The Mysterious Cities of Gold

The Mysterious Cities of Gold (太陽の子エステバン, Taiyō no ko Esuteban?, Les Mystérieuses Cités d'or) also called Esteban, Child of the Sun, abbreviated MCoG, is a Japanese-French animated series co-produced by DiC Entertainment and Studio Pierrot. The series premiered in Japan on NHK on June 29, 1982 and ran weekly for 39 episodes until its conclusion on June 7, 1983. Set in 1532, the series follows the adventures 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.

It was licensed for release in France by AK Video, which aired the series under the title Les Mystérieuses Cités d'Or in 1983. The French version, edited to have different characterization and music, was subsequently redubbed and distributed to many different countries throughout the world. In the United States, it aired under its English title of The Mysterious Cities of Gold. It is licensed for English language home video release in the United Kingdom, Australia, and North America by Fabulous Films.

In 2007 a film version of the story was announced by Movie Plus Group, but, as of 2011, little is known about its status. On Chibi Japan Expo in Paris, Jean Chalopin announced that three new seasons of 26 episodes are planned with a release starting in 2011. The time for the release was later pushed back to 2012.