Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 4 Part 1 Review (No Spoilers)

*Since writing this post, I have written an updated article with a review of the whole season 4. You can find that here*

The Mysterious Cities of Gold started in 1982 and this year was set to mark the conclusion with the forth and final season. Closure, at last, after 38 years. Or so we thought…

Unfortunately, Covid had different plan and has delayed the complete season release. Instead we only get the first part of the season which consists of 11 episodes with the remaining episodes are set to air early in 2021. The show is available to stream on French and Swiss channels but there has been no word on the English language dub yet.

Luckily, I was able to download the available episodes through the hard work and diligence of the members of the Gold List, a MCOG Yahoo Group created in the late 90s that I had been a member of since 1996. I also received translated English subtitles (thanks Kevin!) which were converted and retouched for fluency from the original French to watch alongside the downloaded episodes from the streaming sites of those channels. Whilst not my ideal way to watch the show I am grateful that I have been able to view it and appreciate it alongside other fans in real time.

So, over the course of a few days I watched the show and these are my reflections on the forth series so far. This is a spoiler free article but I do gently brush over themes covered in the season. Season 4 part 1 propels the story forward and picks up from the slight slump of the tail end of the third season, where I felt that the characters started to act out of character and the plot became a little convoluted.

The final series starts with Ambrosius, Gaspard and Laguerre travelling to Africa to find the next city (the fifth of seven), armed with the two gold medallions found from the previous golden city. Building on the legend of the Queen of Sheba, they are seeking the city of Ophir and a treasure that could be a game changer for the possessor, granting them potentially god-like powers. Ambrosius covets it but Esteban and the team are not too far behind him. With Zia's growing ESP abilities, as well as the moxie of the team as a whole, they overcome many of the traps set by Ambrosius to find the Doorway of the Ancients, a Mu-en (Mu-vian? Mu-enite? Mu-tian? ) portal which allows them to teleport across continents in an instant. It is with this development that the series grows in scope.

The Doorway of the Ancients

The Doorway of the Ancients

We get an introduction to the Order of the Hourglass, an organisation set up to find out more about the ancient Mu/ Hiva culture. As a former pseudoscientific theories/ conspiracy buff by way of Graham Hancock, Erich Von Daniken et al. and to a much lesser extent Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, it's great to see how the writers of the series have interwoven so much lore, theories and alternate timelines together to make a cohesive and intriguing mythos.

Notable figures from this period in history make appearances and add a new layer of intrigue into the mix with quasi-history. What I liked was that, as well as these real figures from history, we also see the return of a few old faces from seasons past who are all eager to get to the fifth city and are as unscrupulous as ever. One reveal in particular has a WTF moment where I actually gasped and then whooped for joy.

When the fifth city of Ophir is finally discovered, the reveal is spine tinglingly good. Its obvious eventual demise is a given, as is this shows wont, but no less dramatic against its backdrop.

Overall, I think that the setting and portrayal of Africa is very well done and the peoples are treated with respect and dignity, something that comics (remember Tintin in the Congo, oof!), and some other mediums (many, many anime and manga series), have often not handled well with broad stereotypes and ethnocentric racism usually depicting the land and people as 'savage' and 'other'. There is the exception of Princess being infatuated with Pedro which is played for laughs. I believe it is meant to show a strong female character but could come across as quite stereotypical of the problematic 'Jezebel' trope. However, this is only a small slight against the show which is very positive about Africa in the 16th century, as it should be. After all, the continent was home to many kingdoms and empires that were independent, prosperous and successful in trade before the onset of European colonialism and empire.

I learned a lot watching this series; I never knew about such amazing historical sites as the 13th century Lalibela monestry, hewn from a single rock, or the great gold mines and trade of the Mutapa Kingdom in Zimbabwe. The documentaries shed more light on these and I've now got a few more books on my wishlist to buy to research more on the matter as a result.

Another plus for the series is how on this journey the children see the harsh realities of colonialism and the start of the slave trade. They struggle to reconcile with a world where men are sold as commodities and the topic is treated with sympathy and respect. MCOG is a deeply humanist work and over the course of the 4 seasons it has always made each peoples sympathetic and flawed. After all, even the Olmecs were just trying to keep their race alive--even if it was through questionable means. As Pedro says, "There are some things that are worth sacrificing, good deeds make you better people" and for his character that is quite the development from season 1. The end of show documentaries discuss the matter somewhat and, whilst aimed at children, it is enlightening and will hopefully get young people thinking more about the legacy of empire.

As with the previous season there are moments of stunning artistry and beauty and for fans of the series to enjoy. The Golden Condor again is given centre stage and there is pure GC adoration as the machine is lovingly shown from all angles, usually accompanied with a huge swell in dramatic synth music. And that's something to mention too; the quieter contemplative moments have some stunning music that is modern but more than just an homage to the past soundtrack It is its own beast and very worthwhile.

And so, as we head into the final straight our team are down to the final 2 cities and I'm not sure how the story will end. I wonder if it'll do the Twilight Zone's, "Man is brought down by his own hubris" *shakes fist in the air* thing as the 5 cities so far have presented clean transportation, energy, medicine and technology but always it has been destroyed by warring factions. I think it'll end on a note of optimism with ‘the kids shall inherit the Earth, and make it better’ but we shall see.

This has been an excellent start to the end of the series and I can't wait for the last few episodes to drop as in this complex 4D chess game, it's all to play for.

LINK- MCOG Season 4 Streaming (French Dub and French Subtitles)

LINK- Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 3 (English Dub) -Complete Series Review

LINK- Watch MCOG Season 1, 2 and 3 on SBS On Demand Australia

LINK- MCOG Series 2 Review

LINK- MCOG Nostalgia

LINK- MCOG Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- MCOG Soundtrack on Vinyl Review

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 4 Starts to Air

*The Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 4 has just concluded and you can read my review here*

As a huge Mysterious Cities of Gold fan, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final season but news of its release had been quiet. There had been rumours on the Les Cités d'Or blog that the series was projected for a mid-2020 release but that Covid had delayed production. However, I can now happily say that the complete series is available in some territories but only in the French language. However, fan-translated English subtitles have been created and I have them available upon request. The srt. subtitle files are not mine and I do not take any credit for the hard work of the fans but know there is a keen demand to access the final series.

Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 4 Delayed Due to Coronavirus

*Update- MCOG series 4 has started to stream on RTS (Swiss Channel) in French and the link is here. I have seen the whole of season 4 (English subbed) and here is my review with no spoilers)

As a huge MCOG fan, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final season but news on its release has been quiet. I know that it was projected for release in late 2020, however a curious forum member from the les cites dor blog emailed the company and got a response:

Here is the email:
Hello,
I already wrote to you to have more information on the development of the Mysterious Cities of Gold season 3.
And with the COVID-19 period, I ask you if the broadcast of season 4 will still be broadcast, as expected at the end of 2020 or later. If unfortunately yes, when? Thank you in advance and I congratulate you for your excellent work compared to the two previous seasons.
Sincerely,
Hugo

Here was the response the email:

Hello,
Thank you for your email and your interest in the Cities of Gold series.
To answer your question, we are well in manufacturing / production of the last season ... but of course the sanitary situation and the confinement do not make production and respecting the schedule easy ... It is therefore still difficult to know if we will be able to deliver all episodes on time for broadcast at the end of the year, even if that remains our goal.
Sincerely,
Blue Spirit

20-22 rue des Bons Enfants 75001 Paris
www.spirit-prod.com

So, it seems that season 4 is in production but its release might be delayed due to the Coronavirus so we may be looking at a 2021 release. Please do remember that this is the internet and so the source of this information may not be correct but I do believe it is true as it seems to be in line with what Blue Spirit had said about the MCOG release timeline

LINK- lescitesdor forum page

LINK- Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 3 Review

LINK- Watch MCOG Season 3 on SBS On Demand Australia

LINK- MCOG Series 2 Review

LINK- MCOG Nostalgia

LINK- MCOG Gold Condor for Sale

LINK- MCOG Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- MCOG Soundtrack on Vinyl Review

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Video Gaming In Saudi Arabia

Not long to go until we see the golden condor once again in action.

Not long to go until we see the golden condor once again in action.

DIC: Series Of Your Childhood

I am a huge fan of the animated series Mysterious Cities of Gold, it is my favourite programme of ALL time and was a formative part of my childhood; single handedly igniting my interest in anime, manga, South and Central American cultures and synthesizer music (It's why I love Jarre, Vangelis and Oldfield).

In my mancave I have a MCOG medallion, an original cel, a French book discussing the making of (even though I haven't studied French since my GCSE's 20 years ago) and a model of the golden condor. The animation was created by DIC and legendary creators Haim Saban and Jean Chalopin, who in their time created Ulysses 31, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, M.A.S.K and Inspector Gadget.

Now, a new documentary is seeking to be crowd-funded to explore their world and find out about the origins and development of the studio. I am SO on board with this as anything that delves behind the making process of some of the finest animation of my childhood deserves further exploration.

In their own words:

We have started with the distribution of leaflets in mailboxes. About 100 people worked full time. One day, we received an order to create a cartoon, Bernard Deyries joined us and we started to work on the animation. We had a company that was based in Tours and then in Paris. One day, we felt like creating series just like big companies. We started by making a creation that was “Ulysses 31”, which he presented to France 3. They accepted the idea and Jean Chalopin said:" there are not enough people to do this in France". He went to Japan and came across a Japanese company looking for a way to get into Europe. One day, Jean Chalopin told me: "I will go to the United States." I said: “You’re crazy! You're not going to beat the Americans on their own turf." Well! I was wrong. In cinema as in television, going to Hollywood is always a dream, which until now and before our company existed, has been unattainable to almost all Europeans. We created a different way of working, which mixes the American and the French systems with Japanese special effects. We imported, for example with “The Littles” or with “Inspector Gadget”, a trait, which was very different; it did not exist in the American market.

I’m going to help fund this documentary, why don’t you?

The Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 3 (English Dub)- Complete Series Review

*Season 4 of The Mysterious Cities of Gold has aired. For the review click here*

The original Mysterious Cities of Gold series was a French- Japanese co-produced animation by DIC Entertainment and Studio Pierrot. The series premiered in Japan on NHK on 29 June 1982 and ran weekly for 39 episodes.
I first caught the series on BBC 1 in the early 80s and was beguiled by the mythical adventure story of a young Spanish boy named Esteban who joins a voyage to the New World in search of the lost Cities of Gold and his father. The impressive looking background art, sharply drawn characters, and the beautiful soundtrack kept me entranced throughout the whole series, becoming my favourite programme of all time. It was incredibly formative for me and introduced me to the wonders of the ancient world including the Incas, Aztecs, Atlantis and El Dorado. Even at the age of 37 I still regularly revisit the programme every year and I can attest to the fact that it still holds up as an impressive piece of work.

The scenery is stunning in MCOG.

The scenery is stunning in MCOG.

There had been talk of a second series for years and preliminary plans were laid but never materialised. However with the re-release of the series on DVD in 2008 and increased interest in the next part of the journey, the new series were finally put into production. Debuting on the Kix Channel in December 2014 the second series landed to mixed reviews.

At the end of the original series the children had only found one of the seven lost cities of gold, yet the conclusion was oddly satisfying in an open-ended way. Well, the second series was a continuation rather than a reboot and so the series picked up from the end of series one; The three children, Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho headed to China in search of the next lost city of gold and the truth about Esteban’s father.

On the whole I really did enjoy the second series but felt that it lacked the atmosphere and awe that was present in the original series. The voice actors were passable, however I did feel that Mendoza sounded angry or annoyed a lot of the time, a shift from his can-do attitude from the first series. Also the synth music from the discovery parts and key events made each new discovery super special. The music that dropped when the adventurers find the Solaris and Golden Condor still sends shivers down my spine. I felt that in the second series moments of emotive music and silence from the characters would have carried greater gravitas than the exposition from the characters. The second series took a while to get going, but after the first 10 or so episodes it did pick up and from episode 16 onwards it had those moment of awe and wonder, much like many moments from the original series.

And so, we get to series 3. I watched the complete 26 episode run in English dub and I have to say that it really continues the momentum from the second series forward, for the most part. The children travel to Japan to find the next city of gold and rescue Esteban's father, Antonios, from Zares/ Ambrosius. Along the way they make many new discoveries, including 2 more cities of gold (in Japan and Arabia), and grow as characters, but more on that later.
The episodes all move at a cracking pace overall, with the first lost city found after just 8 episodes, but the city of gold is spectacular, truly awe-inspiring and magical. The second city is again majestic and sent shivers down my spine but the series, whilst certainly better than series 2 is not as good as series 1 but it is pretty close in my opinion.

The main group of characters are more like the first series in that they are more consistent and less annoyed or cross, like Tao and Mendoza were often presented in series 2. The voice acting is better but it is somewhat strange to hear Mendoza say 'Blimey' at least 5 times throughout the whole series.


I also think the development of Zia as a strong female lead is good but do think they may have overpowered her, what with her ability to speak to animals, having foresight of key events and tragedies and telekinesis... That's quite an arc for any character let alone within 20 episodes! Her personality totally changes and at times it didn't feel like Zia at all. I understand about having strong female leads but when a new character, Laguerra (daughter of Dr Laguerra from series 1), is introduced she is the epitome of strong female lead, so what was the need to Girl Boss Zia, the usually quiet, thoughtful type? It feels very jarring.

It is after this that I feel it starts to unravel a little with the group breaking up for a really silly reason and there is a tacked on love story for Mendoza. However that doesn't detract from the rest of the series being phenomenal and awe inspiring in all the right places.

The discovery of the 3rd city is majestic and sent goosebumps all over me and the landscape artistry on show was painterly and masterful, complemented by a new score that pays homage to the original but does its own, more modern, thing. There are moments of peace and quiet where you can just appreciate the animation and music without the constant kinetic pacing of series 2 ruining certain reflective moments. For fans of the Golden Condor there are stunning scenes which often felt like Condor porn, as we see the beautiful machine flying against stunningly rendered backdrops.

Overall, series 3 of MCOG is a brilliant continuation of the epic animation. It reaches highs that rival even the original series but also lows (the group breaking up in Arabia) that make parts some of the worst in the shows history. It is a show that is well worth a watch and for fans of the original, you will not be (too) disappointed.

The Mysterious Cities of Gold- Retro Soundtrack Review

I am a huge fan of the animated series Mysterious Cities of Gold, it is my favourite programme of ALL time and was a formative part of my childhood; single handedly creating my interest in anime, manga, South and Central American culture and synthesizer music (It's why I love Jarre, Vangelis and Oldfield).

In my mancave I have a MCOG medallion, an original cel, a French book discussing the making of (even though I haven't studied French since my GCSE's 20 years ago) and a model of the golden condor. However no mention of The Mysterious Cities of Gold would be complete without a mention of the mesmerising soundtrack. There have been some amazing soundtracks for TV shows over the years but the synthesizers and futuristic sounds used in the soundtrack gave this series a unique, mesmerising atmosphere all its own.

I made this influence map 7 years ago and as you can see the MCOG features prominently.

I don't know my arpeggios from my elbow but hopefully I'll be able to describe the tracks with such flourishes of description that you'll get the gist of what I'm saying and trying to convey; layman's terms.... don't begrudge me my enthusiasm and flights of descriptive fancy.

I got this CD for much cheaper than it is currently going for... this OST is in high demand!

I got this CD for much cheaper than it is currently going for... this OST is in high demand!

The album starts with the French opening credits. It has the instrumentation that we all know and love but with the vocals of French pop star of the time Noam Kaniel. The track is okay but holds no real nostalgia for me, that'd be track 16, the extended version of the English vocal track that played over the opening of the show. Track 15 is the instrumentation of the opening credits so if you feel like having a Philip Schofield moment this is the one to do it on!

Track 2, Heureux Esteban (Happy Esteban), is the track familiar to many as the 'to follow' music. It played at the end of the show and teased you as to what would happen in the next episode. The track itself is an upbeat and jolly track with a gentle pulsing synth and wonderfully joyful instrumentation.

Tracks 3 and 4, Theme de Zia and Theme de Tao are both French vocal tracks. Zia's Theme is airy and light and the vocals are like a ballad, it suits the character well. Tao's Theme starts with a driving drumming beat and then the riveting rhythmic music kicks in, I don't understand the vocals but the chorus is instantly singable.

Track 5, L'aventure de Tao (Tao's Adventure), is a driving track which starts with a blaring bit of brass and then sounds like a marching band with some triumphalism. It is a very memorable track and often occurred at adventurous moments of the show, usually when the children were enacting out a plan to save someone or get something.

Track 6, L'aventure D'Esteban (Esteban's Adventure) is an instrumentation of Tao's Theme and so this has me thinking that maybe they got the track listing mislabeled for track 5 and 6- the old switcharoo. Anyhow this track sounds like a calypso track with a lush steel drum sound playing over some nice percussive bass.

Track 7, Les Tristes Cites D'or (Sad Cities of Gold), is a bit of melancholia and levity amongst the bombast. It has a flute playing winsomely over some soft instrumental music. Then the chorus comes in and you know that this is a song of reflection. The whole piece is beautiful and evocative of early morning sadness.

Track 8, Le Vol du Condor (The Flight of the Condor), is one of the signature tracks of the show. It’s a work of fragile magic, a hypnotic combination of beautifully breathy sounds and exquisitely gorgeous melodies and soft-spun instrumentation. There is much serenity in this piece of music and it lifts the spirits.

Track 9, En Naviguant (By Sailing), has some of the soundtracks lushest and most organic synthesizer sounds. There are little zephyrs that punctuate the strong synthesizer sound, adding a sense of scope and wonder to this dreamy track.

Track 10, Les Incas (The Incas), is a joyful track that combines traditional flute sounds with Spanish guitar to create vivid imagery of the andes. It is a very evocative piece of music and one of my favourites.

Track 11, Esteban Dans La Vie (The Life of Esteban), is one of the more emotional tracks. It played when Esteban and Zia both meet their fathers, moments of great gravitas. As such it is suitably downbeat and dramatic, verging on melodrama but without the negative connotations that implies. A great track worth a listen.

Track 12, La Grand Tempete (The Great Storm), is a track that was used in the He-Man cartoon series too. It is a swirling whirlwind of drama and conjures up images of storms with its deep resonating sound and brooding score. A truly great track that builds up slowly and spectacularly.

Track 13, Les Dieux Des Incas (Gods of the Incas), is one of the greatest tracks ever written in my opinion. when people talk about soundscapes they discuss Eno, Tangerine Dreams, Popul Vuh and various artists of the same calibre but this track shows that Saban and Levy should be included in the pantheon. This track is an otherworldly journey through a sound cosmos to the higher dimensions of sound. It is so powerful and evocative, almost primal. This is one of my favourite albums of all time and this track is one of the reasons why.

Track 14, Les Aventures Electroniques (Electronic Adventures), is an upbeat slab of pop electronica, it is a fast paced track that surges forward with excitement and vitality. This is one of the best tracks on the album and I remember that it occurred at high octane moments in the show. The track itself is a wonderful flute melody playing over a stirring synth production with several joyful moments and pauses. Another great highlight.

There are a few omissions on this soundtrack that disappoint me though and one of the most glaring omissions is St. Elmo's Fire (also known on other versions of the soundtrack as La Passage Secret), known to many fans as the Song of Mysterious Awesomeness. The sense of awe and wonder this music piece brought in me at the time was palpable, I would shake with excitement as this track was reserved for only the most special moments of the series. It is used when a new discovery is made or when the characters experienced a grand phenomena. The juddering driving synths mixed with the whoozy flow of the main tune lend the piece an otherworldly air which perfectly suited the air of mystery. I have extremely powerful memories of this track as this music was used on the maiden flight of the golden condor. The point when the machine comes online for the first time and flies is etched in my memory. I've seen this episode more than any other (I watch the series annually) but I still get goosebumps when the music kick in. The link to this moment is below and I would recommend you watch it (it kicks in at 56 seconds).

Overall the album is a beautifully crafted electronic masterpiece bubbling with synths and tones, all exquisitely held together with crystalline pop production. It is an evocative suite of synth music which perfectly captures the feel of the show. There are moments of true euphoria but it's not all happy electronic music, there are some moments of menace and levity. I love the whirling feeling of weightlessness on some compositions but then it can be followed up with wafts of dense symphonic mist that emerges floating up from the speakers. For fans of electronic music or fans of the show, this is a must-have. Okay it's not the complete soundtrack but the tracks on here are clean and pristine with no crackle or hiss.