So, this episode has three storyboard/writer/whatevers and watching it I have to wonder "Which is the good one?" because the last third of episode is like way better than the rest. Seriously, once the little monsters come back, it gets way better. Did anyone else notice this? Maybe it is just me.
So, this is a very simple episode where Steven, after an adventure with the other Gems decides to bring them into his world - the arcade! A cavalcade of laughs that. So they try out some games and the one who gets the most addicted - and this is gonna shock you - is the deadpan one! Like George Bernard Shaw, this deserves both a Nobel Prize and an Oscar.
Okay, okay, just because a plot outline is a little cliche doesn't mean the episode is bad, and this episode isn't bad at all. I just realized that the evil aliens have all been crystalline, which means I was supposed to realize that all the aliens are gonna be crystals. When they are stalking their enemy, Pearl shushes Steven which reminds me of the tragic early death of Saki, who was killed by a sniper he was loudly warning another soldier about. There's some funny "Pearl is a fuddy-duddy" stuff in this episode and Amethyst even managed to not disappear (though she does nothing of any importance). Because of the simpler plot and the lack of meta-plot reveals, they seemed to generally hit more of their goals this episode. I say that and I'm sure that long time fans know that Garnet's rhythm hypnosis is the secret to life ... or something. That's the risk I take.
I didn't notice any animation "moments" that stood out, but as I said earlier the last third of this episode gets really good direction-wise. Perhaps this is because the episode concentrates more on the deadpan Garnet and not the other more theatrical Gems. The artists seemed to go out of their way to not draw Steven consistently, which is an interesting choice.
To clarify: when I say "direction", I don't mean literally "things done by the director", but all the visual choices that are not specifically animation drawings. Blocking, "lighting", etc. I haven't been mentioning it, but this show has some killer colors. I'm generally not a fan of digital colors, but this show is a strong argument for them. Music was also very good in this episode, especially the sort of Drum N' Bass piece that plays as Steven, Pearl & Amethyst run from the little monsters.
Overall, I'd say this is probably the strongest episode of Steven Universe I've seen so far. I'd be willing to use this episode as a baseline to judge the others, but I've been told that it is going to improve a lot really quickly.
These segments both sort of involve cats, but not the kind that meow.
The first segment is "Tiger Millionaire", a pro-wrestling spoof. The plot is very basic. Amethyst feels oppressed so she takes it out in secret underground pro wrestling. In the end everyone reconciles and feels better. It's not readily apparent that anyone on the production team "knows a wristlock from a wristwatch" as the old saying goes. This illegal underground wrestling organization is so cheap that they can't even afford two announcers. I say it's illegal because it is taking place in an abandoned factory, but is it? Why would Sadie attend an illegal bloodsport? If it isn't illegal, why isn't it somewhere normal, like a gym or a high school?
Steven's wrestling persona is Tiger Millionaire, who is sort of a fusion of Tiger Mask and the Million Dollar Man. Well, mostly he's an under-the-top version of The Million Dollar Man (wrestling doesn't do the subtlety thing). Amethyst is the Purple Puma, who has no personality whatsoever (which is ironic). The majority of the episodes run time is spent with Steven and Amethyst pursuing the tag team belt, which is a mistake since Amethyst is omnipotent and invincible so there's not exactly much of a build up. Why should we root for them, aren't they gods taking advantage of mortals? We can't even root against them because the Purple Puma has no meaningful rivals!
Also, Steven isn't a tag team partner, as he's never tagged in. Tiger Millionaire is actually an interfering heel manager. Also, I hate to spoil the episode too much, but I couldn't get over the fact that it ends with 1) A speech referencing backstage events that the audience couldn't expect to understand, 2) faces and heels losing all definition and working to give an overpushed wrestler the belt and 3) getting the belt off of a ladder. This plot works for the viewer, but imagine all you were in the audience, you'd be totally confused. There's actually a wrestling booker named Vince Russo who used to be infamous for having matches a lot like that. It's kind of amusing if you think about it.
He did this twice a week for his adult life
The fight choreography is lackluster for an episode that is all about ridiculous fighting. Amethyst/Purple Puma's style never goes beyond striking except exactly once (she bear hugs somebody) and Tiger Millionaire never wrestles at all. Nobody has any fancy finishing moves, and considering the work Steven puts on making his character that's kind of surprising. I mean, look at Tiger Mask or The Million Dollar Man's finishers. Wouldn't it have been cool to see Amethyst do something like that. One of the beautiful things about animation is that you don't have to worry about safety or reality, isn't it? You could do spots that would make Sabu look like a wimp. Not only would it have been cool to see Amethyst or Steven do a Phoenix Splash, but also seeing Amethyst no sell someone's finisher would have been a good point to make on the whole emotional arc.
Dainty Step~
Maybe the fight choreography would be more impressive if I wasn't also watching Cowboy Bebop, one of the most impressive series of any kind in the field of fighting, but I digress. There actually is a lot of good, funny animation in this episode. Most of it involves Pearl being a drama queen. Above Pearl and Garnet are stepping onto a platform and Pearl does this goofy, exaggeratedly dainty step. It makes me laugh, but it's hard to describe in a screenshot.
The episode's biggest laugh come at the end after Pearl and Garnet find out about the wrestling thing (if you can't see that coming, I would recommend an eye exam). At one point Pearl makes the really exaggerated stance pictured above. It's hard to explain with stills why this is so funny. Reviewing animation reminds me of the old joke of "dancing about architecture".
This episode doesn't have the rushed feeling of the others, but it also feels like more of an idea for an episode than an actual episode. It hits all the emotional buttons, but it is obvious nobody really cared about the path between them. Fun but disposable.
"Steven's Lion" is the second segment in this episode and Steven gets a lion. So many of the characters of Steven Universe are drama queens (Pearl, Steven, etc) that it makes you remember how funny deadpan can be. Steven's lion is a good reminder of that. The lion often seems actively annoyed at his and The Gem's sillyness.
This has nothing to do with the review, but my screenshots all came out weird, so I can't illustrate this segment really well. Just imagine there's a picture of a desert here.
At the beginning, Steven & The Gems go to the desert to do a mission. The Gems leave Steven at a small dune in the shape of a semisphere, which is impossible but not important. More important is why do The Gems leave him halfway between home and the mission. Garnet says he is safe where he is, but he could be safe anywhere in the damn world!
So anyway, here Steven meets a giant pink lion. From what I have heard, with desertification there are actually lions in the desert now, which is sad. The Gems come back having captured a gem that made a sort of temple in the desert. Apparently this is a Bad Thing, but nobody explains why this is. We just have to rely on instinct. The sandstone objects it creates remind me of the desert stage in Mario 64, and that was bad guy stuff. So we know this thing is bad. They're kind of surprised to see Steven with a giant pink lion in the desert, but they're also magical alien gems, so what you gonna do? However, the Gems note that the lion is a wild animal and therefore cannot be domesticated. But, in a twist that forever changed A Boy And His Pet fiction, the lion ... followed him home!
If the thing was working, you would see a picture of Steven and his lion in front of his house. The "some kid selling auto insurance line" was funny.
So anyway, it turns out that Amethyst didn't protect the gem they collected and Steven moronically and melodramatically throws it on sand despite having been told that is a bad thing. Nobody even mentions that Steven is being a complete idiot here, but he wouldn't be able to if Amethyst arbitrarily decided to also be stupid. Amethyst is a complete plot device in this episode. She's so mentally checked out that it's like the firebrand punk of the last episode was replaced by Jeffery "The Dude" Lebowski. Despite the fact that they defeated the gem by themselves just fine earlier, The Gems can't defeat it now. It's up to Steven and his lion to save the day!
Here there would have been a picture of Onion being really mad. This is a transition to the next paragraph.
I skipped over the time Steven goes to the pizza place because it is pointless and only serves to introduce the fact that there exists a pizza place. The funniest thing in the episode is Onion's over-the-top reaction when he thinks Steven lied to him in the pizza place scene, but it could have been cut to make room for a better reason for Amethyst to not demonstrate basic competence.
This episode is more like the previous one in having a lot of notes to hit. It hits three separate metaplot notes loud as it can: 1) there exists a pizza place whose owners are friends with Steven 2) Steven is gonna totally gonna have a lion and 3) Amethyst is "adopted" (I don't know in what sense, but it's really obvious). Unfortunately, this overreach causes the writing to squish the characters into plot devices. The episode is really carried by the lion, who provides all the best comic and action sequences. Unfortunately, he can't carry the plot and the more you think about it, the less sense it makes.
These are the main composers for Steven Universe.
I haven't been mentioning it, but there's a lot of really good music in this series. Not to the level of Bebop, but still very good. One of the songs in one of the segments was a really cool drum thing, sort of like what they did with Birdman, or M'Boom. You can hear it here. I'm glad the creator of this show decided to give music an important part. See you next episode!
Influence mongering is a weakness of critics. You see, if a show is a sum of influences, then criticism of those influences is sufficient to criticize the new show. After all, original thought is difficult enough that it should always be avoided by a critic. Plus, claims of influence are a dangerous speculation onto the innards of a strange human's mind. I recall writing a story once, a story about a man who turned off all the lights in his house. When I looked back on it, I could see through the poorly worded garbage the influence of Edgar Allen Poe, Nicolai Gogol and Joseph Conrad. I had read all those works, but when I wrote I didn't think of them once. Are they an "influence"? What does that even mean?
That being said, the obvious biggest influence on Steven Universe is The Simpsons. Steven Universe is too original (uh oh) to just be The Simpsons, but with more action, but the point remains. In this episode, we meet the young woman who seems to be in the Lisa Simpson mode, Steven's first love interest Connie. I say all this hoping that long time fans are laughing.
Connie
Okay, even if The Simpsons is the biggest influence on Steven Universe, and it is, Connie could be just as influenced by Khannie from King of the Hill. I don't know. She's obviously going to be Important (TM), because she is given such prominence in the opening credits. I suppose of I'm gonna be a hack reviewer, I might as well go full hack and give an overview. In this episode, Steven inconveniences his love interest Connie briefly but is so sweet about it that she forgives him.
Simple descriptions don't imply simple writing. This episode had to jump through so many hoops its amazing they could fit it in 11 minutes. This episode had to: advance the metaplot (meeting Connie, establishing that yes all the monsters have a gem, introducing Steven's bubble),
have a coherent internal plot ("Steven inconveniences his love interest Connie briefly but is so sweet about it that she forgives him"), have a
straightforward emotional thrust (Connie learning to trust Steven) and maybe even some comedy ("funky flow"). If Steven Universe has a weakness, then it is that in stretching out to do so much, comedy is often sacrifice. This episode should have been full of physical humor and I was in a mental state likely to appreciate physical humor. Yet this episode fell flat. Connie seems like a nice girl, but she isn't quick with a quip and this episode isn't any quicker with laughs. This isn't a murder mystery, we are meant to laugh at Steven's ineptness. But there just ... isn't that much to it. The episode looked good, the music was alright... But why? Did these people really have to work so hard to make this?
Serious Steven
Segment 2 was "Serious Steven", a Steven and Garnet episode. Steven and the other Gems find an dungeon they have to defeat in a strawberry field. Yeah Beatles. Garnet is usually a font of hilarity, what could be funnier than someone who takes our absurd world seriously? This episode suggests "Anything" as an answer to that, it is as funny as buggery.
Of course, buggery is pretty funny and this episode provides a couple laughs. The characters in this episode claim that this is Steven's first mission. Apparently the superior episode "Cheeseburger Backpack" just doesn't count. My guess is that these were written out of order and "Serious Steven" was supposed to be a precursor to "Cheeseburger Backpack". The lesson here is identical: Steven's unorthodox POV is actually helpful on a mission in small doses. One could argue this episode makes that lesson sticks better by giving Steven and the other Gems a straight ending, if you liked to be wrong. The ending of "Cheeseburger Backpack" cut through the treacle, "Serious Steven" lies at the bottom of the Dormouse's treacle well.
Albert Einstein
Also, why couldn't the other Gems notice they were in a non-inertial frame of reference? Are they just supposed to be so tough they don't notice the forces around them? And the strawberry fields were very over-the-top, but Pearl implies this is part of Earth. Do strawberries just grow as big as watermelons in the SU Earth?
Princess Zelda, Navi the fairy and commoner adventurer Link
I did like the set piece in "Serious Steven". It was an inverted pyramid that worked according to Legend Of Zelda logic, but with puzzles that aren't quite so creative. Is Steven like The Hero Of Time? Probably not, I couldn't imagine Steven going around stabbing folks as is the main occupation of our man Link. Steven and Garnet solve these puzzles non-conventionally, but not so non-conventionally as to be independently interesting. I guess it is nice to know that Garnet is over-leveled for these missions.
The reviews for these segments are overly negative. They were the first segments to just be kind of okay, which makes them look bad in comparison to - for instance - "Cheeseburger Backpack". Really, I shouldn't intervene in SU's funky flow. As the number of constraints on these episodes goes down, the episodes themselves will likely improve. Though I'm not giving numerical ratings, I think you can tell I didn't like these as much as the last ones. What can I say but "strawberry fields forever~"
If it was pretentious for me to have a Review #0 for Cowboy Bebop, I'll make up for it by starting several episodes into Steven Universe. This means I'm not going to do a post explaining who the characters are, or the setting or ... you know all that "review" stuff. I'm going to pretend it's all been done and start with episode 3. Maybe I'll make a background review eventually, but no promises.
I'm also going to apologize in advance, I am barely capable of typing "Steven". My fingers always want to describe the nonexistent show Stephen Universe, which would likely be a BBC docudrama about the beginnings of data driven astronomy. In the many times I will type the simple and common English name Steven wrong, you can sit in silent judgement of me and PJE Peebles.
You can take the standard cosmological models and shove 'em!
The segments I saw today are "Frybo" and "Cat Fingers". (Incidentally, I in no way promise a two segment review every day) These episodes combine in an interesting way. It's dangerous to speculate on artistic motives - on the one hand it takes an incredible amount of thought and energy to make even the dumbest cartoon, on the other human beings are boundless in their ability to hallucinate patterns. Plus, I have no idea if anyone controls the order the episodes come out in - it might be one of those cosmic structures I keep reading about. But given that today's episodes have the common themes of recklessly used and misunderstood power and paternal misunderstanding, I assume that they were meant to be seen together. The humor is getting sharper, but the episodes groan under the weight of their multiple goals. These episodes have to introduce complex characters, forward a metaplot, have a coherent internal plot, have a straightforward emotional thrust and be funny. These episodes feel like the zing at a billion miles an hour to try and hit all those gongs.
Frybo
The first segment is "Frybo". Reckless power: a gem that brings clothing to life / Paternal misunderstanding: What little boy wouldn't want to wear such an adorable costume?. We met the Fryman family back in one of those segments I didn't review, but this one introduces Peedee (P.D.?), who is Steven's age and therefore more interesting. Peedee has an amusingly serious world view, and rambles in an adorable way about the oppression and necessity of being a wage slave. Steven purposefully ignores this, just as he accidentally ignores Pearl earlier and uses a dangerous magical crystal (meant to be an instant soldier by animating armor) to help Peedee get out of his job. At the end we discover that Frybo means a lot to Peedee's father (which nobody understands), which explains the parental misunderstanding. In Mr Fryman's mind, being put inside Frybo is an honor. I like to imagine that Peedee gets his dark world view from his mother, who hasn't been introduced.
As you can see above, Frybo looks kind of like a fusion of Frylock and Master Shake from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Coincidence? Or is it ... Memorex? Also, the Fryman family has blond, fry-like hair. Ha! Peedee's brother also runs a blog called "Keep Bay City Weird", a parody of the pro-local business slogan "Keep Austin Weird". I know somehow that he's a conspiracy nut, another reference to Austin culture. Being so Austin-oriented doesn't make sense in the context of the show, but if he starts playing blues guitar, I'm gonna laugh like a drug-crazed Austinite!
Cat Fingers
The second and final segment was "Cat Fingers". Reckless power: Shapeshifting / Paternal
misunderstanding: Surely someone is helping my son with these bodily changes. Crystal Gems have the power to shapeshift. In these early episodes we're going to be spoonfed their powers in an organic way, because the show is 11 minutes long and there's no time to have an "introducing out powers" episode. The series is probably better off for it. This episode introdu-SWEET SNACK CAKES, IT'S JOEL HODGSON!!!!
Joel Hodgson
"I'm not paying you guys for father-son bonding!", haha, classic Mystery SsssssssssTeven Universe. Yes, this episode features the comedian, magician, actor, special effects advisor, writer, creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000, The TV Wheel and many others, yes, TV's own Joel Hodgson in an award winning, scene stealing - okay he's in the episode for like a second.
Hey, did you know some TV shows have plots now? For instance, this segment has one of them! Earlier I mentioned that the writing of Steven Universe, while very, very good, are sometimes pulled apart by having so many goals to reach. I gave as examples: Metaplot (meeting Mayor Bill Dewey, played by JOEL HODGSON, MAN AMONG MEN - oh and introducing the fact that Crystal Gems can shapeshift), have a coherent internal plot (Steven begins using his shapeshifting powers, but without guidance finds that he lacks control), have a straightforward emotional thrust (Steven's father coming through for him despite being way outside his comfort zone) and comedy (this episode is just ... kitten around!). This episode screams forward at a crazy fast pace to hit all those notes, and it has to be admitted - they play a beautiful chord. The Brundle-Fly-esque transformations Steven takes on are great. I like the idea that kids will watch this in 20 years and realize it was actually kind of disturbing. But it isn't cheap disturbing like we see so often nowadays, what with all those kids on my lawn. It's perfectly PG Cronenberg.
It's also good that Peedee is dour in his new job, even though he does respect it more. It's tough to have character evolution without turning it into hackneyed box checking. On a lesser show, getting out of the Frybo costume would have cured all Peedee's ills. On this one, he still finds ways to be put upon, because that's who he is.
Background from "Frybo"
I feel the art direction is not as good as the previous segment. The sunset that ended "Frybo" was beautiful. It brought pathos to one character and bathos to the others, which was great. The comically small Crystal Gem Sloop was amusing, but I think maybe going for impressive would have been better? I look forward to seeing them use that sloop constantly, until a crazed monster breaks up the people's trunk and eats all of Steven's corn. Okay, okay, I know they probably won't use the sloop much more, but I'll wait for it. Don't worry, comically undersized sloop, you'll get your day in the sun, just hang in there. Yeah, hang on sloopy!
Wait right there, I want to do this forever.
Steven Universe
Today's episode was very good. I'm not going to give numerical ratings, because a work of art's qualities are a complicated vector and using scalars privileges one choice of utility function over others in a way I'm nor comfortable with. Plus, I haven't seen enough of the series to know how to adjust if it turns out they start getting 100 times better (or worse) at episode ten or something. I will say this: of the segments of Steven Universe I've reviewed so far, these are the top two.
By the way, no I have nothing against P J E Peebles, who is a great physicist.
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