Hellz to the yeah! I'm watching this.
I am obsessed with [Lapis]! I'm really hoping that she'll become [a Crystal Gem at some point].

Are you following Keep Beach City Weird as well? I think that blog is so neat x3!

ShatteredMirror wrote:

I watched a few episodes of it, and I liked... pretty much everything about it but Steven. Maybe I'll give it another try.

I felt the same way when I started watching it, but he gets better and feels a lot more real and less like a generic adorkable jokester as the show progresses and becomes more story and character focused rather than episodic, filler humor standard CN fare.

Last edited by OnlyInThisLight (06-01-2015 10:07:37 PM)

ShatteredMirror wrote:

I watched a few episodes of it, and I liked... pretty much everything about it but Steven. Maybe I'll give it another try.

Same. I like the show, but Steven wears on my last nerve sometimes. Lion is my favorite.

The way everyone describes it, it sounds like there's a combination of character development and the writers hitting their stride.

To compare another show, Linda in season 1 of Bob's Burgers really got under my skin because it seemed like 90% of the problems in the show were directly caused by her and she had no redeeming characteristics. But by season 2, the show had matured a little, Linda became more likeable despite not changing that much because she had been fleshed out more, as well as being better balanced by the other characters.

I felt very similarly about Steven as I did about Linda early on, so perhaps that more than anything else is good incentive to give the show another chance.

I have to agree with everyone else, at the beginning I was watching SU just because everyone was raving about it, and thinking to myself, "Really? People are liking THIS shit?" It was juuuust okay enough and with juust enough SKU and Sailor Moon (and the occasional NGE) references to make it fun to watch and blog about, then suddenly I had watched all 55 episodes and was completely hooked.


Favorite characters?
I am very partial to Pearl (I like neurotic characters) and, obviously, who doesn't love Garnet?

OnlyInThisLight wrote:

All the good things.

Totally agreed.

One of the shining moments of the show for me personally is the episode where you meet Connie's parents. I don't know how much of this was intentional on the creator's part, but until that episode you have only 'seen' them through Connie's descriptions; painting them as stuffy, strict and close-minded, people who would NEVER accept Steven and his oddball family. And as the audience we judge them and expect them not to - parents who keep an eye on what their kids eat and what TV they watch are generally the 'bad' parents in cartoons. And then, predictably, they DON"T like Steven and his family - but only because they're trying so hard to be some 'normal' archetype to impress Connie's parents that they come off as awkward, fake and weird. It isn't until they start acting like 'themselves' that Connie's parents like and accept them - simply because they are good parents to Steven, completely disregarding the fact that they're aliens. It's soooo easy for 'progressive' shows to fall into the trap pf being preachy and judgmental, Steven Universe always tries to show you the good in everyone and the validity of their viewpoint, whatever their view and whoever they may be.


Also this:

This cracked me up



See the rest here:
http://vraik.tumblr.com/post/1214461667 … w-the-dork

*tries not to go on and on about the major conflict each gem represents and how they teach Steven*

*tries not to go into rambling detail about my thoughts on Pearl's past on Homeworld*

^ Broken ankles likely, but do it anyway. I second that.


PEARL.

I absolutely adore Steven Universe! It's just so beautifully written and progressive, and I love the animation style and the overall aesthetic of the show. And I love all of the characters so much it's unreal, it's hard to pick a favourite but I usually go with garnet because Garnet, and even the secondary characters get their own episodes and some nice development. The world is so open to interpretation and theory also... and all that foreshadowing to analyse!! It's not afraid to delve into some really deep and dark stuff but it does it in such an implicit and open way. It's so refreshing to have a show with such a varied female cast as well.

I'd say to anyone who is thinking of watching it to definitely give it a go. It's true that the first few episodes have a slightly different feel to them but I think that's just for the sake of introducing the basic concepts and the characters of the show in a very simple sense. Also, it's to make it appealing and accessible to kids, since this is a kids' tv show, so of course Steven's comic relief aspect is played up a little, as are the other stereotypes and the humour. So I'd get around 10 episodes into it maybe before you decide if it's your thing or not? Personally there hasn't been an episode so far I haven't enjoyed in some way, and I can't wait for more.

...And of course all the Utena references! It makes me so happy! I'm pretty sure I've seen a few more besides the obvious: [Pearl's sword fight with holo-Pearl and taking Rose's sword from Lion], but I don't want to try and stretch things and associate the two shows just because I want the references to be there. It makes me wonder what Ikuni would think if he was aware of them.

YamPuff wrote:

Just gonna leave this here

I hadn't thought of that one!

Rewatching SU is painful and bizarre considering how much we know about the characters now... it really has a different tone and feel to it early on?

YamPuff wrote:

I have been wondering, since I made the connection that our two 'smart' or scientist-y Gems both have their gems on their foreheads (Peridot and Pearl), is the Gem placement in any way significant?

I've wondered about that too, actually! And about how the number of facets of the gem might play a part? Considering the parallel between Peal and Rose vs Lapis and Steven given the latest episode "Chille Tid" it makes me think whether it affects the personality of the gem. They both seem incredibly dedicated and stubborn about receiving help, and have very intense emotional reactions…. It also seems that Peridot and Pearl also have similar kind of roles? They're not for fighting as such, so it’s possible that Peridot is an "upgraded" Pearl considering how far gem technology appears to have advanced since the Gems were last on Homeworld. At least that's what I assume from Lapis' reaction upon returning.

YamPuff wrote:

You know what's really interesting as someone late to the fandom? Reading peopling arguing about how Garnet [can't possibly be a fusion] and why.

I know its so obvious in retrospect! And yeesh some of the arguents about [Pearl's totally 10000% heterosexual feelings for Rose and PearlRose vs GregRose and Jasper being abusive.... ] the fandom really does scare me sometimes.

YamPuff wrote:

episodes where Steven's hands turn into kittens

It's a terrifying episode when you look back at it! It is a bit bizarre and out of place but I think it's purely for introducing the concept of the gems being able to shapeshift [and foreshadowing [part of] Rose residing in Lion perhaps??????]. Also for nightmare fuel.

YamPuff wrote:

Interesting parallel between Steven & Lapis, I kept think of hers as on her back, but if you look at it as their 'torso'...hmmm.

Hmm..... I've not really read much theory about that but I wonder how that would affect/influence the [Amethyst should've been a jasper but was "overcooked" in the Kindergarten when the Homeworld Armies left Earth so ended up as a small amethyst] theory...


And how late is late? Did you join during a Stevenbomb or?