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The fourteenth and last of the Toei Fushigi Comedy Series (東映不思議コメディーシリーズ) of Toku shows. It tells the story of the three Yamabuki sisters: 16-year-old Yukiko, 13-year-old Tsukiko and 11-year-old Hanako, whose parents who were on the verge of divorce. On a fateful day in 1993, they sought refuge in a karaoke parlor to get some peace from their parents' constant squabbling. Just as one of the sisters sang a random song, they came face to face with a funny-looking man with a red Mohawk and dressed in white. It turned out that he was no other than Otori-sama, the Guardian of the Year of Rooster!
Since he was too preoccupied with having fun, Otori-sama (お酉様) gave the sisters a mission: to carry out his duty as the Guardian for the Year of the Rooster for a whole year. With the magic powers bestowed upon them, the three sisters transform into the titular Yuugen Jikkou (有言実行, lit. "Will do what they say") Sisters Shushutorian, to fight the evils of this world, with the reward of bringing their family happiness back again. However, should the sisters ever reveal their secret identities to anyone else, then it would be goodbye three sisters, hello three plump and juicy roast chickens!
As the show progressed, the sisters encountered a wide variety of mostly supernatural foes and eventually acquired a nemesis: Neko-hime, a demonic cat who had vowed to get revenge on the twelve Guardians of the Chinese Zodiac. The sisters, however, did not fight alone: there was always this guy running around in funny white glasses, white top hat, white suit, white shorts, white shoes, and a pink jacket. This was was "Fried Chicken Man", who was Otori-sama's messenger, the girls' occasional helper, or simply the show's comic relief. The sister also found three admirers in the form of three photography-loving boys in Hanako's class who had just happened to have witnessed the sisters' evil-fighting deeds.
The show ran for 42 episodes, broadcast between January and October of 1993 (which was, of course, the Year of the Rooster).
- Animal Motif: All twelve of the Chinese Zodiac Guardians, Otori-sama included, has an appearance or outfit that hints their animal symbols.
- Bash Sisters: A literal example.
- Bilingual Bonus: According to the The Other Wiki, the sisters got their team name Shushutorian (シュシュトリアン) from the French word "chouchou“ (an idiomatic term meaning "cute", rendered as "Shushu"/シュシュ in Japanese; シュ can also be written as the kanji 守, meaning "to protect/defend/guard"), "tori" (酉, the kanji denoting the Year of the Rooster), and "an", a common French adjective suffix.
- Although written in kanji, the term "Sisters" (三姉妹) in the title is always pronounced as the Japanese transliteration of English: シスターズ (shiisutaazu).
- Bumbling Dad: Eizaburo Yamabuki, the sisters' father. Doubles as a Henpecked Husband. Played for comedy since he works as a Private Detective.
- By the Power of Greyskull:
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Yukiko: Snow (Yuki)! |
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- Catgirl: Neko-hime, the sisters' nemesis. Formed by the grudge of the Cat who failed to become a Chinese Zodiac symbol, she declares war on the twelve Guardians and just can't wait to be a Galactic Conqueror.
- The sisters had a moment of their own cat-girliness too, when they were hypnotised by Neko-Hime to become her minions at the end of Episode 27 and for most of Episode 28 (complete with a minor Evil Costume Switch). They were baited and saved by the Fried Chicken Man in the end.
- The Chikan: {{spoiler|Cameraman, the Monster of the Week of Episode 16. Just. [Look.
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"Now with you three sisters all hanged up like koinobori (carp-shaped banners), I can do as many low-angle shots as I want!" |
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- Color Coded for Your Convenience: The sisters' magic baubles, the "Baramiracle Pendants", are respectively colored yellow (Yukiko), blue (Tsukiko) and red (Hanako). And the way the sisters appear on screen always following the order of, left to right, red-yellow-blue, so that the audience won't mix the sisters up.
- Not to forget that Yukiko's costume is black-and-gold instead of red-and-gold of her sisters, obviously marking her as the leader.
- Crossover: Episode 40 (just about the only episode freely available online), where the sisters meet Ultraman.
- Crowning Music of Awesome: The show's opening theme "Omoidatta ga Kichijitsu", performed by Tokugaki Tomoko, Iwanaka Masako and Inabe Kumiko, who are collectively known as...guess what? Three Sisters! Full version with lyrics here.
- There's even an English version known as "Today is the Day".
- Wait till your heads go "Tilt", because here come the Three Sisters as in the show!
- There's even an English version known as "Today is the Day".
- Culture Clash: The sister's costumes seem to be a direct "East meets West" example: short kimonos, headbands, and ninja-style vambraces from the East meets black heeled shoes and cheerleader-style batons from the West.
- Dawson Casting: Hanako does not look five years younger than Yukiko.
- Eastern Zodiac: They each have a physical form, and are charged with guarding their respective years. Most of them didn't come out until near the Grand Finale.
- Finishing Move: Shushu-final, a combined beam attack from the sisters' Red Batons.
- Freaky Friday Flip: Due to the work done by Episode 32's Monster of the Week, Mr. Yamabuki's soul ended up trapped in in Hanako's body. And just things could't get any worse, the monster struck again and Mr. Yamabuki was forced to...surprise surprise...transform in the body of his youngest daughter into the girl's alter-ego!
- Fortunately, Fried Chicken Man saved the day by wiping out the man's memory of this shocking experience just before he returned to his own body, hence just saving the girls from being turned into roast chickens. Phew!
- Hypnotic Eyes: Neko-hime has these.
- In the Name of the Moon:
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Yukiko: The maidens who risk their lives to fight... |
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- Kirk Summation: Yukiko delivers this to their defeated foes.
- Kimono Fanservice: The sister's costumes consist mainly of really rather short kimono.
- Looks like Otori-sama is really not that decent for a god.
- Large Ham: Otori-sama, and Fried Chicken Man occasionally.
- Magical Girl Warriors: One of the rare examples of Japanese-themed ones. That explains all the Kabuki Sounds found frequently in the opening theme and sometimes in he show.
- Monster of the Week
- Mysterious Protector: Invoked, subverted and all-around mocked with Fried Chicken Man.
- Ninja: Although not themselves, the sisters' costumes and moves do resemble a little of those of a real one (ok, kunoichi, or at least, how a kunoichi is portrayed in pop culture).
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: The three camera boys: Kana, Aragi, and Shinoyama got their names from three real-life photographers.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Lampshaded. All three sisters' visages in their Magical Girl mode is just a teeny bit more than slightly made-up version of their civilian faces. And unlike all the previous Magical Girl titles of the Toei Fushigi Comedy Series they were not wearing any masks! And the three camera boys (for crying out loud) have to actually take photos of their Transformation Sequence to figure out their real identities?
- Real Life Writes the Plot/Reality Subtext: Kei Ishibashi, the girl playing Tsukiko, broke her collar bone while filming the action scenes of Episode 3, and had to wear a sling in the duration of the next two episodes' filming time. Good thing that the crew actually worked that sling into the script, though......
- Real Men Wear Pink: Fried Chicken Man.
- Spell My Name With Lots of Ss: If this show's ever gonna be subbed, is it Shushutorian or Chouchoutrian?
- Theme Naming: The girls' names correspond to their "elements", as seen in the quote under By the Power of Greyskull, above.
- Transformation Trinket
- Verbal Tic: Fried Chicken Man with his "-koke" or "-otori" in many sentences.