This was such a wonderful and inspirational series for children in the 80s. Now they're all grown up and the show still captivates them - In fact I enjoy it even more now (at 24) than I did when I was little! There is so much in it to love and appreciate - rich characters and scenery, and such a deep story rooted in historical accuracy and the culture of the South American people. This is the kind of series a person can become fully engrossed in, because the story is such a grand epic and the characters are so memorable. The juxtaposition of the three adult characters with the three children, each with their own unique gifts and personality, lends to a great humanity in this show.
Esteban and Zia are the children of the sun who set off from Spain to the new world in search of their parentage, but end up on a fantastic quest for the "Seven Cities of Gold," fabled to be hidden among the deserts and jungles of South America. They are accompanied by two bumbling sailors, Pedro and Sancho, and a boy named Tao, a descendant of the Heva, a people of remarkable insight and advanced technology. The unsung hero of the group is Mendoza, the dashing, cape-clad ship's navigator who seems solely bent on finding his fortune in gold, but eventually comes to care for the children and appreciate their special talents. (Even though he is often too proud to admit it!)
The entire cast is spectacular and fully believable. After this show left Nickelodeon, the voices of Mendoza and Esteban rang in my mind for an entire decade, as did the imagery of the magical golden condor and the gold medallions of the sun. It took me ten years to acquire this series on video, and now I get to watch it whenever I want and relive all the splendor.
The stories in this show are ultimately moral, as they are told from the child perspective. These are children in a time when Spanish soldiers are trying to conquer the native cultures of the New World, and Esteban and his friends think nothing of risking their lives to help these native people and fight alongside them. They see the world with an honesty and goodheartedness that withstands whatever trials they must endure. There is such loyalty and friendship, (sometimes unspoken) within the ranks of this unlikely group of adventurers, and they are so likable and sympathetic that you can't help but be drawn into their journeys. After 39 episodes, Esteban, Zia, Tao and Mendoza are not characters in a cartoon, but old friends you love and admire.
Shows like Pokemon and Spongebob are entertaining and well-crafted in their own right, but modern cartoons as a whole have nothing on a show like "The Mysterious Cities of Gold."
Kudos to the creators of this series, and especially to the cast voices who brought it to life for a generation of American children to relish. I hope they realize what good they have done and just how much they are appreciated. We the fans are grown now, adults who are better people for having watched "The Mysterious Cities of Gold." To the actors, artists, and producers, we say THANK YOU !!
Because of you, we all dream in gold.
Score: 10.0
