-beep-
Rebecca Sugar mentioned in an interview that they had enough story and setting to explore that they could fill many, many seasons. Honestly I've seen enough that I trust the judgement of her and her team on when to wrap things up. It's a passion project at heart, and I think they know better than to run it out so long it gets diluted.
Season 1 was to establish the setting, the main and supporting cast, their relationships and character arcs, and the beginning of the actual plot. I have a feeling we'll see Yellow Diamond and the next step of Major Plot Progression by the end of Season 2 (pretty sure that's who we were seeing in the background of the
Extended Season 2 Intro, around 1:58). As for where they go from there, there's the issue with Homeworld to be resolved, the restoration of the Monsters and the Forced-Fusions, the resolution of the Crystal Gem's plot arcs, etc.
Text wall RE: Steven Universe. Not really sorry. You can read or just scroll your mousewheel past. Take your destiny into your own hands!
I'm a bit late to the discussion on Steven Universe's merits, but some stuff to add. Note, for what it's worth, it's probably one of my favorite shows on TV right now, animation or not. It represents a huge experiment, and a major departure from most everything being produced right now. The episodes are Adventure Time short, and being written on a monthly basis. Each of the core team-members are basically creative polymaths; they write songs, storyboard, write, design characters, etc., and all share the load of creating the show. It's not being rushed through to produce regular seasons either; they recently decided to skip a month since they're all on vacation, and didn't want to rush things and cost the show in quality. Where else do you see that decision being made, rather than churning out third-rate filler episodes to "maintain production"?
Story-wise, since when do you see a Male Lead, in what is essentially a Magical Girl Anime? And when do you see a hero, male or no, whose bravery isn't aimed at fighting and killing Big Evil Things, but at helping to heal damage both physical and emotional, and end cycles of violence or self-destruction? The sheer volume of genuinely sympathetic characters (antagonists or protagonists), is staggering. The schlubby burnout/absentee Dad is a hero too, but just has some practical things he's not very good at. The kind of slimy politician really does have the town's well-being at heart, even if he's self-aggrandizing and in love with his position of power. And so on. The spirit is very close to Hayao Miyazaki in that sense; the same tone from early works like Shuna no Tabi, Nausicaa, or Princess Mononoke, but somehow with even
more sympathetic characters and empathy-as-heroism.
And yeah, Steven's most heroic trait is definitely his Empathy; his ability to see the perspective and worth of others (even monsters both literal and metaphorical), help them work together toward a goal they couldn't achieve individually, and to protect them all however he can. Unlike everyone else, his signature "weapon" is a shield, which is some pretty obvious symbolism. Also, in another rare move, the show recognizes that he's still literally a child, with all the physical strength and worldly experience that implies. He's got some supernatural powers to help, but he gets tuckered out pretty quickly when using them, compared with most of the people he's standing alongside or against. Also, though he's got a lot to learn, he's shown a lot of growth from episode to episode, another type of character development that's pretty uncommon in western cartoons.
He and the show recognize his limits as a child, and a (mostly) human being in a fantasy world dealing with #FantasyWorldProblems, yet he is a hero who does everything within his power to make things better. While his trio of superpowered Space-Moms are off fighting to defend against what might be another alien invasion, he organizes an evacuation of the town to keep people safe. When infighting and pettiness is breaking the group apart, he kicks off the tough discussions that start them on the process of finding a resolution, and healing. When someone is stealing the ocean to make a space elevator, he does his best to talk her down, and finds a solution that works for her (restores her the ability to fly to space) and for the people of Earth (get their ocean back). And the same goes for most all of the other characters and challenges he encounters.
As books, films, and a lot of non-western animation have been demonstrating for decades, it's entirely possible for media to be entertaining, while also giving the audience something of value to take away from it. Ignoring all the great music, animation, storytelling, and other reasons I love the show for a second; with the exception of some protective Gem powers Steven is pretty much an average kid, with only his compassion, voice, and courage as his weapons. I'm really glad that the audience is getting such an empowering and relatable icon when it comes to being an everyday hero, and making a positive difference in the world, whether they're a child or not.
TL;DR: I really appreciate how Steven Universe gives us a bit of a lens into our own world and lives, and empowers regular people to fight the good fight, see both sides in a conflict, stand for what's really important, find the courage to tackle big problems head-on, and if we feel powerless against them individually to help find the people who will stand with us and fight it together. As much as I love dadaist or "adult" humor in cartoons, it's about damned time animation in the US started taking on some of the other kinds of mature themes that are out there. Funny that it's alleged Kid's Shows like Steven Universe being the first pioneers to do that.
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Topic: Cartoon/Western Animation Thread. (Read 322330 times)