Draft:Takahoa
Submission declined on 14 September 2025 by Absurdum4242 (talk).
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Comment: Brilliant start to a really interesting article - great to see more NZ stuff on here… however… it really needs another 1-3 independent secondary sources to be able to be approved. The RNZ article is perfect, but the Debate article is an interview, which makes it a primary source as far as Wikipedia is concerned. If you could possibly find some more sources, then I would be happy to come back and approve the article. Good luck and keep up the great work 👍 Absurdum4242 (talk) 13:25, 14 September 2025 (UTC)
- Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Monet Bailey-Ngatai (talk) 02:18, 6 September 2025 (UTC)
| Takahoa | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Coming-of-age, comedy, drama, LGBTQIA+ |
| Created by | Monet Bailey-Ngatai, Jess Sewell |
| Directed by | Meggy Laguda |
| Starring | Manaia Judd, Georgia Benton, Amy Workman, Nabeelah Khan, Michael Stewart, Anahera Burrow Dewes |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Rachel Fawcett |
| Producer | Jewels King |
| Production locations | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Cinematography | Jeri Oporto |
| Editor | Brianna Harris |
| Running time | 5 minutes per episode |
| Production company | Overwhelmed Productions Tapui Limited |
| Original release | |
| Release | 7 September 2025 – present |
Takahoa is a 2025 New Zealand coming-of-age web series created by Monet Bailey-Ngatai and Jess Sewell and produced by Overwhelmed Productions Tapui Limited. The series premiered on YouTube on 7 September 2025 and follows five friends in their 20s as they navigate love, family, and identity in Auckland.[1][2]
Premise
[edit]Five childhood friends navigate love, family drama, and self-discovery as they transition into adulthood together. In season 1, Hana meets the outspoken Anahera at an art competition. After Anahera challenges a comment made by one of Hana’s friends, she offers Hana a chance to redeem herself and her art. Through Anahera, Hana begins to reconnect with her Māori identity and starts a journey of self-discovery.[3]
Cast and characters
[edit]- Manaia Judd as Hana Tawhiri-Jones
- Georgia Benton as Marlene "Marley" Munro
- Amy Workman as Alice "Ali" Fung
- Nabeelah Khan as Sameera "Sam" Kaur
- Michael Stewart as Elijah "Eli" Barnes
- Anahera Burrow Dewes as Anahera Morrison
Episodes
[edit]| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Art of Apologies" | Meggy Laguda | Monet Bailey-Ngatai, Meggy Laguda, Jess Sewell | 7 September 2025 | We meet the 5 best friends Hana, Alice, Sam, Marley, and Eli. After Hana wins second place at an Art Gallery competition, Marley makes a racist comment towards the first place winner Anahera, who overhears and confronts Hana. [3] |
| 2 | "Enough" | Meggy Laguda | Monet Bailey-Ngatai, Meggy Laguda, Jess Sewell | 14 September 2025 | Anahera’s invite to the Toi Room forces Hana to confront her insecurity about being Māori. When she opens up, Anahera challenges her to reflect on why she’s so avoidant of her Māori heritage. [3] |
| 3 | "A Good Place to Start" | Meggy Laguda | Meggy Laguda, Monet Bailey-Ngatai, Jess Sewell | 21 September 2025 | Pushed by Anahera’s questions and grounded by Sam’s support, Hana dives headfirst into reclaiming her Māori identity and unexpectedly, catches feelings along the way. [3] |
| 4 | "Untitled Feelings" | Meggy Laguda | Monet Bailey-Ngatai, Meggy Laguda, Jess Sewell | 28 September 2025 | After a heartbreaking realisation, Hana spirals. Her friends rally around her, but some are battling their own struggles. [3] |
| 5 | "The Fallout" | Meggy Laguda | Monet Bailey-Ngatai, Meggy Laguda, Jess Sewell | 5 October 2025 | Hana, finally feeling secure in herself, is forced to confront Marley’s reckless choices; putting their entire friendship on the line. [3] |
Production
[edit]The series was developed and produced by Overwhelmed Productions Tapui Limited, which focuses on authentic storytelling for young people. Monet Bailey-Ngatai served as showrunner and writer, while Jess Sewell acted as co-showrunner and script editor. Meggy Laguda directed the series, with Rachel Fawcett as executive producer and Jewels King as producer. The crew included Jeri Oporto (director of photography), Brianna Harris (editor), Moeata Tararo (production coordinator), Alex Cormack (media manager), Madison Grigg (art director), Vivienne Tam (costume designer), Isabelle Finley Reid (hair and makeup), and Katie Henderson (music supervisor).[3]
Sponsors included Lontessa, Monesha Properties, Rule Foundation, South Seas Film School, Department of Post, Topic Rentals, Wireless Rentals, JaceSpace, Gordon Harris, Faber-Castell, Atelier Interactive, Almighty, Top Print Taranaki, Popeyes New Zealand, Parkmate, and Kaitaia Fire.
Mentors acknowledged by the production include Rachel Fawcett, Daryl Wong, Victoria Boult, Gabriella Larkin-Bruce, Tash Christie, Harriet Crampton, James Ensing-Trussell, James Brookes, Christie Stewart, Anna Duckworth, Pennie Black, and Alisha Lovrich.[3]
Themes
[edit]The series explores themes of family, identity, sexuality, friendship, and the transition from adolescence to adulthood, presenting stories from the perspective of young adults in Aotearoa.
Reception
[edit]Coverage from Radio New Zealand described the show as filling “a gap” in the industry by spotlighting authentic youth-driven storytelling in Aotearoa.[1] Debate Magazine praised the series’ exploration of Māori identity and its short-form format.[2]
External links
[edit]Category:2020s New Zealand television series Category:2025 New Zealand television series debuts Category:Coming-of-age television shows Category:New Zealand drama television series Category:LGBT-related web series Category:English-language television shows Category:Māori-language mass media
- ^ a b "'We wanted to fill a gap that we felt': young duo finds niche in film industry". Radio New Zealand. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Talking Takahoa: A coming-of-age mini-series rooted in the exploration of Māori identity". Debate Magazine. 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Takahoa Season 1 Premiere". Overwhelmed Productions. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
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