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Post by Moni on Jan 24, 2019 4:16:00 GMT -5
oh, watched the last few episodes of season 5. kind of epitomizes why i am fond and also not so fond of this show--aka my relatively lukewarm "ohhhh" interest in it. SU is a show with decent writing and heavyish themes, all wrapped together in a bundle that's understandable to children. that's fine, i guess, but it being so kiddified and with the writing being just decent, means that a lot of your enjoyment is going to be predicated on whether these themes really appeal specifically to any given person. and... honestly, very little in steven universe really hits home with me, i'm not the intended audience.
all the metaphors are honestly direct enough for someone in their early teens or even childhood to get, and yeah, it is a good show to kind of discuss some of these things to a young mind, and i don't begrudge it for not being super deep or *particularly* well-written . not many shows really try to tackle more interpersonal themes like this in a hopeful light (without it being downright saccharine)--it's happy and hopeful *and* also tries to be honest with you once in a while, and very few shows can do that without falling into dank and edgy territory.
i'm really surprised this wasn't a series finale... like... these past few episodes put a really really neat bow on everything and they felt really... rushed. like i legit thought this season was the last one and the future ones were cancelled so they needed to mop up quickly.
the fusions were neat, yellow/blue diamonds were neat (if questionably done well), white diamond's speech was well-written and reminiscent of generally abusive parental figures. i was really never in any doubt that white diamond was wrong about steven just being a massssk and actually had some self-loathing issues because every. single. character. on this show has self-loathing issues, but it was well-executed enough. the animation was really great in the scene where steven gets the gem extracted, the speech and mannerisms were pretty on-point and (this is a strange word to use) evocative even. the designs of the fusions were really creative and i do like the little change to rainbow quartz, which sort of foreshadows the conclusion that steven is his own... geman?? and ain't no rose quartz, girl. what steven *is* was the most consistent conflict in this show so i was pretty invested in how they were going to tackle accepting yourself as yourself, and not your predecessors or what is dictated you should be or whatever--doesn't quite beat out the peridot-good arc, but you know.
but anyway, onto the things i didn't like:
i know that what the various gems are diegetically almost doesn't matter (neither does plot or themes that don't hit you on the head with a sledgehammer), because really, they're just ways to get various stories past the radar via symbolism at the end of the day, but i often find the allegories chosen for the diamonds kind of ... unsuitable. for example the diamonds just being a sad family and not... dictators is really dissonant. but anyway, taken at face value, this resolution does leave a sour taste with white just turning good so quickly... like really? a one-liner and a "good golly gosh, i wish i didn't have to be perfect! and i should accept that some people are different! look at all my repressed emotions!!!!" out of nowhere. wow, i'm sure a lot of people would want to have steven's magic words, and it's totally a good way to approach situations like this! i suppose it's a case of this show being dishonest, which, if you can't tell, i kind of dislike. i expected better.
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Post by Liou on Jan 26, 2019 11:15:33 GMT -5
Still on Change Your Mind: Taking the liberty to comment again because I wasn't sure how much to say about this, I'm glad you folks agree that White Diamond's redemption was a bit fast / easy / rushed. My first thought seeing her in the springs was "hey, she can't hang out with them!!" I found it odd that they obviously put much effort into making this terrifying antagonist, the animation made her especially creepy, the VA got much praise... After all this buildup, you can't just turn around and make her adorkably out-of-place. Even My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was not this clement with villains. On one hand it's wonderfully pure to see this universe in which a child's words can really heal anyone, and no one is irredeemably evil. Some aspects of the show and how it reflects real life are very relatable, and it can be frustrating to know that this ultimate redemption is only attainable in fiction, but it could also bring hope. Escapism VS relatable experiences, not an easy balance to hold. Agreed with Gelquie that it'd be safer to leave the story here, neatly wrapped up, maybe after one or two epilogues for little loose ends. It'd be very difficult to top this arc resolution. Don't do what post-Princessening-MLP did, show! D:
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Post by Killix on Jan 26, 2019 20:39:07 GMT -5
End-of-season-related talk: On the web I see a lot of worry about the show staling after this, and even some rumours that Change Your Mind was to be the series finale before the show was renewed for an extra season.
Regardless of either of those things, I think there's still plenty left to explore with the characters and world, plus a handful of topics to indulge in. Here's a small list I put together.
Hanging Plot Threads/Plot Yet to be Explored:
- The fate of the bubbled Rose Quartzes. - Pink Pearl's backstory. - Jasper. 8I (She's healed now, but uh... I don't consider her arc resolved) - The now-healed crystal gems, are they staying on Earth or...? - Why is Homeworld all broken up? What's up with the problems regarding the creation of current era gems? and what changes are Homeworld going to make moving forward? - Dat mysterious chest inside the Lion Storage System.
I know there are more things that should be on this list, but I have forgotten them. XD The listed things are all things I am personally interested in seeing resolved, anyway.
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Post by Killix on Sept 8, 2019 2:14:32 GMT -5
So... has anyone else seen the movie yet? Thoughts? I thought it was alright, though the ending kinda irked me.
The Diamonds are exhibiting this super clingy behaviour and it's really not healthy. Spinel simply wanted the companionship of someone who liked her for herself... and so sending her off with the Diamonds to act as a Steven/Pink Diamond replacement proxy feels like an idea so bad that I can't consider this movie to have a "happy" ending. 8I
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Post by Draco on Sept 9, 2019 3:05:15 GMT -5
So... has anyone else seen the movie yet? Thoughts? I thought it was alright, though the ending kinda irked me.
The Diamonds are exhibiting this super clingy behaviour and it's really not healthy. Spinel simply wanted the companionship of someone who liked her for herself... and so sending her off with the Diamonds to act as a Steven/Pink Diamond replacement proxy feels like an idea so bad that I can't consider this movie to have a "happy" ending. 8I
It's one of the faults I've heard from a few places now.
The fact that Steven basically just used her to get rid of the Diamonds and her was a bit out of character. Once they appeared I saw it coming, but didn't think it would be that simple.
Overall I liked the movie though. It was a bit rushed, but they had to force the plot to move that way because it's a movie.
Steg was my favorite part.
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Post by Breakingchains on Sept 9, 2019 17:49:45 GMT -5
Definitely felt rushed in places but I absolutely adore Spinel. Fight scenes were good, most songs were good, would have liked to see a handful of other characters like Jasper and the Famethyst pop up but there probably wasn't time for it.
Also I swear, the number of people Pink Diamond messed up every time she took a spit.
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Post by Draco on Sept 9, 2019 20:38:43 GMT -5
Definitely felt rushed in places but I absolutely adore Spinel. Fight scenes were good, most songs were good, would have liked to see a handful of other characters like Jasper and the Famethyst pop up but there probably wasn't time for it.
Also I swear, the number of people Pink Diamond messed up every time she took a spit. Yeah I've seen a few things talk about how much Pink Diamond was a terrible person for all the things she caused XD
I knew I was going to like Spinel from the trailer. She had that Rubber Hose style classic cartoon feel to her, and I loved they use that. It's fun seeing a character like that, from her fighting to the fact half the time she couldn't stand still and had to keep moving around like the old cartoons XD
Plus the fighting scenes with her, especially when she first appears, you can see they threw a lot of the animation budget into those scenes XD
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Post by Killix on Sept 9, 2019 22:16:58 GMT -5
More movie comments A running theme with Pink Diamond is that she made a lot of bad decisions and generally jumped into rash actions without thinking of the consequences. Combine this with the attitude of the Diamonds that she was raised with (those deemed "lesser" gems/lifeforms are treated as non-people, for example) and you have the perfect recipe for Bad Things. I would say that it's far more complicated than her just simply being a horrible person.
I also liked Spinel! She was an interesting character with a good design, fun "classic" animation style, and relatable and heartbreaking backstory.
The songs... were a thing, I guess. Some were good, some were okay, some were just total "meh". XD
The animation was great! They clearly spent some money on Spinel's wacky battle scenes, and it looked great.
My overall reaction to the movie was that it was passable. I wasn't blown away or majorly disappointed... it was just Okay. Spinel stole the show for me, I think. XD Without her I think I would've found the movie an overall snore-fest.
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Post by Moni on Sept 14, 2019 19:13:21 GMT -5
movie_irl i mean okay listen i know making the fascist dictators into lovable racist relatives is bad storytelling and i disliked that but white diamond is legit the funnest character to watch change my mind
also steg is weird in general. you cowards, i wanted fat steg but instead you give me this travesty. no. fat steg. base him off elvis. come on there are so many ways you could have gone "cool rockstar" and THIS is how you do it??? no
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Post by Liou on Oct 13, 2019 14:15:54 GMT -5
Movie thoughts: Dear 'Woo, the comment sections for movie clips are so weird, gushing over the three colonising, shattering Diamonds like cute weird aunties, while saying that Pink Diamond -after the show revealed her abusive family and complex character development over thousands of years- is the absolute worst and CANCELLED for abandoning that gem before said development. (Also checking the comment sections for Steg was a big mistake given what's said about Pearl's reaction to Steg -_-) I haven't actually seen the movie yet, tbh, using laser-guided amnesia to reboot characters whose arcs are mostly resolved is not my cup of tea and Spinel looks terrifying to me. Might be tempted if I hear about cooler things in it though. The show did draw me in after many years x3 Lately, I've managed to watch all of the filler episodes I'd previously skipped, little by little (I have to say the short episodes make it really easy and convenient to marathon) and so I finally have a full view of the entire series. And here come some thoughts. Firstly Moni is right, Greg really is the best. (The way he caused chaos in the zoo was very impressive.) Connie is an incredibly real and strong character. The Cool Kids are ridiculously wholesome and they make me sad because cool kids are never this nice irl :'c I finally get why Peridot, Lapis and Jasper are so popular despite only appearing in few episodes at first. I get the impression that Peridot got a bit flanderised in later seasons, alas, I did enjoy her much more earlier on. (There is so much body horror in this show and I never saw warnings for it? D'oh.) My favourite episodes might be Joy Ride (so... wholesome...) and Hit the Diamond (OTP). And any episode where Steven argues with the Crystal Gems / shows more maturity - too many moments to count. Honourable mention for Log Date 7 2 15. (Still love how Garnet got Peridot to understand her by comparing herself to Peridot's OTP) If letting Estelle voice a cartoon character is a gift to the world, having her sing Here Comes a Thought is a lavish boon, and also this song is low key giving some nice tips for figuring out how to meditate. I'm very fond of Padparadscha, as a character who processes things differently, and her position in the Off Colours, especially the way her predictions are not used as a punchline, but useful in their way, for instance when she points out that Lars had been pressing the wrong button. Some Change Your Mind thoughts: When Homeworld gems were encountered, their reactions to Garnet tended to involve asking her more or less politely to unfuse. When the Crystal Gems finally got to White Diamond, ultimate rule-maker and upholder of Homeworld, and were all in her power, White Diamond herself did not bother to unfuse Garnet. I found that curious. (Well, for the writers, I'm sure the scene had quite enough characters in it without unfusing Garnet as well.) Could it be that Garnet's Love was as impervious to White's power as Pink Steven? Still, since Yellow Diamond was easily capable of poofing and presumably unfusing gems, I imagine it wouldn't have been too hard for White. Maybe White simply considered all other life forms to be beneath her, a fusion being no better or worse than the others. Maybe White, from her high station, is aware of gem etiquette being rather arbitrary.
I'm also wondering why WD immediately took over Yellow and Blue's gems, then the Crystal Gems, but did not attempt to control "Pink" until Pink Steven had come out. (You know, aside from the fact that the protagonist had to face her alone >.>) I'm guessing that conquering "Pink" through her words alone was a more meaningful battle and victory to White. But I have an idea that the explanation is right in the words she said to Steven. Maybe White assumes that's what "Pink" did because it's what she would do, and it's exactly what she's doing, herself, by toying with Steven. Projecting much?
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Post by Moni on Oct 13, 2019 20:23:34 GMT -5
Liou i'm glad you've seen the light of Greg!!! but also ahhh, honestly the log date ep with Peridot is one of my favorite episodes of the show. There's some good stuff hidden in the filler--some of it is garbo, most of it is average, some of it is absolute gold. glad you finally god to see them!
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Post by Draco on Oct 16, 2019 6:27:22 GMT -5
For those who haven't heard the news, the next, and final, season will air before the end of the year (at least that what was said). It'll take place a little after the events of the movie.
It'll be called Steven Universe Future. It has a new (yet familiar if you watched the movie) opening, which you can find online already if you want to watch the opening.
So yeah, prepare yourself.
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Post by PFA on Dec 8, 2019 16:04:36 GMT -5
Just saw the new Steven Universe Future eps! Some thoughts: They were good, though I kept expecting something Mega Serious to happen and it never really did lol. The problems with hearing out-of-context spoilers like "the return of Pink Steven." Though I am definitely intrigued by his new powers. It seems to mostly happen when people talk about his mom, so I wonder if maybe his gem is reacting to that somehow? Leftover feelings from Rose/Pink? Though speaking of Rose/Pink, I'm a little ehhh about how they seem to be doubling down on the "she was a terrible person who did terrible things!!" angle lately—I noticed it in the movie and now here. Like, she did good things too. Are we just going to forget that?
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Post by Breakingchains on Dec 8, 2019 23:44:26 GMT -5
Every freaking second of Jasper's screentime. asdfghjkl; I'm love her so much
Re: PD: I mean, it's not even objectively the worst thing she's ever done, but boooooyyy has this kicked off another round of PD discourse in the fandom, probably because it happened to a woobie like Volleyball. I'm waiting to see whether anything else horrifying comes out and how it will affect the overall balance of the character--early on she was universally portrayed as a saint, then we slowly shifted gears into nonstop focus on her mistakes, and yeah, it's begun to feel rather lopsided.
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Post by Liou on Feb 3, 2020 10:06:40 GMT -5
I saw that SU Future was a limited series and that 10 episodes had come out, so I thought yay, it's over, I can marathon it! And then I watched, and it was very much not over, and we're back into the old hiatus waiting game! Oh well. Agreed with what's been said above so far! They seem to be going over many loose ends - some of which had been listed here after the end of the main show - and taking them seriously, but to me it doesn't feel like unearthing a story and messing up its conclusion as some unwanted sequels tend to do. Perhaps thanks to the timeskip and thanks to the new themes that are being explored alongside old loose ends. I'm pleased about that. 1) Little Homeschool Thanks for existing just for the sake of exposition, Cherry Quartz :'D Lots of background gems who won't get much to do, but it's nice to see what the healed gems are up to.
What really perplexes me about this school: has Steven ever received any kind of schooling? Teaching gems things is nothing new, the Crystal Gems must have given him some sort of education, but why should he choose the structure and organisation of a school by default when it doesn't seem to be a familiar setting to him at all?
Aw, Jasper loves fighting, so she gets to fight \o/ I love the angle of Steven learning from Jasper instead of vice versa and I really hope it gets revisited because uh, Steven needs it. >_>
On Pink!Steven: the pinkness seems to come out when Steven has a defensive reaction. I wonder if it's due to the trauma of the way Pink!Steven was first pulled out of him by White Diamond, and how non-Pink Steven was kind of like, dying. I also wonder if it has to do with the Rejuvenator business from the movie and how much that messed with his control over his gem powers. 3) Rose Buds - my favourite episode so far! Yay, freed Rose Quartzes! I love how both they and Steven were bottling things up each on their end and worked it out like long-lost siblings.
What I'm not clear on is, did PD model her disguise on already-created Rose Quartzes, or did she create more Rose Quartzes after the first time she disguised herself as a Quartz, so that her disguise would blend in better? 4) Volleyball Oh, it's Pearl's Rose Quartz-centered jealousy affecting the way she acts towards other people, I did not miss that... To be more specific, I don't like when it's portrayed as something cute and nostalgic and possibly-romantic and just Pearl being Pearl. In this episode, however, it's actually treated as a remnant of an abusive relationship, with both Pearls getting to compare notes, and I didn't know I needed this to happen.
I really like how the show didn't find it necessary to repair Volleyball's physical scar - same goes for keeping the corrupted gems' corruption scars.
Yay for the Sailor Moon and Utena visuals and the entire setting of the Reef.
Pink!Steven is displaying increasingly destructive power, interesting. In the episodes leading to the finale, neither Yellow nor Blue Diamond seemed concerned about Pink Diamond's wall-shattering screams, perhaps they had never seen that side of her?
I've seen theories suspecting that White Diamond was the only one aware of Pink's destructive fits and taking credit for them, quoting White's "did you get everything out of your system" line, how she seemed unsurprised by Pink Steven's scream power, and how White never showed physically destructive power herself. There were even comments speculating that White really did have to help reign in Pink's power to protect homeworld. ... Which would entirely undermine how WD was, you know, saying all that to mess with Steven's head? (I guess her lines were too well-written because so many are kind of forgetting what White did :'D) And if Pink only had fits of destruction in the presence of White, I'd suppose that only White could make her feel trapped and push her far enough?? 5) Bluebird A bit goofy, fun to see those characters again, interesting purpose for a fusion, this episode kind of missed out on an opportunity for a "Steven should have trusted his initial intuition" lesson, I appreciate all the fusions we're seeing in all these episodes and how smoothly the Crystal Gems fuse now,
but most importantly WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE BETTER CARE OF GREG UNIVERSE
at least he got to grab the weapon and free himself and got a crumb of coolness. 7) Snow Day Pearl shapeshifted?! Progress! Growth! Hope! The teenager-leaving-the-nest vibe is strong. *sob* He refused the cheeseburger backpack. Okay, it truly is the end of an era. Yes that's right, stop infantilising Steven, Crystal Gems, good lesson but they still really need to keep up with him because they seem to have lost touch. 9) Little Graduation Where the heck is Connie??
This episode is just beginning to unpack many issues of Steven's and it's not coming easily. Realising that some of his friends' issues are private and not actually his business is a good reality check.
... okayfine I loved Shep's introduction and how they had an actual role to play here, offering a newcomer's perspective, thank you show >,_>,
Oh hey! Would you look at that! Steven bubbled all of his friends! Just like Aquamarine requested back in Bluebird! 10) Prickly Pair I've never been so sad for a cactus child before. I had trouble understanding what it was saying through that voice, though. Steven is fiiine. Nice Lonely Blade poster really spelling it out on Steven's bedroom wall.
The lesson that Steven is a role model to creatures that he raises and that they will imitate him is pretty vital, and I'm surprised it was new to him - unless he just needed a reminder, as we sometimes do.
Full offence to Steven but I am really liking Amethyst being "all mature" in this season, she's found something she enjoys doing and feels good doing and doesn't need her coping mechanisms as much!
That was an abrupt ending, the Crystal Gems had better unpack all of that. And we still have Ominous Raging White Diamond Silhouette and Flashing-Eyes Wormy Boi to deal with.
Oh hey! Would you look at that! Steven's repressed emotions taking the physical form of a cactus - so, Steven - destroyed a good chunk of his house! Just like Aquamarine requested back in Bluebird! Hmmmm what else did Aquamarine request? >_>;; Stuff I want for the next episodes: aftercare for Greg Universe! - Connie! - positive stuff about Pink Diamond dangit - the other diamonds being less cute for once - Jasper - dare I suggest Jasper fusion?
Trying not to speculate too hard on Flashing-Eyes Wormy Boi, but if the corrupted!Steven theories are correct, I definitely won't say no. (Listening to Obsidian's theme because I am still not over Obsidian, btw, sorry Sugilite you're still my favourite non-permanent fusion)
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