Honestly, after the show ended, the townie episodes aren't really bad anymore, and are a lot easier to appreciate, since the biggest problem with them was how they would interrupt the overarching story after a wait of many months for a new episode. If they didn't release new episodes with such a large gap in between them, it would have been less of a problem. Getting one after a week's wait is a lot easier to stomach vs over half a year in some cases.
Honestly I thought the worst part of the townie episodes was more CN’s fault for its stupid erratic schedule as it tried to kill the show, I love Slice of Life stuff and feel it an underrated genre
I blame the Steven bombs too. Like it was so hyped we get 5 episodes a week which can range from gem related stuff and townie episodes. But AFTER its over, we had to wait weeks or MONTHS for a new episode. Had it been like normally scheduled weekly, it wouldnt have been frustrating
thank you CN for showing TTGO and We Bare Bears(actually good show tho) instead of this *Gem Harvest PTSD* AND WHEN THE SHOW NEVER DIED, They went Steven Universe future Mood.... not cool
Garnet was my fav. She let Steven be a kid and tried to teach him intentional lessons rather than letting her traumas or the results of her carelessness guide him (like Pearl/Greg and Amethyst). In a way she's the only properly functioning adult in a room full of adults that still act like children. I think that was one of my biggest gripes. Like... why are we forcing Steven to be a kid until it comes down to dumping emotional baggage? xD
It makes it much more impactful when garnet does fall apart and we see the toll of being the leader can take on her. But she never let's her personal issues affect Steven and the gems unlike pearl and amethyst but also doesn't know when to ask for a helping hand early on.
because on some level the gems are a walking disaster that are only managing to hold themselves together visibly for the sake of the child in the room, at least that's my takeaway. They go into it more but they really did lean on and respect Rose waaaaay more than they probably should've.
@@edfreak9001 well they didn't really know she was as bad as she was except pearl. But yes this is exactly true the only reason garnet isn't is because of sapphire. But the gems are all effectively children but that excuse falls flat it because they don't convey it well. They have been around on earth so long aswell, early seasons it was easier to except they didn't know certain things but with rose and how long they were on earth they should have developed a lot more. The crystal gems are completely out of there depths on a foreign planet that has no rigid structure they are for the first time on earth themselves and not just there gems but for the length of time they were there with rose they shouldn't be they way they are.
I actually really liked the look of the pilot. It's kind of like Rebecca Sugars old art where it's extremely detailed, giving it this wonky yet charming look.
@@dragonoverdrive6859maybe they changed it because they wanted to differentiate the show from Adventure Time? I love the pilot but some of those background pieces SU has after they changed the style are legit stunning.
i think what a lot of people don’t realize about the townie episodes is that, steven’s human half is just as much a part of him as his gem half. it’s just as important to his character.
Its not really a valid argument as if its really important to his character is certainly not important to the story. I used to be hyped fotlr this series, looking back I realise it was just a big waste of time
its a story about steven, and steven is half human, so yes, the townie episodes are just as important to his character as the gem episodes. they may not always progress the overarching plot, but thats fine?? steven isnt just a vessel for which the viewers are meant to experience a singular gem war plot line.
@@radudancoroian5169 I don’t like the townie episodes but this is a silly point. Not everything in a show has to serve the overarching narrative. There were quite a few episodes in Avatar that literally didn’t serve the main plot whatsoever but instead expanded the lore, characters and world. A lot of Steven universe filler episodes serve the characters and world. The problem for me isn’t that they were townie episodes, I just didn’t think they were entertaining or written well enough.
@@mojo.s4669 I half agree with you, but it irks me that you'd compare a shitshow like Steven Universe to a masterpiece like Avatar. For filler to be interesting, it does have to still be important and connect with the "overarching narrative". And no, I don't mean it has to further the plot, but it does have to connect to the story. Otherwise it feels like some weird deviation from whatever it is we're watching. Take Avatar for example: The episode where Jet makes his first appearance. Yes, I do consider that to be filler, as it doesn't have anything to do with Aang's mastering of the four elements, which is the plot of the show. However, it is still connected via the fact that Jet is a victim of the Fire Nation's ruthless genocide, and he uses that pain to seek revenge on an innocent Fire Nation village. Not only do you get to understand the pain of the survivors, but you also start to understand that not every survivor is innocent. You really get a sense of connection with the characters, and you also start to understand the deeper, morally grey aspects of the war and the rebellion. Now let's look at a filler episode from Steven Universe: The episode where Steven starts (and ends) the restaurant war between the pizza and fry restaurants (this is just one example of... painfully too many). Not only am I already lacking interest in these characters due to their poor writing and relatability, but now I get to witness them beef (no pun intended) over food fusion. One could even interpret their animosity as a refusal to let "different sides mix", so to speak. And I really do not like that message. But of course, it's just a silly food episode and it doesn't matter. But... if that doesn't matter, then why is it happening? What is this showing us? Can you really consider that "expanded lore"? Who gives a shit about pizza vs. fries when a literal *war* is going on between space gems and Earth itself? It's a pointless episode that teaches you nothing about the characters, the plot, or the world--except for "this episode is really stupid and I will skip it if I ever decide to come back to this series". Back to Avatar again: The episode where the Gaang is in Ba Sing Se, having their own separate adventures. Once again, this may not have much to do with the overall plot in terms of advancing it, but it is still an episode that helps you understand the struggles every character is going through. After all, it's the episode where you get to see Iroh mourning his deceased son; a soldier lost to the very war he aided. We get to see Toph struggle with the idea of being pampered, or with Zuko's reluctance to mingle with other people due to his own internal battle over his morality. It's interesting, topical, and it helps you understand the story as a whole. Not a single Steven Universe filler episode helped me understand the story better. The filler episodes were often confusing, pointless, and boring. ...Which, of course, is caused by poor writing, as you already said.
Pearl is my favorite too. Her strong reaction to Lion and her insistence that Rose never kept things from HER, hits a LOT heavier after a certain episode in later seasons. Then you look back across the series and see it was always there, why Pearl acts the way she does. This show wasn't jaw-droppingly amazing or anything, but the bits that worked REALLY worked.
Pearl has by far the most story to digest. Amethyst is mainly about her origins and inadequacy and i believe Garnet even stated that as soon as she fused, everything felt right (except her future sight). Pearl is left with the tragic story of a liberated slave falling in love with her saviour, starting a rebellion with her, only for that saviour to sacrifice her life for a relationship she was jealous of and is now a parent to the resulting child. That's...a lot to unpack.
I also like how Pearl's neurotic personality only makes sense after you know her backstory. You'd expect a war criminal to be rebellious whereas Pearl is initially presented as someone who is obsessed with compartmentalisation. It only makes sense when you understand that ( partly, at least ) comes from having so many things to keep for herself.
The problem with the Townie episodes wasn't that they existed, it was that the creators didn't know how to structure their seasons later on so we end up suddenly going from big plot points that clearly affect characters or leave a clear problem that needs to be solved on the loose, and then next episode Steven's having shenanigans with the townies and everyone's acting like the previous episode never happened and X thing isn't out there causing trouble.
Like the whole Lars being left in space running away from diamond authorities with other gems who would get destroyed if caught and steven decided to frown about Connie and talk with towns' people for 5 episodes without even telling Lars parents about what happened to him, oh and their excuse is that Connie stole lion from steven so he couldn't help Lars until they settled their pity drama. By far the is probably the worst part I remember of this show
True! Plus, it didn’t help that (from what I could understand) the Steven Universe future season was kinda being rushed to conclude, which I just find an absolute bummer.
My biggest problem is the humans are just annoying and don't do anything with the worldbuilding. At least with homeworld centric episodes, you're usually uncovering more information about the series or world. Most of the time with the townies, you're just retreading old ground because one of the human citizens had another fit again.
And there would be huge hiatuses for slice-of-life episodes. Not a problem on rewatch, but at the time? Yeah. Imagine if Hunter x Hunter were doing a filler arc for the past decade and not the most fascinating thing yet.
Steven Universe will forever hold such a special place in my heart. It's far from perfect, and it definitely suffered from being rushed some of the time, but I'll never understand the vitriolic hate it got (and sometimes still gets)
@@azathoththe3rdwhat really made me mad was the Lilly orchard videos slandering Steven universe. I saw comments on those videos saying that that some of those people watched her videos and hated Steven universe. Then they actually watched it for themselves and they liked it. They regret hating on it now. Lesson is, don’t hate something you haven’t even watched. Don’t judge what you feel about something based upon other peoples words.
@@gavin5724 Yeah Lily Orchards videos are so terrible. I can understand not liking Steven Universe, it might just not be for you, but she full on despises it, and I just don't get how you can really hate a kids show that much. I got to watch Steven Universe somewhat recently without knowing about anyone's opinions before going in, and I loved it.
I feel like part of the hate comes from the fandom, it didn’t help it’s reputation considering the fact the fandom bullied a 13 year old artist so hard she attempted suicide and when she lived the fandom told her to try again. It definitely leaves a huge negative impact on it
@@bahamakazi yeah the fandom for a lot of genuine good shows can turn people off from it. Another fandom is the MHA fandom, where the credits got death threats for not having a ship happen, and that caused them to supposedly finish the manga sometime soon.
Amethyst is personally my favorite of the 3 and I think a large part of that is the fact that she acts so much like an actual older sister would with steven, it feels refreshing almost to have a healthy sibling relationship in media.
The thing about amethyst is that pearl and garnet have a lot of baggage. Amethyst started out the same, with immense self-loathing, retreading the same ground with her character. The only difference between them is that in the later seasons, they dump that plotline altogether, and Amythyst blatantly states to Steven that you have more significant problems. I won't be one of them. Because of that, that amethyst is by far the best of the three. Although they all had the same issues, it constantly felt like we were retreading the same ground with each character and it god old, FAAAAST.
I actually appreciate the character Lars going a long time without really internalizing the hard truths about his faults. It's very human, people have a hard time changing. It makes when Lars DOES do something selfless AND without being shamed or guilted into it that much more impactful. Might have been an accident due to restrictions but it ends up working better than most.
Lars development also highlights the clearest problem of the finale season. It took years of harsh lessons and Stevens kindness and wisdom to slowly change Lars for the better, going from an insecure albeit realistically selfish teen boy to an independent and well rounded young adult, but like an hour in universe to completely redeem all three of the universes most evil space Hitler's.
I wished they varied in how effective as people are different, some do change more than others,including Gems and dioamonds. I had the concept that due to their personalities would show their moral standpoint, Blue is emotionally Divided and fueled by that flaw with the additiona of her sisters manipulating her naivity to their plans😢. Yellow feels justified in her vandetta, who unhealthy deals with her loss through her work of conquering to sort of forget about it.😐 White diamond should've just leaned into being simple evil, as those are fine aslong as they work to enhance the themes or not overstay their welcome, so her being the only Greates challenge tosward Stevens kindness to where He's forced to make her an exception.😈 Would be really intersting. Blue would change as a result of being more willing to reflect and partly well missing key details that got her to understand just how bad what she did was. Yellow would Be way longer, not impossible but difficult as a result of how she's used to dealing with her problems. White's ash for Deserved reason of refusing to make up for her consequenses so she becomes her own failure.@@TheDirvish
My brother was really into it back when it 1st started airing and really wanted me to watch the show with him. So I tried to get into it but it was just a bit to "Oh my feels!" for me to be able to get into it. Plus not to mention that the fandom was absolutely toxic! Like there was this 1 time where I had a feeling that the creator Rebecca Sugar was bisexual about a year before she came out as bisexual yet when I tried being like "Is she bi? I'm kinda getting that vibe from her" I remember a bunch of fans being all like "OMFG! Don't assume peoples sexuality!!!" only for her to come out like a year later.
this video reminded me that, although a lot of the series has aged poorly, between inconsistencies, rushed or dropped plotlines, character derailment (or straight up assassination), but when it got good, it got *so* damn good, that it made up for many of its bad aspects. episodes like rose's scabbard, story for steven, the answer, mr greg, earthlings, mindful education, that will be all, reunited, are such bangers and as standalone episodes, are just delightful. heck, even a single pale rose, one of the most controversial episodes in the series, has an absolutely spectacular buildup to the big reveal, with everything from the composition, colouring and music, it's just a work of art. so yeah, although i don't love it like i did 6-7 years ago, there's still enough good about it to remain a fond series to think back to
The problem is that the show was never funny, and completely bound by the time and circumstances of its release. The era in which it aired had complex themes regarding LGBT representation which will necessarily become dated at worst or a near curiosity at best as LGBT issues no longer remain as novel. Lesbian rock aliens getting married is only as impactful as it is novel. Without the novelty, it’s objectively pandering and cringeworthy how much the show trades substance and entertainment for promoting a message.
@@TheBuckweat33 true, one of its main selling points was how ahead of its time it was in terms of LGBT rep, which has since changed given how more and more media (both mainstream and indie) include LGBT themes. i'd still argue that, aside from those, it still dealt with a lot of other themes (loss, trauma, racism, etc.) which had at least adequate execution (until it didn't, like soft redeeming the diamonds...) maybe i'm biased, but i think ruby and sapphire had a greatly developed relationship and their wedding wasn't just pandering, but a culmination of their respective character arcs, since it was symbolic of them *choosing* to stay together, rather than just sticking together because of circumstances.
@@anthares96 I agree completely, but that doesn’t change the optics of the event, which nevertheless cheapens it. Just as Obama is both lauded and stained by being the first black president, so too is any “progressive first.” Even if there are independent reasons to like or hate the event/ figure, it will never overcome the optics of being the “first” to the broader cultural context. Steven universe had a lot of “firsts” with respect to LGTBQ representation in children’s cartoons. Even if the themes can be enjoyed or disliked independently from this novelty, the novelty will always remain and will influence the legacy of the show. That’s, for better or worse, how pop culture works nowadays imo.
Actually I’m thinking a part of the backlash (NOT ALL OF IT) is from anti-woke edgelords who use it as an easy target because of the LGBT themes and the creator being bi
Please talk about the rest of this series. You've done a great job reminding me I genuinely loved this show as a kid. The negative discourse has had such an effect on me that I had forgotten all of the positive impact the series has had in my childhood.
Honestly I really enjoyed the show. I remember watching it with my brother when ever new episodes came out. It hd a lot of good concepts and ideas. The characters where really good. The music was incredible and I think it explored a lot of topics really well. Like abuse, CPTSD, LGBT, ableism, friendship and the falling out of friendships, and hell even addressing the fandoms own bs some times. It had it’s faults in its delivery but it got the ball rolling for a lot of other shows to be comfortable covering those topics. This show for me came out at the right time cause usually when I had a issue I would remember the show and the lesson it taught me. I was also in a very similar boat to Steven growing up and when I went to college I suffered a lot of issues Steven faced in Steven Universe future when it came to overcoming trauma and moving on in life. Which I haven’t seen a lot of other shows do. The ending of the original show was definitely rushed though and I wish it could of been more fleshed out. The town episodes where good but the hiatus sucked. Also the fandom was just terrible but that’s not really Rebecca Sugars fault.
While season 1 was simple, I adored it because I was a child at the time. Watching it made me feel comfortable. It was cozy, and I felt heard. Steven was the kid character that no one believed could handle himself or was mature enough to go on missions. In my family, kids are supposed to assist the adults and not express themselves without being chastised.
I grew up with the same family dynamic, I am in my 30's and still struggling with everything I endured. And to tie in Steven U, I didn't start feeling comfortable with my own interests or life goals til after my mom passed. Ayooo
I was always so confused why people didn't care for the first season as much as the others. Sure, it's not story-driven, but it gives you a reason to care about the characters. It's honestly my favorite season. So much charm
Honestly. While the first season isn't story-driven, lore-heavy, or barely has any mystery like The Owl House, She-Ra, Amphibia, or Gravity Falls, it was still amazing how they can make an episode enjoyable in 11 minutes back in season 1. It had a good balance of slice-of-life, character-driven, and story-driven than other seasons. I'll even go far as to say that this is the best first season of any modern cartoon like TOH, She-Ra, and Amphibia IMO.
It’s a mix between the hazards airing schedule, fans now having higher expectations after knowing what the show is capable of and wanting to see more lore and a change of standards as consumers and producers. A real mix between stories becoming more story driven, that not jelling really well with attracting new viewers due to lack of being to hop on from any point, lowering attention spans and shows getting cancelled sooner with far less episodes being made. It’s honestly such a shame considering things like early 2000’s anime specifically have spread to make so many people allergic to the concept of filler on principle. And with how much of an arm’s race stories are at for hour attention. It really has lead to becoming disillusioned and even outright denouncing and viewing a show, game, book, movie etc inferior because it doesn’t get to “the point” right away. And even in stories better than something like SU, there’s sometimes a lost art with how these stories begin due to having everything important or interesting the series had having to be shat out in the span of episode 1 and just leaves the episode weirdly often feeling bloated with little to say on its own. Sorta like those MCU movies/shows complaints people have where it feels like it’s more obsessed with hyping up what’s to come over what’s right in front of us. When you do that in the first season or even an episode, depending on the length, you can completely miss the point of what a first episode is designed to do and leave viewers confused on what an average normal day in this world is even like (cause obviously they’re not expositing a 70 page essay everyday) People can rag on them all you want, but I genuinely have a fonder appreciation for stuff like early Avatar tla, lord of the rings, bone, SU, one piece etc. While the stuff that comes later is objectively better, the slower humble beginnings are the contrast that help make those later moments hit in the first place. Instead of spending 5 mins explaining 20 years of history and characters we actually get to take our time learning, chilling, living, existing and just growing fond of these characters organically and naturally over time, rather than by force.
I think that's the main reason why nobody really cared for the first season at the time. It wasn't story driven so didn't really have much of a hook. In all honesty after the story concluded I couldn't really rewatch Steven again
I think people often forget that the show is called "Steven Universe" and not "The Crystal Gems". Not every episode is gonna be about the war between magical space rocks.
In my opinion,the story started to get really good when peridot was introduced. Seeing another gem other than the main 4 peaked my interest heavily to the point where i would watch that episode over and over. The half hour special when peridot, Lapis, and jasper came to earth was the most hype i experianced; seeing garnet ( the strongest of the 4) getting taken down in secconds was when i knew shit was going down. And when it was reaveled that garnet was a fusion, i was genuinely shocked. Her fighting jasper while singing the best song in the show, "stronger than you," gave me goosebumps and when that episode finished, i was left wanting more. Seeing those two episodes live where amazing. Sorry for the long paragraph, i just wanted to share my experiance with this show and how amazing it was at certain points.
I also used to be a big fan of Steven Universe. It was my favorite show of all time, and I remember how heartbroken I was when I saw the finale of The Future series. Looking at the show now, I definitely can see it’s issues but damn… people are way too harsh on the show online
I think the main reason why there's so much hate about the show is (like probably every other popular/hyped thing) because of the fanbase... I remember the story of a fan trying to take her life after getting death threats for a fanart of Rose Quartz. And well there were a lot of annoying (young) fans flooding the internet everywhere, just like the Fnaf or Mlp fandom(or Bts, Gacha, etc..). Unfortunately then people start on shit on the show instead of fans that are misbehaving but well that's the internet. I enjoyed the show too but I kinda dropped out around season 3 or 4 because I finished school and started working and didn't had that much free time watching cartoons anymore.
I think for some, this show did a good job helping progress grief and change. I lost my mother very close to the episodes where Steven questions if he really knew his mom and difficulties of realizing he would never get to ask. My entire world shifted but the show gave me comfort not just because I had grown attached to the characters beforehand but it started to feel like the show was taking my hand and trying to teach me how to keep going. This obviously doesn't mean that Steven Universe is good by any means, but I think because the show was willing to focus on, explain and express a wide range of emotions it connected to people who have gone through similar experiences
The show is good, though. It's not perfect, but it's not major bad. It's not 2016 it's okay. You're not gonna get doxxed for complimenting Steve universe
At the end you said that fans who think you weren’t positive enough might get mad, but really you were overall extremely positive on this show, every criticism you gave was completely valid and I can’t figure most people would get mad about them. It’s honestly refreshing to see in the sea of unconditional hate this show gets, and I’d be very interested to see you cover more of it and see how you tackle it.
I was very confused at the end of what he said, but I now understand the ending that he was positive enough. (Yes, I did see the entire video. Don't think I'm stupid,I did like the show. I just thought Sonic Boom TV Show was Funnier.)
The episode where pearl freaks out about rose is the first episode i saw as a kid and the scene where steven hugs pearl has always stuck with me i think the emotional aspects are what makes steven universe shines
I started rewatching the show recently. It’s a lot of fun. It has its flaws, but I think it’s one of the better shows of it’s time. Along with Regular Show and Adventure Time, this show made so many kids, teens and even adults have fun with cartoons again. Like those two, it took A LOT of risks in storytelling, jokes and character designs, and was one of the best shows at the time. Flaws and all, it’s a good show, imo.
30:33 I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that Mirror/Ocean Gem was intended to be the *series* finale in case they weren’t picked up for any more episodes after that point, and I can definitely see it on rewatch
Steven Universe was a very important series for me. I think it was the first show that I tried to follow everything about it online: the fan arts, discussions, the news and the subtitled episodes. And although I regret some parts of it (seriously I think I got into fandom culture too early, I wasn't ready for how overagressive people were about this show online). I can't deny it's influence on my life.
Seriously though. Stevens forgiving and peaceful nature influenced me soo much as a kid since I loved the show sm. Even to this day I still cherish it and how its made me a better person from the start
@@brunokamiyama4296 I think this was one of the things that attracted me to the show. Steven was less chaotic and bombastic that alot of show's protagonists at the time.
holy cow, are you me? this show was the first piece of media i ever really cared about that much, and because of that i was all over the fandom stuff when i really shouldn't have been. i feel like the fandom is honestly a really big part of why people are so biased against the show itself... i try now to ignore the online community and enjoy it in a vacuum.
@@heliodorable4612 Yeah, I think the situation I had with Steven Universe and its fandom was one of the things that taught me that I don't need the approval of fandoms or haters for me to like a show at my own's discretion.
Real talk, the first Steven universe episode I ever saw was Mirror Gem. And I adored Lapis. Then when I did sit down to watch the whole series Lapis just became something strange. Not really an abuser but not really a victim either. She reminded me too much of myself at times which helped me reconcile with the fact that I am allowed to stay alive despite how horrible I was when I was younger, that although I can never truely atone for all the things I’ve done, I can distance myself and become a better person. And I like to think Lapis is like this, but man, she’s just straight up rude to Peridot 95% of the time, makes me genuinely dislike her. She and Pearl are probably my favourite characters, but are also the most flawed in many ways (no I’m not over the whole “Pearl was Rose’s slave” thing, it seriously puts a massive strain on their relationship they had) overall, I love this analysis because it acknowledges the good and bad of the show instead of just screaming one way or the other. Very based
Not everyone is perfect. It's recognizing your flaws and past actions and trying to change and become a better person is all that matters. I sometimes see myself as a bad person but I always try to change for the better. Don't expect to become a whole new person overnight. It takes time and effort to change yourself. Heck, I'm still trying to change for the better. Best of wishes.
Tbf, Peridot DID keep Lapis hostage. Who wouldnt be a bit pissed off at their captor. I really do like her relationship with Peridot once they started to become friends
@@Javifaa Well on top of the many other questionable episodes and ideas that came about over it's run I think the ones that really pushed it far over the line was the clear implications of fusion (being basically an allegory for sexual conduct of some kind )and then how it was used which I think the cap stone of fucked for it was the I'm going to sacrifice myself to defeat this enemy by for lack of a better term raping her for all eternity that and the other thing that really stuck in my craw was how psychotic Amythest got towards Steven's dad with pretty much no repercussions for her actions of any real weight
@@michaelkeha Fusion has been confirmed to not be a sexual allegory by the writers. Fusion is explicitly stated to represent the relationship between gems. The only reason people thought it was an allegory for sex was just because one of the writers tweeted that fusion is not just a romantic thing and people thought that meant sexually and nothing else whatsoever. Amethyst did suffer consequences. When Steven intervened she has a look of immediate regret for what she did and the fact that Steven saw her like that. Hell she makes up for it by telling Steven to have Greg and him clean up the storage unit which is why that whole situation happened in the first place
Season 1 is really underrated imo. So much great world building, character building, music, art, foreshadowing. I think people forget how many fan fav episodes are in season 1.
honestly. i think season 1a was the best Steven Universe ever was structurally. back when the magic of the show intertwined with the citizens of beach city. back when the gems were more ancient mythical guardians and not sci-fi space aliens. a lot more missions. while i think season 2 and 3 are peak Steven universe i think it almost feels like a different show after Lapis was introduced.
@@emondadon Hmmm I like Season 1a structurally but I think season 2 is the best at that imo. Each episode flows so well into the next. All the mini arcs play naturally into each other. And the animation style is largely locked down. The jank of Season 1a is mostly gone. Like seriously as great as Ian Jones can be the episodes he was in charge of looked… Not great. The mission thing I agree with though the magical vs sci fi thing is purely preference. And imo the sci fi elements were always there just lessened.
I think you did a great job of showing both the strengths and weaknesses of this season and show as a whole, as well as making it clear when things were really a matter of opinion and not fact. Great video!
I think another thing that always angered fans, me included was the release schedule. The show would often go on hiatus for MONTHS and when it came back would release bursts of episodes called “Steven Bombs”. So imagine everyone all hyped and excited ready to pick up where things left off, and we get like a Ronaldo episode😭The hiatuses do make rewatching SU on hbo max feel weird tho, storylines that felt really long feel super short without a several month break in between, but I still love revisiting it and I’m glad u did too mark
this! I almost never see people talk about this aspect of how the show originally aired. I rewatched the show online last year and I absolutely didn't hate the townie episodes that time around
@@chimeramanticore NO FR!! I think I really like a lot of them tbh, especially Connie or Sadie focused ones. But those hiatuses really made ppl that did like the townie episodes just hate them even more
Yeah and the staff on the show hated it too!! CN kept forcing it because they would get higher ratings that way, even if it meant screwing up the pacing of the show and jerking fans around. Like no shit they got high ratings when you barely air the show normally! It reminds me a lot of Gravity Falls getting months between airing even for standard episodes
A very strange thing about this show is how, as the characters are developed, Amethyst becomes more and more likeable while Pearl becomes harder and harder to have as your favourite. In the first season, I pretty much agree with your takes on the characters, but I think you definitely need to review the rest of the show, as the first season in a bubble isn't particularly reflective of the rest of the show.
@@Mewdo45 People defend her to this day despite the fact that what Pearl did was strongarm her way into a relationship in order to feel special again. I know SU fans have this knee-jerk reaction when people say this but she essentially sexually assaulted them through lies and manipulation and it's really gross. Personally Pearl never recovered from that for me, it's insane how the writers thought that she could possibly come back from that.
Some characters definitely got better as the story went on, some got worse. I think the only characters that had a really great arc were like Peridot and Steven. Amethyst goes from bratty slob to relatable, Pearl went from doting mother-figure to a complete fucking mess to sort of finding herself again, Garnet was better earlier on then just kind of became boring. Jasper had SO much potential but dropped it. Lapis was so intriguing but then became utterly frustrating to watch. Rose's story was pretty interesting as was Greg's but I don't think we got enough of it. Bismuth was alright, albeit barely used. I never much cared for Lars or Sadie, but Ronaldo had potential but then just became super annoying.. I do like that the story recontextualizes itself with the reveal of Pink Diamond and that Rose's arc was told backwards from her first apperance in Lion 3.
@@xacmashe3852Yeah definitely the characters themselves said it was a bad move and had a whole episode of garnet falling apart cause of it my only gripe is it’s never mentioned again and pearl didn’t have an episode about it cause the “forgiveness” one didn’t feel like it fleshed out to me but still liked pearl probably most interesting characters in the show just some major flaws on some of her actions.
I remember when Cartoon Network would promote the Steven universe bombs, and you had a whole week to watch the newest episodes. The pink diamond reveal scene where we actually see what she looked like, is one of the best scenes and the episode where Steven goes into pearl’s mind to find her phone but he also sees her memories. My other favorite episodes were the ones where ruby and sapphire find out about how rose/pink diamond lied, ruby going off on her own and being a cowboy, and of course the wedding episode!
There were 2 season 1 episodes that litterally tramatized me as a child. It was the one were Steven is about to loose control of himself from transforming into too many cats, and the one where Steven almost sped up his aging to the point of almost dying. There was just something so terrifying to me as child, especially due to the fact that I had a level of fear while watching both episodes because I remember watching it at night in my bed alone when I was supposed to be asleep not helped by the fact that I was intimidated by the dark because childhood irrational thinking can turn night time into a horror game concept. Just seeing the horror on both Greg and the Crystal Gems faces with the solution to the episode being a desperate last ditch idea freaked me out. I think it was one of the few times I questioned how reliable a main character's plot armor was.
Something interesting that I noticed in this video is that alot of the issues some people have were kinda ALWAYS present and didnt come from additions later on. Its just that it worked early on when the series was episodic or at least half episodic and half serialized, and as the series became more serious and serialized those things didnt work anymore and became an issue, and were simply never fixed or changed to fit the new feel of the series.
That is what I thinking too. A lot of what made season 1 work did not work for the rest of the show and because of the show's refusal to evolve beyond that is ultmately led to the shows undoing.
This comment says exactly how I felt about the series as it progressed. When it was still coming out, I had hopes that it would get better, but it never really did. I loved season one for its unpredictability and simplicity and heartwarming goofiness, but once they added the serious shit, the series completely changed. Except... it didn't actually. It's like they had to remind themselves it was a kid's show between every Steven Bomb (hence all the pointless, poorly written filler). Sometimes I look back on the original series with fondness, and other times I remember Steven Universe Future exists and I get really mad again lol.
I actually started watching SU last November after years of seeing all the reviews saying how it was horrible, unwatchable, stupid, etc., and despite me basically being the opposite intended audience I actually really liked it. It's now a guilty pleasure of mine to watch here and there and I genuinely like the characters. I never once interacted with the fandom in the past or present, nor have I ever seen what they did, I just went into the series on my own accord and called the shots. I just think it's a fun show regardless of its flaws that’s nice for me to enjoy alone.
I completely fell in love with the show after the season one finale. I watched it constantly, I remember having all sorts of the merchandise, talking about it on forums but i eventually just stopped watching, somewhere around the pink diamond story. I don’t dislike it but I haven’t seen the movie or any of future. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one. The show kind of felt directionless too a point
Steven Universe got Five seasons, six including future. Thats way more than many cartoons could dream of. And its a shame how they wasted it on pointless filler episodes in beach city whilst neglecting the space opera they had in the background.
I think you should rewatch. I think the pink diamond story arc is pretty good in hindsight. It is a story of a girl breaking away from and fighting the toxic authoritative family she grew up with.
For the longest time I thought that Ocean Gem was the the season 1 final, and that everything between that and the actual season 1 finally was season 2. Watching this video made me realize how many episodes were actually in season 1 that I always thought were season 2 episodes.
That was honestly one of the better Steven Universe criticisms out there. Felt really fair and grounded. Highlighted it’s strengths very well! It’s honestly just a breath of fresh air from all the overly negative reviews with unwarranted hate. I get the finale feels rushed, and has some issues. Show isn’t perfect, could have been better at parts, sure. But to write off the whole show in its entirety for it seems a bit silly. There’s still a lot I love about this show.
Yes! To be honest, the thumbnail + title scared me off for a little bit, but I'm glad I've now heard him clearly share his renewed thoughts. Like I'm certainly not one to ask people to skip parts anyway, but his review remained enlightening. I'd now look forwards to seeing him go through the rest of the series if he still takes up the task (and future jabs XD)
One thing we don't know in regards to Lapis, is the gems may have known she was trapped in the mirror, but they didn't know if she was corrupted or not. At least that's my interpretation.
Looking back, I think one of the issues that much of the series had, was that Steven had no life outside the gem stuff. Sure he hung out with the townsfolk occasionally, but he didnt have a reason to beyond just killing time. It's like how in RPGs the game gives you the option to hang out with your team mates and talk to them, but in the end those are all just temporary distractions that don't matter, since the main thing is the bigger adventure and beyond just hearing some funny lines they don't add much, to the point where they get skipped when replayed.. This wasn't a problem at the start, when the stakes where low and it was more about Steven starting to learn about the world he lives in, but over time, as the stakes rose, everything started to feel more like a waste of time. I think some serious obligations in the human world, would have helped with this. Maybe Steven must balance his school classes or has an overarching private goal he is trying to achive, for which he needs to interact with the humans. You know, give him a life outside of Gem hero/kid wasting time.
I mean....part of the tragedy for steven is that because of his situation he never went to school or even visited a doctor. I think season one does a good job of making the town episodes connected enough to steven and the plot so that they flow naturaly despite the lower stakes. Later, season 5 is the worst offender, the tone shift was too jaring. With him almost dying, traumatized and trapped in homeworld one day, to the next day see the gems being lile "oh you are back, great", connie acting like a drama queen, lars suddenly being a focal point of his own arc in an unrelated arc (it didn't mattered if him or any of the off colors survived), and then episodes focused on mayor dewey? Lile seriously? 5 jaringly tone deaf episodes and nobody is focusing on steven's obvious struggles and trauma getting back? And even having him being everyone's therapist? We love enthusiastic stecen for sure, but season 5 is way too disjointed and tone deaf to ignore, and it's not even a matter of just skipping those episodes! Because the issues never really get adressed, they just move past them because the script says so
@@foxygrin But he doesn’t seem bothered by that fact. We never get an episode about Stephen wondering how non gem life would be for him or caring much about the normal things he is missing out on or his parental figures trying to get him to do non gem stuff. If the characters in universe don’t care about the normal human world, we as an audience won’t care. And the few human world things that are in the show are so unrelated to the Gem stuff that they are all seen as borderline filler at best. There is so little overlap that the human world might as well have been written out and little would be lost. Steven is meant to be half human half gem. But he doesn’t have a human life. Even the narrative treats him more like a weird gem rather than the hybrid he is meant to be. It is a weakness on the side of the writing. It doesn’t ruin the story but I do believe it is a root cause of many of the shows flaws
steven universe has been such a weird cartoon for me cuz you see how creative it is and how much rebecca sugar loved making it but you also see the shows quality go up and down so much
@Awesomemay || AwesomeMay what are you doing here? It's amazing how consistently inconsistent they are with the airing of episodes, the art style, and even character personality and motivation. It's commendable that it managed to be as popular as it was at the end of the day.
@@demonreacts7816 I like how you took some youtuber's word for it and even got THAT wrong. She drew weirdo Ed. Edd, n Eddy porn nearly two decades ago, when she was a teen.
Here's a fun fact: Steven Sugar, Rebbeca Sugar's younger brother, was a background designer for The Owl House. Also, Rebbeca guest starred as "Becka Salt" in an episode of Amphibia, and even wrote an original song for said episode
I was really worried about watching this cuz we all know how critical Mark is, but I was so shocked how positive he was. Probably cuz I did not know he'd watched the series already, total plot twist for me.
I never really saw the Townie episodes as filler like some do. Those episodes usually explore and show you the people in the town Steven lives in, it gives some life to the town steven lives in and who he interacts with.
The reason they're seen as filler is due to where they were placed and how the show was being aired. Ex: Steven and Lars goes to Homeworld, Steven was able to return home, but without Lars and has to find away to get him back. The show goes on hiatus and then follows it up with the mayor episode with the Lars/Homeworld situation being a footnote. It just wasn't good timing
I agree. Some of the characters were annoying but it was necessary for world building to show all the different civilians that the gems are protecting. Plus, I liked Sadie and Lars.
The reason why townie episodes were so hated later in the show's life weren't mostly due to the episodes themselves, but due to the *abysmal* airing schedule. Fans were left hyped after a big plot point, and left theorizing on what happens next for *months* (remember, theories were a big part of this fandom). But then when Steven was finally back, we were greeted with a RONALDO episode. ... (Sigh) wth CN.
i think his refined personality in the movie made it so much more enjoyable than had they went with his personality up to that point. he's still very much... himself? but there's this slight snark he has that i really enjoy.
@mmh4378 fr. I feel like he lost all character development in future. All throughout the series it emphasize change and here we have future steven doesnt want things to change even though he told everyone else hey you cant stop change, might as well embrace it and you cant do anything about it. There are of course other problems, but breaking one of the main themes is my main gripe.
It's cool that people are starting to talk about this show without being hyperbolic or dramatic about it. This video made me want to give the show a rewatch. It used to be one of my very favorites, and it continues to have a big impact on my art. I wish the show was able to maintain the relaxed, slower pace that the first season had, but I think the later seasons hold up well overall despite their flaws.
Also, I love how multiple songs in the show are written like theyre for a serious Broadway musical, not a goofy kids show(both Lapis songs, Do It For Her, Its Over Isnt It, the one Steven sings about forgetting your troubles for a day and thinking about love)
@@the_spaggot3148 She killed it in terms of the vocals. I also love the melody a lot. It's got that angsty, dramatic feel you'd expect from a serious musical
Steven sung “Peace and War on the Planet Earth” to Peridot I want to say season 3 or 4. If that’s the song you’re mentioning, I agree, super super catchy and charming
@@tzpremixesNo, the one I was mentioning was the one before the wedding that he sings but I do think Peace And Love On The Planet Earth has a ton of charm and this calm, quiet, peaceful vibe that I really like. That one actually does sound like a kids song but it works
Y’know one thing i belive that was missed in steven universe in general was how the humans felt about gems. Greg said people died in the war and Connie brought up the question if there was another gem/human hybrid like steven.
I felt the same. Its so weird that humans just left their artifacts laying around or don't seem to care when a bunch of gems live on earth during the finale. If they did, I'd imagine humans portraying them in a negative light due to them trying to destroy the planet and leaving their garbage behind. And Steven might be affected by that
@@rossbob4215 I remember the scene when a guy throws a shoe at Lapis for flying over. How often do you see blue humans flying around town to be annoyed by it? My only explanation for his reaction is he was drunk or high
@@QueenMariposa5 My theory is that there is gem tech on the moon base that renders humans complacent to the existence of gems/literal aliens on their planet. Otherwise, governments would be getting involved in the show.
As frustrating as it is that this show had so many flaws, I think there's also something beautiful about the fact that this show about mistakes, trauma, and love is as broken as its characters. It gives me a sense of poignancy that the show, like life, is messy and complicated.
That's one way to look at it. I'd agree with you if it wasn't for Steven Universe Future. That brief series was a total slap in the face to victims of PTSD and survivors of traumatic events. It made me reanalyze everything about the original Steven Universe, and I realized the later seasons also profited off of poorly written sad-bait. When you also take into account who actually created the show, it suddenly becomes clear that this show isn't actually a love letter to humanity; it's bait for profit. It spoke to the lonely gay kid I was and I ate that shit up. Now that I'm older, gayer, and happy, I can't say I enjoy it much anymore. And it's not because I no longer enjoy cartoons (actually quite the opposite!); it's because the show had such a bad way of executing the messages it tried to pass on. I still love it in a nostalgic kind of way, but now I wish it were done by someone who had a basic sensitivity chip lodged in their brain...
@@nomoretwitterhandles wait, im genuinely unaware; what do you mean by it's clear the show is bait for profit because of who created the show? i neither agree nor disagree, im just confused since that conflicts with what i know about rebecca sugar and the crew (not that i made extensive research on who they are either way)
Something I liked about the first season to the rest of the show was how steven had an arc similar to po from the first kung fu panda movie (weird comparition I know) but my point is no matter how much he smiled and did goofy stuff, we also had clear moments where you can see his frustration for not being that good, so each time the gems congrat steven or he managed to do something for them it felt like a tiny victory for him, which makes him likeable IMO, I like that tiny moment where he fuses with connie for the first time and garnet seems hyped the most, foreshadowing the truth that she's a fusion too, season one set a ground for what would be next. Too bad, as many fans, I grew tired of steven at season 4 when some plots seemed too boring to me and moved on to "rick n morty, people bashin bad movies online and GBA emulation"
It really shows how a bad ending can ruin the reception of a good show and I agree. Knowing how it's going to end badly makes rewatching the show hard and even for first time viewers. It's mainly a problem for more serialized shows though since a show like Spongebob I have no problem just ignoring season 5 onwards and still loving the first 3 seasons and liking the 4th.
SU had at least most of it's runtime be good. Star vs. started to suck ass really suddenly after Toffee "died" (I still never get why they didn't bring him back...)
I honestly agree with all of this. I was such a massive fan of the show despite originally thinking I'd hate it. Like I really didn't care for Adventure Time OR Steven Universe when it came out, cuz I thought they were just way worse looking knock-offs of Flapjack and Chowder. But it honestly became my favorite show there for awhile, and I was super heartbroken when it all went to shit in the end. Peridot especially became a favorite of mine, and a character I actually insanely identify with. At that time, I was sorta going through self de-programming from the psuedo-libertarian Republican bullshit my mom indoctrinated me into while at the same time sorta coming to accept I was trans... So her whole arc of kinda spoke to me on a deep level. Her becoming herself, escaping from this kinda authoritarian mind state, her idolizing of this authority figure who's not the rational, objective person you thought they were. I still identify with her like I never have any other character before. It makes it all the more upsetting how the show became so hurried and weak, just rapidly going through the motions. I noticed things kinda going downhill starting with the Cluster arc and 'In Too Deep', which felt really rushed and weak, and by the time the show got towards its conclusion and we actually see Homeworld I was sick of it. So much wasted potential and opportunities, such a betrayal of the excellent storytelling of the first and second seasons. The movie wasn't any better, honestly, and made it worse. I never watched Future because of it, I was so over it.
Just a heads up, SU originally had 3 seasons that were all ~50ep long. Retroactively, those latter 2 seasons were each split into 25ep seasons. This is probably so CN could charge streaming services more money for licensing. This brought the show to 5 seasons without increasing the amount of episodes ordered. In fact, the crew wasn't even told this would be happening, so the show isn't paced around these new season finales
Before I watch the video I just want to say that as someone who watched the whole thing as it was airing Steven Universe will always mean the world to me, not just because it's a great show which a lot of people put time and effort into making as good as possible, not just because of representation, but also because it literally got me through my freshman year of highschool. That was back when they were still releasing episodes weekly and having something to look forward to every week made getting out of bed and going to school easier during a time where I barely had the drive or energy to do those things. Steven reminded me of a younger and more hopeful version of myself and watching him made me feel more positive about my life too. It is a good show and it always was. As stupid and toxic as the online discourse surrounding show can be the show itself had such a positive impact on my life and nothing can change how I feel about it
Watching a little more and to address your opinion about the townie episode I never hated them I hated the airing schedule. Like when you rarely get the show to air and when they you get townie episode that are great and don't really provide any info about the big plot points that you've been stressing over for months that doesn't feel great even if the episode itself was good. If they kept with the weekly airing schedule or you binged them on stream now that it's all over I think that would be a much better experience. That might just be me though idk
Make another one, it refreshing to see someone talking about the show for how it actualy is rather than overexagerating the good parts or the bad parts
Honestly I remember also thinking season 1 was the best part just because like I got really bad second hand embarrassment every 3 seconds when the actual story stuff started
I had a friend in middle school who i would chat with about the show and we’d come up with theories about the characters, that sorta thing. This was around 2016 when the fanbase was becoming infamously bad, but since i wasn’t really interacting with any fans apart from that 1 irl classmate it didn’t bother me in any way. For me personally, the show was really fun until after peridots redemption/the end of the cluster arc. After that i just sorta lost interest in it. I tried to pick it back up a few years later but i just didnt enjoy the episodes after the cluster. Then i heard about how the finale made steven forgive the diamonds in the dumbest way possible which killed any interest to return to it. In my mind the end of the cluster arc with peridot joining the gems and telling yellow diamond off is a pretty good “ending” for the show and to just assume the gems have many more wacky adventures after.
@@superpieman5773 it was less that they forgave the diamonds and moreso that making peace with them was the only option that wouldn't end in a dectuple digit death count and also the way that peace was made it would stop them from doing the bad shit that letting them be and indefinitely avoiding ever interacting with them would do anyways(intergalactic conquest, genocide, etcetera etcetera)
@shub so just resetting the status quo to a very shaky peace, that's not exactly a good ending. That's like a games default ending, not the true ending. "The galactic baddies are agreeing to a non aggression pact, for now....."
@@imnotshub At least they could do like them being punished like Andrias from Amphibia. Like still a bit fucked up they being "drunk aunts or silly" after their history, even more they age
Okay I avoided clicking on this video since it came out even though I watch basically all of your videos... And that's cuz Steven Universe isn't just my favourite show ever... It's my favourite thing ever made. It's weird cuz I NEVER expected to get as into it as I did... Only watching it last year and since I haven't ever been more attached and invested in a piece of media in my life! It honestly changed the way I view new media from now on cuz I never in a million years could've predicted this show would surpass everything I hold in such high esteem to become my favourite thing ever. (to put into perspective, I like Steven Universe more than breaking bad, a show I consider to be the greatest ever made, and more than my favourite game of all time Xenoblade Chronicles 2. It appeals to every taste and preference I have for media and was able to shoot all the way past solidified favourites that I thought unsurpassable. It taught me to never judge media from the outside without giving it a fair shake.) So to see the rampant hate you'd get for even mentioning it, and see so many people without even WATCHING it bash it... That drove me insane. I decided after months of anger over how much people jumped at the chance to bash something I love, to just avoid and tune out all the negativity. Anytime I'd see a post bashing it, such as one of YOUR tweets, I had to block it. And this shocked me cuz I never usually do that kinda stuff...but for SU it was different. I felt a very strong, unbreakably close connection to it. And it always bummed me out when you'd bash it in passing conversation in your videos, such as your clearance and uncle grandpa videos... So you can imagine my jaw hitting the floor when I heard you say at the start of this video that you used to be obsessed with it, knew lines word for word, and actually followed it as it came out!?!?!?!?! He's just like me FR!!😂 But anyways that really confused me, but I decided to finally watch this video and see your thoughts...and while I agree and disagree at some points, my mantra with this show is that AS LONG AS YOU'VE *WATCHED* IT, you can love it, hate it, interpret it however you want! It just gets under my skin when I KNOW someone only bashes it cuz they've never seen it...which I suspected of you for the longest time. But one thing I will say is I take umbrage with the title and thumbnail. I really dislike the notion that the 'majority' is in agreement that it's bad by default, so you have to frame videos discussing it as if it has to prove itself to be good after all! Even though you said at the beginning that not only did you once adore it, but that it's a split love/hate 50/50 debate. Like why does Steven Universe have to be viewed as bad by default while other polarising shows gets a pass? Whatever I love it so damn much. But anyways I'll just chalk that up to you needing the views and playing the YT thumbnail game... understandable. Overall I may sound insane but I just wanted to put my thoughts out there as a recent new Steven Universe fan whose kneejerk reaction is stimulated by titles and thumbnails like these... I'd really love to see you, someone who doesn't hate the show blindly, to give it the respect it deserves and not frame videos discussing it as default bad. It'd do a lot for fans like me and the wider Steven Universe community who adore this show and are tired of seeing it's reputation dragged through the mud.
I'm with you, going from being one of the many, many fans this show had to blinking and it being hated for reasons lesser shows get a pass or even praise for is driving me nuts. I get it isn't perfect- what show is? But I'd honestly say it's 90% perfect and if that's 'cringe' or whatever people can eat my whole ass. I'm usually so level-headed over discussing media too but nah man, SU deserves to be remembered as the greatest of its time 🤟
I think something I love is that the show puts a lot of work into showing both Steven’s gem life and his human life, the show is half-human just like him
I liked it up until Future. I even enjoyed most of the townie episodes which most people consider "filler," but to never follow up with any potential lore or history with Gem society (not to mention the really poor handling of the Diamonds and the millennia of tyranny they imposed forgiven and forgotten almost immediately), the whole thing caved in on itself. And the really sad part is that it's not a show I can see myself going back and rewatching like I do with Adventure Time or Regular Show, because there's no mystery left. I'm still finding new easter eggs in AT, or will see things from a different perspective. And speaking of AT, SU Future plagiarized 2 episodes of AT for their finale (Don't Look Now and Abstract) and still did a poor job with it. Finn and Jake had friends and family *talk* to them about the struggles they were going through, they didn't fix things with only a hug.
Yeah, looking back, I think the episodes should've released in a format of,like a story episodes bundle and then "townie" episodes bundle(in a back and forth zig zag pattern). If that makes sense?? I understand the value of steven spending time with the side characters in beach city, because it shows what he's fighting for,but some of it is so pointless because it never gets brought up again, and it just pails in comparison to cool stuff that came before. At least new fans can just binge it now. Also, WE NEVER GOT TO SEE THE GEM WAR AND STEVEN FIXING GEM SOCIETY WAS OFFSCREEN!!!!!
@Jose Sosa I think there should have been more of an emphasis on the importance of Steven being half human, because townie and Gem characters do mirror each other in a lot of ways, but the writers never seemed to be able to nail that concept. I think that's why I can't rewatch SU, there's just so much wasted potential when it comes to the writing and the lore. Like it was great to see into Greg's past in Future, but there was zero setup for it in the main series and it never got brought up again after (as far as I can recall anyway). And in Adventure Time's spinoff Distant Lands, we see BMO touch down at the treehouse with Lil Finn and Jake, which gives a sense of history to the main series on rewatches, like it exists on an mobius strip of time.
I would LOVE another video on this show, it’s just really entertaining. To be honest I hadn’t seen this show for the longest time so I didn’t know it was hated at all 😭
Steven Universe went downhill after Peridot's arc ended as thast where the show really has a lot of the problems. Season 1 gets hate because of that later series tint where things were rushed and never explained, with bad episodes being projected on the most and townie episodes being projected on the most as those are the huge problems with the later seasons where they really don't have time for episodic stuff with how little they drip feed you. Season 1 is fine, but if you've watched the whole thing, the later seasons taint your view of season 1.
I appreciate how impactful Steven Universe was to millions of fans. They definitely do a lot right and even if the show had dipped in quality near the end, It's hard to deny how important it was to so many. It's definitely not the spawn of satan that everyone claims it to be.
I totally agree about the whole “skipping filler” thing! There’s nothing wrong with some good, episodic, characterization fun! I would love to see you check out the rest of the show for a video!
For all its faults, I still find the show to be very enjoyable, relatable to me personally, and groundbreaking in some areas. Regardless, I still love this show and it’s def one of cartoon networks best
SU is actually an interesting show. It do a lot of things right and when it does, it does it better than most other cartoons. But it fails, it fails hard, and you can understand while not everyone likes it. I still think show was at its peak post-the Arrival up to the Season 2 finale, but even then, I still am nostalgic for the time when I used to wait months for the next "Steven Bomb."😮
i feel like it only ever failed hard because it was so elevated to begin with. it was NEVER as bad as the truly bad cartoons, it only felt that way because it was straight-up amazing most of the time
Well fun fact : the Steven Univers bombs only existed bcs when the show was first airing season 1 the ratings were so bad that cartoon network was considering pretty much considering canceling it and that's why the su bombs were made in the first place
Together Breakfast is so unfortunate because it’s so early in the show, it’s the second episode of the whole show. So if you see how Steven is in that episode, I wouldn’t be surprised if you hate him. And have that same character of him in the back of your mind as you watch the rest of the series.
It's still funny how Cartoon Network went "We will intentionally shaft your creative process and viewership until your cancellation. Wait no you are profitable please come back we are sorry please!"
I'll always love Together Breakfast because it gave us Garnet saying "It has all the powers of a breakfast"! I'm still not over the trauma of Cat Fingers... Personally I like both the gem and town aspects of the series. I love the themes and messaging, the music and art style. It's a story about love; all kinds of love, even the bad and toxic kinds. I really appreciate that. Maybe it's just because I'm old and grew up with stuff like Slayers and Ranma, learning to appreciate "filler" just as much as the main story.
In all honestly, i never really understood the criticism on this show. And don't get me wrong, i don't think it's perfect. I once use to think it was one of the best cartoons out there, and growing up i realized that i was overrating it a little. But it just seems to me that there aren't actual straightforward problems that people criticize on this show. Some people say that the problem it's pacing, some flanderized it and said it's a dumb show that resolves conflicts only with: "hey let's be friends instead of fighting!!", some says that season 1 was the worst, and some says season 1 was the only good one and that the other ones where trash. I mean, it's ok to focus your criticism on certain things, but when all the hate come from different reasons that are even in conflict with each other... i don't know, it's just seems that people just have subjective tastes and that they think they're subjective takes are objective
The pacing, imo, isn’t even the shows fault. It’s his Cartoon Network AIRED it. We’d go months on hiatus and then suddenly get 5 episodes in one week. That’s what made some hate the “townie” episodes, because we’d wait forever for an episode that wouldn’t push the plot forward. Overall though, I love Steven Universe, and I think I’d still consider it my favorite show despite all the hate it gets.
I honestly feel like I Mandela effected into a new timeline or something because last I heard Steven Universe was like this awesome show that was universally beloved and then I turned around and suddenly its notoriously hated? huh?? I never finished the show so I don't know what the fuss is about either way but it certainly is interesting to hear opinions do such a drastic 180 like that
As a huge Steven Universe fan i was worried that this would be another 'why everything is objectively bad and you shouldn't enjoy it' kind of video, but this was actually a really fair review of the first bit of the series. I would love to see more. Keep up the good vids!
I absolutely love steven universe. But y'know as someone who has ptsd bc of me growing up with my mother. Its literally made for me. Steven is fucking me. Like literally me. Its very therapeutic and also very confrontational
44:52 I can definitely agree here. The thought of a show and especially a serialized one's episodes being episodic meaning they're meaning less has always rubbed me the wrong way. Season 1 of a serialized show I feel can and sometimes should be episodic to slowly introduce you into this world and characters give you reasons to care about them. Sometimes some simple fun at the beginning will get you intrigued to the show leading up to where it gets more serialized getting you more invested.
I loved Steven Universe for the simultaneous sense of both mystery and familiarity. The world of beach city seemed so comfy & fun, but there was always something around the corner to discover next. This is also coupled with the shows high emotional intelligence, and fearlessness in showing it. I can’t think of another cartoon that has validated as many different types of trauma/fears/etc. in a way that feels real and true to the characters, with many of the issues they have taking a lot of time and effort to improve - not outright “fix.”
The scene where Steven says that he didn't even know his mom is a great one. At this point in the series, he sees his mom as an amazing person who he wishes he knew, and then he hears someone who would've barely remembered her (Lars wouldn't have even been in school when Rose died), of course he'd be pissed. And there's something about the delivery that honestly makes it an amazing line to me
Honestly I'd love to see your take on the rest of the show, positive or negative. It's been so long since I've thought about it, let alone season 1, that it's merit had completely slipped my mind and this was really fun to look back on
Steven Universe wasn’t really a thought in my head until some artist drew a picture of Rose, Greg, and Steven, and they drew Rose as being a bit skinny. People went nuts and went as far as to bully the artist until she tried to take her own life. Now, it’s been years since that happened, but that mixed with other stories of the fandom being awful just made me decide to never watch the show, I think because I thought that it’d make me into those kind of people who get so worked up over cartoons. Looking back nowadays, I realize I just wanted a reason not to like/watch the show, because I really had no feelings towards it. There are some things I liked about it, the backgrounds, the more chill vibe, there was something about it I’d never seen before in any cartoon and really haven’t seen since. Great video, btw. I can’t believe this show came out 10 years ago
Pearl used to be my favorite but I ended up growing to love amethyst as the series went on. It always helped that she reminds me of my sibling and the bond between amethyst and Steven always felt like a younger brother and older sister
It's honestly great to hear someone be so positive towards SU I know this video wasn't 100% positive (and I agree with most criticisms, even when this is one of my favourite shows of all time), it's just refreshing to hear someone speak from an unbiased and objective position, looking at the season as a whole and the circumstances surrounding it, rather than cherry-picking a few specific points
Is the show perfect? Of course not. Nothing is perfect. Does it have flaws? Definitely. Lots of flaws. Does this show deserve the hate? Definitely not. It gets way too much unnecessary hate imo.
@@calibula95 It’s always ironic that these LeT pEoPle enJOY ThiNgS cant handle others freely hating things either. Since when did we need to love everything?
I know he said he didn't really like this episode, but I love the ending of Winter Forecast, where Connie and Steven just sit there in silence, watching the snow fall outside the window like they said they wanted to earlier in the episode. I love the quiet moments of the show that let you just take a breath and soak in the atmosphere of the show, cause damn there's some great quiet moments like that. I'd say Rose's Scabbard counts as well, with the whole ending bit with the music; that whole ending is just beautiful. Visually, emotionally, and audibly. Man, I miss those moments.
I decided to check out the Steven Universe subreddit, and I decided to post a funny picture of the Crystal Gems as Family Guy characters, and people truly didn’t know that it was a joke.
Never could get into this show. I've tried watching it like 4 or 5 times, and quit every time. The beginning is just so bad, which is a shame because I hear it gets better. That also may just be the people who wouldn't say that being weeded out.
Go to www.squarespace.com/lsmark to get a free trial and 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain!
Cool
hey mark
Ok
Shut
Ok loser
Honestly, after the show ended, the townie episodes aren't really bad anymore, and are a lot easier to appreciate, since the biggest problem with them was how they would interrupt the overarching story after a wait of many months for a new episode. If they didn't release new episodes with such a large gap in between them, it would have been less of a problem. Getting one after a week's wait is a lot easier to stomach vs over half a year in some cases.
6 Month Hiatus into Onion Gang true combo
Honestly I thought the worst part of the townie episodes was more CN’s fault for its stupid erratic schedule as it tried to kill the show, I love Slice of Life stuff and feel it an underrated genre
I blame the Steven bombs too. Like it was so hyped we get 5 episodes a week which can range from gem related stuff and townie episodes. But AFTER its over, we had to wait weeks or MONTHS for a new episode. Had it been like normally scheduled weekly, it wouldnt have been frustrating
thank you CN for showing TTGO and We Bare Bears(actually good show tho) instead of this
*Gem Harvest PTSD*
AND WHEN THE SHOW NEVER DIED, They went Steven Universe future Mood.... not cool
@@crestren5996even years between a bomb ... God
Garnet was my fav. She let Steven be a kid and tried to teach him intentional lessons rather than letting her traumas or the results of her carelessness guide him (like Pearl/Greg and Amethyst). In a way she's the only properly functioning adult in a room full of adults that still act like children. I think that was one of my biggest gripes. Like... why are we forcing Steven to be a kid until it comes down to dumping emotional baggage? xD
Bingo
It makes it much more impactful when garnet does fall apart and we see the toll of being the leader can take on her. But she never let's her personal issues affect Steven and the gems unlike pearl and amethyst but also doesn't know when to ask for a helping hand early on.
because on some level the gems are a walking disaster that are only managing to hold themselves together visibly for the sake of the child in the room, at least that's my takeaway. They go into it more but they really did lean on and respect Rose waaaaay more than they probably should've.
@@edfreak9001 well they didn't really know she was as bad as she was except pearl. But yes this is exactly true the only reason garnet isn't is because of sapphire. But the gems are all effectively children but that excuse falls flat it because they don't convey it well. They have been around on earth so long aswell, early seasons it was easier to except they didn't know certain things but with rose and how long they were on earth they should have developed a lot more. The crystal gems are completely out of there depths on a foreign planet that has no rigid structure they are for the first time on earth themselves and not just there gems but for the length of time they were there with rose they shouldn't be they way they are.
The problem is that they stop using her for anything other than fusion episodes, completely forgetting that she was also a character of her own
I actually really liked the look of the pilot. It's kind of like Rebecca Sugars old art where it's extremely detailed, giving it this wonky yet charming look.
Too bad that there were changes in the design of the show I would have love it
Honestly yeah I’ve always preferred the pilot art style to the new one even after all these years
@@dragonoverdrive6859maybe they changed it because they wanted to differentiate the show from Adventure Time? I love the pilot but some of those background pieces SU has after they changed the style are legit stunning.
@@hoangkienvu7572 👍
@@hoangkienvu7572
It’s probably because it cost more money to animate (and it possibly was harder to animate too)
I'd happily watch more steven universe analyses by you.
Edit for the "genius" in the replies:
"Analyses" is the plural of "analysis"
Me too!!
same
Nah
Same
Agreed
I love how Mark's "Loved episode" of Amethyst is where he shows her doing the Sonic Spin Dash attack.
yes
Amethyst's drop dash
Niko @@jinksgaming1715
i think what a lot of people don’t realize about the townie episodes is that, steven’s human half is just as much a part of him as his gem half. it’s just as important to his character.
Its not really a valid argument as if its really important to his character is certainly not important to the story. I used to be hyped fotlr this series, looking back I realise it was just a big waste of time
its a story about steven, and steven is half human, so yes, the townie episodes are just as important to his character as the gem episodes. they may not always progress the overarching plot, but thats fine?? steven isnt just a vessel for which the viewers are meant to experience a singular gem war plot line.
@@ARCADEAVERY yeah but steven being half human does nothing to the story, so you might as well skip those
@@radudancoroian5169 I don’t like the townie episodes but this is a silly point. Not everything in a show has to serve the overarching narrative. There were quite a few episodes in Avatar that literally didn’t serve the main plot whatsoever but instead expanded the lore, characters and world. A lot of Steven universe filler episodes serve the characters and world.
The problem for me isn’t that they were townie episodes, I just didn’t think they were entertaining or written well enough.
@@mojo.s4669 I half agree with you, but it irks me that you'd compare a shitshow like Steven Universe to a masterpiece like Avatar.
For filler to be interesting, it does have to still be important and connect with the "overarching narrative". And no, I don't mean it has to further the plot, but it does have to connect to the story. Otherwise it feels like some weird deviation from whatever it is we're watching.
Take Avatar for example: The episode where Jet makes his first appearance. Yes, I do consider that to be filler, as it doesn't have anything to do with Aang's mastering of the four elements, which is the plot of the show. However, it is still connected via the fact that Jet is a victim of the Fire Nation's ruthless genocide, and he uses that pain to seek revenge on an innocent Fire Nation village. Not only do you get to understand the pain of the survivors, but you also start to understand that not every survivor is innocent. You really get a sense of connection with the characters, and you also start to understand the deeper, morally grey aspects of the war and the rebellion.
Now let's look at a filler episode from Steven Universe: The episode where Steven starts (and ends) the restaurant war between the pizza and fry restaurants (this is just one example of... painfully too many). Not only am I already lacking interest in these characters due to their poor writing and relatability, but now I get to witness them beef (no pun intended) over food fusion. One could even interpret their animosity as a refusal to let "different sides mix", so to speak. And I really do not like that message. But of course, it's just a silly food episode and it doesn't matter. But... if that doesn't matter, then why is it happening? What is this showing us? Can you really consider that "expanded lore"? Who gives a shit about pizza vs. fries when a literal *war* is going on between space gems and Earth itself? It's a pointless episode that teaches you nothing about the characters, the plot, or the world--except for "this episode is really stupid and I will skip it if I ever decide to come back to this series".
Back to Avatar again: The episode where the Gaang is in Ba Sing Se, having their own separate adventures. Once again, this may not have much to do with the overall plot in terms of advancing it, but it is still an episode that helps you understand the struggles every character is going through. After all, it's the episode where you get to see Iroh mourning his deceased son; a soldier lost to the very war he aided. We get to see Toph struggle with the idea of being pampered, or with Zuko's reluctance to mingle with other people due to his own internal battle over his morality. It's interesting, topical, and it helps you understand the story as a whole.
Not a single Steven Universe filler episode helped me understand the story better. The filler episodes were often confusing, pointless, and boring.
...Which, of course, is caused by poor writing, as you already said.
Pearl is my favorite too. Her strong reaction to Lion and her insistence that Rose never kept things from HER, hits a LOT heavier after a certain episode in later seasons. Then you look back across the series and see it was always there, why Pearl acts the way she does. This show wasn't jaw-droppingly amazing or anything, but the bits that worked REALLY worked.
Pearl has by far the most story to digest. Amethyst is mainly about her origins and inadequacy and i believe Garnet even stated that as soon as she fused, everything felt right (except her future sight). Pearl is left with the tragic story of a liberated slave falling in love with her saviour, starting a rebellion with her, only for that saviour to sacrifice her life for a relationship she was jealous of and is now a parent to the resulting child. That's...a lot to unpack.
I also like how Pearl's neurotic personality only makes sense after you know her backstory. You'd expect a war criminal to be rebellious whereas Pearl is initially presented as someone who is obsessed with compartmentalisation. It only makes sense when you understand that ( partly, at least ) comes from having so many things to keep for herself.
The problem is that pearl was displayed with free will, but we learn all along shes still a slave following her diamond masters orders
Have you seen season 5?
doesnt she rape someone
The problem with the Townie episodes wasn't that they existed, it was that the creators didn't know how to structure their seasons later on so we end up suddenly going from big plot points that clearly affect characters or leave a clear problem that needs to be solved on the loose, and then next episode Steven's having shenanigans with the townies and everyone's acting like the previous episode never happened and X thing isn't out there causing trouble.
Like the whole Lars being left in space running away from diamond authorities with other gems who would get destroyed if caught and steven decided to frown about Connie and talk with towns' people for 5 episodes without even telling Lars parents about what happened to him, oh and their excuse is that Connie stole lion from steven so he couldn't help Lars until they settled their pity drama. By far the is probably the worst part I remember of this show
@@sped325 ngl this is the reason i started to dislike connie, she didn't feel important anymore after this whole fight between steven and her
True! Plus, it didn’t help that (from what I could understand) the Steven Universe future season was kinda being rushed to conclude, which I just find an absolute bummer.
My biggest problem is the humans are just annoying and don't do anything with the worldbuilding. At least with homeworld centric episodes, you're usually uncovering more information about the series or world. Most of the time with the townies, you're just retreading old ground because one of the human citizens had another fit again.
And there would be huge hiatuses for slice-of-life episodes. Not a problem on rewatch, but at the time? Yeah. Imagine if Hunter x Hunter were doing a filler arc for the past decade and not the most fascinating thing yet.
Steven Universe will forever hold such a special place in my heart. It's far from perfect, and it definitely suffered from being rushed some of the time, but I'll never understand the vitriolic hate it got (and sometimes still gets)
I think a lot of hate the show gets is kind of the same situation of My Little pony. It's not the show itself it's the fandoms around the show.
@@azathoththe3rdwhat really made me mad was the Lilly orchard videos slandering Steven universe. I saw comments on those videos saying that that some of those people watched her videos and hated Steven universe. Then they actually watched it for themselves and they liked it. They regret hating on it now. Lesson is, don’t hate something you haven’t even watched. Don’t judge what you feel about something based upon other peoples words.
@@gavin5724 Yeah Lily Orchards videos are so terrible. I can understand not liking Steven Universe, it might just not be for you, but she full on despises it, and I just don't get how you can really hate a kids show that much.
I got to watch Steven Universe somewhat recently without knowing about anyone's opinions before going in, and I loved it.
I feel like part of the hate comes from the fandom, it didn’t help it’s reputation considering the fact the fandom bullied a 13 year old artist so hard she attempted suicide and when she lived the fandom told her to try again. It definitely leaves a huge negative impact on it
@@bahamakazi yeah the fandom for a lot of genuine good shows can turn people off from it. Another fandom is the MHA fandom, where the credits got death threats for not having a ship happen, and that caused them to supposedly finish the manga sometime soon.
Amethyst is personally my favorite of the 3 and I think a large part of that is the fact that she acts so much like an actual older sister would with steven, it feels refreshing almost to have a healthy sibling relationship in media.
Amythyst is my favorite too
The thing about amethyst is that pearl and garnet have a lot of baggage. Amethyst started out the same, with immense self-loathing, retreading the same ground with her character. The only difference between them is that in the later seasons, they dump that plotline altogether, and Amythyst blatantly states to Steven that you have more significant problems. I won't be one of them. Because of that, that amethyst is by far the best of the three. Although they all had the same issues, it constantly felt like we were retreading the same ground with each character and it god old, FAAAAST.
Healthy?! Did you see what she did to Steven’s dad
She has the best arc
And she got the DSL’s 😩
I actually appreciate the character Lars going a long time without really internalizing the hard truths about his faults. It's very human, people have a hard time changing. It makes when Lars DOES do something selfless AND without being shamed or guilted into it that much more impactful. Might have been an accident due to restrictions but it ends up working better than most.
Lars development also highlights the clearest problem of the finale season. It took years of harsh lessons and Stevens kindness and wisdom to slowly change Lars for the better, going from an insecure albeit realistically selfish teen boy to an independent and well rounded young adult, but like an hour in universe to completely redeem all three of the universes most evil space Hitler's.
I wished they varied in how effective as people are different, some do change more than others,including Gems and dioamonds.
I had the concept that due to their personalities would show their moral standpoint, Blue is emotionally Divided and fueled by that flaw with the additiona of her sisters manipulating her naivity to their plans😢.
Yellow feels justified in her vandetta, who unhealthy deals with her loss through her work of conquering to sort of forget about it.😐
White diamond should've just leaned into being simple evil, as those are fine aslong as they work to enhance the themes or not overstay their welcome, so her being the only Greates challenge tosward Stevens kindness to where He's forced to make her an exception.😈
Would be really intersting.
Blue would change as a result of being more willing to reflect and partly well missing key details that got her to understand just how bad what she did was.
Yellow would Be way longer, not impossible but difficult as a result of how she's used to dealing with her problems.
White's ash for Deserved reason of refusing to make up for her consequenses so she becomes her own failure.@@TheDirvish
My brother was really into it back when it 1st started airing and really wanted me to watch the show with him. So I tried to get into it but it was just a bit to "Oh my feels!" for me to be able to get into it. Plus not to mention that the fandom was absolutely toxic! Like there was this 1 time where I had a feeling that the creator Rebecca Sugar was bisexual about a year before she came out as bisexual yet when I tried being like "Is she bi? I'm kinda getting that vibe from her" I remember a bunch of fans being all like "OMFG! Don't assume peoples sexuality!!!" only for her to come out like a year later.
Jesus loves you
this video reminded me that, although a lot of the series has aged poorly, between inconsistencies, rushed or dropped plotlines, character derailment (or straight up assassination), but when it got good, it got *so* damn good, that it made up for many of its bad aspects. episodes like rose's scabbard, story for steven, the answer, mr greg, earthlings, mindful education, that will be all, reunited, are such bangers and as standalone episodes, are just delightful. heck, even a single pale rose, one of the most controversial episodes in the series, has an absolutely spectacular buildup to the big reveal, with everything from the composition, colouring and music, it's just a work of art. so yeah, although i don't love it like i did 6-7 years ago, there's still enough good about it to remain a fond series to think back to
@@sirpheredin1379 Stop spamming Lilly Orchard you pedo
The problem is that the show was never funny, and completely bound by the time and circumstances of its release. The era in which it aired had complex themes regarding LGBT representation which will necessarily become dated at worst or a near curiosity at best as LGBT issues no longer remain as novel.
Lesbian rock aliens getting married is only as impactful as it is novel. Without the novelty, it’s objectively pandering and cringeworthy how much the show trades substance and entertainment for promoting a message.
@@TheBuckweat33 true, one of its main selling points was how ahead of its time it was in terms of LGBT rep, which has since changed given how more and more media (both mainstream and indie) include LGBT themes. i'd still argue that, aside from those, it still dealt with a lot of other themes (loss, trauma, racism, etc.) which had at least adequate execution (until it didn't, like soft redeeming the diamonds...)
maybe i'm biased, but i think ruby and sapphire had a greatly developed relationship and their wedding wasn't just pandering, but a culmination of their respective character arcs, since it was symbolic of them *choosing* to stay together, rather than just sticking together because of circumstances.
@@anthares96 I agree completely, but that doesn’t change the optics of the event, which nevertheless cheapens it. Just as Obama is both lauded and stained by being the first black president, so too is any “progressive first.” Even if there are independent reasons to like or hate the event/ figure, it will never overcome the optics of being the “first” to the broader cultural context.
Steven universe had a lot of “firsts” with respect to LGTBQ representation in children’s cartoons. Even if the themes can be enjoyed or disliked independently from this novelty, the novelty will always remain and will influence the legacy of the show.
That’s, for better or worse, how pop culture works nowadays imo.
@@TheBuckweat33 Never speak of Steven Universe again for as long as you live.
People talk about this show in hindsight like it killed their family and friends, I’ll never understand it
Actually I’m thinking a part of the backlash (NOT ALL OF IT) is from anti-woke edgelords who use it as an easy target because of the LGBT themes and the creator being bi
Same
What are you talking about, it killed my dog 😔😭
As opposed to Problem Solverz where people talk about in hindsight like it killed them from the inside and are living on their last legs
eh, yeah people are a bit dramatic, but I think the main problem is the show had *so much potential* which it then squandered
Please talk about the rest of this series.
You've done a great job reminding me I genuinely loved this show as a kid. The negative discourse has had such an effect on me that I had forgotten all of the positive impact the series has had in my childhood.
Same. This video made me remind why i liked this show so much when i was a kid.
Honestly I really enjoyed the show. I remember watching it with my brother when ever new episodes came out. It hd a lot of good concepts and ideas. The characters where really good. The music was incredible and I think it explored a lot of topics really well. Like abuse, CPTSD, LGBT, ableism, friendship and the falling out of friendships, and hell even addressing the fandoms own bs some times. It had it’s faults in its delivery but it got the ball rolling for a lot of other shows to be comfortable covering those topics.
This show for me came out at the right time cause usually when I had a issue I would remember the show and the lesson it taught me. I was also in a very similar boat to Steven growing up and when I went to college I suffered a lot of issues Steven faced in Steven Universe future when it came to overcoming trauma and moving on in life. Which I haven’t seen a lot of other shows do.
The ending of the original show was definitely rushed though and I wish it could of been more fleshed out. The town episodes where good but the hiatus sucked. Also the fandom was just terrible but that’s not really Rebecca Sugars fault.
While season 1 was simple, I adored it because I was a child at the time. Watching it made me feel comfortable. It was cozy, and I felt heard. Steven was the kid character that no one believed could handle himself or was mature enough to go on missions. In my family, kids are supposed to assist the adults and not express themselves without being chastised.
I grew up with the same family dynamic, I am in my 30's and still struggling with everything I endured. And to tie in Steven U, I didn't start feeling comfortable with my own interests or life goals til after my mom passed. Ayooo
I can’t tell if I’m old or y’all are young because y’all were still kids when this came out😭
Jesus Christ loves you
I was always so confused why people didn't care for the first season as much as the others. Sure, it's not story-driven, but it gives you a reason to care about the characters. It's honestly my favorite season. So much charm
Honestly. While the first season isn't story-driven, lore-heavy, or barely has any mystery like The Owl House, She-Ra, Amphibia, or Gravity Falls, it was still amazing how they can make an episode enjoyable in 11 minutes back in season 1. It had a good balance of slice-of-life, character-driven, and story-driven than other seasons. I'll even go far as to say that this is the best first season of any modern cartoon like TOH, She-Ra, and Amphibia IMO.
It’s a mix between the hazards airing schedule, fans now having higher expectations after knowing what the show is capable of and wanting to see more lore and a change of standards as consumers and producers.
A real mix between stories becoming more story driven, that not jelling really well with attracting new viewers due to lack of being to hop on from any point, lowering attention spans and shows getting cancelled sooner with far less episodes being made.
It’s honestly such a shame considering things like early 2000’s anime specifically have spread to make so many people allergic to the concept of filler on principle. And with how much of an arm’s race stories are at for hour attention. It really has lead to becoming disillusioned and even outright denouncing and viewing a show, game, book, movie etc inferior because it doesn’t get to “the point” right away.
And even in stories better than something like SU, there’s sometimes a lost art with how these stories begin due to having everything important or interesting the series had having to be shat out in the span of episode 1 and just leaves the episode weirdly often feeling bloated with little to say on its own.
Sorta like those MCU movies/shows complaints people have where it feels like it’s more obsessed with hyping up what’s to come over what’s right in front of us.
When you do that in the first season or even an episode, depending on the length, you can completely miss the point of what a first episode is designed to do and leave viewers confused on what an average normal day in this world is even like (cause obviously they’re not expositing a 70 page essay everyday)
People can rag on them all you want, but I genuinely have a fonder appreciation for stuff like early Avatar tla, lord of the rings, bone, SU, one piece etc.
While the stuff that comes later is objectively better, the slower humble beginnings are the contrast that help make those later moments hit in the first place.
Instead of spending 5 mins explaining 20 years of history and characters we actually get to take our time learning, chilling, living, existing and just growing fond of these characters organically and naturally over time, rather than by force.
The sudden unexpected change to completely story driven is what i think made me find steven universe boring. idk why
I think that's the main reason why nobody really cared for the first season at the time. It wasn't story driven so didn't really have much of a hook.
In all honesty after the story concluded I couldn't really rewatch Steven again
@@Mewdo45 It was the opposite for me
I think people often forget that the show is called "Steven Universe" and not "The Crystal Gems". Not every episode is gonna be about the war between magical space rocks.
In my opinion,the story started to get really good when peridot was introduced. Seeing another gem other than the main 4 peaked my interest heavily to the point where i would watch that episode over and over. The half hour special when peridot, Lapis, and jasper came to earth was the most hype i experianced; seeing garnet ( the strongest of the 4) getting taken down in secconds was when i knew shit was going down. And when it was reaveled that garnet was a fusion, i was genuinely shocked. Her fighting jasper while singing the best song in the show, "stronger than you," gave me goosebumps and when that episode finished, i was left wanting more. Seeing those two episodes live where amazing. Sorry for the long paragraph, i just wanted to share my experiance with this show and how amazing it was at certain points.
Loved this period where I always reloading the wiki page to see news lol.
I think story was good before Peridot but she does character arc out every character.
@@smcphee8499 Damn did it fall off after the special.
@@smcphee8499 c l o d
Hell ya Periodt
I also used to be a big fan of Steven Universe. It was my favorite show of all time, and I remember how heartbroken I was when I saw the finale of The Future series. Looking at the show now, I definitely can see it’s issues but damn… people are way too harsh on the show online
I remember it, but I still think it was mostly due to the die hard fans who refused to acknowledge any sort of criticizm.
I think the main reason why there's so much hate about the show is (like probably every other popular/hyped thing) because of the fanbase...
I remember the story of a fan trying to take her life after getting death threats for a fanart of Rose Quartz.
And well there were a lot of annoying (young) fans flooding the internet everywhere, just like the Fnaf or Mlp fandom(or Bts, Gacha, etc..). Unfortunately then people start on shit on the show instead of fans that are misbehaving but well that's the internet.
I enjoyed the show too but I kinda dropped out around season 3 or 4 because I finished school and started working and didn't had that much free time watching cartoons anymore.
@chicken bones Lily Orchard?
remember watching a steven universe hate video by a literal transphobe and homophobe who made a blog called stevenuniversefansshoulddie
They aren't the show is pretty bad despite the moments of brilliance
I think for some, this show did a good job helping progress grief and change.
I lost my mother very close to the episodes where Steven questions if he really knew his mom and difficulties of realizing he would never get to ask.
My entire world shifted but the show gave me comfort not just because I had grown attached to the characters beforehand but it started to feel like the show was taking my hand and trying to teach me how to keep going.
This obviously doesn't mean that Steven Universe is good by any means, but I think because the show was willing to focus on, explain and express a wide range of emotions it connected to people who have gone through similar experiences
The show is good, though. It's not perfect, but it's not major bad. It's not 2016 it's okay. You're not gonna get doxxed for complimenting Steve universe
How is a show that expertly handles the missing of a parent(al figure) not 'good *by any means*'??? 😭
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48:59 garfield
Cat 👍
Put respect on Giant Realistic Flying Tiger's name
@@DJPantspis_er shure
What is this
@@LSMark its a cat list (btw im doing this in your every video from now on)
At the end you said that fans who think you weren’t positive enough might get mad, but really you were overall extremely positive on this show, every criticism you gave was completely valid and I can’t figure most people would get mad about them. It’s honestly refreshing to see in the sea of unconditional hate this show gets, and I’d be very interested to see you cover more of it and see how you tackle it.
Hi Turbo
I was very confused at the end of what he said, but I now understand the ending that he was positive enough. (Yes, I did see the entire video. Don't think
I'm stupid,I did like the show. I just thought Sonic Boom TV Show was Funnier.)
@@jar1543 weird comparison, they’re totally different shows tonally
@@qbids4988 🐐
@@turboshell know there aren't I just had to say that because there from the same decade (aka 2010s).
I will always appreciate the show for its beginning.
it’s build up was great too
The episode where pearl freaks out about rose is the first episode i saw as a kid and the scene where steven hugs pearl has always stuck with me i think the emotional aspects are what makes steven universe shines
I started rewatching the show recently. It’s a lot of fun. It has its flaws, but I think it’s one of the better shows of it’s time. Along with Regular Show and Adventure Time, this show made so many kids, teens and even adults have fun with cartoons again. Like those two, it took A LOT of risks in storytelling, jokes and character designs, and was one of the best shows at the time. Flaws and all, it’s a good show, imo.
30:33 I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that Mirror/Ocean Gem was intended to be the *series* finale in case they weren’t picked up for any more episodes after that point, and I can definitely see it on rewatch
Steven Universe was a very important series for me. I think it was the first show that I tried to follow everything about it online: the fan arts, discussions, the news and the subtitled episodes. And although I regret some parts of it (seriously I think I got into fandom culture too early, I wasn't ready for how overagressive people were about this show online). I can't deny it's influence on my life.
Seriously though. Stevens forgiving and peaceful nature influenced me soo much as a kid since I loved the show sm. Even to this day I still cherish it and how its made me a better person from the start
@@brunokamiyama4296 I think this was one of the things that attracted me to the show. Steven was less chaotic and bombastic that alot of show's protagonists at the time.
holy cow, are you me? this show was the first piece of media i ever really cared about that much, and because of that i was all over the fandom stuff when i really shouldn't have been. i feel like the fandom is honestly a really big part of why people are so biased against the show itself... i try now to ignore the online community and enjoy it in a vacuum.
@@brunokamiyama4296 dude i 100% agree, i think the show and steven as a character genuinely made me a better, more empathetic person
@@heliodorable4612 Yeah, I think the situation I had with Steven Universe and its fandom was one of the things that taught me that I don't need the approval of fandoms or haters for me to like a show at my own's discretion.
Real talk, the first Steven universe episode I ever saw was Mirror Gem. And I adored Lapis. Then when I did sit down to watch the whole series Lapis just became something strange. Not really an abuser but not really a victim either. She reminded me too much of myself at times which helped me reconcile with the fact that I am allowed to stay alive despite how horrible I was when I was younger, that although I can never truely atone for all the things I’ve done, I can distance myself and become a better person. And I like to think Lapis is like this, but man, she’s just straight up rude to Peridot 95% of the time, makes me genuinely dislike her. She and Pearl are probably my favourite characters, but are also the most flawed in many ways (no I’m not over the whole “Pearl was Rose’s slave” thing, it seriously puts a massive strain on their relationship they had) overall, I love this analysis because it acknowledges the good and bad of the show instead of just screaming one way or the other. Very based
Not everyone is perfect. It's recognizing your flaws and past actions and trying to change and become a better person is all that matters. I sometimes see myself as a bad person but I always try to change for the better. Don't expect to become a whole new person overnight. It takes time and effort to change yourself. Heck, I'm still trying to change for the better. Best of wishes.
i was gonna reply but i think hot fuss said it best, i wish you well
Wasn't she rude towards Peridot in only one episode ? ( & wasn't it kinda warranted ).
Tbf, Peridot DID keep Lapis hostage. Who wouldnt be a bit pissed off at their captor. I really do like her relationship with Peridot once they started to become friends
The first episodes I saw were the whole premier of season 5. Which is... quite the arc to jump in on.
Steven Universe was a victim of people forming their opinions on TH-cam essays instead of watching the actual source material.
Just like literally everything
Nah bruh having watched it shit is garbage the essays just saved a lot of people time on a show who's morality is honestly questionable
@@michaelkeha you can explain why you think that, you know?
@@Javifaa Well on top of the many other questionable episodes and ideas that came about over it's run I think the ones that really pushed it far over the line was the clear implications of fusion (being basically an allegory for sexual conduct of some kind )and then how it was used which I think the cap stone of fucked for it was the I'm going to sacrifice myself to defeat this enemy by for lack of a better term raping her for all eternity that and the other thing that really stuck in my craw was how psychotic Amythest got towards Steven's dad with pretty much no repercussions for her actions of any real weight
@@michaelkeha
Fusion has been confirmed to not be a sexual allegory by the writers. Fusion is explicitly stated to represent the relationship between gems. The only reason people thought it was an allegory for sex was just because one of the writers tweeted that fusion is not just a romantic thing and people thought that meant sexually and nothing else whatsoever.
Amethyst did suffer consequences. When Steven intervened she has a look of immediate regret for what she did and the fact that Steven saw her like that. Hell she makes up for it by telling Steven to have Greg and him clean up the storage unit which is why that whole situation happened in the first place
“If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have Hot Dogs”
- Greg Universe
Honestly I still use that quote, haha!
haha i remember seeing that ad so many times
"I live in there!" Greg screamed as his van was claimed by the sea.
Season 1 is really underrated imo. So much great world building, character building, music, art, foreshadowing. I think people forget how many fan fav episodes are in season 1.
YES
honestly. i think season 1a was the best Steven Universe ever was structurally. back when the magic of the show intertwined with the citizens of beach city. back when the gems were more ancient mythical guardians and not sci-fi space aliens. a lot more missions.
while i think season 2 and 3 are peak Steven universe i think it almost feels like a different show after Lapis was introduced.
@@emondadon Hmmm I like Season 1a structurally but I think season 2 is the best at that imo. Each episode flows so well into the next. All the mini arcs play naturally into each other. And the animation style is largely locked down. The jank of Season 1a is mostly gone. Like seriously as great as Ian Jones can be the episodes he was in charge of looked… Not great. The mission thing I agree with though the magical vs sci fi thing is purely preference. And imo the sci fi elements were always there just lessened.
EXTREMELY underrated, it's like a completely different show from the later seasons (in a good way)
Of course S1a is the best structured. It was all the Crewniverse thought they’d have at one point.
I think you did a great job of showing both the strengths and weaknesses of this season and show as a whole, as well as making it clear when things were really a matter of opinion and not fact. Great video!
I think another thing that always angered fans, me included was the release schedule. The show would often go on hiatus for MONTHS and when it came back would release bursts of episodes called “Steven Bombs”. So imagine everyone all hyped and excited ready to pick up where things left off, and we get like a Ronaldo episode😭The hiatuses do make rewatching SU on hbo max feel weird tho, storylines that felt really long feel super short without a several month break in between, but I still love revisiting it and I’m glad u did too mark
this! I almost never see people talk about this aspect of how the show originally aired. I rewatched the show online last year and I absolutely didn't hate the townie episodes that time around
THIS
@@chimeramanticore NO FR!! I think I really like a lot of them tbh, especially Connie or Sadie focused ones. But those hiatuses really made ppl that did like the townie episodes just hate them even more
In short cartoon network lied.
The show runners didn't know what they were doing and they sucked at pacing
Yeah and the staff on the show hated it too!! CN kept forcing it because they would get higher ratings that way, even if it meant screwing up the pacing of the show and jerking fans around. Like no shit they got high ratings when you barely air the show normally! It reminds me a lot of Gravity Falls getting months between airing even for standard episodes
A very strange thing about this show is how, as the characters are developed, Amethyst becomes more and more likeable while Pearl becomes harder and harder to have as your favourite. In the first season, I pretty much agree with your takes on the characters, but I think you definitely need to review the rest of the show, as the first season in a bubble isn't particularly reflective of the rest of the show.
Oh I agree. The part where I started hating pearl was when she tricked garnet into fusing with her.
Like God that was kinda messed up
@@Mewdo45 People defend her to this day despite the fact that what Pearl did was strongarm her way into a relationship in order to feel special again. I know SU fans have this knee-jerk reaction when people say this but she essentially sexually assaulted them through lies and manipulation and it's really gross. Personally Pearl never recovered from that for me, it's insane how the writers thought that she could possibly come back from that.
Some characters definitely got better as the story went on, some got worse. I think the only characters that had a really great arc were like Peridot and Steven. Amethyst goes from bratty slob to relatable, Pearl went from doting mother-figure to a complete fucking mess to sort of finding herself again, Garnet was better earlier on then just kind of became boring. Jasper had SO much potential but dropped it. Lapis was so intriguing but then became utterly frustrating to watch. Rose's story was pretty interesting as was Greg's but I don't think we got enough of it. Bismuth was alright, albeit barely used. I never much cared for Lars or Sadie, but Ronaldo had potential but then just became super annoying..
I do like that the story recontextualizes itself with the reveal of Pink Diamond and that Rose's arc was told backwards from her first apperance in Lion 3.
@@xacmashe3852Yeah definitely the characters themselves said it was a bad move and had a whole episode of garnet falling apart cause of it my only gripe is it’s never mentioned again and pearl didn’t have an episode about it cause the “forgiveness” one didn’t feel like it fleshed out to me but still liked pearl probably most interesting characters in the show just some major flaws on some of her actions.
The show starts on a plateau, reaches an impossibly high mountain, slips, and goes to the fucking underworld.
I remember when Cartoon Network would promote the Steven universe bombs, and you had a whole week to watch the newest episodes. The pink diamond reveal scene where we actually see what she looked like, is one of the best scenes and the episode where Steven goes into pearl’s mind to find her phone but he also sees her memories. My other favorite episodes were the ones where ruby and sapphire find out about how rose/pink diamond lied, ruby going off on her own and being a cowboy, and of course the wedding episode!
There were 2 season 1 episodes that litterally tramatized me as a child. It was the one were Steven is about to loose control of himself from transforming into too many cats, and the one where Steven almost sped up his aging to the point of almost dying. There was just something so terrifying to me as child, especially due to the fact that I had a level of fear while watching both episodes because I remember watching it at night in my bed alone when I was supposed to be asleep not helped by the fact that I was intimidated by the dark because childhood irrational thinking can turn night time into a horror game concept. Just seeing the horror on both Greg and the Crystal Gems faces with the solution to the episode being a desperate last ditch idea freaked me out. I think it was one of the few times I questioned how reliable a main character's plot armor was.
Ok the cat one was genuanly horrifying, thanks for that memory lol
I was more relaxed playing Bloodborne for the first time than watching that episode.
I agree, didn't get traumatized but sure felt uneasy
That last sentence is very interesting :o
Fr the cat and aging ep also made me get so worry
Something interesting that I noticed in this video is that alot of the issues some people have were kinda ALWAYS present and didnt come from additions later on. Its just that it worked early on when the series was episodic or at least half episodic and half serialized, and as the series became more serious and serialized those things didnt work anymore and became an issue, and were simply never fixed or changed to fit the new feel of the series.
That is what I thinking too. A lot of what made season 1 work did not work for the rest of the show and because of the show's refusal to evolve beyond that is ultmately led to the shows undoing.
@@sirpheredin1379 That has nothing to do with anything in this conversation lol. Go be a fake philosopher somewhere else.
This comment says exactly how I felt about the series as it progressed. When it was still coming out, I had hopes that it would get better, but it never really did. I loved season one for its unpredictability and simplicity and heartwarming goofiness, but once they added the serious shit, the series completely changed. Except... it didn't actually. It's like they had to remind themselves it was a kid's show between every Steven Bomb (hence all the pointless, poorly written filler). Sometimes I look back on the original series with fondness, and other times I remember Steven Universe Future exists and I get really mad again lol.
I actually started watching SU last November after years of seeing all the reviews saying how it was horrible, unwatchable, stupid, etc., and despite me basically being the opposite intended audience I actually really liked it. It's now a guilty pleasure of mine to watch here and there and I genuinely like the characters. I never once interacted with the fandom in the past or present, nor have I ever seen what they did, I just went into the series on my own accord and called the shots. I just think it's a fun show regardless of its flaws that’s nice for me to enjoy alone.
I completely fell in love with the show after the season one finale. I watched it constantly, I remember having all sorts of the merchandise, talking about it on forums but i eventually just stopped watching, somewhere around the pink diamond story. I don’t dislike it but I haven’t seen the movie or any of future. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one. The show kind of felt directionless too a point
Steven Universe got Five seasons, six including future. Thats way more than many cartoons could dream of. And its a shame how they wasted it on pointless filler episodes in beach city whilst neglecting the space opera they had in the background.
I think you should rewatch. I think the pink diamond story arc is pretty good in hindsight. It is a story of a girl breaking away from and fighting the toxic authoritative family she grew up with.
For the longest time I thought that Ocean Gem was the the season 1 final, and that everything between that and the actual season 1 finally was season 2. Watching this video made me realize how many episodes were actually in season 1 that I always thought were season 2 episodes.
That was honestly one of the better Steven Universe criticisms out there. Felt really fair and grounded. Highlighted it’s strengths very well!
It’s honestly just a breath of fresh air from all the overly negative reviews with unwarranted hate. I get the finale feels rushed, and has some issues. Show isn’t perfect, could have been better at parts, sure. But to write off the whole show in its entirety for it seems a bit silly. There’s still a lot I love about this show.
Yes! To be honest, the thumbnail + title scared me off for a little bit, but I'm glad I've now heard him clearly share his renewed thoughts. Like I'm certainly not one to ask people to skip parts anyway, but his review remained enlightening.
I'd now look forwards to seeing him go through the rest of the series if he still takes up the task (and future jabs XD)
I think reviewing the rest of the series as a whole is a good idea, you basically experienced it fresh and gave it a very fair shake.
Well he didn't have to wait for like 2 episodes a year
One thing we don't know in regards to Lapis, is the gems may have known she was trapped in the mirror, but they didn't know if she was corrupted or not. At least that's my interpretation.
Or they thought she was a homeworld gem that'd be hostile as well. That could've been the case too
Looking back, I think one of the issues that much of the series had, was that Steven had no life outside the gem stuff.
Sure he hung out with the townsfolk occasionally, but he didnt have a reason to beyond just killing time.
It's like how in RPGs the game gives you the option to hang out with your team mates and talk to them, but in the end those are all just temporary distractions that don't matter, since the main thing is the bigger adventure and beyond just hearing some funny lines they don't add much, to the point where they get skipped when replayed..
This wasn't a problem at the start, when the stakes where low and it was more about Steven starting to learn about the world he lives in, but over time, as the stakes rose, everything started to feel more like a waste of time.
I think some serious obligations in the human world, would have helped with this. Maybe Steven must balance his school classes or has an overarching private goal he is trying to achive, for which he needs to interact with the humans. You know, give him a life outside of Gem hero/kid wasting time.
I mean....part of the tragedy for steven is that because of his situation he never went to school or even visited a doctor. I think season one does a good job of making the town episodes connected enough to steven and the plot so that they flow naturaly despite the lower stakes.
Later, season 5 is the worst offender, the tone shift was too jaring. With him almost dying, traumatized and trapped in homeworld one day, to the next day see the gems being lile "oh you are back, great", connie acting like a drama queen, lars suddenly being a focal point of his own arc in an unrelated arc (it didn't mattered if him or any of the off colors survived), and then episodes focused on mayor dewey? Lile seriously? 5 jaringly tone deaf episodes and nobody is focusing on steven's obvious struggles and trauma getting back? And even having him being everyone's therapist?
We love enthusiastic stecen for sure, but season 5 is way too disjointed and tone deaf to ignore, and it's not even a matter of just skipping those episodes! Because the issues never really get adressed, they just move past them because the script says so
That's like a third of the point of his character. He never got to be a normal kid, go to school, or even have a friggin GP.
@@foxygrin
But he doesn’t seem bothered by that fact. We never get an episode about Stephen wondering how non gem life would be for him or caring much about the normal things he is missing out on or his parental figures trying to get him to do non gem stuff. If the characters in universe don’t care about the normal human world, we as an audience won’t care.
And the few human world things that are in the show are so unrelated to the Gem stuff that they are all seen as borderline filler at best. There is so little overlap that the human world might as well have been written out and little would be lost.
Steven is meant to be half human half gem. But he doesn’t have a human life. Even the narrative treats him more like a weird gem rather than the hybrid he is meant to be.
It is a weakness on the side of the writing. It doesn’t ruin the story but I do believe it is a root cause of many of the shows flaws
steven universe has been such a weird cartoon for me cuz you see how creative it is and how much rebecca sugar loved making it but you also see the shows quality go up and down so much
The Show is hated in the end
@Awesomemay ||
AwesomeMay what are you doing here? It's amazing how consistently inconsistent they are with the airing of episodes, the art style, and even character personality and motivation.
It's commendable that it managed to be as popular as it was at the end of the day.
Hi awesomemay ur my fav TH-camr
Well, if she didn’t spend her free time makin creepy Ed, edd n eddy fanfics, maybe it would’ve been better
@@demonreacts7816 I like how you took some youtuber's word for it and even got THAT wrong. She drew weirdo Ed. Edd, n Eddy porn nearly two decades ago, when she was a teen.
Here's a fun fact: Steven Sugar, Rebbeca Sugar's younger brother, was a background designer for The Owl House. Also, Rebbeca guest starred as "Becka Salt" in an episode of Amphibia, and even wrote an original song for said episode
steven also did backgrounds for SU
Too bad Rebecca sugar is a literal idiot
Was Steven named after Steven Sugar or something?
@@gabe_motherboard3355 yes, he was! the character of steven universe is based on steven sugar, and beach city is based on delmarva, where they grew up
@@gabe_motherboard3355 no, steven seagal
I was really worried about watching this cuz we all know how critical Mark is, but I was so shocked how positive he was. Probably cuz I did not know he'd watched the series already, total plot twist for me.
I never really saw the Townie episodes as filler like some do. Those episodes usually explore and show you the people in the town Steven lives in, it gives some life to the town steven lives in and who he interacts with.
Those episodes should have been forgotten after season 3. But noo, we needed to see the major reelection, Ronaldo... Mr frown... YEAH.
The reason they're seen as filler is due to where they were placed and how the show was being aired. Ex: Steven and Lars goes to Homeworld, Steven was able to return home, but without Lars and has to find away to get him back. The show goes on hiatus and then follows it up with the mayor episode with the Lars/Homeworld situation being a footnote. It just wasn't good timing
I agree. Some of the characters were annoying but it was necessary for world building to show all the different civilians that the gems are protecting. Plus, I liked Sadie and Lars.
@@calibula95 If they were gonna do those townie episodes, they could’ve at least done the likeable ones. Not…rOnAlDo.
The reason why townie episodes were so hated later in the show's life weren't mostly due to the episodes themselves, but due to the *abysmal* airing schedule.
Fans were left hyped after a big plot point, and left theorizing on what happens next for *months* (remember, theories were a big part of this fandom).
But then when Steven was finally back, we were greeted with a RONALDO episode.
... (Sigh) wth CN.
I think more teen Steven would’ve benefited it more. Teen Steven rocks
Edit - when he’s not dealing with the bullshit mental health
@@WSendam tssss
i think his refined personality in the movie made it so much more enjoyable than had they went with his personality up to that point. he's still very much... himself? but there's this slight snark he has that i really enjoy.
Nah Steven universe future was so bad, I hated that show much I forgot all the good things about the first series
@mmh4378 fr. I feel like he lost all character development in future. All throughout the series it emphasize change and here we have future steven doesnt want things to change even though he told everyone else hey you cant stop change, might as well embrace it and you cant do anything about it. There are of course other problems, but breaking one of the main themes is my main gripe.
I liked him in movie but in Future. He was annoying.
It's cool that people are starting to talk about this show without being hyperbolic or dramatic about it. This video made me want to give the show a rewatch. It used to be one of my very favorites, and it continues to have a big impact on my art.
I wish the show was able to maintain the relaxed, slower pace that the first season had, but I think the later seasons hold up well overall despite their flaws.
Also, I love how multiple songs in the show are written like theyre for a serious Broadway musical, not a goofy kids show(both Lapis songs, Do It For Her, Its Over Isnt It, the one Steven sings about forgetting your troubles for a day and thinking about love)
It's over isn't it has no right to be as good as it is, like dede magno hall popped tf off
@@the_spaggot3148 She killed it in terms of the vocals. I also love the melody a lot. It's got that angsty, dramatic feel you'd expect from a serious musical
@@the_spaggot3148 Also, I think whoever they got to play the piano on this deserves some praise too
Steven sung “Peace and War on the Planet Earth” to Peridot I want to say season 3 or 4. If that’s the song you’re mentioning, I agree, super super catchy and charming
@@tzpremixesNo, the one I was mentioning was the one before the wedding that he sings but I do think Peace And Love On The Planet Earth has a ton of charm and this calm, quiet, peaceful vibe that I really like. That one actually does sound like a kids song but it works
Y’know one thing i belive that was missed in steven universe in general was how the humans felt about gems.
Greg said people died in the war and Connie brought up the question if there was another gem/human hybrid like steven.
I felt the same. Its so weird that humans just left their artifacts laying around or don't seem to care when a bunch of gems live on earth during the finale. If they did, I'd imagine humans portraying them in a negative light due to them trying to destroy the planet and leaving their garbage behind. And Steven might be affected by that
Exactly 😂, not to mention the lack of any sort of government intervention; everyone was way too chill about the aliens and their influences on earth
@@rossbob4215 I remember the scene when a guy throws a shoe at Lapis for flying over. How often do you see blue humans flying around town to be annoyed by it? My only explanation for his reaction is he was drunk or high
@@QueenMariposa5 My theory is that there is gem tech on the moon base that renders humans complacent to the existence of gems/literal aliens on their planet. Otherwise, governments would be getting involved in the show.
@@evilds3261 honestly really creepy if you really develop that theory; no one is aware of the subtle “mind control” affecting the entire planet
As frustrating as it is that this show had so many flaws, I think there's also something beautiful about the fact that this show about mistakes, trauma, and love is as broken as its characters. It gives me a sense of poignancy that the show, like life, is messy and complicated.
That's one way to look at it. I'd agree with you if it wasn't for Steven Universe Future. That brief series was a total slap in the face to victims of PTSD and survivors of traumatic events. It made me reanalyze everything about the original Steven Universe, and I realized the later seasons also profited off of poorly written sad-bait. When you also take into account who actually created the show, it suddenly becomes clear that this show isn't actually a love letter to humanity; it's bait for profit. It spoke to the lonely gay kid I was and I ate that shit up. Now that I'm older, gayer, and happy, I can't say I enjoy it much anymore. And it's not because I no longer enjoy cartoons (actually quite the opposite!); it's because the show had such a bad way of executing the messages it tried to pass on. I still love it in a nostalgic kind of way, but now I wish it were done by someone who had a basic sensitivity chip lodged in their brain...
@@nomoretwitterhandles wait, im genuinely unaware; what do you mean by it's clear the show is bait for profit because of who created the show? i neither agree nor disagree, im just confused since that conflicts with what i know about rebecca sugar and the crew (not that i made extensive research on who they are either way)
@@nomoretwitterhandles It executes on literally every concept just fine. Actual loser
Something I liked about the first season to the rest of the show was how steven had an arc similar to po from the first kung fu panda movie (weird comparition I know) but my point is no matter how much he smiled and did goofy stuff, we also had clear moments where you can see his frustration for not being that good, so each time the gems congrat steven or he managed to do something for them it felt like a tiny victory for him, which makes him likeable IMO, I like that tiny moment where he fuses with connie for the first time and garnet seems hyped the most, foreshadowing the truth that she's a fusion too, season one set a ground for what would be next.
Too bad, as many fans, I grew tired of steven at season 4 when some plots seemed too boring to me and moved on to "rick n morty, people bashin bad movies online and GBA emulation"
Never speak of it again for as long as you live.
@@sirpheredin1379 no
I still remember when steven universe and star vs the forces of evil was held with such high regard and respect like adventure time and gravity falls
Both had meh endings :(
@@keyevisser3797 Yeah, those endings did ruin both shows though I think SVTFOE is worse.
It really shows how a bad ending can ruin the reception of a good show and I agree. Knowing how it's going to end badly makes rewatching the show hard and even for first time viewers. It's mainly a problem for more serialized shows though since a show like Spongebob I have no problem just ignoring season 5 onwards and still loving the first 3 seasons and liking the 4th.
SU had at least most of it's runtime be good. Star vs. started to suck ass really suddenly after Toffee "died" (I still never get why they didn't bring him back...)
@@juannaym8488 Yeah I agree, it’s really tragic because the show had so much potential.
I honestly agree with all of this. I was such a massive fan of the show despite originally thinking I'd hate it. Like I really didn't care for Adventure Time OR Steven Universe when it came out, cuz I thought they were just way worse looking knock-offs of Flapjack and Chowder. But it honestly became my favorite show there for awhile, and I was super heartbroken when it all went to shit in the end.
Peridot especially became a favorite of mine, and a character I actually insanely identify with. At that time, I was sorta going through self de-programming from the psuedo-libertarian Republican bullshit my mom indoctrinated me into while at the same time sorta coming to accept I was trans... So her whole arc of kinda spoke to me on a deep level. Her becoming herself, escaping from this kinda authoritarian mind state, her idolizing of this authority figure who's not the rational, objective person you thought they were.
I still identify with her like I never have any other character before. It makes it all the more upsetting how the show became so hurried and weak, just rapidly going through the motions. I noticed things kinda going downhill starting with the Cluster arc and 'In Too Deep', which felt really rushed and weak, and by the time the show got towards its conclusion and we actually see Homeworld I was sick of it. So much wasted potential and opportunities, such a betrayal of the excellent storytelling of the first and second seasons. The movie wasn't any better, honestly, and made it worse. I never watched Future because of it, I was so over it.
Just a heads up, SU originally had 3 seasons that were all ~50ep long. Retroactively, those latter 2 seasons were each split into 25ep seasons. This is probably so CN could charge streaming services more money for licensing.
This brought the show to 5 seasons without increasing the amount of episodes ordered. In fact, the crew wasn't even told this would be happening, so the show isn't paced around these new season finales
The episode schedule of this show was a nightmare. CN really screwed up in this regard.
Before I watch the video I just want to say that as someone who watched the whole thing as it was airing Steven Universe will always mean the world to me, not just because it's a great show which a lot of people put time and effort into making as good as possible, not just because of representation, but also because it literally got me through my freshman year of highschool. That was back when they were still releasing episodes weekly and having something to look forward to every week made getting out of bed and going to school easier during a time where I barely had the drive or energy to do those things. Steven reminded me of a younger and more hopeful version of myself and watching him made me feel more positive about my life too. It is a good show and it always was. As stupid and toxic as the online discourse surrounding show can be the show itself had such a positive impact on my life and nothing can change how I feel about it
Watching a little more and to address your opinion about the townie episode I never hated them I hated the airing schedule. Like when you rarely get the show to air and when they you get townie episode that are great and don't really provide any info about the big plot points that you've been stressing over for months that doesn't feel great even if the episode itself was good. If they kept with the weekly airing schedule or you binged them on stream now that it's all over I think that would be a much better experience. That might just be me though idk
Make another one, it refreshing to see someone talking about the show for how it actualy is rather than overexagerating the good parts or the bad parts
Honestly I remember also thinking season 1 was the best part just because like I got really bad second hand embarrassment every 3 seconds when the actual story stuff started
I had a friend in middle school who i would chat with about the show and we’d come up with theories about the characters, that sorta thing. This was around 2016 when the fanbase was becoming infamously bad, but since i wasn’t really interacting with any fans apart from that 1 irl classmate it didn’t bother me in any way. For me personally, the show was really fun until after peridots redemption/the end of the cluster arc. After that i just sorta lost interest in it. I tried to pick it back up a few years later but i just didnt enjoy the episodes after the cluster. Then i heard about how the finale made steven forgive the diamonds in the dumbest way possible which killed any interest to return to it. In my mind the end of the cluster arc with peridot joining the gems and telling yellow diamond off is a pretty good “ending” for the show and to just assume the gems have many more wacky adventures after.
"It's OK Hitler, we know you feel sowwy about doing those bad things, we forgive you" rose is rolling in her early grave 😂
@@superpieman5773 it was less that they forgave the diamonds and moreso that making peace with them was the only option that wouldn't end in a dectuple digit death count
and also the way that peace was made it would stop them from doing the bad shit that letting them be and indefinitely avoiding ever interacting with them would do anyways(intergalactic conquest, genocide, etcetera etcetera)
@shub so just resetting the status quo to a very shaky peace, that's not exactly a good ending. That's like a games default ending, not the true ending. "The galactic baddies are agreeing to a non aggression pact, for now....."
@@imnotshubthey could of bubbled/imprisoned them, they served 0 punishment and still got to rule since Steven doesn’t want to be a diamond leader
@@imnotshub At least they could do like them being punished like Andrias from Amphibia. Like still a bit fucked up they being "drunk aunts or silly" after their history, even more they age
Okay I avoided clicking on this video since it came out even though I watch basically all of your videos... And that's cuz Steven Universe isn't just my favourite show ever... It's my favourite thing ever made. It's weird cuz I NEVER expected to get as into it as I did... Only watching it last year and since I haven't ever been more attached and invested in a piece of media in my life! It honestly changed the way I view new media from now on cuz I never in a million years could've predicted this show would surpass everything I hold in such high esteem to become my favourite thing ever. (to put into perspective, I like Steven Universe more than breaking bad, a show I consider to be the greatest ever made, and more than my favourite game of all time Xenoblade Chronicles 2. It appeals to every taste and preference I have for media and was able to shoot all the way past solidified favourites that I thought unsurpassable. It taught me to never judge media from the outside without giving it a fair shake.)
So to see the rampant hate you'd get for even mentioning it, and see so many people without even WATCHING it bash it... That drove me insane. I decided after months of anger over how much people jumped at the chance to bash something I love, to just avoid and tune out all the negativity. Anytime I'd see a post bashing it, such as one of YOUR tweets, I had to block it. And this shocked me cuz I never usually do that kinda stuff...but for SU it was different. I felt a very strong, unbreakably close connection to it.
And it always bummed me out when you'd bash it in passing conversation in your videos, such as your clearance and uncle grandpa videos...
So you can imagine my jaw hitting the floor when I heard you say at the start of this video that you used to be obsessed with it, knew lines word for word, and actually followed it as it came out!?!?!?!?!
He's just like me FR!!😂
But anyways that really confused me, but I decided to finally watch this video and see your thoughts...and while I agree and disagree at some points, my mantra with this show is that AS LONG AS YOU'VE *WATCHED* IT, you can love it, hate it, interpret it however you want! It just gets under my skin when I KNOW someone only bashes it cuz they've never seen it...which I suspected of you for the longest time.
But one thing I will say is I take umbrage with the title and thumbnail. I really dislike the notion that the 'majority' is in agreement that it's bad by default, so you have to frame videos discussing it as if it has to prove itself to be good after all! Even though you said at the beginning that not only did you once adore it, but that it's a split love/hate 50/50 debate.
Like why does Steven Universe have to be viewed as bad by default while other polarising shows gets a pass?
Whatever I love it so damn much.
But anyways I'll just chalk that up to you needing the views and playing the YT thumbnail game... understandable.
Overall I may sound insane but I just wanted to put my thoughts out there as a recent new Steven Universe fan whose kneejerk reaction is stimulated by titles and thumbnails like these... I'd really love to see you, someone who doesn't hate the show blindly, to give it the respect it deserves and not frame videos discussing it as default bad. It'd do a lot for fans like me and the wider Steven Universe community who adore this show and are tired of seeing it's reputation dragged through the mud.
I'm with you, going from being one of the many, many fans this show had to blinking and it being hated for reasons lesser shows get a pass or even praise for is driving me nuts. I get it isn't perfect- what show is? But I'd honestly say it's 90% perfect and if that's 'cringe' or whatever people can eat my whole ass.
I'm usually so level-headed over discussing media too but nah man, SU deserves to be remembered as the greatest of its time 🤟
I think something I love is that the show puts a lot of work into showing both Steven’s gem life and his human life, the show is half-human just like him
Genuinely one of the most polarizing shows ive ever seen
At least from the 2 sides of the fanbase
Honestly like the original style before the simplification quite a bit more than the production style
I really liked it to, but I feel like it would have been a nightmare for the background artists
I liked it up until Future. I even enjoyed most of the townie episodes which most people consider "filler," but to never follow up with any potential lore or history with Gem society (not to mention the really poor handling of the Diamonds and the millennia of tyranny they imposed forgiven and forgotten almost immediately), the whole thing caved in on itself.
And the really sad part is that it's not a show I can see myself going back and rewatching like I do with Adventure Time or Regular Show, because there's no mystery left. I'm still finding new easter eggs in AT, or will see things from a different perspective.
And speaking of AT, SU Future plagiarized 2 episodes of AT for their finale (Don't Look Now and Abstract) and still did a poor job with it. Finn and Jake had friends and family *talk* to them about the struggles they were going through, they didn't fix things with only a hug.
Yeah, looking back, I think the episodes should've released in a format of,like a story episodes bundle and then "townie" episodes bundle(in a back and forth zig zag pattern). If that makes sense?? I understand the value of steven spending time with the side characters in beach city, because it shows what he's fighting for,but some of it is so pointless because it never gets brought up again, and it just pails in comparison to cool stuff that came before. At least new fans can just binge it now. Also,
WE NEVER GOT TO SEE THE GEM WAR AND STEVEN FIXING GEM SOCIETY WAS OFFSCREEN!!!!!
I agree.
@Jose Sosa I think there should have been more of an emphasis on the importance of Steven being half human, because townie and Gem characters do mirror each other in a lot of ways, but the writers never seemed to be able to nail that concept. I think that's why I can't rewatch SU, there's just so much wasted potential when it comes to the writing and the lore. Like it was great to see into Greg's past in Future, but there was zero setup for it in the main series and it never got brought up again after (as far as I can recall anyway). And in Adventure Time's spinoff Distant Lands, we see BMO touch down at the treehouse with Lil Finn and Jake, which gives a sense of history to the main series on rewatches, like it exists on an mobius strip of time.
Its crazy that Rebecca sugar did a much better job writing on adventure time than she did on her own show lol
@@majesticmo5048 it’s easier to improve something that already exists than make your own thing entirely
I would LOVE another video on this show, it’s just really entertaining. To be honest I hadn’t seen this show for the longest time so I didn’t know it was hated at all 😭
Steven Universe went downhill after Peridot's arc ended as thast where the show really has a lot of the problems. Season 1 gets hate because of that later series tint where things were rushed and never explained, with bad episodes being projected on the most and townie episodes being projected on the most as those are the huge problems with the later seasons where they really don't have time for episodic stuff with how little they drip feed you. Season 1 is fine, but if you've watched the whole thing, the later seasons taint your view of season 1.
Never speak of Steven Universe again for as long as you live.
I appreciate how impactful Steven Universe was to millions of fans. They definitely do a lot right and even if the show had dipped in quality near the end, It's hard to deny how important it was to so many. It's definitely not the spawn of satan that everyone claims it to be.
I totally agree about the whole “skipping filler” thing! There’s nothing wrong with some good, episodic, characterization fun! I would love to see you check out the rest of the show for a video!
24:10 Timmy's parents are so neglectful, even the description forgets they exist
For all its faults, I still find the show to be very enjoyable, relatable to me personally, and groundbreaking in some areas. Regardless, I still love this show and it’s def one of cartoon networks best
SU is actually an interesting show. It do a lot of things right and when it does, it does it better than most other cartoons. But it fails, it fails hard, and you can understand while not everyone likes it. I still think show was at its peak post-the Arrival up to the Season 2 finale, but even then, I still am nostalgic for the time when I used to wait months for the next "Steven Bomb."😮
i feel like it only ever failed hard because it was so elevated to begin with. it was NEVER as bad as the truly bad cartoons, it only felt that way because it was straight-up amazing most of the time
Well fun fact : the Steven Univers bombs only existed bcs when the show was first airing season 1 the ratings were so bad that cartoon network was considering pretty much considering canceling it and that's why the su bombs were made in the first place
Never speak of Steven Universe again for as long as you live.
Complaint about later seasons: Peridot kinda got sidelined after she discovered her metal powers.
Together Breakfast is so unfortunate because it’s so early in the show, it’s the second episode of the whole show. So if you see how Steven is in that episode, I wouldn’t be surprised if you hate him. And have that same character of him in the back of your mind as you watch the rest of the series.
I would watch a full retrospective if you made one, love watching them!
It's still funny how Cartoon Network went "We will intentionally shaft your creative process and viewership until your cancellation. Wait no you are profitable please come back we are sorry please!"
I'll always love Together Breakfast because it gave us Garnet saying "It has all the powers of a breakfast"! I'm still not over the trauma of Cat Fingers...
Personally I like both the gem and town aspects of the series. I love the themes and messaging, the music and art style. It's a story about love; all kinds of love, even the bad and toxic kinds. I really appreciate that. Maybe it's just because I'm old and grew up with stuff like Slayers and Ranma, learning to appreciate "filler" just as much as the main story.
In all honestly, i never really understood the criticism on this show. And don't get me wrong, i don't think it's perfect. I once use to think it was one of the best cartoons out there, and growing up i realized that i was overrating it a little. But it just seems to me that there aren't actual straightforward problems that people criticize on this show. Some people say that the problem it's pacing, some flanderized it and said it's a dumb show that resolves conflicts only with: "hey let's be friends instead of fighting!!", some says that season 1 was the worst, and some says season 1 was the only good one and that the other ones where trash. I mean, it's ok to focus your criticism on certain things, but when all the hate come from different reasons that are even in conflict with each other... i don't know, it's just seems that people just have subjective tastes and that they think they're subjective takes are objective
Completely agree.
The pacing, imo, isn’t even the shows fault. It’s his Cartoon Network AIRED it. We’d go months on hiatus and then suddenly get 5 episodes in one week. That’s what made some hate the “townie” episodes, because we’d wait forever for an episode that wouldn’t push the plot forward.
Overall though, I love Steven Universe, and I think I’d still consider it my favorite show despite all the hate it gets.
I honestly feel like I Mandela effected into a new timeline or something because last I heard Steven Universe was like this awesome show that was universally beloved and then I turned around and suddenly its notoriously hated? huh?? I never finished the show so I don't know what the fuss is about either way but it certainly is interesting to hear opinions do such a drastic 180 like that
just watch the show yourself and form your own opinions
As a huge Steven Universe fan i was worried that this would be another 'why everything is objectively bad and you shouldn't enjoy it' kind of video, but this was actually a really fair review of the first bit of the series. I would love to see more. Keep up the good vids!
46:03 what’s with all that pixelization stuff, was it intentional? I really just thought my tv was screwed up
I absolutely love steven universe. But y'know as someone who has ptsd bc of me growing up with my mother. Its literally made for me. Steven is fucking me. Like literally me. Its very therapeutic and also very confrontational
44:52 I can definitely agree here. The thought of a show and especially a serialized one's episodes being episodic meaning they're meaning less has always rubbed me the wrong way. Season 1 of a serialized show I feel can and sometimes should be episodic to slowly introduce you into this world and characters give you reasons to care about them. Sometimes some simple fun at the beginning will get you intrigued to the show leading up to where it gets more serialized getting you more invested.
I loved Steven Universe for the simultaneous sense of both mystery and familiarity.
The world of beach city seemed so comfy & fun, but there was always something around the corner to discover next.
This is also coupled with the shows high emotional intelligence, and fearlessness in showing it.
I can’t think of another cartoon that has validated as many different types of trauma/fears/etc. in a way that feels real and true to the characters, with many of the issues they have taking a lot of time and effort to improve - not outright “fix.”
The scene where Steven says that he didn't even know his mom is a great one. At this point in the series, he sees his mom as an amazing person who he wishes he knew, and then he hears someone who would've barely remembered her (Lars wouldn't have even been in school when Rose died), of course he'd be pissed. And there's something about the delivery that honestly makes it an amazing line to me
Honestly I'd love to see your take on the rest of the show, positive or negative. It's been so long since I've thought about it, let alone season 1, that it's merit had completely slipped my mind and this was really fun to look back on
Steven Universe wasn’t really a thought in my head until some artist drew a picture of Rose, Greg, and Steven, and they drew Rose as being a bit skinny. People went nuts and went as far as to bully the artist until she tried to take her own life. Now, it’s been years since that happened, but that mixed with other stories of the fandom being awful just made me decide to never watch the show, I think because I thought that it’d make me into those kind of people who get so worked up over cartoons. Looking back nowadays, I realize I just wanted a reason not to like/watch the show, because I really had no feelings towards it.
There are some things I liked about it, the backgrounds, the more chill vibe, there was something about it I’d never seen before in any cartoon and really haven’t seen since.
Great video, btw. I can’t believe this show came out 10 years ago
That was my experience with this show also. It's a major reason why I hate 90% of all fandoms
The drama behind the skinny rose fanart gets really ironic considering later plot developments concerning rose
Pearl used to be my favorite but I ended up growing to love amethyst as the series went on. It always helped that she reminds me of my sibling and the bond between amethyst and Steven always felt like a younger brother and older sister
It's honestly great to hear someone be so positive towards SU
I know this video wasn't 100% positive (and I agree with most criticisms, even when this is one of my favourite shows of all time), it's just refreshing to hear someone speak from an unbiased and objective position, looking at the season as a whole and the circumstances surrounding it, rather than cherry-picking a few specific points
Oh no THE MOMENT he speaked negatively about owl house. THE VIDEO STARTED GLITCHING☹️
The very first episode of Steven Universe is LITERALLY the most iconic episode for me. I’ll never forget Cookie Cat
Is the show perfect? Of course not. Nothing is perfect. Does it have flaws? Definitely. Lots of flaws. Does this show deserve the hate? Definitely not. It gets way too much unnecessary hate imo.
Agree on that.
People just need to chill💀
Agreed 100%
It also gets a lot of defense just because it's hated.
Let people hate things.
@@calibula95 It’s always ironic that these LeT pEoPle enJOY ThiNgS cant handle others freely hating things either. Since when did we need to love everything?
It's crazy that I started as a LS Mark Hater, but now he's one of my favorite TH-camrs. Funny how that works out.
I like Steven Universe, but I feel like the area where it fell flat was the fact that CN put so much limits on what the show could have been.
I know he said he didn't really like this episode, but I love the ending of Winter Forecast, where Connie and Steven just sit there in silence, watching the snow fall outside the window like they said they wanted to earlier in the episode. I love the quiet moments of the show that let you just take a breath and soak in the atmosphere of the show, cause damn there's some great quiet moments like that. I'd say Rose's Scabbard counts as well, with the whole ending bit with the music; that whole ending is just beautiful. Visually, emotionally, and audibly.
Man, I miss those moments.
I decided to check out the Steven Universe subreddit, and I decided to post a funny picture of the Crystal Gems as Family Guy characters, and people truly didn’t know that it was a joke.
Never could get into this show. I've tried watching it like 4 or 5 times, and quit every time. The beginning is just so bad, which is a shame because I hear it gets better. That also may just be the people who wouldn't say that being weeded out.