Nobody expected a 1987 anime studio to take Dumas seriously enough to build an actual swashbuckler out of The Three Musketeers. This special moves like it has something to prove, the sword work snaps, the camaraderie between the leads doesn't require explanation, and the whole thing trusts you to follow a story that isn't trying to be cute or ironic about its source material. It's a pilot that works as a complete thing, not a setup waiting for a series to justify itself.

Tekkamen wo Oe! Dartanyan Monogatari yori is a one-episode action adventure special from 1987, adapted from Alexandre Dumas's novel The Three Musketeers. Its title points to a chase after the man in the iron mask, drawn from the tale of D'Artagnan. The special served as the pilot episode for Anime Sanjuushi.