Cartoon Overview: Steven Universe
Steven Universe has plot continuity, something almost all cartoons don’t bother with. Although many episodes look like fillers, there is always something mentioned about them later on. If you skip a few episodes, you are not going to have a complete picture of what is going on. This gives you the incentive to watch everything, and not just the major showdowns.
At the same time, it doesn’t really have much of a story, it’s fairly simple to the most part. What makes it great is how it’s not infodumping everything in the beginning and then does very little with it. It’s slowly giving you small pieces of information in every episode, which eventually come together during the showdowns as a pay-off. Although many of you think something like Gintama is doing the exact same thing, that show is too busy referencing random shit that does not matter, while jerking off to the very stereotypes it’s making fun of.
Also, it’s not shying away from dealing with the mentality of its characters. Most of the issues they are facing have to do with personal conflicts instead of just beating monsters. And although their complexity is usually on par with an average sitcom, it’s never something unimportant from their point of view.
Another thing it does rather well is having half than normal in duration episodes. The pacing is fast and the plot is usually simple, so it works in its favor. There is very little space between jokes and action, and it doesn’t feel rushed to the most part. Basically, the characters are not wasting most of the time in being angry or sad until the obvious solution becomes apparent in the last minute.
If there is something that doesn’t work very well it’s the way they deal with the conflicts. The battles are short and usually end with Steven using one of the dozens of different powers he has, usually triggering on their own in the most convenient moments, or the gems fusing into a more powerful version. The resolution is always too easy, and that takes away a huge part of the tension.
By extension, despite the dozens of interesting themes it’s dealing with, it doesn’t do it in a mature way. Every character is mentally challenged, and acts like a crybaby even if he is thousands of years old. I understand that it’s supposed to be a show for kids, but it’s constantly trying to act like it’s deep when it doesn’t bother to deal with any of its serious issues in a smart way. For example, the original Transformers cartoon from the 80s has a fairly similar premise, and its characters are equally dumb despite being millions of years old. But exactly because it never deals with big issues, it never feels pretentious like Steven Universe does.
As for what exactly I mean by big issues, it deals a lot with being yourself instead of becoming what others expect of you, something which is very common as a theme in young adult stories. The part where it gets iffy has to do with how fusion is supposed to be about sexual liberation, which is what made it so popular in the LGBT community. I personally have no problem with that, since it’s very subtle and can easily be interpreted in any way you like. What, you don’t believe me? If fusion is a metaphor for sex, and the diamonds are only allowing it amongst gems of the same type, then why are the good guys not promoting heterosexuality by fusing with different types of gems?
That’s the thing with these gender politics. Most of the times people are slapping a meaning to things that are vague enough to mean anything. For example, I always perceived the main theme of the mutants in the X-men cartoon to be about discrimination against people who are different. I could always identify and sympathize with that, since I was very different from any other person in my village. I was the only one who liked JRPGs, anime, and board games, while disliking sports and fishing. I was an X-man. And then the LGBT community jumped it, arrogated the theme, insisted on saying the mutants are just symbolism for homosexuality, and anyone who likes them is also gay. Well fuck you, because I’m not gay!
I don’t care about gender politics if they don’t damage a show by defining everyone in it as a homosexual. You know, like Yuri on Ice. And if you are wondering if I like it less than I did a few years back, the answer is no, I still like it the same. Unlike RWBY and Rick & Morty which clearly became worse in later seasons, Steven Universe has a steady quality. It’s still great stuff, and one of the best cartoons I have seen in my life. The only thing that got worse over the years is its fanbase, and I am staying as far away as possible from it.