China and Pirates

Two more episodes, 3-4, and we have reached China. Did we do timeskip? Well, the Condor stops working and lands, a panda steals Zia's medallion and they meet up with this kid who lives in the village. Coincidentally next to an old Mu relic. Well I be damned. Since the spaniards have no chance of catching up with them our villains for this season seems to be water pirates. They take Sancho nd Pedro captive to force the others to give them gold since they obviously must have it with the golden condor. After some hijinx they have freed them, scared the pirates of, but they are back putting a siege on the village. After a failed escape Tao and Estaban is captured and about to be feed to some crocodiles while the others have reached the condor and of to save them. This time with Zia as pilot.

Really, the animation begins to bug me. It's either to slow or the movement is so exagerated, especially the mouths. Good thing though is that there is some synth music when Zia opens the condor and ain't bad. Also there is a real attempt making the story serious enough, you have an old man trapped in a cave, Estaban almost shot, threatened to kill a dad and his son, throwing a pirate to some crocodiles and now Estaban and Tao. It's really trying for some PG violence. Sadly it feels like a bleak copy of the original were we had children threatened as sacrifices or given to warrior ants, or the spaniards who fell to their death by the hands of the children or the mayans killed by the Olmecs war-machine and the like. Then again, it's just the beginning.

Also a thing I forgot last time, the monk/proest who could let Estaban be adopted? Looks an awefull lot like the monk/priest who comforted him after father Rodrigues died. Was it necessary to use the same look on those two cause it really confused me. Then in these episodes there was a freaking "love triangle" between Zia, Estaban and the chinese boy. Hope he doesn't stay more than 1-2 episodes after this. Estaban + Zia = Forever! You got that?