Challenging Stories Pt. 2

Continuing on, Steven Universe also deals with abandonment. Early on in the show, there isn't much talk of Steven's mom beyond a couple of passing mentions, and everyone acts happy. As the show develops, though, we see that everything is not as peachy as it seems. As the story goes, Rose Quartz (Steven's Mom) gave up her physical form so that Steven could be made. Because of this, Steven is half-Gem and half-human. At first, everyone seems to just be happy that Steven is there, but the cracks start to show as each episode rolls by. The Crystal Gems clearly have no leader in their group. Garnet seems to be the leader at first, but it is revealed that she isn't as cool and collected as her even-keel demeanor suggests. On top of that, Steven clearly shows that he has some emotional issues that haven't been resolved when it comes to his mother. There's a humorous scene in the episode "Steven Floats" where Steven is trying to think of something that makes him happy. An image of his mom pops up, and he pushes it off the screen, declaring that those feelings are too complicated. Finally, the impact is seen most in the character of Pearl. It's revealed that Pearl loved Rose beyond the simple respect and admiration of the others. Pearl wanted nothing more in life than to please Rose. So with Rose gone, Pearl is shown to be broken and even occasionally emotionally unstable. Steven Universe takes us through the struggles that each character has with missing Rose, and it's kinda incredible.

Lastly, I would like to look at the self-worth aspect of the show. One of my favorite characters in the show is Steven's best friend Connie. When she is first introduced, Connie is portrayed as a loner. Steven, though, sees her at a parade one day, watching as she drops her glowing bracelet. A year later, Steven returns the bracelet to her, and they become friends. Very quickly, it is revealed that Connie has no other friends besides Steven. Her parents are very demanding of her, and she clearly has a lot of self-worth issues. The episode "Sworn to the Sword" shows Connie learning sword fighting so that she can be of some use to Steven. That's the whole reason she learns sword fighting, and it's heartbreaking. She starts distancing herself from Steven, trying to be a tool for him. The episode wraps up with Steven and Connie fighting side-by-side as Steven tells Connie that they need to work together as equals. Connie's struggles don't conclude at the end of this episode, though. She still deals with these issues as the show moves along. But we can see them getting better. I think this is huge because self-worth issues don't resolve themselves over night. They take time.

In the end, I love Steven Universe because it deals with these hard issues. I feel every ounce of pain that Steven and the Crystal Gems deal with. There is an emotional connection that you can feel because you are watching real problems that we all deal with. There are very few people who haven't dealt with some combination of loss, negative self-worth, abandonment, or sexual identity. And those aren't the only issues that the show deals with; those are just the ones I'm pointing out here. I believe that other shows should take note of what Steven Universe does with its characters. I agree with Professor Leeper; we need more animation that deal with tough issues.