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Steven Universe |OT| Truly, Truly, Truly Outrageous

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Aaaw...Pearl T.T
I absolutely adore the admiration she has for Rose (the reenactment of her talk with her was such a great moment!<3), and the way the characters reacted to Pearl's breakdown was really well-done; I was glued to the TV the whole time.
I also really loved the character acting that came from Pearl's break down; the poses/movements had so much feeling behind them, kudos to the storyboard artist and animators!
Also the way Garnet commented on the gem war for earth after Amethyst naively declared that she wishes she could have seen it was a great little moment for all three of the girls. Pearl seems to think of it as a glorious even because the person she looked up to led them to victory, while Garnet seems to regret the loss of countless lives despite how ever she might of felt for Rose.
Love it!
Such a good episode, the Stevenbomb is already starting off strong.

I posted this to tumblr a few days ago and dannnng did it blow up:


Usually I'm lucky to get likes/reblogs in the teens, this one's sitting at over 700. Dat Steven U/blackout day trending topic synergy.

Nice job on this fan piece btw!
I drew fan art of Pearl a little while back that also managed to break out of the usual 7-15 likes that I usually get, but stopped it stopped at like 40 something notes; kind of makes me wish I put it out during the time of the the Stevenbomb's announcement. lol
 

KiN0

Member
garnet's reaction to the war has me thinking that she and rose might not have gotten along that well. Right now, she's the character with the least amount of story behind her so I'm most excited for her upcoming episode.
 
Now, I'd like to see Garnet's perspective.

Especially since, despite Pearl and Rose being so close, Garnet is the one who took up the leadership reigns after Rose was gone.

Also worth noting was how Garnet's feelings about the battlefield contrasted with Amethyst's(wasn't around for it, so she sees it as a cool thing that happened without her) and Pearl's(was extremely enthusiastic because she had Rose with her). She was the only one who seemed to view it as a tragedy.

Edit: beaten.

^Anyone try entertaining the possibility that Garnet was originally on the side of the Homeworld Gems and only changed after meeting Rose? Dunno why I thought of that, it just feels like a possibility to me right now.

It would also be a way to give her a unique perspective.
 
But Amethyst wasn't there for that fight, so I wonder what she was doing in the gap.

Must have been trained by the gems there who started Kindergarten before she got freed by Rose and the others. Would be neat to see a flashback or something but the way the show's releasing info is great so far.
 

Psxphile

Member
Remember that Amethyst said she was alone in Kindergarten for "a while" which to an immortal being was probably more than a week. We also don't know just how long it takes for new gems to "incubate" before being born. If Amethyst wasn't around for that battle, then there's a good chance Rose and the others hadn't run into her until after that final battle.
 

TheOGB

Banned
I posted this to tumblr a few days ago and dannnng did it blow up:


Usually I'm lucky to get likes/reblogs in the teens, this one's sitting at over 700. Dat Steven U/blackout day trending topic synergy.
Nice job on this fan piece btw!
I drew fan art of Pearl a little while back that also managed to break out of the usual 7-15 likes that I usually get, but stopped it stopped at like 40 something notes; kind of makes me wish I put it out during the time of the the Stevenbomb's announcement. lol
These are pretty good, you two!
 
Remember that Amethyst said she was alone in Kindergarten for "a while" which to an immortal being was probably more than a week. We also don't know just how long it takes for new gems to "incubate" before being born. If Amethyst wasn't around for that battle, then there's a good chance Rose and the others hadn't run into her until after that final battle.

Which would also mean that besides Pearl and Garnet, the other gems during that huge battle have got to be other homeworld gems and possibly the same ones that are currently bubbled up. This battle has gotta do with that whole 'wiped out' thing mentioned by Peridot.
 
The depth of Pearl's zealotry was surprising, even in light of her previous behavior. That was a hell of a combination of hero worship and love. It speaks to how charismatic and special Rose must have truly been.

I'm glad Pearl got to connect to Steven over Rose, but she still seems like a powder keg ready to explode. Only now, I'm convinced she wouldn't turn against the Gems. I pity Peridot.
 

Psxphile

Member
http://stevencrewniverse.tumblr.com/post/113211726362/in-honor-of-our-new-episode-tonight-the
tumblr_nkz197mK9E1smn4pqo1_540.jpg


In honor of our new episode tonight, the crewniverse is sharing a big honkin’ pile of strawberries!

Seasoned with Pearl’s tears.

(food prep: Ben Levin and Amber Rogers)

Everything tastes better with a little lacrimal essence for flavor.
 
After that last episode, I feel confident in saying the show has the best character drama I've ever seen in any cartoon. Holy shit, the level of complexity in these characters is great.
 

Amir0x

Banned
Its pretty fucked that they find a mature looking baby and put him to work because he looks up to the task.

I know but that theme song, my god. I don't know why but it broke through all layers of my funny defenses and just put me into a fit I don't think I've had since the first time I watched Robin Hood Men in Tights. It just clicked with me, I could not stop laughing.

This show is really above the pack of most other American cartoons at the moment, Adventure Time's last season was a bit of a stepback for the series and I haven't watched any of Star Wars Rebels. Is that any good? In any event, they just have a profoundly effective way of clicking both your drama and funny bones simultaneously, leaving a constant bittersweet feeling that just feels like it's playing with far more complex emotions then most cartoons dare to even broach. Any one else with me on that?
 
I know but that theme song, my god. I don't know why but it broke through all layers of my funny defenses and just put me into a fit I don't think I've had since the first time I watched Robin Hood Men in Tights. It just clicked with me, I could not stop laughing.

This show is really above the pack of most other American cartoons at the moment, Adventure Time's last season was a bit of a stepback for the series and I haven't watched any of Star Wars Rebels. Is that any good? In any event, they just have a profoundly effective way of clicking both your drama and funny bones simultaneously, leaving a constant bittersweet feeling that just feels like it's playing with far more complex emotions then most cartoons dare to even broach. Any one else with me on that?

Adventure Time hasn't been strong in a while. It's at its strongest when they go plot-heavy and focus in the serious episodes, but they don't tend to do those.

Today's newest Gravity Falls episode was absolutely amazing and I will argue that it is the strongest western children cartoon atm, but SU has it beat in how its release schedule isn't total ass.
 

rexor0717

Member
In any event, they just have a profoundly effective way of clicking both your drama and funny bones simultaneously, leaving a constant bittersweet feeling that just feels like it's playing with far more complex emotions then most cartoons dare to even broach. Any one else with me on that?

Yeah, I think it comes down to the characters. They're all much more complex than you'd expect. They're as fully realized of characters you're going to get in an American kids show.
 
The way Pearl just peered down for a second at Steven when he fell down, not even bothering trying to help him, makes me think something has snapped inside Pearl and she's not going to be the same. That scene was really unsettling.
 
The way Pearl just peered down for a second at Steven when he fell down, not even bothering trying to help him, makes me think something has snapped inside Pearl and she's not going to be the same. That scene was really unsettling.

I think it was just a moment of extreme weakness. For the first time she snapped at Steven due to selfish reason dealing with his mom who she really looked up to. I guess this is the closest we will get of "I wish you weren't born" drama found on tv. And to be fair she freaked out when she thought he would fall to his death and then looked down to see he had grappled himself. I guess she just assumed he could pull himself to safety.

I am of mind that she will eventually snap as she seems to be emotionally unstable, but I don't think this was it. This was just dealing with grief.
 

KiN0

Member
The way Pearl just peered down for a second at Steven when he fell down, not even bothering trying to help him, makes me think something has snapped inside Pearl and she's not going to be the same. That scene was really unsettling.

Not to mention that crazy conversation she had with rose/herself. I know it was supposed to show how devoted pearl was to rose but she came off as genuinely unhinged. As expected, pearl is the most unstable of the gems

Oh and I agree that SU is the best cartoon airing in america right now with gravity falls coming in second only for the offensively erratic release schedule.
 
The way Pearl just peered down for a second at Steven when he fell down, not even bothering trying to help him, makes me think something has snapped inside Pearl and she's not going to be the same. That scene was really unsettling.

The 1000 yard stare at the end was kinda disturbing as well. That girl ain't right
and I love her for it.
 

Raxus

Member
I know but that theme song, my god. I don't know why but it broke through all layers of my funny defenses and just put me into a fit I don't think I've had since the first time I watched Robin Hood Men in Tights. It just clicked with me, I could not stop laughing.

This show is really above the pack of most other American cartoons at the moment, Adventure Time's last season was a bit of a stepback for the series and I haven't watched any of Star Wars Rebels. Is that any good? In any event, they just have a profoundly effective way of clicking both your drama and funny bones simultaneously, leaving a constant bittersweet feeling that just feels like it's playing with far more complex emotions then most cartoons dare to even broach. Any one else with me on that?

Totally, with you. Alone Together, Maximum Capacity, and Future Vision all do a great job at this. Overall the series has come a long way with Steven and maturing him with his experiences. Kind of makes me dread what the upcoming episode is going to entail.

BTW Steven Universe has it's own Soundcloud where you can listen to all its excellent music for free, including Lil' Butler!

As far as Star Wars Rebels, it shows promise but it has some kinks to work out. Namely Chopper (the robot protagonist) is straight up evil in the series at points.
Not to mention that crazy conversation she had with rose/herself. I know it was supposed to show how devoted pearl was to rose but she genuinely came off as unhinged. As expected, pearl is the most unstable of the gems

It does put a lot of her reactions in a new context. It also sets up for (hopefully) new interactions with Pearl and Steven. I feel she has been the most motherly towards Steven but a lot came from her dedication to Rose.
 

ffdgh

Member
The way Pearl just peered down for a second at Steven when he fell down, not even bothering trying to help him, makes me think something has snapped inside Pearl and she's not going to be the same. That scene was really unsettling.

Same for that death stare pearl gave him beforehand and while they're on lion together. I guess garnet is next lol.
 

Amir0x

Banned
Adventure Time hasn't been strong in a while. It's at its strongest when they go plot-heavy and focus in the serious episodes, but they don't tend to do those.

Today's newest Gravity Falls episode was absolutely amazing and I will argue that it is the strongest western children cartoon atm, but SU has it beat in how its release schedule isn't total ass.

I don't know, I always thought Adventure Time was generally excellent. It's funny generally speaking, and it's practically got the "so weird it's funny" formula down perfectly to where most of the time it doesn't seem just completely donged up for no reason ala Uncle Grandpa or the Gumball, and their persistent use of same characters and backstory (no matter how minor that character may seem on screen, they have actual story arcs you can follow if you pay attention) give the whole world an oddly plausible and fascinating sort of foundation. Maybe I give it more praise than it deserves, back when it still throws out arcs like Lemonhope where it's the first time I've seen the so-called 'chosen one' genuinely selfishly just ask "why [doesn't he] even get to choose to be a hero if [he's] truly free?" And that story went to all sorts of messed up places by the end with the Ballad of Brave Lemonhope.

I think their one offs can be really fun and engaging as well, but they have this really alluring centerpiece story involving Finn and Jake and their families and this odd future/past they've been through. And the way they've made Marceline and Ice King into characters you'd never have expected when they were first introduced, I think the show can be daring and exploratory when you'd least expect it.

It's definitely less consistent than some other cartoons that have cult followings, but I think its highs are way fucking higher than most imo.

Totally, with you. Alone Together, Maximum Capacity, and Future Vision all do a great job at this. Overall the series has come a long way with Steven and maturing him with his experiences. Kind of makes me dread what the upcoming episode is going to entail.

BTW Steven Universe has it's own Soundcloud where you can listen to all its excellent music for free, including Lil' Butler!

As far as Star Wars Rebels, it shows promise but it has some kinks to work out. Namely Chopper (the robot protagonist) is straight up evil in the series at points.


It does put a lot of her reactions in a new context. It also sets up for (hopefully) new interactions with Pearl and Steven. I feel she has been the most motherly towards Steven but a lot came from her dedication to Rose.

Thanks for the link to the SoundCloud, that's good stuff. The show has lots of nice, chillaxing sort of game inspired music. It's really smooth. ("Oh littlest Butler, you're the Butler who Butlers our heaaaart!" lmfao)

I was pretty shocked honestly at the plot tendril they established between Amethyst and Greg Universe. That's pretty heavy stuff, and when she transformed into Rose Quartz? That was legit dark and juggling some shit I don't even think I've ever seen an American cartoon go there. And then you combine it with the *wink wink nudge nudge* jokes from Amethyst about how she's seen his junk plenty of times before? Yeaaah. That sort of jealousy was unexpected, but somehow fit the characters perfectly. And it again layered the history these characters have to new and unexpected levels, really taking one by surprise. Now maybe they had hinted at the complexity of this relationship in the past but I missed it then because I was surprised by the intensity of it.
 

Amir0x

Banned
I still got five episodes of Gravity Falls to catch up on not including this one.

I THINK so. Last ep I saw was Soos and the Real Girl.
 
I still got five episodes of Gravity Falls to catch up on not including this one.

I THINK so. Last ep I saw was Soos and the Real Girl.

Yeah you have 6 episodes left to watch.

And you should DEFINITELY catch up. The show is getting intense.

Also if you wanted to know Rebels definitely was a show that got better with each new episode. The last couple of episodes and the finale really made it good.
 

Amir0x

Banned
I usually wait for there to be 5-10 episodes out of any 11-22 minute show because I feel I get less enjoyment out of watching such short bite-size chunk shows in weekly 11 minute bites. I do the same for Steven Universe and Adventure Time too haha.

Unless the season finale is out and there's not so many episodes left to do that, then I'll just watch what's left.
 
I usually wait for there to be 5-10 episodes out of any 11-22 minute show because I feel I get less enjoyment out of watching such short bite-size chunk shows in weekly 11 minute bites. I do the same for Steven Universe and Adventure Time too haha.

Unless the season finale is out and there's not so many episodes left to do that, then I'll just watch what's left.

Ah that makes sense. I marathoned the first season of Gravity Falls and Steven Universe. Rebels just finished so I watched the whole season a couple of days ago. I tend to wait with most shows before I watch several episodes together but with Gravity Falls I just got too hooked on it. The same almost happened with Steven Universe but I've been resisting the urge to watch any new episodes.
 

Raxus

Member
I shotgunned Star Wars Rebels when the season ended. Gravity Falls is excruciating to watch due to the airing schedule so I understand why you wait.

I don't mind Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Regular Show week to week since they are really consistent thanks to their bite sized nature. They are great to go through in chunks for the very same reason (lol).
 

KiN0

Member
I shotgunned Star Wars Rebels when the season ended. Gravity Falls is excruciating to watch due to the airing schedule so I understand why you wait.

I don't mind Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Regular Show week to week since they are really consistent thanks to their bite sized nature. They are great to go through in chunks for the very same reason (lol).

Adventure time bothers me because the plot episodes are spread really far apart. So far that by the time they get back to it I've lost interest. Regular Show doesn't have a plot so I can watch it anytime. SU works for me because it's paced so well. When we're not getting plot episodes we're getting character development or setting expansion.
 

Amir0x

Banned
I mean I don't think my style of watching indicates anything specific about the quality of any of these shows, it's just I'm a really impatient man and when I am into a story I want to try to suck as much of it up at once because it allows the smaller details to better penetrate my thoughts.

I find when I watch week to week of these smaller 11 min episode shows, I tend to start forgetting some of the plot points by the time the next week is ready to air. Because there's so many 11 minute episodes in some of these seasons (Adventure Time has like, what, 30 or 40 ep seasons or something?), it just starts fleeing my brain banks for some reason.

Watching all the episodes in a row it's like viewing a puzzle that has had all its pieces put together. Like if I didn't do that I could sort of get its final image, but it would be a slightly distorted version. These shows that have overarching plots really run better when played back to back, like each season is an elaborate cartoon movie.
 
That was a really nice episode. I especially loved the scene of Steven hugging Pearl.

While watching the ending, I was waiting for Pearl's blank face to turn into a smile, but didn't think anything of it when it didn't. I guess they are hinting at some lingering feelings that will come into play later.

Concerning other cartoons, with this show, Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, and season 5 of My Little Pony coming soon, TV animation is in a pretty decent spot right now. Of that set, the one I'm least interested in is definitely Adventure Time. I mean, I do appreciate what it is and what it tries to do, but I simply don't care about new episodes of that as much as other shows.
 

Amir0x

Banned
Ain't no way I'm doing My Little Pony, can't get through an episode without vomiting in my mouth a little. Tried it once

Of the shows on TV, I'd think my top five favs are

1. Gravity Falls
2. Rick and Morty
3. Steven Universe
4. South Park
5. Adventure Time

I'm gonna start watching Star Wars: Rebels soon. I never liked Star Wars, but Clone Wars took me by surprise so I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised here too.\

I'm not sure if I count OVER THE GARDEN WALL since it's a mini-series, but if I could it'd be #4.
 
Man ... the look on Pearl's face at the end just tells you that this aint the end of her breakdown. Things are only gonna get worse for her imo given what we know about the Stevenbomb week..

Also, I haven't seen anyone bring this up but I feel like that huge Axe is for Sugilite. Seems like it's being foreshadowed. I mean, it's too huge for anyone else to use (Garnet can carry it but she needs help just getting it through the door), there was a ton of BG focus on those 2 dealing with it, they put it inside of Amy's room even though she can't move it and they stayed inside as Pearl did her Steven hike that took at least 3+ hours. (Also, it's frigging Purple)

Seems to me that they were training as Sugilite with the axe inside of Amy's room seeing how shit's about to start hitting the fan given the events last week and Garnet knows they can't rely on wrecking-ball-fu as Sugilite if fucking Pearl was able to trick her into bopping herself on the head. Could see it being like Kratos and his chain sword things where it's both ranged and close combat.

Might be over thinking that but I feel there's a reason they're collecting weapons and Garnet picked the giant purple axe.
 

KiN0

Member
Ain't no way I'm doing My Little Pony, can't get through an episode without vomiting in my mouth a little. Tried it once

Of the shows on TV, I'd think my top five favs are

1. Gravity Falls
2. Rick and Morty
3. Steven Universe
4. South Park
5. Adventure Time

I'm gonna start watching Star Wars: Rebels soon. I never liked Star Wars, but Clone Wars took me by surprise so I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised here too.\

I'm not sure if I count OVER THE GARDEN WALL since it's a mini-series, but if I could it'd be #4.

Replace south park with over the garden wall and switch RnandM with SU and you've got my fave list down as well.
 

PaulloDEC

Member
Man, this show just keeps being surprising.

I don't really have any comments on the latest episode that the rest of you haven't covered, but it's kinda messed up the way all these characters
worshipped Rose. She's like the really cool friend you had back in school, where it seemed like everyone wanted to be their best friend. I wonder who else looked up to her the way Pearl and Amethyst did?
 
What I find most surprising is just how uneven the relationships between the other Gems and Rose seem to have been. She's Steven's biological parent, but she really seems like a parent to them too in a lot of ways.

Also, am I the only one who got the impression that Rose's "preferential treatment" of Pearl was less due to Rose's own feelings and more due to Pearl's extreme neediness? The fact that Rose went out of her way to hide things from the Gems, to make her private sanctuaries a pain to access, maybe Pearl was the only one obsessed enough to overcome those obstacles and cling to her. Instead of being creeped out or annoyed, Rose embraced Pearl's adoration, possibly because she knew Pearl was more than a bit unstable.
 

PaulloDEC

Member
What I find most surprising is just how uneven the relationships between the other Gems and Rose seem to have been. She's Steven's biological parent, but she really seems like a parent to them too in a lot of ways.

Also, am I the only one who got the impression that Rose's "preferential treatment" of Pearl was less due to Rose's own feelings and more due to Pearl's extreme neediness? The fact that Rose went out of her way to hide things from the Gems, to make her private sanctuaries a pain to access, maybe Pearl was the only one obsessed enough to overcome those obstacles and cling to her. Instead of being creeped out or annoyed, Rose embraced Pearl's adoration, possibly because she knew Pearl was more than a bit unstable.

I feel like it might be a little of both with Pearl. The Rose in Pearl's recording (or whatever that hologram actually was) seemed like almost like a warrior queen, with Pearl as her right hand. It seemed as if she may have actually been that, but also that Pearl was fiercely dedicated and pretty much in awe of her too.

Anyone who's followed the lore closely, feel free to correct me on any of those assumptions.
 

ffdgh

Member
What I find most surprising is just how uneven the relationships between the other Gems and Rose seem to have been. She's Steven's biological parent, but she really seems like a parent to them too in a lot of ways.

Also, am I the only one who got the impression that Rose's "preferential treatment" of Pearl was less due to Rose's own feelings and more due to Pearl's extreme neediness? The fact that Rose went out of her way to hide things from the Gems, to make her private sanctuaries a pain to access, maybe Pearl was the only one obsessed enough to overcome those obstacles and cling to her. Instead of being creeped out or annoyed, Rose embraced Pearl's adoration, possibly because she knew Pearl was more than a bit unstable.

Nah most got that impression too especially when pearl snapped when she didn't know about lion's connection with rose.

Now imagine if steven mentioned connie also visited Rose's secret armory too...yikes lol.
 

IronRinn

Member
Meh, not up on CN's website. Guess I'm going to have to stay out of this thread for a while.

Edit: Wait, there it is!

Edit 2: Maaaaan. Man. Poor Pearl. And really, poor Steven. Dude never got to meet his own mother and everyone around him is so selfish and miserly with their memories of her that he has to drag them out of them while simultaneously being confronted by the fact that many of them harbor a unconscious resentment of him. Tough spot for everyone.
 
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