Friday, June 5, 2020

Little Homeschool - (Steven Universe Future Episode 1) - 'Toon Reviews 41

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 TwitterNow on with today's review:

Now we’ve come to an interesting case when it comes to reviews.  This show has a significant connection to one of this blog’s regular series, but is also partially a separate entity.  Nevertheless, as you’ll soon see, it’s a worthy component to every great thing that the franchise it’s part of has brought to the world.
 Steven Universe Future
Basic Premise
When it comes to animation production, I often hear of how personal working on a show or film can be for a crew.  Through working with your own endearing characters for so long, a common case is when they’re no longer seen as just characters, but as real people with sincere feelings.  Whatever happens to them after every major resolution becomes just as important to people making a show as it is to people watching a show.  Sure continuations after nearly everything is resolved can be unnecessary, but with the right passion thrown in, they can stand as worthy additions.  All of this is the feel going into what’s designed as a natural continuation to the Steven Universe saga.
As one of the most celebrated animated shows of the past decade, Steven Universe has accomplished a lot in terms of its following and its world-building.  Not everyone may be happy with the decisions its made, but in my perspective, they’ve always managed to work.  However, for all the overall series has accomplished with five seasons and a movie, this follow-up season has a promising benefit.  Its nature is that it’s only meant to last for one season, serving as an epilogue to the main series. Such a setup allows it to explore things unable to get deeper exploration earlier and showcasing believable endgames for everything and everyone.  The key appeal to this setup is how it acknowledges that there have been a few unanswered questions in the grand scheme of the series.  Plus, even if things were touched upon in the original series, they may not have gotten the time they needed to flesh them out.  The existence of this epilogue represents the best thing that can be done when a form of media becomes so popular that more of it just has to be made.  This in turn makes for not unnecessary padding, but beneficial additions.  From a behind the scenes perspective, using this extra time to set characters and concepts down new healthy paths  is the embodiment of tender loving care.
So stay tuned as this blog covers what may be the last piece of Steven Universe in this insightful, appealing, and sometimes personal epilogue series.
Now on with the reviews:
Little Homeschool
The moment this cartoon begins, it’s clear that this series isn’t merely a separate entity from the old Steven Universe series; it’s a continuation.  Regarding this particular story, it makes for much needed expansion on what was merely touched upon prior without getting much focus.  
To elaborate, the main goal of the original series was to heal all Gems who were corrupted and turned into monsters in the old Gem War.  They were healed at the end of the original series, but we couldn’t get to know them.  Then came the movie where a town called Little Homeworld was built for them, but not much was learned.  Enter the premiere of this epilogue series to develop these concepts as well as start up an interesting character-driven path.  
After a brief explanation of how things have changed since making peace with the Diamonds, including where certain supporting characters have ended up, Steven’s plan is shown.  Within Little Homeworld is a school where all uncorrupted Gems go to learn to make their own choices in life, learn about Earth and its customs, and not be dictated.  The concept sounds beneficial given how Gems were led for thousands of years, and with the Crystal Gems guiding with their experiences, the environment works.  
However, just as beneficial is how a perfect conflict for Steven is set up.  With all the events of the franchise in mind, all conflicts to his world were solved by him helping others.  The whole school idea gives him a chance to help so many, as if it’s his whole purpose.  This is why he becomes insistent on helping one Gem who refuses going to the school. 
From there comes more answers to certain untouched questions regarding one of the most popular Gems in the cast, Jasper.  For the longest time, she’s been a very threatening force with an undying will to fight, and forever loyal to the Diamonds.  However, we abruptly stopped learning about her when she was corrupted and therefore out of commission in late Season 3 of the original series.  Now, it’s known that she still holds these unhealthy beliefs after the changes, living in a cave and showing a disturbing disdain for Earth and its organic life.  So when Steven approaches her to come to the school, her refusal makes for tensions only she can raise which at the same time bring out hard truths.  Steven gets more agitated the more she refuses his offers to help as she claims that all he’s doing is manipulating other Gems to do what he wants.  That’s kind of true even if the school has good benefits for Gems.  


Things then get physical as Jasper proceeds to fight Steven, and explains how he’s really the one who needs help, solving everything with assistance from others.  That’s also true when you think of it, and understandably makes Steven feel helpless.  Like his other powers, these feelings unleash something new within him.  There's a pink glow to his body granting him his most offensive moves when sparring with Jasper.  That said, I’d also like to believe that this is a result of his gem getting pulled out, enacting the embodiment of his Gem half.  Ultimately, Steven doesn’t convince Jasper to come to the school, but does see how he can learn from her.  He still holds onto his beliefs in help and pacifism, but this encounter does give ideas of what he will be enduring in this new life. 
That makes this cartoon easily overshadowed by what’s to come, but it’s still a strong start.
A

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where Amethyst turns out to be a great help for the uncorrupted Gems while Steven starts losing his helpful touch.
If you would like to check out other Steven Universe reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

No comments:

Post a Comment