Tag: Steven Universe

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Steven Universe: Change Your Mind

On Monday, January 21st, fans of Steven Universe had almost all of their questions answered in a 45-minute special that is apparently NOT the series finale. (Though it was originally supposed to be?)

That’s right, it’s taken almost two years, but Season 5 is over. When I first started writing this post a few days after the special aired, I was under the impression that the show had already announced a Season 6, but that’s not the case. Instead, “Coming Fall 2019 to Cartoon Network” is the Steven Universe Movie, but rumors of a sixth season don’t seem to be going anywhere.

Being a Steven Universe fan is incredibly frustrating. This is not new information. During its five seasons, the show has evolved with lead character, Steven, from fun-loving and slice of life, to much more serious and plot-focused. This evolution, while fulfilling has also made Cartoon Network’s poor scheduling choices all the more infuriating. Even this last run of episodes had absolutely absurd premiere dates:

(Most Recent Examples:
– Episodes 19-24, which conclude with Garnet’s wedding aired over the course of 5 days (July 2-6, 2018), with episodes 23 and 24 combining to form one special episode.
– Episodes 25-28, “Legs from Here to Homeworld” through “Escapism” aired on a weekly basis from December 17, 2018-January 7, 2019, with season-finale “Change Your Mind” airing two weeks later on January 21, 2019.)

So, while we all often feel like hitting our head against a wall in between bouts of optimism, this last episode, which was originally meant to serve as series finale, would be a lot more fulfilling had it been billed as such. The episode “Change Your Mind”, which Cartoon Network billed as a special called “Battle of Heart and Mind”, went beyond resolving the conflict and into answering questions that we’d all wondered about at one time or another:
– What would happen if Steven’s gem was removed/can it be removed?
– What is Steven’s version of Rainbow Quartz like?
– What would Garnet and Steven’s fusion be?
– What happens when the four Crystal Gems fuse (Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, Steven/Rose Quartz)?
– Is it possible to heal the corrupted gems?

Those are just some of the ones that have been knocking around for a while. “Change Your Mind” answered many questions and resolved almost every plot thread. Whether or not you found that ending satisfying, is debatable (which I did. On Saturday.). I felt that the show wrapped up in a way that was satisfying and made sense for a program aimed at children. While children’s TV can be very smart and do some really interesting things, at the end of the day, I feel that the ending needs to be satisfying for children, which generally means a happy ending that resolves the conflict.

The friend I debated with and my fiancé have differing views. My friend felt that there should have been greater repercussions for the series’ villains, while my fiancé thinks no ending should resolve everything. (I will admit, this is cheating since I have a blog, but I’m gonna call them out anyway, because they do make incredibly valid points.) While I agree with my friend that ‘justice’ was not necessarily served, going into the complex political repercussions of the finale feels like Star Wars: Attack of the Clones territory. Meaning, that while that stuff may be important and interesting, it’s not nearly as flashy or attention grabbing, which is why I remember Attack of the Clones as incredibly boring, since it came out the year I turned 12. (I think I’ve tried to maybe watch it once in the last 17 years, which says something since I am a girl who loves to binge prior to a big premiere.) Steven Universe is literally more accessible; it’s a cartoon program that airs on Cartoon Network and can be found on Hulu (and often YouTube). It’s available to a much larger age range. So, while I’d love to hear more about the political fall out, I’m not sure it’s the sort of thing a cartoon aimed at children could do. Perhaps if it were on Adult Swim/Toonami, it would work, but I’d even love to see it done as a novel. If we get a sixth season, I’d hope we’d hear about the events, even if we don’t directly witness them.

Now, on to my loving fiancé, whom I love and cannot wait to marry, who believes a creative work should leave audiences with more questions than answers: Children’s. Program. When we last discussed this topic on Saturday, I vehemently disagreed with my fiancé, but after giving it some thought, I have a new answer. I absolutely see where he is coming from. Some of the best creative works leave us wanting more, or with an ending open for interpretation (which means everyone can have their own satisfying head canon), or with philosophical questions about life/society/etc. However, I am a 28-year-old English teacher. My tastes and preferences have evolved as I’ve gotten older, but generally speaking, while I see the value in open endings, I still want to see everything resolved. I think most people do. Children, who see the world in much more black and white terms, certainly do. I don’t know many children who aren’t hoping for a happy ending that wraps everything up. Again, that doesn’t mean everyone feels that way, just that a show aimed primarily at children should have an ending children can connect with. Until a show becomes classified as ‘For Adults’ (I again look at Cartoon Network’s Toonami block, which is under the Adult Swim umbrella), it has to be satisfying for its target audience, children– and be something their parents can approve of.

Speaking of parents, some may not be thrilled with the insidious underlying message of acceptance and understanding. Since watching the episode when it aired, I’ve seen a number of headlines/articles which point out the trans-inclusive message. Upon additional viewing this past weekend, I absolutely agree. Steven Universe has long been an LGBTQ+ friendly show, depicting relationships between females and starring a character that, while identifies as male, doesn’t seem to pay much attention to gender conventions. The issue of gender in this show is one that has been wondered and puzzled about for some time, but “Change Your Mind” really addresses the issue.

(Beyond the theory that Lars is trans, which, although no less important, is not as deeply explored.)

SEASON 5 SPOILERS AHEAD



Canonically, the essence of Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond, her gem, is part of Steven, which is why they cannot both exist at the same time. Additionally, Homeworld gems find fusions (or relationships) between two different types of gems taboo. The latter point serves as a metaphor for same-sex relationships. The first point, however, is one that until now has really only had importance to the plot. Steven’s ability to connect with Rose/Pink and see her memories has helped to advance the plot. While he’s struggled with his identity in relation to his mother, it’s only become the central focus since we learned about Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond.

Coming to Homeworld, Steven begins experiencing Pink’s life and seeing more of her memories. In “Familiar”, he even has a song in which he questions why everything is so familiar to him when he is not Pink Diamond. In “Change Your Mind”, we get a new side to the issue. While Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond have struggled to accept that Steven and Pink are not the same person, it’s White Diamond’s response that best serves as a metaphor for trans issues. Over the course of 45 minutes, all three Diamonds eventually come to understand and accept that Steven is Steven, but White has the strongest and most violent reaction and it is her actions that best help the audience and Steven understand the truth of his identity.

EPISODE SPOILERS AHEAD



At the episode’s climax, White Diamond insists that Steven has just been fooling himself, that he really is just another form of Pink Diamond, like Rose Quartz. To prove it, she says she’ll make him change back and removes Steven’s gem***. To the surprise of everyone, Steven’s gem reforms as…..

Steven. “[Pink Diamond]’s gone!” (Gem Steven, “Change Your Mind”)

It answers some major questions and reaffirms Steven’s personal identity, ending a journey we saw in the very first episode: what does it mean to have his mother’s gem and who does that make him? This key moment also highlights the trans metaphor as Steven has been insisting that his name is Steven. That is who he really is, and White needs to accept that. It parallels the trans struggle to be accepted for who they really are, rather than how their parents see them, because, in many ways that’s what White is to Pink, a parent. By this time, we’ve already seen how Pink’s relationship with White, Yellow, and Blue parallels Steven’s relationship with Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst, the gems who raised him. In a reference to a song from episode 30, “Island Adventure” (for reference, “Change Your Mind” is the 157-160th episodes overall), Steven suggests White Diamond (and maybe parents everywhere) to let everyone be whoever they are. It’s a message that goes beyond where you fall on the sexuality or gender spectrums into something that is true for everyone. And honestly, were Steven and Rose/Pink not different genders, the trans metaphor wouldn’t be as clear.

While the episode answered many questions, I went into the season finale knowing that there would be more content. As a result, I was left with additional questions, beyond ‘what is going on with that heart-shaped gem?’. During White Diamond’s revelation, she talks about how she is meant to be perfect. This left me wondering, what are her origins? What are the origins of the gem species as a whole? I saw one reviewer ask, ‘where did the Diamonds go when they left Earth?’ (I’d assume back to Homeworld to rule an empire, but that’s just me.) What is going to happen to Steven and the now-uncorrupted gems? Since 2013, Steven Universe has been looking at the importance of family, love, acceptance, friendship, and been providing viewers with more questions than answered. “Change Your Mind” marks the end of the initial story and several of the series’ main questions. Time will only tell what this new story will be, what new questions we’ll inevitably have, and if Cartoon Network’s schedulers will keep making poor choices.



***One thing I’d like to point out about Steven’s gem that I find suspicious and interesting and is something I suspect we may see or learn about in the movie or future season: once Steven is reunited, we do not see Steven’s gem bellybutton. Even when he is topless with a bathing suit, his stomach is carefully hidden through the end of the episode.

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She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

The first time I encountered She-Ra was about 8 years ago on Hulu. Like any new ‘network’, Hulu was taking advantage of inexpensive syndicated programming to draw in viewers. She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985) was literally a sister show to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983). Since He-Man had such success getting boys to buy their toys, Mattel wanted to capture the interest of girls as well. 

The original She-Ra follows Adora, long lost sister of He-Man‘s Adam. She had been kidnapped from planet Eternia and raised on planet Etheria by the Evil Horde to be one of their Force Captains. (Confusing, right?) After being given the Sword of Protection by her brother, Adam, she defects and joins/leads the rebellion. The original She-Ra wore a skimpy outfit, though more elegant (Grecian?) than her brother’s, but she too fought “For the honor of Grayskull”.

While He-Man has been rebooted several times, this is the first time for She-Ra, which is attempting to draw on the popularity of comics geared towards girls such as Nimona and TV shows such as Steven Universe. All of these programs feature female characters that are just as sexualized as their male counterparts (read: not at all). Steven Universe is also known for its portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community, which She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) is not afraid to draw on. 

The best way to describe She-Ra (2018) is that it is the midpoint between Steven Universe (2013-present) and Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008). The art style resembles Avatar in many ways, but also contains the roundness and soft edges of Steven Universe. The characterization is much closer to Avatar, though, with characters that are unafraid to emote in that obvious anime way. The show features themes of friendship rather than romantic love, but it’s clear from the get-go that gender and sexual preference really don’t matter in this new Etheria.

The society is primarily a female dominant one, with the main villain Hordak as the only male currently in power. However, this does not relegate male characters to the roles typically played by their female counterparts. No, instead of just a gender flip, She-Ra does something much, much better and more interesting; creating a society that has males and females playing an equal part because gender/gender identity are not important in She-Ra. Gender and sexuality aren’t underplayed, just never referenced. Characters come in all different shapes, colors, styles, races, etc and not a single character bats an eye. They are far too busy just trying to live their lives.

Despite being raised by the Evil Horde, Adora’s moral compass points towards truth, justice, and compassion. She’s actually shocked to learn that the Evil Horde regularly hurt innocent people (and that they’re called the Evil Horde). She is somehow ignorant to everything about them, believing instead that the Rebellion are the ones causing unnecessary destruction and harm.

This brings me to a pattern that I’ve found throughout various programs. I don’t have a name for it, but basically it boils down to this: Two friends (often shipped), usually one of them is blond/e and blue eyed, while the other has dark hair or looks less ‘normal’. The blond/e is, for lack of a better word, derpy. These naive characters always want to fight for what’s right and are strong enough to make a difference, however, they struggle with seeing through deceptions or that sometimes things just aren’t that black and white. The other friend is a lot more savvy, with a better understanding of how the world works and that things are not always as simple as they seem. These characters are usually of similar strength or power, but the friend is usually not “the hero” in their world, like the blond/e is.

This is the case with Adora and Catra. While it becomes clear very quickly that all of the characters are a departure from their 1980s counterparts, their relationship really is a product of 2018 sensibilities and ideas. They have a very honest, heartfelt relationship as two characters who were raised together by Shadow Weaver, Hordak’s second-in-command. It’s unclear if 2018 Catra possesses the same abilities as 1985 Catra, but she is a feline humanoid, complete with ears, claws, and a tail. While Blonde, blue-eyed Adora follows the Horde because she believes they are on the side of right (and because they raised her), Catra sees through their lies and is under no impression that they are the ‘good guys’. After feeling betrayed by Adora’s defection, she becomes increasingly self-serving, trying to work her way up the ladder– especially when Adora’s absence opens up a big promotion.

Catra is not the only one who has something to work towards. Because these characters are portrayed as younger than they were in 1985, they are still learning who they are and where they belong. All of the Princesses are young, newer rulers, who are unsure about breaking away from their parents’ values. Individual episodes show the growth that comes with understanding that parents are not infallible and that just because something didn’t work in the past, doesn’t mean it can’t work in the present. All of the characters are growing up and we viewers get to see what that means.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is a complex show that pulls on inspiration from many different places to create something more relatable than the original. I eagerly look forward to additional episodes and hope that this show gets the numbers it deserves. We need more of these earnest, honest shows that demonstrate characters of all different backgrounds getting along without judgement beyond what’s in a character’s heart. It’s a lesson everyone can benefit from.

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Happy Birthday, Parent/Guardian!

Today is my father’s 60th birthday and tonight is a BIG party to celebrate. In honor of this auspicious birthday, I’ve decided to write about birthday parties for parents/guardians.

It was a STRUGGLE! I could’ve sworn there were more than I found. Here are the shows I found with parent/guardian birthdays: Bob’s Burgers (2011-present), DuckTales (2017-present),  Hannah Montana (2006-2011), Jonas (2009-2010), Malcom in the Middle (2000-2006), Married… with Children (1987-1997), Phineas and Ferb (2007-2015), Roseanne (1988-1997, 2018), That 70s Show (1998-2006), The Simpsons (1989-present), The Worst Witch (2017-present)… I’m sure there are more that I am not aware of/couldn’t find.

[Note: I reference episodes of shows where the main characters are not solely the adults/parents.]

So, why am I talking about parent/guardian birthdays specifically? Well, because they often take time to reflect and demonstrate appreciation for what can be thankless work. As a teacher, I get paid for my work, but it often feels like both students and parents underestimate the amount of work that goes into teaching. For parents, most have to balance parenting and a paying job, and children don’t really understand what that means.

I barely understand what that means…

I am a professed fan of Children’s Television, so I’ve chosen a few great examples below. I also like these episodes because they demonstrate or teach something to viewers. It also shows characters appreciating the adults in their lives.

 

Phineas and Ferb 1×19 “Mom’s Birthday” (Aired: Feb 29, 2008)

The concept behind Phineas and Ferb is that the brothers are determined to make the most of every day of vacation. In their quest to make every day the best day and live life to the fullest, they pursue outlandish projects. Some examples include: time travel, going to Mars, being one-hit wonders, turning their backyard into a beach, and turning their backyard into a ski resort in the middle of summer.

On this glorious day of summer vacation, it’s Mom’s birthday! And big sister Candice is desperate to come up with the perfect gift, but her brothers thwart her every attempt. Shenanigans ensue and the episode ends with a lovely tribute to Mom (one I think a lot of us can relate to).

 

DuckTales 1×13 “McMystery at McDuck Manor!” (Aired: May 25, 2018)

DuckTales is a revival of the beloved cartoon which originally ran for 100 episodes from 1987-1990 and a movie. The program depicts the adventures of Scrooge McDuck and his great nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The revival both harkens back to the original comic book and provides a twenty-first century update. It features the voice talents of Danny Pudi (Community), Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation), Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live), and Kate Micucci (Steven Universe), with Scotland-native David Tennant (Doctor Who) playing the role of Scrooge himself in what can only be described as perfect casting. Like Tennant’s Tenth Doctor, this Scrooge is quick witted and physically agile, always searching for a new adventure.

In this episode we learn that Uncle Scrooge hasn’t wanted to celebrate his birthday since the death of his beloved butler– and the best party-planner– Duckworth (a dog…). Huey (red shirt), however, takes this as a challenge and is determined to top him, against Scrooge’s wishes. The disastrous party devolves into a whodunnit, with Huey now determined to prove himself the “best party planner slash detective”. In the end, a lesson is learned about being considerate of the wants of others… And that Duckworth is literally the best butler anyone could ever have ever– including Alfred.

 

The Worst Witch 2×08 “Miss Cackle’s Birthday” (Aired: Feb. 26, 2018)

I included this episode because she is the headmaster of a boarding school, and therefore serves as a pseudo-guardian during the school year. The Worst Witch is based on a book series by the same name and has previously spawned other adaptations, including a TV movie featuring Tim Curry. In the series, Mildred Hubble attends Cackle’s Academy, a magical boarding school for girls, where she is continuously demonstrates herself to be both the worst and best witch at the academy.

In this episode, Mildred’s best friend, Maud Spellbody, is directing a talent show in honor of Miss Cackle’s birthday, but isn’t happy with how it’s going. In an effort to help Maud, Mildred’s spell once again goes awry, with the help of her other best friend, Enid Nightshade. While Mildred and Ethel try to fix things, Mildred’s nemesis, Ethel Hallow, takes over the show, trying to make it more polished and less campy. What the students don’t know, is that Miss Cackle is facing a personal/professional crisis and is looking forward to the girls’ best, most campy efforts. Miss Cackle embodies the idea that it’s the thought that counts and in the end, her spirits are lifted.

 

Obviously if I’m talking about these shows that must mean I like them, but in case that wasn’t clear, I do highly recommend them. Currently, DuckTales is currently airing on Disney Channel while The Worst Witch can be found on Netflix. Phineas and Ferb is a little harder to track down, but worth the effort I assure you. All three programs have rich characters and demonstrate creative storytelling. (And who DOESN’T want to see a Platypus secret agent??)

 

Side note: In my October 27th post, I mentioned my intention to participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and that I would share my final tally in today’s post… Welp, things did not go as expected. My final word count is not even close to 50k. Like, less than 20k. Yeah… I’m a little disappointed, but also remind myself of three important factors: 1. I’ve also been trying to stay on top of my blog entries. 2. This has been the busiest fall I’ve had in ages. 3. I’ve never actually written a novel before without a time limit. I’ve had something to do almost every weekend, which is incredibly rare for me. So, while I’m disappointed, I’m trying to look at this as a learning experience. Since I’ve never finished a novel before, that’s my new goal without the time pressure. And to write creatively more often.

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Animated Matrimony

My mother is getting married today! In honor and respect of this, I have written a post about weddings in some popular cartoons.

Weddings are great! They are happy, festive events that bring people together. The same is true for TV shows. In TV, weddings are useful plot devices that bring together a lot of characters to interact in a way they don’t usually (if at all). This can create interesting and unique situations, as well as drama. While weddings are happy events, they can also be high stress. We’ve all heard horror stories about bridezillas or crazy family members. The same can be true in TV (probably more so).

When thinking about this post and brainstorming cartoon weddings, a few came to mind right away. The first, Ruby & Sapphire of Steven Universe, who married over the summer. There’s also Tree Trunks and Mr. Pig from Adventure Time, who married in 2014. Finally, there have been two weddings in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadence & Shining Armor in 2012 and Matilda & Cranky Doodle Donkey in a 100th episode special in 2015.

(Note: I’m looking at episodes where the wedding is a main focus of the plot.)

All four weddings approach the big day differently and use the event in different ways.

 

Adventure Time 5×44 “Apple Wedding”
(Aired: Jan. 13, 2014)

In this episode, secondary character Tree Trunks (an elderly mini green elephant) and Mr. Pig (a pig who typically walks on his two back legs) get married. In typical Adventure Time fashion, this wedding is used for random comedic effect and is the least stable of all the relationships discussed in this post. It satirically demonstrates how weddings can become incredibly selfish events. At this wedding, everyone has a selfish agenda that has little to do with the wedding itself. In the end, it becomes clear that weddings are about two people coming together to celebrate their love for each other. That supersedes anything else and has the ability to bring everyone together in the end.

 

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic 2×25-26 “A Canterlot Wedding”
(Aired: Apr. 21, 2012)

This episode served as a two part season finale for season 2. The previous season had ended with a single episode in which the characters go to a party that had been referenced throughout the season. They go to the party and shenanigans ensue but they learn a valuable lesson. This episode is significantly more dramatic and has an impact on future episodes.

We are introduced to new characters including, Princess Cadence (one of the initial three rulers of their homeland, Equestria), Shining Armor (Captain of the Guard at the castle and brother to protagonist, Twilight Sparkle), as well as a new villain who reappears more than once throughout the series.

Here, the wedding ups the drama because it means that multiple characters are about to become family. It also brings together a huge portion of the cast, allowing for higher tensions as well as more characters involved in what occurs.

 

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic 5×9 “Slice of Life”
(Aired: Jun. 13, 2015)

I LOVE this episode! It is truly one of my favorites. It is MLP:FiM’s 100th episode and focuses on background or secondary characters. Two characters, Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda, were brought together after a long separation in a previous episode of a prior season. There is very little impact moving forward, and the main protagonists (known as the “Mane Six” by fans) only appear peripherally.

This episode is a lot of fun because it looks at characters that have previously only appeared in the background, some of whom never had speaking parts. It is really an episode dedicated to the rabid fanbase, however. For example, one background character somehow developed a huge backstory as a spy thanks to fanworks. This is made canon in this episode.

Here, a wedding is used to demonstrate how the actions of one character can carry over as well as bring together characters that are not typically seen together. The wedding plot point is used to highlight how these events bring people together and looks at the comedic mishaps can occur, but how ultimately weddings are happy events.

 

Steven Universe 5×23-24 “Reunited”
(Aired: Jul. 6, 2018)

This special event concluded a number of plot lines.

 

*SPOILER WARNING* Scroll to skip

 

 

 

In this 22 minute episode, Ruby and Sapphire get married and reform Garnet after a longterm separation. Following the wedding, Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond arrive to awaken the Cluster, a geo-weapon that Steven helped to bubble during season 3. This episode also brings together not only the residents of Beach City, but a number of gems, including Bismuth (who returned in the previous episode) and marks the return of Lapis Lazuli. During the attack, Steven reveals some important truths to the Diamonds while Beach City enacts its emergency plan, something discussed at length in previous episodes. “Reunited” demonstrates how weddings can bring people together and be happy events, as well as the more dramatic aspects. Because weddings are a way to bring so many people together, they are also useful for tying up plot threads. Another episode aired after this to follow up and help set up the next season, which was officially renewed last weekend for 32 episodes. Of all the weddings listed in this post, this one has perhaps the greatest significance and impact.

 

 

 

*END SPOILERS*

Weddings are Special Events. They carry huge emotional weight and bring people together. They bring out the best and worst in people, have the potential to be the perfect start to a ‘happily ever after’ or be complete disasters. This is why they are so useful as major plot points. You wouldn’t think weddings would be taken so seriously in children’s programming, but they are treated as the emotionally charged, life-changing events that they are in real life. The couples above are all very different, and they each go through there own unique challenges. However, at the end of the day, each couple finds strength in their relationship and each other setting an example we can all hope to follow.

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