The best way to describe this cartoon is that it’s the kind
of thing that makes you question what the heck you just watched when it’s
over. The center of it is innocent and
cute enough apparent right from the opening scene of Steven playfully greeting
Garnet as she returns from a Gem mission going right into the main plot which
is his interpretation of what she did.
One admirable thing about this is that we’re treated to an art style
that nicely interprets Steven’s childlike mindset with everything being simply
drawn, colored, and animated. It’s an
especially appropriate look given that Steven’s interpretation adds many
off-the-wall elements to Garnet’s adventure such as her being accompanied by a
warrior rabbit and a brainy frog who reads other people’s power while making
hop puns. It also has some of the people
in his life take on the form of foes that Garnet may have faced that day such
as a fox creature said to want to absorb the powers of a Gem resembling Lars
and a supposed ally with hair shaped like an onion ring who later turns out to
be the real bad guy called Ringo resembling Ronaldo. Perhaps the reason these guys are interpreted
as antagonizing forces is that Steven, for how friendly and loving he is to
everyone, really does know that they have serious problems. Anyway, a major element added to Steven’s
interpretation is several instances of Garnet constantly hoping to get through
the mission so she can get back to Steven, which adds in a good amount of heart
to the story. It really invests the audience as Garnet sets off on her mission
with her animal friends, trains herself to become powerful enough to beat the
fox creature, and struggle to find a way to fight back Ringo when he
double-crosses her. The childlike tone
of Steven’s story gives the cartoon a unique feel that demonstrates how
limitless a child’s imagination, as well as animation, truly is. At the same time, so many things happen so
fast that it’s hard to process them. The
story goes from Garnet meeting her friends, then going on the mission, then
training, then Ringo’s deception, and then the final battle at such a brisk
pace, making it hard to interpret what the whole story is even about. Plus, it doesn’t have a good connection to
the main aspects of the show, especially with the Gem giving others super
powers when we haven’t been shown anything of the sort prior or after this
cartoon. The big kicker is that Garnet
confirms that what Steven interpreted didn’t happen at all, making this whole
cartoon pointless and costing it value.
Even at that, it still has a lot of good to it for its unique
imaginative approach. Ultimately, it’s
good if you want to watch something fun albeit a bit mindless, but for its lack
of importance, it’s not a must-watch. 7/10
The Ranking
- Ocean Gem
- Coach Steven
- Mirror Gem
- An Indirect Kiss
- Space Race
- So Many Birthdays
- Steven the Sword Fighter
- Lion 2: The Movie
- Bubble Buddies
- Monster Buddies
- Laser Light Cannon
- Giant Woman
- Lars and the Cool Kids
- Steven’s Lion
- Gem Glow
- Steven and the Stevens
- Island Adventure
- Rose’s Room
- Cheeseburger Backpack
- Secret Team
- House Guest
- Serious Steven
- Joking Victim
- Beach Party
- Cat Fingers
- Tiger Millionaire
- Together Breakfast
- Fusion Cuisine
- Frybo
- Onion Trade
- Arcade Mania
- Garnet’s Universe
- Keep Beach City Weird
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode which is much more substantial, at least for what happens later, "Watermelon Steven."
If you would like to check out other reviews on this blog, click here for the guide to all the reviews posted so far.
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