Steven Universe: A Retrospective
On its most basic level, animation is a means to tell stories we often can’t see in live-action, or to create a more caring and approachable means to a story. In the past it’s often been attributed to being more focused on children, and as such, many brilliant animated series were left in the dust by older audiences because of a perceived focus on the other demographics. But, over the past decade or so, animation has entered a new phase of its life with more stories being told directly for adult audiences (think BoJack Horseman and Big Mouth). Irrespective of purely adult focused shows, it has become increasingly common for older demographics to be endeared by the medium. Enter: Steven Universe. A show that upon first glance, you wouldn’t at fault for believing it was just a simple children’s show. I’ll be the first to admit that when my girlfriend Angel asked me to watch the show, I was hesitant and rather adverse to the idea. But for those that dive in and give Steven Universe a chance, they’ll quickly realize the breadth of themes and lessons the show can give through its immaculate and at times hilarious story (and to Angel: I’m sorry I ever doubted you). Most importantly, it allows its audience, regardless of their age, the chance to grow and change just like it’s characters in meaningful and incredibly impactful ways.
Steven Universe, created by the brilliant Rebecca Sugar, is the product of its creators wants and hopes for a show that touched everyone. Basing the main character off her younger brother (also named Steven), she wanted to create a show that showed the delicate balance of being comfortable with your own world, but also wanting to grow and change and be more than just comfortable.
Truthfully, that may be a very base level description of what makes Steven Universe just so great. Steven as a character (voice immaculately by Zach Callison) starts the show almost entirely one track minded, a young naive boy born with a mysterious power he barely understands. He’s almost always the comic relief at the beginning, haphazardly solving the problem of each episode, without realizing that he is learning. What’s so incredible about Steven and this show in general though is how growth is evident almost immediately. Although he may not know it, Steven faces challenges and strife, and learns how to be better, while also simultaneously showing others with his childlike joy and impervious positivity how they can grow and learn to be better.
Surround by a cast of fantastic supporting and essentially secondary lead characters, Steven Universe plows a path forward with a cast almost entirely composed of female characters. The Crystal Gems, composed of Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl (and Steven!), are fantastic secondary leads, with their own stories to tell and challenges they have to face. Amethyst, born as a “malfunction”, struggles to feel ok with who she is and as a result finds herself doing everything she can to show the other Crystal Gems and perhaps herself as well that she can be everything she believes she is meant to be. Pearl’s story is much more intertwined with that of Steven and his father Greg Universe, the human that Steven’s gem mother Rose Quartz fell in love with, and much later on decided to have Steven with even if it meant losing her own physical form. She followed Rose from the very beginning of the revolution they fought, and without her she struggles to understand who she is. Garnet is a character whose story is almost entirely too risky to discuss here, but she of the three has the most unique story of the three. At times, the Crystal Gems butt heads, struggling to move on after the loss of Rose, but thanks to Steven, and a willingness to work on being better themselves and for each other, they are very exemplary of what makes this show so great for its audience.
In the other half of Steven’s world are his previously mentioned father Greg Universe, a former rockstar, and his best friend Connie. One of the great struggles Steven faces in his life is finding how to be Steven Universe the Crystal Gem, while also being Steven Universe the human! Greg is his own kind of complicated character, he’s not outwardly struggling with anything, but rather he’s a father who is seeking to spend more time with his son and help him grow as a human and person of two worlds. Connie on the other hand acts more as a confidant and someone who always will be there for Steven, giving him grounding in his humanity.
Greg Universe is one of my girlfriend Angel’s favorite characters from this show, in addition to mine as well. As the show progresses, we learn more of his past with Rose Quartz, and how their love began. It’s beautiful seeing his story develop from almost initially comic relief to an integral part of the long-term narrative of the show. Whilst he most definitely has his own set of issues and baggage he carries, I truly believe he is what many of us, at least in my mind, wish our own fathers to be: someone who will listen to us and if we need it, help us if it comes to it. His relationship with Rose also causes issues between himself and the Gems, resulting in awkward interactions until Steven forces them to face their problems with each other in his eternal kindness and love for all of them.
On the other hand, Connie is almost entirely separate from the rest of the main characters of Steven Universe. At first, Steven just wants to impress the pretty little girl on the beach, but they become fast friends, and she learns about his “other” world. Like I said above, Connie was an incredible character for helping to keep Steven from falling apart at times with the weight of his Crystal Gems work. Their relationship grows in unique ways as they develop as young kids trying to find themselves. Steven and Connie both struggle with their own lives and how they can help each other’s, at times though they are the best of what this show can be and likely are excellent goals for younger audiences to strive for as people. There’s a particular episode early on that I really love called Winter Forecast that while being almost completely an unnecessary story, manages to feel so emotionally resonant, and also just in line with what it means to be young, and wanting for more time with those we care about, but how to have it in the right way.
When I think about what makes me love Steven Universe implicitly, it’s the vast number of themes that it conveys not just to children, but adults as well. I will do my best to discuss some of them without diving into spoilers, as I believe that some of the best thematic elements of this show come with the development of the characters themselves. But let’s talk about a few that I specifically felt were incredibly powerful and allowed me as a viewer to learn how I can be a better.
Found family is one of those things that we often see in television, and Steven Universe is no exception. While Steven may have his father, those closest to him are the Gems, three beings he has no true biological connection to other than the gem imbedded in his stomach. As mentioned above, it’s also not just Steven who needs this found family to be there for them, all of the main characters have struggles within themselves and externally, and while they may have their issues, it’s abundantly clear that Steven Universe wants those watching to recognize that it’s ok to talk about those difficult things with whoever they feel they can. Even further so, it’s ok to seek comfort and support from those we care about most even if they aren’t blood.
Another of the clearly evident themes that is extremely powerful for many is the acceptance of who we are as people, and that we don’t have to be who the world says we are. Throughout the course of Steven Universe characters are introduced that at first have certain beliefs but end up realizing that it’s ok to be something other than what they believe they have to be. In one way, that’s one of the things that’s so beautiful about a show like this and the team behind: its willingness to create and develop characters in totally natural but surprising ways, such as who they are as people and who they want to become. For me specifically, Steven Universe at least in even the smallest way has helped me feel like its ok to be me, regardless of all my faults and perceived issues that I find myself to have.
There are times where I struggle to discuss Steven Universe without shedding tears just thinking about the fact that the show is over, and I’ll never have those first moments watching it again. Angel and I finished Steven Universe, the film, and Future during an extra-long holiday break (thanks Covid), and when the show finally came to a close the final time, I felt a terrible hole in my heart. In the days since, I struggled to keep myself calm over the fact that it was finally over, like saying goodbye to a friend I may never see again. Steven Universe is one of those shows that I as an avid TV and film fan will never forget. It’s beautiful story and incredible characters are some of the best I’ve ever seen in any form of storytelling.
Angel once told me she never wanted to finish the show, as it felt like accepting that Steven Universe had finally ended. When I consider it though, I don’t think it will ever be truly over even if we’ve finished the final episode. Whether it’s through humming one of the incredible songs while we make dinner, watching some of our favorite episodes as we fall asleep, using other hobbies to reconnect with the world like painting a good scene, or even just talking about how it helped us change, it feels like in some way the show never really ended, just that one phase of our connection to it ended, but now we can carry those lessons we learned from it forward, while also showing how much we still appreciate it. Thank you, Angel, for introducing me to this beautiful show, and to all of those who decide to dive into this, I promise that when you come out the other end, you’ll be better for having done so. Finally, I want to leave you with lyrics from one of my favorite songs the show has given us:
“I don't need you to respect me, I respect me
I don't need you to love me, I love me
But I want you to know you could know me
If you change your mind
If you change your mind
If you change your mind
Change your mind”
