It’s a typical running gag for popular
stars to get mobbed by fans.If said
characters are cartoons, they have the potential to really stand out through
creative staging and extreme gags from the chase.With this chase, the Warners easily bring out
a lot of creative potential and self-awareness.
The entire chase is also a major parody of the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night also known for
featuring the band constantly on the run from fans.I’ve never seen that film, but I’ve seen
enough clips from it to see that this cartoon parodies it down to the basic
idea.With staging, the cartoon starts
out in black and white as a way of giving a clear idea of what’s being
parodied.Backing it up is the Warners
singing their own version of the Beatles’ song “A Hard Day’s Night” which
describes the actual occurrence of them running from their fans.In the process, there’s expert timing on the
different ways the Warners rush to hide or get away. They ride on an invisible
bike and cover themselves with magazines with fitting head profiles revealing
different heads to be on different bodies.That’s the kind of creativity you can only find in a cartoon, and it
becomes funnier when these gags are incorporated into their song.
It’s also funny when the cartoon goes to
color when the Warners reach a cartoon convention. They’re more relieved to get
away from the black and white than the fans.There’s more fun as the Warners have a humorous back and forward
conversation with a fan they try to convince they’re not who she thinks they
are.There are also a few fun
expressions as they hide from the mob and parody The Mask at the same time.
A
following press conference is also a highlight.The rapid succession of questions and the Warners’ wisecracking
responses pays even more of a tribute to A
Hard Day’s Night.However, they also
make the scene their own when one reporter asks them if their cartoons should
have more wholesome morals and less violence.They’re nonchalant as they show more preference to things like falling
anvils.We also get another Beatles
parody, this time of “Can’t Buy Me Love”, which is a rocking tune about their
style of focusing on laughs over things like animation, morals, and story.This is the kind of thing that’s pure
Warners, though the philosophy is interrupted by the fans.
However, when they mob again, the Warners
come up with a clever solution that actually makes sense in real life context.The only way to settle
their fans is to get them focused on other great stars.At this time, Pinky and the Brain have proven
popular enough to get their own spinoff, so it makes perfect sense that through
coaxing from the Warners, the fans chase them instead.This has got to be one of the show’s best
uses of self-awareness.
The only problem
is that it’s confusing as to whether or not this cartoon is fourth-wall
breaking or in-universe.The Warners
have shown awareness of being in a show before, but only in little scenes.Here, it’s a driving force of the plot.They’re popular among normal people like they
are in real life, when in the show they’re seen as annoying.However, you also have other characters on
their crew like Dr. Scratchansniff and Ralph the Guard as opposed to
caricatures people who really made the show.Pinky and the Brain’s inclusion is also confusing as they’re seen as
stars but are doing their established thing in the series before being summoned.
Confusion aside, this is a fun take on stars
dealing with fans presented in a way only animation can handle.
A
Gimme a Break
It seems that even when Slappy
Squirrel starts moving away from just giving a demonstration of cartoon
violence, her cartoons still find a way to be formulaic.In this cartoon, while it makes for an
overall humorous experience, the final result is a tad lacking.
Slappy is all set for a week’s vacation which
is also somewhat confusing since she’s supposed to be a retired cartoon
star.Since when has she starred in any
recent cartoons unless this is fourth-wall breaking and she’s talking about
starring in cartoons for this actual show?It’s highly possible since several episodes in a row have featured
Slappy.
Anyway, her relaxation is
interrupted when Skippy shows up to explain that a new action movie is being
filmed nearby.Slappy of course wants no
part of it given her drive for a break from explosions, but she eventually
gives in.The actual filming has a few
good jabs at the stereotypical nature of action blockbusters.The best example is the first scene of the
filming where a caricature of Bruce Willis shoots elaborate explosion scenes
while constantly asking how his hair looks.For anyone who’s not into these types of movies, like me for instance,
this is a good jab at showing what most people see; big explosions and pretty
faces.
From here, this is where the
cartoon starts feeling repetitive and kind of dull which is disappointing
considering that you typically never feel this way in a Slappy Squirrel
cartoon.Slappy tries to have her rest
and relaxation, she keeps ending up in the filming of an action scene, and then
Skippy shows up thinking she’s part of the movie.Her plan is to just get out of town for her
vacation, but every mode of transport she tries ends up being part of that dang
action movie.The staging isn’t much
different from each transportation she tries.They begin with Slappy entering the vehicle thinking she’s finally
reaching her vacation, the movie catches her by surprise, and she gets all
blown up as a result.The trips may be a
good surprise that she’s on the filming set at first, but it’s not so
surprising after happening every single time.Also, you’d think that someone as savvy with filming and explosions as
Slappy would be able to tell she’s on the set beforehand.I suppose it could be argued that it’s all
from her desire to get that vacation why she can’t be on top of everything like
she always is.
In addition, the action
itself which Slappy keeps unintentionally walking into is plenty exciting on
its own.There’s a sudden rush of speed
when she enters a bus and the driver freaks out about a bomb that’s apparently
onboard.Humor even adds a special edge
to this particular scene as Slappy refers to a bomb as one of the featured
actor’s prior performances. He just brushes it off and investigates the
explosion while flirting with the driver all at once.Other exciting action scenes is Slappy on a
plane with a sudden take-off and crash into a mountain.Honestly though, that merely stands out for
caricatures of actors like William Shatner and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The last gag though really falls flat when
Slappy enters a cruise ship, it just explodes, Skippy shows up all impressed,
and then the cartoon just stops.It
feels like just showing an explosion was the best the cartoon could come up
with to close itself out.It’s also very
hollow without a payoff to the main conflict.Maybe Skippy’s comment that Slappy needs a vacation could count for
something.
This isn’t exactly the best
Slappy cartoon, but it’s enjoyable enough with a solid adrenaline rush and
funny jabs at action tropes.
B
Please, Please, Please Get a Life
Foundation
If you’re a TV or movie fan like I am,
I wouldn’t be surprised if you often find yourself reading reviews or theories
on many popular shows.That’s something
you’re sure to find a lot of nowadays, and sometimes it can go a little too
far.People are free to like and dislike
whatever they want, but there’s giving constructive criticism and there’s
getting hung up on inconsequential details.The latter element of voicing opinions seems to be going way too far in
this day and age.I’ve seen reviews of various
forms of media giving long convoluted rants over why something in a show they
watch feels wrong to them.They often go
to the point of saying those little details ruin the experience, insult the
people behind them, and make it difficult to enjoy something that’s good
despite any imperfections.That’s a big
problem with critical reviews these days, and ones I always strive to avoid
when I review things.Leave it to this show
to have a short segment to highlight this issue before it even became huge.
The targets are obsessed fanboys commenting
over their computers on unimportant trivia and facts the show’s been a tad
inaccurate on from over the years.Although
there was no social media in those days, there is some fitting relevance. The
early days of the internet did provide something of a message board where fans
discussed things like this.While one
fanboy is a big fat nerd who lives in his merchandise laden bedroom, others are
designed like average everyday people, so enough respect is paid
throughout.
The attention then turns to
a big campus designed to teach people like these fanboys that there are more
important things in life than analyzing shows.It’s perfectly fine to be passionate about them, but at the end of the
day, they’re objectively works of fiction that have no bearing on the real
world.Through teaching this important
lesson, comedic ways are worked in to get the idea of knocking sense into
someone across.The most effective way
done is by a good old blow to the head from a mallet or anvil, and for the
toughest clients, a greeting from Baloney the dinosaur.By the end of the advert, the fanboys are
still fans, but are clearly much more successful and do more than just sit
around and analyzing a show to the point of not enjoying it.That’s the lifestyle I follow, and I believe
it suits me fine.With the amount of
nitpicking and harassments to hardworking showrunners on the internet, I
believe other people should look to what this foundation provides too.
On the whole, there’s so much insight to be
found in this commercial parody that’s impressively ahead of its time.
A+
Cartoon Ranking
1.The Warners’ 65th Anniversary Special
2.Super Strong Warner Siblings
3.Baloney and Kids
4.Ragamuffins
5.Frontier Slappy
6.Woodstock Slappy
7.Deduces Wild
8.Wakko’s Gizmo
9.The Warners and the Beanstalk
10.Brain Meets Brawn
11.Morning Malaise
12.Meet John Brain
13.Yes, Always
14.Drive Insane
15.Lookit the Fuzzy Heads
16.Take My Siblings Please
17.A Hard Day’s Warners
18.Wakko’s New Gookie
19.Karaoke Dokie
20.Nutcracker Slappy
21.Witch One
22.Of Course, You Know This Means Warners
23.No Face Like Home
24.Meet Minerva
25.The Chicken Who Loved Me
26.Scare Happy Slappy
27.Bingo
28.Smell Ya Later
29.A Gift of Gold
30.Ups and Downs
31.Rest in Pieces
32.The Helpinki Formula
33.The Mindy 500
34.Les Boutons et le Ballon
35.Bad Mood Bobby
36.Whistle Stop Mindy
37.Gimme a Break
38.Three Tenors and You’re Out
39.Gold Rush
40.Up a Tree
41.Cranial Crusader
42.Mermaid Mindy
43.Katie Ka-Boom: The Driving Lesson
44.With Three You Get Eggroll
45.Kung Boo
46.Pigeon on the Roof
47.The Brave Little Trailer
48.Girlfeathers
49.Super Buttons
50.We’re No Pigeons
51.Miami-Mama Mia
52.Fake
53.Katie Ka-Boom: Call Waiting
54.Katie Ka-Boon: The Blemish
55.Katie Ka-Boom: The Broken Date
Song Ranking
1.A Quake! A Quake!
2.Variety Speak
3.Schnitzelbank
4.I’m Mad
5.I’m Cute
6.U.N. Me
7.Dot’s Quiet Time
8.Coo
Miscellaneous Ranking
1.Please, Please, Please Get a Life Foundation
2.Branimaniacs
3.Previously on Animaniacs
4.Macbeth
5.Oh, Oh, Ethel
6.Spike
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode filled with parodies of Lion King and Cat in the Hat, and animated takes on the Stanislavsky method of acting, and all the words in the English language.
If you would like to check out other Animaniacs reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
This
set of Steven Universe reviews is
finally coming to an end with a huge bang.Here is a near hour-long event set to bring a culmination to elements
brought up not just in this season, but settling many things lingering through
the series up to now.Like with
“Reunited” the analysis of this work is going to break with the norm to give
every key moment a proper dissection.Along with appropriate video clips of moments, there will also be
screenshots to properly showcase how grand-scale, exciting, and endearing every
part of it is.With where it places the
series, such a huge detailed look is easily warranted here.So to close off this set and catch us up with
where we currently are with this series, this is:
Change Your Mind
Act 1:
Like many of the best works of the series, this one consists
of one great moment after another, each one serving a purpose for the main
story.This is apparent right at the
start with a continuation of Season 5’s trend of creative dream sequences to
showcase the history of Pink Diamond with Steven in her place.Like all the others it’s creatively staged
with a mysterious atmosphere.
First Steven finds himself alone in the tower he and Connie
were imprisoned in, and becomes worried when she’s not there.
Then Blue Diamond enters to scold him for something he didn’t
even do.This is where the intriguing
air of mystery makes itself known where it’s unknown as to what’s being talked
about and the audience is still shaken by the trouble that’s already happened.It also helps that it’s one big showing of
Blue showing intense strictness to Pink despite her undeniable love for her
shown in her many appearances.
It’s only when Steven suddenly turns into Pink Diamond, as in
her actual full form and not just her clothes, when the dream starts making
sense.It’s a flashback of a time when
Pink would actually be given this overly harsh punishment of being locked away
for ages and being forced to cry over all her disapproved actions.This is not unlike how Steven is being
treated now, and it further shows when the dream comes with a frightening
depiction of his current predicament.He’s surrounded by mobs of Gems, the Diamonds are appalled, and his close
Crystal Gems are instantly poofed into just their gemstones.
Then to top it all is a brilliant way of depicting Steven’s
identity crisis as he rapidly changes into three forms while performing the
same action.First his own form, then
his mother’s disguise form of Rose Quartz, and then of her true form of Pink
Diamond.It gets the idea across of how
Steven is often unsure of whether or not he should live up to his mom’s legacy
and even what she was really like.This
results in three different identities for him to follow, but he’s constantly
unable to make that choice.
Once it’s revealed that all this was just a dream and
Steven’s back with Connie, the things picked up there make for interesting new
depths to character dynamics.With Blue
Diamond coming in to scold Steven while referring to him as Pink the same way
as she did in the dream, everything comes full circle.That said, unlike Pink who gave into the
anger and apologized for her actions, Steven boldly admits he’s not sorry and
sees nothing wrong with fusing at the ball.
Still playing to the fact that Blue Diamond can be strict and
controlling, she responds by working her powers on Steven, forcing him to cry,
her own way of making Gems suffer.
Through it all though, it’s astounding that Steven stands strong with
his beliefs despite the tears he’s shedding.He also plays to the love Blue
has for Pink by saying that unlike the family love the Crystal Gems have given
him, what she’s providing is not normal.Following that is a poignant question that changes everything.
How many times did
you lock her in here?
How many times did
you make her cry?
Daring to ask this question in the face of an authoritative
dictator is very demonstrative of how smart and calculating Steven is to take on
this situation.With this moment playing
out just like the dream, as well as the fact that he still cries when Blue is
near to this day, that's solid evidence to figure out that this behavior has
happened a lot.The Diamonds have abused
Pink for so long without realizing it until Steven points it out instead of
accepting it like his mother did.
Now Blue Diamond’s been the most overt with her adoration of
Pink out of the entire Diamond Authority. Realizing that she’s been hurting Pink as
much as other beings on Earth allegedly have brings a most beauteous
performance of guilt and shame.Every
line of her lament over her actions feel genuine and from the heart, from the
brilliant vocal performance to the facial animation of her tearful sorrow.Basically, Blue Diamond becoming moved to
realize her faults in her relationship with Pink feel true to her character and
add legitimacy to her deciding to help Steven out.Some could argue that it happens too fast and
isn’t in line with how real life abusers realize they’ve been abusing if
they’re not aware of it to begin with.I can’t
say anything about the latter point since I’m no expert on the subject, but
overall, I say this revelation works well as it is.How developed Blue’s soft, emotional, and
loving side is makes it believable that she’d be put in turmoil over the very
idea of her hurting someone she loves.The emotional impact despite the short length is also as strong as ever,
making the execution even more believable.
Now Blue isn’t the only one to be emotionally moved to help
Steven in his cause.As they go to
retrieve the poofed Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl bubbled in one of Yellow
Diamond’s chambers, Yellow has a compelling change of heart too.
As a Diamond well known for being threatening, strict, and authoritative,
she’s appropriately menacing not just for Steven getting out of the tower, but
Blue allowing him out.Considering her
tendencies to destroy innocent Gems on a whim, it’s very fascinating that she’s
willing to fight so violently against someone she’s so close to like Blue.All Blue does is slap Yellow when she tries
to stop Steven and Connie from getting to the Crystal Gems’ bubble, but Yellow
responds by tackling her out of the chamber.
Then when Blue reads further into Yellow’s character that
she’s suffering on the inside from following the strict rules of the Diamond
Authority, we get Yellow at her most emotional.With even her comrade going against the customs, she dares to use her electrocution
powers to poof her.
It doesn’t happen immediately since Diamonds actually are far
more durable than average Gems, but while doing so though, Yellow becomes
visibly distraught. It’s like she’s acting out of necessity, but has a heart
and relatable feelings.Small visual
moments in pastcartoons have shown her to have a close relationship with Blue,
so she's fittingly saddened over needing to poof her.
Steven intervenes so she’s unable to go all the way, and brings on an
intriguing practice to change Yellow for the better.She protests that she has to do these actions
to ensure that everything is perfect, which is in line with what White Diamond
expects.In addition to adding depth to
all the practices of terror being a result of intimidation from a higher-up,
this brings attention to matters legitimate enough to get Yellow’s
attention.She says she’s striving for
perfection, but it’s hard to find it in a destroyed area, Blue’s form almost
destroyed, and Pink abandoning them for ages.By the way, all of this is a very inventive way to bring one of the
show’s most famous mantras from the early days “if every pork chop were perfect we wouldn’t have hotdogs” full circle.
Being told of and seeing all the things she loves almost
destroyed is enough to bring the high and mighty Yellow Diamond to tears.There’s even a dialog to flat out say that
these feelings are her own and not a result of Blue working her powers on
her.Like with Blue’s change of heart,
Yellow’s may be fast, but it works well from how everything leading up to it is
true to her character, and the execution of the emotional weight.
Things are still quite intense despite both Blue and Yellow
Diamond now being moved to genuinely help Steven leave for his freer life of
Earth.
For one thing, if the beloved Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl
getting poofed all at once wasn’t scary, there’s also the fact that they don’t
reform even when let out of their bubble.Apparently, Yellow Diamond’s powers are strong enough to knock out Gems
when they get poofed, so that makes their regenerations take ‘a good while.’
While later scenes give a decent suggestion, it’s still not exactly clear how
long it would take to reform under these circumstances.Steven needing to carry the gemstones his Gem
family for a significant duration as a result adds to the urgency greatly.
However, getting to his leg ship to escape back to Earth for
the time is challenging when White Diamond’s Pearl shows up to prevent that,
acting creepy as ever. Then the designs of the Diamonds’ ships
start making sense as Pink’s leg ship and White’s head ship go together to form
part of a robotic figure.This is indeed
a perfect way to build up to an action heavy second act.
Act 2:
The start of the construction of a huge robot made of the
Diamonds’ ships is only the first step of showing the extent of White’s threat
over Gem-kind, including the other Diamonds.Like any great action scene though, it only builds from here.
Blue and Yellow’s previously destroyed arm ships suddenly
appear for a surprise punching attack on the head ship.In addition to this awesome blow, this moment
stands out for the enhancements this battle has just received.
Now it’s not surprising that Bismuth appears since Steven
specifically asked her for help, but it’s still great to see her come help
after being so adamant of not going to Homeworld.The true standout characters for this scene
though are Lapis Lazuli and Peridot, sporting radically different forms that
fully reflect how their time on Earth has changed them.Lapis’ new outfit is appropriately significantly different
through finally moving on from her past trauma and even showing a willingness
to fight. I mean she really got a good feel of it in “Reunited.”Peridot’s main change is a good number of
stars at various points on her body, referencing a question about where she’d
put it a while back and symbolizing her ambitions as a Crystal Gem.
In spite of the interesting symbolism of these new designs,
the true focus is on exactly what it should be.White Diamond’s control of the ships still makes her menace over the
other Gems’ misconduct known.
Even with
this, Steven dares to work his typical strategy of talking White out of
attacking.His reasons behind this are
reasonable and all him since Pink Diamond running away and Rose Quartz waging a
war with the Diamonds only brought more suffering.It’s also enhanced by a direct reference to
Connie’s relationship with her parents being mended through talking about how
all their rules made her feel.When
Yellow and Blue try talking, White is appropriately unmoved so to still keep
her as a threat.
The moment they dare to say that their roles and customs are
wrong, White unleashes her cruelest attack.Shooting a beam at their gems from the eyes of her head ship, she strips
Yellow and Blue of their color and free will, taking them inside as
punishment.This explains a lot about
how they’ve been planet conquerors for thousands of years.It was all to avoid fates like this.Now that they’ve stopped being loyal after
years of devotion, this is what they get as consequence.
During the scramble to escape comes another legit method of
building up the drama fueled by family love.
After trying so hard to hold onto the precious gemstones of
his closest Gem family, Steven drops them and has to propel himself down to
catch them to keep them from breaking.It’s here where his intense concerns forge a new ingenious method to
retrieve fallen Gems.
While past moments
have suggested that fusion is a practice with specific steps to follow, this
moment serves to remind that it’s not about the right moves or strategy.The thing that makes fusions come to be is a
genuine relationship between two or more beings.
This is shown when Steven manages to grab hold of Amethyst’s
gem, begging her to reform.Through
doing so, the light within both beings is able to combine and create their
fusion of Smoky Quartz.She doesn’t do
much apart from realize that Steven got Amethyst to reform by fusing with her,
but she already has plenty of awesomepast moments.
While on the subject, the new forms of the main Crystal Gems
are worth discussing especially through how they reflect how their experiences
with Steven have changed them.With
Amethyst, instead of covering her gemstone like her other forms did, she’s
allowing it to be shown. That’s a big
visual indication that despite being small and unlike others of her kind, she’s
become of accepting of who she is.The
new addition of torn jeans adds to her complacency with Earth to show pride in
the planet being where she came from.
Then comes the very first result of Steven fusing with Pearl
creating Rainbow Quartz 2.0.This is a
very extravagant fusion with male characteristics as opposed to the usual
female ones.Break from the norms aside,
it’s just fun to watch this fusion perform daring feats with such a
light-hearted and jolly demeanor.The
addition of a flying parasol that emits a rainbow trail is a great touch as
Rainbow Quartz 2.0 uses it to catch Garnet’s gems before hitting the ground.
There’s also something to be said of Pearl’s new form which
completely dismisses any ties to a Pearl’s status as a servant.It also shows even more Earth customs with
attributes of a common mother, and even a jacket which shows off her status as
a rebel from the norm.The star on the
back also shows that her past is still a part of her, but she’s come a long way
with putting it behind her.You just
can’t help but be impressed by how much character growth there is to show from these new
creative forms.
As the Diamond ship robot closes in, Steven’s fusion with
Garnet is given great build up.
He’s all set to show his love for her with all his allies
standing back to watch this grand event…
…the fusion starts taking form…
…and they all get crushed.
Act 3:
The surprise attack turns out to be an effective fake-out
moment, for after the foot of the leg ship comes down, Steven and Garnet’s
fusion becomes known.
Sporting enough strength to push the robot aside and plenty
of messages found in after school specials, this fusion’s name is Sunstone.Her practices may be cheesy, but they work
given that the atmosphere of everyone impressed with her strength and blunt
statements about what’s happening is for when she’s present.
That said, it is kind of disappointing that her weapons are
mere suction cups, even if they are necessary means to get up to White
Diamond’s head ship.They still don’t
work though.
The failed attempt brings on the appearance Garnet’s new form
which isn’t as reflective of changes in character as the other ones.However, her appearance has never been so overt
about how she’s a fusion and proud of it with Ruby reds and Sapphire blues all
over, so that’s something.
For this time though, it’s a major necessity to bring out the
biggest fusion possible. With the main Crystal Gems, including Steven,
together, they create just that with all the other allies around to witness the
awesome formation.
That fusion’s name is Obsidian, who happens to be name of the
Gem whose statue is built into the Crystal Gem temple.For that, the series comes even more full
circle with a fusion integral to one of the main settings finally seen in their full form.They’re still very small
compared to the Diamond ship robot, but Obsidian is willing to fight any way.
Their trek up to White Diamond’s head ship also provides
Connie, Peridot, Lapis, and Bismuth something substantial to do by distracting
the robot to keep its hands off Obsidian.Their practices prove effective and allow for a solid use of their
talents.With Peridot and Lapis providing
air power, Connie with a new sword and Bismuth with her weapon hands provide
offensive blows to the ship.There’s
also a good use of powers at play as Peridot’s metal controlling saves Bismuth
from a nasty fall, or at least a non-fatal one.Although only Connie remains to follow Obsidian into White’s head ship
while the others are knocked aside, their contribution is still apparent.Even so, it shows that they still have a long
way to go before making truly big accomplishments as Crystal Gems.
As for Obsidian’s own power, even if help is needed to keep
them safe as they get up the ships, they’re still capable of making their own
progress.I mean, their Gem weapon is
easily the most powerful of all the ones introduced.It’s a fire sword that cuts straight through
the thickest of Diamond ships.Needless
to say, it’s all too believable that this is the fusion to reach the Diamond to end all Diamonds.
Speaking of which, after all that action, Steven is finally
set to do what came with a lot of trouble, by getting into White’s head
ship to sway her into helping him.However, it’s here when things are at their most intense, further adding
difficulty to this mission.Although
White Diamond’s persona was slightly revealed back in “Legs From Here to Homeworld” this is where we really get to know what she possesses.They unfold as all she does is give big empty
smiles, stand in a t-pose, and speak in a condescending tone. Her powers don’t
just take over minds, they also turn Gems into her own mindless puppets who
speak in her voice and imitate her every action.This would mean that ‘her’ Pearl has been a
victim of her abusive power this entire time.Her drive is that she sees herself as perfect, and the only way to truly
spread perfection is to strip away individuality so everyone is
literally exactly like her.Just the
slightest flaw is enough to push her to act.
White is also eerily accurate to the flaws of others just
from looking from them.As she demotes
Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl to more of her puppets, she points out Amethyst’s
insecurities, Garnet’s dependencies on being together, and Pearl’s obsession.These are all things they’ve needed to fight
through for the entire series, though Steven insists that they’re still great
likable characters despite their flaws, which is the truth.
Still stuck in her perfectionist views, White
dares to mess with Steven’s claims.Insisting that he’s actually Pink Diamond, White feels that Steven is
only defending flaws to make him feel stronger.Given all the times that Pink was punished for going against the Diamond
norms, that’s enough to justify White’s claim that Pink is the most flawed
Diamond of all.She also dissects her
background by deducing a demeaning reason for becoming Rose Quartz to hide her
true form, and that’s what Pink’s done in giving birth to Steven.He tries to insist that he’s his own being,
but White sees fault in that too, pointing out how Steven’s been unearthing
Pink’s memories.The fact that this has
been happening so frequently is enough to make White’s points seem legitimate
and the possibility that Steven really is just his mother reincarnated believable.
With Steven’s identity crisis allowing him to slightly give into
White’s claims, she’s in the clear to be at her most menacing.
Grabbing
Steven in her clutches with no one, including Connie who suddenly shows up,
able to help, White Diamond pulls off what’s perhaps the darkest builtup event
of the series.
She reaches for Steven’s gem, and pulls it right out with
appropriately tense staging and music accompanying the disturbing menace.
Act 4:
Out of this tragic sight, we impressively get one of the most
reassuring messages the show has turned out.
It starts with an ingenious way of depicting two halves of
Steven after White Diamond pulled out his gem.There’s a split screen of the points of view of both his human half and Gem
half.The human half, taking up the right side of the screen, is severely
weakened and can only see Connie holding onto him and his gem forming into its
own being.The pink Gem half is
represented as a white light taking up the left side of the screen before
seeing everyone shocked at the true form.It’s not of Pink Diamond, or even her fabricated form of Rose Quartz,
but a pink version of Steven himself.Even with the legitimate possibilities to Pink being inside Steven all
along, Steven really was just himself.
White Diamond, however, can’t fathom this outcome going
against her claims and slowly loses her collectiveness.Yes, it’s been said that she’s been angry
before, but even when she was said to feel that outside the ships, she was able
to keep her blank smile and pose.This
here is genuine anger over not getting Pink Diamond like she expected.All the while, Pink Steven has none of that,
with a simple statement that Pink Diamond is gone being loud enough to shake
the room and form a crater.That
statement is quite insightful as if this part of Steven was waiting for so long
to tell everyone, including Steven himself, this to alleviate all pressures of
him living up to someone.
With this point made clear, both halves of Steven set out to
get back together.It goes without
saying that the human half of Steven literally can’t live without his Gem
half.Painstaking detail on his body
shows that it’s practically his life support.The process is enhanced by plenty of ways to up the tension.
With Pink Steven going too slow and human Steven too close to
death to even move, the emotional overtones of the scene are impossible to
ignore.Just from watching Connie
straining herself to carry her friend to Pink Steven is full of strife and
turmoil over impending tragedy.In fact,
Connie pushing herself to keep her best friend alive is easily the best moment
to advocate for her point that she and Steven are better off doing big missions
like this together.It’s just the pure
devotion that she’s clearly capable of showing and is hardly replicated by anyone
else.
That’s really what’s needed as White continues to lose her
cool and unleashes violent powers just to prove that Pink Steven is really Pink
Diamond.
Even so, Pink Steven proves to be powerful enough to allow
what needs to be done to happen, being quick enough to unleash his own shield
from White’s attacks.
The culmination of the sequence of both halves of Steven
meeting and embracing each other is the best way to cap off what is easily the
most intense sequence of this special.Much of that comes from the moral symbolism of learning to love yourself
to ensure a healthy life style.We have
our influences, but they mean nothing if you don’t appreciate what you yourself have to
offer, even if you’re not perfect.
As a bonus, the two halves finally getting back together is
animated so smoothly by one of today’s greatest animators, James Baxter, who's most famous for these great animated scenes:
If that’s not enough to show the power of the
emotions and inspiration of the scene, I don’t know what is.
With it established that Steven really is his own being and
not another version of a Diamond, his following actions brilliantly showcase
coming to grips with his true self.As
White Diamond breaks down over being wrong, he responds with a comeback line
about what her excuse is for acting this way.By the way, this is yet another way to bring the show full circle, since
that’s the same line he used to resolve the conflict in the series pitch pilot.
For here, it brings about a most intriguing occurrence within
White Diamond.To fully showcase that
she’s really not perfect after all, she ends up blushing out of embarrassment
of Steven’s comeback line.In addition
to breaking the main Crystal Gems, Blue and Yellow Diamond, and the original
Pink Pearl out of their trance, it says a lot about the entire background of
this show.Had Pink Diamond not decide
to leave for Earth and eventually conceive a total anomaly like Steven, White
Diamond most likely would not have realized fault in her perfect
perception.
It’s been often stated that there’s no one like Steven, and
this concept comes to a full head with what’s done with
White.Seeing herself throw a fit and
blush at an embarrassing remark dampers what she thought of herself, bringing
her to her knees and “shaking like a piece of chalk.”For that, she’s in the clear for Steven to
reshape her into a being who accepts Gems for who they are instead of pushing
to make them perfect.It may be
unnaturally fast for a redemption after such vile deeds, but this was over an
objective fact that can’t be argued instead of a point that people can choose
to agree with.Like with all the other
redemptions in this special, thanks to how the characters are portrayed, this
one works, quick pace and all.
After all this action and drama, the story is all set up for
a moving return home with many elements in place for a truly grand finish.Steven, the Crystal Gems, and the Diamonds
all arrive at the ever wholesome Beach City where everyone’s gathered for
one of the biggest changes between its citizens.The return is well-staged too with Sadie and
her band performing and the full Diamond ship robot landing as their song
ends.All the humans do is take part in
the show and welcome Steven home which shows that they really don’t have big
active roles in the Gem activity.However, this moment does show how influenced they are by all of just about
every big event Steven and the Gems have taken part in.
This idea really stands out as Lars and the Off Colors
finally return to Earth shortly after Steven and the others.Him and Sadie congratulating each other for
where they’ve ended up in life at their most civil brings healthy progress from
how their relationship was at the start of the series.Adding to the endearment is how their
development came about because of the Gem events that have occurred, especially
the abductions at the end of Season 4.In fact, they bring the biggest showing of how influential and beneficial Steven and
the Gems have been to all of Beach City, which is often taken for granted.
Topping this is the long-awaited resolution to the Diamonds’
damage to Earth.Set to Steven’s awesome
rock cover of the series’ theme song performed at the concert is a montage of
the corrupted Gems finally getting healed.
Keeping the Diamonds’ fluid extractions shown to bring life
in mind, all four of them get a place to spread them to the corrupted Gems in
the oasis Pink used to heal Gems as Rose.The result is the probably the most rewarding bubble bath put to media
as each bubbled Gem pops into who they used to be.
This moment has been a long time coming, and the staging
really delivers on the rewarding factor.The interesting humanoid forms of the Gems offer solid world
building.The happy reactions of the
Crystal Gems over the former Gems restored to their true selves is highly
endearing.The song still playing in the
background enhances the wholesomeness of such a long-awaited return to form for
these innocent Gems.However, the fact
that they still have monstrous characteristics even adds realism to the affair
to show that the signs of what they’ve been through remain even after healing.It’s just satisfying enough that they can
think and function properly now.
If I had to pick one healed corrupted Gem who really stands
out, it would be Jasper.It’s well-known
that her drive has been to destroy Rose Quartz, and she’s all set to do that
when she’s uncorrupted.Just from a few
short scenes her confusion over her being on good terms with the other Diamonds
is very apparent.Even when Amethyst
comes to see her, Jasper’s still unsure of what to do with herself.Given that her drive to fight, Rose
shattering Pink Diamond, is known to be built on a lie, I can imagine an
engaging story arc of self-discovery for her in the future…
Anyway, with so much that’s happened and what has been
accomplished, there’s a healthy outcome for Steven going forward.
He stays on Earth with the family and friends
he’s always been better off with.Though
through making peace with the Diamonds, he’s guaranteed the safety of the planet
as well as new beginnings for the former corrupted Gems.
For that, there’s no better feeling of peace than just taking
in the atmosphere of a night on the beach with everyone.Out of it is a simple yet
effective piece to close out the whole special.It’s a way of showing how he’s grown to love and be proud of who he is
no matter what anyone says, and all he wants from others is to just know
that.It’s fitting for the character,
can reach out to all audience members including the series creator when sharing
her views with network higher-ups, and it’s simply beautiful.So many things in the show have come full
circle with this special, and this song is the best and most moving way to seal
the deal of the power it’s possessed.
“Change Your Mind” brings a grand end to an era for Steven Universe.With exciting action, genuine emotion, care
put into many featured characters, ties to some of the series’ earliest moments
and endearing messages, it’s an exquisite work.Even if some can argue about how fast things happen, their execution
makes the immense care put into the whole thing undeniable.You can’t go wrong with a story that has so
many great moments put together and ends with you really feeling good about yourself, as
everyone really should.
A++
Overall Ranking
1.Change Your
Mind
2.Reunited
3.A Single
Pale Rose
4.I Am My Mom
5.Storm in
the Room
6.Mindful
Education
7.The Trial
8.Jungle Moon
9.That Will
Be All
10.Together
Alone
11.Off Colors
12.Steven’s
Dream
13.Familiar
14.Stuck
Together
15.Last One
Out of Beach City
16.Are You My
Dad?
17.The
Question
18.Pool
Hopping
19.Can’t Go
Back
20.Now We’re
Only Falling Apart
21.Legs From
Here to Homeworld
22.Lars’ Head
23.The Zoo
24.Made of
Honor
25.The Good
Lars
26.What’s Your
Problem?
27.Letters to
Lars
28.Lars of the
Stars
29.Gem Heist
30.Gem Harvest
31.Three Gems
and a Baby
32.Your Mother
and Mine
33.Raising the
Barn
34.Sadie
Killer
35.Adventures
in Light Distortion
36.Back to the
Kindergarten
37.Buddy’s
Book
38.Know Your
Fusion
39.The New
Crystal Gems
40.Escapism
41.The Big
Show
42.Gemcation
43.Lion 4:
Alternate Ending
44.Doug Out
45.Kindergarten
Kid
46.Room for
Ruby
47.Kevin Party
48.Dewey Wins
49.Future Boy
Zoltron
50.Tiger
Philanthropist
51.Rocknaldo
52.Onion Gang
Final Thoughts
Despite being a huge break from this blog’s usual review
style, it feels really appropriate that I reviewed Seasons 4 & 5 of Steven Universe together.The main ideas of both seasons have a
surprisingly good connection through character arcs, aspects of world building,
and themes.The start of the fifth
season directly tying to the events of the end of the fourth season and
expanding to the rest of it certainly helps.These factors are especially impressive when you consider just how
tonally different both seasons are.
Season 4, for the most part, is one of the least substantial
seasons of the series. That’s a tad disappointing considering three prior
grand-scale seasons big on world building and character development.It’s true that those seasons had a fair share
of simple slice of life stories, but they were able to balance themselves out
with what was most important.In Season
4, the balance isn’t very realized with the simpler cartoons outnumbering the
ones of significant importance, which doesn’t put the show at its most
interesting.This is easy to tell at the
start with a major fluctuation in tone which somewhat breaks the standards of
how season openers showcase what came before in both occurrences and tone. Despite heavy
emotional effects of things like finding out Rose Quartz supposedly shattered a Diamond and Steven hurtingother Gems, we don’t start off by looking into
them.The end of the third season is
immediately followed by the start of the fourth which focuses on the comedic antics of trying to capture a corrupted Gem.The light-heartedness continues with stories of a talk show starring fusions and a cute look at a journal of a human observing Gem occurrences
throughout the world.It’s not until the
fourth cartoon “Mindful Education” where a proper follow-up to the tone of the
previous season’s heavy events occurs to relatable and beautiful effect.This is a good way to see what Season 4 mainly has
in store for the audience.It doesn’t
seem to be any hurry to answer big lingering questions or develop the
underlying plot.The vast majority is
just Steven living his life in his home town and doing leisurely activities
with very little emphasis on his Gem life.The topics also vary a lot where at one point it’s funny escapades, then
it’s a wholesome family gathering, and sometimes Steven is with only humans or
only his Gem family.There are just
little to no common themes.
When looking for a reason for this though, I look back on something
like the first season.Being the season
to introduce everything and everyone, the cartoons there were also seemingly
random, but still turn out welcoming with specific lore bits and character
moments.With that in mind, I see the
works of Season 4 as kind of the same thing.Even if they cover random topics and are mostly light-hearted, many of
them actually provide meaningful character development and subtle foreshadowing
for future events.Even if two of the
season’s first are light-hearted, they still follow up on Season 3 events by
taking care of the corrupted Gems in the Beta Kindergarten and developing Smoky
Quartz.Pearl takes a major step in
moving on from her unrequited love in the great “Last One Out of Beach City.”There’s development to how
there’s really no one like Steven in the flashback of “Three Gems and a Baby.”Relationships are also given new
layers of endearment that come into play later on.Peridot and Lapis, despite not getting in on
much action, do get significant involvement in some activities significant to the team.They take part in the dinner in “Gem Harvest”
and run the carwash while the main Crystal Gems are away.These can be seen as them getting closer to
the main Crystal Gems as a family prior to helping in fights against the
Diamonds and Homeworld.Plus, in addition to building up the
significance of a palanquin, “Buddy’s Book” also gives insight into how humans
view the Crystal Gems’ influence on the entire world.That’s kind of key when you think of how
closer humans and Gems become and how many humans’ lives improve because of
them in the following season.
Instances
like this are what keep the cartoons of the fourth season intriguing despite
most of them not being up to the high standards.As a matter of fact, there are really only
three cartoons that do nothing to further anything important, and most of them
aren’t that great on their own either.“Future Boy Zoltron” develops a side character without major importance
and introduces one who never shows up again.“Onion Gang” falls into the same trap, but is far worse for being
somewhat unsettling and overdramatic for the majority.“Rocknaldo” is mostly just Ronaldo being an
annoying house guest, but thankfully isn’t without redeeming qualities,
especially when the narrative rightfully calls him out.The fact that Season 4 has a significant
number of cartoons that go nowhere in terms of major development still makes its
overly light-hearted nature more of a concern than normal.At best these cartoons can subtly foreshadow things
like Steven’s resurrection powers or Blue Diamond’s relationship to Pink
Diamond, but that quality isn’t overt enough to matter.It’s just a good thing that there’s still
enough to take from most of them, and that even the weakest works are at the very least good material on
their own.
It’s not like Season 4 doesn’t offer any significant world
building or character development at all either.It does its part to flesh out the world and
its underlying story to high quality effect with a fair share of story arcs.While one starts off sudden with Steven
crying when Blue Diamond appears on Earth, it works as a reminder of his
questions of his mother coming up as he’s living life.Then it raises in stakes when Steven’s
journey to a palanquin he sees in a dream leads to his dad getting captured by
Blue Diamond to be placed in a human zoo.Along the way are a fair share of creative highlights to the quest to
get Greg back.There’s imaginative
imagery of how different gravities on the ship taking the group through space
end up effecting the Crystal Gems’ bodies which are made of light.They explore a human zoo filled with
Homeworld ideologies the rebellious Crystal Gems have to abide by in order to
pull off a successful heist.The actual
zoo showcases a dark theme of how minds and free will can be warped by
captivity.Above all, the entire arc
gives humanity to the Diamonds.Blue and Yellow offer relatable approaches to dealing with the supposed loss of
Pink.Blue is a total emotional wreck
spending a really long time mourning Pink instead of doing her job, and Yellow
doesn’t show enough grief hinting at an unhealthily bottling of emotions.They work off each other very well and more
importantly offer engaging characterizations to the villains.Their goal to destroy Earth isn’t solely out
of just being evil; there’s a legit believable reason for their actions that
even the best people can fall under.Still, the series remembers that they’re villains so not to make them
too sympathetic as they keep the captive humans in captivity and arrange a plan
to abduct more humans.
This leads into
this season’s other big arc which puts the pieces together in intriguing ways.First, the stakes are risen with a
light-hearted escapade with a Ruby ends up costing the Crystal Gems their
obtained ship.Then, there are cartoons
dedicated to certain Beach City residents who end up abducted, with one about
Lars really standing out given how he’s later developed.Finally, the finale to the season makes for
great confrontations with Homeworld Gems. They have many innocent humans in
their clutches, and our heroes are left without a way to catch them should they
leave Earth with the humans. It’s all capped off with Steven leaning away from
the notion of being true to himself and letting himself be captured as the
nefarious Rose Quartz.The staging of the moment and being true to the featured characters’ ways stand out
as a true wonder, almost like a reward for the audience putting up with much
frivolity.They’re easily the most passionate,
creative, and in-depth parts of the season.Even so, this aspect of Season 4 isn’t without fault in execution.Some plot points, like the loss of the team
spaceship, resort to being a result of dumbing down characters to be easily
fooled by the Ruby.There’s also an entire cartoon of Steven sensing there’s a deeper meaning in the message in the
tape his mother left him. In the end the message is that she just wants him to be an
average human.Not only is that
anticlimactic, but it’s also ignored since he still considers himself to be him
mom not long after.Once again though,
it’s just great that this season still leaves a strong positive impact,
problematic as it can be on the whole.
The great elements of Season 4 don’t just apply to that very
season.The very end of it is directly
followed up on in Season 5, and unlike the season before it, just about every
piece of it works its way into one big whole.Many of its arcs feature one exciting moment after another that get
their points across perfectly and fit well with each other despite their
differences.Just as the season begins
with the first arc, you can tell this is the case.We got Steven and Lars genuinely bonding
while stuck on a spaceship. There’s an intense trial with the Diamonds. Some of
Homeworld’s most extreme practices with the Off Colors hiding are shown.Lars finally shows a backbone to protect
others despite ultimately sacrificing his life.Steven bringing him back to life gives insight to the nature of the
secret wormhole and Lion.Right away, you can sense the passion gone into the storytelling
featuring big surprises, meaningful emotions, and lots of character.
This continues to be the case as the rest of
the season build towards the biggest game changer in the show’s history.Some cartoons drop pieces to play a role in
that reveal such as Pearl’s relationship with Homeworld being unknown, and her
literally being unable to explain it.Others lead into characters’ big reactions like Garnet having a recount
of Rose Quartz’ backstory full of fallacies, and noticeable issues with her
future vision.Bigger signs of build-up
are several creatively staged dreams of Steven either in the position of Pink
Diamond in certain instances, or flat out observing her.Even the smaller moments of the season are very engaging and play a role in leading to the true substance.Rather than brush off the abductions at the
end of Season 4, Beach City does not forget it, and makes an initiative to be
better prepared for the next big Gem event.The result are several positive changes in the people’s lives that also
enhance their appeal.The town gets a
more responsible mayor, Nanefua, while the former mayor, Dewey, admits he was
never right for the job and settles for something simpler.Speaking of which, through relatable
contemplation with her miserable donut shop job, Sadie gets a positive life
change by starting a band with the Cool Kids.The fact that they reach great success from established interests make
for an impressive change in life considering the simple beginnings of all these
characters.I actually consider it a
direction just as huge and meaningful as Lars becoming a space captain.Through getting the town better prepared for
danger and forging healthier and more successful career paths, it’s remarkable
that they all happen because of the Crystal Gems’ adventures.It kind of makes for a lot of endearment in
how valuable they really are to all their lives.Often it’s been a good point that the Gem and
human scenes were two completely different shows, but now is where they feel
truly connected.
While every moment in Season 5, big or small, has a lot of
greatness to it, there is one part of it that’s noticeably problematic and much
less endearing.Just after the season’s
first Homeworld arc, several cartoons follow a much less vital arc of Steven
and Connie having a falling out over Steven’s sacrifice during the
abduction.It’s not that it doesn’t make
sense to happen nor is it out of character for Steven to be saddened by it, but
there are still significant issues with it.For one thing, the execution makes it seem like it knows it’s delaying
development to the underlying plot and that it’s not as interesting or
important.“Gemcation” especially showcases
this by bringing up opportunities to develop Homeworld and the Diamonds only to
not follow through with them because of the falling out.It’s a good thing that later events further
explain certain occurrences, and make it so that cutoffs of stories weren’t such
an issue.Also, the conflict isn’t even
portrayed all that well.While Connie
does have her reasons to be upset over Steven breaking his promise of facing
everything together, Steven also has reasons to surrender himself when all
seemed lost.However, while Steven
understands Connie’s feelings shortly after being called out, it’s never
indicated that Connie sees his point.It
makes their falling out feel one-sided which is always a flaw and disappointing
considering their relationship.It’s
also a little uncomfortable that it lasts as long as it did, not just six
entire cartoons, but several weeks in-universe.Connie may have reasons to only feel like talking to Steven in person,
but leaving him in the dark feels way too extreme and Steven rightfully feels
like she’s abandoning him.Surely she
could have thought of some way to let him know she still cares.Fortunately, their reconciling is very
adorable, and the conflict being one-sided, while still an issue, does become
more acceptable.Connie takes part in
all future space adventures and her working together with Steven is a key part
to their success.She would have come
off as arrogant and dense if she wasn’t so productive, but she ultimately
proves her worth. Heck, Steven would have been dead if Connie wasn't there to carry his body to his Gem self after White Diamond pulled his gem out.Basically, flawed as
the fallout arc is, it too plays a role in adding to the season’s grand reveal.
As to exactly what the grand reveal is, it’s one that dares
to change everything we thought was known about the show.When circumstances get Steven to question to
really question the logic behind his mother shattering Pink Diamond, the result
is a grand way to make sense of everything.There’s world-building regarding the inner workings of a Gems’ character
with each layer of Pearl getting more emotional.At the end, there’s an amazingly staged
moment of Rose having a moment with Pearl leading to her showing her true form
of Pink Diamond.Her reveal is one of
the most smoothly built up moments the series has ever turned out, easily allowing
the audience to feel the emotions of the scene and reevaluating
everything.The aftermath shows
believable reactions from those who were close to ‘Rose’ with Garnet unfusing,
Amethyst being done with her, and Bismuth being welcomed back.Time is also given to show that for getting
many innocent Gems killed or corrupted, Pink was still likable, and her wont to
protect Earth was still genuine.In
fact, she herself was influenced by the likes of Pearl and Garnet, which is
fitting considering that they are two of the Gems we actually follow throughout
the series.
The impact of the real Pink Diamond doesn’t stop there, and
is followed up by the biggest events of the series, “Reunited” and “Change Your
Mind.”Those specials are so grand that it was basically a given for me to analyze them with longer reviews
and more screenshots.With “Reunited,” a
wholesome ground-breaking wedding scene is nicely balanced out with exciting
action as we smoothly transition to Blue and Yellow Diamond finally invading
Earth.There are results of keeping the
Cluster under control in a bubble, expansions on the Diamonds’ powers, and
every character contributing to the fight.It’s an exciting way to bring on Steven finding a way to let the
Diamonds know that their beloved Pink wasn’t actually shattered, setting them
up to finally fix the damage to Earth.Then after a few cartoons of establishing that goal, learning of the
mysterious White Diamond, and first impressions going wrong, “Change Your Mind”
comes.It takes everything known about
Pink’s past and concludes that all her actions were out of being abused and
unaccepted as her own kind.When Steven
lets that be known, the goal is set up to get him home and settle the Diamonds’
thoughts of conquest and perfection once and for all.Along the way, it’s enhanced by exciting
action, new fusions, dark moments with the possibility of Steven losing his gem
coming to pass, and an inspiring message of loving oneself.All the while, the ways the Diamonds
officially side with Steven are interesting through making sense for their
characters and playing to the idea of perfection.Blue and Yellow easily become understanding
of Steven’s words as his dealing with them plays to their character flaws that
have been on full display in all their appearances.All it takes to get to them is flat-out
say they’ve been hurting Pink, or making them see the damage they’re causing
to what they love.As for White, her
takedown has much more to it.She spends
a long time going on about how perfect she is and how her image is the only one
for others to follow. Then she slowly sees her fault when bringing back Pink by
ripping out Steven’s gem fails leading her to break down and become embarrassed
when Steven tells her off.He basically
gives her an identity crisis that allows her to be reshaped into an open and accepting of
all kinds of Gems as they are.The whole
thing culminating with the long awaited healing of the corrupted Gems and a
wholesome family gathering is the perfect way to top everything off.For featuring these two huge events, Season 5
greatly stands out from the rest of the series and is indeed a great way of
bringing closure to long running plot threads.
That said, there are still major ways for the show to
continue with quite a few things begging significant questions. Now that the Diamonds are accepting of Pink,
will they give up conquering and colonizing planets altogether?If so, will this new mentality last
considering that the old one has lasted for eons, and what will Steven do if it
doesn’t?What will become of the former
corrupted Gems now that they’re healed?Jasper especially has a major identity crisis with it revealed that her
drive to fight was built on a lie.This
can also apply to the Off Colors now that they’re living on Earth.It’s unclear where they’ll live and what
they’ll do.For that matter, will Lars
be able to adapt back to his old life in Beach City and will he ever go on any
more space missions?The biggest
question to me is how other elite Homeworld Gems will react to the truth about
Pink Diamond and if they’ll easily go along with the other Diamonds’ change of
mind.These past two seasons have
brought about many intriguing Gem characters relishing in their authority.Some like Holly Blue Agate and Aquamarine
delight in their enjoyment of being in charge, the latter especially standing
out for coming out of such a cute figure.Others like the Zircons have an entertaining banter through trying to
one-up each other in court cases.Then
you have Emerald who’s a fun take on your average temperamental space adventure
villains whom Lars and the Off Colors encounter.The thing is, they’re all so entertaining
that it’s unfortunate that they only appear for one role and never show up
again.I can’t be too upset at this
since it’s better if characters are present for a bigger purpose other than
pleasing fans.However, they all seem
too good to be introduced once and never appear again.With all the changes in Homeworld’s society
though lies the possibility of these Gems not taking it too kindly and wanting
to stay in charge and continue colonizing planets. That would be a perfect
reason for them to return and maybe be forces Steven can’t get through to with
nonaggression. However, if you've seen the trailers for the upcoming film Steven Universe: The Movie, you can probably get some very good answers to a lot of these questions. Even at that, there is a lot of
opportunity and potential that can be realized with these newly introduced
Gems, and that can even reach out to established Gems given the
circumstances.
By established Gems, I mean the likes of Peridot and
Lapis.I was accepting of them being
kept at the barn instead of living with the main Crystal Gems, but I always would have preferred the latter path.Through living in the barn, it’s
disappointing that we not only don’t see a lot of them, but they also don’t
take part in any big events.They may be
novice Crystal Gems, but some participation with the main members of the team
would still be fitting.This makes the
overly light-hearted tone of Season 4 even more of an issue.Season 5 at least sets them up to do bigger
things later on though they still don’t have much significance.Lapis at least has a compelling arc where she
comes to terms with her real feelings on Earth.She leaves out of fear of a Diamond invasion, but is unable to fly far away from Earth because of how much she’s grown to enjoy being around others,
including the Crystal Gems.Then when
situations look dire in “Reunited,” she arrives with a grand display of her
water powers, welcoming herself as an official team player, something she never
really did before.By the time she
reforms in “Change Your Mind” her will to fight is stronger than ever, which is
fitting after she faced the fears holding her back.As for Peridot, while it’s nice that she’s
always been willing to fight for Earth, she’s hardly seen doing anything as
important.Even in battles, her blows
prove to be mostly ineffective.In fact,
she hardly does anything of substance apart from comic relief, which is
legitimately funny.Her contributions
have merit such as distracting the Diamond Ship robot from stopping Obsidian
from climbing up it, but given that she’s a team player, she could be doing
more.In fact, even with her development
in Season 5, Lapis could be doing more than what she does too, especially with
her new fighting spirit.Since the barn
is now destroyed and they’re apparently living with the main Crystal Gems,
future seasons do offer them potential to develop as more productive team
members.With the truth of their leader
out and Steven coming to full terms with his identity, the main Crystal Gems can offer the
novice members much needed guidance.Now
these speculations for the future are just that, and it’s debatable if they’ll
actually happen, and shows that I just want more to be done with such a
diversely personified cast.The
possibilities are still very persistent from the aforementioned movie trailers, and hints at
least one more season coming afterwards despite no official word from Cartoon
Network.Even with this, I
like to judge the quality of things as they are instead of how I want them to
go.For what we have, it’s still an
amazing animated work and a grand way to end one era of the show and go onto
another one.
When it comes to the two most recent seasons of Steven Universe, it really shows how
they take their time to get to the highlights.Even so, the light-hearted stuff still has plenty of development, and
good spirits to keep you invested before getting to the best parts.Once that happens, the show really delivers
with great staging, emotional stakes, and satisfying closure.All the same, it’s just as great that this isn’t
the end of the series, though I am now in the same position as most fans
wondering when it will return with new content.Nevertheless, whether it returns with big emotional space epics or even
simple daily life at a beach town, there’s sure to always be reasons to
consider this show a Gem.
Highly Recommended
Thank you
all for reading. Now the overall review schedule of this blog is about to change significantly, but it will be revealed following this coming Labor Day weekend as I review the last of Animaniacs Vol 3. Until then:
