The Beautiful GENIUS Of Steven Universe

Steven Universe is a breathtaking show. No other animated series on Cartoon Network has taken on the topics and themes quite like Steven Universe has. The show has come and gone, but the ideas and message behind Steven Universe will live on forever.
#StevenUniverse #CartoonNetwork #Nerdstalgic
Editor - Dave Sadvari
Writer - Mark Rennie

[@genesischaparro8954]

Every super hero story says "villain bad" Steven asks "villain sad?"

[@Nerdstalgic]

Love this

[@SnowyValk]

*sad mega mind noises

[@bismuth7398]

Pretty effective and touching for characters like Peridot and Jasper. Extremely problematic for characters like the Diamonds.

[@kacperpiotrowski7239]

I agree: the diamonds are in essence dictators of a spacefaring civilization that exterminated countless species of organic life , and yet they are forgiven so easily. SU tried to do some intresting things but the over all prodcut is, if not bad, at the very least lack luster.

[@lasanya_galang13]

Amazing

[@powerpotion5470]

Surprised he mentioned Amethyst changing shape in Tiger Millionaire but not the fact that her constantly shape-shifting over the series while Pearl and Garnet refrained from doing so was actually a hint that Amethyst doesn’t feel comfortable in her own skin/shape, before it was finally addressed later in the series. I thought that was a great subtle way to foreshadow her own insecurities.

[@denickart]

1:50 actually they did have an episode on that. Professor just realized at the end that Mojo was a douche even before his accident.

[@DeathGodRiku]

Yeah, wasn't it revealed that Mojo was his lab assistant and made the prof spill chemical x into the mixture?

[@snintendog]

@@DeathGodRiku the "anger" Mojo has was from a superiority complex and wish for chaos its not from a "tragic backstory" even though he frames it as such in the movie they made.

[@Undomaranel]

Most of the shows he referenced had already had a conversation. The show is the aftermath instead of the encounter. Honestly, MLP:FiM falls into the SU category because it's not old villains returning, it's new encounters trying to solve the problem. And to be honest, the later seasons of even Supernatural had Sam and Dean and Cas asking monsters why and trying to find solutions before the murder.

[@ZombieBarioth]

If I remember correctly Mojo got jealous due to the professor's obsession with creating the girls, it was semi-tragic but turned out to be mostly fueled by selfishness. The show tries to make him sympathetic but always play it off as a self-sabotaging gotcha in the end. You can at least tell he's supposed to be more like Browser or Eggman than an out and out villain.

[@whyyou268]

Yeah the ppgs did talked to him before but he still decided to be EEEVVILL!

[@justjulia1720]

I've gotten so tired of all the negativity SU was surrounded by at some point, I'm honestly so happy you took the time to say something positive about this show. Especially touching on Steven's empathy. I saw over the years that people took issue with Steven giving a second chance to space tyrants who committed atrocities, but that's the aspect I actually enjoyed. Maybe it could've been handled better, but I'm glad they made a point to say that nobody is beyond redemption.

[@jaycrews3707]

Agreed

[@clarencehemphill3403]

Some people cant be changed but its subjective

[@jmachero5852]

Point taken, How come nobody considers this in real-life?

[@clarencehemphill3403]

@@jmachero5852 some people think if the action is bad enough they can never hope for redemption others bbelievethe opposite watching multiple shows or movies will teach you different versions of every moral its up to you which one you agree with

[@jmachero5852]

@@clarencehemphill3403 In English? Sorry, it's just seemed like poor grammer.

[@seandon3827]

Always puts a smile on my face when someone likes Steven Universe for all the right reasons

[@mike0o0animates11]

Right

[@Noiee_suspirium]

Yes

[@jamesaaron8578]

Sorry I don't like it

[@alxandro5504]

@@jamesaaron8578 that’s okay :)

[@austinbaker8042]

What are wrong reasons you can like this show?!

[@Flip-a-dip-dip]

Pretty rare to hear someone actually praising Steven universe nowadays.

[@Xo-3130]

Probably because in the end we can see how the series progressed, how the fandom evolved, and how that feedback into each other.

[@pastaisgood6681]

Wait why

[@tristanfonroques8230]

ikr, why does the show get so much hate I don't get it

[@Anon2767]

@@tristanfonroques8230 There is a whole lot of biggots out there. And some just didn't like the direction and lack of payoff some of the later seasons had.

[@Xo-3130]

@@Anon2767 ok one the first isn't nearly as big of an issue. It's more the general refusal of criticism mixed with people being aware the series keeps falling into a pattern that gives it the illusion. Secondly, the other point is simply because of the series itself being written by what amounted to a bunch of non writers who wanted to pull everything in multiple different directions which made the series feel like it lasted longer on things then it should.

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

I love that future shows us that while Steven might have been inherently empathic he also used it as a coping mechanism and got to a point the it was very out of control. Something that does happen in repeated abusive or traumatic experiences. Glad he finally got the help he needed

[@Purpleturtlehurtler]

I didn't watch the show until I was a full grown adult. I absolutely love it.

[@thevarietychannelofyoutube4769]

Same. I refused to watch it as a kid because of the art style.

[@logannottheonefrommarvel9917]

As much we feel Steven Universe half-assed a few story arcs, there's no doubt this show did an excellent job at world building and character development.

[@jasonblalock4429]

Seriously, no show runs as long as SU without having a few dud story arcs. The overall scope of their accomplishment is still hard to match, especially how it really does answer all its internal questions by the end of the series. Not only that, but it certainly seems like they had most of the answers established before the show even started. It's honestly refreshing when far far too many shows get lazy and take the JJ Abrams "mystery box" approach rather than actually doing real worldbuilding.

[@alxandro5504]

@@jasonblalock4429 no excuses. most of the storylines from seasons 3-5 were half assed.

[@remyhavoc4463]

If we take away the half-assed arcs and incomplete and mediocre character developments, the lore is probably the most fascinating out of all the shows that came out that era

[@khalifrhodes9503]

@@remyhavoc4463 adventure time is far better than anything steven shittyverse pumps out.

[@TheRawyan]

FACTS

[@elian37]

saw steven universe + nerdstalgic and just had to watch asap

[@Nerdstalgic]

Favorite

[@elinoamrichter162]

Sammeee

[@EdwardMcPeak]

I just did the exact same thing.

[@NICEEntGroup]

Steven Universe is one of those shows that reinforces the idea that “good and bad” are two sides to the same coin and that people can and do change. A lot of people don’t like that about it (they say there’s too much redemption) but I think it a good lesson-especially with how Rose turned out in the end. Nothing is quite black or white in life and the show does a good job reflecting that. Incidentally I also just released a Steven Universe themed video on my channel. Mine is a game review but figured some SU fans in the comments might be interested.

[@Mitsu92]

Steven Universe may have a lot of issues with story, animation, character development, undertones and more. But what people will remember it for is the inclusivity, representation, questioning morals and portrayal of love and care towards the people around you. And it does so without pushing an agenda. It presents people as people, no matter who they are. And that is what I think most kids will learn from watching Steven Universe - kindness.

[@il_Giollo]

the errors in steven universe are very underlined when in reality they're just a few, and wdym issues with character development??

[@vi0lee]

What? This show had one of the best character development lol.

[@Cat_Steven]

​@@vi0leethat's what im saying

[@FalconsWarrior]

Refreshing to see a video about Steven Universe that isn’t the same feature-length hate rant people usually make.

[@chiefbeef6251]

Some of the negetive videos actually bring up interesting and valid points. I love SU but it annoys me when fans write off all of the criticism as "hate".

[@FalconsWarrior]

@@chiefbeef6251 People bring up the same criticisms every time lmao. It’s annoying. If you’ve seen the Lily Orchard video you’ve basically seen all of them.

[@chiefbeef6251]

@@FalconsWarrior Okay, I don't necessarily agree, but I do understand your point. Sorry if I came off as aggressive in my last comment, I was in a really bad mood when I wrote it lol

[@PlahaKumar]

TBF the show does have flaws, and some people do feel that it does mar the show down for them. But yeah it's far from the worst thing ever, just something that could be better in some aspects.

[@chiefbeef6251]

@@PlahaKumar Agreed

[@Jetsetradio]

Optimus Prime would absolutely try to talk things out in good faith. There was even a series where Starscream left the decepticons for that exact reason.

[@Nerdstalgic]

What nostalgic animated show should we talk about next?

[@Omabatfartsbruh]

clone high lol

[@robfobjanstar]

Star Vs The Forces Of Evil and Adventure Time

[@HelloKitty15937]

Over the garden wall!

[@supersonicbro]

Kipo!

[@lopiditty]

The Amazing World of Gumball?

[@Heffsta02]

I randomly decided to start watching the show once, because i really liked one of Rebecca Sugar's songs. I fell in love, and wish i had this show when i was growing up. I honestly think the show has helped heal my inner child.

[@Web-Slinger42]

This was how Mr. Satan saved the Universe from Majin Buu.

[@medi0cre_pr0ducti0ns6]

I'm writing a story and this show has inspired me to make the character a (mostly) pacifist. In most superhero media the hero has a moment of true empathy, usually in the form of sparing a villain, Steven has these moments basically every episode.

[@DonVigaDeFierro]

I like your approach. Most superhero writers nowadays would go the opposite direction and make their "heroes" edgy assholes because "it's more mature" and "nuanced". I was writing a fantasy story about a character that could "feel" the emotions of all people, particularly the negative ones, and felt moved to help them as a result. This was a very grimdark setting where horrible things happened to everyone, from wild beast attacks to cold-blooded torture, and this character had photographic memory, so it was always a terrible day. At one point he asks himself if he was helping others because he truly felt empathy towards them, or simply because he was selfish and he wanted the negative emotions of others to stop tormenting him... In the end, he finds more characters like him and decides to help them by cutting their connection with the emotions of others and taking them with him... Something that makes him go around in agonizing pain all the time... But turns out, he was truly wanting to help all along.

[@medi0cre_pr0ducti0ns6]

@@DonVigaDeFierro Awesome I'd love to discuss our stories together someday although preferably in a more private setting.

[@TechnoL33T]

Hold up. Stop right there. Optimus has definitely tried the diplomatic route. It's just that he doesn't have such convenient opposition.

[@OgIKidd]

I was thinking that as he listed off a bunch of shows and Steven's character traits. >Tries to appeal to enemies moral sense or emotions. >Most of his enemies become his allies >Cries a lot Two out of three of those paired interchangeably describes about half of the most popular action cartoons and anime from the last 15-20 years. lol

[@TechnoL33T]

@@OgIKidd It's almost like he's a shounen protagonist.

[@theblackoutexplorer2658]

@@OgIKidd and that’s why anime is fucking dominating the western market rn. (That’s not me trying to be a fan boy it’s literally topping the charts rn shits wild)

[@OgIKidd]

@@theblackoutexplorer2658 @MangoTek The point that we're making is that Nerdstalgic presented these details as if they were unique to Steven as a character and Steven's Universe as a show when in reality.... these are just qualities and characteristics that carry most popular franchises to becoming successful in general. Hell, the things that people love so much about anime just comes from traditional literature and common storytelling. Invincible's big season 1 climax saw Mark defeat his merciless father by appealing to the man's heart and humanity when his fists absolutely failed him.... That came directly from the comic. Japanese manga and animation just happen to get away with it more broadly in today's market because Japan is a country with a more relaxed history regarding censorship and their Federal guidelines/laws than the US is. They never had a Comics Code, a Hayes Code, or a Christian Code of Authority/Decency restricting their creatives. Which is something that writers, artists, and animators still have to deal with (fuck 4Kids and the FCC) here in the US even if those particular organizations don't exist anymore. We're only just now being able to find ways around these common and highly enforced standards due to the modern convenience of the internet and Adult Swim. So basically, Steven isn't a "shonen protagonist," he's just "a" protagonist who's finally (mildly) free from archaic US censorship practices without fear of being slapped with an X rating like Frits the Cat was when it was released. lol

[@Jetsetradio]

Absolutely, Optimus would always be diplomatic first, but it dries require good faith of both parties and... I mean, they're called the Decepticons. Good faith is basically unheard of.

[@ilikemovies22]

A Nerdstalgic video about one of the shows nearest and dearest to my heart? Yes please.

[@city_ofalexandria]

oh my god I'm so glad people are finally realizing this is a good show. been hyperfixated on it twice since future was coming out, and now it's trending :)

[@Merchantic]

Everything about SU is great, except for the White Diamond shift to good. It happened so fast i had whiplash

[@ThePonderer]

The thing about White Diamond’s pivot is that it’s fascinating for how quick it is- the *instant* she perceives herself as anything other than perfect her entire worldview crumbles, and there’s something true to life in that being a very fast process, even if it’s not necessarily narratively satisfying.

[@orlandotheg1923]

To put it best when it was good it was amazing and when it was bad it was awful.

[@HotDogTimeMachine385]

To be fair when the studio tells you your show is over because gay characters aren't allowed on tv you don't have much of a choice between a rushed ending or just making an unresolved cliffhanger ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@buster3041]

Naw the characters and story suck.

[@orlandotheg1923]

@@buster3041 Not really, most of the characters are fantastic and the story is great its just the writing that brings it down on later seasons along with the not so great characters being poorly handled.

[@nicolasjuvera762]

great to see someone actually making a video on arguably the best show on cn, gotta love it.

[@daylanmcgee8865]

No its not even top 10 but i respect your opinion

[@aravindrenmahenthiran6827]

@@daylanmcgee8865 it is in the top 10 ur just dumb go argue with the wall

[@Fi_Sci_]

I am inclined to agree just how great Steven Universe can be. My favorite part about Steven Universe is the World building and how the Crystal Gems have been through nearly every point in history having their own impact on it, and along with that the Gempire ruled by the Diamonds. The fusions and musical performances are also quite brilliant, with my favorite musical number being _“It’s over isn’t it.”_ My only big issue with the show is the inconsistency in the Animation, whether it be the disproportionate designs or improperly scaled characters... it can be quite distracting at times. Nevertheless, it is still a show that I enjoy and it definitely took some surprising directions that kept me interested.

[@pennyryukyagami3513]

Just wanted to say you might get some people hating on you for praising the show. For some reason people hate it with a passion. It has some confusing conclusions and has its flaws. But keep doing what you do. Your content is genuinely so enjoyable. ❤️❤️❤️

[@zacbendable6346]

I love love love this show, but even I will admit it gets messy at times. Still, I love the themes and characters so much I let it slide

[@pricefieldx]

Ok tbf the the show for the most part was really good but the no you ending was....off

[@Noiee_suspirium]

Most ppl love the show

[@HotDogTimeMachine385]

@@pricefieldx To be fair when the studio tells you your show is over because gay characters aren't allowed on tv you don't have much of a choice between a rushed ending or just making an unresolved cliffhanger ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@pricefieldx]

@@HotDogTimeMachine385 Doesn't mean you can't make something have a worthwhile conclusion, also no need to be so sarcastic it's kinda rude

[@moviemaestro800]

Surprisingly no one brought it up here yet, but the creator of She-Ra has since come out as a man, and is now addressed as ND Stevenson. His work continues to impress, judging by Nimona's reception. 🥰

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Imagine a Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald fusion at once.

[@victorguerrero4461]

Kyogre and Groudon desagree xD

[@talethornimagery5289]

That would be Pokémon Gen 3, my friend! XD

[@J11_boohoo]

In the real world those 3 gems are all part of the corundum rock family so maybe they’re called corundum

[@CoolPlayersVic]

While I appreciate the reference unfotunately the Emerald from this show isn't that remarkable and she's never even shown fighting so...

[@cyarain1720]

Forms rayquaza

[@itsnuts.9248]

Steven Universe was a masterpiece, until it wasn't. Always loved the songs though

[@zerovine8025]

You put it the best, simple and to the point lol

[@akielsteewart8577]

Was literally my favourite thing on earth up until around change your mind.

[@Jetsetradio]

Understanding where the entire series goes and understanding how I feel about it, the last episode I actually enjoyed with no hesitation or baggage was Doug Out. Everything after that was a declining appreciation so by the time Change My Mind came on, I'd already stopped enjoying it.

[@MarkWTK]

I haven't watch it, where do you think I should stop 😅

[@zerovine8025]

@@MarkWTK watch it all the way, sure it's kinda get *eh* at the end but it'll be empty if you don't finish it

[@SMEAZDEALER]

Steven universe was my childhood show and definitely my favorite cartoon. I'm glad to see someone explain why the series is good

[@blip7882]

A positive video about Steven Universe? THANK YOU!

[@bluerofl3145]

For me steven universe is beautiful because it had amazing pacing. It kept information coming at just the right amount

[@jmachero5852]

Well, some say the show has bad pacing.

[@chimp4225]

The pacing is literally the show’s worst aspect

[@damianamigo6630]

Yes, i never understood the hate this show received

[@DonVigaDeFierro]

I don't like it. I don't really hate it either, but I rather watch literally anything else. Why? Excluding the obvious reasons * cough coughthefandom cough cough * there are things I really don't enjoy about the show. The animation for example. Which is a shame because Rebecca Sugar isn't a bad artist at all... (And before anyone says "hurr durr just watch it!!"... I have up until episode 70-ish and then gave up.)

[@highvoltage7797]

@@DonVigaDeFierro Yeah the fandom thing isn’t completely true. This happens with every fandom. A handful or hundreds of bad fans and everyone thinks all the fandom is toxic. You’re telling me the thousands/millions of people who are fans are toxic? No it’s the loud minority. I’m not saying Steven Universe didn’t have toxic fans but it’s more nuanced then people think. Also, a fandom shouldn’t colour anyone’s view of the show itself. Not saying you should enjoy the show just dislike it for tangible reasons.

[@DonVigaDeFierro]

@@highvoltage7797 I don't like the show and it's for tangible reasons, not because of things outside of it. Now, I didn't really want to, but addressing the fandom problem: Even a small and loud minority can ruin the whole thing for all people, and toxic fandoms are the exact reason why many people hate the show without having seen it, and the reason I never bother talking about my interests online. Still, I never have and still don't condemn _all SU fans_ for what a bunch of lunatics did. So, if you had that idea, you can rest easy because I don't think like that.

[@damianamigo6630]

@@DonVigaDeFierro The animation of s.u. is great , not a master piece but very nice in its movement and colorfull; if the jokes dont get you or it boring to you is just your taste and its fine ; but the fandoms arent a thing to judge a show; literally u can just wach all the series and its done no one is gona magically know it and talk to u about it, u have to search for other people opinions, personally i never do that, i just wach if i like it and thats all, if u want something more dark wach infinity train , its great

[@DonVigaDeFierro]

@@damianamigo6630 "The fandoms aren't a thing to judge a show" *That's exactly what I've been saying and repeating, holy fu....*

[@sakori_the_peach8816]

Speaking of She-Ra. That’s it I’d like a She-Ra video.

[@jmachero5852]

Somehow no one complained about Catra and Hordak being redeemed despite them committing acts far worse than The Diamonds. To add further insult, no one called them out for their actions.

[@carlbrown1000]

The original Powerpuff girls showed us why Mojo Jojo was the way he was. He was originally just a bad monkey who was a pet of the professor and him doing his bad deeds ended up indirectly creating the Powerpuff girls and mutating his brain into being the super genius he was. In a later season he found this out after holding the professor hostage and the professor found out he was the same monkey and told him what had happened and MOJO just kinda shut down for the rest of the episode.

[@SynymynBuhnz]

Okay this video finally convinced me to start watching Stephen Universe

[@NoNameAtAll2]

I found it a lot more enjoyable to just watch all the clips here on youtube

[@thisisasupersayin376]

watch out for the end of season 5, that's when Cartoon Network was pressuring the crew to finish up and they had to cut a lot of corners to wrap up the plot

[@pinkquartz3404]

Don't start from the beginning lol it kinda sucks at first

[@davrowpot5585]

You're in it for a ride, might as well enjoy!

[@SH1N0Z]

So , did you like it?

[@freddy04123]

So sad story. I worked at this place for troubled youth, William George Agency. One day while the kids were watching cartoons one of the kids looked up to me one day and said "I like Steven Universe because he cries, and I cry."

[@mattiesavannahpahl9934]

06:30 there was actually a gay wedding in Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends season 6 episode "Bad Dare Day", though it wasn't taken quite as seriously.

[@fantasticnerd7978]

I never knew that!

[@mattiesavannahpahl9934]

@@fantasticnerd7978 I just recently finished the series so it's fresh in my mind, but yeah Bloo got married to Sloppy Moe on a dare, and it surprisingly wasn't ever annulled (but it also isn't mentioned again in the 3 episodes after). So, like I said, not played seriously like the SU wedding, but it did happen

[@CJCroen1393]

@@mattiesavannahpahl9934 Does it really count if it was done on a dare though?

[@bakothegreat6986]

@@mattiesavannahpahl9934 It's a dare, ofc it isn't serious cz bloo isn't gay

[@ak_hoops]

I NEVER clicked one of your videos so quickly! I figured you were going to do this eventually. This is my favorite show of all time and you are hitting it ALL on the nail! Thank you!

[@Nerdstalgic]

Wow, thank you!

[@ak_hoops]

@@Nerdstalgic man thank you! Appreciate you’re channel, thanks for the phenomenal break downs and perspectives!!

[@timorthyturner5396]

Thank you for creating a video about my favourite cartoon ❤

[@katiekaufenberg7395]

I think the redeemable villian is becoming more of a trope, it showed up in MLP all the time as well as some newer Disney movies like moana

[@Riku70X]

Well, Te Kā isn't really a redeemable villain, it's just that Te Feti was turned into a monster. Like, White Diamond _chose_ to be a space nazi, and later _chose_ to surrender to Steven. Te Feti became Te Kā against her will, and Te Kā barely even had a mind to think. She isn't responsible for any lives that she took, because her mind was broken. That's not really a redemption, she was just kinda saved.

[@ThePonderer]

I can see people are already salty. Steven Universe is rad and an all time great tv show, fite me.

[@thelaw7701]

*fight

[@ThePonderer]

@@thelaw7701 no

[@thisisasupersayin376]

@@ThePonderer good fite lmao

[@merpins]

6:25 and not only did the showrunners manage to get a gay wedding with a kissing scene on Cartoon Network, they had to fight tooth and nail to get it to happen only for the show to be canceled because of it. The 5th and final season before the epilogue series was supposed to run over 2 or even 3 seasons, but the end arc instead had to be crammed into about 5 episodes since CN decided to cancel the show early over fears of homophobia.

[@garibaldibritann1240]

Yeah, i read that news but i'm afraid that news is a fake liberal kowtow and the show's crew lied to the interview to the point calling a show "Get woke go broke"

[@witchofwillow1206]

Thank you for making this video. Steven Universe has many lessons to learn but the most important to me was empathy.

[@daylanmcgee8865]

Yep empathy for lesbian space nazis

[@xyenia0122]

I don't think there was anything against boys wearing pink shirts. I mean Fairly Odd Parents and Invader Zim both featured protags with pink shirts and ironically both premiered on the same day.

[@royaljunior2125]

That and the crying thing felt like lies or were just wrong. I mean spongebob, the most popular cartoon boy of all time, crys in every other episode. I mean crying actually save him and patrick in the first movie!

[@ronnickels5193]

If anything the pink shirt has an 80s/vaporwave vibe to it

[@snintendog]

SU has the "first XXX ever" thing down pat while ignoring everything that has existed before it.

[@Undomaranel]

@@snintendog Truth. Even boiling it down to just American animation (ignoring European/ Japanese/ etc.) SU takes full credit for being the first on everything controversial, imo mostly because of the time it was created in. And while some specifics are true with certain wording, it definitely ignores other firsts of other cartoons.

[@DuelScreen]

You must be young. This was definitely a thing in the 1980s and earlier. Gender roles were more clearly defined back then and colors were strongly associated with one's gender. Boys did not--ever--wear pink because that was the girls' color. That you don't know that history shows your age.

[@SylviaRustyFae]

"it has fun songs "

[@motherboardbroken2305]

It was a show the world, the parts of the world needed very badly. Cultural barriers to ideologies that SU shines the light on, will eventually be broken by the kids of today- a slow process but its better then nothing at all. And for this very reason, the show has a good place in my heart and the whole soundtracks of the musicals on my phone permanently. Each episode so brilliantly made, and the kids enjoy it whether they understand or not, but always do understand the love the show wants to value. This is truly a masterpiece, and a very important show for ages of all.

[@Noiee_suspirium]

I really loved this show for being different and the art the animation the series in a whole it was so amazing ❤ I miss it

[@midazan]

I don't know why the show had/has a huge hate bandwagon The shows a near masterpiece 👌🙌

[@bigmangabe]

Nah

[@snintendog]

its near worthless everything it goes for has been done better in other shows. Not withstanding the sheer amount of filler its still the highest ratio a show has to useless filler at a 25:1 ratio of filler to plot.

[@bigmangabe]

@@snintendog infinity train is an example

[@degon8086]

Nah it's too anime

[@OgIKidd]

I'm pretty indifferent on the show, but I can more than understand why people might not like it or outright despise it. The long short of it comes down to corporate politics and the fans doing the show a disservice in how they presented it to people. First and foremost, the fan base comes to mind. At the show's peak popularity they were just about as cancerous as the Rick & Morty fans. What the fans might see is unique clever commentary humor and action. How the fans present it and what ever one else sees is "Wubba-lubba-dub-dub, I'm pickle Rick!" Just replace it with anthropomorphic rocks and the touchy subject that is gender politics. Aside from that, the fans got so bad that they started sending death threats to the official staff of the show, and they all had to mass exodus social media entirely for a while. That right there gave the show a terrible reputation among people that may have wanted to check it out. Another reason is that it's partially a musical. Musicals already have an up hill battle being so niche in the first place. The fans once again didn't help by pushing that aspect of it super heavily. As far as corporate politics go, it was a show that came out during the sudden purge of action shows on Nick, Disney, and Cartoon Network. Imagine if in the 80's they cancelled He-Man and Thundercats, then replaced it with Care Bears with a bunch of musical numbers. That's basically what happened when SU and other similar shows came out. Action fans were scorned hard as each network basically soft rebranded themselves to lean more exclusively humor and a lot more directly socially political. Which in itself isn't bad, but when you do it in such a way without warning to your core audience, it's gunna uh.... ruffle a few jimmies, to say the least.

[@TheClodWhoEatsLogs]

To the people who don’t like it and are commenting about not liking it, Just don’t watch the video. Don’t comment if it isn’t positive. Damn.

[@poeterritory]

This is one of the few shows where I loved 99% of the music.

[@NightDawnDusk]

It's so wholesome. I was genuinely a hater on the haven't watched the show bandwagon. But in general, mind the Garnet's universe episode. So far I've found it great, can't wait to watch more.

[@ILvIsekai]

Lots of people are on Thai bandwagon unfortunately

[@ScreamoPichu]

Nice to see this go up as soon as I started giving the show a second watch. Great vid!

[@mooxim]

I had to pause and figure out where I've seen Noelle Stevenson before. After a light spot of googling, I can now let out a sigh of relief. She was interviewed by Brian W Foster on Between the Sheets on the Critical Role KZbin channel.

[@xkueen]

I’ve never paid attention to or even looked at the bad things people have said about this show because I knew it would ruin it for me. I chose not to because this show is truly amazing.

[@peachie5000]

Nice to see a positive SU review out there- the youtube landscape is desperately in need of more

[@derekmann8239]

The timing of this video! I JUST finished this series last night.

[@garrettp7003]

so, i've never watched Steven Universe but i always heard good things from sources that i respect. they all touched on similar themes and points that you do in this video, one that always i notice gets highlighted is how it is not the typical show for kids. i always get puzzled by that. my favorite cartoon when i was growing up was Hey Arnold. The themes that made the show work so well was how rarely it held back on some "not so typical" topics. i believe you touched on one example in your video for the episode where mr. hyunh is reunited with his daughter. however, the thoughts of isolation that helga had with her family, arnold being afraid after being mugged, latchkey kids like torvald taking out their frustrations at school, and so on and so forth, are what make good kids shows, great shows to show your kids years later. what makes certain shows designed for children stand the test of time are that they tackle topics in a manner that is both entertaining, understandable and sometimes even relatable. i guess my point is i wish shows like this where acceptance is a key identifier and normalizing how different everyone is and embracing that would be the standard for kids shows. In other words, great video.

[@davrowpot5585]

I think one of the downsides of SU is that the antagonists/villains never had any recursions for what they've done (for examples, the Diamonds experimenting on gems, commiting genocide on colonial planets all the while terraforming them). But then again, the show made it sure to make them redeemable to the end or at some point have their past sins/mistakes and "them" forgiven, which is the first step to love. On the upside, what I liked about SU it that is dwells on the effects and consequences of war: to the planet, to the characters, to basically anyone and anything involved. And it kind of teaches you a lesson that if you keep running away from your problems, personal or not, and denying to face it head on very early, in a sense, they'll eventually catch up to you, and even worse, catch up to the people around you. Oh, and most episodes leaves pieces of breadcrumbs for you to follow forward only to return to those details once again you've finally put two and two together.

[@CaramelFrapple]

That gay wedding is more significant that most people know. Rebecca Sugar willingly risked the entire show's livelihood to get that scene in there. She purposely wrote it in a way that it couldn't be censored or omitted. Ruby couldn't be passed off as a male because she was in the dress. The episode couldn't be omitted because the rising action of the wedding led into a climax that was probably the most important 14 minutes of the show. Sugar knew that the show was going to get pulled from international markets that looked down on LGBTQ+ themes like Russia, and it's been hinted that that loss of funding is why season 5 seems to wrap up the series oddly fast following Reunited, but Sugar did what no network has done and put her morals before the money. Love or hate the show, this sacrifice and risk needs to be better know to punctuate just how awesome of a person Rebecca Sugar is.

[@folofus4815]

That is a bad thing. Cartoons aimed at children should not be indoctrinating them with political messaging

[@CaramelFrapple]

​@@folofus4815 "Gay people exist." isn't a political message. If anything, the ones who should stop "indoctrinating" children are the cartoon networks who insist on denying that non-hetero relationships exist.

[@koops7719]

@@folofus4815 the fact that you think gay rights is a political thing is hilarious. Holy shit dude

[@folofus4815]

@@koops7719 It is explicitly a political thing. Just because it’s your politics doesn’t make it not political. 10 years ago nobody except leftist activists supported this perversion.

[@koops7719]

@@folofus4815 Then the people that didn’t suck, so who cares? Love isn’t political, and if it is, maybe that’s a bad thing?

[@finestcacophony]

This video deadass reminded me jsut why I fell in love with this show

[@pascalulrich7856]

Steven universe always had and always will have its major problems. But the themes , worldbuilding and characters and music and voice acting and the story’s that ARE done right are just immaculate and so so heartwarming and deeply sad sometimes. Like , for real. This show deals with such heavy themes sometimes and I just love the way they do it.

[@teddyfurstman1997]

This series is beautiful.

[@SGD2]

Noelle Stevenson and Rebecca Sugar also both identify as some form of genderfluid/nonbinary (tho they both still seem to accept she/her pronouns as well) so perhaps the reason these two specifically seem to do a pretty good job of introducing those sort of LGBT narratives is because of how they themselves have experienced certain things and desired to see those experiences in media! V cool video:)

[@rhondahoward8025]

In Amazing Spiderman 2, Peter originally went the sympathetic route when Max first turned into Electro as well. Max: I don't know what's going on with me. Peter: I can see that. I can see that you're scared, I can see that you're confused, I can see that you don't want to hurt anyone. If the cops weren't so trigger happy, he would've gotten Max to come along with him willingly.

[@matthewtapia1669]

People can hate the show all they want for its woke content but the world's changing we can change with it or be left behind its all a part of life .

[@jynnvynn]

Funny how a lot of the show’s staff doesn’t practice Steven’s empathy in real life, as the glorious Twitter can testify.

[@kaijurat]

Nerdstalgic: Steven universe is a unique show about talking to your enemies and not punching them. Mob psycho fans in the background: noice

[@kaijurat]

Granted tho he dose beat the shit out of people if he has to then asks what's up.

[@АлександрС-о6в]

...but did steven really need to just forgive thousands years old space hitlers tho?

[@emondadon]

See people love bringing that up. When they say that I feel they just watched a rant video and not the actual show. Because Steven didn't just forgive them. He considered them tyrants and was always still weary of being around them. He was just working with them and making them reverse as much damage as possible. And after he was done with that he wanted to go back home and not see them again. Ye he was using empathy to see where the root issue was with the Diamond conflict so he could resolve it. Doesn't mean he liked them and never said he forgave them. And the show doesn't make it out like they're redeemed. Just added more depth to them that shows their side of the issue. You can tell they're more or less going along with it for Steven(Pink's) sake. If Steven wasnt Pink Diamond they would all be dead. And Steven knows. Like he literally had a hallucination of murdering White cus of all that she caused. So ye he definitely didn't just forgive them.

[@jennafields3412]

You create some of my favorite content on KZbin... thank you!!

[@BlackSmith2099]

The comments either one of 3 things: absolutely loving, loathing or absolute indifference to the show. I think I, like many, love the idea of it and some aspects of Steven Universe should be celebrated. It did more good than bad for the majority of people who watched it, some issue it tackled were important even if the scheduling made it difficult to follow sometimes. All in all, see the video as a celebration of what Steven Universe was, criticizing it for what it wasn’t has its place on other videos on other channels.

[@snintendog]

the 200 episodes of filler in a sub 300 episode show is a SIN

[@BlackSmith2099]

@@snintendog very much so. The “steven bombs” were blanks

[@tmomey1954]

Its good that i just finished the main show, the movie, and future so i know what your talking about while you discuss things in the show

[@gino14]

What I love about Steven is that he's a stereotypical male protagonist... but as a _support_ character. Most protagonists are swordsmen because of course they are. To me nothing symbolizes that more than the fact that he _has_ a sword, but he gave it to his girlfriend. And from that, it also symbolizes that Steven is a hero not known for strength, but for compassion. Most heroes are compassionate, but only ever in support of being strong; Steven reverses this dynamic - he feels like he is written to be kind before he is powerful.

[@ameliawarfield5637]

A show like a gem; so many facets. Fact: Steven's mom, Rose Quartz, is also known as Pink Diamond 💎.

[@AvengeButterscotch]

Thank you for this video how come one of my fav shows gets so much hate and ppl literally making hours long videos on why they hate it?! Just thank you

[@tru4872]

Hey dude, I love your videos dude, not even going to lie. I just wanted to tell you that before it's too late to tell you

[@Nerdstalgic]

Why would it be too late??

[@EstoNoEsTV]

@@Nerdstalgic Omae wa mou shindeiru

[@bigbubbus]

was that a.... a threat?! lol

[@tru4872]

@@Nerdstalgic So many people been dieing this year and in 2020, and I just feel like I should tell you I like your videos before anything bad happens or something. 😅 Sorry if that came out the wrong way, but yeah, that was all though

[@tru4872]

@@bigbubbus No, that was not a threat

[@justadude2807]

Steven Universe was so good! It not only did an amazing job representing the queer youth, but also talked about so many important topics that I would never expected a Cartoon Network show do. (Future is amazing as well, and the writes allowed themselves to write about even more deep and complex topics)

[@probablytaha]

Imagine calling a show good just because of "representation"

[@yonatanhoresh2695]

Just a heads up, there's a 10 second silence between 2:25-2:35

[@myasmith1820]

Unpopular opinion: Steven Universe and Steven Universe Future is over hated. Yes there are definitely weak points, but these are both very good shows .

[@petersilveira1629]

I find it more interesting to see Steven Universe being Mahou shoujo than superheroes. The show is very inspired by Utena and Sailor moon. A lot of what you talked about in the video is something already present in the genre.But something unusual for us Cartoons. thankfully SU showed the possibility of many creators denying cynicism is to go aside but about hope

[@jakkdlaw]

star scream will pretend to join you and then stab you in the back when he gets the chance.😂

[@simpsonsfanatic777]

Next video: The Beautiful GENIUS Of Game Of Thrones Season 8

[@Nerdstalgic]

Never

[@bigmangabe]

Lmao

[@Flip-a-dip-dip]

The beautiful genius of the latest season of Promised Neverland

[@cyarain1720]

Beautiful genius of this comment

[@bigmangabe]

@@cyarain1720 comment is better than steven u lmao

[@mahdimuhib]

I enjoyed this video but why the random invincible spoiler with no warning? It hasn't even been out that long.

[@ianyork2543]

I feel you, in middle of watching it and random spoilers less than three months of it being out. LAME

[@thubelihlethusi6446]

Wait what?which country are you guys from

[@mahdimuhib]

@@thubelihlethusi6446 why?

[@thubelihlethusi6446]

@@mahdimuhib because pretty much all of the clips used for this video were from episodes I've seen already

[@mahdimuhib]

@@thubelihlethusi6446 not everyone has seen invincible. And the clip was from the last episode.

[@theanimatorperson5864]

This is one of my favorite shows but most videos i see on it are super negative (Which is valid cuz we all have different opinions of course) But it always bummed me out, it was nice seeing a positive video for once so thank you! :D

[@prestonbrown1876]

In some transformers, they did accept starscream as an autobot temporarily

[@EndureTyrant]

This show was insane. The end of the show had so many surprises that were amazing and crazy out there, and yet still felt grounded and true to what the show was.

[@Jokin_Jake]

Nice. I always wondered whether or not you would review this show

[@Nerdstalgic]

Lemme know what you think

[@Jokin_Jake]

@@Nerdstalgic I thought it was a very accurate summary of why I like Steven Universe. He prefers empathizing for his enemies rather than beating them up and calling it a day. Good work!

[@degon8086]

@@Jokin_Jake and he cries a lot too

[@enminghee2926]

This show is the greatest piece of American family entertainment sinceThe Wizard of Oz.

[@ILvIsekai]

The Wizard of Oz war used to recognise hidden gay people. Friends of Dorothy used to mean they are gay. The princess is apparently gay.

[@Mark_o_Helm]

Avatar the last airbender is better.😁

[@andocoolxd5158]

To be honest, The Powerpuff Girls did first befriended Mojo as seen in the 2002 movie

[@mechajay3358]

I wouldn't say Steven Universe is a Genius show, but it's pretty ok for what it was. Edit: If anyone has a problem with my comment, it's just a matter of opinion. Agree to Disagree.

[@Flip-a-dip-dip]

Agreed. It could have been, But it’s not.

[@ThePonderer]

Good thing it’s not your video then.

[@mechajay3358]

@@ThePonderer Yeah, It's all a matter opinion, agree to disagree.

[@kingflippynips3102]

why you so hurt over a show that can't even draw their characters in a consistent manner season-to-season. Good thing not everyone has to share your opinion.

[@motherboardbroken2305]

before i even watch this, THIS was long overdue.

[@keshang_laow8325]

4:20 jasper became corrupted but this is just a bunch of shattered gems put together.

[@MikaHoppe]

Great cozy video and that little Transformers Animated Spotlight made me super duper happy! 💜

[@marx_dissent]

This is the only animated series that has made me cry. This show is amazing and so filled with emotion.

[@EldritchRolls]

While a lot of the cases of steven befriending enemies are good, there are also several where they really shouldnt have forgiven the enemy, like the diamonds for the number 1 example. what they did cant and shouldnt be forgiven.

[@an8strengthkobold360]

The dimonds just shouldn't of turned good. It was completely out of left field.

[@iancacal6852]

They weren't forgiven, they were given a chance to right the wrong they made/ to fix the damage they made/ to change for the better/ to be better.

[@EldritchRolls]

@@iancacal6852 but those characters did something so horrible, no matter what they do it won't make up for what they did. They are god damned space nazis. The show was stupid to even attempt to "fix" that level of horribleness. Even if they were willing to change, they dont deserve that option.

[@TheRawyan]

@@EldritchRolls fr

[@ikatulo_yt]

Glad to see such an elegant video essay on a show that's often hated

[@brya9681]

Stayed away from this show for so long because of its obnoxious and toxic fan base. Still do t think its great but its a good enough show

[@cyarain1720]

Every large community has that one bad side

[@rosewater226]

My audio cut out during the Steven/Greg fusion

[@austinbaker8042]

At this point I'm not sure if Steven Universe was ever made for kids.

[@maxii6254]

Speaking from a more socio-political standpoint, Steven Universe honestly does aspects such as mental health, sexual identity, and other social aspects covered in the series amazingly. Other shows make those aspects front and center which is fine and all, but, more often than not, it tends to detract from the actual show as a medium of entertainment and becomes more of just a constant blabbering commentary. Steven Universe doesn't do that. It does it subtly enough that it isn't in-your-face and takes away from the entertainment of the show but it's present enough that it helps to normalize and explain those aspects throughout the series.

[@garibaldibritann1240]

Good comment and i hate people calling it "SJW propaganda" and saying any people that enjoy it are as worse than autism and compared to SJW's

[@probablytaha]

@@garibaldibritann1240 but it is SJW propaganda. Many of the gems are LGBTQ which doesn't add or change anything to the story.

[@melol7249]

Good to see a video that isn't shitting on this show