From all over Europe, great ships sail west to conquer
the New World, the Americas. The men eager to seek their fortune,
to find new adventures in new lands. They long to cross uncharted
seas and discover unknown countries, to find secret gold on a
mountain trail high in the Andes. They dream of following the
path of the setting sun which leads to El Dorado, and
Back in the late 1980s, I was introduced to an animated series on Nickelodeon,
the Mysterious Cities of Gold. No matter what time it was on I never missed
an episode. It was unlike any cartoon I had every seen. A marvelous blend
of adventure, science fiction, and historic places and people, it never ceased
to surprise and fascinate a 10 year old girl and her sisters.
The Mysterious Cities of Gold was created as a collaboration
between a French production company and Japanese animators. Consisting
of 39 beautifully animated 20 minute episodes, the story followed
the adventures of three extraordinary children who are accompanied
by a Spanish Navigator and two sailors. Beginning in the year
1532, the travelers search the New World for the Cities of Gold
and find many amazing machines including the solar powered ship
Solaris and the Golden Condor.
Almost everyone who has seen the series remembers
the story, the characters, the art...and the music. Even after
a decade and countless viewings, the music composed by Shuki Levi
and Haim Saban can still move me to laughter and to tears.
With all the flashy and hollow cartoons that are produced nowadays, The
Mysterious Cities of Gold still shines as an example of the best of animation.
