Maya and the Three Review written by the Ent on October 30th, 2021. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch
Show: Maya and the Three
Rating: TV-Y7
Genre: Fantasy, Lore, Action
Length: Nine 30 minute episodes
Age suggested: 7 and up
Release Date: October 22nd, 2021
Where to Watch: Netflix (Netflix Original Series)
Warnings: Cartoon violence/war, Mild intimacy, Death of loved ones, Child being placed with other parents (adoption of sorts)
Quick Maya and the Three Summary
After a family revelation and tragedy, Maya goes on a mission to face the gods. Along the way, she must put together a team in order to fulfill a prophecy. Maya and the Three is a fun adventure through Mesoamerican culture. Through her own adventures, the compatriots and the gods and goddeses, this show provides a fun and gripping look at this culture while also telling a very interesting story.
May a and the Three Review: (May Contain Spoilers)
-Is Maya and the Three Appropriate?-
The main plot around Maya and the Three revolves around a girl who is going to battle gods and goddesses. This lends itself to quite a bit of cartoon violence and war. Along with this, many characters do die, but it is generally reacted to in a slightly different way due to cultural differences. Most deaths are either celebrated or simply acknowledged without a great amount of mourning. There is a payoff of this at the end as the living and dead reunite for a time.
–Why Watch Maya and the Three on Netflix-
Maya and the Three is filled with amazing artistry. Not only through it’s visualization, but through it’s powerful storytelling and character’s journeys. This leads to a linear, yet complex, storyline revolving Maya’s mission to face the gods and goddesses in order to not be sacrificed (making the God of War stronger). Despite this overarching, simple plot, Maya and the Three takes many unexpected and powerful divergents to provide a gripping and intriguing tale of empowerment and purpose.
-Plot/Characters-
There are several characters in Maya and the Three and they are consistently pushing the plot forward. There is no bigger character than the titular character, Maya. She is constantly pushing every person to go forth into new journeys. This is partially to push her own mission, but as time goes on she becomes attached to them and wants to help them accomplish their individual goals.
The three main other characters are Rico, Chimi, and Picchu are the people who join Maya on her mission to face the gods and goddesses. Upon meeting each of them, we are introduced to very emotional and sometimes intense backstories. These stories carry through to the end of the show until resolution. There are also lots of gods, goddesses, and Maya’s family and neighbors that all add an amazing touch to the overall film.
-Setting/Animation –
This show is set in a Mesoamerican culture and is a great introduction for younger (or older) viewers to a different and beautiful culture. The artistry behind Maya and the Three is absolutely fantastic. It is a great combination of fun styles of Jorge Gutierrez (who also directed the Book of Life) and vivid, popping colors. Check out the Artwork from Maya and the Three.
Maya and the Three Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Family, Purpose, Ancestry, Tradition, Power
- Which character did you like the most and why?
- Were there parts of Maya’s culture that you found different than yours? What are they and how are they different?
- If you could have any of the powers from Maya and the Three, which would you want?
- What did you think of the story of the sun and moon? Have you heard stories like this before?
- How does each of the four end up finding what they want?
Thanks for reading this Maya and the Three Review. Before you go, check out these other posts:
-Lessons from Raya and the Last Dragon
–Coco Discussion Questions and Review
-Lessons from Disney’s Luca
Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this Maya and the Three Review use affiliate links. We only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.