We’re rounding out our team today with the last of the prophesied warriors. While some nuts-and-bolts plot stuff gets a little shaky at times, this episode has a lot going for it, with a fun new character and some lovely interactions within the main group.
Having made their way to the barbarian kingdom (their word) of the Golden Mountains, Maya and her friends seek out their final warrior. They’re joined by Picchu, a brave warrior with ghosts in his past. As the four continue on their journey, connections are made, but Maya feels a little on the outside.
Picchu is a fun, sweet character, a delightful meathead with a soft side. He is easily bigger than the other three put together, and he’s deadly with his axes, but his introductory flashback features him saving a baby in the middle of a battle. (Strong Zhao Yun from Red Cliff vibes.) He’s haunted by the consequence someone else once paid for his mercy, and now he’s prepared to die for a worthy cause. Picchu is endearingly voiced by Gabriel Iglesias.
Also, I appreciate Jorge R. Gutiérrez’s ongoing commitment to the female gaze. After swoony reactions to Zatz in the pilot (not to mention Joaquin in The Book of Life,) we now get Maya and Chimi dropping their jaws at Picchu’s hunky physique, complete with a lovingly paced “getting ready for the quest” bath sequence. Gutiérrez has some handsome animated gents in his projects, and the female characters are quite happily thirsty.
The best part of most of these episodes is the character interactions, and that holds true here. Some of it is funny, like Rico’s confused-yet-dreamy-eyed reaction to Chimi kissing a spider: “You’re kinda broken, aren’t you? That’s exactly my type.” And there’s a beautiful scene of our heroes sitting around the campfire together, opening up as they all share their stories and the losses they’ve suffered, even Maya’s battle jaguar Chiapa.
This, though, is where Maya’s storyline loses me a little. It’s absolutely good for her to hear her friends’ stories and squirm a little, given how “woe-is-me” she was in episode 1, and you can feel her taking stock of her reactions to her own experiences as they open up. But at the same time, there’s a personal dilemma introduced re: their mission that feels like it comes out of nowhere. In retrospect, I can see what they’re getting at with it, but previous episodes don’t highlight this aspect of the prophecy/quest at all, so when it comes up here, my first instinct is to go, “Huh? Since when?”
Diego Luna’s Zatz continues to be used sparingly but well. Even though he’s only in one extended sequence, it’s honestly a great outing for him. He and Maya have reached the “sparks flying” stage of their relationship, and they have this fantastically chemistry-charged fight. I love it. They’re flying through the air clashing blades, and they’re flirting the entire time. When Maya declares, “I hate you!”, they’re both smiling. When one lands a good hit, the other laughs. It’s obvious how impressed they are with one another’s skills. Along the way, fighting becomes sparring becomes dancing. It’s just great to see, and Luna’s performance is predictably charming.
And, side note: Zatz’s dagger is named Crimson Moon, even though it glows green. What’s that about?
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