Rebecca Sugar, the first woman to have created her own show on Cartoon Network, has brought into being one of the most beautifully formed alternate universes. This milky pastel world is home to several main characters, including Steven Universe, his father, and The Crystal Gems.
Overview
The show is centered around a young boy by the name of Steven Universe and three female alien beings, The Crystal Gems. We come to discover his affiliation with these beings, he is one of them or half at least. Steven is a gem on his mother’s, Rose Quartz, side and human on his father’s, Greg Universe. The Crystal Gems are all named and based off real-life gemstones; Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. They are have become protectors of Earth, fighting off otherworldly threats.
Revolutionary Side
Gender Roles
This show is breaking down so many walls by challenging gender roles. The human female leads, like Connie and Sadie, are shown as smart, strong and actually having their own distinct personalities. Connie is hinted as Steven’s love interest, yet she is not reduced to an object of affection and remains her own person. A popular observation is that Steven is not bother at all at expressing his feelings. He is shown to openly cry and demonstrate his feelings.
Sexuality
An example that clever undertones regarding sexuality is fusion. Many times there are serious conversations and warnings about “Fusion”, a choreographed dance that gems do in order to fuse together. As a fan this seems to be a loose reference to sex. In the early stages of Greg’s and Rose’s relationship a big barrier was that they would never be able to fuse as he is a human and she isn’t. It is revealed that Garnet is also a fusion of Sapphire and Ruby. It has been stated by co-executive producer Ian Jones-Quarterly that it is a romantic relationship, an example of lesbian/queer love. On one occasion, Steven and Connie are dancing around and accidentally fuse to make one being known as Stevonnie.
It also deals with heavier topics, such as single parenthood, intergalactic love, and loss of a loved one. We come to find out about Steven’s parents, Rose and Greg, dealt with the struggles of being young and in love, but also the added weight that one of the them was not of this world. Needless to say this caused much confusion and misunderstanding, but ultimately created the most beautiful romance.
The relationship between Greg Universe and his son is also quite beautiful; it illustrates the bond between a single father. It is loving, awkward, and of course a bit rocky. In probably the most tear jerking episode, Lion 3: Straight to Video, Rose is finally seen(despite being mentioned in previous episodes) in the video that she is pregnant with Steven. The recording is basically her welcoming and saying goodbye to her son.
Conclusion
I obviously am a big fan of the show. I recommend this show to anyone. It is still innocent and fun to where children will enjoy it, and mature enough to where even adults find it engaging. The plot is maturing, the art is phenomenal, and it truly is revolutionizing how social norms are presented in cartoons.
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