Steven Universe - Now a Griefing Thread

[Muttnik]

All the stupid tumblr thinkpieces out right now got me thinking.

The show really likes to pat itself on the back with the whole Pink to Steven thing being a metaphor for transitioning. I've seen more than one critical interpretation of that fact. But then, every single time Steven ever does anything masculine or something to assert his coming of age manhood, the crewniverse shits on it or paints it as the worst possible thing to do. Really fucks up the "beauty" in the stupid troon interpretation of it all. Of course the gems are allowed to be violent or fight back but not our boy Steven. The only way for him to succeed is to be a crying feelsy wimp.

For the record, I don't hate Steven. I enjoyed his innocence and joy in things back when the show first started out. But the fact that the crewniverse refuses to let him grow up to complete standard hero's journey 101 frustrates me to no end.

 

[IdaRita]

I don't know why, but maybe because Greg is a character that is liked by show's critics, they decided to make him unlikeable.

Yeah there’s nothing wrong with liking dark works but by that same token there’s nothing wrong with enjoying things that are lighter and inspirational.

Yeah, I agree 100%. Just as I disliked my favourite stories being dismissed as "childlish" or "unrealistic", I'm opposed to calling darker stories "only for edgelords" or "destroing minds of young men" (recent stupid South Park critisism controversy). I enjoy darker stories too, just usually gravitate toward more idealistic ones.

BTW, I've always thought when Steven Universe was a new show, the character design was pretty good. Especially how they stylized arms and legs instead of Adventure Time's noodle arms.
I still think designs of character that debuted earlier (original 3 gems, Steven, Connie, Peridot, Jasper etc) are pretty good.
But somehow as the show progressed we've got those:

 

[keyboredsm4shthe2nd]

The people who were craving that info have long since left the ship when they realized the show wasn’t going to answer their questions. The user base seems to be (with some exceptions) made up hardcore fans who like Greg being a bad father and Steven becoming depressed.
And to be fair, death was cheapened back when the resurrection tears were revealed in the Wanted arc, which is why it’s rarely ever brought up. What worries me is that people will use this episode to prop up Pink Diamond (“At least Pink never shattered a gem!”)

With the fact that Lars literally only came back for the finale, was only a passing cameo in the movie, and that I turned the they/them episode off, I had actually completely forgotten he'd died. Still, I'd compare Jasper's resurrection to be more like if someone got blown apart by an IED and you just put the chunks back together and cried on it.

This brings up a question at best, plothole at worst. If because of the war they're making inferior gems, WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T THEY WAIT FOR ALL OF THE HOMEWORLD GEMS TO GET OFF THE BATTLEFIELD? They're loyalists, and made with prime gem abilities. Of course Sugar'd handwave it as "well they didn't see gems as individuals" But even a dog breeder would put in the extra effort to save good breeding stock.

 

[Wabbu]

Greg complaining about suburban life was so cringy, for once I'm happy with Steven's atittude in Future by telling him off

 

[AverageAnimeWatcher]

Greg complaining about suburban life was so cringy, for once I'm happy with Steven's atittude in Future by telling him off

Well, it's not so much as Greg being wrong, because yeah, he was wrong. But it contradicting the previous characterization.

The first time you look at Greg without any context you see well a loser.

A guy that refuses to grow up and be an adult and still tries to pretend to have long hair despite a huge bald spot, and has a lousy job at a car wash because his garage band obviously failed; a failed dream he can't seem to let go even as a middle-aged adult. So you are made to wonder why "Rose quartz" the cool magical gem lady chose "this loser" over well Pearl, the crystal gems, or any other human on earth.

But then the show makes a point that you shouldn't judge by mere appearances. You learn that Greg is a sweet and kind person. That he was everything Rose Quartz pretended to be: a loving and empathic person. And that he really was so talented he actually became a millionaire without knowing.

...But then that episode goes like SIKE! He really is that loser that never outgrew his rebel phase you thought he was.

Which sucks.

 

[keyboredsm4shthe2nd]

Well, it's not so much as Greg being wrong, because yeah, he was wrong. But it contradicting the previous characterization.

The first time you look at Greg without any context you see well a loser.

View attachment 1197096

A guy that refuses to grow up and be an adult and still tries to pretend to have long hair despite a huge bald spot, and has a lousy job at a car wash because his garage band obviously failed; a failed dream he can't seem to let even as a middle aged adult. So you are making to wonder why "Rose quartz" the cool magical gem lady chose "this loser" over well Pearl, the crystal gems, and well any other human on earth.

But then the show makes a point that you shouldn't judge by mere appearances. You learn that Greg is a sweet and kind person. That he was everything Rose Quartz pretended to be: a loving and empathic person. And that he really was so talented he actually became a millionaire without knowing.

...But then that episode goes like SIKE! He really is that loser that never outgrew his rebel phase you thought he was.

Which sucks.

Goddamn Sugar, what are you doing? You built a good, stable house and you decided "lol like what if I like dumped all this kerosene on the beams and like lit a match lol wouldn't that be funny guiz?!"

 

[Yamma Damma]

I watched the new ep. And my TL;DR is are you fucking kidding me. I'm tired, but at least I'm not bored.

Spoiler: THE FULL SPERGWALL

"Mr. Universe" was supossed to paint Greg as the human equivelent of what PD went through and BOYYY did it fail! One is a human, the other is an alien. At this point, who the hell knows what the Gems are as far as foreign entities go because this show cannot make up its mind. (Are they murderous dictators or just violently emotional? Are they made to conquer and control or are they just a dysfunctional family?) Greg was a rebel in the most milquetoast way possible who left and never returned (not to face his folks anyway). PD was a Disney princess who used and abused everyone close to her and fucked off when the heat got too much for her. Steven wanting a "normal life" is BS too since his human way of life was as maintained as possible thanks mostly to his Dad and the Crystal gems building a house for him on their shrine. And a normal life does not make for good TV, honestly.

"Fragments" can fuck off. More pacifism/extremism propaganda, more Steven's powers being OP to the point of any impact being lost, and with all the talk of the Diamonds being shatterers and monsters, we FINALLY get to see a Gem shattered and it was STEVEN who did it? AND IT DIDN'T EVEN STICK?! Why are these 2010s showrunners so afraid of letting their characters do bad things that lead to dire concequences that don't go away easily?! If you can't follow through on adding heavy themes to your story and using fantasy as a magic wand to erase your fuckups, you are using fantasy wrong.

Future's gonna end and fans will have learned exactly no information they craved through the series, good going Sugar. Also, glad to know death is cheap instead of making an (albeit edgy) point about how permanent actions have permanent consequences.

Nope. That was clear the moment when Steven and Lars were on Homeworld and only went undergound. That's like the purpose of finding Atlantis was to take photos of the coral.

I don't know why, but maybe because Greg is a character that is liked by show's critics, they decided to make him unlikeable.

Ohhhh, so they took a page out of PK's crazybitch playbook then. Makes sense since she did a comic cover for them.

Spoiler: HOW SO?

PK has a webcomic called Floraverse. In it, there's a possum guy named Biff. PK ran a popularity poll and Biff won over her pet favorite/self-insert Beleth and other genderspecials. Being the petty man-hater despite having two fuckboys of her own, she changes Biff's gender to female in the middle of the story without any explanation other than the obvious.

The lesson is clear: NEVER base characters off yourself or the real people you love. It will forever be a popularity contest that you can rig in your biased favor. If you can't separate the fiction from the non-fiction, don't even try.

Boy are you guys making me glad I dropped this show when I did.

You guys watch Bluey? That shit's kino.

Maybe that's why you're a Mod: You know when shit's fucked and get out while you still can.

 

[The Pink Panther]

For the first time EVER, I started marathonning this show. It's coronashit, I got nothing else better to do and holy hell. How did anyone like this show? I'm on episode 41 and there's like only 2 good episodes.

 

[Private Pyle]

I don't know why, but maybe because Greg is a character that is liked by show's critics, they decided to make him unlikeable.

Yeah, I agree 100%. Just as I disliked my favourite stories being dismissed as "childlish" or "unrealistic", I'm opposed to calling darker stories "only for edgelords" or "destroing minds of young men" (recent stupid South Park critisism controversy). I enjoy darker stories too, just usually gravitate toward more idealistic ones.

BTW, I've always thought when Steven Universe was a new show, the character design was pretty good. Especially how they stylized arms and legs instead of Adventure Time's noodle arms.
I still think designs of character that debuted earlier (original 3 gems, Steven, Connie, Peridot, Jasper etc) are pretty good.
But somehow as the show progressed we've got those:

In addition to the writing, many people have pointed out that the animation and character designs to a big hit somewhere in season 3. Coincidentally, season 3 was also when Ian Jones-Quartey left the show and when they started hiring artists from tumblr...

Greg complaining about suburban life was so cringy, for once I'm happy with Steven's atittude in Future by telling him off

It’s another case of SU flanderizing its characters; Greg went from down to earth and easy going dude to a hippie douche who’s actually pretty selfish.
Also for those lost count, in this season alone Greg has lost his hair, his van, the band he was managing and now the respect of his only son. I am so worried Steven will leave town on bad terms with his dad.

Well, it's not so much as Greg being wrong, because yeah, he was wrong. But it contradicting the previous characterization.

The first time you look at Greg without any context you see well a loser.

View attachment 1197096

A guy that refuses to grow up and be an adult and still tries to pretend to have long hair despite a huge bald spot, and has a lousy job at a car wash because his garage band obviously failed; a failed dream he can't seem to let go even as a middle-aged adult. So you are made to wonder why "Rose quartz" the cool magical gem lady chose "this loser" over well Pearl, the crystal gems, or any other human on earth.

But then the show makes a point that you shouldn't judge by mere appearances. You learn that Greg is a sweet and kind person. That he was everything Rose Quartz pretended to be: a loving and empathic person. And that he really was so talented he actually became a millionaire without knowing.

...But then that episode goes like SIKE! He really is that loser that never outgrew his rebel phase you thought he was.

Which sucks.

Goddamn Sugar, what are you doing? You built a good, stable house and you decided "lol like what if I like dumped all this kerosene on the beams and like lit a match lol wouldn't that be funny guiz?!"

It’s more like “wouldn’t that be deep guiz?” Future is really big on deconstructing things, tearing apart every single trope build up over the show. And people keep eating it up, saying how deep, complex, nuanced, mature and flawed it is. We’ve now gone full circle into messed up characters and relationships being the peak of writing. Apparently a father proving he’s more than capable despite first appearances isn’t complex and flawed for the 2020s.
Side note; given how every parent is a fuck up and a parallel to the Diamonds in some way, I wonder what passes for good parenting in SU.

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

I am so worried Steven will leave town on bad terms with his dad.

And thus the complete shitting on one of the two sane rational characters on the show will be complete.

 

[The Pink Panther]

For the first time EVER, I started marathonning this show. It's coronashit, I got nothing else better to do and holy hell. How did anyone like this show? I'm on episode 41 and there's like only 2 good episodes.

To elaborate on this: The writing is a piece of shit. Most of the episode is aimless series of events that have little to no cohesion. Every time they have to do emotional shit, it always tells don't show. Whenever it tries to be funny, it's barely funny, these people can't write comedy to say their life. They never explain anything in the show, if something happens you have to accept it, it'll EVENTUALLY make sense. It doesn't. The pilot episode is awful. It doesn't explain the dynamics or anything. You will know little to no nothing more coming out of it. What a waste.

 

[Literally Unironically]

At this rate, I expect Steven to attempt suicide in the last episodes, even if it's in a symbolic way. It makes more sense if you consider the "trans interpretation".

 

[omori]

Ok so Steven can’t repair the damage his past self did to Pink Pearl but he can resurrect a gem he shattered.
C’mon, Sugar, if you’re gonna set down rules at least follow them.

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

and has a lousy job at a car wash because his garage band obviously failed

Hey now that ain't fair.

He owns that Car Wash, I refuse to call someone who owns a legitimate business a loser.

 

[Private Pyle]

At this rate, I expect Steven to attempt suicide in the last episodes, even if it's in a symbolic way. It makes more sense if you consider the "trans interpretation".

Given how hard they’ve been pushing mental health angle and how they’ve been pandering to the 2deep4u crowd, it’s shocking how I can see this happening.

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

Given how hard they’ve been pushing mental health angle and how they’ve been pandering to the 2deep4u crowd, it’s shocking how I can see this happening.

I would love this ending, Stephen offs himself and the scene fades to black "The end"

 

[friedshrimp]

If Diamonds can repair the shattered why haven't the Diamonds done so with their own army? Or is this a Steven only thing?

 

[Nut-Roaster the 2nd]

If I may make a prediction:

Steven fakes his death, and does the same thing Pink did when she fugged-up her colony; taking a new identity and fleeing into the rest of Alternate America.

At this point, I expect that ending.

EDIT: Well, I was half right... What a shitshow.

 

[keyboredsm4shthe2nd]

If Diamonds can repair the shattered why haven't the Diamonds done so with their own army? Or is this a Steven only thing?

Because they needed Pink's essence too to make it work. I reiterate, if they thought PD was dead when they dropped the nuke, why did they only wait for like 50% of their superior gems to get off the planet? For all the Crystal Gems would have known the Diamonds pulled out of the war and would be celebrating too hard while all Homeworld loyalists were fleeing to notice the explosion. Oh. I know why. You can't have an ebil authoritarian without having them think of people as resources (even though valuable resources should be protected?). Ebil authoritarians who don't genocide anymore because of one little joo boy and two years. What a flaming pile of shit this show's become.

 

[PopRocks]

For the first time EVER, I started marathonning this show. It's coronashit, I got nothing else better to do and holy hell. How did anyone like this show? I'm on episode 41 and there's like only 2 good episodes.

You know it's a sign of quality when it takes your show 50 goddamn episodes before people finally say "hey, this actually might be interesting!". Dear lord, I've seen season anime that can do plot of the entire SU show in 5 episodes.