Being a television series made for children, Steven Universe is a fun-filled show full of adventure, surprisingly good content and comedic dialogues which are relatable not only for children, but also for adults who want to feel young at heart. The show is all about the adventure of Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems, namely: Amethyst, Pearl and Garnet. Steven and the Gems’ mission is to protect the entire galaxy as they encounter one battle after the other. This animated show runs a theme of action, fantasy and comedy with mild crude humor. As Steven embarks with the other guardians battling monsters in their town, he learns new lessons, develops maturity and embraces responsibility. Once you watch Steven Universe, you will feel transported to an uncommon world of monsters and galactic fights while going through the most common everyday experiences that the main characters encounter as they go about their own daily lives.
Steven Universe: An Animated Show Relatable On So Many Levels
The Characters
Steven and the 3 Gems are the main characters of the show. Each of these characters possess their own personalities viewers can relate to.
- Garnet. Being the leader of the Crystal Gems, Garnet possesses a strong-willed yet cool character which makes her a good teacher to Steven. She instructs the group, provides plots and gives a sense of authority to everyone.Garnet is actually a fusion of two gems namely Sapphire and Ruby. Living in one body, these two gems create a confident combination with a twist of being aggressive and passive at the same time.
- Amethyst. Her fun-loving character makes her a good sister and comrade to Steven. Of all the members of the Crystal Gems, she has the most relaxed and carefree attitude which makes her a good company when it comes to enjoyment. Though shorter than the rest of the gems, Amethyst exudes a loud and rough personality,making her a constant companion to Steven in participating with different exciting human activities in their town. Despite her happy-go-lucky attitude, Amethyst is overprotective of Steven. She has an attitude a lot of people can relate to: she also loves to eat and sleep.
- Pearl. Having a caring and smart attitude, Pearl has plenty of information to share not only to the Crystal Gems, but also to Steven. She is knowledgeable on a lot of topics and she loves to brag about her ideas to the group. Despite her smart brain, Pearl also suffers from occasional self-deprecating moods which leaves her always in the search for a leader to follow and gain orders from. Among the gems, she has a fairly negative view of humans, which is contradictory to her mission of protecting humanity from the monsters of the galaxy.
- Steven. He is a hybrid combination of a human and a gem. He is the child of Rose Quartz and Greg Universe. Being a half-gem, Steven possess extraordinary powers which make him an important member of the Crystal Gems. Being the youngest in the group, Steven is naïve and a bit inexperienced when it comes to protecting himself. This innocence often gets him in trouble, causing the other members to come to his aid whenever necessary.
Being aware of his own innocence, Steven moves along in life learning valuable lessons and maintaining his enthusiasm when it comes to dealing with situations. Eager to learn and help the rest of the Crystal Gems, Steven is dedicated to saving the universe just like his mother, Rose Quartz.
The Show
The show first aired on November 4, 2013 and as of now, it has run a couple of 120 episodes broadcasted every Friday night up until this February 2017 in Cartoon Network.
The show depicts mild violence minus the bloody fights and atrocities as the Crystal Gems battle monsters that are set to attack and destroy humanity. It shows a clash between good and evil as well as a macro depiction of the private lives of the main characters as they interact with the group and deal with their own development, inner struggles and aspiration towards their goals.
The Creator
Rebecca Sugar, an American screenwriter and director, created Steven Universe for Cartoon Network on the year 2012. Her previous works include Adventure Time as a storyboard artist, as well as Hotel Transylvania with the same role.
Adventure Time has gained Rebecca Sugar a Primetime Emmy Award in the Short-format Animation category.
The Lessons
The show depicts a rather atypical depiction of a family relationship. Steven’s mother, Rose Quartz, died while trying to save humanity and bringing Steven out into the world. Being a former member of the Crystal Gems, she showed a great affection and concern towards the entire humanity. This personality was inherited by Steven as he went about fulfilling his mother’s mission in the world and protecting humans against monsters trying to wreak havoc in the galaxy.
On the other hand, Steven’s father, Greg, manages a car wash business. Although he and Steven don’t live together like a normal family, he is still seen in some episodes giving advice and guidance to Steven as he advances in life and develops a sense of maturity and responsibility.
Some Controversies
There were some issues related to violence as the show depicts fights between galaxy monsters and the Crystal Gems. However, these are accompanied by lessons which a lot of people can relate and learn something from. Overall, these may not be the typical cartoon show for really young kids as parents are still advised to guide their little ones when it comes to viewing animated shows depicting fights (which is a common occurrence to Steven Universe). However, older kids as well as pre-teens can learn something from the show and relate to the personalities of the main characters.
Conclusion
Steven Universe is very relatable for a lot of people. Despite the battles and constant attacks with monsters, it is a show which viewers can learn lessons from and apply these on their daily lives. Steven Universe awakes the naïve quality inside the self as one embraces maturity, responsibility and compassion towards humanity.
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