Maya and the Three
Maya and the Three is an animated fantasy miniseries that plunges viewers into a vibrantly imagined, pre-colonial Mesoamerican world. The story centers on Maya, a spirited warrior princess celebrating her fifteenth birthday, when her world is upended by the arrival of underworld gods demanding her sacrifice. To save her family and humanity, Maya embarks on a perilous quest to find three legendary warriors foretold in an ancient prophecy, uniting disparate kingdoms against the vengeful deities. The series is lauded for its stunning animation and rich cultural inspiration, blending elements from Aztec, Mayan, and Incan mythologies into an action-packed adventure. While designed for a younger audience and rated TV-Y7, the show pushes the boundaries of its rating with mature themes. It features intense battles, numerous character deaths, and delves deeply into a polytheistic worldview with gods, magic, and human sacrifice as central plot points. Parents should be aware of the frequent violence and the thematic exploration of non-Christian religious beliefs and practices, which can be frightening or confusing for very young children. Despite these elements, the series offers positive messages about courage, loyalty, and finding strength in unity, making it a visually captivating and emotionally resonant experience for families with older children.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe series contains frequent and intense fantasy violence, including large-scale battles, graphic depictions of injury, and numerous character deaths. Violence is a central element of the plot, with significant emotional impact.
The show features an 'epic bloodbath with many lives lost' during Maya's coronation. Characters are shown to 'get sliced by swords, their eyes get pierced by arrows, and Maya's family and friends are constantly being killed'. Specific instances include Picchu performing a heroic sacrifice resulting in his death, and Maya's three brothers being killed. Lord Mictlan also kills other gods by stealing their hearts to gain power.
Witchcraft & Occult
HighWitchcraft and occult themes are central and pervasive, deeply embedded in the series' Mesoamerican mythological setting. The narrative revolves around a polytheistic pantheon of gods, magic, prophecies, and ritualistic sacrifice.
The entire series is 'rooted in ancient Mayan and other Mesoamerican theology,' featuring numerous gods and goddesses from the underworld who play active roles. Magic, such as 'Peasant Magic' wielded by characters like Rico, is a fundamental power system. The plot includes elements of human sacrifice, as Lord Mictlan intends to sacrifice Maya to augment his power, a concept presented as a means of increasing divine strength.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe series contains significant scary and intense content, including dark themes, frightening characters, and suspenseful battle sequences, which can be highly disturbing for children, especially those at the lower end of the TV-Y7 rating.
Reviewers note that the show 'really pushes that rating' and is 'a scary show for kids,' with anecdotal evidence of young children (4 and 6 years old) being unable to watch due to fright. The content includes 'dark elements,' 'frightening,' and features 'demonic and evil beings who wish to harm the main characters'. 'Massive battles with Gods' are described as 'intense and dark,' with the God of War, Lord Mictlan, specifically characterized as scary.
Anti-Christian Themes
HighThe series is built upon a foundation of Mesoamerican polytheistic mythology, where multiple gods are worshipped, involved in human affairs, and sacrifices are made to them. This directly conflicts with a monotheistic Christian worldview, and some Christian reviews explicitly condemn its celebration of polytheism.
Movieguide criticizes the series for its 'polytheism, which is the belief in multiple gods,' stating that it 'should be condemned, not celebrated' in media for children. The entire narrative is 'rooted in ancient Mayan and other Mesoamerican theology,' presenting a world where numerous gods and goddesses are central to existence and conflict. Human sacrifice, often to gain power for the gods, is a significant and recurring plot point.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumRomantic relationships are present, including mild displays of affection. A notable mature theme involves marital infidelity as a significant plot point, which may be inappropriate for younger viewers.
A core plot element reveals that Maya is the result of her father, King Teca, having an affair with the Goddess of Death, Lady Micte, outside of his marriage to Queen Teca. Additionally, a romantic relationship develops between Maya and Zatz, including a 'first kiss'. Zatz is also mentioned to have a crush on the 15-year-old Maya despite already having a girlfriend.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe protagonist, Maya, exhibits consistent rebellious behavior and a defiant attitude towards authority and traditional expectations, often challenging her parents' diplomatic wishes in favor of warrior pursuits. Other characters also display disrespect towards authority figures.
Maya is described as a 'fiery and rebellious teenager' who 'prefers to settle arguments with her fists, not her words,' often going against her parents' desire for her to be a diplomat. A YouTube video titled 'Maya Breaking The Rules For 4 Minutes Straight' highlights her consistent defiance. Additionally, some other royal fathers in the series are depicted being 'chastised by their own daughters for their foolhardy ways'.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowDirect, explicit in-canon LGBTQ+ character representation or storylines are not identified within 'Maya and the Three' from the available information. However, co-creator Sandra Equihua has participated in events discussing 'Redefining Gender and Leadership' and 'Gender Justice' in animation, indicating a broader progressive stance on gender and LGBTQ+ advocacy by the creators. Additionally, partner organizations of the series' distribution, such as United We Dream and Harness, have reported a significant portion of their members identify as LGBTQ+.
While no explicit LGBTQ+ characters are present in the series, co-creator Sandra Equihua contributed to the Women in Animation (WIA) World Summit with GLAAD, whose theme 'Break the Box: Redefining Gender and Leadership' explored 'restrictions of gender and what happens when people step out of the expectations and the norms of their gender roles' and 'Gender Justice' for all gender identities. Furthermore, organizations like United We Dream and Harness, which partnered with Netflix for 'Maya and the Three,' actively support LGBTQ+ communities, with United We Dream reporting over 20% of its members identify as LGBTQ+.
Profanity
LowThe series includes occasional mild curse-adjacent phrases but generally avoids strong profanity. Language is not a primary concern for most parents, though some mild exclamations are present.
The show is largely 'free of foul language', with instances limited to mild exclamations such as 'oh my gods' and 'dang it'. A character also uses 'damn it' in one scene.
Substance Use
LowThere are no explicit depictions or references to alcohol, drug use, or smoking within the series itself. While general discussions about animation or fan-generated content might mention such themes, they are not present in the show's narrative.
No specific instances of alcohol, drug use, or smoking by characters within 'Maya and the Three' were found in the research. Mentions of 'Excessive Drinking' were confined to fanfiction tags, not the canonical series. One search result broadly discussed alcohol in a separate animated movie, not 'Maya and the Three'.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Ages 10+ due to pervasive fantasy violence, themes of death and sacrifice, mature romantic themes including infidelity, and extensive depiction of polytheistic religious practices that may be complex or frightening for younger viewers. While officially rated TV-Y7, many reviews suggest it is too intense for children under 7, with some advising age 9+.
Additional Notes
The animation style, described as 'CG stop-motion' with influences from various animation techniques, is highly praised for its visual quality and detail, often compared to blockbuster films. The series also aims to promote diverse representation, featuring a predominantly Latinx voice cast and characters inspired by various Indigenous cultures. Its limited series format means the story has a conclusive ending, preventing concerns from escalating in future seasons, though the intensity of content is consistent throughout the nine episodes.
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