History YMMV / TheMysteriousCITIESOfGOLD

* EarWorm: The theme tune. ''Doodoododo, ahh ahh ahh...''

* EnsembleDarkhorse: [=LaGuerra=], a new character from season 3, has caught the attention of the fans. Her [[AntiVillain anti-villainy]], [[MasterSwordsman fighting skills]], [[EvilIsSexy her beauty]] and [[DatingCatwoman her relation with Mendoza]] has earn the adoration of many. [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Kinda remind you of a Zuko]].

** [[CardCarryingVillain King Menator]] is the cruel ruler of the Olmecs, an underground race seeking immortality. Tyrannizing many of the local tribes, Menator [[ImmortalityImmorality kills and harvests countless innocents for their skin cells]] to rejuvenate himself and the Olmecs, trying to have Esteban and his friends subject to the same fate and ordering an entire village massacred when they escape into its borders. Menator seeks the Cities of Gold for its priceless technology, using his flying weapon to vaporize many of the Mayans—-whom he regards as utterly inferior-—when they rise up against him, and even [[WouldHurtAChild horribly beating the young Tao]] against a cliff side with the threat of killing him if he's not allowed access to the Cities of Gold. Though preaching everything he does is for the benefit of his race, [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist Menator]] only intends to preserve those "worthy" while dismissing the lives of the rest and [[BadBoss even his own loyal soldiers]], intent only on taking what he can and killing everyone else in his way.

* HilariousInHindsight: Or similar in Hindsight, but Tao's situation is eerily similar to that of Karana, a character from another Scott O'Dell novel, [[Literature/IslandOfTheBlueDolphins Island of the Blue Dolphins]]. Both are the only humans left on their island, they both learn to fend for themselves, both have animal sidekicks, and both are awaiting the arrival of other people on their islands, though in Tao's case, its because of a prophecy is father told him. The only other differences is Tao not having to wait eighteen years to get off his island, and Tao is confirmed to be the last of his people. In Karana's situation, it's only implied she's the last. In the book's sequel it's revealed that she has a niece. Her name is [[NamestheSame Zia]]. No relation to the Zia in ''The King's Fifth''.

* ShipTease: Season 2 has a huge amount of ShipTease, mainly with Esteban and Zia. You can see them constantly hugging and holding hands. When Zia saved Esteban's life, he gives her a smooch. Zia also has good deal of ShipTease with Tao, Zhi, Prince Zhu and Gurban.

* AmericansHateTingle and GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The very, very, very different fate of the show in its two countries of origin: obscure, rapidly forgotten show in Japan; and a generation-defining classic in the French-speaking world.

* GatewaySeries: For UK, French and other viewers outside North America (outside of francophone Canada) this (along with ''Anime/{{Ulysses 31}}'') was the Gateway Series to anime in the same way as ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' or ''Anime/SailorMoon'' was for US viewers. While not a mass success in the U.S., it may also have served as such for some American viewers who saw it on Nickelodeon.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: In season 2, a lot of fans found [[CuteButCacophonic Kokapetl's new voice damn annoying]]. Come season 3, he has fewer lines. He even got a CrowningMomentOfAwesome by taking on ''Zares'' of all people.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome
** The entire soundtrack not only fits perfectly, it also never seems overly repetitive through ''39 episodes'' and practically every motif is memorable.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7x-QhIUlwE The theme song]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib5IPSVffCw Season 2's version isn't too bad, either]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj4Fa7Eo3xY And then there's season 3...]]

* HilariousInHindsight: Or [[JustForFun/SurprisinglySimilarCharacters similar]] in Hindsight, but Tao's situation is eerily similar to that of Karana, a character from another Scott O'Dell novel, [[Literature/IslandOfTheBlueDolphins Island of the Blue Dolphins]]. Both are the only humans left on their island, they both learn to fend for themselves, both have animal sidekicks, and both are awaiting the arrival of other people on their islands, though in Tao's case, its because of a prophecy is father told him. The only other differences is Tao not having to wait eighteen years to get off his island, and Tao is confirmed to be the last of his people. In Karana's situation, it's only implied she's the last. In the book's sequel it's revealed that she has a niece. Her name is [[NamestheSame Zia]]. No relation to the Zia in ''The King's Fifth''.

* HilariousInHindsight: Or [[SurprisinglySimilarCharacters similar]] in Hindsight, but Tao's situation is eerily similar to that of Karana, a character from another Scott O'Dell novel, [[Literature/IslandOfTheBlueDolphins Island of the Blue Dolphins]]. Both are the only humans left on their island, they both learn to fend for themselves, both have animal sidekicks, and both are awaiting the arrival of other people on their islands, though in Tao's case, its because of a prophecy is father told him. The only other differences is Tao not having to wait eighteen years to get off his island, and Tao is confirmed to be the last of his people. In Karana's situation, it's only implied she's the last. In the book's sequel it's revealed that she has a niece. Her name is [[NamestheSame Zia]]. No relation to the Zia in ''The King's Fifth''.

* DuelingDubs: The original series, in Japanese. When the series was to be rerun on NHK in 1998, it was found that the original Japanese dialogue track was lost, presumably deleted because of the show's lack of popularity in Japan. Thus the series had to be redubbed into Japanese from French, and the new dub utilized an almost entirely new stable of voice actors, with Creator/MasakoNozawa (Esteban) the only returning seiyuu. For example, the new voice of Zia was Creator/ReiSakuma (Shampoo of Manga/RanmaOneHalf), replacing Creator/MamiKoyama (the original Anime/MinkyMomo).

* DuelingDubs: The original series, in Japanese. When the series was to be rerun on NHK in 1998, it was found that the original Japanese dialogue track was lost, presumably deleted because of the show's lack of popularity in Japan. Thus the series had to be redubbed into Japanese from French, and the new dub utilized an almost entirely new stable of voice actors, with Creator/MasakoNozawa (Esteban) the only returning seiyuu. The new voice of Zia was Creator/ReiSakuma (Shampoo of Manga/RanmaOneHalf.)

* DuelingDubs: The original series, in Japanese. When the series was rerun on NHK in 1998, it was found that the original Japanese dialogue track was lost, presumably deleted because of the show's lack of popularity in Japan. Thus the series had to be redubbed into Japanese from French, and the new dub utilized an almost entirely new stable of voice actors, with Creator/MasakoNozawa (Esteban) the only returning seiyuu.

* GatewaySeries: For UK, French and other viewers outside North America (outside of francophone Canada) this (along with ''Anime/{{Ulysses 31}}'') was the Gateway Series to anime in the same way as ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' or ''Anime/SailorMoon'' was for US viewers.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The '80s series' ratings in Japan were mediocre at best, but the French went wild for it, and it's possible it's even better remembered in the United States than in Japan.

* CrossDressingVoices: In the Japanese version of the '80s series, both Esteban and Tao are voiced by women; Esteban's seiyuu (n both the original 1982 dub and the 1998 redub) is none other than Creator/MasakoNozawa.

* HilariousInHindsight: Or [[SurprisinglySimilarCharacters similar]] in Hindsight, but Tao's situation is eerily similar to that of Karana, a character from another Scott O'Dell novel, [[Literature/IslandOfTheBlueDolphins Island of the Blue Dolphins]]. Both are the only humans left on their island, they both learn to learn to fend for themselves, both have animal sidekicks, and both are awaiting the arrival of other people on their islands, though in Tao's case, its because of a prophecy is father told him. The only other differences is Tao not having to wait eighteen years to get off his island, and Tao is confirmed to be the last of his people. In Karana's situation, it's only implied she's the last. In the book's sequel it's revealed that she has a niece. Her name is [[NamestheSame Zia]]. No relation to the Zia in ''The King's Fifth''.

* HilariousInHindsight: Or [[SurprisinglySimilarCharacters similar]] in Hindsight, but Tao's situation is eerily similar to that of Karana, a character from another Scott O'Dell novel, [[Literature/IslandOfTheBlueDolphins Island of the Blue Dolphins]]. Both are the only humans left on their island, they both obviously have to learn to fend for themselves, both have animal sidekicks, and both are awaiting the arrival of other people on their islands, though in Tao's case, its because of a prophecy is father told him. The only other differences is Tao not having to wait eighteen years to get off his island, and Tao is confirmed to be the last of his people. In Karana's situation, it's only implied she's the last. In the book's sequel it's revealed that she has a niece. Her name is [[NamestheSame Zia]]. No relation to the Zia in ''The King's Fifth''.

* HilariousInHindsight: Or [[SurprisinglySimilarCharacters similar]] in Hindsight, but Tao's situation is eerily similar to that of Karana, a character from another Scott O'Dell novel, [[Literature/IslandOfTheBlueDolphins Island of the Blue Dolphins]]. Both are the only humans left on their island, they both obviously have to learn to fend for themselves, both have animal sidekicks, and both are awaiting the arrival of other people on their islands, though in Tao's case, its because of a prophecy is father told him. The only other difference is that Tao is confirmed to be the last of his people. In Karana's situation, it's only implied. In the book's sequel it's revealed that she has a niece. Her name is [[NamestheSame Zia]]. No relation to the Zia in ''The King's Fifth''.

* HilariousInHindsight: Or [[SurprisinglySimilarCharacters similar]] in Hindsight, but Tao's situation is eerily similar to that of Karana, a character from another Scott O'Dell novel, [[Literature/IslandOfTheBlueDolphins Island of the Blue Dolphins]]. Both are the only humans left on their island, they both obviously have to learn to fend for themselves, both have animal sidekicks, and both are awaiting the arrival of another on said islands. The only difference is that Tao is confirmed to be the last of his people. In Karana's situation, it's only implied. In the sequel it's revealed she has a niece. Named [[NamestheSame Zia]].

* HilariousInHindsight: Or [[SurprisinglySimilarCharacters similar]] in Hindsight, but Tao's situation is eerily similar to that of Karana, from Island of the Blue Dolphins. Left alone on an island? Check. Had to learn to fend for oneself? Check. Animal sidekick? Check. Waiting for someone to come to the island? Check. At least Tao didn't have to wait eighteen years to get off of his island.

* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: [[spoiler: The third city of gold is collapsing because of an earthquake. Zia and Esteban try to get their medallions and don't return in time to get in the submarine. They actually made it out alive by riding an escape boat.]]

* EnsembleDarkhorse: [=LaGuerra=], a new character from season 3, has caught the attention of the fans. Her [[MasterSwordsman fighting skills]], [[EvilIsSexy her beauty]], [[DatingCatwoman her relation with Mendoza]] has earn adoration of many. [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Kinda remind you of a Zuko]].