There’s always potential for creativity and the building of a dark atmosphere in a story where a character winds up in a world that seems perfect only to discover the catch. That’s what Steven comes across in this cartoon when he becomes upset that the Crystal Gems are too busy to hang out with him or they do something to get in the way of his fun. In a way, the cartoon's opening presents Steven as immature and brat-like given how much he complains about not getting to do what he wants to do which costs the cartoon enjoyment value. Bratty as he is, at the moment Steven wishes for a place where he can go to do what he wants and his gem opens a special room in the temple, the cartoon starts getting interesting. Now, since Steven inherited the gem of his mother, Rose Quartz, the conclusion is that this special room it opens is Rose’s room. It’s a nice rosy chamber filled with pink clouds, and it can grant anything Steven requests. It seems like the perfect place for Steven if he can get whatever he wants here, but then comes the catch. When Steven attempts to go out into town for snacks, he finds himself in a literal dark version of Beach City where everyone just stands around, stares blankly at Steven, and smiles for no real reason. They also randomly do a singular action repeatedly such as Lars and Sadie of The Big Donut talking in unison as they give Steven donuts, Frybo endlessly serving Steven fry bits, Connie repeatedly praising Steven for something, and Greg giving random advice and guitar sounds. It’s not just the characters being reduced to only doing one thing. This dark version of Beach City also has a shallow water with a tide repeatedly coming in, everything being eerily quiet, and all the other residents just doing nothing. All together these elements bring about an effective dark atmosphere of everything stuck in a cycle with only Steven interacting properly which is practically the same as being alone in the world. This is an especially dark thing for anyone to encounter. It’s an effective way of showing how this show’s open to taking risks when storytelling, and to me, that’s the best way for a character to learn a lesson, which Steven does when he tells the room that he wants to be back with the Gems, suggesting that he’s learned that things can’t always go his way. That said, the ending scene Steven saying he always gets what he wants as he and the Crystal Gems finally spend time together, while very nice, kind of undermines the message especially since it comes right after Steven saying he learned that things can’t always be his way. So, it’s debatable if Steven is truly likable here, but thanks to a lot of time spent in a seemingly perfect world with an effective dark underbelly, it’s still a creative experience you’ll never forget. 9/10
The Ranking
- So Many Birthdays
- Steven the Sword Fighter
- Lion 2: The Movie
- Bubble Buddies
- Laser Light Cannon
- Giant Woman
- Lars and the Cool Kids
- Steven’s Lion
- Gem Glow
- Rose’s Room
- Cheeseburger Backpack
- Serious Steven
- Beach Party
- Cat Fingers
- Tiger Millionaire
- Together Breakfast
- Frybo
- Onion Trade
- Arcade Mania
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where we see exactly how strong "Coach Steven" is.
If you would like to check out other reviews on this blog, click here for the guide to all the reviews posted so far. 
No comments:
Post a Comment