By Hillary Donnell
Contributing Writer
Rebecca Sugar is the first female solo creator in the over 20 years of Cartoon Network’s existence. This is a huge milestone in television animation, which is still a male-dominated industry. Sugar’s work as a writer and storyboarder on “Adventure Time” has been nominated for both Emmys and Annies. Her talent as an artist and a writer is undeniable.
Sugar’s new show, “Steven Universe,” focuses on Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, who form a group called the Crystal Gems along with a young boy named Steven. Steven has inherited his gem power from his absent mother. He lives with the other Gems but is often left behind when they go on missions to save the universe from evil, as he is much too young and has not fully grown into his powers. The show centers on Steven’s perspective on his involvement in various mundane and fantastic tasks.
Only a few episodes in and “Steven Universe” is already shaping up to be one of the most impressive cartoons on air right now. The animation is absolutely gorgeous and the writing is strong.
Even though the show is only just beginning, the characters feel established and well-rounded. The relationships between them have been formed already, in a timeframe of which the audience has no awareness.
The characterization is subtle and revealed through action, which is preferable to having a narrator explain a character before the viewers can build their own sense of her or him. Not only does the dialogue between these characters sound natural, but it is also funny and works with the flow of the narrative.
Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl are Steven’s role models and it’s totally natural. His complete adoration of them is never played off as a joke. They are strong and capable fighters who defend Beach City and potentially the universe from monsters every day and more importantly, they’re like family to Steven.
It’s difficult to find examples of male characters with female role models in children’s television. This is something that needs to be more prevalent in children’s media in general.
“Steven Universe” is an incredibly feminist show. It can be hard to watch some cartoons because you can very clearly see the bias of the industry. Most of the characters in cartoons are men and the shows often make jokes at the expense of women and femininity. Out of the four main characters, only one is male. It is inspiring to see a show that embraces its women and celebrates them along with all of the other characters.
The female characters are not there to represent all women or manufacture diversity. Each character, female or male, has a different body type, fashion sense, and personality. They are their own people, with different ways of handling situations. This type of diversity is character-driven which gives it an organic feel. The women of the Crystal Gems are powerful, dedicated, and, above all, human. The fact that all of the characters are allowed to be so human is what makes this show funny and endearing. It’s going to be exciting to see where this show goes.
“Steven Universe” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on Cartoon Network.
