Wednesday, October 4, 2017

'Toon Reviews 6: Steven Universe Season 1 Episode 34


Watermelon Steven








What we get out of this cartoon is another well-established scenario of Steven discovering another power wile blissfully going about his life, and while the plot is a standard one, it’s still told in an enjoyable, and at times, impactful way.  It starts off fun and simple with Steven and Greg enjoying themselves while eating watermelons and seeing who can spit out the most seeds.  Through spitting out a literal tornado of seeds, the new power of Steven’s reveals itself the next morning when a bunch of watermelons shaped just like him appear.  Honestly, how this is possible is kind of confusing.  The best reason for this happening could be that the seeds that formed these watermelon Stevens got his special healing spit which shaped them to his liking, but that’s supposed to be lost at this point in the series.  Maybe it worked because he showed clear love and enjoyment for the watermelons?  Well, whatever the reason, it’s still him unlocking a new power which aids in his character growth which is always a plus.  In addition, this new power brings about a nice bond between him and a watermelon that has only started growing who he dubs as a baby melon. Their bond grows so strong that he can’t bear to part with it as he gives all the other watermelon Stevens away.  The cartoon gets more interesting when all the watermelon Stevens, including the baby watermelon turn out to be alive which again could’ve really used a clear explanation as to how this is possible even if Steven does admit that he shouldn’t be surprised by this at this point.  Still, it really moves the cartoon in a tense direction when the watermelon Stevens start attacking people when that nut, Ronaldo, attacks Steven while trying to perform an autopsy on one of the watermelon Stevens; typical.  They also go on to attack the Crystal Gems when they step in to stop them, resulting in some strong humorous moments stemming from their watermelon beatings, especially Amethyst’s.  The most impactful moment comes in at the conflict’s resolution where the baby watermelon attacks Steven himself, setting himself up to be destroyed by the other watermelon Stevens.  Even if it was just a watermelon, it really is an emotional highlight that he stopped the carnage by sacrificing himself, and it’s just as powerful when you consider that it leads to all the watermelon Stevens leaving at Steven’s command and that we see where they go and what they get up to later on.  It’s a creative way of showing that constant fighting leads to dark results and it’s shown in a way that ensures the overall message will stick.  This may not be the most exciting or best-written cartoon, but it’s a commendable one for its heart, character development, and creative ways of teaching its message. 9/10
The Ranking
  1. Ocean Gem
  2. Coach Steven
  3. Mirror Gem
  4. An Indirect Kiss
  5. Space Race
  6. So Many Birthdays
  7. Steven the Sword Fighter
  8. Lion 2: The Movie
  9. Bubble Buddies
  10. Monster Buddies
  11. Laser Light Cannon
  12. Giant Woman
  13. Lars and the Cool Kids
  14. Steven’s Lion
  15. Watermelon Steven
  16. Gem Glow
  17. Steven and the Stevens
  18. Island Adventure
  19. Rose’s Room
  20. Cheeseburger Backpack
  21. Secret Team
  22. House Guest
  23. Serious Steven
  24. Joking Victim
  25. Beach Party
  26. Cat Fingers
  27. Tiger Millionaire
  28. Together Breakfast
  29. Fusion Cuisine
  30. Frybo
  31. Onion Trade
  32. Arcade Mania
  33. Garnet’s Universe
  34. Keep Beach City Weird
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where Steven's little moments with Lion bring about one of the most heartwarming moments of the series in "Lion 3: Straight to Video." 
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