Maya and the Three Review: its GORGEOUS GO WATCH IT!

[@exileforever2508]

For the record everyone, people are saying Maya and Zatz went fast, but judging on how Maya mom got pregnant and give birth by the end, it seems to hint that Maya journey across the lands took her roughly 9 months to gather the team and fight the villain! That means Maya and Zatz have met a few times and more. Then again, I do see what you mean

[@liamerolduffy7738]

Aren’t they related?

[@objective-draw2818]

@@liamerolduffy7738 no I don't think so

[@drysoup8194]

@@artimis55 ikr for me tho i think the creators did that since Tangent Animation was bout to shut down so they had to finish it quick before doing so

[@alyssafitzgerald83]

I think it might have had to do with the fact that we only saw the moon being full, never wax or waning that made time feel shorter. The aesthetic of a skull moon is pretty great, but it ended up contributing to the audience having a poor grasp on time passing since obviously when you live close to the equator spring/summer/fall/winter don’t really have as much of an impact the way they do further away. Thus they were left with very few environmental cues to show that things have been building over time.

[@AyaLinaa]

@@liamerolduffy7738 no they aren't. Mayas biological mother was the skull woman (goddess of Death) who abandonned her when she was a baby. Mayas biological father was and still is the man that you see with the newly pregnant woman with twins. Zatz biological parents were told in the scene, they died but as Zatz said, theyre both stars in the sky. So no they are not related

[@dino_pretzel]

I didn't realize at what point Maya lied to her friends either, I literally found out at the same time they did

[@exileforever2508]

I actually thought they knew about fighting and killing the God of War. Then again, I suppose destroying a gate is different from fighting the literal deity

[@theonlychickensama8353]

@@exileforever2508 Yeah, we're destroying the gate to no, actually we're going to hell to kill war god at his palace first

[@detektivinflammara3413]

Same xD. I was so confused

[@Kirukilmao]

same lmao

[@dino_pretzel]

@@exileforever2508 I thought she was gathering the people from the profecy, then going back to her parents, and then they all together would fight Mictlán

[@aerievii7647]

lets just talk about how much maya dislocated her shoulder in this show

[@drysoup8194]

IKR 😬😭

[@flodoesthings2408]

I'm still surprised her arm is even functional lol

[@olilonglegs5194]

Like she did it in the finale at a pivotal moment in the finale

[@Gingersnaps_the_pumpkin_kitty]

I mean I will say once you dislocated or break something it does become more likely to happen again

[@MrChaoticreign]

Drinking game for Maya, take a shot when Maya dislocates her shoulder

[@captainobvious9526]

It’s cool to know that Jorge confirmed that Maya and Zatz reincarnate on a regular basis. So, Zatz becomes Manolo, and Maria is Maya. They even have the same voices. And it would cement them saying, “No matter where you are, l’ll be there.” So then that would mean that Frida and Manny are their next lives. Then when they die, that small part of their soul goes back to the Sun and Moon to dance, until next time.

[@elchompi12rewind27]

Sound awesome, but honestly repetive. Like it could be cool if the llover reincarnation stopped and the two fell in love with other people that aren't them. Like Hawkgirl for example

[@Nini_sag]

@@elchompi12rewind27 it’s not that type of story. Jorge was clear Maya/Maria and Zatz/Manlo to be a soulmate type story, not “we died together as lovers so now we’re cursed together” like hawkgirl and hawk man

[@elchompi12rewind27]

@@Nini_sag yeah, but still ir could be interesting of the reincarnated soulmste got together with different people.

[@QuadElementals]

​@@elchompi12rewind27boooo horrible storytelling, that's why you're not writing for Hollywood

[@elchompi12rewind27]

​@@QuadElementals It's doesn't help that Acat also reincarnates alongside side them and she reincarnates into Joaquín from Book of Life, but there they make peace and becomes Friends. But he later reincarnates into Black Cuervo from El Tigre and they're enemies again. Like that honestly sucks. Also, it's weird that the main couple has to be reincarnated into the same gender while the third wheel can reincarnated into whatever she wants. Like I would love for Zat's next reincarnation to be a girl instead of being a man again

[@edsiecap898]

(Spoilers alert!!) The only thing I didnt like abt the series is that we didnt have enough time to get to know the triplet brothers :(( it would have been so great if we got to know them individually bc their deaths would have a greater impact. Just like Picchu's, Zatz's, and Maya's death *sobs*

[@gabyzz1331]

I got so sad when they just suddenly died

[@elchompi12rewind27]

Fun Fact: the voice actor also voiced Héctor from Coco and went to potray Werewolf by Night on the Marvel Hlloween special of the same name

[@Yeibaldreamss]

That alone ruined the series for me, and stopped me from continuing to watch it. Her brothers defending her, and her reaction was “oh no,” and then she just moved on and continued being her normal, cheerful self. She hardly even cries. An episode, or maybe just half should’ve focused on her grief over their deaths would’ve made the series so much more impactful, and real.

[@virnalassiter382]

​@Yeibaldreamss yeah and the fact they killed the main character? I gasped i couldn't believe what I was watching not to mention I don't buy maya and zatz's relationship for a second a.we just had only like 3 or 4 times were they get along and the rest of the times zatz feels like a creepy stalker around maya as she keeps rejecting him until the last minute I feel like we should have seen at least 9 or 10 times with them showing they care for each other only 4 times with stalking and rejection and then have one of the other make a sacrifice for the other and then that be more appropriate b.they only started to love each other in like 2 or 3 of the last episodes and then we finally see zatz make a sacrifice allowing min chu to eat him and yeah that just makes maya's scream and distrut about her love feel so out of place like ahh c.they don't even have any chemistry or even look almost the same age to have sex with each other and yeah as sad as it is as they both resarect as the moon and the sun rather than have a proper propsel wedding children i really hate how they not only killed good characters as well as the fricking main character but they have to spent the rest of their lives as non living things it's making them useless I never want to see more good characters end up like them and the fact we see the main character die i feel like miraculous fans theroy about going to kill marinette from what was previously called the end of ladybug now known as miraculous london at the edge of time I kept trying to convince everyone that there's no way they would kill a main character even if it's not a kids show but maya's death kind of made me change my mind on this is don't want her to end up as a sun not to have any delevoment or fun or physical human beauty and as for ricco and chmi's relationship i don't buy it either we haven't seen ANY delevoment with them and they just end up married having kids no date propsel or even a story about their kids I'm just here for the action not the romance!

[@r0oyy]

I love how this series is also somewhat connected to the book of life

[@exileforever2508]

And El Tigre

[@AussieHavanna]

True! Did you notice the candle maker as the officiant during the underworld wedding?

[@exileforever2508]

@@AussieHavanna of course, it was awesome. Alongside the two other deities from the film

[@Tezcatlipoca2000]

Xibalba and Mictlan are brothers The same to Nikte and La Catrina In this universe, the spanish conquers lost the war

[@sunny9439]

@@Tezcatlipoca2000 thanks for explaining! I was so confused when I saw them because I couldn’t piece it together chronologically

[@jackmack4181]

When the god of war summoned his dark army, my reaction to it was “ah fuck it’s the conquistadors”

[@NANAMI146]

Same here lol I felt PTSD spanning from several centuries back lmao

[@readyjoe6427]

Nothing could’ve been more fitting tbh for a “dark army”

[@ancientdarkmagic1409]

I was more like "No one expects the Spanish inquisition".

[@tiglishnobody8750]

Using Conquistadors as army to destroy world seem legit because in real life conquistadors brought destruction to Latin American native

[@OReily08080]

I said the same thing😭😭😭

[@Jackie-McCann]

“Please don’t try to binge this in one go.” Me: Too late.

[@archaicfalcon4898]

Yep I finished the series the same day I decided to watch it, which was this day

[@bmebuzz8718]

Same

[@kjj26k]

I used up half my sleeping time and gave myself a headache... Worth it.

[@bloomenvogel]

I alreadu dis, yesterday

[@jeso0135]

I thought it would be a good idea to watch the first episode to try to get myself tired enough to go to sleep, but I got hooked so hard I was about halfway through the final episode when my work alarm jump scared me

[@exileforever2508]

In fairness, it seems like Zatz and his ex were growing apart for a long time but she didn’t seem to notice or realize. Sort of a Tenzin situation from Korra. Doesn’t make it right, but it did seem Zatz wasn’t happy in the relationship until he saw Maya. But overall, I did agree with you and the mini series to me is a 8.5/10

[@sapphirewingsxx2451]

In my theory... Zantz never really loved acat... I think it was more like an arranged relationship.. That’s all I can say..

[@exileforever2508]

@@sapphirewingsxx2451 that is a possibility

[@exileforever2508]

@@sapphirewingsxx2451 helps that these two are the only “teenage” deities around

[@sapphirewingsxx2451]

@@exileforever2508 Yea

[@bmebuzz8718]

I don’t really dive into character relationships when i watch stuff especially when there is no info given but the one thing i said and agreed with was how dirty they did her, she literally dies and jus line the brothers NEVER gets brought back up or shouted like its like she never existed

[@CatDemon345]

Literally watched it in one day, got a massive headache from the tears man. It was beautiful.

[@Oli-kg1ct]

Love the profile! Hades n Persephone for life!!!

[@Burnt_toastx]

@@Oli-kg1ct uhm pls don't ship that its very toxic

[@Burnt_toastx]

@@Oli-kg1ct but if you want to then k won't force u to stop

[@MissedUniverse_Cos]

Me too bud.. ME TOO *cries*

[@Pollicina_db]

@@Burnt_toastx srsly people just don’t understand how messed up they are

[@Whosaskin]

I kept thinking they're pretty much a DnD party; The Warrior (Maya) with champion archetype, a Wizard i'd say wild magic (Rico), a Ranger (Chimi) and a Berzerker Barbarian (Pichu)

[@leirawhitehart1236]

Yeah, ngl, that's how I kinda saw them too. ^^;

[@kaelang12]

that'd make rico more of a sorc since it's wild magic

[@clavasconcellos1712]

That would mean Zatz is some sort of a Warlock with a Fiend patron and a pact of the blade? Asking for a friend

[@Whosaskin]

@@clavasconcellos1712 that could work, i sort of pictured him as an antipaladin but warlock with fiend patron and pact of the blade could work

[@ancientdarkmagic1409]

I wasn't the only one thinking of this. Literally for those who are wondering how to make a campaign out of this or using the main characters as NPCs for an adventure in the world of Maya and the three. Goes something like this: Maya: Champion Fighter. Because literally all she ever did in combat was hit stuff pretty hard I didn't see her using techniques that made her look like she was using a Battle manuver. Rico Wild Magic sorcerer. Chimi: Is a Hunter Ranger. Since I wanted to say that she would definitely fit the role of a Beast Master or a Swarm keeper. However, rangers are known to bond with nature and that doesn't necessarily have to be glued to one specific ranger subclass. Picchu: Totem Barbarian in specific the Elk totem. Now the reason I say this and I don't say tiger since that's the closes animal related to Puma. Is because we seen that Picchu can keep up with Chicu (forgot the name of Mayas Puma) easily. And one of the Feature that elk barbarian grants you is that your traveling speed increases. You can still role play it as if it was a Puma, or you can pick between tiger in the 3rd level and 14th level and make sure you pick Elk for the 6th level feature. Zatzs: this is an interesting one. Since he's supposed to have the ability to fly, while at the same time make sure he's good with a blade and have a good strength score. So I would say he would be a Pact of the blade warlock with the pact of the blade so that way to gain access to the great sword. Make sure you pick the spells fly and misty step. To take the flying element. Than make sure to take bard levels with valor in order to gain access to the polymorph spell. And that's the main cast as dnd characters.

[@GamerSlyRatchet1]

Between this mini-series and Onyx Equinox, I’m happy for Mesoamerican mythology being taken seriously in animation. I’m looking forward to the Young Justice vid lol.

[@nobodybroda3826]

Agreed! Meso/latin/south American stories are great, especially with designs and mythology. Oh also native north americans

[@TheSwanqueenAndTheEldricth]

Don’t forget this series is made by the same people who worked and created “the book of life”

[@k_tess]

I mean this "inspired" by it. But I wouldn't say it does it "justice". Like Ah Puch is a demon god, and lord of one the realms of Xibalba. Not some weird collective thing. Hurracan is one god. Huitztelapoctli is the sun god, and his sister is the moon trying to EAT him. Pichu wouldn't have even thought, those things to be gods, since the Inca worshipped a Supreme God, that is shockingly similar to the Judeochristian one, Viracocha. And lots of other things as well.

[@CrashTheDummi]

Yeah but dont you guys see it as a bit problematic that a native central american or mesoamerican tribe uses spanish vocabulary? I know why they do it but seems a bit messed up to me.

[@nobodybroda3826]

@@k_tess I mean Disney's hercules made Zeus a good father and Hercules the son of him and Hera and hades a scheming villain. Its mythology, we shape these myths to fit our themes and desires.

[@jordoncox9601]

Maya is what Raya should have been.

[@firecrakerj3312]

Sad but true…Raya wasn’t a bad movie but it could’ve been better.

[@x_m.h_x]

I really like Raya but Raya's story had too much lore and world building that it's format should have been a mini-series which makes me sooooo 😡

[@jordoncox9601]

@@x_m.h_x exactly

[@liamerolduffy7738]

@@jordoncox9601 You mean killing her enemy who was responsible for ruining her life? Yeah, Maya was a million times better than Disney’s token female Raya.

[@jordoncox9601]

@@liamerolduffy7738 did you read what @Draw wrote because it really feels like you didn’t.

[@cryptidrecording]

The Maya’s lying sub-plot was supremely out of nowhere- it just was not communicated well enough that the gate isn’t a real goal of Maya’s. But yeah, this series was really wonderful to see- Mesoamerican history and art is incredible and representation like this means so much and works wonderfully.

[@MorbiddaPlays]

chapter 4: the skull 20:05 Zatz and maya have a conversation about her real plan, so it didn't come out of nowhere but your kind of right about it not being that well communicated.

[@MyLPMaster001]

You know, usually becoming Sun and Moon is a punishment for lovers, or worse. In Aztec mythology, the moon literally wants to destroy the sun, after which he would then devour the earth (I can recommend the video about the topic from OverlySarcasticProductions)

[@exileforever2508]

I think I learned/heard that the duo later reincarnated and become Manolo and Maria from The Book of Life

[@marenmuller9494]

@@exileforever2508 Omg that’s what I’ve been saying, like wouldn’t it be a bless and a cursing because yeah they get to be together but they always gonna be apart and always chasing each other. The only way I can describe is “so close yet so

[@ptx3436]

I can proudly say I know what you’re referring to and I learned it from the. Same place

[@firemiracle]

@@exileforever2508 surprisingly Jorge R Gutierrez did confirmed it on his twitter 😄

[@exileforever2508]

@@firemiracle any link?

[@ademideakintilo4568]

Maaaan, I have been watching this show on repeat. I've been waiting for an animated film based on MesoAmerican culture for so long. Also Alfred Molina as Lord Mictlan. Doc Ock playing the God of War, *chef's kiss*

[@ademideakintilo4568]

And God dammit, this and Encanto makes me realize that jaguars are my favorite animal and I want a giant one as a companion and steed 😊

[@ademideakintilo4568]

@@tylerfish2701 Oh noice, I think I might know which Wonder Woman movie that might be

[@Kalavellum]

The next Videogame of Culture Mesoamerican : kzbin.info/www/bejne/d37KopSvZZmja5o

[@Mormegil452]

As a Mexican I am extremely proud of the work they have done here. There are a LOT of prehispanic legends and myths, including the Popol Vuh which as a kid I always thought was the dragon ball version of Mayan myths LOL, not far from what Maya and the Three represent.

[@claytongriffith8323]

I thought the "Maya has to be a diplomat" was less if "girls can't fight" and more like since your brothers are destined warriors and can only focus on that we need a leader who can focus on diplomacy which she definitely had no interest in

[@randomtraveler4149]

I'm pretty sure they say that in the show, actually!

[@marcelanunez7644]

"I had no idea what they were talking about when they said Maya was lying to her friends" THANK YOUUUUUU loved this show but I WAS SO CONFUSED

[@Penumbra505]

I have to say of all the characters my favorite was Chimi. The way she was introduced as non-vocal and atavist in how she acts and carries herself gave me the initial impression they were going to go with a mute and very feral character. Possibly theming her more towards some sort of nature's balance type deal or as a byword for the cruelty of man to animal life...then she speaks perfectly fluently and I realized that was the exact trap the rest of her people fell into in a way. Chimi isn't an animal or a nature spirit or some sort of monster, she's a human. Just a different one that is a product of her upbringing and environment. She doesn't let the bad parts of it stop her from being a positive force in the world after she is given a good reason to try. To the point the god who most closely rules over the important things in her life essentially decides to go against the big bad himself out of respect and mutual understanding for how she conducts herself earnestly and sincerely.

[@kiaheat1920]

Also, her and Mirabel from Encanto share the same voice actress!

[@fenrirtheicewolf2019]

And here I thought I was the only one who saw all the callbacks and references to El Tigre. I mean some of the character designs were even there... as the characters.

[@Namato360]

My little sister watched this twice and she's 8. I dismissed it. Still watched the whole thing and it is pretty good.

[@j3ssthealien283]

Don't forget the Book of Life cameo

[@PK-Radio]

Bruh el tigre and book of life this is insane

[@Stormthorn67]

I'm pretty sure that seeking a heroic death is ALSO a trope. Odds are if you created a trope free character they would be an unrelatable mess.

[@mr.gameandtime8432]

Yeah, It's using a trope badly makes it badly written. Tropes aren't inherently bad and I dislike it when people use it for criticism.

[@Pollicina_db]

I mean if characters don’t have something going on with them they would just be gray blops idk man

[@randomtraveler4149]

Eventually, everything will be a trope. Technically, having a completely original character (Which is literally impossible) is a trope because everyone is trying to do something original. When the characters or plot have nothing else going for them, or one can't save the other, that's when they become lazy writing.

[@tabii714]

Zatz had no right looking as amazing as he did in this series.

[@claytongriffith8323]

I didn't feel Maya really lied but more of a lie of omission. I think there's a difference between signing up to destroy a gate and signing up to challenge a literal war deity surrounded by his army to a fight to the death.

[@thegayghost872]

I feel like this show could have been longer, like a couple seasons longer so they could space out the story and explain things more. Like what's peasant magic, where are all the non-evil gods, where did the golden weapons come from, all that stuff

[@joshuagonzalez4183]

well, fair enough

[@Burnt_toastx]

They couldn't it was a miniseries

[@keziahntinu9562]

Really wish they explained more about peasant magic and how even the gods were shocked by how powerful Rico was with it

[@The_Third_Bomb]

Also if it was longer there would’ve been more Zats.

[@springdemon.w.]

@@The_Third_Bomb Yeah and also if they fleshed out Maya's feeling towards him bc imo it just felt like it came out of nowhere

[@alyssafitzgerald83]

I feel like part of Zatz thing with Acat was the it was more of a fling than boyfriend/girlfriend, but they already had problems. Like using a slur (half-breed) against someone when your partner who also has that exact same trait which they are sensitive about and have experienced prejudice over is really NOT ok. That’s basic relationship communication stuff. So I didn’t feel anything over her dedicating her death to him. She wasn’t really into him as a person, or else she would have acted better when they were together. So more of that side characters not being fully fleshed out thing.

[@xxstar-bluesxx]

By the way, it's canon that... Manolo and Maria are the reincarnations of Maya and Zatz. That's why there are characters that may be similar in that movie to The Book of Life. Also, Zatz probably cared less for Acat because if you analyze her character, she's just a simp for Zatz. Meanwhile Zatz saddens for Maya's loss, and pretty much rooting for her to kill Lord Mictlan because they also hate him too. Not only that they did use the overall hot mysterious guy x protagonist girl with destiny romance trope, but they made Zatz sympathetic and caring for Maya's well-being. Telling her to be careful and making her to be sure about her plans on defeating The God of War, because hell, he even lost both of his parents there.

[@alienbeanboy]

Zatz was almost bitten by a two headed snake, and Manolo was bitten by a two headed snake. I like that detail.

[@xxstar-bluesxx]

@@alienbeanboy Maya and Maria are both treated like fragile princesses but are also warriors and leaders of their people. Turns out it's not just a trope but the creator claims it to be canon as people have figured it out, that both of these couples became reincarnations of the two heroes of the past.

[@wolfkitty42]

They are??? Dang guess reincarnation gave them chemistry

[@xxstar-bluesxx]

@@wolfkitty42 It does and they are fated lovers after reincarnations

[@wolfkitty42]

@@xxstar-bluesxx i missed that

[@theasinclaire52]

Can I just say it's great to see something related to Mesoamerican culture that ISN'T all about Dio de los Muertos? Also, love the details on Lady Micte too. With the marigolds and the candles, I think she was meant to represent the ofrenda.

[@dragon_biscuits]

I was excstatic when you said you thought Maya was less investing as the other main characters and even more so when you said they completely dropped the ball on the feminist opening and then never touching it again. I felt the EXACT same way. I agreed with every word that came out of your mouth, thpugh I will admit that the border breaks were one of my positives about it.

[@misterzygarde6431]

I would love to see El Tigre be brought back as an animated movie. How cool would it be to see the cast in 3D? Other than that, I was surprised to learn that this was a miniseries. I thought that it was an animated movie.

[@exileforever2508]

Normally I would hate that but doing it in Maya and Book style would be fun. Maybe set in his high school/college year where he has to finally decide between being a hero or villain. Would be nice if he picked anti-hero as a balance between the two

[@flodoesthings2408]

@@exileforever2508 Hopefully we see a revival when Jorge is done with his projects at Netflix

[@exileforever2508]

@@flodoesthings2408 oh he has others?

[@flodoesthings2408]

@@exileforever2508 Yeah he's planning on more projects at Netflix. Hopefully we get an El Tigre revival after he's done with those. Nick owns the rights to El Tigre so I hope Jorge comes to an agreement with the network!

[@byersvhs]

@@flodoesthings2408 i’ve been waiting for someone to say this omg which source did you get this from?

[@MyLPMaster001]

You are not the only one with the "Betrayal". I was confused, too.

[@superkroger]

Pichu is named after Machu Picchu. Maya and the Three are mix of Aztec almac Incan and Mayan cultures.

[@kao3517]

I absolutely adored this show! I haven't seen many people talking about the Spanish in it. I watched it with my family in Spanish since they don't speak English and it was amazing! There is a lot of diversity in their way of speaking Spanish. There's sayings and expressions that would make no absolute sense if they were translated into English but are used a lot when having Spanish as your first language and/or growing up with that way of speaking it! Not only that, but not all of them speak Spanish the same way. Some characters have different accents and sayings when speaking. I love the way it shows and represents different sayings, expressions, accents, and ways that Spanish is spoken! It gives the characters a more natural feeling to them instead of sounding like a boring translation and definitely made the show more enjoyable to me and my family! (I also love the fact that this show is connected to The Book of Life because that's one of my favorite movies!)

[@ninjareanne3888]

The only design thing that bothered me is that the guys are either super thin or ridiculously buff. And yes i have no clue where the destroy or go into the gate thing came out of.

[@whatinthegoddamn2353]

And all the women are either super curvy or skinny or old lady

[@jtanimeandnerd101]

This was an incredible show. I honestly hope Jorge Gutierrez makes more series and Movies like this on Netflix. While the ending was incredible, I feel like the universe, world, and mythology has more to offer. I love Maya and the Three and Book of Life so much, that I've been having ideas for a fan sequel series, combining the two stories, but it is more of a sequel to Book of Life mixed with Maya and the Three's mythology, combined with a few of my own concepts. I truly hope in some way, this universe can continue.

[@NuclearMex]

Me too, I have thought of fan fiction ideas. Hopefully we get to see an expansion of this universe.

[@memyselfandi7782]

I just finished the series today, so this is what I noticed and think about what they ATTEMPTED shorthanded to do between Zatz and the Acat: I think they just dated because he thought he loved her, but over time (as things often do) he clearly fell out of love and she probably changed so much as a person. He looked like he was tired of her shenanigans, lack of honor and respect. She however seemed to be living in a fantasy, they grew apart, but she was obsessed with their relationship. It's sad to say, but it's true. She was way too oblivious for it not to be intentional, she wanted to ignore that they fell out love and decided to fight for what little chemistry she thinks they still had. Even before they were both sent out to bring Maya, it was apparent that he grew uncomfortable with her before it was shown that they were dating. Their relationship was a fine thread ready to snap. That person he thought he loved was no longer there and it became more apparent when she tried to kill Maya dishonorably. He wisely broke it off, because toxic relationships are a no go. There were alot of things I wish they had developed more character wise, and the relationship between characters is one of them. Even the debth of this one fell short, but I get why he left. Once I think about it, they were probably young when they started dating which would explain her obsession and them growing apart as they develop into their own people. It's just a shame that she pushed everyone else away to fight for a connection that was hardly there, only to be alone during her death. I do wish that they had shown Zatz finding out about her death? I get that she is a mischievous and loner diety so no one would bother to find her and see how she is. It just doesn't seem like it's her nature. But, knowing him, he would avenge those he cares about so it is a little disappointing how nearly everyone forgot about her and Zatz probably assumed she was alive somewhere, away from him. That or he heard about her death and mourned as he did with his parents. He doesn't seem to linger on death as much as Maya did, after all, it was practically second nature to him from how he grew up. But idk. Tragic how it turned out.

[@26pandemicbaby26]

YESS finally someone is talking about this series :D

[@emppu1012]

I just finished watching this, and will prolly watch it again soon to take it in a bit better, but I mostly had the same problems with it as mentioned in this video. The series looks amazing and I love the characters, but as it is a mini series the pacing feels a bit rushed (the series kinda makes it work tho, gives it a special kinda vibe), plot points come and go too fast and they feel kinda jammed in just because, and mood swung from sad to humorous too fast on occasion that it felt jarring. And a personal nitpick: the sorceress lady's, Gran Bruja I think, her nose was just...it bothered me so much, I hated it so so so much, holy shit XD

[@SavvyDea]

Its nice to see that I am not the only one bothered by her nose. It was just so huge ans her father had a smaller one...just why?

[@nalani5333]

thank god other people hated her nose too. i’m autistic, and so i have a really hard time with bad textures and feelings, and her nose legit made me go into a meltdown. like, i know this obviously isn’t the writers’ fault, and it’s my own responsibility to turn away and calm myself when something makes me uncomfortable like that, but good god it’s awful looking at that thing.

[@Justsomeduck56]

When I first saw this I thought it was just "Princess doesn't want to be princess and instead warrior"

[@AdoboSoGuud]

She sees herself as both a princess and a warrior

[@firemiracle]

What i love about jorge's animated works is that he did confirmed that maya, the book of life and el tigre do exist in the same universe. I like to call it the Mexopolis universe. What i love about el tigre's connection with the book of life is that manny rivera is actually related to manolo! Jorge r gutierrez also confirmed that Manolo's mom was sister to manny's great grandfather Justice Jaguar.

[@zeroloch9878]

I def agree with you: the liar reveal thing kinda came outta nowhere for both myself and several other friends who've seen it. I also feel like a lot of the writing hiccups that happened could've been avoided if this show had gotten a longer run. There are times it really feels like there's an Avatar the last airbender length story packed into the nine episodes that really rushes things along and a little more time/episodes could've fixed. But! Glad we got it in the end at least. Hopefully this opens the door to more projects for Jorge.

[@chteretreeart]

Heck Yeah! Everything about this was great and I ADORED the animation especially during the fights, also my mother is very proud to be of Aztec descent and I just adore anything that has to do with mythology so it was fun to watch with her

[@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl]

There is no such thing a Aztec the vast majority of people that were in that empire were not mexca

[@someotherworldlybeing3167]

@@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl ????

[@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl]

@@Cargoshots my point is that vast majority of people who were in the Aztec empire would have not called themselves mexca

[@thewhiterito2974]

Raya: I’m the best story set in a fictional world about a hero who gathers a group of diverse heroes to fight an evil villain, including a edgy rebellious character who starts as a villain but becomes a hero. Maya and the Three: No I am “Amateurs” “Who said that” Avatar: The Last Airbender: AMATEURS

[@Rosemont104]

They should've dropped the whole "you can't do this, because you're a girl, stay in the palace / no I won't, I'll fight and not be just another prissy princess" and the overall story wouldn't have changed. If the writers already see women as strong, then it shouldn't even need to be commented on. It's artificial tension at this point, and it's just tired. There are now more of these "Merida" type characters and scenarios than there are instances of a conservative's wet dream - a "waifu" in princess clothing.

[@Namato360]

You could say that, but in most cultures females AREN'T seen as strong at all. That's literally the point. It's always about sending a message. And women are seen ass lesser than men in alit of places. Also it makes sense. A princess isn't seen as a warrior. How is it artificial if it makes sense? I hate it when people say that, because you could argue everything is artificial. Maya ISN'T TRAINED AS WELL AS THE ACTUAL WARRIORS, so why wouldn't they not let her fight more experienced people? Even in MALE stories alot of the time they aren't allowed to fight because they're inexperienced. The plot would be worse if she wasn't held back.

[@Namato360]

Basically what I'm saying is, it doesn't matter if the writers see the character as strong when it nobody else does.

[@Namato360]

Also the politics hurt this comment. Now it really just makes you think you wanna get a political agenda out.

[@jackfelt1983]

Which is funny because this whole story of “girls can’t fight was a western thing” whereas in eastern countries (more of the Middle East) women could chose to join the fight or play support but they were never side lined

[@RandomPerson-th1pu]

@@Namato360 is this topic not political..?

[@yogibear8683]

El Tigre deserve some love and comeback!

[@akitauma2387]

unfortunately for you jorge is doing a sequel to book of life that's suppose to be about how Maria and manolo are the reincarnations of Maya and Zatz

[@exileforever2508]

@@akitauma2387 oh no way, he’s doing a sequel! I would love to see one!

[@akitauma2387]

@@exileforever2508 he is it just got pushed back because of covid and maya and the three as he felt he need to explain why manolo could write his own story when no other human can

[@flodoesthings2408]

@@akitauma2387 He says he wants to do a few more projects at Netflix first

[@_Chlorophyllis]

I had such a blast watching this series as Jorge Gutierrez's art style is gorgeous and the writing seems to have improved since BoL. Not perfect since the dialogue and writing choices did kinda take me out of the viewing experience (some of Rico's spell dialogue and the background characters were eh) but overall fun. Good to know someone else was thrown off by the lying reveal. Can't wait to rewatch it in Spanish though.

[@Sarah-hf1xf]

"don't binge this" lol too late cuz I already did and I have no regrets

[@jonathonmeasday8451]

I didn’t realise she was lying either (mostly because I went to the toilet and forgot to pause). “Maya… you lied to us?” Me: she did?

[@さくら-l8t]

I’ve been rewatching a lot of George Gutierrez’s shows and movies. I just love how he puts so much detail into the cultures and mythology in his works that teaches non-Latin American viewers a lot about ancient Latin American mythology and culture in such an engaging way. It makes me wish we got more animated shows/movies that delved into other underrepresented cultural mythologies.

[@alyssalopez3421]

I absolutely loved the show, my only complaint with it is that it was too fast paced and the Zatz x Maya plot felt forced

[@frysa74]

i loved the black borders and the popping tbh, though i agree it shouldnt have been done with characters, just objects. i actually wish they used it more

[@studi0robb]

i laughed at Picchu's name...but for a different reason. we're introduced to Mama and Papa Barbarian and their son, Picchu, who is this über-buff, Conan-looking dude. in other words: "Macho" Picchu ("Machu Picchu"). i loved the fact that this pun was never explicitly mentioned instead letting a wink and a nod suffice. or, maybe i'm giving the pun too much credit. regardless, i still had a serious Laugh-Out-Loud Moment. also, side note: all of the "big three" Mesoamericans (Aztecs, Mayans, Incas) were represented, not just the "Tecas".

[@folasadei9595]

Mayas random swings about revenge kinda threw me off, but the only thing that I just couldn’t get over was the over dramatic gasps that happened like every two seconds. Love the series! But like chill out

[@Peppermon22]

Keeping cliff hangers at the end of episodes is still good. Some of us have to pause the show. The hangers make sure we come back. The coming out of the black bar was beautiful. We do t usually see that. My kids loved it and I loved it.

[@connla]

I did like that they showed this is same universe as book of life. Enjoyed it a lotm felt a bit too fast at points, but got use to it. Biggest disappointment was Alfred molina turning into a big monster at the end. Mostly cause I was really enjoying his voice work so losing his dialogue for the final battle was :(

[@panie445]

Anybody notice how Zats' mom was a barbarian? and he served as a "replacement" for Picchu?

[@flodoesthings2408]

Am I the only one who felt Maya and Zatz's relationship was kinda rushed? Maya goes from hating him to loving him in a matter of minutes, still like them as a couple tho

[@kirskiell1432]

From how I remembered it, he was seen a handsome guy in the first place (crowd reaction) and Maya was probably kinda into that too, she doesn't seem to be the type to deny her attraction like on that Picchu scene. I rarely believe in love at first sight but physical attraction at first sight is verrry real. And after that, the few encounters with Zatz he was being ambiguous with his intention, and those little glimmer of hope that he might be good probably sparked some feelings unconsciously in Maya. Her hatred is mostly her feeling the obligation to hate the enemy's side, so more like distrust. And as time goes he keeps leaning more to her side and that probably made her fall easily. As for Zatz, it might have been started as feeling of mercy for a helpless soon to be sacrificed girl, turing to appreciation for a warrior (Acat battle), and then he basically spied on her for months the feeling definitely Flourished. A lot of things wasn't conveyed properly in this movie and made a lot of misunderstanding like the lying to the warriors part and the girls only stay safe but then suddenly became warriors too part, their love story probably got butchered a bit too. [This analysis was based on my own and experience with bad boys and my observation of my fellow male attracted simps. And I apologize for rambling too long I understand if no one reads it]

[@austinmorrison6953]

The very idea of a cinematic universe with this, Book of Life, and El Tigre puts a smile on my face.

[@fallonisbabelol4855]

The show is literally so good the stories of each character, the animation, and general sequences of the episodes are so well made, genuine, and complex! I love how the stories of every character connect so well within show. And how the animation portrays emotions as well. Binged it the week after it came out. Worth it! Go watch if you can.

[@Namato360]

My little sister watched this twice and she's 8. I dismissed it. Still watched the whole thing and it is pretty good.

[@wahwaffles]

the love triangle was definitely awkward and unnecessary but in my mind i think picchu is actually gay. like he had more to say about zatz than chimi and also every time they were "together," they were both awkward like in a benson and kipo kinda way. yes i also heard xtabay say "the girl you like" when she fought picchu but still... gay picchu headcanon or bust

[@sweetT961]

Ugh, thank you for your content man. I just finished this amazing series and my first thought was "I wonder if Sarcastic Choru is gonna post about this?". Lo and behold you did, you're the best

[@HeroNotFound05]

I’m pretty sure it’s meant to be Mayan just because some of the singing and such is done in Tzotzil, which was their native language, despite everything else being Spanish for some reason 😅 anyways love the video as always, thanks!

[@Jackie-McCann]

According to Jorge, there was supposed to be a scene where Zatz learns of Acat’s death and is absolutely devastated as he takes time to mourn her, but it was cut for time. Jorge has said it was the one scene that he regretted got cut, as it would’ve given some closure to both characters.

[@rein3950]

I don’t know why but the characters especially the prince of bats look like a roblox bloxy character lol, anyways it was such a great show, IF YOUR A BOOK OF LIFE FAN THEN THIS IS A MUST WATCH! THEY ALSO HAVE THE SAME CAST

[@inkflare7232]

12:10 SAME I was thinking the exact same thing when I watched that scene. I had no idea what she was talking about lying to them. I thought that was obvious that they were going to kill the war god but apparently not? So many of your critics are things that I thought as well and its great to see that I'm not the only one.

[@foxglovevibes]

I think something that the show runners could have done to give a more organic feel to the relationship between Maya and Zatz would have been to leave it until the end for them to realise how they felt about one another. Which would result in their dance as the sun and moon becoming an extended courtship almost, rather than clumsily making them an established couple just a few episodes before the end, with their meetings in the sky (as solar and lunar eclipses) being a chance for them to expand on their relationship during their time as cosmic entities. It would almost be a poetic representation of their relationship in life as well, as we see them 'dance' around each other and the attractions they feel towards one another. That and actually giving them both time to properly grieve the losses they both suffered as a result of the impending war. Zatz was a bit dismissive of Acat but I think that potentially stems more from him trying to separate himself from who he may have been in the past when he was involved with her. Because a lot of the relationships we see amongst the gods are definitely not the healthiest, we can only assume that his past relationship with her might have brought out the darker side of him. But we see how empathetic and emotionally available Zatz is, so there's no way he didn't feel some type of love towards Acat. But he doesn't even flinch when she's murdered while she explicitly thinks only of him when she dies, which felt very stunted and awkward when I first watched the series. Those are just my thoughts though.

[@SavvyDea]

I think what bothered me most was that they really didn't tell the full story on what happened with Zatz's parents. From my point of view you have to pick up on the story by speculation. I mean what happens after father and son escape the monsters chasing them, resulting in Zanya's sacrifice so they could get away? I assume the couple are being chased down by Mictlan's army because they had a demigod child. At some point after escaping, Camozotz was forced to return to Mictlan's court with a baby Zatz. I think he convinced Mictlan to spare Zatz but Mictlan takes his eye while he is still young. Camozotz continues with his position of servitude to Mictlan while raising his son but also plotting his revenge for the loss of Zanya.

[@masteroflag]

I feel like it being on Netflix and binge worthy screwed you here. Maya clearly does lie to all three of them. They bring up the brothers as her motive during the liar revealed and her fight with the twins is over her brothers’ last gifts. But because it’s in the middle of the story and you’ve already invested hours it didn’t stand out as something to remember or possibly pay attention to until you noticed

[@CosmicOptic]

Picchu carried the squad in a literal sense, and an amigo sense. Although I love the ‘Book Of Love' Reference.

[@micahflanders6789]

I was a little annoyed by the fact the dad was the only one who got flak for the whole cheating thing, while Lady Micte gets none despite equally being involved in that whole affair (heck, she’s the one set him up in the first place). I assume it’s because she was getting scolded for being a bad mother, but it still seemed weird they don’t even talk to her directly about it. I actually thought they were gonna address it when they got the two mothers alone at the dinner table, but then the scene just ends. Like, even if they weren’t gonna mention the affair at that point, why get them alone together if they weren’t gonna have a meaningful conversation of any kind? Again, not a major gripe, just something I feel could’ve been explored more.

[@aae_r1n]

(I just watched the show so excuse the late reply lol) I dont l like how they never explained why the dad cheated on the wife in the first place. Sure cheating doesn't really need a reason to happen, but like they look like they had a good relationship w eo??? And why tf was the wife so nonchalant about it?? How did she not scream at him or show intense anger towards him?? I wouldve dumped his ass if he did that shit to me 😭😭

[@micahflanders6789]

I agree

[@fangirl4life5ever]

I thought I was the only one who was bothered by the fact Maya’s dad never faced any consequences 😭 I guess 4 out of his 6 kids dying counts as a consequence?

[@RinKegato77]

El tigre is my one of my favorite kid shows

[@starburstlover363]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who's brain started trying to predict the aspect ratio breaks. They were mostly fun but the final battle got waaaaay too heavy with them and it kinda ruined their effectiveness for making big scenes pop.

[@victorlannister5606]

Let’s go!!! I was hoping you’d review this one yes 🙌!!!!!!!!

[@HiddenMistEnforcer]

I liked the parallel of the ends of Maya's first and last fights.

[@ghanacryptogurl3574]

Just finished watching and I have been crying, still am. Right now.

[@chusikotari874]

I watched this yesterday, like all of it in one go. Wish I had taken my time as you suggested. Because, I loved it! And then got sad when it was all over. The final two episodes hit me like a truck, I did not expect so many deaths to come.

[@Panda-24]

You know, as a Book of Life lover I went NUTS when I saw La Muerte, Xi Balba and The Candle Maker.

[@slorbas]

It was great working on this show! I totally agree with your review, the first and second episodes felt very rushed and were a bit hard to follow, sad the animation studio shut down even before the release.

[@gren8te319]

0:04 that's a solid burn!

[@manimations7007]

Lmao I was just thinking earlier today if you were going to cover this! Started it yesterday for fun and by random but I slowly got invested in the show (which I thought was a movie too at first) Finished the show today and love the animation, voice acting and story telling!

[@berthamaloney3713]

The first scene you see the first El Tigre which just makes me feel like it's the past in the same universe as El Tigre.

[@pineapple9167]

Im so glad you mentioned the fact that you were also confused about when they say Maya lied, cause I was completely lost too and thought I was alone on this.

[@ChaosTicket]

Jorge Gutierrez made El Tigre + The Book of Life + Maya and the Three. Those are the ones are I know are connected. I heard Lady Micte from Maya and Three is sisters with La Meurte from The Book of Life. Also that Maya and Zatz are reincarnated as Manolo and Maria in The Book of Life.

[@teragram38crows49]

I can kinda understand how Maya behaved after the death of her brothers. The news of their deaths was sudden and the family had little time to grieve due to circumstances. After my dad died, I threw myself into work so I would have no time to think about it or feel the pain slow me down. If I keep busy, I can stop thinking about it for a while. If I keep moving, the grief can’t get to me. It wasn’t until mid 2020 I was forced to stop because of the pandemic that the grief finally caught up with me. It was like trying to run from your shadow, no matter far or fast you run from it, it’ll never stop being there until you acknowledge that it’s there to stay and confront it.

[@mushrooms6356]

Finally someone's talking about this show!

[@HulittyJing]

Bear killer is El Oso, Estefan is Raúl, Mictlan's soldier's are Sartana's minions, Zatz's armor are Señor Sinistro's armor and I'm pretty sure I've seen a bg character who had the same nose as la Gran Bruja. El tigre is as immortal as Maya now.

[@hccuervo]

As a Mexican who knows about pre-Hispanic mythology, it seemed a bit shocking to me seeing several gods very much taken out of historical context. But once you see it more like a fantasy story it becomes great and very entertaining to watch. It is a good little introduction to prehispanic mythology

[@numatruehome100]

If el tigre comes back as a 3d animated series, I’d be down for it

[@omniframe8612]

So far i love it and I wasn’t expecting camazotz to having the personality he did.

[@vydeguzman936]

My comments are p much the same as yours!! My favorite part of the entire movie was realizing that Lord Mictlan's army was the Spanish Conquistadors.. God of War? Using literal Colonizers and Invaders as part of his army? absolutely hilarious HAHAH But I honestly did find some pet peeves the more times I rewatched it: - Maya's character had an issue where either her motivations weren't consistent enough, almost flip-flopping sometimes. Scenes that brought this to my attention were like you mentioned, the reveal of the prophecy of the brothers, a lack of revenge motivation, and the final battle where she flopped from her mother dying to Zatz getting killed.. and the biggest one of them all, the surprising reveal that it was not immediately obvious to others that she wanted to kill Mictlan instead of just the gate. Hell, I was wondering why during the ep of the reveal why she seemed so nervous cause its not like she was the only one in the group who had a loved one killed. I just wish they fleshed it out a little more so that we could have been aware that she was lying about the actions they were about to take. - Upon arrival on-screen, I immediately knew Zatz was going to be the love interest (hell, thought he was there to demand her as his wife as payment or smth). But honestly, other than a genuinely heart-breaking story, he wasn't all that interesting.. I do think it was a nice touch that we find out he's technically a barbarian though, it kept in line still with the prophecy and meant he could earn the barbarian group''s trust with his bracelet. (i just.. don't think he looks all that attractive too.. didn't understand too well how everyone thought he was absolutely smoking hot) - Relating to the previous point, I just do not find Maya and Zatz' relationship endearing at all? I love me a enemies/rivals-to-lovers, but like you mentioned, they acted way too "perfect" for one another that really just kinda made me roll my eyes at them.. Them constantly flirting in battle kinda made me a little annoyed cause there was so much to see but instead I have to watch slow motions of them staring into each others' eyes

[@Daphattack]

All the details in the pyramids… that’s the culture. Ive been blessed to visit Mayan Ruins multiple times and *everything* is like that. Which I thought was so beautifully rendered in this Series because now, thousands of years later, we see it in faded colors. This is like what it would have looked like IRL at the time.

[@Kisskissfallind3bt]

I feel like what adds to the background characters here is that they are real gods! The people who are in this culture know who they are. But of course thats a little a different when you're not from those cultures, and that is something that should probably be expanded more in the director's works is establishing these iconic and infamous gods to new audiences.

[@ailamckinnell7673]

I wouldn't say Zatz was embarrassed whenever Acat was around. Uncomfortable for sure, but that's honestly understandable when Acat didn't respect him at all. She was disrespectful towards Maya for being a "half breed" when Zatz is literally half-human as well. She got all touchy with him without taking how he felt into account. And she was overall just really violent and dedicated to Lord Mitclan. They probably would have broken up sooner or later. Anyway, I adore this show. The antagonists are really good and scary. I love Maya, Zatz, Chimi, Rico, Picchu, Chiapa, and even the side characters, especially Camazotz and the Widow Queen. The animation and music score are beautiful, there are plenty of funny moments, the voice acting is pretty strong and it made me cry more than once. It's the whole package guys! Edit: I did overall enjoy this review, I just wanted to add my thoughts on that one thing.

[@ericvelasquez7331]

Can't wait for young justice videos

[@fluctuatingfanby]

I agree with a lot of this. Amazing premise, character concepts, and visuals, but hoo boy the questionable storytelling decisions really bothered me. Honestly, my biggest gripe is that they try to fit in so many plot elements/character arcs/subplots within nine 30-minute episodes that a lot of things feel like they don't actually get enough screentime to be developed properly. I almost started getting bored during the last battle because they were trying to tackle EVERYTHING they introduced in the whole show and things were getting repetitive. I think the character dynamics especially suffered for this, especially between the main four. I actually went into this expecting the titular Maya and the Three to be Maya and her brothers (was totally expecting the dad to die or at least be kidnapped after failing spectacularly), so I was really shocked when they died, and disappointed that they're basically irrelevant after the first episode. And the fact that oops the Prophecy was wrong, but hey here's a new one and it's totally for real we promise, also really bothered me, as well as the back-and-forth of oh no what if this new Prophecy is also wrong! (Isn't the point of a Prophecy the fact that it isn't wrong?? And they never really explain how they got the first one wrong, either.) As for the romance...ugh. I really hate it when flirty banter is used as a substitute for, y'know, actual romance. Maya and Zatz was fine, I guess, but it was REALLY jarring to have them jump to "my love" after only being together for, like, five episodes. And...well, Rico/Chimi bothers me mostly because they had actually really great potential to bond over their shared experiences of being outcasted and blaming themselves for their loved ones' deaths!!! But they only really get some jealousy (which the show seriously did not have time for), and some flirty quips. Which again, (and this goes back to the not-very-well-fleshed-out team dynamics) makes it jarring when they're shown to be specifically concerned about each other during battle (as opposed to everyone else on the team, who they've also bonded with? WHAT MAKES THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN PARTICULAR SO SPECIAL???). I would've loved to see them at least have some softer, quieter scenes where they open up to each other, or maybe even moments in battle where the two of them specifically are shown to complement each other well.

[@nomadicvaquero2791]

Check out the villains wiki for the villain of this show and found this to be interesting “As implied by showrunner Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Mictlan was once a European knight who came to Mesoamerica with the conquistadors, a role he shared with his two brothers. As punishment for their crimes in life, the three of them were made into chthonic deities sentenced to rule over various infernal realms. While his brothers Xibalba and El Chamuco were made rulers of the Land of the Forgotten and the Cursed, respectively, Mictlan was given charge over the Underworld: a burning, volcanic wasteland inhabited by various dark gods who would serve him as his minions.”

[@notacriminal7542]

Man what an incredible video! I'm still watching but I think it's a fantastic commentary/analysis of the series and what it does just, so amazingly well as well as areas where there is some lack of luster This series is SO good, I'm rewatching it right now and I'm enjoying it just as much as I did when I first watched it, if not more, because now I have more of an eye for the details I missed the first time round I think that was a great point mentioned in the video too that the best way to describe this series is satisfying The tropes they use are sometimes if not often predictable but there's a comfort that comes with foreseeing (to an extent) how the story is going to fall into place You become invested in these characters and immersed in their world And when everything kinda, clicks, it's wonderfully satisfying to watch I hope as many people as possible have the chance to see this excellent series and feel that satisfaction for themselves One of my favorite series of the year by far

[@scott-tx4cc]

I watched this with a Mexican friend and they where screaming that the names of the gods were incorrect or just random but they loved the show

[@crow1890]

I'll say it. I think Acat and zats breaking up was fine. Mostly because I think It wasn't just for maya. He clearly wasn't engaged in the relationship. And Acat obsessed over him. She treated him more like a trophy than a partner. Her fight with maya was more like the final straw. He realized he wasn't happy with Acat or the ideals of the other gods. Then Maya comes in and she shows him what he has been missing. Fucking morals and a partner who treats you like a person. Not as a pawn on a chess board or like some trophy. He was on equal footing with Maya. I will gladly excuse the half assed break up because we got to see evidence of why they were bad for watch other. Now Acats death was uncalled for. She could have been interesting and zats could have had a good character moment where he was told of Acats death when he came back with Maya. I think we were definitely robbed of that.