A while ago, I saw lots of GIFs on Tumblr featuring this animated series. I was intrigued, so I hunkered down to watch all the episodes. And boy was I pleasantly surprised. Steven Universe is indeed one heck of a cartoon. We start off with a young boy, Steven, who is protected by three superpowered gems, but it becomes a lot more. As the show progresses, he learns more about the powers, where the gems come from, and tries to help his guardians by preparing for a final showdown between the Earth and the Crystal Gems.
Spoiler alert: Everything below contains crucial plot points. Don’t read if you want to be surprised.
But the story doesn’t stop there. You see, although the gems have human forms, they are referred to as she, and one of them is actually made up of the combination of two “she” gems, also known as a fusion. You see, the –dare I say it?– lesbianism that is present in the show, and is explained in a matter-of-fact way. Two gems who know each other very well may want to be fused all the time. And yes, the fusing has to be consensual. What better way to talk about relationship and sex to kids with this metaphor?
Then, there’s Connie. Connie’s an Indian girl who quickly becomes friends with Steven, and soon realises that there is a war at hand. Since she is Steven’s friend (okay, not gonna lie, they probably have a crush on each other) she decides that she wanted to train and protect him. So, she learns swordfighting from Pearl and becomes really good at it. For the first time in my life, I am seeing an Indian cartoon character on TV screen, and to me, that is huge in terms of representation. Connie is also relatable; her mother is overprotective and is wary of things that aren’t normal, which causes Connie to hide and lie, which lead to her breaking the rules. While not all Asian families are like that, and while Connie’s family shouldn’t represent their entire race, it’s heartwarming to see a family that isn’t picture-perfect and is working out the kinks.
As the plot thickens, we meet Peridot, who is part of the group of gems who want to invade Earth. It appears that the “homeworld” the gems come from is also fraught with problems like racism, because Peridot makes fun of and insults Pearl for being a mindless drone that only responds to others. This results in a robot battle and both parties fight it out.
And perhaps, one of the prime talking points is when Steven visits the Kindergarten, where gems from the “homeworld” have conducted experiments to produce superpowered gems. The Crystal Gems are disgusted by the inhumane experiments, which could also be a talking point about the ethics of genetically engineering conscious people.
Oh and did I forget to mention that Garnet is voiced by the singer Estelle, and that Pearl and Amethyst are voiced by a Filipina American and a Korean American lady respectively? That’s representation right there.
There are a lot more talking points in the series, of course, but these are the main reasons why you should catch Steven Universe. Trust me — you won’t regret it.
Image via Jim Chimes