Maya the Honey Bee

The story centres on Maya, an inquisitive, adventurous and somewhat flighty young honeybee, and her adventures in the forest around her. Maya is born in a bee hive during internal unrest: the hive is dividing itself into two new colonies. Maya is raised by her teacher, Mrs. Cassandra. Despite Mrs. Cassandra's warnings, Maya wants to explore the wide world and commits the unforgivable crime of leaving the hive. During her adventures, Maya, now in exile, befriends other insects and braves dangers with them. In the last two episodes of the first series, Maya is taken prisoner by hornets, the bees' sworn enemies. Prisoner of the hornets, Maya learns of a hornet plan to attack her native hive. Maya is faced with the decision to either return to hive and suffer her due punishment, saving the hive, or leaving the plan unannounced, saving herself but destroying the hive. As may be expected, Maya, after severe pondering, makes the decision to return. In the hive, she announces the coming attack and is, totally unexpectedly, pardoned. The forewarned bees triumph over the hornet attack force. Maya, now a heroine of the hive, becomes a teacher, like Mrs. Cassandra and shares her experiences and wisdom with the future generation. == Characters ==

; :; Scarlet Cavadenti (German) :The main character of the story, an inquisitive, adventurous and somewhat flighty young honeybee. ; :; Eberhard Storeck (German) :A young drone (male bee) who is Maya's best friend. He is always tired, hungry, skeptical, also somewhat of a coward but generally good-natured. He is prone to jealousy when Maya's attentions turn to others and is often reluctantly dragged into adventures by Maya. He is an original character in the anime. ; :; Manfred Lichtenfeld (German) :A wise, top-hatted grasshopper, and a good friend of Maya and Willy. ; :; Hannelore Mabry (German) :Maya's teacher and chief authority figure (mostly in the first animated series). == Staff ==

Japanese version • Production: Zuiyo Eizo then Nippon Animation • Executive producer: Kōichi Motohashi • Series directors: Hiroshi Saitō, Mitsuo Kaminashi, Seiji Endō • Script: Hikaru Sasa, Hitoshi Kanazawa • Screenplay: Fumi Takahashi • Character designs: Susumu Shiraume • Animation directors: Susumu Shiraume, Takao Ogawa, Hayao Nobe • Sound: Yasuhiro Koyama • Theme songs (performed by Chīta and the Honey Bee Choir, words and music by Seizō Ise): • OP – • ED • • performed by Yōko Maekawa American version • Executive producer: Haim Saban • Supervising producer: Winston Richard • Writer: Tim Reid • Voice direction: Tim Reid, Kathleen Fee • Associate producer: Eric S. Rollman • Executive in charge of production: Jerald E. Bergh • Music by: Haim Saban and Shuki Levy German version • Theme songs • "Die Biene Maja" performed by Karel Gott • "Die Biene Maja" performed by the James Last Orchestra with female choir vocals • Music by Karel Svoboda • Translated and directed by Eberhard Storeck == Home video ==

Several episodes of Saban's dub were released on VHS by Video Treasures in the United States and HGV Video Productions in Canada under the Saban Video label. ==Notes==