a work on its own. Why? Because of its nature. It is a cartoon addressed to children, teenagers and adults alike. An animation like no other! Everyone may find something for themselves here seeing the story together in a family. Since the content appears to be executed chronologically in the order of 26 episodes, each single episode offers new adventures, new thrills. Just to name a few: from "Dogtanian's Journey", "Paris City of Dreams", "Juliette Kidnapped", "The Impostor" to "Dogtanian's Dream Comes True"... they are all filled with some serious plots based on the novel, flawless action based on modern movies, wit going with clever script and fun so much desired by kids and teenagers. Some moments in certain episodes are truly unforgettable (consider, for instance, the adventure in the jungle...)

Another aspect worth considering are the characters of the story. These are animals, perhaps sometimes based on stereotypically cultural views on their features, yet, very clear to children. For older viewers, they are also easily identified with since most of the characters have the same names as in the novel. So we have goodies as dogs, including three noble musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis; lovely Juliet with whom Dogtanian is head over heels in love and lots of supporting, yet memorable characters that appear from time to time. Here, I would mention the lovely mouse - funny Pip who appears in the second half of the story and whose ideas and voice make lots of kids split their sides and Queen Anne, a clever, smart and noble fox. We have wicked cardinal Richelieu, a wolf with his pet raven who notoriously plans to ridicule and destroy the musketeers in the eyes of King Louis (of course historical travesty though forgotten...it's a cartoon after all). We have his aid handsome Count Rochefort nicknamed "The Black Moustache" whose loyalty to cardinal's wretched plans seems to never cease. Finally, we have memorable spicy Milady, a clever yet plotting cat who appears to be a mysterious object of interest and conspiracy. And in all this comes our hero, Dogtanian, an adorable dog whose loyalty condenses in musketeer motto "One for All and All for One"

Finally, the aspect that makes this cartoon timeless is the theme song that so many reviewers have mentioned before me. The song is truly unforgettable with its pace, its rhythm, its melody and special atmosphere. I remember watching it as a kid on TV on Sunday evenings and i recall the moments the song began with the credits to bring me into a specific mood I was in till the end of an episode. Some kids cried when the series ended...

I would recommend everyone to see this adorable cartoon of long ago, it is, as I've mentioned, accurate for both the younger and the older ones. For me, it is a sentimental memory of labels I collected in the 1980s, a nostalgic return to my childhood years like for many other people who reviewed the cartoon underneath. That's the main reason we like it. Nevertheless, who says it has to be the reason of yours...

Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds (as it was called in the UK) was a decent show. The animation may not have been the best ever and it wasn't the most memorable show but it had it's moments.

Dogtanian was a puppy who came to Paris to join the Kings Own Guard. He manages to fall in love with Juliette and teams with three swordsters by the name of Athos, Porthos and Aramis to engage in battle. It was one for all and all for one.

I wouldn't call the show a classic cartoon show but the characters were quite interesting and it is certainly worth a look.

If you've ever seen "Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds," Guido and Maurizio De Angelis' theme song will be stuck on your memory for the rest of your life. The show itself, from the same Spanish folks that gave us "Around the World with Willy Fog," was - once you get past the fact that all the characters are animals (mostly canine, with some exceptions - Milady was a cat for instance) - a pretty straight-faced adaptation; like "Muppet Treasure Island," it didn't make fun of its source, and all the better for it.

You do wonder why D'Artagnan was renamed Dogtanian (all the other Dumas characters kept their names), but the spirit of the story was retained and the message of friendship and loyalty came through true and clear - without any need to spell it out for the audience, DIC and Filmation please note. The animation wouldn't win any prizes, but neither was it as bad as some higher-profile companies (yes, that means Filmation again... now out of business, by the way). No one will rate this above the beloved 1970s version with Chamberlain, Reed and Co., but "The Musketeer" is likely to be less effective than this. The 1993 version, on the other hand, IS less effective than this.

Footnote: Although the English-language title and the theme song refer to "Muskehounds," Athos, Porthos and Aramis are referred to throughout the entire series as "Musketeers." I've heard of something getting lost in the translation, but this is ridiculous.