Created by Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Maya And The Three is an animated Mexican fantasy miniseries featuring American actress Zoe Saldaña as the voice of Princess Maya, Gabriel Iglesias as the voice of Picchu, Diego Luna as the voice of Zatz, the Prince of Bats and Gael García Bernal as the voice of the Jaguar Brothers. Deeply inspired by Mesoamerican art, Maya And The Three spans over nine episodes with each episode running over thirty minutes.
Netflix describes the series as,
“A young girl goes on a quest to save the world in this family-friendly epic from the creative minds behind The Book of Life and Elena of Avaior.”
– Maya And The Three review does not contain spoilers –
Set in the heart of Mesoamerica, Maya And The Three chronicles the journey of fifteen-year-old warrior princess Maya, as she embarks upon the deadly quest of fulfilling a prophecy that said three warriors will help Maya defeat underworld gods and save humanity from destruction. Princess Maya had it all and then she turned fifteen! The underworld came knocking soon and Maya’s world changed forever.
Maya is simply a victim paying for the misdeeds of her ancestors as mentioned by the underworld gods. The crisis around Maya however fails to scare her and instead makes a hero out of her! On Luna island, Maya befriends the ordinary Rico who’s said to be ‘the greatest wizard who ever lived’ and soon she meets the reclusive Chimi known as ‘Monstruo Blanco’. The mountain barbarian Picchu joins Maya’s group next and Maya finally begins her long journey towards defeating the gods of the underworld.
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Described by Netflix as an ‘animated event told in nine epic chapters’, the creator of Maya And The Three, Jorge R. Gutiérrez, talked at length about the character of our fiery warrior princess, Maya, months before the show was released. Gutiérrez was inspired strongly by the women in his life (mother, wife and sister) while creating Maya and even hinted at similarities to his previous works like The Book Of Life and El Tigre.
Visually, I have one word about the series – stunning! Gutiérrez has used colours that are vibrant and beautiful, with shades that changed as Maya travelled from kingdom to kingdom which simply adds to the depth of the storytelling process. The best thing about this animated series? The perfect blend of heart with humour!
Our protagonist, Maya is an inspiration to little girls everywhere – she is strong, brave, passionate and humble. Yes, Maya is at the heart of this story but it is her individual relationships with the other characters that bring out her true personality on screen. The best thing about Maya is her willingness to accept when she is wrong and shows true bravery is not always about battlegrounds – something even the actor who voiced Maya, Zoe Saldaña mentioned in an interview.
Summing Up Maya And The Three: A Tale Of Inclusion
An inspiring story of love, friendship and forgiveness, Maya And the Three is also a tale of inclusion. Gutiérrez introduced plenty of Mayan legends and mythical creatures which makes the series even more captivating for the audience. Packed with adventure to the brim, this show is an absolute watch if you are a fan of animated shows – Laugh and cry with Maya and her friends as she embarks upon a journey of exploration, humility and a whole lot of courage!
Maya And The Three is streaming on Netflix.
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