The Mysterious Cities of Gold

Template:Nihongo, known outside of Japan as the first season of The Mysterious Cities of Gold (French: Les Mystérieuses Cités d'Or), is an animated series which was produced by MK, NHK, DiC Audiovisuel, CLT and animated by Studio Pierrot.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The series was originally broadcast in Japan and the French version, edited with different characterization and music, was subsequently redubbed and distributed in many countries. It is currently licensed for English-language home video release in the United Kingdom, Australia, and North America by Fabulous Films.

When it was rebroadcast in Japan on NHK BS2 from 1998 to 1999, the animation was imported back from France and the audio was redubbed. NHK had erased the original VTR when their contract expired, and the rights holder had lost the master copy. The voice actress for the main character, Esteban, was the only one to reprise her role.

A sequel, serving as a three-season continuation of the original, premiered in 2012.

Production

The story was written by Jean Chalopin and Bernard Deyriès. While it is commonly believed to be loosely based on the novel The King's Fifth by Scott O'Dell, Chaloplin disputes this, saying that only the names of the three main characters were derived from it.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20050209053305/http://www.japimpact.com/interview/chalopin.php</ref> The series' chief director was Hisayuki Toriumi.<ref name="pierrot"/> The producers were Max Saldinger and Atsumi Yajima (NHK).<ref name="pierrot">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The musical score was composed by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy in the Western version (Nobuyoshi Koshibe in the Japanese version).<ref name="pierrot"/> Shingo Araki was involved with the series as an animator and some episodes were directed by Toyoo Ashida and Mizuho Nishikubo.

Originally Koshibe's score was to be used for the Western version as well. In contrast, Bernard Deyriès recalled his reaction to the proposed music he heard from Ulysses 31 in that he felt that the score was rather understated as he was expecting a more adventurous feel, something akin to films like Indiana Jones. At that point Haim Saban and Shuki Levy had met Deyriès, and became involved with the soundtracks of Ulysses 31 and The Mysterious Cities of Gold.

The theme song to the Western version was performed by Noam Kaniel, an associate of Levy's.

Other ways the Western version was changed from the Japanese version lie in characterization, names, and footage. In the Western version, the male protagonist was a better-behaved child<ref>Japanese version, Episode 1,「大臣のロドリゲス父様が育てたいたずらぼずよ。」 </ref>, and some of the female protagonist's lines were given to male characters<ref>English version, Episode 20, "He flew right in front of us, as if to show us something! I hope nothing's wrong." "We'll go after him!"</ref>. Many names were misunderstood; e.g. Malinche became Marinche, Chimu became Chimon<ref>Japanese version, Episode 4, 「私の国は新大陸の奥にあって、名前はチムっていうの。」</ref>. Some lines were changed to introduce new concepts that were inconsistent with the rest of the plot<ref>English version, Episode 30, "One day, we will need to move the Earth's axis of rotation to guarantee lasting life for our people."</ref>. Many episodes were re-edited to remove cliffhangers, and some brief scenes were clipped out or added entirely.<ref>English version, Episode 2, Esteban's fever dream</ref>

Plot

In 1532, a Spanish orphan named Esteban wishes to find his father. He agrees to join a navigator, Mendoza - who rescued the baby Esteban from a sinking ship - on his voyage to find one of the Seven Cities of Gold in the New World. Esteban's mysterious power to command the sun is welcomed by the crew of the galleon Esperanza.

They are accompanied by Zia, an Inca girl who was kidnapped at the age of seven and brought back to Spain by Pizarro. She is now recaptured by Gomez, Perez, and Mendoza, with the purpose of making her read a golden quipu, said to contain a hint about the Cities of Gold. Zia also wants to find her father, and she and Esteban discover that they wear identical golden medallions.

After passing through the straits of magellan, the Esperanza splinters, and the antagonists - Gomez, Gaspard, and Perez - escape the wreck on a lifeboat. The two children, Mendoza, and his two greedy associates, Sancho and Pedro, are shipwrecked on the Galapagos islands. There, they meet Tao, the sole descendant of the Empire of Hiva (“Mu” in French and Japanese). He joins them on their quest in hopes of protecting the Cities of Gold from their prophesied destruction at the hands of Europeans, and to seek remnants of his ancestors’ work. He brings a golden jar and his parakeet, Kokapetl.

The series combines South American history and mythology, archaeology, and science fiction. The travelers encounter the Incas, the Olmecs, the Mayas, as well as the Urus, the Amazons, and even Francisco Pizarro and Malinche. They discover many lost technological wonders of the Hiva Empire, including the Solaris, a huge solar-powered sailing ship and The Golden Condor, a flying vessel in the shape of a giant bird, the power of which is inexhaustible so long as the sun is out, and a barometer. Tao’s Hiva encyclopedia helps them make sense of the technology, and later, it is revealed that the Seven Cities of Gold were built by the Emperor of Hiva so that his valuable technology could be passed down to later generations. Esteban and Zia’s medallions were manufactured as keys to ensure the power would not fall into the wrong hands. Just after the cities’ creation, a terrible war broke out, destroying the technologically advanced Empires of Hiva and Atlantis when they used the "Weapons of the Sun".<ref name="AncientWar2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The other survivors of the war, the Atlanteans, hid away under the Mountain of the Burning Shield. Over the centuries, they evolved into the Olmecs, with large skulls and pointed ears, their bodies now thin and short. Some of their people - the “chosen ones” - have been placed into cryogenic sleep, to be awoken in the future and injected with the fresh, young cells of children, as they had lost the ability to reproduce. Led by their king, Menator, the Olmecs seek an artifact known as “The Great Legacy”, said to be hidden away in a city of gold, which they believe they can use to preserve their species and wipe out all others. The olmecs primarily use spears and swords, save for their flying machine, which utilizes a particle beam.

When Zia tearfully reunites with her father in a Mayan village, he reveals the location of a city of gold. A war breaks out between the Mayas and the olmecs. The children insist on helping their newfound friends and, to the confusion of Sancho and Pedro, Mendoza says that he will help them, having grown fond of the children. In their flying machines, the protagonists and the Olmecs - with Gomez and Gaspard following on foot - race to the city of gold, where the Olmecs force Esteban and Zia to open the doors. The City of Gold defends itself against the Olmec machine, but ultimately, Menator succeeds in obtaining The Great Legacy and brings it back to the mountain of the burning shield. The Great Legacy is revealed to be a fusion reactor and, once activated, begins to melt down, destroying the city of gold.

Earthquakes and volcanic activity ensue, threatening to destroy the entire world, and Tao presents his golden jar to the high priest of the city of gold, who will be able to open it according to legend. The priest recognizes the jar as The Great Legacy's cooling rod. As the priest sacrifices his life to stop the meltdown, he is revealed to be Esteban's father.

Alongside Sancho and Pedro, Mendoza returns to Spain with a salvaged bag of gold, promising to rejoin the children in the future. Esteban, Tao, and Zia set out aboard The Golden Condor for the Pacific Ocean, to find the next city of gold.

Characters

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The main cast of the series dubbed into English, includes:

• Template:Nihongo (Template:Voiced by): An orphan who was rescued at sea as a baby ten years ago by the Spanish navigator Mendoza, he wears one of the two sun medallions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> He dreams of adventure and is extremely impulsive. Esteban has a fear of heights which is exacerbated by the people of Barcelona who believe that he is the "Child of the Sun" and hoist him up high at the port to call out the sun to aid the departing ships. He joins the Spaniards on their search for one of The Seven Cities of Gold in the New World, hoping to find his father.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Template:Nihongo (Template:Voiced by): The daughter of an Inca high priest, she was kidnapped from Peru five years ago, when she was seven, by the Spanish invaders and given as a present to the Queen of Spain for her daughter, Princess Margarita. She met Esteban when she was kidnapped by Mendoza for Governor Pizarro who wanted her to read the golden quipu. Zia wears a sun medallion like Esteban's, with an interlocking sun and moon disc.
• Template:Nihongo (Template:Voiced by): The last living descendant of the sunken empire of Mu (Hiva in the English version), he lived alone on the Galápagos Islands following the death of his father. Initially he is evasive of the others' company when they wash up on his island, but when the ship Solaris was revealed he joined them on their journey. He carries with him an encyclopedia handed down to him by his Hiva ancestors. Being the most intelligent of the children, he often takes a more studious approach to problem solving with Esteban sometimes becoming irritated due to his own impulsive nature.
• Template:Nihongo (Template:Voiced by): A Spaniard and navigator for the Spanish fleet, he rescued a young Esteban from a shipwreck during one of his voyages. An experienced sailor, proficient navigator and master swordsman, Mendoza places himself in the role of a leader. It is not always clear, however, where his loyalties lie and he is often at odds with the other characters. He is accompanied by fellow sailors Sancho and Pedro. Mendoza has spent many years searching for information about the cities of gold, following his theft of a piece of Esteban's medallion when he rescued the latter as an infant. His full name is revealed to be Juan Carlos Mendoza in season three.
• Template:Nihongo (Template:Voiced by) and Template:Nihongo (Template:Voiced by) are comical, bumbling sailors who, motivated by their greed for gold, join Mendoza and the children on their search for the Mysterious Cities of Gold. They get into a lot of scrapes, and make several attempts to escape from Mendoza's watchful eye, once they realize how tiring the quest is.

Releases

DVD and digital

The Mysterious Cities of Gold was released on both VHS and DVD in France, Belgium, Japan, Portugal, Canada (in French) and Germany.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2007, Fabulous Films acquired the licence to release the series in Region 2 (Europe), Region 1, and Region 4. All 39 episodes of the series were released in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2008, as a six-disc DVD set with the picture and sound restored. The DVD was released in Australia in August 2008. It was released in North America on April 7, 2009.<ref>Mysterious Cities of Gold - Fabulous Films Allies with Arts Alliance, Announces 2 "Mysterious" Sets, Plans "Monster Squad" and Others Template:Webarchive, TVShowsonDVD.com, January 13, 2009</ref> The show is also available to purchase and stream via digital retailers.

Soundtrack

Score by Nobuyoshi Koshibe and Katsuo Ohno

• 1982, Starchild Records, Taiyou no Ko Esteban BGM Collection Vol.1. LP containing 17 tracks from the Japanese score.
• 1983, Starchild Records, Taiyou no Ko Esteban BGM Collection Vol.2. LP containing a further 13 tracks from the Japanese score.
• 1983, Starchild Records, Ougon no Condor/Sorezore no Utopia. EP containing two tracks from the Japanese score.
• 1983, Starchild Records, Boukenshatachi/Itsuka Dokoka de Anata ni Atta. EP containing two tracks from the Japanese score.

Score by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy

• 1983, Saban Records, Les Mysterieuses Cités D'Or. Seven-inch of the title music with Zia's theme as the B side.
• 1983, Saban Records, Les Mystérieuses Cités D'Or (Bande Originale De La Série Télévisée). LP containing 16 unedited tracks.
• 1998, RYM Musique, Les Mystérieuses Cités D'Or. CD reissue, sourced from vinyl, of the LP with two bonus tracks from the series Inspector Gadget.
• 1998, Animusik, Les Mystérieuses Cités D'Or (Bande Originale Du Dessin Animé). CD/VCD reissue, sourced from vinyl, of the LP with 13 bonus tracks in mono, sourced from video tape as the original masters are in a decrepit state. The VCD section contains several video clips.
• 2002, Loga-Rythme, Les Mystérieuses Cités D'Or (La Bande Originale Du Dessin Animé Réorchestrée). Two-CD reorchestration of the full soundtrack by Boub (Yannick Rault).
• 2002, Airplay Records, Zia. CD single containing 4 remixes of the title music.
• 2008, Fabulous Films, The Mysterious Cities of Gold – Original Soundtrack Album. Twelve-track album, including 10 tracks of music restored and edited from video tape masters by Chris Watson. The album also contains the TV version of the English theme song in stereo, both with and without narration (tracks 1 and 12). This CD was made available as a limited-edition extra with Fabulous Films' DVD release of the series in the UK and Australia.
• 2012, XIII Bis Records, Les Mystérieuses Cités D'Or. CD reissue containing 15 tracks from the original LP plus the American/English version of the title theme as a bonus track.
• 2013, XIII Bis Records, Les Mystérieuses Cités D'Or – New Edition. CD reissue containing 15 tracks from the original LP plus the American/English version of the title theme and the "Hand Remix" of the title theme as bonus tracks.
• 2017, Wagram Music, Les mystérieuses cités d'or (Bande originale de la série télévisée). Thirty-track digital reissue containing all 16 tracks from the original LP, the 13 bonus tracks from the 1998 Animusik release and the English version of the title theme.

Computer games

Two games have been produced by Ynnis Interactive. The first, The Mysterious Cities of Gold: Flight of the Condor, was released in 2013 only for iOS users on Apple devices.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The second was titled The Mysterious Cities of Gold: Secret Paths and was made in 2013 for PC after a successful Kickstarter campaign.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The game was released in 2014 for iOS, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.

Episode list

The show was first broadcast on NHK in Japan on the 1 May 1982 and in France on 28 September the same year on France 2. The first English language broadcast was on Nickelodeon in the USA on 30 June 1986, with the BBC broadcasting it in the UK on 1 September.<ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_bbc_one_london/1986-09-01#at-16.35</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website Template:In lang
• Template:Official website
• Real precolombians cities in the show Template:In lang
• Template:Anime News Network
• Unofficial French The Mysterious Cities of Gold website Template:In lang
• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0122356

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