Whenever I tell my friends they need to watch Steven Universe they always watch the first two episodes and say the same thing: "This is just some stupid kids show, I just can't get into it."
Yeah, alright. It's a silly kids show. I can see why it's hard to get into the show when the first few episodes make it seem like a pointless and random cartoon, but it's so much more than that.
It's a revolution that not only challenges you as a person but dares you to look at things from a perspective that you never even thought to. Kids and adults alike are watching Steven Universe and being taught the importance of love, acceptance, family, friends, self-love, and self-care. Not even just that, but the story of the show is absolutely captivating in its own right!
Let's get right to business. These are all the reasons you need to start watching Steven Universe .
Watch Steven Universe on Comedy Central
What this show offers society is monumental
Steven Universe is cut from the same cloth as shows like Adventure Time and Over the Garden Wall . Sure. It's cute, it's silly, and it's wholesome. As you learn about these characters and witness their adventures, you'll grow attached. The humor and exemplary content will absorb you in with smiles, but when these characters experience something traumatic you're just as heartbroken as they are.
Every season is full of life lessons for the real world that creep up on you like a shiver in the night and you'll never see them coming. One minute you're laughing at a joke and the next minute you get hit with a line that makes you stop and contemplate everything you just saw. You're ever so slowly inched behind the eyes of each character and into a mentality of understanding very real struggles you may not have even considered before.
You learn life lessons without ever having to experience them. The writers of the show make the story flow so perfectly you don't realize it's happening until you're a sobbing mess on your couch. Don't let that discourage you. There are just as many triumphs in each character as there are hardships. For every struggle you witness you'll also see an equal amount of love, support, and baby steps into a better future. Perhaps one of the best lessons that Steven Universe teaches is that not everything happens overnight. It's OK to not be OK , and it's okay to take your own time when it comes to healing or discovering yourself.
"You're allowed and expected to invent who you are."
Steven Universe is about the uprise of humanity, teaching us all what it means to discover ourselves, and how to stand up for our right to do so. It's about equality, rights, dealing with emotional baggage, and the importance of family and friendship. There is nothing I haven't seen or heard from this show that hasn't changed my life or made me a better person. It's shaping the way the next generation understands love and self-expression and I couldn't be more proud of its existence.
Real diversity among the characters
If there is one thing Steven Universe isn't short of, it's diversity. There are characters of all shapes, sizes, genders, color, style, and so on. Each character has a variety of interactions with the other characters that promotes an extremely realistic sense of society.
Instead of pointing out each individual for what makes them different the citizens of Beach City just treat them like any other person in this world. Heck, even the alien space rocks (who are very clearly not usual for this planet) are treated equally to all the other townsfolk.
The fact that these people can just exist and be loved is teaching the generation growing up with this show that nothing needs to be made out of the ordinary about someone who's a little different. You can just exist as who you are and still matter to the world. That's such a beautiful thing that I hope never goes unnoticed.
Steven Universe is subconsciously teaching it's viewers that it doesn't matter if you have a face full of piercings, what you look like, how you like to spend your free time, or anything else. You are all extraordinary for just being you and it's okay if that changes or you go through something that changes how you identify.
Last, but not least, the music
Last, but not least, the music. There are over 40 original songs (and growing) on the Steven Universe Soundtrack. Each one is unique, captivating, and sometimes even hauntingly beautiful. Each one has found its way onto a playlist on my phone.
Even when you're not watching the show you can jam out to the music you heard. It's basically the same thing that happened with "Let it Go" from Frozen. Everyone that I know that is a fan of Steven Universe will sing "Giant Woman" or "Stronger Than You" if it starts playing in a room. Just another way to bond with your loved ones, right?
Long story short: This show should be on everyone's list to binge watch and I will die on this hill.
Already a fan of Steven Universe?
Shoot me a Tweet and tell me all your favorite parts, songs, and what lead you to love the show as much as you do. How did it change your life? How do you convince your friends and family to get into it? I want to hear it all!
