The Mysterious Cities of Gold

A&E (ended 1983)
EDIT

Show Summary

  • Ended
In the year 1532, Mendoza, a Spanish Navigator, Estaban, a young orphan, Zia, a young Incan girl, and a band of Spanish sailors set sail from Barcelona in search of El Dorado, the Mysterious City of Gold. Each is on a personal quest of discovery, heritage, and wealth.
8.2
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Average Rating: Great
160 votes
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Rate It
  • I watched the this amazing series as a young kid and I never missed a single part of it. This is one of the series that I would not mind watching again.moreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    I grew up watching this amazing series. I would not have missed it for the world. I think that it is really a classic. The story itself is very interesting. I really hope that there will be a remake of this classic so that our young generation can enjoy it as well. With the very advance technology nowadays I think that a remake will be a real killer. Classics never die and it is really a classic.moreless

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    2 0
  • Amazing cartoon, the story was way beyond any other and the animation was pure gold - a classic cartoon in every sense.

    9.7
    "Superb"
    This cartoon was the best I ever saw when I was a child, it was an actual series that had a good running story line that kept me running home after school and jumping into the chair patiently waiting for it to start! Even now, 20 years on I have found the DVD release in English which is superb quality - http://www.mysteriouscitiesofgold.tv - so I can relive all my old memories. I didn't watch much of the documentaries when I was a child and didn't remember them but the DVDs have them all so to watch them as well was great! My best moments were the children discovering all the technology and finding out how to use it - especially the ship and the golden condor! Like many other children I wished I was Esteban flying about and going on his adventures....moreless

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    2 0
  • The most memorable Animated series of the eighties...

    9.3
    "Superb"
    This is one of those shows that was on after school and I couldn't miss a single episode. A total classic which combined myth and legend, a little mysticism and historical fact.
    It's clever, interesting and very funny -- but also a little camp which is always good.
    I was recently lucky enough to see all the episodes again and I have never enjoyed them more. This show is in the same league as other 80's animated favourites like voltron and astro boy.moreless

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    0 0
  • A great animated show which actually had a story with meaning.

    10
    "Perfect"
    I remember this series from when I was a child. It only aired once on TV and the older I got the less I could remember of the show - I was convinced the series was called The Golden Condor - that was one part of the show I remember.

    The three main characters of Zia, Esteban and Tao were great and their separate stories came together well to produce a well paced and interesting series.

    I also loved how there was a short documentary at the end of each episode dealing with the contents of the episode.

    An outstanding series which should be remastered and released on DVD in English!moreless

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    2 0
  • Easily the best animated tv show PERIOD.

    10
    "Perfect"
    Having tapes with every single episode recorded in reasonably good quality and watching them, I can confidently say that it's good knowing that time and nostalgia didn't warp my perception of this show. This STILL is one of the finest animated shows ever, matching the quality of many of today's modern animes(this show itself was part Japanese), and except for maybe Avatar, puts to shame what today's generation would call children's entertainment. The animation itself is outdated, true, but even then it still had moments of true beauty. The story of the show was pure adventure drama, through and through, but still had moments of humor scattered about that weren't cheesy. The atmosphere of the show was great. It was an intriguing mix of realistic history and fantasy, scifi, mythos, and a Prince Valiant feel. The music was great. Part Spanish and South American flavor. Part strange themes. Best of all, the show was intelligent. Watching the show, the child of the 80s sat on edge the whole time and wondered what would happen next as the mystery unfolded. This is thanks to the intelligent scripting but also thanks to the fact that every episode tied into the next until the very end. Most other cartoons and animes don't do this. Unlike most of today's animes, Mysterious Cities of Gold didn't have overly complicated plots or those annoying expressions and hyperactive fights. It instead unfolded at a pace that was just right and let the characters do their own thing. The characters were deep and well thought out. You grew attached to them as the show went on. Even the villains and the two bumbling sidekicks were great, as the villains weren't over-the-top in their evilness, and the two sidekicks still showed their usefulness beyond their roles. The show also wasn't afraid to show good characters being killed off or show violence in a dramatic yet tasteful way. Towards the end, the show got emotional and heartbreaking as both Zia and Esteban tried to find their fathers. The final episode is one that will haunt fans for a good while, as we find out that the high priest of the City of Gold is Esteban's father, but Esteban never finds out, and the high priest has to take on the suicidal mission of shutting down the overheated sun power unit. During his final moments, we watch as tears stroll down from behind his mask as he shuts down the dangerous relic, and it just tugs at your heart and breaks it in two. By the time all 39 episodes were over, my first thoughts were "I want to watch that all over again." To be able to send shivers up your spine or a warm feeling in your heart and stick with you throughout the entire length and not overstay its welcome. THAT is the mark of a true animated classic. It beats Full Metal Alchemist or Neon Genesis Evangelion in my book any day of the week.moreless

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    2 0

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Categories

Action & Adventure, Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Kids

Themes

Absent Parent, Alternate History, Breathtaking Nature, Child Hero, Childlike Sense Of Wonder