Growing up in the late nineties and early 2000s as an elementary student/pre-teen meant Cartoon Network was a massive part of every single day. From the conception of Toonami (when America finally got a hold of anime) to CN originals like The Powerpuff Girls, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Ed, Edd, and Eddy - it was the greatest part of after school afternoons. I would spend hours every day consuming quality cartoons with my mom and brother. It evolved into Disney XD late nights of Oban Star Racers, Boomerang retro marathons of 60s and 70s Hanna Barbara gold, and Saturday morning anime binge sessions on Fox. And after a while, all of the effort and beauty of classic animation was destroyed by CGI mega manufacturing, poor writing, and easy money. Flash forward to late 2015, I'm sitting alone in my apartment suffering from insomnia and I'm binging a WatchMojo playlist of some sort and come across a clip of a beautiful gem (no pun intended) called Steven Universe. I was curious, this looked like my childhood resurfacing and I was so excited. It gave me nostalgia of watching Oban Star-Racers and Sym-Bionic Titan late at night with the beautiful pastel color palette, feelings of childhood joy of the first marathon of Sailor Moon, and the memories of a simpler time when Cartoon Network made quality content and the pile of bills on my coffee table were Yu-Gi-Oh! cards and Shonen Jump magazines. The show is ground breaking in numerous ways - it's CN's first series created by a female, with a cast of characters spanning all body types, ethnicities, and sexual orientations in ways that are tasteful, respectful, and fully accepting of everyone. It puts all types in the spotlight, highlighting the unique and out of this world that makes today's generation so exciting. And it shows that with a little courage and self-confidence you can truly be anything you want to be, no matter what the world around you says. Accompanied by a voice cast that excels in their craft and a quirky, fun musical score, the show is set against a beautifully animated backdrop of pastels, magic, and vibrant landscapes. Steven Universe is an eccentric young man with magical powers that generate from a gem in his belly. He's not your average cartoon hero - he's short and chunky, has a mop of curly hair and flip-flops, he's easily amazed by everything, and obsessed with junk food and television. He's an every kids' hero that doesn't care what you or anybody thinks of him, he's completely relatable and utterly lovable. Steven is being raised by three women (take that standards of the norm!) who are supernatural crystal beings that have taken a human form, aptly named Amethyst, Garnet, and Pearl. The show is witty, colorful, and heartwarming as it follows the adventures of young Steven and his unique family. With themes of strength in family, bonds of friendship, young love, and discovering one's place in the world, Steven Universe is a relatable adventure that captures the hearts of all ages. The show's main focus revolves around the aftermath of a great war, where Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet (The Crystal Gems) are on mission to recover gem fragments of their fallen comrades. But in the midst of this, the Gems are tasked with raising Rose Quartz's beloved son (whom she gave up her life for), which brings these intense fighters into motherly roles. It chronicles the growth of young Steven Universe as he learns to use his powers for good, and how the Gems learn to fill their respective roles in Steven's life. And though sometimes the themes rely heavily on fighting, the rigorous training, and battle plans, the focus falls on finding peaceful resolutions and bringing people together. The show is all about mad love and acceptance and it truly shows in Rebecca Sugar's storytelling. Numerous people have said it, and I'll say it again, Steven Universe is one of (if not THE) most gorgeous shows on television right now. This goes not only for the animation, but for the creative storytelling, and heartwarming adventures that follow. ![]() Perhaps it's the way it's animated and voiced, the relaxing and chill music, the way it tugs at all the right heart strings, or a number of other factors, but Steven Universe has raised the standards of modern day animation back to the level it deserves to be at. Animation is a timeless art for media, and in the last ten years or so the quality has declined and other than few choice series, American animation has really gone down the drain. It's so refreshing to have Steven Universe grace our televisions and bring the wonder of simple, hand-drawn stylized media back to an impressive to beat standard. There's a little something for everybody and it's easy to get sucked into a binge session and fall in love with this fun show. The story bounces from funny to serious in a matter of a few episodes, I find myself giggling and crying in equal parts and it is oh-so satisfying. Touching on subjects of being accepted, finding self-worth, loneliness, true friendship, loss of loved ones, strength of family, and so much more, the show will make you feel warm fuzzies for the simpler times, discovering youth for the first time and summer days of your childhood. The show doesn't believe in limits, or boundaries, but believes in equality and freely loving and being loved by who you want. Steven's first kiss was with his best friend Connie Maheswaran (an interracial relationship, gasp!) and though the gems are female in appearance (but non-gendered in actuality) there are no restrictions on the gems finding love with each other in an adorable and childlike way. The characters bring out the best in each other and it is incredibly uplifting to watch. ![]() For the generation that grew up heavily in love with classic, hand drawn animation, Steven Universe will give you hope for the future of cartoons. The first fifty some odd episodes are available for streaming on Hulu, and it's worth popping some popcorn, curling up under that retro cartoon blanket you got at Hot Topic, and spending a weekend reliving childhood feelings and nostalgia for the glory days of Saturday morning cartoons. ![]() Review written by Alycia D (MaybeMockingbird). All pictures property of Cartoon Network #StevenUniverse #CartoonNetwork #Animation
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