In a way, I think the SU "fandom" is in a Falling Action of its own. Everyone got so angry, particularly over the rushed ending due to a cancellation. "How dare Rebecca Sugar imply that we should redeem tyrants." That was the Climax, in a way. Now we're past the discourse or re-evaluating it, really meditating on the themes, the circumstances of the show's production, and what really matters when we absorb these narratives. Reflecting on complex characters previously considered problematic. "Everyone wants a messy lesbian but y'all couldn't even handle Pearl or Rose/Pink." --I think that is one of chief sentiments now. Rose/Pink herself was a character arc shown in reverse--seen as a horrible monster, but now we can look back. She was so terribly human. And so is Steven. And so are we.
Part of the problem I feel was the phenomenon of "Cartoon Twitter", i.e. the animation community on Twitter & other social media sites in the 2010s that was often prone to bursting into flames every now and again (often due to ongoing shipping wars, among other things). The Diamonds, especially White, changing their minds was a development that a lot of people online could only really classify as a "redemption," because that's how most people tend to perceive "bad person becomes better" in fiction, when it's really more complex than that, a nuance cannot be properly articulated through tweets & discussion forums alone. And like you said, the kinda rushed nature of the final arc led to arguments, with quite a few fans questioning whether or not the Diamonds "deserved" redemption, and from there, they made the assumption that the show wants us to simply forgive despots, nothing else required. Combined with the persisting reaction of fans upset over the treatment of Bismuth and the show apparently making the stance of "killing your enemies is wrong in any situation" (when it's really more "we shouldn't result to retributive justice as a primary strategy of building a better society"), we get the narrative that perpetuated online for a good couple years that Steven Universe is a naive cartoon written by someone who thinks you can just talk down fascists into not being so bad, with a few popular video essays from 2019 being made that denounced the show for such (including an infamous one you've probably heard of), when that is very much not what the show was going for. When you put a show with complex characters tackling difficult issues in a space where people can only talk through simplified means of discussion, the resulting misunderstanding & heated debates lead to the rise of a fairly sizable hatedom that's only recently been cooling off through a gradual re-evaluation of the show & its themes. Hopefully, we'll come back to a space where Steven Universe isn't such a hot-button topic amongst online animation circles, though Future did help put out the flames a little through giving us a sizable epilogue to the main series. This show is a classic of 2010s animation, and I like it, and I have faith that others will as well.
the funny thing was they were never explicitly redeemed in the original show, only healing the gems to take responsibility. future definitely shows that while he's cordial with them they have not been forgiven, if anything they're spending future atoning for what they've done. yet people ignore that and miss everything pointing to what actually was intended
As an aside, I *love* that "Y'all Couldn't Handle [Insert Complex Character/Dynamic That Got Shunned By The Fandom]!" is a running gag/post now even for shows and fandoms/discourse before SU's time. Its so fucking funny that people are catching on that it keeps happening.
@@thirdcoinedgethe diamonds were shown constantly repenting despite everyone as a majority disliking them. their own pearls were snarky to them,(your time is over anyways),they're seen negatively(diamond stooge zircon) etc. I've seen people say that making the diamonds needed for the healing of gems js retroactive,I don't think so. this wasn't a plot point introduced randomly,it was hinted at during season 3 when peridot said era 2 was a time of a lack of resource. they are fixing their issues without being forgiven and that's the nuance. the difference is they could've changed their mind in a fleshed out way however we couldn't see that due to cancellation(can I say,Rebecca is insanely noble for doing what she did!!!). I think the biggest testament for steven not caring for the diamonds is how he actively pushes tje diamonds and spinel into an inherently unhealthy relationship(if it is healthy now is up for debate but the concept itself is unhealthy) just so the diamonds leave him alone. as a child,steven would offer spinel a home. but now,he's older,he's done,he just wants to live. brush past it. so what does he do? he uses someone as a replacement. also on the treatment of bismuth,I agree. People need to realise that when rose and steven said shattering makes them equal to the diamonds,they're leaving out the context. imagine the disarray that WAS caused when pink disappeared. now imagine if they REALLY shattered her. steven saying they shouldn't shatter is him trying to resolve the root of the issue instead of killing people to get through it which fits in with the allegory of the diamonds being about family. bismuth wasn't proposing shattering JUST diamonds,but homeworld gems in general. gems who are brainwashed and also hurting. that's the issue in bismuths logic,she thinks every homeworld gem are all horrible. what about the rubies? the quatzes? would she really shatter them for following orders they're forced to at the risk of being shattered? if they're shattered either way,what's the point? that's why steven and Rose wouldn't want to shatter. it's not that they don't want to hurt anyone,it's the fact that if they did,it's counterintuitive. like people lack SO much nuance and logical thinking they can't comprehend why steven universe went the way it did😭
I think the problem with Star’s ending is that it felt stilted and unearned - now that I look back on Steven’s…yeah, that ending kind of made sense. A little bit rushed, but at least it didn’t end with murdering an entire civilization for a boy. And this is probably because unlike Star’s actual 1-to-1 colonialism allegory, Steven’s whole story works by reanalyzing it as a metaphor, so it makes sense on its own logic.
I remember when watching Star Vs as it aired, the thing that jumped out at me the most was how it seemed like different writers were fighting for control. Episodes would contradict and retcon previous ones in an almost mean-spirited way. I think that whatever was causing the discord in the writers' room likely is the reason the ending felt so abrupt and unearned.
As someone who watched the og show as a young teen and future as an adult, it had hit so much harder and i cried a lot. It was painfully relatable and ultimately ended with the start of healing with the support of people you love. Rebecca's audience grew with the show and their team tackled the effects of trauma all in a kids show wonderfully.
The one complaint I have will always be constantly shafting jasper after bubbled. Really weird direction that I never liked. Like why are we focusing on a gag character like navy when we could’ve had more time spent with a character that been there since the near beginning
I didn’t even know C-PTSD was a thing until future came out and I’m so glad it came out when it did because that was exactly when my symptoms began to manifest. Without this show I really wonder how much longer it would have taken me to understand what was wrong and seek help.
@@hued2542 "X should have been explored further". Yes I have my wishes for ideas never explored. I wish we had more steven universe in general. But I am happy with how it concluded.
This is why Steven Universe is my favourite cartoon. It has so much heart and soul. I teared up many times through this video, looking back at what Steven had gone through.
The editor for this video (assumedly but not necessarily James) really understand the aesthetics of typefaces and how to incorporate them into UI design, holy shit
I've seen some compelling criticism of the way so many modern movies show structural problems as the issue, then have tidy resolutions where the protagonists evade these barriers without solving the actual structural issues. It's interesting and appropriate to see how some of this could be coming from the structure of how we tell stories systemically rather than just being individual problems with those stories.
Thank you for this video. I love Stephen Universe but I remember feeling sort of uncomfortable and ambiguous about Future. This really recontextualized it for me, and now I want to give it a rewatch. It's supposed to be a bit uncomfortable and messy and that's part of the story it was telling.
I really want to applaud you for tackling this topic in such an engaging way. I think this is one of my top 50 favorite TH-cam videos I've ever seen, it's so well constructed! I've tried to share what I love about Steven Universe to friends of mine and a lot dismiss it because of the "fandom" or the reputation fans of Steven Universe have, or people who hate the show because of the diamonds ending or future ending in "One big hug." I felt a little guilty enjoying the show because of comments like those but your video really hit what I what I couldn't articulate. It helped me feel accepting of my own emotions about the show. Thank you for making this!
i feel like some people put an oversignificant attention to the ending as is taken out of context of the story's deeper narratives. I dunno, for me the 'one big hug' is made more enjoyable just because of what came before the hug, to what it is the resolution, and of what it took to get to this hug.
Great use of the K.A. Applegate quote about war. I was actually thinking about the ending of Animorphs specifically while watching SUF. To have an epilogue that functionally gets across the complications of life AFTER the story is a really special thing and the way you explored this within the conventions of story structure is very cool!
I'm only a third through the video but I just wanna say thank you for showing Star Vs some good faith and justice. I followed that show through most of its run, and I really appreciated the turns it took and the ending. It was definitely flawed, but it was brave as hell and had some really interesting ways of translating its themes. All I saw from the internet when it ended was vitriol and hatred and people screaming about how stupid it was. I think this is the first time in all those years since that I've seen anyone give SVTFOE the time of day and actually engage with what the work was trying to say and do, whether or not it did them perfectly.
Honestly, it's the first analysis I've seen that actually unpacks what the conclusion was trying to do, beyond the whole "Star basically committed a genocide and the show wants us to think that's fine now" complaint. It's not that the act of destroying magic entirely was without any sense, it thematically fits in erasing the power basis behind Mewni colonial monarchy, but in execution, it's a rushed solution that almost comes out of nowhere with dire implications that aren't really considered in favor of a romantic happy ending. Add on top of that the shipping bait across the fourth season, and you get kind of an unsatisfying resolution to the story. The story could've worked at the finish line, but it stumbled pretty hard, yet it still gave its all in trying to do right by the audience, and that's admirable. Better to take risks and fail than resign oneself to mediocre familiarity in storytelling.
@@thirdcoinedge very much agree, I wish it had had more time to get things right but it is what it is, and I still appreciate it. I'm glad there are people able to meet it halfway.
well Star never knew that destroying magic would kill those other creatures (only Glossyarick told her he'd be gone in the 2nd last episode) and the season was rushed into finishing sooner than the previous 3
THANK YOU for making a good video about suf, feels like whenever i see people talk about it, they say how much they dont like it, which sucks because its so, so good. like i would talk about it for hours if i could. i love the ambiguity of the endings that you talked about, like pink pearls eye. sure, it would be nice to know what happened, but at the same time... it doesnt really matter. and in a weird way, its not the audiences business. what mattered was the journey, the lessons learned, the things that changed. and like rebecca said and part of the point of the video, endings arent really endings. theyre the end of something, and the start of something else. and that really is just life.
Thank you so much for showing Steven Universe so much love and appreciation. It’s easily one of my top favorite series but toxicity as overcome the random it seems. Hope Rebecca Sugar sees this video too.
I really appreciate this video because I think you manage to do something not a lot of other media analysis videos of this sort try to do. You look at Steven Universe as a STORY, rather than simply interpreting all the events as 1:1 analogies for real-life people and situations. The SU fandom especially is rife with rather toxic discourse that sees real-world actions through a very black and white lens and assumes the show must be analyzed the same way, and so the Diamonds not getting punitive or retributive justice despite being "literal space dictators" is seen as a moral failing on the part of the showrunners and necessarily means the end of the show is Bad. There's a lot more nuance to be found and deeper, more interesting discussions you can have when you approach it like you do, as a story. Future is my favorite piece of (official) SU media and I love seeing an analysis of why it's so emotionally compelling which doesn't only discuss it as an allegory to real-life trauma. While that is a big factor in why it's compelling for many people, I think the mark of a good story is that it remains compelling even if you yourself have not had experiences similar to those of the characters. This video is a great look at why Future does that so brilliantly.
My excitement when you referenced Animorphs' ending knows no end. It was exactly what I had in mind as you were describing why that part of LOTR mattered to its theme.
i know it’s only been an hour but i’m shocked this has less than a thousand views. i was fully expecting to open the description and see 2 million+. this video is great and you totally deserve to be the next big video essay sensation
17:43 hey I just wanted to bring this up since I don't see any comments about it yet. it doesn't invalidate any of your very good points so far but they're actually is a way to see Steven's quest dismantling the diamond empire in the video game "Steven universe unleash the light" it makes sense that most fans who only watch the show wouldn't be aware of it or have experienced it but of the three Steven universe games it feels like the one that has the most narrative importance and was a bit of a clever tactic to let the fandom both experience Steven taking down the diamond empire, while not dedicating the Steven universe movie or future eplogue to it. I haven't finished the video yet so you might bring it up later but I just wanted to mention it in the hopes that someone looking forward to seeing those adventures learns about the game through this comment.
It's is very lovely SU video and I enjoyed it a lot, but that little segment about Star vs the forces of evil was very thoughtful and I don't think I've heard people discuss it's theme and ending a lot. If You ever feel like talking about this show more, I would love to watch that
wow what a wonderful video this was. I feel like SU: Future is such an under-analyzed show. I'd love to see more about it. This show is so important to me, so thank you for taking the time and care to make this
I'm happy Future exists, but I agree it felt a little shapeless. I can imagine an alternate-reality SUF where they split the season in 2, using the first half to show Steven and co bouncing around the cosmos exploring the world of the Diamond Empire and tackling loose threads, maybe with some foreshadowing about Steven's trauma. Then have a mid-season finale where Steven decides he needs to go back to Earth, release the movie, and then you're set up nicely for a final arc where we can focus on the "Steven is really hurting" character beat.
Wow, I never knew the origin of the Freytag model -- I remember learning it in grade school (yes, with "resolution" at the end), but nobody ever told me where it came from. Wonderful video! Very interesting, well-structured, and thoughtful analysis.
For being a flawed show, it is still wonderful in many ways. Like, I'm sometimes surprised it exists. It really has something special about, while being flawed. But it's flawed in such a way it feels human. It's inspiring nonetheless, it's just the vibes I can't explain in a simple comment.
It's very rare a show gets an epilogue. Most are cut short, not even able to properly finish its story or have to relay it so quickly, it loses so much. It's especially awkward when a show is forced to rush its ending, but then get an epilogue to tie some loose ends. Why do the corpos bait them so much? "Finish it now!" "Nevermind, here's an epilogue." Like, it's a bit late, but we'll make it work?
17:44 I mean to be fair, we do see him at 15 doing exactly that, the light games are canon and Unleash the Light shows him dismantling the empire still after Change Your Mind
I didn't know that original five act structure with climax and falling action was meant to cullminate in a tragic catastrophe. What a neat little tidbit that helpfully contextualizes the story telling mechanism of Hero reckoning with the aftermath.
I love all your content but I found you for your SU stuff first, and I'm so delighted that you're still happy to go back and discuss such an interesting show with so much heart. A lot of fans seem to have pretty mixed responses to Future, but I do love that the crew got a chance to genuinely say goodbye to the characters and world they built, and I loved being along for that ride.
I always avoided re-watching Future when I go about my regular SU re-watches, because I didn't know how to take it. I saw it as nice and cute, but not necessarily that impactful, but MAN! what a way of giving me a reason to see it from a new perspective ♥ Thank you for taking the time to analyze it with so much care
I love this channel so much. It’s one of, if not the only, channels I slow down to actually watch the videos. By that I mean, I usually watch videos at 1.5x or 2x speed, but every new release from you warrants regular speed. Literally every single video is awe-inspiring.
Lovely video, the way you described the problems, your viewpoints and positive examples was very informative, but enjoyable to follow. Really great job, it was a really nice seeing a video from you again in my subscriptions
I’m so glad I didn’t include myself in the SU fandom growing up. I always watched the Steven Bombs when they came out and Future was incredibly comforting for me and it still is on my top 10 cartoons for my list!
Absolutely killer video as always, love to hear what you have to say and I always feel I learn something new and gain a new perspective on one of my favorite shows
i love his redesign as he gets older and the difference between the movie and the Future series, the choice of making his normally bright red shirt to an opposing blue in the movie, to a black with the star still there and the jacket being pale pink--- the blue being a calm for himself, and the black highlighting his internal change and the void he feels not being able to solve problems paired with his lack of safety from the movie
Friggin hell this show already gets me so emotional, but then you had to go an play Rose's tape again. Truly excellent video and great perspective. Thanks for uploading.
in true steven universe fashion, even though i am working right now and am listening to this video essay in my office, by the end i was already crying. incredible video, thank you
God damn this is one of the most impressive analyses videos I've seen. It really got me to broaden my understand of story telling, and yeah, great job. Even got me to tear up at the whole growing up speech.
You've got a knack for explaining and structuring your essays like narratives. That reveal of Catastrophe at the end was a legit plot twist, it got me good lol. And this makes me think about my current personal for-fun project (a crossover fanfiction between SU post-Future and the superhero web novel Worm) much differently. Steven couldn't be a hero anymore in his world, and he had to come to terms with that; what happens when he's forced to be a hero in a world that expects different things from its heroes than Steven is willing to do? Steven is still on a journey of self-acceptance, so he's already used to trying to answer unanswerable questions and take trips that don't really have destinations, which is something I wanted to explore in my story... I should really get back to writing it lol.
Holy shit, fellow Worm reader spotted. The Worm universe wouldn't know what the hell to do with Steven; master 12+, brute, shaker, mover, breaker, healing, telepathic powers??? RESSURECTION??? Oh my god I just realised, corrupted steven is an Endbringer. I could go on for hours, it's so interesting to consider the implications of a character like Steven being dropped into that world. How does Steven resolve conflicts in a world where conflict is being enforced by a near omnipotent, omnipresent force? I've deleted so many different idea's I've had, so, mad props for even attempting to fit Steven into that world; It's honestly so jarring but clearly it's sparked a million different possibilities in my head...the diamonds are related to the entity's, either created by them, or they're literally tiny shards that have taken on forms of hard light...maybe the cluster was a subconscious attempt at creating a new entity?...is white diamond the queen administrator shard? it explains the hivemind mentality, and she does seem to be the only one still tapped into the shard network...i digress.
37:52 - I love how SU: Future brings Rose's videotape full circle with its ending song, Being Human. Steven has faced immense strife externally and internally, and he will continue to face conflicts even if the major external threats have been resolved, or at least neutralized. Despite these conflicts, or perhaps because of them, he has achieved what his mother had always sought for him. He can be human now. He can try new things and go to new places. And little by little, he will continue to change, challenge himself, heal himself, and grow as a person. "Just a little time. Just a little something that I need. Just a little time. Just a little something, gaining speed. I'm dreaming of, Going, going, going, going somewhere else. Being, being, being, being human."
My biggest issue with Future is ... Steven doesn't seem to accept that Rose wasn't horrible at the end. The self-loathing he faces is even similar to hers in some ways, yet there's never a moment when the understanding of her perspective clicks. He almost seemed to undertand back when he sang "Familiar," but he still referred to Rose's breakdowns as "tantrums," and that the Diamonds who abused her "love" her. It's a very frustrating part of the story in my opinion, that the story ends with him still thinking of her very poorly. It didn't have to be a huge part of the story, I just wish there was some moment somewhere. I understand that it's Steven's story, but given that he's the protagonist, his demonization of her results in many viewers shoving Rose's complexity aside and branding her as "the real villain all along." Also, with everyone ending up so much better off in Future's conclusion, one could argue that it's implying that everyone is happier in the long run because Rose ended her own life. 😬 I've even seen people posting that doing so was "the best thing she did."
@@klg9549 No I definitely feel you, and while I think Steven understood her final message and intent for him by the end of Future (even if he doesn't fully connect his growth to her desire for him to be human), I do think it's a big miss that the show never shows him getting closure regarding his feelings about her. There's a number of videos floating around on TH-cam that essentially state that Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz got their character development in reverse. I think this is a cool concept, but by not bringing this style of storytelling full circle, the show ends with her portrayed as a villain rather than a morally gray character. All the way through Future, mentions of Rose still fall into the "golly gee, another mess my mom made" bucket that's quite dismissive of her character. And Steven is never challenged on this view by anyone else. No one encourages him to re-evaluate his feelings for his mother. Even the other diamonds are far less demonized than her despite doing far, far more heinous acts. I've seen some people argue that because Rose gave her life to Steven, she denied herself the opportunity to fully atone for her sins like we see the other diamonds doing in Future. But I think this is a bit reductive - her decision to create Steven was a complex one, and the show only barely touches on that complexity. SU Future would have definitely been better if the show took even just a few minutes for Steven to reflect on his mother's life - not only her sins but her good deeds as well. I'm not saying Steven would have to "forgive" her or wipe away any bad feelings, but I think him articulating and understanding her desires would have tied nicely into the show's conclusion where he leaves on a journey of self-discovery. Perhaps it's something his therapist would cover with him - but we as the audience unfortunately never got to see this and I think it's a shame.
I’ve always loved Future! I feel like people didn’t like it when it came out but it’s such a great character analysis that I feel like we don’t get from lots of shows
Your videos are always the best! So thought provoking and informative ❤. Always a delight to see a great video on SU and SUF too, they are some of my favorites and I love how they told their stories.
Good video! On the different story structure systems and shapes; though he is a twit, I've always been partial to Dan Harmon's story circle which draws from the standard hero's journey but formalises it into something more useful.
When a character goes through an arc, they end up with fundamental difference of opinion from their past self. The conflict of an epilogue can be between those two people, or some representation of them. Steven’s conflict can be between the personal identity he’s made peace with and the image others project onto him. The hobbits’ conflict is between their new active roles as heroes and the complacent culture they came from
the fact that you're not fucking massive yet is a failure of the youtube system my man. i love the passion and effort felt behind each of your projects.
It’s so crazy how good this show is. I’ve been watching it since it first premiered in 2014, and I would have been 7. Now I am 17 and I’m still finding new reasons to love this show.
The change to The Return of the King works for me because, at least as it's depicted in the films, it isn't about returning home and seeing it changed, the shire stays pristine because the end is about even though the shire may have stayed the same untouched by the horrors of the war, our heroes haven't and they are irrevocably changed and have to learn to live with that difference. Something I honestly find equally interesting
Amazing analisis. I admit that Steven Universe Future was done well but that doesn't mean that i will ever like it, and that's ok. It inspired me to do something out of it that will be liked by people like me and i think that's more important than if i like SUF or not.
25:35 "we sing songs about heroes who die in the name of peace, but what about those who Live in the name of peace? Those who tend the gardens, who plant the trees whose shade they'll never sit in. Is that not also an act of heroism deserving of song?" Holy shit okay give me a second like oh boi that's a lot 😭
I'm glad the scouring never made it to the movie. It's a filler arc at the end of the movie when you want to go to the bathroom or beat the traffic. It would be like if Jedite showed up at the end of Sailor Moon Stars and took over the Sailor's high school in a plot for revenge.
"How many more times must I kill that girl and her dog. Zero will not tell me anything. Tell me Wufei!." mobile suit Gundam wing endless waltz. i think Gundam wing and especially the epilogue movie endless waltz shows that just because a main conflict is resolved that it is not resolved for everyone. from the people left behind to the soldiers(child soldiers for the gundam pilots and others) who know not what peace is and what do with themselves after the fight
Me, every time I watch a James Woodall SU video: “ Finally, some good f*cking Steven Universe analysis”
Right? I genuinely watched so many of them but he creates the only good ones
I always seem to hear Pink's video tape to Steven exactly when I need it and I'm not tearing up you are
In a way, I think the SU "fandom" is in a Falling Action of its own. Everyone got so angry, particularly over the rushed ending due to a cancellation. "How dare Rebecca Sugar imply that we should redeem tyrants." That was the Climax, in a way. Now we're past the discourse or re-evaluating it, really meditating on the themes, the circumstances of the show's production, and what really matters when we absorb these narratives. Reflecting on complex characters previously considered problematic. "Everyone wants a messy lesbian but y'all couldn't even handle Pearl or Rose/Pink." --I think that is one of chief sentiments now. Rose/Pink herself was a character arc shown in reverse--seen as a horrible monster, but now we can look back. She was so terribly human. And so is Steven. And so are we.
Part of the problem I feel was the phenomenon of "Cartoon Twitter", i.e. the animation community on Twitter & other social media sites in the 2010s that was often prone to bursting into flames every now and again (often due to ongoing shipping wars, among other things). The Diamonds, especially White, changing their minds was a development that a lot of people online could only really classify as a "redemption," because that's how most people tend to perceive "bad person becomes better" in fiction, when it's really more complex than that, a nuance cannot be properly articulated through tweets & discussion forums alone. And like you said, the kinda rushed nature of the final arc led to arguments, with quite a few fans questioning whether or not the Diamonds "deserved" redemption, and from there, they made the assumption that the show wants us to simply forgive despots, nothing else required. Combined with the persisting reaction of fans upset over the treatment of Bismuth and the show apparently making the stance of "killing your enemies is wrong in any situation" (when it's really more "we shouldn't result to retributive justice as a primary strategy of building a better society"), we get the narrative that perpetuated online for a good couple years that Steven Universe is a naive cartoon written by someone who thinks you can just talk down fascists into not being so bad, with a few popular video essays from 2019 being made that denounced the show for such (including an infamous one you've probably heard of), when that is very much not what the show was going for.
When you put a show with complex characters tackling difficult issues in a space where people can only talk through simplified means of discussion, the resulting misunderstanding & heated debates lead to the rise of a fairly sizable hatedom that's only recently been cooling off through a gradual re-evaluation of the show & its themes. Hopefully, we'll come back to a space where Steven Universe isn't such a hot-button topic amongst online animation circles, though Future did help put out the flames a little through giving us a sizable epilogue to the main series. This show is a classic of 2010s animation, and I like it, and I have faith that others will as well.
the funny thing was they were never explicitly redeemed in the original show, only healing the gems to take responsibility. future definitely shows that while he's cordial with them they have not been forgiven, if anything they're spending future atoning for what they've done. yet people ignore that and miss everything pointing to what actually was intended
As an aside, I *love* that "Y'all Couldn't Handle [Insert Complex Character/Dynamic That Got Shunned By The Fandom]!" is a running gag/post now even for shows and fandoms/discourse before SU's time. Its so fucking funny that people are catching on that it keeps happening.
@@thirdcoinedgethe diamonds were shown constantly repenting despite everyone as a majority disliking them. their own pearls were snarky to them,(your time is over anyways),they're seen negatively(diamond stooge zircon) etc. I've seen people say that making the diamonds needed for the healing of gems js retroactive,I don't think so. this wasn't a plot point introduced randomly,it was hinted at during season 3 when peridot said era 2 was a time of a lack of resource. they are fixing their issues without being forgiven and that's the nuance. the difference is they could've changed their mind in a fleshed out way however we couldn't see that due to cancellation(can I say,Rebecca is insanely noble for doing what she did!!!). I think the biggest testament for steven not caring for the diamonds is how he actively pushes tje diamonds and spinel into an inherently unhealthy relationship(if it is healthy now is up for debate but the concept itself is unhealthy) just so the diamonds leave him alone. as a child,steven would offer spinel a home. but now,he's older,he's done,he just wants to live. brush past it. so what does he do? he uses someone as a replacement.
also on the treatment of bismuth,I agree. People need to realise that when rose and steven said shattering makes them equal to the diamonds,they're leaving out the context. imagine the disarray that WAS caused when pink disappeared. now imagine if they REALLY shattered her. steven saying they shouldn't shatter is him trying to resolve the root of the issue instead of killing people to get through it which fits in with the allegory of the diamonds being about family. bismuth wasn't proposing shattering JUST diamonds,but homeworld gems in general. gems who are brainwashed and also hurting. that's the issue in bismuths logic,she thinks every homeworld gem are all horrible. what about the rubies? the quatzes? would she really shatter them for following orders they're forced to at the risk of being shattered? if they're shattered either way,what's the point? that's why steven and Rose wouldn't want to shatter. it's not that they don't want to hurt anyone,it's the fact that if they did,it's counterintuitive.
like people lack SO much nuance and logical thinking they can't comprehend why steven universe went the way it did😭
Well said!
I think the problem with Star’s ending is that it felt stilted and unearned - now that I look back on Steven’s…yeah, that ending kind of made sense. A little bit rushed, but at least it didn’t end with murdering an entire civilization for a boy.
And this is probably because unlike Star’s actual 1-to-1 colonialism allegory, Steven’s whole story works by reanalyzing it as a metaphor, so it makes sense on its own logic.
I remember when watching Star Vs as it aired, the thing that jumped out at me the most was how it seemed like different writers were fighting for control. Episodes would contradict and retcon previous ones in an almost mean-spirited way. I think that whatever was causing the discord in the writers' room likely is the reason the ending felt so abrupt and unearned.
@@tsapreciousthing Exactly.
Jesus Christ loves you
This video feels like it’s too fancy for me like I gotta put a suit on
As someone who watched the og show as a young teen and future as an adult, it had hit so much harder and i cried a lot. It was painfully relatable and ultimately ended with the start of healing with the support of people you love. Rebecca's audience grew with the show and their team tackled the effects of trauma all in a kids show wonderfully.
FR!!! I felt literally the same, was so beautiful to grow with Steven
The way Future described CPTSD helped me understand my own immensely. I just wish Jasper's story had been resolved.
The one complaint I have will always be constantly shafting jasper after bubbled. Really weird direction that I never liked. Like why are we focusing on a gag character like navy when we could’ve had more time spent with a character that been there since the near beginning
If every pork chop was perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs
I didn’t even know C-PTSD was a thing until future came out and I’m so glad it came out when it did because that was exactly when my symptoms began to manifest. Without this show I really wonder how much longer it would have taken me to understand what was wrong and seek help.
@@hued2542 "X should have been explored further". Yes I have my wishes for ideas never explored. I wish we had more steven universe in general. But I am happy with how it concluded.
@@TheRockerXholy shit what a response. ❤️
This is why Steven Universe is my favourite cartoon. It has so much heart and soul. I teared up many times through this video, looking back at what Steven had gone through.
I will never get over SUF and the fact that I cried at least twice per episode 😅
The editor for this video (assumedly but not necessarily James) really understand the aesthetics of typefaces and how to incorporate them into UI design, holy shit
I've seen some compelling criticism of the way so many modern movies show structural problems as the issue, then have tidy resolutions where the protagonists evade these barriers without solving the actual structural issues. It's interesting and appropriate to see how some of this could be coming from the structure of how we tell stories systemically rather than just being individual problems with those stories.
Thank you for this video. I love Stephen Universe but I remember feeling sort of uncomfortable and ambiguous about Future. This really recontextualized it for me, and now I want to give it a rewatch. It's supposed to be a bit uncomfortable and messy and that's part of the story it was telling.
Stephen Universo
I really want to applaud you for tackling this topic in such an engaging way. I think this is one of my top 50 favorite TH-cam videos I've ever seen, it's so well constructed!
I've tried to share what I love about Steven Universe to friends of mine and a lot dismiss it because of the "fandom" or the reputation fans of Steven Universe have, or people who hate the show because of the diamonds ending or future ending in "One big hug." I felt a little guilty enjoying the show because of comments like those but your video really hit what I what I couldn't articulate. It helped me feel accepting of my own emotions about the show. Thank you for making this!
i feel like some people put an oversignificant attention to the ending as is taken out of context of the story's deeper narratives. I dunno, for me the 'one big hug' is made more enjoyable just because of what came before the hug, to what it is the resolution, and of what it took to get to this hug.
Great use of the K.A. Applegate quote about war. I was actually thinking about the ending of Animorphs specifically while watching SUF. To have an epilogue that functionally gets across the complications of life AFTER the story is a really special thing and the way you explored this within the conventions of story structure is very cool!
I'm only a third through the video but I just wanna say thank you for showing Star Vs some good faith and justice. I followed that show through most of its run, and I really appreciated the turns it took and the ending. It was definitely flawed, but it was brave as hell and had some really interesting ways of translating its themes. All I saw from the internet when it ended was vitriol and hatred and people screaming about how stupid it was. I think this is the first time in all those years since that I've seen anyone give SVTFOE the time of day and actually engage with what the work was trying to say and do, whether or not it did them perfectly.
Honestly, it's the first analysis I've seen that actually unpacks what the conclusion was trying to do, beyond the whole "Star basically committed a genocide and the show wants us to think that's fine now" complaint. It's not that the act of destroying magic entirely was without any sense, it thematically fits in erasing the power basis behind Mewni colonial monarchy, but in execution, it's a rushed solution that almost comes out of nowhere with dire implications that aren't really considered in favor of a romantic happy ending. Add on top of that the shipping bait across the fourth season, and you get kind of an unsatisfying resolution to the story. The story could've worked at the finish line, but it stumbled pretty hard, yet it still gave its all in trying to do right by the audience, and that's admirable. Better to take risks and fail than resign oneself to mediocre familiarity in storytelling.
@@thirdcoinedge very much agree, I wish it had had more time to get things right but it is what it is, and I still appreciate it. I'm glad there are people able to meet it halfway.
well Star never knew that destroying magic would kill those other creatures (only Glossyarick told her he'd be gone in the 2nd last episode) and the season was rushed into finishing sooner than the previous 3
THANK YOU for making a good video about suf, feels like whenever i see people talk about it, they say how much they dont like it, which sucks because its so, so good. like i would talk about it for hours if i could. i love the ambiguity of the endings that you talked about, like pink pearls eye. sure, it would be nice to know what happened, but at the same time... it doesnt really matter. and in a weird way, its not the audiences business. what mattered was the journey, the lessons learned, the things that changed. and like rebecca said and part of the point of the video, endings arent really endings. theyre the end of something, and the start of something else. and that really is just life.
Thank you so much for showing Steven Universe so much love and appreciation. It’s easily one of my top favorite series but toxicity as overcome the random it seems. Hope Rebecca Sugar sees this video too.
I really appreciate this video because I think you manage to do something not a lot of other media analysis videos of this sort try to do. You look at Steven Universe as a STORY, rather than simply interpreting all the events as 1:1 analogies for real-life people and situations. The SU fandom especially is rife with rather toxic discourse that sees real-world actions through a very black and white lens and assumes the show must be analyzed the same way, and so the Diamonds not getting punitive or retributive justice despite being "literal space dictators" is seen as a moral failing on the part of the showrunners and necessarily means the end of the show is Bad. There's a lot more nuance to be found and deeper, more interesting discussions you can have when you approach it like you do, as a story.
Future is my favorite piece of (official) SU media and I love seeing an analysis of why it's so emotionally compelling which doesn't only discuss it as an allegory to real-life trauma. While that is a big factor in why it's compelling for many people, I think the mark of a good story is that it remains compelling even if you yourself have not had experiences similar to those of the characters. This video is a great look at why Future does that so brilliantly.
My excitement when you referenced Animorphs' ending knows no end. It was exactly what I had in mind as you were describing why that part of LOTR mattered to its theme.
i know it’s only been an hour but i’m shocked this has less than a thousand views. i was fully expecting to open the description and see 2 million+. this video is great and you totally deserve to be the next big video essay sensation
it’s crazy bc i really enjoyed this video and agreed with the main points but i HATED SU future when i watched it
Omg, and a good faith and honest analysis of the Star VS finale to boot?? Magnificent!
it needed another season i think?
This is honestly one of the best written video essays about Steven Universe Future! Thank you for this video!
17:43 hey I just wanted to bring this up since I don't see any comments about it yet. it doesn't invalidate any of your very good points so far but they're actually is a way to see Steven's quest dismantling the diamond empire in the video game "Steven universe unleash the light" it makes sense that most fans who only watch the show wouldn't be aware of it or have experienced it but of the three Steven universe games it feels like the one that has the most narrative importance and was a bit of a clever tactic to let the fandom both experience Steven taking down the diamond empire, while not dedicating the Steven universe movie or future eplogue to it.
I haven't finished the video yet so you might bring it up later but I just wanted to mention it in the hopes that someone looking forward to seeing those adventures learns about the game through this comment.
It's is very lovely SU video and I enjoyed it a lot, but that little segment about Star vs the forces of evil was very thoughtful and I don't think I've heard people discuss it's theme and ending a lot. If You ever feel like talking about this show more, I would love to watch that
What a satisfying watch. Thanks for reminding me how great SU was.
wow what a wonderful video this was. I feel like SU: Future is such an under-analyzed show. I'd love to see more about it. This show is so important to me, so thank you for taking the time and care to make this
I'm happy Future exists, but I agree it felt a little shapeless. I can imagine an alternate-reality SUF where they split the season in 2, using the first half to show Steven and co bouncing around the cosmos exploring the world of the Diamond Empire and tackling loose threads, maybe with some foreshadowing about Steven's trauma. Then have a mid-season finale where Steven decides he needs to go back to Earth, release the movie, and then you're set up nicely for a final arc where we can focus on the "Steven is really hurting" character beat.
Wow, I never knew the origin of the Freytag model -- I remember learning it in grade school (yes, with "resolution" at the end), but nobody ever told me where it came from.
Wonderful video! Very interesting, well-structured, and thoughtful analysis.
For being a flawed show, it is still wonderful in many ways. Like, I'm sometimes surprised it exists. It really has something special about, while being flawed. But it's flawed in such a way it feels human. It's inspiring nonetheless, it's just the vibes I can't explain in a simple comment.
It's very rare a show gets an epilogue. Most are cut short, not even able to properly finish its story or have to relay it so quickly, it loses so much. It's especially awkward when a show is forced to rush its ending, but then get an epilogue to tie some loose ends. Why do the corpos bait them so much? "Finish it now!" "Nevermind, here's an epilogue." Like, it's a bit late, but we'll make it work?
Steven Universe was about Steven coming to terms with being a Gem. Steven Universe: Future was about Steven coming to terms with being a human.
17:44 I mean to be fair, we do see him at 15 doing exactly that, the light games are canon and Unleash the Light shows him dismantling the empire still after Change Your Mind
I didn't know that original five act structure with climax and falling action was meant to cullminate in a tragic catastrophe. What a neat little tidbit that helpfully contextualizes the story telling mechanism of Hero reckoning with the aftermath.
I love all your content but I found you for your SU stuff first, and I'm so delighted that you're still happy to go back and discuss such an interesting show with so much heart. A lot of fans seem to have pretty mixed responses to Future, but I do love that the crew got a chance to genuinely say goodbye to the characters and world they built, and I loved being along for that ride.
I always avoided re-watching Future when I go about my regular SU re-watches, because I didn't know how to take it. I saw it as nice and cute, but not necessarily that impactful, but MAN! what a way of giving me a reason to see it from a new perspective ♥ Thank you for taking the time to analyze it with so much care
I love this channel so much. It’s one of, if not the only, channels I slow down to actually watch the videos. By that I mean, I usually watch videos at 1.5x or 2x speed, but every new release from you warrants regular speed. Literally every single video is awe-inspiring.
Another peak SU! I'm glad Future has been giving more love recently
Lovely video, the way you described the problems, your viewpoints and positive examples was very informative, but enjoyable to follow.
Really great job, it was a really nice seeing a video from you again in my subscriptions
I’m so glad I didn’t include myself in the SU fandom growing up. I always watched the Steven Bombs when they came out and Future was incredibly comforting for me and it still is on my top 10 cartoons for my list!
Yes agreed. Finally a video where the positives and a comprehension of the deeper narratives are understood and praised.
Man, that Rose quote made me tear up with the added context of Steven's growth in Future.
"There are no happy endings, because nothing ends." - Schmendrick the Magician, The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle.
I can't believe a part of your video had me thinking "Oh, like K.A. Applegate?" AND THEN YOU BROUGHT HER UP
This video is so well made. It really got me thinking and invested.
Absolutely killer video as always, love to hear what you have to say and I always feel I learn something new and gain a new perspective on one of my favorite shows
i love his redesign as he gets older and the difference between the movie and the Future series, the choice of making his normally bright red shirt to an opposing blue in the movie, to a black with the star still there and the jacket being pale pink--- the blue being a calm for himself, and the black highlighting his internal change and the void he feels not being able to solve problems paired with his lack of safety from the movie
Friggin hell this show already gets me so emotional, but then you had to go an play Rose's tape again. Truly excellent video and great perspective. Thanks for uploading.
in true steven universe fashion, even though i am working right now and am listening to this video essay in my office, by the end i was already crying. incredible video, thank you
James, you are LITERALLY one of my most favorite youtuber. Holy shit. That's amazing. Thanks for the great analysis!
Your Steven universe videos are truly the best
At first i didnt like future, then i realozed i just didnt want steven to be sad lol i appreciate it a lot more now.
this is a lovely video, i love all your steven universe content 🤍
God damn this is one of the most impressive analyses videos I've seen. It really got me to broaden my understand of story telling, and yeah, great job. Even got me to tear up at the whole growing up speech.
You've got a knack for explaining and structuring your essays like narratives. That reveal of Catastrophe at the end was a legit plot twist, it got me good lol. And this makes me think about my current personal for-fun project (a crossover fanfiction between SU post-Future and the superhero web novel Worm) much differently. Steven couldn't be a hero anymore in his world, and he had to come to terms with that; what happens when he's forced to be a hero in a world that expects different things from its heroes than Steven is willing to do? Steven is still on a journey of self-acceptance, so he's already used to trying to answer unanswerable questions and take trips that don't really have destinations, which is something I wanted to explore in my story... I should really get back to writing it lol.
Holy shit, fellow Worm reader spotted.
The Worm universe wouldn't know what the hell to do with Steven; master 12+, brute, shaker, mover, breaker, healing, telepathic powers??? RESSURECTION???
Oh my god I just realised, corrupted steven is an Endbringer.
I could go on for hours, it's so interesting to consider the implications of a character like Steven being dropped into that world. How does Steven resolve conflicts in a world where conflict is being enforced by a near omnipotent, omnipresent force?
I've deleted so many different idea's I've had, so, mad props for even attempting to fit Steven into that world; It's honestly so jarring but clearly it's sparked a million different possibilities in my head...the diamonds are related to the entity's, either created by them, or they're literally tiny shards that have taken on forms of hard light...maybe the cluster was a subconscious attempt at creating a new entity?...is white diamond the queen administrator shard? it explains the hivemind mentality, and she does seem to be the only one still tapped into the shard network...i digress.
This is such an excellent analysis video, not just of SU (and Star Vs) but of the storytelling structure in general!
🎉 an absolutely fantastic episode! Educational, affecting, and well written!
You’ve showed me why I should love stories even more. That is how I won’t to write… that is the beauty I see in art….
Love your SU and Storytelling Essays. ❤
This is amazing, in both quality and contents.
I love the editing and production of this vid
This was a wonderful video! I hope it pops off later
37:52 - I love how SU: Future brings Rose's videotape full circle with its ending song, Being Human. Steven has faced immense strife externally and internally, and he will continue to face conflicts even if the major external threats have been resolved, or at least neutralized. Despite these conflicts, or perhaps because of them, he has achieved what his mother had always sought for him. He can be human now. He can try new things and go to new places. And little by little, he will continue to change, challenge himself, heal himself, and grow as a person.
"Just a little time.
Just a little something that I need.
Just a little time.
Just a little something, gaining speed.
I'm dreaming of,
Going, going, going, going somewhere else.
Being, being, being, being human."
My biggest issue with Future is ... Steven doesn't seem to accept that Rose wasn't horrible at the end. The self-loathing he faces is even similar to hers in some ways, yet there's never a moment when the understanding of her perspective clicks. He almost seemed to undertand back when he sang "Familiar," but he still referred to Rose's breakdowns as "tantrums," and that the Diamonds who abused her "love" her. It's a very frustrating part of the story in my opinion, that the story ends with him still thinking of her very poorly. It didn't have to be a huge part of the story, I just wish there was some moment somewhere.
I understand that it's Steven's story, but given that he's the protagonist, his demonization of her results in many viewers shoving Rose's complexity aside and branding her as "the real villain all along."
Also, with everyone ending up so much better off in Future's conclusion, one could argue that it's implying that everyone is happier in the long run because Rose ended her own life. 😬 I've even seen people posting that doing so was "the best thing she did."
@@klg9549 No I definitely feel you, and while I think Steven understood her final message and intent for him by the end of Future (even if he doesn't fully connect his growth to her desire for him to be human), I do think it's a big miss that the show never shows him getting closure regarding his feelings about her.
There's a number of videos floating around on TH-cam that essentially state that Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz got their character development in reverse. I think this is a cool concept, but by not bringing this style of storytelling full circle, the show ends with her portrayed as a villain rather than a morally gray character. All the way through Future, mentions of Rose still fall into the "golly gee, another mess my mom made" bucket that's quite dismissive of her character. And Steven is never challenged on this view by anyone else. No one encourages him to re-evaluate his feelings for his mother. Even the other diamonds are far less demonized than her despite doing far, far more heinous acts. I've seen some people argue that because Rose gave her life to Steven, she denied herself the opportunity to fully atone for her sins like we see the other diamonds doing in Future. But I think this is a bit reductive - her decision to create Steven was a complex one, and the show only barely touches on that complexity.
SU Future would have definitely been better if the show took even just a few minutes for Steven to reflect on his mother's life - not only her sins but her good deeds as well. I'm not saying Steven would have to "forgive" her or wipe away any bad feelings, but I think him articulating and understanding her desires would have tied nicely into the show's conclusion where he leaves on a journey of self-discovery. Perhaps it's something his therapist would cover with him - but we as the audience unfortunately never got to see this and I think it's a shame.
your ability to analyze story is awesome. really cool videos, subbing :)
Aaahhhhh omg yes!!! This is my favourite channel on TH-cam so I literally squealed seeing a new upload
A really excellent essay, great work as usual!
I love your steven universe videos so much, thank you
I miss this show sm 😭
I’ve always loved Future! I feel like people didn’t like it when it came out but it’s such a great character analysis that I feel like we don’t get from lots of shows
Your videos are always the best! So thought provoking and informative ❤. Always a delight to see a great video on SU and SUF too, they are some of my favorites and I love how they told their stories.
Good video! On the different story structure systems and shapes; though he is a twit, I've always been partial to Dan Harmon's story circle which draws from the standard hero's journey but formalises it into something more useful.
When a character goes through an arc, they end up with fundamental difference of opinion from their past self. The conflict of an epilogue can be between those two people, or some representation of them. Steven’s conflict can be between the personal identity he’s made peace with and the image others project onto him. The hobbits’ conflict is between their new active roles as heroes and the complacent culture they came from
Being in a fight is always a bad thing, even if it's necessary to accomplish your goal or whatever, it will take a toll on you
thx for the upload man just what I needed today
Finally a good video on future
I can relate a lot of this to Mass Effect and its epilogue, the Citadel DLC. Very good video!
the fact that you're not fucking massive yet is a failure of the youtube system my man. i love the passion and effort felt behind each of your projects.
"You're supposed to change" -Rose
It’s so crazy how good this show is. I’ve been watching it since it first premiered in 2014, and I would have been 7. Now I am 17 and I’m still finding new reasons to love this show.
oh i love that u used this arab melody for background music more people should its a banger and grabs attention easily
The change to The Return of the King works for me because, at least as it's depicted in the films, it isn't about returning home and seeing it changed, the shire stays pristine because the end is about even though the shire may have stayed the same untouched by the horrors of the war, our heroes haven't and they are irrevocably changed and have to learn to live with that difference. Something I honestly find equally interesting
SOOO GOOD AS USUAL 🥹🥹🫶🫶🫶
Great video!
What a fucking great analysis! Amazing work, thank you so much 😊
Damn you, James, making me cry over my lunch!!
Amazing analisis. I admit that Steven Universe Future was done well but that doesn't mean that i will ever like it, and that's ok. It inspired me to do something out of it that will be liked by people like me and i think that's more important than if i like SUF or not.
The animation is superb
25:35 "we sing songs about heroes who die in the name of peace, but what about those who Live in the name of peace? Those who tend the gardens, who plant the trees whose shade they'll never sit in. Is that not also an act of heroism deserving of song?" Holy shit okay give me a second like oh boi that's a lot 😭
I hope one day I have my own show, and I’ll have the opportunity to sit down and see you analyze it as so
oh you ate with thi-why am i crying
Love when you talk about SU
Kept showing that clip of White Diamond pulling out Steven's gem, are you trying to upset us?
Always.
@@JamesWoodall You're sick. SICK!
I'm glad the scouring never made it to the movie. It's a filler arc at the end of the movie when you want to go to the bathroom or beat the traffic. It would be like if Jedite showed up at the end of Sailor Moon Stars and took over the Sailor's high school in a plot for revenge.
These are the reasons why SU isn’t just a great show, it’s an important show.
Uhuhu thanks for covering more Steven Universe with your analysis James Woodall!!
speechless ❤️
Incredible
Gustav Freytag sounds way different from how I thought he would.
great video :)
"How many more times must I kill that girl and her dog. Zero will not tell me anything. Tell me Wufei!." mobile suit Gundam wing endless waltz. i think Gundam wing and especially the epilogue movie endless waltz shows that just because a main conflict is resolved that it is not resolved for everyone. from the people left behind to the soldiers(child soldiers for the gundam pilots and others) who know not what peace is and what do with themselves after the fight
Me: *reenacts the ending of "Rising Tides, Crashing Skies"*
Steven Universe is a show I still quote to this day