When Steven Universe Became Great (Mirror Gem/Ocean Gem)

[@FatherSonandHolySpirit]

Late night Ample upload? I really have blessed us all huh?

[@naverdadendada]

Hell yeah! I mean, heaven yeah? Whatever you prefer. Its kind of been a rough day and this is just what I needed

[@unityedits3722]

Shit, okay, maybe I will go to church next week

[@LordAxol]

An christian user comment on a video about an LGB cartoon? Something wrong is not right around here...

[@tipsyGn0stalg1c]

there are some chill christians, just because some of them are homophobic doesn't mean all of them are. As a gay person, I have plenty of christian friends who are really awesome and supportive.

[@LordAxol]

​​@@tipsyGn0stalg1cby """"""""some of them are homophobic""""""""" i guess you mean 99.85% of all chiristans in the world?

[@jacobcoolguy]

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Since her introduction, Lapis has always been my favorite. I have always appreciated and connected with her story of healing from trauma, making mistakes, changing your mind, etc. and this was a gorgeous tribute to the 20 minutes that literally changed my life.

[@jamestolbert1856]

I love her too. Wish we saw more of them

[@plantinapot9169]

Shw’s always been my fav too! I always felt like her character reached beyond the confines of the show, however criminal it was to get so little screen time

[@poopers197]

Lapis fans are wild she is probably one of the worst written characters on the show. After she unfuses with Jasper she’s just consistently an asshole to everyone except Steven. She takes Peridot’s home and returns without apologising, the writers forget what horrible things they made her do and then try to cover it up by making her save the day. Then in Future she’s just an entirely different character we don’t even GET to see her heal.

[@plantinapot9169]

@@poopers197 I didn’t see future but fair. I always thought she was done dirty for the rest of the show after that Jasper thing too, barely saw anything of her character, even the living on the moon was somehow made anticlimactic

[@poopers197]

@@plantinapot9169 True. The moon ep had potential until she ended up leaving again lmao, would’ve been better if she went home with Steven and apologised to Peridot, which would show us that she’s actually healing.

[@jasmine1432]

All I wanna say is, the line said by Steven "I must be important to gem culture" when the mirror simply shows his reflection after Pearl asked her to show gem stuff at 2:35, truly aged well. That's some REALLY crazy foreshadowing.

[@invu_lynn]

Crazy catch!!!!!

[@airplanes_aren.t_real]

And lapis's mirror has her wings

[@conscripthornet4430]

Honestly not that crazy, especially since as soon as the diamonds were ever mentioned it was already figured out Steven was going to be one of them.

[@invu_lynn]

@@conscripthornet4430 you must be fun at parties

[@alejandromomota6934]

@@invu_lynnare they wrong??

[@ganymede8257]

I like just how powerful Lapis is potrayed to be. She is likely much older than even the crystal gems we know. The fact that she could do THAT MUCH with a broken gem, she has to be one of the strongest non-diamond gems in the whole series. She almost single handedly won the blue diamond fight

[@denco37]

Yet she was the first one to be poofed after Peridot when they fought against Yellow and Blue

[@Caspiantheimp]

​@@denco37I'm honestly bitter about that

[@tumsantacid1315]

lapis in the mirror used YTPs as her form of communication

[@PlatonicDIVA]

I remember warching Steven Universe as a kid, and the shift from "silly monster of the week" to an actual show i was invested in was started with Mirror Gem, and really hit around Jailbreak. I love the direction that the team took for stories in the later episodes

[@regulate.artificer_g23.mdctlsk]

Ocean gem Take me by the helm Lead me to the realm That you comprehend

[@ilovebeansprouts2600]

dude I don’t know what it was, but your segment about Garnet’s shades falling out was so perfectly worded. It alienated the gems, which was brilliant because of the fact that they’re alien themselves. We forget that because the humanity of the gems is always displayed, we forget that they’re still alien beings with a history we don’t know, and everything we’ve been taught in the show about the gems always being right is finally proven wrong. It gives the viewer an uneasiness, a distrust of the gems we’ve known all this time, much like what steven was probably feeling, and for a second both us and steven see the gems as the villain.

[@newthejsterjacob408]

My realization of greatness was just before these in the episode "An Indirect Kiss", more specifically it was when Steven crawled into the lap of the statue of his mom, looked in her eyes and yelled "Why can't I cry?" the yelling hit me more viscerally than any show before and the statement and moment itself was something so deeply personal that I related to so viscerally, that is what hooked me emotionally. Then boom right after you get this amazing two parter where everything just gets questioned and that is what hooked me into the story. The one two (and I guess three) hit punch of these episodes quickly skyrocketed Steven Universe to one of the best pieces of media I have ever seen

[@TtimeXP]

"No prob Bob" "My name's not Bob" "....yeah" still love this little gag haha

[@JamesP7]

I love how this moment is called back in Hit the Diamond, where Lapis uses “Bob” as her alias.

[@jamestolbert1856]

I love how Lapis isn’t a villain, but just a broken character dealing with a lot of stress and pressure.

[@jamestolbert1856]

I hate how self righteous the gems were in season 1 were. They kept too many secrets from Steven even though he was a kid yet they brought him on many missions. And even though it’s technically his fault that the ocean’s gone, it was still selfish and arrogant of them to keep Lapis in the mirrror

[@DrawciaGleam02]

Yeah, I didn't like how they blamed Steven for that either!!

[@theluigifan1]

Was JUST singing these episodes’ praises on Twitter a few months back. It’s the first big turning point of the series and pushed the crew past their original limits to showcase some of the best bits of the series pretty early on. Absolutely love the soundtracks in these episodes, especially Lapis’ Theme, Mirror Match and Lapis’ Tower. Beautifully composed by Aivi & Surasshu.

[@tarniabook3076]

When I was a kid, this was the first time I saw Garnet had three eyes, so it was even more shocking for me. And this was the moment the show stopped being "that cartoon I watch if I stumble upon it" to "the show I keep track of so I don't miss an episode".

[@caoinhnamkhanh2795]

Lapis wasnt trapped by our gems, but they did sit idle as she was trapped in the mirror

[@supernovero]

I don't think Pearl thought Lapis was a person. She wouldn't have been so horrified at the realization if she had known. On homeworld theres lots of objects or static gems, like the walls, statues, or Blue's comb, that are obviously sentient, but there are also gems who seem to just be a source of power or processing for the object its attached to. Think of the gem from the pyramid maze, or the desert glass from "Steven's Lion". It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that these types of gems aren't sentient, and are only made to do very specific tasks, such as record events to be played back at the owners request. But, given all the information we have by ep 41, where the lighthouse is possesed by a corrupted gem, they probably all are sentient. The gems' only sin here, i think, would be that instead of facing the fact that what they think the mirror is, is wrong, they double down and immediately become hostile and try to bubble Lapis

[@amagal9091]

Thanks to this storyline, I basically decided not to give up on this show, because it made me realize that this show is more than just a show with a "villain of the week"

[@jamestolbert1856]

I love complex characters!

[@jellycore1316]

​@@jamestolbert1856Same here! ^^

[@Mackenzie_EV]

These were the first two episodes of SU i ever watched. I saw the ads for it and wasn't impressed, but these two happened to be on one day and i watched it out of sheer curiosity. Little did i know it would make me a huge fan of the show i wouldn't have given a chance otherwise. These episodes are so special to me; thank you for covering them and showing how much they mean to me and many others.

[@AmpleSamuel]

❤️

[@moraantonparcet4546]

These were my first episodes too! Then I discovered there was something special about this show

[@ViridianCrisis7]

Mirror Gem/Ocean Gem is definitely a highlight of the series. I had fanart of Lapis kneeling with the broken gem as my phone background for years after the fact because I loved her character

[@oranjsubs]

Lapis reforming after being released from the mirror is some of the prettiest animation I've ever seen.

[@conortlsullivan]

I always tell people that this is the moment that changes the way you see everything before and where the whole Steven Universe explodes into something sublime.

[@fredrickbanks1966]

I used to listen to mirror match (the theme that plays during the water fight) just cause I was so impressed by it. The way it’s broken up to play to the musical motifs of each character is down excellently. I especially love the detail of the song becoming muffled when Steven and Connie are trapped in the water bubble

[@alexlodervo]

I feel like knowing what we now know about Homeworld and its culture, the fact that Pearl knew the mirror had a gem the whole time doesn't feel too crazy. Is it bad with human morals applied to it without any other knowledge? Yeah, absolutely. But also, she's from a planet where everything, even the walls, were made of living gems. She probably assumed that the gem in the mirror was there because that was their intended purpose

[@erinbathie-moore8478]

My favourite Lapis episodes are actually Mirror Gem and Ocean Gem. Her model is so nice to look at, and the characterisation of "I just wanna go home" and how sweet she is, is lovely compared to her apathetic self later

[@butterradish7611]

they literallyoutright say both in the show and outside of it that lapis had taken the entire earth's ocean, but it wasn't enough

[@towhee3400]

I think my "moment" with this show was in Kindergarten Kid when Pearl & Amethyst are fighting, and Amethyst yells "I didn't ask to be made!" and the following reconciliation they have at the end. As a teen still knee deep in complex trauma and not understanding why things felt so awful all the time, that fucking hit me like a ton of bricks. There were probably others before that point, but that was the first clip i ever saw of SU and what made me realize just how badly i needed to watch this show. Cartoon Network did Sugar & Co DIRTY on this show, i wish they could've built out the final arc more as was likely intended.

[@GregCubed]

I love how before this episode, the Crystal Gems are seen as these superhero-like parental figures for Steven who can do no wrong and will always keep him safe, but from here on out, Steven (and we the audience) start to realize that there are forces far more powerful than them out there and that Steven is actually constantly in danger. It's incredibly powerful when they show Garnet being scared or outmatched in the first 2-3 seasons, it's like "damn if she's scared then I'm scared" lol. They do a great job starting the scope so narrow and episodic, and then slowly peeling back the layers to unravel this entire complicated high-stakes lore.

[@Hadeshinai1]

Everytime Lapiz shows up, there's a fine balance of peace and Bad Assery

[@Jr837_]

"I am Lapis Lazuli!" Is honest to god my favourite scene in the whole show. I still think about it sometimes

[@juangarcia6473]

"You... You three knew I was in there, and you didn't do *anything*. Did you even wonder WHO I USED TO BE" gave me chills Same with "I've felt worse..." versus Blue Diamond

[@Mermain123]

gosh that "you work!" thing is SO deceptive i haven't watched the episode in awhile but i doubt there was another clip lapis could use to say "you work" other then that one. and steven is so joyful when he says it so the clip is joyful....but lapis is probably very UNHAPPY when she says that except she has no other way of conveying that

[@katchupp5067]

fuck it… steven universe became great in Tiger Millionare

[@loganmiller7827]

I'll give another episode credit, I'll shout out Warp Tour, the first appearance of Peridot, as where the show got to truly start being good. While she (thankfully, I love her) doesn't stay this way, she comes in and is the first sight we get of an overarching Big Bad for the series. We get a chance to move on from monster of the week into there being a looming threat, a threat that evolves and stays for not only the rest of season 1, but all the way through season 3 at least

[@Copichains]

I was afraid to open the comments from fandom discourse trauma but I am pleasantly surprised. I have faith the fandom may have healed a bit, or the wrong people simply haven't found this video yet. I love Lapis so much, I haven't really stopped being obsessed with her since I first watched the show back in 2018. Her character just has such a grip on me. Her theme song is so good and has always stood out to me compared to the other gems. Not to mention how she can fight/hold off the main cast without even showing herself, WHILE holding up an entire ocean, WHILE her gem is cracked. Not even using all her full power. P.S I had lapis kneeling on the water tower fanart as my computer saver for years so that part is so true lol.

[@marielarubiodiaz9165]

i totally agree! I remember seeing steven universe as a kid and having some interest wondering what gems were or what were they doing there but just thinking it was a funky magical show. Seeing mirror gem broke that perception, I was hooked! I felt so intriged by lapis, by the implication that the cristal gems were bad, that the monsters were gems themselves. It was my first real connection with a piece of media, what a great biuld up.

[@advmx3]

I wonder how this show would have been written if CN just allowed them to animate every single freaking episode from start to finish without meddling in it. SU had a lot of "last episodes" actually, where they were doing the episodes thinking of a show being cancelled. And it shows by the end of the original season they clearly wanted to show more, to give more, to explain more, but they had to cut a LOT of information tho. Such sad.

[@darriusxworld9693]

I remember watching this episode when I was 16 and it was in deed when something bigger in the picture was brewing

[@theluigifan1]

I was 17 when these episodes aired. Saying that makes me feel like my joints are going to grind to dust. X_X

[@Sillymeow5]

Those episodes were crazy to me frfr when I watched them for the first time, I just recently got into Steven universe Obviously I've watched it before but I didn't like it as much as I do now I thought that lapis was gonna be another one of the gems that were trying to trick Steven, but then when she got out of the mirror, I was shocked af. Steven universe is amazing frfr

[@RandomThumbVids]

The span of episodes starting from these two and The Return/Jailbreak are the highest quality the show ever got

[@SkyGhostPsb]

9:30 when you're trying to leave the main area in a free roam story game

[@lebendigesgespenst7669]

Man lapis was a huge part of the show for me back then, even if she was barely in it, lol

[@incognito3049]

I hate what they did to her character. Her introduction was beautifully done but they didn't know what to do with her. A shame. Lapis was always my favorite gem and seeing her being gone for extended periods of time, come back, and leave AGAIN frustrated me.

[@joshmomo2917]

Lapis lazuli’s introduction was one of the very best and the earlier episodes from season 1 was definitely one of the best in the series although a few hiccups but the amount of detail present in the earlier episodes was hands down the best!

[@urahara7656]

Lapis will always be my favorite Steven universe character for so many reasons first off I was there when mirror/ocean gem premiered (and tbh made me love the show) and second she’s just so relatable for me

[@nunyabiznes7446]

And then they gave her one of my favorite characters arcs/themes in all of animation. ...and then they had her resolve all her personal issues offscreen ._.

[@hollowbox5723]

This was the moment I got into SU as a kid, completely took me off guard One of my fav scenes/story arcs of the show

[@mahmoudyousry8198]

Steven universe is such an underrated cartoon

[@emilomatosis]

while i agree the three eyes could serve as shock for the viewer i always assumed that steve and the gems were shocked not because of that but because steven knocked the glasses out of garnets face by slapping her, they were shocked as siblings would if you slapped one of your parents

[@djpon7969]

Mirror gem and Ocean gem are my favorite episode in Steven universe.

[@Cristin647]

I originally was turned off by the early episodes of SU when they aired, but it was these two episodes and Lapis as a character that ended up making me want to give this show a chance, and now it's one of my favorite series of all time! These really were the peak of early SU

[@HaughtyToast]

Can't help but wonder if the water arm being all muscular in those few shots was an intentional easter egg depicting the cluster or not. Rebecca Sugar had said the cluster was decided on pretty early so probably?

[@TheWastelander86]

This really was when the show popped off for me. Glad to see I'm not alone.

[@CBFan5000]

So glad to see you finally cover these episodes. They really are up there as some of the best of the series, and are my personal top two favorites. Everyone working on the show gave 110% making these episodes and you can tell.

[@neann6]

This was always my favorite episode too. I loved Lapiz so much

[@LordAxol]

I fr miss so much this show pal Like It was good ASF... They were indeed good times, I remember watching the last episode of the first season which brought a lot of theory to the series for fans at the time I used to call White Diamond "Gray Diamond" since we didn't have a mention or appearance of her on the show but in 2017 my passion for the show increased even more with the human zoo episode and the trial where I was quite hyped about Steven and Lars' direct confrontation with the diamonds and suspected the lack of white Good old times....

[@angelaharris9714]

Can I say that Greg really dropped the ball and was not the greatest parent. Emotionally, he was a great dad that made sure to support Steven emotionally, but that’s only one part of being a parent. He never gave Steven any stability growing up. Steven was never put in school or went to the doctor. School could’ve helped with Steven’s social development with other kids his age. They literally lived out of a van for the first 12 years of his life. Greg acted more like his friend than his parent, leaving any type of discipline up to Garnet or Pearl. Everyone something gem related happened, Greg always made it a point to avoid being there for Steven regardless of how traumatic it was. All because of his own insecurities of not being a gem.

[@ThomasSH]

Great video, I subbed :) When I first watched his her line "Did you even wonder who I used to be," made a great impact on me and made me theorize a LOT

[@im-here]

I am literally in the process of my 4th rewatch of the show so this is some fun timing

[@KingTylerProductions]

These two of my favorites from SU season 1. So glad you decided to cover them.

[@elitettelbach4247]

Yes! Absolutely!! This was the point in the series for me where the show went from good to great! The animation and backgrounds were beautiful, the character work was excellent, and the gravitas of the situation really landed for me. And as you mentioned the scope of the show widened significantly from here, which really allowed the show to grow into something even more awesome!

[@Rei_reiko]

this is perfectly said. i feel like these two episodes and “the message” are the ones that got me so interested in this beautiful show among with the beautiful instrumentals, backgrounds and the ambience. in the message i felt so uneasy and curious and it left me with questions. yet somehow it comforts me, even today it remains as my favorite episode. it looks like lapis really spiced the show up haha great video :)

[@avej99]

Im rewatching the whole show rn and the way the entire tone of the whole show shifts after Lapis’ introduction is sooo chilling. Really made me value the chillness of the the prior episodes

[@ri-ch-es]

This might be the only video ive ever seen about mirror gem

[@byebeach]

Just realized that Steven knocking off Garnet here was similar to Blue Diamond smacking Yellow Diamond's hand in the Change Your Mind episode

[@PlaystationTalks]

I remember after watching advnture time for the 1st time 3 years ago like 4 or 5 times i rewatched AT soon after i finished. After i looked up other shows and found Steven universe and my god its one of ym top shows and i LOVE LAPIS!!! I hate i cant go back and rewatch this show... But now i got al lthe games and everything steven universe pushed me to watch more cartoons with stories and man i seen everything... so many good ones Own house Amphibia, Ghost and Molly McGeee... man I miss these types of cartoon

[@pieflower6419]

Always love your analyses. They add even more context to my favourite shows.

[@AmpleSamuel]

thank you!

[@jamestolbert1856]

@@AmpleSamuelthey’re great

[@veronicapiccinini7956]

That was the first of a long list of SU’s bombshell

[@shaydes-]

lapis was always in my top 3 gems and it was because of these 2 episodes the feeling they gave me is indescribable excellent video

[@kaushikbiswas6461]

I love lapis from the start and i love lapis lazuli the actual stone too

[@canebarnes2119]

She is and will always be one of my favorite characters of all time!

[@jysusplash]

I remember watching it as a kid, it was truly beautiful, and made me start looking for subs (ESL), made me remember those times, tysm for the video :)

[@theunintelligentlydesigned4931]

Anyone know why Connie was along for the adventure? At this point, she wasn't that involved.

[@TearfulZorua]

Probably so they could push more connverse. I mean did you see her sleeping on Steven's back while they were traveling? In an episode where steven was interacting closely with a gem they had to remind people of Connie being the endgame. At that time people didn't hate gem x steven ships, but now they do. I say though, if all gems are adults, then it should be fine to ship them with Greg or mayor Dewey right? Doesn't work for gems like Amethyst, Peridot, or Lapis because it feel wrong to ship them with Greg, despite everyone saying they are all adults. Either way, my opinion on that doesn't really matter, the point is connie was only there for more Connie x steven moments.

[@lykoslove1053]

I became invested when Opal was introduced, but Lapis really changed everything.

[@justa_stranger_]

You know, I think the episode that made Steven Universe “great” for me was Bubble Buddies. As a kid who watched a lot of cartoons as a kid, I always perceived Steven to be another wacky protagonist like Chowder, Gumball, SpongeBob, etc. that would be seen as “good” but do the same wacky sitcom mistakes over and over again. Once Steven hands over the bracelet to Connie, it was one of the first times I was shown a character to do something so kind without expecting something in return. I think there were a lot of cartoons that said their main character were kindhearted or cared for others, but I hadn’t seen any of the characters do something kind with much forethought. Maybe their are exceptions episodes to the shows I mentioned earlier, but I think Steven Universe always stuck with me because he stayed kind. Throughout the entire main series, he would sometimes make selfish decisions, but his core was still focused on helping others. Edit: Also, the lighting shift and music change as he hands over the bracelet is one of the absolute peak emotional moments. Still makes me feel when I rewatch it

[@archermania9314]

Lapis is truly a gem. And my first crush ever lol

[@soirema]

Commenting the title: oh yes! I wasnt even interested in Steven Universe, and then I watched my first clip, Lapis getting free. It was so awesome that I had to watch the whole thing

[@g.carpentier5651]

This episode is 9 years old?!!??!?

[@magne7771]

So basically because they introduced best girl

[@hadjstudio]

great vid sam

[@jay-yi9im]

Ever since mirror gem I knew Steven universe has some sort of lore

[@Eyevou]

No prob, Bob!

[@tavrosnitram1529]

didnt realize i was early for this until i checked the comments i wanna say i absolutely love all your videos ive seen so far while i still have a chance for you to read this :D

[@AmpleSamuel]

Thank you so much !!

[@gloveinabox2248]

Wow im early! Your videos are always a pleasure to watch!!

[@AmpleSamuel]

thank you so much!

[@purplemoon72]

I remember this episode made me cry when I had saw it mostly because I related to lapis.

[@johanstenfelt1206]

Hm, how very interesting, fair and valid points and opinions, i can honestly agree with this statement. Hm, say, have you ever talked about your Top 10 Steven Universe Spinoff Ideas before?

[@NOWSYOUR]

12:56 theme fightin' words mentioned

[@yaboi_zero]

For me, you uploaded this at 4am, in the middle of the night lol

[@kaekaesam6240]

Mirror Gem Shook me pretty hrd tbh! xD

[@piefort99]

Oh this was just uploaded?? Lemmie make some tea real quick

[@limun9585]

I love Steven universe it's my childhood I don't know why people hate this show but hey different people different thought haters gonna hate

[@CrysalGemGeek]

I agree...I think it became great in the episode mirror gem

[@ZIRKKeoe]

I think by ep two I knew Steven universe would be great

[@neon_twister_]

And then fall. Nice video

[@luizhenriquebarbosadasilva8667]

i think people judges this show to hard for no reason

[@alexmcdonald4707]

Great video!

[@rileyanthony]

Su brings back a lot of memories just wish there were a couple things different about it that was more unnecessary that they added.

[@luckycreep8617]

Le bouquet magique! Nice! :)

[@lebendigesgespenst7669]

14:43 guilty ✋

[@_eIIiot]

16:51 pearls forehead 😭

[@Crunchytailss]

agreed. thats about it. yr litterly so right

[@fangsabre]

Ill never get over how blasé the gems are about the mirror. Its a GEM powered mirror? How could they not know that there was a PERSON in there???? And if they did know, what does it say about thr gems that rhey effectively took a civilian war prisoner and kept her locked in a mirror for thousands of years

[@umi2751]

This character received so much hate, being one of the most interesting and unique characters in the show