Since arriving in Spain, I’ve been strict about keeping my rules about diverse media consumption for my daughter. She generally chooses her TV shows from Netflix, so honestly she has a bevy of programming to choose from that feature multicultural characters, even though a diverse cast doesn’t guarantee a quality show. But Netflix has definitely come through with the diversity, drama and color in their new limited series, Maya and the Three. Indeed, Maya and the Three takes multicultural storytelling to a whole new level.
A Heroine instead of a Hero
The basic storyline of Maya and the Three is rather simple, a classic hero’s journey. Except the hero is a she instead of a he. And “she” is Maya, a 15-year-old, Aztec princess who, along with three friends, goes on a quest to kill an evil god. The motives for the killing include revenge, honor and a lust for adventure.
In addition to the fact that Maya is a female hero, she is also brown-skinned, short, and has thicks thighs. In other words, she’s been drawn to look culturally authentic, strong and, quite frankly, like a hero. If they make Maya dolls to sell in Happy Meals, I would be the first in line to buy one for my daughter, and maybe one for myself as well.
No Whitewashing Maya’s Multicultural World
Full disclosure, I didn’t do any advanced reading about Maya and Three before settling in to watch with my daughter. I watched the trailer and decided it looked interesting enough. Little did I know, I’d be transported to a magical world with characters that looked as diverse as the people hailing from across Latin America and the Caribbean. For example, one of Maya’s fellow adventurers, Rico from Rooster Island, is Black and wears his hair in intricate, sculptured dredlocs, as do all of the inhabitants of Rooster Island.
In fact, each one of Maya’s friends comes from a different kingdom that clearly represents different geographical and cultural regions of the real world. Skin colors, hair textures, facial features are varied in unique and beautiful ways. It goes without saying that series creator and director, Jorge Gutiérrez was not interested in whitewashing Maya’s multicultural world.
A Story that Speaks of the Spirit World
No spoilers here, but Maya and the Three goes way beyond kiddie content. Even though children will no doubt be engaged by the colors, the funny characters, and the battle between good and evil, there is enough layered content in this series to keep any adult binge watching through to the end of the final episode (There are nine in total.)
Because we just finished celebrating Día de los Santos, Halloween and Día de los Muertos, I’ve been deep diving into learning about the beliefs of the Spanish and Latino people as they relate to the spirt world, ancestor veneration and magic. Because the bad guy in Maya and the Three is the God of the Underworld/the God of War, there are a lot of references to spirits, life after death, magic, and the connection the living have with the dead. In other words, this isn’t just a kiddie flick. In fact, I’m already committed to watching the entire series again, because I know I missed so much in the layered storytelling. It’s deep. The second time around though, I’m going to watch in Spanish.
Latina Heroines for the Win
I wouldn’t say I have a favorite type of cartoon heroine, but I am definitely seeing a trend in my recent favorites. And note, these are all shows I watch with Babygirl, who is now ten years old. But, I love Carmen San Diego on Netflix. I love the live action Dora the Explorer (who admittedly is not a cartoon in the movie, but she was a cartoon first, so that counts.) and now Maya makes it official. I love Latina heroines in kid flicks. If you like Carmen and Dora, you have a soft spot for Lucha Libre, and you want your cartoons to be multicultural, colorful, and complex, then I promise you will enjoy Maya and the Three.
If you do watch it, I’d love to hear your opinions and reviews.
