Netflix Limited TV Series – 1
Season (hopefully with more to come!)
*Warning! Minor spoilers*
CURIOUS to dive into more of the
Mesoamerican mythos behind Year of the Snake (Changeling Sisters #5)? Don’t
miss Jorge R. Gutierrez’s rich tapestry intertwining legends from the Aztec,
Maya, Inca and even Caribbean culture, all effortlessly depicting distinct
civilizations who must overcome their differences to defeat a power-hungry god
of death.
Maya (voiced by Zoe Saldana)
grows up a princess of the great city of Teca. Her father and brothers are
Jaguar warriors, believed to be the prophesized warriors who will one day
defeat the gods of the underworld—Lord Mictlan and Lady Micte, influenced by
legends of Mictecacihuatl and Mictlantecuhtli, who ruled over the Aztec
nine-level underworld Mictlān. In this story, Lord Mictlan is the God of War, a
cunning and terrifying vision as voiced by Alfred Molina. On the day of Maya’s
coronation, the party is crashed by Zatz, Prince of Bats (played by Diego Luna,
so all good), who bears the message from the underworld that Maya’s real mother
is none other than Lady Micte, the goddess of death herself, and she was only
allowed to live to the notable age of fifteen so she could be sacrificed and
increase Lord Mictlan’s power.
Stunned and seeking answers, Maya
uncovers the truth of the prophecy that it was her all along destinated to face
the Underworld—and not with her brothers, but with three warriors from each of
the other kingdoms. She sets off to recruit outcast Chimi (Brooklyn
Ninety-Nine’s Stephanie Beatriz), bumbling magician with a power greater
than he knows (Allen Maldonado), and adorable giant warrior with a heart of
gold Picchu (Gabriel Iglesias), who are each reluctant to help Teca. Along the
way they are menaced by various deities of Mictlan, one of which, Zatz, proves
to be more sympathetic the greater Mictlan’s cruelty toward even his own grows.
Oh, and Maya rides Chiapa the
royal family jaguar who is simply the best.
It is truly amazing the heights
animation has climbed to, and the distinctive kingdoms brought to life with a
masterful use of geometric shapes and colors creates a gorgeously complex world
in which to lose yourself. The story is deep, complex, with enough action to
keep you on the edge of your seat every episode, and all the little nods to
various legends are exciting to pick out. Vucub, God of Jungle Creatures, may
possibly be based on Seven-Macaw (Vucub-Caquix) from Maya mythology, a bird
demon defeated by the Maya Hero Twins in one of the only surviving written
documents of the time, the Popol Vuh. Bats, of course, like Zatz, continue to play an important
role, as notably they are part of the challenges the Hero Twins face in the
Maya underworld Xibalba. The level of detail in world-building such as the distinctive
orange cempasúchil (marigold flower) known for helping the dead remember to
find their way back to the land of the living are a feast for the senses.
Now don’t be fooled by the TV-Y7 rating – this show deals with
extremely dark themes and images that will be frightening for younger
audiences. The aforementioned Mictlan really ramps up the fear factor in the
final few episodes, and the series does not shy away from putting sacrifice, a
very important foundation in many of these ancient cultures, at its core.
Did I mention Maya has two
younger half-siblings Eagle and Jaguar who are *twins*? They’re only kiddos in
this series, but given the great significance of Hero Twins in many
Mesoamerican cultures, we can only hope this foreshadows a spin off season two
to focus on their adventures!
Here is a trailer below:
