Nothing to Fear (DuckTales Vol 3 Part 8) - 'Toon Reviews 25

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:

Nothing to Fear

A common theme in good stories and real life is learning to face anything that causes fear.  It allows for relatable growth in getting by in the world.  The theme especially stands out when the fears are creatively represented.  This concept is commonly seen in animation depicting anything the people behind the work dream up.  In this fear-themed episode, the fears of all the characters involved fit the creative standards. 

It starts as just an ordinary day for everyone, but then a strange storm cloud appears as an anomaly being one that only rains on the McDuck mansion and nowhere else.  As it rains, everything they fear appears right in front of them.  They start out as monstrous forms of minor frights such as Huey, Dewey, and Louie threatened by characters from their video game and Scrooge dealing with bill collectors.  However, some of the early fears are a bit nonsensical and don’t always make sense.  Duckworth sees Scrooge’s limo turn into a monster which is odd because he seemed more bored of washing and driving it, so why would it be his biggest fear?  Also, Doofus Drake is attacked by monstrous versions of the food he eats, particularly a banana he has at the moment.  They make for fun monster designs, but it’s hard to believe he’d fear they wouldn’t like being eaten on account that he had no problem eating a lot in all his appearances.  It does make for a legit argument that maybe it’s something on the back of his mind, so maybe it does make more sense than it lets on. 

The weight of the fears grow from here as they become more realistic while the storm cloud magically follows the group beyond the mansion.  Scrooge’s money bin is empty, justifying the threats of the bill collectors. Doofus is hounded by a vision of a school bully.  Huey, Dewey, and Louie are frightened by a monstrous version of their teacher Mrs. Quackenbush tying into them not doing their homework.  Then come the fears that turn out to be more personal so to sell the magnitude such things can have over people.  While it is fitting that Duckworth and Doofus aren’t involced since theirs have mostly been ridiculous, it begs the question why they were even major parts of the story to begin with.  What we do get is still impactful for the thing Scrooge and the boys fear the most involves family.  The boys fear Scrooge snapping at them and forcing them out of his life which makes sense considering the events of the series pilot.  Scrooge fears that the boys will stop trusting him, rob him, and kick him out.  It’s honestly heavy that these close family members think that the other could be so cold. 

Eventually, it turns out that the magical phenomena was of course the work of Magica de Spell to scare Scrooge and all in his mansion into giving her his lucky dime.  Giving into her demands is the easy way out, but the way out of this that Scrooge and the boys go for is truly the most mature way to go.  They face all their fears big and small and point out the logic errors behind their existence, which is a defining way to get the fears to disappear.  It still feels empty that we don’t get Duckworth and Doofus doing something about their fears, but with how strong the strengths are from those who do, this factor can be overlooked. 

With a little magic, this episode is an enriching look at what it’s like to have fears and how powerful it is to beat them and develop for the better.

A

The Ranking

1. Duck in the Iron Mask
2. Nothing to Fear
3. The Uncrashable Hindentanic
4. Dime Enough for Luck
5. Duck to the Future
6. Launchpad’s First Crash
7. Jungle Duck
8. The Status Seekers

That’s it for the first disc of this set.  Next time we start on the second where Scrooge is under a spell where he keeps changing into a figure who gives away his money.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is another fear exploration with "The Nightmare Spirit" from Hilda.

If you would like to check out other DuckTales reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

The Troll Rock (Hilda Season 1 Episode 5) - 'Toon Reviews 26

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:

The Troll Rock

A strong sign that a show has a lot of effort to it is how its seemingly small scenes have bigger meaning later.  The last episode featured David show fondness of a small interesting looking rock, and its last scene revealed it to move around.  It was staged as a cute sight gag to show David getting easily distracted.  With this episode, there’s much more weight to that little scene as shown at the start with a troll frantically looking for something in the area where David found that rock.  Tensions grow when that troll gets into Trolberg. 

Then there’s the main plot as Hilda attends parent-teacher night at her new school.  While she and her mother think she’s adjusted well to school, there’s an all-too believable counterargument to that belief.  Although Hilda hasn’t noticed this, she’s been disruptive in class asking off-topic questions, pointing out flaws in teachings, and giving rambles about subjects even after class.  According to her friends, the teacher, Ms. Hallgrim, is seriously considering transferring her to a special needs class due to this.  Such a drastic move makes Hilda seem challenged, when in reality, her behavior should be expected from her upbringing.  With Ms. Hallgrim being overly strict and closed-minded, what Hilda’s faced with feels right at home with any kid with a disability like autism regarding school.  There’s nothing really wrong with their approach; they just do things differently.  That said, Ms. Hallgrim immediately blaming Hilda for problems during parent-teacher night is pretty harsh. 

Speaking of problems, Hilda’s unique approach makes itself known when she notices something off about one of the rocks in David’s rock collection.  In addition to looking peculiar, it’s also grown somewhat since David found it and has come alive.  Hilda’s knowledge of such creatures leads her to see that the rock is actually a baby troll who stays dormant in daylight and grows in the dark.  However, only she, David, Frida, and Alfur are aware of it and try to keep it secret from everyone.  I understand it’s to not make Hilda look bad in front of Ms. Hallgrim, but there’s so much awkwardness that doesn’t help Hilda anyway.  She especially doesn’t help herself as she chases the troll through the classroom and the hallways making everyone really think she’s crazy.  It’s clear they probably would have been better off telling the truth of what’s going on.  At least in the gang’s pursuit of the troll, there’s nice compatibility from everyone and occasional nice sight gags. 

Eventually, Hilda is caught, and she and her mother are called in for a private talk with Ms. Hallgrim.  In a pleasing turn of events, instead of immediately buying into the teacher’s claims, Johana vouches in favor of her daughter.  Not only does this show she greatly understands Hilda and how she benefits from her new friends, but it’s a nice implication that even those in the spectrum deserve a chance.  Hilda also shows the benefits of her mannerisms when the baby troll is discovered and the larger troll from earlier breaks into the school.  She realizes the large troll was just looking for her baby, she returns him, and they leave the school in peace.  The greatest thing about this is that after all her strictness, Ms. Hallgrim does see merit in Hilda from this event, and they both seem to be on good terms in the end.  It would have been nice if other episodes after this one showed more of Hilda’s school life to prove this though. 

In spite of some potentially discomforting plot points, this episode is a great one making the most of little moments and strong character bonds.

A-

The Ranking

1. The Bird Parade
2. The Midnight Giant
3. The Hidden People
4. The Troll Rock
5. The Sparrow Scouts

The next Hilda review is an interesting one of how people can get nightmares of the most unlikely things.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews there's noting to fear from a review of "Nothing to Fear" from DuckTales.

If you would like to check out other Hilda reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

The Status Seekers (DuckTales Vol 3 Part 7) - 'Toon Reviews 25

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:

The Status Seekers

You’d think that as the richest duck in the world, Scrooge would not be bothered by what other people think.  Then, this episode acts like none of that matters. 

Scrooge may be rich, but he’s also a good friend and family man allowing himself to have a good share of fun such as playing muddy games of football or going to the hotdog cart for lunch.  These activities aren’t approved by high-class citizens of Duckburg who berate Scrooge for not having good status or acting how rich people are allegedly supposed to act. 

This is the biggest problem with the episode.  Scrooge takes what the snobs say to heart and forces himself to do what they do for better status.  It just doesn’t feel right that Scrooge would care so much about harsh judgements of him.  The episode acts like he has no status, but it also points out that he’s the richest duck in the world.  How is that not status?  Since wealth is a big deal in this show, he should have status that none of the snobs will ever top.  Scrooge has also made himself known through interviews, fortune hunts, widely publicized adventures around the world, huge investments, and more.  This should make him very popular, and how he casually acts shouldn’t take that away. This leaves major frustration throughout the episode. 

At least there’s still a legitimately exciting adventure we’ve come to expect from the series.  As Scrooge plans to join the snobs at their club, the Status Seekers, he learns that you get in through offering something of significant wealth.  Even though Scrooge has a lot of these things, he opts for claiming ownership of an artifact called the Mask of Kuthululu, and all the Status Seekers chase after it.  From there comes the adventure which is as fun to watch as the fortune hunts have always been.  Scrooge surprises the competition through turning his boat into a submarine (which also should prove his status but somehow doesn’t). Along the way, one Status Seeker, the leader Charles Upstuck III, and high class versions of the three main Beagle Boys, try to stop him.  This leads to banter and creative ways to get out of their enemies’ bad acts from Scrooge’s crew. 

There’s also an imaginative outcome for when they finally get to the mask. When they find out status on the island it’s located in is measured by how fat the ruler is, Scrooge and his team offer him a jar of peanut butter of all things to get it.  This also applies when an earlier plan aids in Scrooge’s favor later on with a huge jellyfish landing on Charles and the Beagle Boys just as they’re about to blast him. At the same time, it could’ve been avoided if the sub just went underwater. 

So, Scrooge ends up the leader of the Status Seekers, but episode’s prominent frustration comes again. Everyone tells Scrooge what he can and can’t do even though he’s the leader, and Scrooge continues to give into their peer pressure by turning on his true friends.  Yes, he sees sense when he and his friends fight for the Mask of Kuthululu from Charles and the Beagle Boys when no one else does and makes the whole club look stupid. However, since Scrooge truly already does have great status, he really should’ve saw sense in the first place. 

As a result, this episode is a perfect example of established character traits needing to be cast aside for the plot to work which goes against everything you know.  The featured adventure is really fun and entertaining, but the catalyst for the plot and the frustration it brings is too big to ignore.  If you’re looking for the show at its best, this episode has no such status.

C-

The Ranking

1. Duck in the Iron Mask
2. The Uncrashable Hindentanic
3. Dime Enough for Luck
4. Duck to the Future
5. Launchpad’s First Crash
6. Jungle Duck
7. The Status Seekers

The next DuckTales review is a much more creative venture as Magica de Spell traps Scrooge and the gang in their biggest fears.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is a Hilda episode, "The Troll Rock."

If you would like to check out other DuckTales reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

The Sparrow Scouts (Hilda Season 1 Episode 4) - 'Toon Reviews 26

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:

The Sparrow Scouts

In an endearing move to develop Hilda’s transition from wilderness life to city life, we get this episode that grants her human friends who frequently join her for adventures.  In the process, there’s also development to the environment of Trolberg as well as previously explored concepts. 

As the title suggests, one of those concepts has been of a scout troop called the Sparrow Scouts.  They got plenty of focus during the parade in the last episode, and two scouts, Frida and David, had a fair share of moments here and there.  Now, as Hilda becomes a Sparrow Scout to follow in the footsteps of her mother who was also part of the team, her friendship with Frida and David is pretty much solidified. 

The main focus of the episode is on the three of them forming a team for one specific badge.  Groups of scouts are assigned to clear an area of a park of waste and plant a garden there.  It’s a simple setup, but it’s made interesting by charming chemistry between the three characters.  Frida puts a lot of value in the badges she’s earned and has an almost aggressive need to be the best of the best.  David is easily distracted and nervous and is in need of someone to tell him what to do.  Although it’s apparent that one of the two is truly productive with badge challenges, Hilda’s knowledge of the wilderness is a worthy factor towards success.  It also makes for cute clashes of worldviews when Hilda’s plan ideas inspired by her wilderness life put Frida and David at a loss for words. 

Also aiding in making their simple badge quest stand out is the world-building involved, showing that in this world, a wall cannot stop supernatural things from happening.  After a long day of gardening, the kids come back the next day to find their hard work vandalized.  The cause for this is a very agitated anthropomorphic onion-like creature called a vittra.  Through a rude yet hilarious rant, he explains that through their planting, the kids dug up all his friends and brethren who were hibernating below the surface.  Apparently, the tops of their heads look an awful lot like weeds most people would pull, so I can call this a creative explanation for an occurrence.  There’s clearly no way they could have known they were pulling up creatures, so it does get frustrating that the vittra constantly insists they did it on purpose.  His ire also sparks less pleasing parts of Frida’s character flaws when she shows so much concern for her mere badges that she gets herself trapped in the vittra’s lair. 

This leads to a creative and nicely staged explore through the lair as Hilda goes after Frida.  There’s plenty of surprises through every hole, and a few off-the-wall elements like the vittras having tiny cows for pets.  After some trial and error through finding Frida, a deal is made that if they retrieve the dug up vitra, Frida will get her badges back.  The resulting climax at the mulchers is fun to see with plenty of suspense as Hilda rushes to free the vittra, and her new friendships grow as they save her from a nasty fall.  I have to question how they knew they saved all the vittra since some could have been mulched earlier that day, but that’s just me.  There’s also some good heart at the end when Frida writes a diary entry discussing that even if she failed to get a badge, she’s grateful for getting a new friend. 

That said, I wonder if any other Sparrow Scouts were willing to put off weeding.  Are there even other vittra around?  Major head scratchers like that as well as the somewhat basic story and characterizations make this less great than the other episodes.  Still, it’s a charming episode to fully introduce Hilda to her first true human friends.

A-

The Ranking

1. The Bird Parade
2. The Midnight Giant
3. The Hidden People
4. The Sparrow Scouts

In this episode, while waiting for Hilda, David finds a strange rock and takes it home with him.  The next review is on the results of that move.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is "The Status Seekers" from DuckTales.

If you would like to check out other Hilda reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

Bubbled (Steven Universe Season 3 Episode 24) - 'Toon Reviews 23

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:

Bubbled

So far with season finales, one was one of the show’s best works with nonstop excitement and reveals, and the other was a standard cartoon with fun character development.  For Season 3, this finale doesn’t seem like there’s much to it, but that tells how impressive it is.  With the story direction and characterization, it’s impactful on several levels. 

It’s a direct result of the end of the previous cartoon where Steven and the Rubies got sucked out of the moon base.  All we mostly see is Steven floating in space within his bubble while one of the Rubies, Eyeball, latches onto it.  There’s plenty of emotion to add to simple setup.  Much of it comes from Steven and Eyeball’s moments while they’re lost with nothing to do.  They start off bitter over their last encounter, but eventually, Steven is moved to try and befriend Eyeball while they’re stuck together.  After all, being friendly with enemies has worked out for Steven in the past…most of the time. 

Eyeball laments about how she only agreed to come back to Earth to see Rose Quartz for closure, all with effective drama from her line delivery.  Plus, it’s a good continuation of a mention of her being the only known Ruby in the Gem War.  Of course Steven would want to make Eyeball’s desire happen.  Convincing Eyeball that he’s Rose Quartz reincarnated is very difficult though.  His best attempts like summoning his shield and even striking a pose to match up with a Rose picture on his phone don't do a thing.  It’s only during a chance encounter with an asteroid field that gets Eyeball to see sense.  Her gemstone gets cracked, but Steven brings her into his bubble and heals her with his healing spit. 

So now that the truth that Steven is Rose Quartz reborn is known and he and Eyeball laugh together, you’d think Eyeball would be on good terms with him.  As has been the case with other opposing Gems lately, they’re still bitter enemies.  Now that she’s with Rose, Eyeball goes to chisel out Steven’s gem to avenge Pink Diamond.  With a few little laughs but still plenty of suspense while trying to outrun Eyeball, Steven still tries to reason with her.  When the situation gets really bad however, Steven is forced to accept that reasoning is impossible.  He opens the bubble and sends Eyeball floating in the void again with only the unanswered thought of what will happen if he loses his gem.  Well, that question was unanswered until the show's most recent big event as of this review, but that's to be discussed at a later date. 

It’s amazing that so much character and drama comes from just two characters in a mostly barren setting.  There’s harsh realities, unforgettable strife, and much more to think about.  This is reflected in the last scene when Steven is saved by the main Crystal Gems now operating the Rubies’ ship, the Roaming Eye.  While taking everything in, Steven brings up the root of Eyeball’s rage, Pink Diamond.  From that, he learns that it is apparently true that Rose shattered her for Earth’s sake.  Even though shattering Pink Diamond had to be done, it’s clear that Steven is affected by all the turmoil it caused for Homeworld which leads them to attack Earth to this day.  It effectively brings something for him to explore in the upcoming seasons, right down to discovering bigger details on the matter.  However, those details are best left for looks into those upcoming seasons.  For now, building off the atmosphere from basic setups, this ending is a great way to start an emotional arc of Steven finally learning about the real Rose Quartz. 

All of these qualities make this finale great for this show and animation in general.  Through bringing the perfect direction, it brings so much drama, stakes, character depth, and history shaking reveals from what seems like so little.

A+

The Ranking

1. Mr. Greg
2. Earthlings
3. Bismuth
4. Monster Reunion
5. Crack the Whip
6. Gem Hunt
7. Bubbled
8. Greg the Babysitter
9. Alone at Sea
10. Gem Drill
11. Super Watermelon Island
12. Too Short to Ride
13. Beach City Drift
14. Steven vs Amethyst
15. Barn Mates
16. Back to the Moon
17. Beta
18. Hit the Diamond
19. Same Old World
20. Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service
21. Steven Floats
22. Restaurant Wars
23. The New Lars
24. Drop Beat Dad

Final Thoughts

When I started these reviews by saying that Season 3 would be one of Steven Universe’s biggest yet, I meant it.  I’ve often said before that with this show, every cartoon is good to some extent, even the weaker ones.  Not only is this still the case, but here, the streak of amazing cartoons is one of the best.  They come almost one after another, and offer something very impressive be it creatives story ideas or further details on the already engaging lore.

The first season established the basic workings and characterization while Season 2 started testing how much could be done with it.  With Season 3, Steven Universe is able to really go all out with cartoon subject matter and even get creative with how many are executed.  These various storytelling approaches make groundbreaking moments stand out better than usual.  Examples of this include making a cartoon a mini-musical to bring big changes in characters, or bringing a lot of character and drama out of two characters just floating in space.  One particularly unique approach is allowing at least one of the cartons to run for double the usual runtime.  Being a continuity-heavy series, Steven Universe has always used several short cartoons to tell arcs or show the time taken to resolve conflicts.  Having a longer one allows for much more story and character at a nice even pace.  It’s the very thing that makes the story of the bubbled Gem inside Lion’s mane, Bismuth, stand as such a grand experience and impressive work of art and emotion.  On another note, the fact that double-length cartoons start appearing in Season 3 makes this particular season somewhat of a milestone. 

Most of the other cartoons don’t have the same creative setups, but many have noteworthy elements.  They can feature interesting settings, bring back earlier side characters, and even bring creative staging and elements to the usually mundane Beach City cartoons.  There are at least two fairly weak cartoons from this season, even weaker than anything from the previous one.  This is because they suffer from legit problems, mostly with characterization and going against the positive message the show continuously pushes.  However, they work for how they tie into great future events of the series whether they immediately follow or gradually build in seasons to come.  Presentation is one of the biggest factors in animation’s appeal.  Having found its footing at this point, Steven Universe provides many immersive presentations in Season 3.

Aiding in the great presentations of this season’s cartoons is how it transitions to various topics.  Other seasons, before and after this, honestly have the problem of dedicating many cartoons to one topic and then tack on another thing to explore for a time without warning.  That’s not even mentioning cartoons completely unrelated to the topic at hand while an arc is going on.  Season 3 features the show’s smoothest transitions from topic to topic.  That way, the entire season feels like a cohesive story with a variety of feels and truths to take in.  It appropriately starts off by resolving plot points that Season 2 started regarding stopping Malachite and the Cluster.  Admittedly, they share the aforementioned event placement problem.  Stopping Malachite throws off the flow of the Cluster plot with the former showing up right when the most focus is on the latter element.  This leaves little time to flesh out the resolution to the Cluster problem. While bubbling it makes sense, coming to the conclusion so quickly doesn’t match the magnitude the majority of Season 2 built up for it.  Fortunately, the fact that the Cluster is left alone for a long time after this is thankfully relieved of being a problem considering what’s done with it at the time of this posting. 

Also from stopping the Cluster comes deciding what to do with Peridot and Lapis now that their current arcs are done.  Deciding to drop them off in the barn doesn’t take away from each character’s appeal and it later makes for a charming pairing.  However, it’s not easy to accept that they don’t become part of the main cast at first. I mean, they’re both very likable and interesting especially since Peridot is an official Crystal Gem now.  However, they do appear in respectable amounts of screen time in which they’re still enjoyable and at times get some good development.  For this reason, while shunting off Peridot and Lapis to the barn isn’t the most preferred thing to do with them, the decision turns out fine after a while.  

After this, there’s a short stretch of Beach City fun time open for a variety of stories.  However, following this stretch comes a big example of Season 3’s smooth transitions to topics.  A cartoon starting with Steven doing something fun represents the slice of life tone the audience can easily get used to.  When he inadvertently works his healing powers during this activity, slice-of-life turns to lore-heavy from there.  Many interesting topics to explore such as the depths of corruption, the return of Jasper, and Rose Quartz’s revealed questionable morality cover all the remaining cartoons.  They’re all different, but mesh together well making for many seasonal standout moments and character development. 

The thing that makes these varying bits of lore work is the game changing reveal they build up to in the end.  For all that was said about how great and loving Rose Quartz was, it’s legitimately shocking that she resorted to shattering, i.e. killing, someone to settle the Gem War.  In addition to leaving something huge for Steven to deal with, it also brings depth to why Homeworld keeps invading Earth and wants it destroyed.  The pain of Rose’s murderous actions from the likes of Jasper and Eyeball of the Rubies especially reflects its negative effects.  In time, this reveal would turn out to be the start of an even bigger game changer to be discussed in Steven Universe reviews to come.  As it stands, how the vastly different topics flow well together is a testament to how great Season 3 really is.

As has been the usual case with this show, it’s the strength and likability of the characters that make this season as great as it is.  That said, it’s actually surprising that not all the three main Crystal Gems have a lot to do here.  Garnet isn’t given anything substantial. She has no big arcs and is mostly used to elaborate on given Gem subjects.  Pearl fares a little better as we see more of her role as a trainer. Plus, this season’s best cartoon features her take the first step in moving on from Rose through finally fully warming up to Greg.  Aside from those things, this season isn’t exactly Pearl’s time to shine either.  It is, however, Amethyst’s time to shine.  Many cartoons bring a significant shift in Amethyst’s laid-back attitude.  She starts off preaching for being proud of who she is and being nonchalant in a number of supporting roles.  That all changes when Jasper becomes relevant to the season.  Representing Homeworld’s established prejudiced views on Gems, Jasper’s claims of how wrong Amethyst looks leave a noticeable sting.  Amethyst getting beaten badly with a fight with Jasper supports the claims and puts her through a funk of trying too hard to get stronger.  She only lightens up a bit when Steven confides in her, revealing to have similar anxieties of not living up to other Gems.  Then a few cartoons later, Amethyst learns to accept her strengths and shortcomings which among other things, brings on Steven’s first Gem fusion, Smoky Quartz.  Along with the following cartoon all about her embracing who she is by using her shapeshifting to trick the Rubies, Amethyst is no doubt at her most relatable this season.  Her sense of self, being put through real world challenges, and overcoming them do their part in showing that there’s truly more to her than one may think. 

Apart from the main Crystal Gems, the supporting characters have a lot of strong moments to show for themselves too.  On the Gem side, Peridot and Lapis, despite not being seen as much as preferred, have their own special ways of further adjusting to and learning about Earth.  They really stand out for their own issues to work through like Peridot making the most of her own shortcomings and Lapis fighting through her painful memories of the planet.  Jasper’s aggressiveness and will to fight is fleshed out, being results of prejudice, Pink Diamond’s shattering, and even being fused for a very long time.  By the time she’s corrupted, it’s hard not to sympathize with her for how badly she was effected by her own experiences.  The Homeworld Rubies bring a more comedic edge from the supporting Gems with their unintelligence, but astound for still being a legit threat.  Even the humans in Steven’s life are a joy to watch as they face new chapters in life and the things certain characters go through are revealed.  Apart from occasional one-dimensional jerks like Kevin (until a later season) and Marty, these characters’ development is of special mention.  Greg gets some much needed affluence and ends up spending a lot of his $10,000,000 in various cartoons, but is still the lovable dad we know.  There’s a particularly creative edge to a rivalry between two of Beach City’s biggest restaurants.  Kiki has a relatable problem of finding it hard to say no to cover for her sister.  Even Lars takes a major step in improving for good after realizing everyone liking him better when he’s possessed by Steven which upcoming seasons greatly follow up on.  These moments make the characters feel more fleshed out than ever are and is a testament for the show’s strength of characterization.

Finally there’s Steven himself.  This season does its part to show how much he’s developed while also fleshing him out through what he experiences, i.e. everything the audience sees.  In fact, the end of the first cartoon where the Crystal Gems entrust him with stopping the Cluster without them reflects how much he’s grown as a Gem by now.  It’s no longer a surprise that he can control his powers so well, and his established sense of empathy brings them to further levels.  He’s able to feel the pain others feel and literally get inside other people’s minds to alleviate everything from common humans to beings as big as the Cluster.  It can get disturbing when this also means he can possess people though.  He also shows a lot of charm as his own character as he frequently gives teachings and guidance to Gems and humans alike.  It’s because of Steven Peridot and Lapis adjust to new Earth customs well, Pearl and Greg warm up to each other, Amethyst overcomes her anxieties, and more.  In addition, factors also make Steven less than perfect so to still be relatable to the audience.  For all his helpfulness, he still sometimes doesn’t think things all the way through, sometimes to the point of ruining relationships.  An even bigger factor is realizing that some people are impossible to reason with.  Heck, some of the last cartoons of the season feature three characters in a row Steven is unable to reason with.  To add to all this, he’s forced to respond with the drastic moves of poofing Bismuth, leaving Jasper to be corrupted, and throwing Eyeball the Ruby into space.  It’s shocking yet bold for a wholesome kid like Steven to be moved to pull off these actions.  You can kind of look at it as Steven learning an earlier lesson that some people aren’t worth being patient with the hard way.  As for eventually learning the story that his mom shattered Pink Diamond, Steven feeling disturbed about it only adds to the stress of what he was forced to do.  It’s the biggest thing to show that Steven is no longer just about having fun and going on adventures for the thrill factor.  He’s embracing that life sometimes involves making tough choices no matter how bad they may feel.  This is especially good considering that the Pink Diamond story later goes on to bring even more game changing details to take in.  In short, through this season, Steven continues to excel in maturity and ability while still finding more ways to develop.  That makes for a great lead character, especially one who always needs to be present for there to be a show.

There’s no denying that Steven Universe reaches a whole new pique with Season 3.  With great stories, creative ways of telling them, and a plethora of standout character moments, the show further proves to be one of the most impressive and endearing.  It’s a big reason to get viewers to look into the series if they haven’t already, not to mention, given the time it premiered, a grand way to spend the summer.

Highly Recommended

As we wrap up another review set, here's a change to the review schedule:

• Saturdays and Sundays - Star vs the Forces of Evil Season 3 (Starting Saturday Feb 2)
• Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays - Hilda Season 1
• Tuesdays and Thursdays - DuckTales Vol 3

I'll see you around for more cartoon review excitement, but until then:

Stay Animated Folks!