If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now on with today's review:
Same Old
World
Despite introducing the big fact that there are more Gems out there, Lapis Lazuli hasn’t appeared much.
The narrative has legit reasons for this, and she’s still compelling as
a character, but these factors make one’s desire to see more of her even
bigger, at least to me. With Malachite dispatched,
Lapis takes the spotlight once more, and her role here makes for a nice
experience.
She’s at a conflict of what
to do, believably not wanting to stay on Earth where she’s reminded of her
complicated feelings with the Crystal Gems. At the same time, she has reasons to not go back
to Homeworld. She’s already put off by how much about it has changed, and trapping Jasper in a fusion could make
things worse. Through her complexities,
her bond with Steven, her only friend from Earth, pulls her through.
While there is a reason why he doesn’t go
home with the others, it is a bit contrived that Lion disappears at this moment
just so Steven can help Lapis. For that matter, no one ever questions what takes him so
long to come home. What unfolds however
is impactful enough to make these flaws not matter much. When Steven says she can still live on Earth
without being near the Crystal Gems, the cartoon turns to beauty and endearment.
Much of the time is spent on the two flying
around together searching for a home for Lapis made charming by an uplifting
musical accompaniment. At the heart of
all this is Steven and Lapis enjoying each other’s company. Steven provides his
own understanding and devotion to Earth’s wonders as he explains the benefits
of living in certain places. This really shows how much he’s grown as a teacher to Gems
much less experienced with the planet.
He’s even legitimately seeing beauty in the smoggy city of Jersey. While Lapis isn’t exactly moved by the
places, she’s open to looking into them. Not to mention, with all the bad stuff she’s faced, it’s incredibly pleasing to see her having genuine fun flying
around.
However, as is common with her
and what will continue to be common with her, Lapis is unable to truly escape
her traumatic past. One of the places
she and Steven end up flying to is the galaxy warp, the warp pads that used to
allow Gems to warp anywhere in space. It
was where Lapis was abandoned and imprisoned during the Gem War. While it does make sense for her to feel traumatized by the sight of the galaxy warp, her backstory is honestly kind of lacking and very basic. She came to Earth, the war happened, she got
poofed and was trapped in a mirror, and when Pearl found it after the war, she
stored it inside her gem instead of releasing Lapis. There are some interesting aspects like Lapis
being mistaken for a Crystal Gem, and everyone leaving because of a bright
light that gets expanded upon later. On
the whole, what we learn doesn’t match the magnitude of what Lapis suffers
through and begs some huge questions. Why was she sent to Earth, and how could
she be mistaken for a Crystal Gem? I’m
not saying the backstory is bad. It’s
good and defines Lapis, but for all she’s put through, it could’ve been
deeper.
As for the conclusion, Steven’s
teaching skills reach a new high when he refers to a leaf changing color from
the flight. That single artifact reminds Lapis that even if Earth was once a frightening place, it
can change for the better because nothing is ever still on Earth. This gives Lapis enough hope to get to know
the planet and live there, at the barn even. That said, there’s still something to
look forward to when she’s shocked at the idea of living with Peridot.
In the end, this is a cartoon most ought to
take flight with for endearing bonds and insight, especially if you’re longing
for more of Lapis Lazuli.
A-
The Ranking
- Gem Drill
- Super Watermelon Island
- Same Old World
The next Steven Universe review covers Peridot and Lapis struggling to make living with each other at the barn work.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is Animaniacs Episode 34.
No comments:
Post a Comment