Mitsubachi Maya no Bouken

Maya, a newborn honeybee, brims with curiosity about the world around her. From the time she is born, she is brought up to be a worker bee, but it is difficult for her to understand and follow the strict rules of the hive because of her individuality and strong desire for independence.

Having collected all the honey around the honeycomb, Maya decides to set out on an adventure to find a flower garden in order to collect more honey for the hive. Her intentions are noble, but because she leaves the hive without permission, the Queen sends Maya's friend Willy to search for the little troublemaker. Willy joins Maya in her quest, and together, beyond the familiar hive, the two friends marvel at the sheer beauty that nature has to offer.

Through many experiences—sometimes enjoyable, sometimes terrible or sad—and encounters with various insects, Maya matures into a strong and wise honeybee.

(Source: Nipponanimation)

Maya Main

Nomura, Michiko Japanese

Willi Main

Nozawa, Masako Japanese

Phillip Main

Nagai, Ichiro Japanese

Stick insect Supporting

Katou, Osamu Japanese

Mrs. Swallowtail Supporting

Tsuboi, Akiko Japanese

Dr. Henry Supporting

Saikachi, Ryuuji Japanese

Carabid Beetle Supporting

Sogabe, Kazuyuki Japanese

Harriet Supporting

Hori, Junko Japanese

Hornet Queen Supporting

Sawada, Toshiko Japanese

Kitty Supporting

Shiraishi, Fuyumi Japanese

Saitou, Hiroshi Director

Sakurai, Michiyo Storyboard

Kohanawa, Tameo Storyboard

Delanoë, Nadine Theme Song Performance

Reviews

Apr 26, 2023

Baked-Bean

Recommended

The true OG anime. It's the beezneez of cinema. The intro song slaps ASS and it made me cry, especially the part where she looks at the moon all melancholic like. Ya know "5月、誰もがこの5月が好き".

The art style of the classic renaissance era of the 1970s ages like fine wine in an oak barrel (or whatever the best barrel wood is). Not like the shit modern 3D art that they use in the movies and show (I spit on them).
My favourite character is the Spider.


So if you're in a mood for a thrilling adventure and a unforgettable experience give this a watch.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Baked-Bean (1)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Oct 3, 2021

Alshai

Recommended

Preliminary (34/52 eps)

First of all I wanted to state that I know this anime from when I was a child growing up in Poland. Back then none of the kids knew what an anime was unless it was something of the sort of Sailor Moon or DragonballZ. I had basically grown up thinking it was a Polish production or European at most, complete with Polish dubbing and a Polish intro so realising it's actually an anime based on Waldemar Bonsels's stories about Maya the Bee has been quite a journey.

I decided to rewatch the full series afraid it'd be too boring and childish for me to ... continue but I was happily proven wrong. Although a tad outdated it's a wonderful, funny series about the diverse lives of various insects and critters existing alongside them.

The character designs of all the bugs are adorable and lovable, the animation - a little janky - but more expressive and you can definitely see the hand-drawn-ness of it in the way the characters move. Their endearing designs are a great lighthearted way to introduce a child to the world of insects without giving them trauma :P
Also I absolutely adore the backgrounds of the series. They seem to be done in watercolor or gouache, and they look beautiful and professionally done. As a watercolor fanatic I have saved a bunch of stills from the series as inspiration fodder.
Maya the Bee also has pretty decent music composed for the series, with my favourites being the cicadas' and crickets' musical numbers and the intro. In the Polish dub the intro was sung by Zbigniew Wodecki who had done a wonderful job, the intro being so catchy in Poland almost every then-kid-now-adult knows at least the main part of the song.
The characters can be a little bit basic but each of the main characters has their own distinctive way of being without coming off as bland. None of them are too perfect to be true and all have their strengths and weaknesses well balanced out. The main theme of the series is about how different they all are and how it's crucial not to judge each other harshly, as every creature's journey through life is different and deserves respect.

Anyway, I had a blast coming back to the series and was delighted to see that even as an adult it succeeded in educating me about the world of insects and inspiring me with the beautiful painted landscapes. It's a charming series with great rewatch value.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Alshai (2)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Four anime per year, part 2

by Aegidrom

48 Entries · 3 Restacks

Anime Aired\Shown on Cinema in israel [Part 2]

by idog1999

42 Entries · 3 Restacks

Based on old western properties/real people

by Hinozall

50 Entries · 116 Restacks

	Poll: Mitsubachi Maya no Bouken Episode 1 Discussion Strannik_0 - Oct 22	0 replies	by Strannik_0 »» Oct 22, 11:29 AM
	Anime? Nikorin - Oct 16, 2008	36 replies	by removed-user »» Oct 25, 2021 11:46 AM
	Poll: Mitsubachi Maya no Bouken Episode 3 Discussion RedPlaty - Jun 9, 2019	0 replies	by RedPlaty »» Jun 9, 2019 4:48 PM