Novemberian

This show definitely isn't for everyone. If you want strict action, direct plot lines, cannot stand LGBTQA+ content, don't have a lot of patience, and/or you don't like looking for answers when they're not given to your face, then I do not recommend watching this show. That being said, I would absolutely 100% recommend to any person to at least watch up to the second season. The first season starts off a bit rough in comparison, but that's simply because the world building and character building needed to be set up from the start, otherwise the overarching plot and character developments would not be allowed to bloom and flourish. Most of the complaints I see for the show tend to target the hiatus, animation inconsistencies, and the ""filler episodes"". However, to this, I would like a few things clarified; firstly, Rebecca Sugar and the Crewniverse are, in fact, not the dictators of the airing schedule. Cartoon Network is the ultimate decider on when an episode airs. The hiatus sucks for everyone involved, including the Crewniverse; it's been stated multiple times they wish for a consistent airing schedule. It is rather foolish to fault the show for something it cannot control. Secondly, the animation inconsistencies are few and far between; the only reason episodes tend to look different is because Rebecca Sugar and the Crewniverse allow creative freedom with their storyboard-based episodic adventures, and thus, the art style is allowed to be free-styled by the storyboarders. I find this to be less a flaw and more of an endearing thing that such creative freedom would be allowed. Thirdly, it is also rather foolish to claim any episode in Steven Universe (including "Say Uncle") are filler. Most of the filler claims are directed to the townie episodes, which are rather odd, as those tend to be the episodes that tend to have the most development and foreshadowing. To the actual review: Steven Universe is a first person limited show where we follow Steven Quartz Universe and his journey in the world. We learn, live, and grow with him as he learns more about their rather odd world, joined in part by Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, three members of an alien species known as Gems, who protect the Earth from their own kind. Steven joins in on their journeys and adventures, yet also spends time getting to know his human-half; he hangs out with his father, Greg, his best friend, Connie Maheswaran, and the diverse cast of citizens that live in Beach City. While starting off "slow" in terms of the over-arching plot, we follow the adventures (and misadventures) of Steven as he slowly gets the hang of things and learns more about both himself and the Gems. What starts off as a seemingly cutesy story turns into one that handles such themes that include, but are not limited to: life, death, love, birth, peace, war, grief, loss, tragedy, heartache, consent, depression, anxiety, self-worth, self-loathing, sacrifice, corruption, relationships and their diversities, fitting in, being an outsider, and many more such topics that many other shows either avoid or handle poorly. This show is not about the destination, but rather about the journey. How long it takes to get there, and what it takes to achieve the end-goal. It is a show that does not focus on simply getting one task completed, but rather focuses on what can happen *during* the fulfilling of that task, and how things are not always what they seem to be. It teaches important lessons, and the show itself has a deep understanding on the topics it tackles. As I'm almost out of room, I'll stop here. Again, I would not recommend this show to everyone. However, you should not judge this show without watching all of it. This show will surprise you in more ways than one if you choose to watch further than the first season.