France Five, originally titled Jushi Sentai France Five (translated as Musketeers Squadron France Five) and later known as Shin Kenjushi France Five (translated as New Sword Musketeers France Five), is a French series produced by Buki X-4 Productions in the 2000s. It is a homage to Toei's ever-popular Super Sentai Series, which was extremely popular in France in the 1980s. The show lasted for six episodes, although it's portrayed in-show as if these are just part of a Sentai series of typical length. As a nod to Super Sentai titles having certain motifs, France Five has each member themed after certain aspects of French culture.
This series is said to be a nod to another Sentai pastiche, Aikoku Sentai Dai-Nippon (Patriot Squadron Great Japan) (1982) by Daicon Films (now Gainax).
Interestingly, the series has become somewhat popular in Japan as well, with singer Akira Kushida (who, among others, sang the opening and ending themes of Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan
and the ending theme of Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger) singing an original theme for Episode 4. Prior to that point, the themes were French remixes of older Sentai theme songs (Choujin Sentai Jetman and Choudenshi Bioman) as well as an original French theme.
Story[]
The team.
Glou Man Chou, ruler of the Lexos Empire, desires to conquer planet Earth. However, the Eiffel Tower generates a barrier around the planet that keeps him from sending his armies en masse. Glou Man Chou sends his warriors and monsters to Earth in order to destroy the tower and enable a full scale invasion, but they are opposed by the France Five.
In the fourth episode, the shield is disabled and Lexos's army begins the full invasion. Zakaral and his own team of Lexos warriors kidnap the Professor, and overpower France Five when the heroes arrive to rescue him. However, the Professor activates a secret weapon giving the team a super-powered battle form as the fifth episode ends.
Characters[]
France Five[]
| Red Fromage | Antoine Deschaumes (Sébastien Ruchet) |
| Black Beaujolais | Thierry Durand (Grégory Goldberg) |
| Blue Accordéon | Albert Dumas (Daniel Andréyev) |
| Yellow Baguette | Jean Pétri (Thomas Blumberg) |
| Pink à la Mode | Catherine Fontaine (Wendy Roeltgen, Nolwenn Daste) |
| Silver Mousquetaire | Aramis Leclair (1-5) (Grégoire Hellot) |
Allies[]
- Professor Aristide Brugonde (Tibor Clerdouet)
- Margarine (Émilie Thore, Clémence Perrot)
The Lexos Empire[]
- Glou Man Chou (David Guélou) : The supreme ruler of Lexos.
- Extasy (1-4) (Nadège Bessaguet, Aurélie Maurice) : A sadistic female warrior. In the fourth episode she's revealed to be Red Fromage's kidnapped fiancee, Sophie.
- Warduke (Jean-Marc Imbert)
- Cancrelax (Olivier Fallaix) : Glou Man Chou's simpering chamberlain. He casts a magic spell to enlarge destroyed monsters. In the fifth episode he reveals a battle form called Grand-Crelax.
- Zakaral (4-6) (Patrick Giordano) : Glou Man Chou's most trusted lieutenant (and son).
- Gorlock (5) : A brutish strongman armed with a giant hammer.
- Agony (5) : An androgynous, partially reptilian warrior.
- Succulard (5) : A crazed chef-like warrior with a meat cleaver.
- Lady Warcry (5) : Warduke's daughter.
- Panous: The footsoldiers of the Empire. Their name is a pun on the word "Pas nous!" ("not us!"), which is the noise they make.
Monsters[]
- Hypnostreum (1)
- Discostreum (2)
- Toxicostreum (3)
- Snipostreum (3½)
- Pyrostreum (4)
Arsenal[]
France Five's Mecha[]
- Jet Charlemagne: Flying fortress, carries the Falcon D'Artagnan and the Johan Of Arc Mont.
- Falcon D'Artagnan and Joan Of Arc Mount: Vehicles that combine into the France-Robot. A new, standalone France Robo is seen in the final episode.
- Machine Chanteclerc: Silver Mousquetaire's rooster mecha. In the final episode it combines with the new France Robo into the Robot D'Artagnan.
Episodes[]
- "Hypnostreum's Attack! Don't Lose the Guide!" (2000)
- "Everyone on the Dance Floor! Discostreum Leads the Party" (2001)
- "Cheating Isn't Fairplay! Toxicostreum Reverses the Rules" (2002)
- "Is Paris Burning? The Menace Is Named Zakaral" (2004)
- "Goodbye France Five! The Day of Glory has arrived!" (5 May 2012 in France)
- "This Time, It's the End. Antoine faces his Destiny!" (2013)
Audio Drama[]
- 3½. "Death in the ring! In the Snipostreum's line of sight!" (2019)[1]