Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds

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.

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...

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.

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.

Also known as "Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds", this animated TV series was memorable in the lives of many people when they were children, including me.

Basically it is the legendary story of D'Artagnan and the three musketeers, but because this is an animated version, it has a charm of its own and a certain nostalgia feeling I can't explain. Being an animated version, this one is naturally a version with anthropomorphic animals, in this case dogs (as you can see by its title).

This is a classic animated TV series perfectly suitable for children, being charming, sweet and timeless, unlike most today's cartoons which are ugly, uninteresting, pretty violent, almost painfully noisy and often contain destructive humor. This animated TV show is from another time, a gold generation which was the very best to be a child and when everything was totally different.

The opening song is absolutely adorable and timeless. Put it this way, it is a lovely song. So memorable that once you hear it, you'll never forget it for as long as you live.

Although the popular story of D'Artagnan and his three musketeers is french, this is actually a Spanish production, which manages to be loyal to the french story yet has a characteristic Latin enchant, resulting in a great combination of both.

D'Artacan (or Dogtanian) lives many adventures with his partners and friends (the 3 muskehounds), but he has also an original and humorous little friend: a very talkative and energetic anthropomorphic mouse that speaks with a strong Latin accent. But I can't remember the mouse's name...

I always found Milady (an anthropomorphic cat) to be a strange character: very mysterious and enigmatic. She's the kind of character that at times seems to be a brief friend, but is also a troublemaker for Dogtanian as she often hypnotizes him.

In conclusion: this is a cartoon to have fond memories of.