"The Thousand Noble Musketeers" review: A moving world woven with charming characters and a deep story

A comprehensive review and recommendation of Senjyushi

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

game

■ Broadcast period

July 3, 2018 - September 25, 2018
From 23:00

■Broadcasting station

TOKYO MX, BS11

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

LINE Corporation, Marvelous Inc.

■ Director

Kenichi Kasai

■ Production

・Animation Production: TMS Entertainment

■Works

© Anime "Senjyushi" Production Committee

■ Story

The era after the whole world was devastated by nuclear war. Under the absolute rule of the World Empire, people lived in a world where everything was controlled and freedom was taken away. However, while all military force was forbidden, there was a resistance that secretly continued to fight to overthrow the dictatorship of the World Empire. They challenged the fight with "old guns" that had been left as works of art. And as if responding to the souls of the people, the incarnations of the old guns appeared, the "Noble Musketeers". Their "absolute nobility" that fights nobly and elegantly brings a ray of hope to the world! The days of the young Noble Musketeers who have gained life and shine brightly. The story of beautiful young people who laugh, cry, rejoice, get lost, and sometimes get hurt, but fight single-mindedly in pursuit of their own "absolute nobility". What are we fighting for, and what should we protect?

■Explanation

The anime is based on the musketeer training game by LINE and Marvelous. Based on the worldview of the game, it depicts the battle between the resistance and the musketeers who seek freedom in a devastated world after a nuclear war. The anime adaptation brings out the best of the original work while developing the story from a new perspective. Particularly, it focuses on portraying the inner thoughts of the characters and deepening their relationships, making it a work that deeply moves viewers.

■Cast

・Brown Bess/Taku Yashiro ・Charleville/Shinnosuke Tachibana ・Springfield/Shouta Aoi ・Kentucky/Yuki Kaji

■ Main staff

Director: Kenichi Kasai; Character design: Majiro; Animation production: TMS Entertainment; Series composition: Takashi Aoshima; Music: Hiroshi Takagi; Screenplay: Takashi Aoshima, Takamitsu Kono, Kenji Sugihara; Director: Shinichi Fukumoto, Tomoya Kunizaki, Hideaki Uehara, Matsuo Asami, Arashi Sumiyoshi, Tsurumi Mukaiyama; Art director: Kyoko Haruna, Shoko Hagiwara, Mihoko Okawa; Storyboard: Kenichi Kasai, Kazuya Miura, Masamoto Oozora, Hiroshi Ito, Araun Sumiishi, Hatsuki Tsuji; Animation directors: Noritomo Hattori, Takaaki Fujiwara, Hayato Teshima, Kenji Takeguchi, Toshihide Masudate, Eiichi Tokukura, Hirofumi Onodera

■ Main Characters

・Brown Bess A famous gun that is said to have built the British Empire. This musket was first adopted by the British Army in the 18th century. It is a representative British gun that has been used for over 100 years and is said to be "the gun that built the British Empire." It used bullets smaller than the caliber and was easy to load, but its accuracy was poor, so it was mainly used in battalions as a simultaneous firing tactic. Both the British and American armies fought with Brown Bess guns during the American War of Independence.
・Charleville
It was the first musket standardized for military use in 18th century France. Although it was slightly smaller in caliber than the British Brown Bess, it was said to have been effective enough on the battlefield. It has a history of over 100 years as a military gun and was used in various wars such as the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence, and the Napoleonic Wars. During that time, the model has been modified many times to make it more durable and lighter.
・Springfield The Springfield, America's first domestically produced gun, was modeled after the Charleville, a French musket that was imported in large numbers during the American Revolutionary War. It is said that it was slightly more powerful than the British Brown Bess, giving American soldiers an advantage over the British. The Springfield continued to be used in later years with many improvements, leading to the creation of various models.
The Pennsylvania rifle, used for sniping tactics in the American War of Independence, was later brought to Kentucky by settlers and improved upon. Riflemen equipped with this gun played an active role in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812, and the American army achieved a major victory. What made it different from a musket was the rifling engraved inside the barrel. Although it boasted a high accuracy rate, it also had the disadvantage of taking a long time to load the bullets.

■ Main robot items

The incarnation of an old gun that was left as a work of art. In a world after a nuclear war, they stand together with the resistance against the dictatorship of the World Empire. The appeal of the game lies in the unique characters that reflect the history and characteristics of each gun, and the story progresses through their battles and growth.

■Subtitle

・Episode 1/Noble Musketeer (2018/07/03)
・Episode 2/Absolute Nobility (2018/07/10)
・Episode 3/Shingun (2018/07/17)
・Episode 4/City (2018/07/24)
・Episode 5/Recovery (2018/07/31)
・Episode 6/Smile (2018/08/07)
・Episode 7/Bargaining (2018/08/14)
・Episode 8/Adventure (2018/08/21)
・Episode 9/Genius (2018/08/28)
・Episode 10/All-Out War (September 4, 2018)
・Episode 11/Fate (2018/09/11)
・Episode 12/Be Noble(2018/09/18)

■ Related works

・ Thousand Musketeers

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Period: 1~12
・Antique memory
Lyrics: eNu
Composition: Takamitsu Ono Arrangement: Chihiro Tamaki Vocals: Brown Bess, Charleville, Springfield, Kentucky ED1
・Period: 1~12
・BLACK MATRIX
・Lyrics/Tomo ・Composition/Tohya
・Arrangement/vistlip
・Song: vistlip
・IN1
・Period/1
Knightliness
Lyrics: eNu
・Composition: R.O.N
・Arrangement: R.O.N
・Song: Brown Bess IN2
・Period/2
・Flower Dance, Song of Remembrance ・Lyrics by eNu
・Composition/Tetsuya Shitara ・Arrangement/Tetsuya Shitara ・Vocals/Ieyasu ・IN3
・Period/3
・My Life
Lyrics: Yoshie Isotani; Composition: Takamitsu Ono; Arrangement: Chihiro Tamaki; Singer: Dreyse; IN4
・Period/5
・Trust Me!!
Lyrics: Yoshihiro Saito; Composition: Naonobu Amimoto; Arrangement: Naonobu Amimoto; Singer: Alexandre IN5
・Period/6
・Star★☆Light
Lyrics: Yoshihiro Saito; Composition: Kentaro Ishii; Arrangement: Kentaro Ishii; Singer: Hall; IN6
・Period/8
・Vaincre ou mourir ~Proud Nightmare~
Lyrics: Yoshihiro Saito Composition: Naonobu Amimoto Arrangement: Naonobu Amimoto Vocals: Rap IN7
・Period/10
・Be Noble ~Rebirth to Freedom~ (Special Version)
Lyrics: Saori Kodama Composition: Shuhei Mutsuki Arrangement: Shuhei Mutsuki Singer: Springfield, Kentucky IN8
・Period/11
・Signal (Special Version)
Lyrics: eNu
・Composition: R.O.N
Arrangement: Shuhei Mutsuki Vocals: Brown Bess, Charleville

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"The Thousand Noble Musketeers" is set in a devastated world after a nuclear war and depicts the battle between the resistance and the noble musketeers who seek freedom. Based on the worldview of the original game, the anime focuses on portraying the inner thoughts of the characters and deepening their relationships, making it a work that deeply moves viewers.

First, regarding the story, while it deals with the heavy theme of a post-nuclear war world, it also depicts universal themes such as hope, friendship, and growth, giving viewers a deep, thought-provoking story. In particular, the way the Noble Musketeers pursue their own "absolute nobility" evokes strong empathy from viewers. It is also praiseworthy for raising questions about freedom and justice through the resistance fight and the conflict with the World Empire.

The characters are also unique, reflecting the history and characteristics of each gun. The main characters, such as Brown Bess, Charleville, Springfield, and Kentucky, have their own carefully drawn backgrounds and growth, making them beloved by viewers. The acting by the cast is also excellent, and the characters' emotions and feelings are expressed realistically.

In terms of visuals, the high quality animation by TMS Entertainment stands out. The character designs, background art, and battle scenes are all consistently beautiful and powerful. In particular, the battle scenes between the noble musketeers are elegant and noble, making them a visual treat to behold.

Music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of the work. The opening theme, "antique memory," is a song that symbolizes the nobility and beauty of the noble musketeers, drawing the hearts of viewers. The ending theme, "BLACK MATRIX," also exudes a sense of the devastation and hope of the world, enhancing the atmosphere of the story. The insert songs were also chosen to match the feelings of each character and the development of the story, stirring the emotions of the viewers.

The reasons why I recommend this film are, first of all, that while it deals with the heavy theme of a post-nuclear war world, it also depicts universal themes such as hope, friendship, and growth. This makes it a work that deeply moves the viewer and makes them think. In addition, the characters' personalities and growth are carefully portrayed, making it beloved by viewers. Furthermore, the visuals and music are of high quality, making it a work that can be enjoyed both visually and aurally.

This is especially recommended for those who are interested in history and guns. Each character is modeled after a real gun, so you can enjoy the work more deeply by learning about their background and history. It is also recommended for those who are interested in the setting of a post-nuclear war world, and those who can relate to themes such as hope, friendship, and growth.

Finally, "The Thousand Noble Musketeers" is a work that depicts the battle between the resistance and the noble musketeers who seek freedom in a world after a nuclear war. The story, characters, visuals, and music all boast high quality, making it a work that deeply moves viewers. Please give it a watch.