Something I've noticed about the original pilot's artstyle is that it fits very well with other 00s cartoons. I can relate to the fact that the original style just has a certain appeal to it.
I like both styles,but is it necessarily better one than the original series?Both styles have beautiful tones and effects.But the case is what we are using the style for.
Without making this into a "which is better" argument, one thing I ADORE about the pilot is how dark and muted the colors are despite how COLORFUL the pallet is. It's a very unique balance that in spite of what many people could determine as "too bleak/murky", manages to pop in spite of it all!
I don't think it's muted for the reason, this happens because of the old recording of the TV stream. I will not be surprised, if the pilot is the same as the release.
“Kids don’t really wanna see their favorite characters cry their eyes out at the sight of their family getting destroyed...” *Me, who grew up watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars:* Are you sure about that?
Lol little me’s favorite part of Tangled the movie being when Eugene got stabbed and Rapunzel had to heal him, liking (og) Teen Titans, ATLA, Gravity Falls, OTGW, watched Black dynamite, the Boondocks and took an avid interest in Attack on Titan when it started airing on Adult Swim/ Toonami and Coraline/Monster house things of the like I think kids are a lot more interested and capable of handling deeper/darker/more intense topics than we give them credit for. Everything doesn’t have to be utterly gory and sexual for the adults and everything doesn’t have to sugar coated and dumbed down for kids and sometimes the young adults/teens/late adolescence want things by and/or for them sometimes.
I prefer the newer version much more. The newer version focuses alot more on color and color combinations. Colors can be used to make the audience feel emotions and steven universe focuses on emotions alot. The older version, while detailed, looks washed out and feels like it's trying to be edgy which steven universe isn't about. That op was bomb tho, i liked that. But still the newer version just fits steven universe, as an artform and storytelling method, much better than the original.
@@justicejackson8585 you can think the old style looked aesthetically better, but looking better isn't always the main goal. As a style, it did not fit steven universe and it's story. I truly cannot imagine steven universe's story being told in this artstyle. The cal arts style is also used alot for a reason, it's easy and expressive to animate and it can easily use many colors without it looking weird or overblown. And it can do all that while not needing much time to animate(as opposed to other styles atleast). While steven universe might have the cal arts style, imo it saves itself by having unique and beautiful backgrounds and environments. There are so many steven universe shots that are like pc background worthy, they really figured out how to use and blend colors in such a beautiful way while keeping a geometrical look in some of their backgrounds.
The full show style was never 'bad' despite what people say, but by GOD did it deteriorate over the seasons to where it was basically a caricature of itself
Personally I feel like it's the other way around, the style was kind of sloppy and not as detailed or refined in the first season compared to what it progressed into
I get MAJOR 80’s vibes from the pilot. I feel like it’s a perfect blend of the retro and modern styles and would have loved to see the show drawn like that. I wonder what Rose would look like!!! Also Garnet’s hair in the pilot was AMAZING. I think the sleekness of her hair accentuates her curves and adds some variety to her look.
5:40 what i love about the original palette was that it was jewel tones. JEWEL TONES!! FOR A SHOW ABOUT GEMSTONES!! LITERALLY PERFECT!! not only that but jewel tones are just so alluring
I’ve always thought, how cool would the other characters look in this style? Especially the antagonists, imagine seeing jasper with a more uncanny look, or the diamonds looking like nightmares.
To answer you’re question at the end. I kinda think the style we got fits Perl better. While the original style definitely made Perl more round, befitting the style of a Perl. I think the one we got better represents her personality of being a uniform neurotic neat freak.
God i loved the original pilot's Art style. The designs , clothing, background, the detailed, how the facial express , i really like how deep and earthy the colors feel too. and the proportions, I liked the proportions as well, im glad you mentioned it. I also like the CONSISTENCY. I wonder what the show would be like if they stuck to this style? I wish the stuck with it, I think I wanna make a work inspired by the art style.
i didn't have to deal with the wait...by the time i was introduced to the show it was as a day by day countdown to the start of the long awaited season hahahahaha you poor souls!
@@skyeplayswithanimation5704 I wasn’t saying “I want them to redo the animation 😡” I know how hard animation is. I practice it myself. I just like the style and wanted to see it like this throughout the whole thing
Both styles are nice, but the old one has this... feel to it. It feels older almost? Maybe nostalgic is a better word. It feels more like a cartoon you'd see as a kid that you'd have fond memories of. It makes me think of the 80s/90s for some strange reason. The new style feels much more polished and simplistic, but polished in a way where it doesn't have the same amount of personality. ALSO: I love the symbolism of Garnet at 2:00! Such subtle foreshadowing, and it's cool to see that they had the idea of fusion from the very beginning.
I have the rare opinion that I genuinely love the current style more, mainly because i think it’s a lot more aesthetically pleasing, more colourful, the backgrounds have far more personality, as for the characters i think the gems in the pilot just look like cosplayers who got lost on their way to comic-con and not as alien, also i looooove when characters ignore physics just to show emotions, like when their eyes become gigantic and their eyes get tiny or when their mouths get really big when they smile, I literally stole half of my artstyle from the current style, but as you said it’s very subjective
I think they made the new art style simplified for a clean and simple look that'll attract children. I do like the designs in the pilot, especially pearl. I love pearls hair in the pilot so much, but I don't know why they gave her and amethyst ears whilst the gems usually don't have ears.
@@stevenuniversefan108plus, the backgrounds in the current style look a lot better. They may have less detail, but they utilize color a lot better. Plus, I like how in the current style they utilize black lines sparingly. This makes the backgrounds and other things look less sloppy, less clutter and adds more complexity.
I really loved Steven he made me feel happy cuz he was more chubby than the super fit characters of other shows it really helped with self esteem a few years back
I feel like the key word you’re looking for in this is “Test audiences.” I really wonder what kind of people companies bring in to think represents all audiences. Because sometimes it boggles the mind with what they think we want.
I know right, which is why i think the best test audience is the internet because there are so many different types of people online if something is liked by a majority of people then it's likely very good
I'm kinda conflicted on which art style I like more, I kinda equally like and dislike aspects of each and I guess maybe my 'perfect' version for this show would have been something in between the pilot and the end product
I remember when the pilot first aired on 2011 or 2012. I was fascinated and adored the art style. I loved the intricate details, more realistic body proportions, and the more serious tone. That must be a little weird since I was so young - 7, 6, or 8 something like that. When the show started promoting it in 2013 with the new art style... I didn't like it because I liked the original pilot. I still like the art style of the show we got now... But I kinda wish the pilot and the show that we got was mashed together. Still keeping the relatively normal proportions and intricate details. But, adding the more pastel color palette and among other things.
I overall like the finished show's style better; I think the simplicity leads to easier to digest character designs that makes them really nice to look at. But what I love about the pilot's style are the incredibly vibrant colors, as well as the various visual effects such as smoke or mist having a really intense level of detail.
I think if SU had a style like this we wouldn't be going through this SU/Calarts art style people constantly pull out of their asses whenever they see a art style they don't like.
@@adeptdamage3669 That term is only used because it's recognizable, and people automatically know what you mean. Another term I've heard is bean people(referring to the shape of the head and mouth.
The show is actually really good, I think. The first episode was weak, but it was a necessary introduction to the word. I can’t imagine jumping right into Laser Light Canon as the first episode. It’s a little too dark and serious for a first episode, but it was an excellent second episode.
While I am a fan of the pilot, I will politely disagree about the tone. To me, it was really in line with a typical season 1 Steven Universe episode which had more than a few horrifying moments themselves
Ah okay.. I haven’t seen EVERY episode of Steven universe but I feel like I’ve seen a good amount of it and I was scratching my head wondering what she was talking about everytime she kept saying the Steven Universe we got didn’t have that tone or how “kids don’t want to see their favorite character crying their eyes out” … I was thinking “am I crazy? Are we talking about the same show here??” 🤨
The whole point is that Steven doesnt age like normal kids. In one of the birthday episodes, you can see greg looking through the picture book of past years and every picture looks like same after age 8/9 and he was turning 14 that year
@@juliannaapril104 I think thats what theyre getting act because most of the storyboarding for the show was done by different groups and like you said they may not have communicated well enough when working on the show and its design
It kinda reminds me of how much Bee and Puppycat changed from the pilot to the series. I couldn't bring myself to watch the series since it too so long to come out after the pilot, so the style and feel of the pilot (which to me was much closer to Scott Pilgrim vs The World, while the series is a lot more like Steven Universe) was too firmly imprinted on my mind.
This is why I like RWBY so much. It’s too dark to be a kid’s show, but it doesn’t have to get gory or very sexual to be seen as an adult or y/a type of show.
The show kinda lost me during seasons 4-6, and I'm slowly getting back into it with 7-8, but that's exactly why I loved season 3, it seemed like a cartoon for 15-22, not babish, not American dad Esque humor
@@chideraomeh yeah, I see where you’re coming from. Volume 4 is actually my favourite volume, but it definitely has its flaws. Volume 3 had a great shock factor, and an interesting setting/idea.
@@lazycat3179 I can see where you're coming from. 4 took me a while to watch initially, because I got bored, but rewatching it, the lack of action and more storytelling is a nice break
@@chideraomeh RWBY is definitely one of those types of shows that are MUCH better on a binge watch After Volume 3, Volume 4 is a nice break to everything, and while 5 is.... not very good, 6, 7, and 8 do a good job getting back into the swing of things
Yeah "adult cartoons" always seem to choose ugly. That's why I like Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel. Helps that I love black and red like... where these shows made for just me? Lol! xD
Finally someone who likes the Pilot's style !!! It looks so fluid and has texture- I just don't really like Garnet's hair, it doesn't match her personality that I thought it was wet at first
I would say it should have been long but coiled and poofy; sort of a mixture between ruby and sapphire's hair since without that the only aspect of sapphire that's really present is the third eye, and the slight purple hue to garnet's skin (though shes still mostly red since amethyst is the purple one tbf). The way her hair looked when she first fused made more sense and had more texture to it, now it's a literal freaking block when the other characters have normal looking hair.
King of the hill is better then people give it credit for. The fact that it’s not a live action sit-com with a laugh track helps tremendously, not to mention its nuanced in its approach to mature subjects like Gun control, the importance of family, the generation gap between said family’s. I highly implore people give king of the hill a shot because it’s so very under appreciated
THIS IS SO TRUE OMG... asa kid i remember finding the og pilot episode when i was in 7th grade and i remember thinking that the art style was ugly... but now im just in love with it! It really shows that the younger audience really does take things in differently bcuz they haven't matured yet.
The pilot’s art style gave me the heebie geebies when I was a kid. I can’t explain exactly why, but it’s the same feeling I got from shows like rugrats and ren & stimpy. I agree with all your reasons for preferring it, but I can’t shake the discomfort.
Never ended up watching SU myself, but it's interesting to see this shift between pilot and show. Although, wouldn't Avatar TLA be the show that changed Western animation for kids? Or did SU improve somewhere else?
@@adeptdamage3669 @AdeptDamage anime... as in "animation". The literal point that the commenter was discussing was specific to title of the animated series in reference to its overall assumed effect it had in future animations which drew inspiration from the success of those that came before them. No, they didn't mention the origin of the animation to influence the Western animation, simply that Western animation style WAS influenced. and as for Steven Universe, I would point out that it has many anime-like features such as the GIANT eyes and the use of growing enormous mouths when yelling or other such characteristics... just saying, anime has had plenty of influence upon western animation style but to try to call it of a different category outside of animated cartoons is kind of an absolute reach, as it is literally part of its actual name, ANImeTION..
As someone who grew up with Steven Universe, and as someone who really relate to Steven, I have to say I love both art styles. Even developing my own style that combines both the pilot and the show.
at least in regard to the background drops, i do like how theyre more simplified so your eyes know to focus on the characters and not the intricate walls yk - and when they amp up the details your eyes *are* drawn to them because it's a change from what you're used to if that makes sense,
The pilot style looks visually polluted and overwhelming. It does look beautiful, but I could easily get distracted or overwhelmed from it and miss the show itself, so simplifying it was accessibility. And also, it is harder and longer to draw, and that is super important for production. And also, it looks much more witchy, magical, mystical, and less alien, technical and tehcnological. The production seemed to have gravitated from the formar to the last, the first season is still coated in magic and mysticals that gradually fade away throughout the show in favour of alien sci-fi.
I personally prefer the alien sci-fi, it makes me so comfortable and interested, and the simpler desings feel so pleasant and comfy I could watch it all day (in fact, that's exactly what I've been doing today), I could not watch more than 3 pilot-styled episodes in sequence.
don't get me wrong, I love seeing the pilot episode, and I do wish we could see more episodes developed for that route, in that style, where would it go, how other characters would look in that style, etc. And I do like to revisit the style from time to time.
I like the way it’s animated now more because it makes Steven in early seasons feel like a kid but I feel like as the story went on the plot out grew the style and the pilot fits the story as a whole more
I love both styles-but it I nice blend of both styles could have happened that would have been amazing. The amazing details and proportional bodies(like you said) would help ground it but the colors from the new would help brighten it(I love Lars design in the pilot but I prefer the colors of Lars in the new) I also prefer the temple from the new because it looks bigger and more opposing then the pilot slab thing-it makes you wonder who that could be
Both designs looked good but, for me liked the newer version cuz it is really umm aesthetically pleasing and i kinda feel some sense of comfort watching it
This is why I’m excited for bee and puppycat . It’s a show aimed for young adults that addresses issues and the ARTSTYLE is cute and very detailed I love it so much, it’s not ugly!
I love the pastel colors and simple artstyle of the full show. Steven Universe is kind of a comfort show for me. If it had been a darker overall theme, I couldn't imagine myself binging it over and over again, at least not for the same reasons.
Idk, the current style looks more clean and the background style sometimes reminds me of a corporate art style (while also being very pretty) but the pilot one is much more mature looking, and fitting into that era of CN, or at least the way I saw it when I watched it when I was younger. It also makes the gems seem more human with the clothes choices and the house looking more cozy, while the current style makes them look like more like they _are_ just projections of light. It’s cool though that it’s shown in the scene where pearl, opal and steg sing independent together during the backstory segment that pearl momentarliy in history did take the form of her pilot self, and to me that means the crew know how much the fans like the pilot design and so they decided to incorporate it almost like an Easter egg… while also making it canon
Even when I was a significantly younger child I like the older pilot of Steven universe better and times of art style it looks like a '80s comic book to me and now the art style it is very reminiscent of a bunch of other cartoons art style but Steven universe still manages to be more distinct than those other cartoons but if teen Titans the original series on cartoon Network was so successful Steven universe would have been just as fine kids can handle that art styles are so good they should have can binds on both together in order to make something that captures both positive traits of the other one
I discussed this to a board artist for the series and stated the original art style was just Rebecca Sugar own artistic expression and the change was more to accommodate other artists working on the series
It's hard to describe, as I didn't watch that many kids shows, but it feels like the execs saw the pilot and thought of adventure time 2, now with gemstones. Like they said yes, then immediately after said "as long as it appeals like adventure time to the kids" and the creator hasn't even heard of adventure time so she watches like 3 episodes of the current series and comes back with the new style. That's just what I think happened though.
Rebecca Sugar, the creator of Steven Universe, has worked on Adventure Time before so I don't think she had to watch a few episodes of Adventure Time to change the art style.
As a viewer, the pilot's art style is wonderful and amazing, as an animator, I cringe thinking about how much time and effort it took to make all those little details by hand- I prefer the end show because ultimately the color scheme, softness, and simplicity is both more appealing to the young audience the show is aimed at and much easier to animate/replicate for other artists and kids.
I can explain how the pilot has more details than the current one, it’s because the pilot is just a test and when it’s actually gonna become official they would tweak stuff so it would be more animation friendly (as in they don’t have to spend an extended amount of time in animations every small detail)
“Kids don’t really wanna see their favorite characters cry their eyes out at the sight of their family getting destroyed” Steven crying for his dad as he's headed toward the human zoo with the gems seemingly poofed: Also those shard experiments in the hospital episode And can we just appreciate how in both art styles the main heroes don't all have the "perfect" body type? I like how the show was actively trying to add diversity and not just doing it for extra views
if steven universe stuck with the og look and was adopted to a more mature adult company and keeping the same edge but same funniness it might have actually worked out greatly
I can’t even imagine the beauty and scary darker design that white diamond would have had if they went along with this style like omg I soooo wanna see it. 😢😢 she woulda been breathtaking.
They couldn't do Adult Swim because there are already like twelve different "haha funny alien combat" shows. And besides, by the end of the show, it was incredibly dark and really unsettling, and I feel like the unsettling tones based around Steven LITERALLY COLLAPSING TO THE GROUND, DYING and all that really went well with the goofy squash and stretch. The contrast seemed to really sell it.
I think the description of what young adult targeted steven universe would have be like fits bee and puppycat pretty well, you should check it out if you haven't,
Every 5 seconds you go like "I prefer this in the pilot over the show proper, not that there is anything wrong with it" like we understood the first time you said it
tbh it kinda feels like you're saying that the dark vibe the pilot has was completely discarded for the actual show, which is objectively not true if you've watched any season of the show, even the first one. the show gets very edgy at times, it wasn't something that was EXCLUSIVE to the pilot.
Just a fun detail, I don't think it's means anything, but in the Pilot style, the gems all got a golden star emblem, and, interestingly, if they stand next to each othet, the emblemas are closly on the same level 🤩
I completely agree with you. The original felt like the later seasons of Adventure Time, which were relatively dark and adult compared to the beginning of the series. I also ADORED how you honed in on how the Gems in the original Pilot looked so alien because they were perfect when compared to the humans. I never realized that's why I loved them so much in the pilot, but that's is exactly
Ngl I feel like it would be harder to animat the show like the pilot episode but the fighting scene would look soo much better with the pilot episode style
Something I've noticed about the original pilot's artstyle is that it fits very well with other 00s cartoons. I can relate to the fact that the original style just has a certain appeal to it.
Ikr? Honestly I would've liked it a lot more if it was in the pilot style lol
I like both styles,but is it necessarily better one than the original series?Both styles have beautiful tones and effects.But the case is what we are using the style for.
HERO
I guess that’s because it takes years to develop a proper cartoon and make a pilot for it.
I liked the style in the series better
I like both styles for certain reasons, the pilot has a lot more intricate designs, but I love pastel colors.
yeaa
yea the pastels🌷🍄🌸
I feel like if SU was aimed towards an older audience, this art style would be great!
Forgot how much Steven looked like a small middle aged man in the pilot
Same 😭
tbh yea
George Constanza but with a wig
Not rlly he looked like a normal chubby boy. Chubby kids exist and they don’t all look like models in the face
@@chocobun4879 they weren’t even talking about weight y you bringing weight into this? He’s also chubby in the current one
Without making this into a "which is better" argument, one thing I ADORE about the pilot is how dark and muted the colors are despite how COLORFUL the pallet is. It's a very unique balance that in spite of what many people could determine as "too bleak/murky", manages to pop in spite of it all!
Yeah! It's muted, sure, but it's still so varied when it comes to its colour palette! It's beautiful!
I don't think it's muted for the reason, this happens because of the old recording of the TV stream. I will not be surprised, if the pilot is the same as the release.
i think steven universe is the reason i adore pastels. but the animatic is very beautiful too! both bc of designes and palette. i love them both
@@cajunking5987 no, havent been for 2 years, sorry
@@cajunking5987 are you ok
“Kids don’t really wanna see their favorite characters cry their eyes out at the sight of their family getting destroyed...”
*Me, who grew up watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars:* Are you sure about that?
*Me, who grew up watching this:* Are you sure about that?
Why not booth, because I love booth
me growing up watching LOTR and reading greek tragedies: i beg your fucking pardon?
Me, who grew up watching anime: Have you ever watched Land of the Lustrous?
Lol little me’s favorite part of Tangled the movie being when Eugene got stabbed and Rapunzel had to heal him, liking (og) Teen Titans, ATLA, Gravity Falls, OTGW, watched Black dynamite, the Boondocks and took an avid interest in Attack on Titan when it started airing on Adult Swim/ Toonami and Coraline/Monster house things of the like I think kids are a lot more interested and capable of handling deeper/darker/more intense topics than we give them credit for. Everything doesn’t have to be utterly gory and sexual for the adults and everything doesn’t have to sugar coated and dumbed down for kids and sometimes the young adults/teens/late adolescence want things by and/or for them sometimes.
I prefer the newer version much more. The newer version focuses alot more on color and color combinations. Colors can be used to make the audience feel emotions and steven universe focuses on emotions alot. The older version, while detailed, looks washed out and feels like it's trying to be edgy which steven universe isn't about. That op was bomb tho, i liked that. But still the newer version just fits steven universe, as an artform and storytelling method, much better than the original.
Plus I would say that gems look more alien in the newer sytle while older ones just look like colored humans that in cans of paint.
Okay
Okay
I disagree. The newer style just emulated every other cal arts cartoon. I liked how proportionate the old style was.
@@justicejackson8585 you can think the old style looked aesthetically better, but looking better isn't always the main goal. As a style, it did not fit steven universe and it's story. I truly cannot imagine steven universe's story being told in this artstyle. The cal arts style is also used alot for a reason, it's easy and expressive to animate and it can easily use many colors without it looking weird or overblown. And it can do all that while not needing much time to animate(as opposed to other styles atleast). While steven universe might have the cal arts style, imo it saves itself by having unique and beautiful backgrounds and environments. There are so many steven universe shots that are like pc background worthy, they really figured out how to use and blend colors in such a beautiful way while keeping a geometrical look in some of their backgrounds.
The full show style was never 'bad' despite what people say, but by GOD did it deteriorate over the seasons to where it was basically a caricature of itself
do you mind expanding on this? just curious since im not 100% sure what you mean on the latter part-
Personally I feel like it's the other way around, the style was kind of sloppy and not as detailed or refined in the first season compared to what it progressed into
@@poofan5086 no model sheets and lazy storyboards resulted in characters changing proportions, colors, heights and many, many, many animation errors.
@@JotkaJulitkaJula yeah most of the storyboards were freehand iirc
looking back, s1 is by far the best the show looked
I get MAJOR 80’s vibes from the pilot. I feel like it’s a perfect blend of the retro and modern styles and would have loved to see the show drawn like that. I wonder what Rose would look like!!! Also Garnet’s hair in the pilot was AMAZING. I think the sleekness of her hair accentuates her curves and adds some variety to her look.
yeah your absolutely right about the 80s vibes❤️💙💚💛
5:40 what i love about the original palette was that it was jewel tones. JEWEL TONES!! FOR A SHOW ABOUT GEMSTONES!! LITERALLY PERFECT!! not only that but jewel tones are just so alluring
I’ve always thought, how cool would the other characters look in this style? Especially the antagonists, imagine seeing jasper with a more uncanny look, or the diamonds looking like nightmares.
That would be awesome
The diamonds were objectively beautiful In canon tho
Yeah the diamonds would be more perfectly gorgeous in this style. They are the most perfect beings
To answer you’re question at the end. I kinda think the style we got fits Perl better. While the original style definitely made Perl more round, befitting the style of a Perl. I think the one we got better represents her personality of being a uniform neurotic neat freak.
Yes, her name isn’t Pearl, it’s Perl.
Both are the same from the name cause it is similar to Perle which means Pearl.
God i loved the original pilot's Art style. The designs , clothing, background, the detailed, how the facial express , i really like how deep and earthy the colors feel too. and the proportions, I liked the proportions as well, im glad you mentioned it. I also like the CONSISTENCY. I wonder what the show would be like if they stuck to this style? I wish the stuck with it, I think I wanna make a work inspired by the art style.
If Steven Universe kept the Pilot art-style and general tone, it would've been a much darker, grittier show, for sure.
@@GumSkyloard plus it was originally supposed to be on adult swim
@@cpprclrd8790 Doubt that.
"So they can pump out episodes as fast as possible."
About that...
*laughs*
i didn't have to deal with the wait...by the time i was introduced to the show it was as a day by day countdown to the start of the long awaited season hahahahaha you poor souls!
Oh god. I watched this show as it released!! I want my life back!!
@@juliannaapril104 Sad thing is most episodes won't even worth the wait.
Finally! Someone who praised the Pilot artstyle
I honestly wish the whole show looked like this
@@ayamothy4628 Then animate it like that. What people don't get is how hard animation is. Especially when it's this detailed
@@skyeplayswithanimation5704 I wasn’t saying “I want them to redo the animation 😡” I know how hard animation is. I practice it myself. I just like the style and wanted to see it like this throughout the whole thing
@@ayamothy4628 I'm sorry for misunderstanding then.
@@skyeplayswithanimation5704 it’s all good. Sorry if I sounded aggressive
Both styles are nice, but the old one has this... feel to it. It feels older almost? Maybe nostalgic is a better word. It feels more like a cartoon you'd see as a kid that you'd have fond memories of. It makes me think of the 80s/90s for some strange reason. The new style feels much more polished and simplistic, but polished in a way where it doesn't have the same amount of personality.
ALSO: I love the symbolism of Garnet at 2:00! Such subtle foreshadowing, and it's cool to see that they had the idea of fusion from the very beginning.
It reminds me of some shows from the early 2000s, mainly Code Lyoko, due to the muted color palette and somewhat detailed backgrounds.
I have the rare opinion that I genuinely love the current style more, mainly because i think it’s a lot more aesthetically pleasing, more colourful, the backgrounds have far more personality, as for the characters i think the gems in the pilot just look like cosplayers who got lost on their way to comic-con and not as alien, also i looooove when characters ignore physics just to show emotions, like when their eyes become gigantic and their eyes get tiny or when their mouths get really big when they smile, I literally stole half of my artstyle from the current style, but as you said it’s very subjective
Same same!!!
I think they made the new art style simplified for a clean and simple look that'll attract children. I do like the designs in the pilot, especially pearl. I love pearls hair in the pilot so much, but I don't know why they gave her and amethyst ears whilst the gems usually don't have ears.
@@stevenuniversefan108plus, the backgrounds in the current style look a lot better. They may have less detail, but they utilize color a lot better. Plus, I like how in the current style they utilize black lines sparingly. This makes the backgrounds and other things look less sloppy, less clutter and adds more complexity.
Same here, the colors on the pilot also kinda feel mucky and not connected to me
I really loved Steven he made me feel happy cuz he was more chubby than the super fit characters of other shows it really helped with self esteem a few years back
I feel like the key word you’re looking for in this is “Test audiences.” I really wonder what kind of people companies bring in to think represents all audiences. Because sometimes it boggles the mind with what they think we want.
I know right, which is why i think the best test audience is the internet because there are so many different types of people online if something is liked by a majority of people then it's likely very good
I love the look of the old style it has kinda a nostalgig feeling
I'm kinda conflicted on which art style I like more, I kinda equally like and dislike aspects of each and I guess maybe my 'perfect' version for this show would have been something in between the pilot and the end product
I remember when the pilot first aired on 2011 or 2012. I was fascinated and adored the art style. I loved the intricate details, more realistic body proportions, and the more serious tone. That must be a little weird since I was so young - 7, 6, or 8 something like that. When the show started promoting it in 2013 with the new art style... I didn't like it because I liked the original pilot. I still like the art style of the show we got now... But I kinda wish the pilot and the show that we got was mashed together. Still keeping the relatively normal proportions and intricate details. But, adding the more pastel color palette and among other things.
I overall like the finished show's style better; I think the simplicity leads to easier to digest character designs that makes them really nice to look at. But what I love about the pilot's style are the incredibly vibrant colors, as well as the various visual effects such as smoke or mist having a really intense level of detail.
I think if SU had a style like this we wouldn't be going through this SU/Calarts art style people constantly pull out of their asses whenever they see a art style they don't like.
A lot of the shows did look samey but "Cal-Arts" is a poor term for it.
@@adeptdamage3669 That term is only used because it's recognizable, and people automatically know what you mean. Another term I've heard is bean people(referring to the shape of the head and mouth.
I've never watched Stephen universe but I'm considering watching this pilot just to see what it's about
It's actually pretty good. Not the best but not as bad as people like to make it out to be
The show is actually really good, I think. The first episode was weak, but it was a necessary introduction to the word. I can’t imagine jumping right into Laser Light Canon as the first episode. It’s a little too dark and serious for a first episode, but it was an excellent second episode.
Steven*
@@beedoesthings8037 Actually as a kid my first episode was Laser Light Cannon and I had a blast watching it.
While I am a fan of the pilot, I will politely disagree about the tone. To me, it was really in line with a typical season 1 Steven Universe episode which had more than a few horrifying moments themselves
Yeah absolutely. I'm still messed up by the cat fingers episode. Sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it lmao
Or Steven getting old..bro wtf
Yeah, a lot of Season 1A was very unexpectedly dark for some reason. Cat Fingers, So Many Birthdays, Steven and the Stevens,
Ah okay.. I haven’t seen EVERY episode of Steven universe but I feel like I’ve seen a good amount of it and I was scratching my head wondering what she was talking about everytime she kept saying the Steven Universe we got didn’t have that tone or how “kids don’t want to see their favorite character crying their eyes out” … I was thinking “am I crazy? Are we talking about the same show here??” 🤨
@@eniryuuoke7446 Not just that, but some early episodes are straight up lovecraftian horror in nature.
Imagine how insane the fights and serious story moments could have been in this style...
It probably would have gotten cancelled after the first season for being more expensive to produce
@@dannyeli6288 unfortunate but true
Steven actually looks his age in the pilot unlike in the show where he looks like a 9 year old for the whole entire 5 seasons
I think it was just the youthfulness powers from the gem he had
The whole point is that Steven doesnt age like normal kids. In one of the birthday episodes, you can see greg looking through the picture book of past years and every picture looks like same after age 8/9 and he was turning 14 that year
Tbf, one episode did address Steven not appearing to age.
I really dig the meatiness of Sugar’s style.
Pity none of that made it into the show.
indeed, raw Rebecca Sugar in this indeed, although some at least made it (note some)
Having only seen brief glimpses of the pilot, I always thought it looked ugly, but you honestly sold me on the style it used.
The best art style imo is the Movie/Future one, The Pilot is cool and the original to just too inconsistent at times
We can see how fond of og pearl Rebecca was because when we first see her reforming one of the outlines that form matches the pilot's style
I forget the names of the thing but Steven universe a two different groups that would animate episodes which is why proportions were always differing
Nah the story boarders just didn’t do their job right
@@juliannaapril104 I think thats what theyre getting act because most of the storyboarding for the show was done by different groups and like you said they may not have communicated well enough when working on the show and its design
@@annaking7593 their story boards looked like shit so the animators gave them shit 😔
It kinda reminds me of how much Bee and Puppycat changed from the pilot to the series.
I couldn't bring myself to watch the series since it too so long to come out after the pilot, so the style and feel of the pilot (which to me was much closer to Scott Pilgrim vs The World, while the series is a lot more like Steven Universe) was too firmly imprinted on my mind.
have you seen lazy in space?? i love the new artstyle so much and the colors are beautiful
*[I wonder if they're ever going back with that style...]*
I would love to see a character short or episode with this style
But that unfortunately won’t happen :c
The official style is just much more pleasing to the eye. I think it’s just fun and cute and makes watching the show a much more fun experience
This is why I like RWBY so much. It’s too dark to be a kid’s show, but it doesn’t have to get gory or very sexual to be seen as an adult or y/a type of show.
The show kinda lost me during seasons 4-6, and I'm slowly getting back into it with 7-8, but that's exactly why I loved season 3, it seemed like a cartoon for 15-22, not babish, not American dad Esque humor
@@chideraomeh yeah, I see where you’re coming from. Volume 4 is actually my favourite volume, but it definitely has its flaws. Volume 3 had a great shock factor, and an interesting setting/idea.
@@lazycat3179 I can see where you're coming from. 4 took me a while to watch initially, because I got bored, but rewatching it, the lack of action and more storytelling is a nice break
@@chideraomeh RWBY is definitely one of those types of shows that are MUCH better on a binge watch
After Volume 3, Volume 4 is a nice break to everything, and while 5 is.... not very good, 6, 7, and 8 do a good job getting back into the swing of things
“It gets good 100 episodes in I swear!”
Yeah "adult cartoons" always seem to choose ugly. That's why I like Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel. Helps that I love black and red like... where these shows made for just me? Lol! xD
Finally someone who likes the Pilot's style !!! It looks so fluid and has texture-
I just don't really like Garnet's hair, it doesn't match her personality that I thought it was wet at first
I would say it should have been long but coiled and poofy; sort of a mixture between ruby and sapphire's hair since without that the only aspect of sapphire that's really present is the third eye, and the slight purple hue to garnet's skin (though shes still mostly red since amethyst is the purple one tbf). The way her hair looked when she first fused made more sense and had more texture to it, now it's a literal freaking block when the other characters have normal looking hair.
King of the hill is better then people give it credit for.
The fact that it’s not a live action sit-com with a laugh track helps tremendously, not to mention its nuanced in its approach to mature subjects like Gun control, the importance of family, the generation gap between said family’s.
I highly implore people give king of the hill a shot because it’s so very under appreciated
I watched it as lot as a kid and enjoyed it, even if I truly didn't understand it
Yeah, they weren’t super about sex, drugs, and violence.
THIS IS SO TRUE OMG... asa kid i remember finding the og pilot episode when i was in 7th grade and i remember thinking that the art style was ugly... but now im just in love with it! It really shows that the younger audience really does take things in differently bcuz they haven't matured yet.
The pilot’s art style gave me the heebie geebies when I was a kid. I can’t explain exactly why, but it’s the same feeling I got from shows like rugrats and ren & stimpy. I agree with all your reasons for preferring it, but I can’t shake the discomfort.
Oh yeah, same here. I do NOT like the pilot's art style either.
I think the original style with all the intricate details with the pastels from the newer SU would've looked perfect tbh
Never ended up watching SU myself, but it's interesting to see this shift between pilot and show. Although, wouldn't Avatar TLA be the show that changed Western animation for kids? Or did SU improve somewhere else?
They both did important things, but in different ways.
I think avatar did more for animation in general, but Steven universe did a lot for representation
Avatar is anime.
@@adeptdamage3669 @AdeptDamage anime... as in "animation". The literal point that the commenter was discussing was specific to title of the animated series in reference to its overall assumed effect it had in future animations which drew inspiration from the success of those that came before them. No, they didn't mention the origin of the animation to influence the Western animation, simply that Western animation style WAS influenced. and as for Steven Universe, I would point out that it has many anime-like features such as the GIANT eyes and the use of growing enormous mouths when yelling or other such characteristics... just saying, anime has had plenty of influence upon western animation style but to try to call it of a different category outside of animated cartoons is kind of an absolute reach, as it is literally part of its actual name, ANImeTION..
@@adeptdamage3669
Atla was created in the west, that's like saying the boondocks is anime...
"So we can pump out episodes as fast as possible."
Boy, that gave me a laugh.
As someone who grew up with Steven Universe, and as someone who really relate to Steven, I have to say I love both art styles. Even developing my own style that combines both the pilot and the show.
at least in regard to the background drops, i do like how theyre more simplified so your eyes know to focus on the characters and not the intricate walls yk - and when they amp up the details your eyes *are* drawn to them because it's a change from what you're used to if that makes sense,
We, are the Crystal Gems
I literally am obsessed with the pilot. I wish so badly we could've gotten this version of the show
The pilot style looks visually polluted and overwhelming.
It does look beautiful, but I could easily get distracted or overwhelmed from it and miss the show itself, so simplifying it was accessibility.
And also, it is harder and longer to draw, and that is super important for production.
And also, it looks much more witchy, magical, mystical, and less alien, technical and tehcnological. The production seemed to have gravitated from the formar to the last, the first season is still coated in magic and mysticals that gradually fade away throughout the show in favour of alien sci-fi.
I personally prefer the alien sci-fi, it makes me so comfortable and interested, and the simpler desings feel so pleasant and comfy I could watch it all day (in fact, that's exactly what I've been doing today), I could not watch more than 3 pilot-styled episodes in sequence.
I very definitely also prefer the more pastel colours from the show proper. The flashy saturated colours of the pilot feel so uneasy.
I think it would be far more difficult to transition the pilot's style from magic to sci-fi and the gems from witchs to aliens
don't get me wrong, I love seeing the pilot episode, and I do wish we could see more episodes developed for that route, in that style, where would it go, how other characters would look in that style, etc. And I do like to revisit the style from time to time.
I like the way it’s animated now more because it makes Steven in early seasons feel like a kid but I feel like as the story went on the plot out grew the style and the pilot fits the story as a whole more
The pilots reminds me of 90's anime shows
I love both styles-but it I nice blend of both styles could have happened that would have been amazing. The amazing details and proportional bodies(like you said) would help ground it but the colors from the new would help brighten it(I love Lars design in the pilot but I prefer the colors of Lars in the new) I also prefer the temple from the new because it looks bigger and more opposing then the pilot slab thing-it makes you wonder who that could be
I like the old style way better. The detail is amazing. It's weird, but oddly beautiful
Both designs looked good but, for me liked the newer version cuz it is really umm aesthetically pleasing and i kinda feel some sense of comfort watching it
This is why I’m excited for bee and puppycat . It’s a show aimed for young adults that addresses issues and the ARTSTYLE is cute and very detailed I love it so much, it’s not ugly!
I love the pastel colors and simple artstyle of the full show. Steven Universe is kind of a comfort show for me. If it had been a darker overall theme, I couldn't imagine myself binging it over and over again, at least not for the same reasons.
How does she not have at least 100k subs she's amazing at what she does
Oh my god, thank you so much!!!!!
That's what I was thinking lol
i LOVE amethyst's pilot design/outfit, its so cute
Pilot pearl kinda looks like my aunt
lul
i wonder how rose, and the other dimonds would've looked.
Idk, the current style looks more clean and the background style sometimes reminds me of a corporate art style (while also being very pretty) but the pilot one is much more mature looking, and fitting into that era of CN, or at least the way I saw it when I watched it when I was younger. It also makes the gems seem more human with the clothes choices and the house looking more cozy, while the current style makes them look like more like they _are_ just projections of light. It’s cool though that it’s shown in the scene where pearl, opal and steg sing independent together during the backstory segment that pearl momentarliy in history did take the form of her pilot self, and to me that means the crew know how much the fans like the pilot design and so they decided to incorporate it almost like an Easter egg… while also making it canon
The old artstyle is just so beautiful, I haven’t been able to get it out of my head & it’s been years. thanks for posting this
Even when I was a significantly younger child I like the older pilot of Steven universe better and times of art style it looks like a '80s comic book to me and now the art style it is very reminiscent of a bunch of other cartoons art style but Steven universe still manages to be more distinct than those other cartoons but if teen Titans the original series on cartoon Network was so successful Steven universe would have been just as fine kids can handle that art styles are so good they should have can binds on both together in order to make something that captures both positive traits of the other one
i loved how pearl looked in the pilot
Personally, I adore the style that they stuck with.
The simple style, the pastel colors, it all just personally appeals to me and is easier on my eyes
The skull monster from the pilot reminded me soo much of adventure time, like it looks like its literally from adventure time
I discussed this to a board artist for the series and stated the original art style was just Rebecca Sugar own artistic expression and the change was more to accommodate other artists working on the series
Original pilot style was something special.
It's hard to describe, as I didn't watch that many kids shows, but it feels like the execs saw the pilot and thought of adventure time 2, now with gemstones. Like they said yes, then immediately after said "as long as it appeals like adventure time to the kids" and the creator hasn't even heard of adventure time so she watches like 3 episodes of the current series and comes back with the new style.
That's just what I think happened though.
Rebecca Sugar, the creator of Steven Universe, has worked on Adventure Time before so I don't think she had to watch a few episodes of Adventure Time to change the art style.
She even helped some of the songs, like Marceline's french fry song. You can even find the demo sung by Rebecca on TH-cam.
7:18 i wish we had THIS. its beautiful
Imagine if SU was picked up by adult swim instead of cartoon network 😭
The official show is the corporate logo redesign of the original pilot
More detail means more time to draw. Most redesigns of animation is due to increase of ease in drawing for various animators.
As a viewer, the pilot's art style is wonderful and amazing, as an animator, I cringe thinking about how much time and effort it took to make all those little details by hand- I prefer the end show because ultimately the color scheme, softness, and simplicity is both more appealing to the young audience the show is aimed at and much easier to animate/replicate for other artists and kids.
I really wish they stayed with this style its very creative and i just love it
in steven universe the movie , when pearl gains her memory back in “independent together” you can see her pilot form for a few sec
And same when she reforms in Steven the Sword Fighter!
The old art style managed to make a 12 year old look like a 120 year old 💀
I can explain how the pilot has more details than the current one, it’s because the pilot is just a test and when it’s actually gonna become official they would tweak stuff so it would be more animation friendly (as in they don’t have to spend an extended amount of time in animations every small detail)
0:24 really? I hate it
“Kids don’t really wanna see their favorite characters cry their eyes out at the sight of their family getting destroyed”
Steven crying for his dad as he's headed toward the human zoo with the gems seemingly poofed:
Also those shard experiments in the hospital episode
And can we just appreciate how in both art styles the main heroes don't all have the "perfect" body type? I like how the show was actively trying to add diversity and not just doing it for extra views
if steven universe stuck with the og look and was adopted to a more mature adult company and keeping the same edge but same funniness it might have actually worked out greatly
The art style is 80's band lore
I can’t even imagine the beauty and scary darker design that white diamond would have had if they went along with this style like omg I soooo wanna see it. 😢😢 she woulda been breathtaking.
I’ve watched the entirety of Steven universe 8 times over and I’ve never seen the original pilot, and all I have to say is that we……were……ROBBED!!!
imagine how much better lars and sadies' relationship would have been handled in this style and with a more mature theme
the biggest crime is pearl having ears
I prefer the newer designs. Old design makes Steven look like an old man lol
They couldn't do Adult Swim because there are already like twelve different "haha funny alien combat" shows. And besides, by the end of the show, it was incredibly dark and really unsettling, and I feel like the unsettling tones based around Steven LITERALLY COLLAPSING TO THE GROUND, DYING and all that really went well with the goofy squash and stretch. The contrast seemed to really sell it.
God, I loved the pilot's artstyles so much, I was so sad when the real show came out and it changed. It looked SO GOOD!
I think the simplefied style doesnt over stimulate your eyes
I think the description of what young adult targeted steven universe would have be like fits bee and puppycat pretty well, you should check it out if you haven't,
Every 5 seconds you go like "I prefer this in the pilot over the show proper, not that there is anything wrong with it" like we understood the first time you said it
We NEED a re-animated version of this series in the pilots style for young adults
tbh it kinda feels like you're saying that the dark vibe the pilot has was completely discarded for the actual show, which is objectively not true if you've watched any season of the show, even the first one. the show gets very edgy at times, it wasn't something that was EXCLUSIVE to the pilot.
Just a fun detail, I don't think it's means anything, but in the Pilot style, the gems all got a golden star emblem, and, interestingly, if they stand next to each othet, the emblemas are closly on the same level 🤩
I completely agree with you. The original felt like the later seasons of Adventure Time, which were relatively dark and adult compared to the beginning of the series. I also ADORED how you honed in on how the Gems in the original Pilot looked so alien because they were perfect when compared to the humans. I never realized that's why I loved them so much in the pilot, but that's is exactly
I don't know about you but I found the art style in the final version a bit more appealing and easy on the eyes.
I for one, would love to see the whole series reanimated in the pilot art style, I think it would be incredible
I preferred the show propper’s use of color more IMO but, the designs were changed so that animation wouldn’t look as choppy
Ngl I feel like it would be harder to animat the show like the pilot episode but the fighting scene would look soo much better with the pilot episode style