Sanbiki ga Kiru!
Encyclopedia
or Three for the Kill! is a group of seven television jidaigeki
series broadcast by TV Asahi
in Japan
. The show aired in the Thursday evening eight o'clock time slot.
The title characters are three men who wander throughout Japan in the late Edo period
. In each episode they encounter antagonists, and in the final tachimawari (fight scene) kill them. The characters traveled sometimes together, sometimes separately. When they arrived in a town they might settle in the same lodging, but sometimes take up with rival factions. In the end, they work together to overcome evil.
For the first five series, these characters were the same.
Yasaka Heishirō, nicknamed "Tono-sama" ("Lord") is a refined, disciplined ronin
played by Hideki Takahashi
. The other characters occasionally speculate that he is a second son of a daimyo
but his identity is never revealed. He is the informal leader of the group. Yasaka uses the Onoha Ittō-ryū style of swordfighting. He appears in the first six series; at the beginning of the seventh series he is written out of the script by traveling to America.
Kuji Shinnosuke, or "Sengoku," is also a ronin, or a spy for the Tokugawa shogunate
, or a commoner, as suits the episode. His nickname refers to his wish to work as a samurai
with a stipend of a thousand koku
. A native of the Satsuma Domain, Kuji practices the Jigen-ryū
swordfighting style. He appears in the first five series and returns in the seventh. Kōji Yakusho played the role of Kuji.
Tsubakuro Jinnai is the third member of the group. Nicknamed "Tako" ("octopus"), he describes himself as a descendant of the Kōga
ninja
and fights with a variety of weapons. Round-faced rakugo
comic Koasa Shunpūtei portrayed Jinnai in all seven series.
The title of the series specifies three people, so a replacement was necessary for Kuji and Yasaka in the final two series. Kira Ukon (Masahiko Kondō
, a descendant of Kira Yoshinaka
, filled in first for Kuji, then for Yasaka. A debt-collector, he received the nickname "senryō," "a thousand gold pieces," in imitation of Kuji's nickname. During swordfights, he always found an opportunity to ask his opponent his style.
In most series, there was also a woman who accompanied the three. The first was Okei, portrayed by Kaoru Sugita
. Next came Osen (Minako Fujishiro); then Ochō (Yōko Nagayama
). They were followed by Okaru (Wakako Shimazaki) and finally Oryō (Machi Katsuragi).
The first series premiered in 1987, and the seventh ended in 1995. In addition, TV Asahi broadcast another series in 2002 with a new cast and new characters. This series aired on Monday nights.
Jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. The name means "period drama" and is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular...
series broadcast by TV Asahi
TV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The show aired in the Thursday evening eight o'clock time slot.
The title characters are three men who wander throughout Japan in the late Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. In each episode they encounter antagonists, and in the final tachimawari (fight scene) kill them. The characters traveled sometimes together, sometimes separately. When they arrived in a town they might settle in the same lodging, but sometimes take up with rival factions. In the end, they work together to overcome evil.
For the first five series, these characters were the same.
Yasaka Heishirō, nicknamed "Tono-sama" ("Lord") is a refined, disciplined ronin
Ronin
A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....
played by Hideki Takahashi
Hideki Takahashi
is a Japanese actor. Born in Kisarazu, Chiba near Tokyo, he attended Ichikawa Gakuen and later Nihon University.- Filmography :He made his debut with Nikkatsu and acted in youth-oriented films. After becoming a star in television jidaigeki, he turned out hit after hit...
. The other characters occasionally speculate that he is a second son of a daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
but his identity is never revealed. He is the informal leader of the group. Yasaka uses the Onoha Ittō-ryū style of swordfighting. He appears in the first six series; at the beginning of the seventh series he is written out of the script by traveling to America.
Kuji Shinnosuke, or "Sengoku," is also a ronin, or a spy for the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
, or a commoner, as suits the episode. His nickname refers to his wish to work as a samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
with a stipend of a thousand koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
. A native of the Satsuma Domain, Kuji practices the Jigen-ryū
Jigen-ryu
Jigen-ryū is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts founded in the late 16th century by Togo Chui in Satsuma Province, now Kagoshima prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. It focuses mainly on the art of swordsmanship...
swordfighting style. He appears in the first five series and returns in the seventh. Kōji Yakusho played the role of Kuji.
Tsubakuro Jinnai is the third member of the group. Nicknamed "Tako" ("octopus"), he describes himself as a descendant of the Kōga
Koga-ryu
Kōka-ryū is a historical school of ninjutsu. It originated from the region of Kōka...
ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
and fights with a variety of weapons. Round-faced rakugo
Rakugo
is a Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone sits on the stage, called the . Using only a paper fan and a small cloth as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long and complicated comical story...
comic Koasa Shunpūtei portrayed Jinnai in all seven series.
The title of the series specifies three people, so a replacement was necessary for Kuji and Yasaka in the final two series. Kira Ukon (Masahiko Kondō
Masahiko Kondo
or Matchy is a Japanese singer, lyricist and actor represented by Johnny & Associates.Kondō is also a semi-professional racing driver and a racing team owner. He founded the racing team Kondo Racing in 2000 which competes in Formula Nippon and the Super GT.- 1980–1987: Early recording career :As a...
, a descendant of Kira Yoshinaka
Kira Yoshinaka
was a kōke . His court title was Kōzuke no suke. He is famous as the adversary of Asano Naganori in the events of the Forty-seven Ronin...
, filled in first for Kuji, then for Yasaka. A debt-collector, he received the nickname "senryō," "a thousand gold pieces," in imitation of Kuji's nickname. During swordfights, he always found an opportunity to ask his opponent his style.
In most series, there was also a woman who accompanied the three. The first was Okei, portrayed by Kaoru Sugita
Kaoru Sugita
is a Japanese actress, singer, and celebrity from Shinjuku, Tokyo. Her real name is Kaoru Hashimoto . A versatile actress, she has appeared in contemporary and jidaigeki roles, on television and in film, and as a seiyū....
. Next came Osen (Minako Fujishiro); then Ochō (Yōko Nagayama
Yoko Nagayama
Yōko Nagayama is a Japanese enka singer, former J-pop singer, and actress.- Early life :Nagayama was born in Tokyo. At the age of four, she began attending min'yo group singing lessons with her father...
). They were followed by Okaru (Wakako Shimazaki) and finally Oryō (Machi Katsuragi).
The first series premiered in 1987, and the seventh ended in 1995. In addition, TV Asahi broadcast another series in 2002 with a new cast and new characters. This series aired on Monday nights.