Gem Hunt (Steven Universe Season 3 Episode 17) - 'Toon Reviews 23

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Gem Hunt

For this routine Gem mission, a few things make it stand out as a charming milestone.  For one thing, with the depths of corrupted Gems now known, Steven has a whole new understanding. Inside every mindless monster is a helpless Gem hurt by the Diamonds during the Gem War. 

It also brings to light a nice dynamic from those who join him.  The reason this mission is such a milestone is that it’s Connie’s first one.  Her involvement plays to her training with Pearl from last season, so it’s a benefit to see its results.  In fact, Pearl comes along partially to ensure that Connie has remembered what she’s learned.  There’s an interesting setting for the action too in the Great North, a vast snowy environment which is wholesome and nice change of pace from the show’s usual beach setting. 

The one thing that shines the most during the search for the corrupted Gems is Connie’s determination to be a valuable team player.  It’s huge because for the longest time, the Gems have been very hesitant to get humans involved with serious magic business which can get destructive to their well-being.  Now with Connie learning sword fighting, the Gems are slowly entrusting humans to help in missions, and Connie actually wanting to help fits this concept.  Her chance to prove herself comes when the two corrupted Gems split up with Pearl going after one while Steven and Connie go after the other. 

From there, the main focus is on Connie taking charge with everything she knows, all playing to her primary character traits of being knowledgeable and statistical.  It’s not just with sword-fighting, but also with basic wilderness survival featuring believable skills relevant to the mission.  She tracks footprints in the snow, finds shelter, and makes nourishment out of any good plants in the area when a blizzard comes. Connie's also really prepared by bringing the appropriate supplies and alternate energy sources should civilization collapse.  It’s nerdy stuff for sure, but when stating her knowledge, Connie approaches everything with a youthful tone and upbeat attitude, making for a nice character to follow.  In addition, her role is enhanced by her comrades. Steven follows her survival techniques in his own way while also applying what he now knows about corruption, and Pearl gives motherly guidance through a walkie-talkie. 

For all of Connie’s training and smart survival skills though, it leads to an unexpected conclusion. They find the corrupted Gem, but the situation is too intense for her to remember her training and take it out.  It’s only when Jasper suddenly appears and brutally rips out the gemstone of the corrupted Gem when the beast is defeated. All Connie can do is simply contact Pearl for help like she was instructed to do.  There’s genuine sympathy for Connie since she failed to play as big a role as she planned, but it’s very appropriate that Pearl praises her involvement anyway.  As for Jasper, her menacingly showing those gemstones to “Rose” (Steven) brings a great show of promise for what she has in store for cartoons to come.

Ultimately, this cartoon is one of the best put together works of the season. It succeeds with a wholesome snowy setting, great follow-ups to recent reveals, and character moments bringing charm and likability to a serious mission.

A+

The Ranking

1. Mr. Greg
2. Monster Reunion
3. Gem Hunt
4. Greg the Babysitter
5. Alone at Sea
6. Gem Drill
7. Super Watermelon Island
8. Too Short to Ride
9. Beach City Drift
10. Barn Mates
11. Hit the Diamond
12. Same Old World
13. Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service
14. Steven Floats
15. Restaurant Wars
16. The New Lars
17. Drop Beat Dad

The next Steven Universe review is on Amethyst offering an interesting lackadaisical training approach that works for Steven and Connie, but not herself.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is "Down the Hatch" and "Road Rash" from Rocko's Modern Life.

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

Beach City Drift (Steven Universe Season 3 Episode 11) - '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:

Beach City Drift

This cartoon with a racing theme has a lot going for it that makes it quite impressive.  For one thing, the real focus isn’t really the racing, but a conflict Steven deals with that gives layers to his morality.  He’s known for seeing the good in people, even people who are jerks or other Gems trying to kill him.  However, this cartoon remembers that Steven is only human, and even the most loving people have their limits. 

The person he has a lot of scorn for is Kevin who shows up and belittles him and his dad.  In “Alone Together” Kevin was constantly showing off his dancing him and Connie fused as Stevonnie and trying to get them to dance with him even when they didn’t want to.  Basically, he was straight-up harassing them.  It’s a believable reason for Steven’s scorn which is met with strong advice from Greg that people like him aren’t worth it.  This can also apply to harassment and bully victims in real life considering that giving them attention will just make things worse.  Even so, the fact that Steven won’t let up about his feelings on Kevin is a bit much for him since at the end of the day, he’s an overall loving kid. 

Because he can’t forget Kevin’s jerkiness, he gets an idea with Connie, who’s also mad about him albeit to a much smaller extent, to one-up him.  Greg got a new car with some of his new affluence, and Stevonnie doesn’t look like a kid, so Steven and Connie fuse to take Kevin on in a race at night.  The actual race is a particularly exciting highlight which is saying something since I’m a type of person who loves races.  The adrenaline, the nighttime scenery, and the accompanying music add to the exciting atmosphere.  However, what really makes it great is how it shows a lot of Stevonnie’s power as a fusion, something we haven’t seen since their first appearance.  They’re driven by Steven and Connie’s combined emotions and abilities which unlocks an interesting talent of driving as they strive to surpass the harassing hunk. 

Speaking of him, Kevin pulls off a particularly despicable act during the race which can even get to the audience.  When Stevonnie demands to know why he’s such a jerk, it seems like Kevin has a relatable reason for his behavior, relating to a sick little brother.  Given the emotional trauma other characters on the show deal with, this wouldn’t be too far-fetched, and it's nice that the Steven part of Stevonnie feels genuine understanding for this.  Within seconds, Kevin states the claim was a lie and that he acts like a jerk for fun.  He sets himself up to be a one-dimensional jerk who’s bad for no reason.  His actions are so bad, they give Stevonnie enraged visions of the road falling apart much like what they saw when embarrassed and alone at that dance in their first appearance.  It shows what happens when Steven and Connie’s time fused isn’t a good experience. 

Fortunately, they find a way to better their experience of the race by finishing it for themselves and not for Kevin. It’s a good and mature way to get them to move on, though I think it would’ve been better if Steven found that out instead of Connie.  Anyhow, the race comes to a great conclusion when Stevonnie competes to enjoy the drive and they don’t care that they lost.  In an interesting twist, Kevin ends up obsessed as he calls out to them as they drive away ignoring him.  This turns out to be huge since it ties into Kevin getting legit depth later on, which keeps this cartoon from hurting him like how “Drop Beat Dad” hurt Marty.  Plus, Stevonie’s driving skills deserve credit since this isn’t the only time we see them either. 

The cartoon comes together as an exciting race with deep messages on dealing with harassers and reading into people you think you know.

A

The Ranking

1. Mr. Greg
2. Gem Drill
3. Super Watermelon Island
4. Too Short to Ride
5. Beach City Drift
6. Barn Mates
7. Hit the Diamond
8. Same Old World
9. Steven Floats
10. The New Lars
11. Drop Beat Dad

The next Steven Universe review covers a light-hearted yet creatively executed cartoon about a restaurant war.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is Episode 49 of Animaniacs.

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

'Toon Reviews 15: Steven Universe Season 2 Episode 16: Nightmare Hospital

Nightmare Hospital

With this cartoon, the decision of Connie training to swordfight becomes a very big and meaningful one as she gets very involved with it and tries to hide it from her rule-bearing mother, Dr. Maheswaran.  We get a heartfelt story that swiftly makes its way from light and happy to dark and threatening and expands on character bonds. 

It’s known that Connie’s parents are very strict with customs, so she keeps secrets from them, especially since what they find out could prevent her from being with Steven, her only friend, but the matter soon becomes too big to be kept secret.  Steven gives Connie his mother’s sword to practice with via the charm these friends are known for.  However, it gets confiscated when Dr. Maheswaran finds it, who then lectures on the dangers of swords.  Just from here, you get a believable reason why Connie would be hesitant to tell her parents things if you needed to be reminded.  Dr. Maheswaren’s controlling tone and dense mindset with little room for reason is overbearing which isn’t particularly entertaining.  This would be marked as a problem if not for what happens later. 

With a major artifact of Steven’s mother taken away, Steven and Connie sneak into the hospital Dr. Maheswaran works at to get it back, and from there, the nightmarish parts of the hospital build.  It's very dark with dim halls accompanied by an eerie music piece all throughout which suggests that something horrifying will occur.  This belief is intensified when the kids enter the hospital room of the patients Dr. Maheswaran was called in for.  It turns out the patients brought in were covered Gem mutants, and just as the ones from their first appearance did, they attack.  The scare factor intensifies when the mutants lead Steven and Connie out into the halls into a corner with Dr. Maheswaran and only Steven’s bubble can protect them. 

There’s a helpless tone with nothing anyone can do to stop these creatures.  The only chance they have, no matter how much Connie insists that she can handle the sword, is held back by her mom.  Things soon get so tense that Connie reveals that she doesn’t need actual glasses anymore since Steven healed her sight and she popped the lenses out.  This is huge since her healed eyesight was something we saw Connie cover up to preserve her friendship with Steven before we even met her parents, selling itself as her biggest secret as it tied into the possibility of their strictness.  For Connie to be led to reveal this marks this moment as a big example of a small moment working as a huge climax aided by her effortlessly poofing the forced fusion with the sword while Dr. Maheswaran stands speechless. 

The darkness over, out of this awesome moment, the cartoon reaches a heartwarming conclusion where Dr. Maheswaran actually realizes how controlling she had been while trying to be a good mother.  It would’ve been easy for her to stubbornly stick to her rule-bearing ways, but a more pleasing direction is taken to show that despite her flaws she does have a heart.  Likewise, as her mom agrees to keep an open mind about Steven and everything associated with him, Connie agrees to be truthful about her life.  I always believe that resolving a conflict with a compromise to satisfy both sides is the best way to go, especially when it brings on a genuinely heartfelt finish with a tender embrace between Connie and her mom which Steven watches while holding a close tie to his own mom. 

In all, the cartoon amounts to an amazing work with a wide range of moments, strong character development, and the best conclusion for the scenario. 10/10

The Ranking

1. Sworn to the Sword
2. Keystone Motel
3. Friend Ship
4. Nightmare Hospital
5. Chille Tid
6. Cry for Help
7. Keeping it Together
8. Full Disclosure
9. We Need to Talk
10. Reformed
11. Historical Friction
12. Joy Ride
13. Say Uncle
14. Onion Friend
15. Rising Tides, Crashing Skies
16. Love Letters

The next Steven Universe review covers the starting point of Sadie's singing career and where we first learn about her mother issues.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews we'll be covering a Hey Arnold review on "Grandpa's Birthday" and "Road Trip."

If you want to stay updated for more reviews, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter.

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

'Toon Reviews 15: Steven Universe Season 2 Episode 9: We Need to Talk

We Need to Talk

With this show kept in Steven’s perspective, all the development from other characters is present whenever he’s around to witness or hear about it.  This gives the show a unique feel with everything seen through the eyes of a child.  It’s a clever personification of how the audience experiences and grows to understand the world of any series. 

An strong example of this perspective at play is in cartoons where Steven hears about his dad, Greg’s, past back when he first met Rose Quartz which gives him, and the audience, a clearer perception of how he came to be, as well as a nice perception on certain life values.  The first one, “Story for Steven”, recounted Greg first meeting Rose and deciding to drop everything to be with her.  This time, the flashback is on how they officially became an item when Steven and Connie accidentally fuse into Stevonnie in front of Greg, who offers a perspective on fusion as a human who understands it. 

The whole thing begins with an establishment of how close Greg and Rose have become via a performance of the song, “What Can I Do for You?” which is made more impactful with Rose’s lines that allude to her fascination with Earth’s human life.  During this song, Pearl attempts to one-up Greg's performance by convincing Rose to fuse with her, resulting in them becoming Rainbow Quartz.  Greg’s astounding reaction from this fusion is perfectly captured by a dramatic guitar solo in the song’s second half.  Then while Rose is away, Pearl rubs it in Greg’s face that he, like all humans will never amount to the greatness of Gems because humans can’t fuse. 

Harsh, yet expected, as her words are, they do their part to make Greg’s newfound ambition to fuse with Rose and officially solidify his relationship with her perfectly clear.  The only problem is that Gems only fuse with Gems, yet Greg is willing to try to be the first human to experience fusion.  However, no matter how hard he studies the fusion moves from the song's tape recording or follows the advice on how it works through his own personal dance, it turns out to be true that as a human, Greg can’t fuse with Rose.  It’s certainly an unfortunate outcome, especially since it justifies Pearl’s uptight attitude from earlier, but it’s admirable for the story to go in a more believable direction. 

Speaking of believable, what ultimately brings Greg and Rose together rings very true to how most couples come to be.  As Rose laughs without showing any respect to Greg's disappointment (feelings that make too much sense given the most recent events of this show regarding her), he slowly reveals his concerns about their relationship building up to a basic confession of his love for Rose.  Even if they don’t fuse, their love wins through his honesty, and the couple is made official much to Pearl’s dismay and the other Crystal Gems’ wonder.  

Through Greg’s own strengths, he finds love his way, resulting in another work from this show that’s as inspirational as it is nicely constructed, making the setup of Steven needing to be around for us to see it work. 9.5/10

The Ranking

1. Sworn to the Sword
2. Keeping it Together
3. Full Disclosure
4. We Need to Talk
5. Reformed
6. Joy Ride
7. Say Uncle
8. Rising Tides, Crashing Skies
9. Love Letters

The next Steven Universe review finally gives us an answer on what became of Malachite and a believable reason why the Crystal Gems don't attempt to track her down afterwards.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is another Hey Arnold Season 3 review covering "Career Day" and "Hey Harold".

If you want to stay updated for more reviews, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter.

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

'Toon Reviews 15: Steven Universe Season 2 Episode 4: Love Letters

Love Letters

The Beach City residents have their appeal, but since most of them are not as interesting as the main protagonists and the Gems, cartoons where they’re the main focus aren’t the best.  That’s the case with this cartoon starring Jamie the mailman. 

In his earliest appearance, he was just a guy doing his job with a friendly attitude.  With that in mind, it’s worth giving credit that there’s some expansion to Jamie’s character. He’s very theatrical and wants to become an actor, hence why he’s been away where the big pictures are made all this time…apparently in Kansas.  Despite this new layer, the plot focuses more on the “love at first sight” concept when Jamie sees Garnet and falls madly in love with her.  While Garnet’s first interactions with him sell how seductive she is to Jamie, this being what gets him so attached to her feels petty and shallow, especially since it is possible to craft a more believable romance that isn’t appearance-based. 

With the fact that Garnet is a fusion only recently being revealed, when Steven and Connie show her a love letter from Jamie, much of Ruby and Sapphire’s love for each other is shown through Garnet’s firmness of not getting involved with this new crush, which is a good show of character to get from this scenario.  She’s devoted to the relationship of the Gems who form her and won’t let anyone stand in their way, coming off as admirable for her strong will.  It continues when writing a response to Jamie’s overly dramatic love letter to him.  It amounts to a very blunt no, further showing how strong the relationship she’s a part of, or is entirely, really is. 

However, this is where things start to go downhill.  After hearing about Jamie’s constant acting rejections, Steven and Connie get the idea to rework the love letter response so that he won’t get as disappointed.  Considerate as they may be, this is a pretty dumb move on their part.  Through trying to match the poetic tone of his letter and being vague about the reject, Jamie could easily get the wrong idea and try to follow up on the letter.  Sure enough that’s what happens when Jamie shows up thinking Garnet returned his love.  Not only that, but while Garnet continues to be firm with Ruby and Sapphire’s love, she’s also a bit too harsh saying that she’ll never be interested in him.  This statement along with finding out that Steven and Connie wrote the response puts Jamie in a funk that prevents him from even doing his job.  While he’s still sympathetic, his overbearing feelings are too much to completely feel for him at this point. 

Fortunately, Garnet takes the initiative to properly let Jamie down.  She gives him some honest life advice on how love at first sight really doesn’t exist, and that it mostly involves knowing the other person, and Jamie knows nothing about Garnet.  This isn’t just a random tidbit for Jamie at the moment, but it’s believable for real life too.  For all the times people in shows and movies fall in love because of appearances, it’s easy to forget that there’s more to love than that, so for this cartoon to bring that up is very commendable.  Garnet also prompts Jamie to move forward towards his acting passions, so with all this said, this cartoon is credible for one of the most mature instances of turning down love ever put to media. 

It’s still not the most interesting plot for this show nor does it have the best character moments, but some solid performances and the mature approach to romance make it good for what it is. 8/10

The Ranking

1. Full Disclosure
2. Joy Ride
3. Say Uncle
4. Love Letters

The next Steven Universe review will be on a further look at how Gems reform their bodies which gives insight into Amethyst's sense of self worth.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is another Hey Arnold review covering the fourth episode of Season 3.

If you want to stay updated for more reviews, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter.

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