Steven Universe: Island Adventure

Steven Universe: Island Adventure

A-

Lars and Sadie go on a Workers Retreat (Steven Style)

I am not sure if Lars and Sadie get a lot of love on this show. If they do then I am very please if not I would highly recommend more episodes involving them. These two are freaking hilarious together and adding steven to the mix sweetens it even more. The week of the 23rd thursday lineup gave us episodes that let the minor characters take the spotlight. Thought it might not be my favorite of the lineup (Clarence wins for that) it is still a fun episode exploring the complexities of our two favorite doughnut salesman.

Ever since the pilot episode I have always enjoyed Lars and Sadie. Lars in all his pathetic attempts to mock Steven to a sweet Sadie always backing Steven up. Not much has changed in terms of the business work ethic. Though it seems that Sadie is sick of all the whines breathing out of Lars and welcomes a chance to maybe help both of them out of their limbo state. Steven with his teleporting powers bring them to a magical island which annoys Lars 25 seconds in with its limited technology and familiar beach setting. However, when the teleporter is lost they are forced to work together and survive. Through the episode we see something new added to these characters. It is not like they grow from the experience but rather figure out what has been inside them all along and bring it to the surface.

Lars and Sadie connect in a way that the audience has never seen before. They are brought together by their feelings of lonesomeness and wanting someone fill in that hole. Steven once again is not the one to bring peace to the group or even save the day. He once again is used appropriately to let these characters interact and flesh out their feelings. And let me just say a ukulele  never sounded so good in the background.

Cool things noticed

1. Lars had a lot of good lines tonight but I think I will go with my favorite “You work me up from my  sleep! Now I have to start all over again!”
2. Sadie is a badass and she  should be made into an honorary member of the gems.
3. “Ever felt lonely even when there are people around you” - so many feelings line of the night.
4. I do think it is funny how Sadie and Lars full on make out in this episode and another kiss (or peck)  was censored that same night.

Clarence: Neighborhood Grill

Clarence: Neighborhood Grill

A

“I love seeing a teacher out of school, its like seeing a dog walk on its hind legs”

Let me first say that I apologize this review a week later it was due. I lost track of the time and time lost track of me. Hopefully this will not be ongoing pattern. Life! Stop being a nuance! Anyway lets continue to what I think was very sweet and adorable episode of Clarence. It is a nice recurring theme I see going on through all the shows I watch to review (Regular show, Steven Universe) that all have a keen focus on their secondary characters as much as their main ones.  Since Clarence has such a relatable setting to normal life, it is easy to identify with characters we might encounter in our regular day. (Also I will dedicate a paragraph to a frame? that has garnered a bunch of attention..but since it is a key plot element I will write the review first).

I tip my hat off to teachers. Not only do they have to craft and shape the young minds on a regular basis on a penniless salary but they also have to juggle that with a normal life as well. I personally could not stomach being 8 hours in a classroom with children for five days a week. Not that I do not love children but as Clarence demonstrates dealing with the youngins is not a easy job! Clarences teacher tries the blind date to much disappointment. Unfortunately for her it is also the same restaurant as Clarence's family decides to eat at. Clarence in all of his prepubescent glory, believes being a teacher is literally like the mechanical arm of the school than a human being with a life outside of the educational sphere. It is a funny episode that hopefully kids will laugh at (I sure did) and maybe leave initiative into leaving an apple on their teachers desk next time they see them.

Now on to that one frame of a scene where what might of been the first gay kiss on Cartoon Network. I could go into a full blown essay on it but I feel people do not want me to give them an editorial review on this issue. But I will say this, in a time where Cartoon Network is thriving in being a unique threshold of originality and acceptance, it would not be a more suitable place to show such a (in my opinion) a monumental event. But this episode should not be defined by that one moment but by  its smart ,quick writing and humor.

Cool things Noticed

1. I definitely would of defriended that girl who thought I would be interested in a 70 year old man.
2. Clarence trying to give hugs in the girls bathroom is adorably cute but probably terrifying for his teacher.
3. “Good for them”

Regular Show: Daddy Issues

Regular Show: Daddy Issues

A

Its CJs turn for family melodrama!

We are about three episodes into the new season of Regular Show and it seems to be demonstrating why the show is still going strong. The reason why is because the show lets each character breathe and become more than an extension of Mordecai and Rigby. We love every character of Regular Show. The complexity and development the show brings to them shows that not only do they care about them but also about the audience who watches them. We want to care about characters  no matter what even in the form of cumulus.

We can all come to the conclusion that CJ is here to stay for a while. Unlike Margaret, CJ always seems to have a more vibrant personality. Don’t get me wrong Margaret was a nice girl and likeable but besides these two adjectives there is nothing more to describe her existence than as an extension of Mordecai. There was never an episode devoted to developing her into a more three dimensional character. Heck, even her Dad was given more in depth time than she did. So seeing an episode that makes CJ the center of the story and about her family is a nice change of pace from Mordos previous girlfriend. CJ exists more than just to be Mordecai's girlfriend with problems, worries, and feelings. You know like a person!

Season premiere dealt with Mordecai and his mom now CJ is getting her turn with parental dilemma. The story itself is nothing new for Regular Show. A talent hidden from others in order to forget a painful memory. CJs a super good mini golf player and tries to win a card that will give them free passes to their favorite grilled cheese place. However, living under the shadow of her competitive father has strayed her away from the sport so imagine her delight when he enters the contest. The episode seems to be aware of its campiness (its called Daddy Issues) but for a show that has 100 plus episodes plots will be redundant. But the audience does not care about the end result we care more about the journey in getting there. Therefore, making us care for secondary characters like CJ makes the journey a fun and enjoyable experience.

Cool Thing Noticed:

• Thats the same restaurant from the time they pretended to be Astronauts right? You would think they would put in a Drive Thru at some point.
• Also same mini golf place where they did their first double date. Take a moment to think how much these characters change also cannot believe that was three years ago!
• My Sister boyfriend thinks that Margaret will return and stir things up...diehard Margaret fan apparently.
• Thats fine if Rigby and Eileen do not date (although I would be for it) but can I have some more Eileen episodes plllleeeaaasssseee.

Steven Universe: Secret Team

Steven Universe: Secret Team

Operation Hush Hush is a Go, Complete with Pizza Membership Card.

A-

I really love how silly but morally driven these recent episodes have been. Granted, I have missed a multitude of episodes so this might have been a recurring theme throughout Steven Universe. That being said, I love these gals and I love Steven. This episode  plays very nicely to each character's strengths to bring us a relatively sweet episode that reminds us that no one messes with Garnet, even if there is a promise of getting a free pizza out of it.

Amethyst  and Pearl easily have the most hostile relationship on this show. There is no doubt that they love each other but like most sisters frequently they want to wring each others necks.There polar opposites in personalities, makes for great conflict and of course humor. Amethyst does not deny her childlike persona which makes her Stevens favorite playmate. One of their favorite pastimes is jumping through puddle loopholes some of which enter other gems rooms. When they catch Pearl in the act of sketchy business involving Garnets personal things, she panics and breaks an unnatural force. The three of them solve the problem and make a pact not to tell Garnet. Steven loving the idea of being part of a mysterious team and thinking it will bring them closer together, grabs at the opportunity to make it official. However, when the tension of Pearl and Amethyst causes distance between them, Steven asks for the help of the gem with the fewest words but by far the most stable member to bring balance to the gems once again.

After the emotional heartbreak of last episode it was nice to take a breather and take the tone to a more light hearted affair. It was really fun to see that even though there is no official leader of the gems, Garnet takes the reins in bringing tranquility when the gems need it most. Sometimes Steven can figure it out on his own like demonstrated in Space Race but sometimes you just need the help of a stoic giant to help restore peace to the gems once more. Besides, Garnet seemed more hurt by the pact of secrets than the actual toying around her belongings.  In her eyes, the four of them have already made a team called the Crystal Gems and in their pact there are no secrets.

Cool Things Noticed

1. I would love to have a french fries take out place. Everytime I see Steven ask for fry bits I always wonder why no one has thought of making this a reality.
2. The film noir aspect of the show was fun to watch. The shadows, Stevens trench coat, and music were all cool tactics. Also having the secret meeting in the fry place was great. Again, can someone make this a reality?
3. “You know with all four of these, we could of gotten a free pizza.”
4. Thinking about adding Over the Garden Wall to review. Thoughts? 

Clarence: The Forgotten

Clarence: The Forgotten

Paying Unsubtle Homage to Our Favorite Insecure Peanut

B+

Every kid has been there. Waiting in front of the elementary/middle school, seeing peer after peer open the car door and be taken away to sanctuary from the 9 to 4 weekday education shift. But your still there watching and as the traffic starts to dwindle you begin to ponder if you have become “the forgotten”. This episode plays into every child's worst anxiety by introducing us to the perfect Charlie Brown archetype. While the references to Peanuts is a little distracting, the chemistry of goofball Clarence and his new companion is too good of fun.

This poor kid is so lost in the crowd of vibrant school children that even Clarence who makes his way to know everyone doesn't even know his name (Hardy I believe is what he settled on). He is so introverted and invisible that it is only after all the kids have left the school yard that Clarence finally notices him. While Hardy sees this as another reminder of how little an impact he makes on people, Clarence ever the optimist,  sees this as an opportunity for adventure  for them to get return home. He leads Hardy through every obstacle and no matter how obscure it gets Hardys timidness  always gets the best of him. This makes for  some really funny humor between the two of them. No matter how grotesque Clarences journey takes them, Hardy can only speak up in the inner workings of his mind. It finally took Clarence endangering their lives for Hardy to finally grow a backbone. Turns out Clarence might have been the best thing for him but the final moments on the playground may suggest otherwise.

I always love being introduced to new characters in Clarence. I know last week I complained about not seeing the trio of Jeff, Sumo, and Clarence but here it works. The best episodes of this show  is Clarence interacting with all sorts of people because whenever you put a character like him with others, it will always be genuinely funny and nice experience. Yes, the references to Peanuts are little much but then again wouldn’t you love to see Clarence and Charlie Brown go on outings together? To be forgotten is never fun but when Clarence takes interest in you, you will always be remembered.

Cool things Noticed:

• I wasn’t a big fan of the family sitcom angle of the show (In the sewers, Chad seeing them on television?). But I cannot deny the cuteness of the Charlie Brown dancing at the end.

• Not too sure how a box took the form of Clarence. But then again in Chads mind who knows.

• Is Charlie Brown owned by Warner Brothers? If not, I bet the lawyers are already drawing up their lawsuits to how many times Hardy spoke “good grief”.

Regular Show : New Bro On Campus

Regular Show : New Bro On Campus

B-

By Raging Cole

Yeahhh!!, Regular Show is back on a regular schedule again!...

After last weeks stellar Season Premiere “Maxin’ and Relaxin’” we’re treated to a more filler-ry episode exploring the beginning of Muscle-Man and Hi-Five Ghosts’ friendship.The episode starts out with Muscle-Man refusing to pair up with Hi-Five Ghost for a job because Fives recently uploaded an embarrassing video of Muscle Man and it went viral (50 million views apparently). Muscle Man yells at Fives until Fives storms off. Mordecai and Rigby tell him to chill out because they’ve been friends forever but Muscle Man explains that they were actually rivals when they first met. This is all a setup for a flashback episode dedicated to Muscle Man and Five’s high school days.

The narrative that follows is a little generic for such a creative show, Muscle Man is considered the cool guy at school until Fives shows up as the new kid and everybody starts treating him as the cool guy now. This makes Muscle Man angry (of course) who then challenges Fives to a nacho eating competition (Cue mandatory Regular Show montage scene set to probably old rock music) to establish who the cool guy is After Muscle Man loses, the students move his car from the cool guy parking spot by lifting it away and placing Five’s car on the spot. Gotta admit that scene got a chuckle out of me for the sheer absurdity. Eventually the beef is resolved with a drag race that ends with the duo both abandoning their cars into the newly discovered crash pit and them becoming best friends.

I’m disappointed that Regular Show has already started airing filler episodes as I was hoping the season would open with a streak of heavy character development episodes. Overall while this episode didn’t push the narrative in any way, it was still funny and explored the characters of Muscle Man and Hi-Five Ghost a little.

Other Stuff...

● My other hopes for this season is a serious long term storyline for Rigby, Margaret coming back for more than just one episode and less backstory episodes for supporting

characters and back to more Mordecai and Rigby focused episodes like earlier seasons.

● Hi-Five’s response to the first My Mom joke he’s heard, “Ha ha ha, That’s really funny but that’s, that’s really sad. You should probably be more considerate of your mother. It’ll probably hurt her feelings if she heard you talking like that.”

Steven Universe: Space Race

Steven Universe: Space Race

Pearls Cosmic Love for Space and Steven are on Overdrive and so our my Emotions

A

I have to be honest, this is the first Steven Universe episode I have seen in a while so I might be a little more bias towards this review. But goodness this show really knows how to hit the right mix of humor, sadness, and excitement in eleven minutes while providing some excellent character development with my favorite compulsive gem. The parenting styles of Pearl and Greg are put to the test as each thinks they know what is best for Steven and what we get is a gentle reminder about what makes this show standout in  solid family entertainment.

Pearl is the crystal gem who is the definition of precision and intellectual smarts. So it is always a treat when we see her breakdown her wall of stoicness and see some sentiment coming from her. Pearl longs for the wonders of space again but with the transporters busted she has no way of returning. Steven being the naive and optimistic he is, decides to build her a rocket  and seeks aid from his Dad. Greg, believing this as a cute gesture for Pearl, helps steven create a go cart rocket complete with sparkler! Pearl is less than amused and makes herself a part of the team. Greg realizes that this is the real deal with Pearl and refuses Steven to go along with it. Pearl letting her obsessiveness get the best of her and wanting to share space with Steven, puts herself and inadvertently puts him in danger. In the end though, she sacrifices space for Steven and what an emotional punch it is.

I always think it is unfair the Steven Universe is always under Adventure Times shadow because besides the fantasy elements that both shows implore, they both differentiate in where they want their themes to lie. AT wants to really emphasize the world of OOh in all of its weirdness and colorfulness while Steven puts most of creative worldliness on the backburner to emphasize the coming of age story of  not just Steven but also of the crystal gems. Parenting is still relatively new to Pearl and  and we sympathize with her because she just wants to share something beyond earthly realms with someone she treasures. Steven ironically is the one to teach the lesson to Pearl in this episode who tells her sometimes you just have to bail out. We get our moral from Steven from this episode and Pearl is the one who learned something. Stories like this is what makes Steven Universe a joy to watch and a reason to keep on tuning in.

Cool Things Noticed

• Steven places sad face stickers on the broken transporters...whatta cute ham.
• That time when Pearl shed a tear to give the dream of returning to space..so many feelings
• Hello puberty meet Steven.

Clarence: A Lizard Day Afternoon

Clarence: A Lizard Day Afternoon

An unspoken battle to see who can have the best weekend activity

B

What I really enjoy about Clarence is that with all the cartoons out there involving fantasy elements or surreal storylines, Clarence plots are a nice alternative of suburbia antics filled with childhood mischievous. This weeks story is no exception as the Clarence and the gang try to make the best out of their Saturday afternoon. Jeff believes fun is organized and well thought out while Clarence and Sumo rather improvise what fun is. What we get is an okay episode that demonstrates once again the practicalities of Jeff and the spastic nature of Clarence and Sumo.


To be clear, I love Jeff and his character. Some of the best humor of this show comes from the inevitable squareness of Jeff’s personality. A boy so precise, organized, and so self assured that he has already bought a game to a system that he does not own but is sure that the town bully will give him a turn on it. While Clarence and Sumo shut down his plan instantaneously and decided to have their own misadventures with a lizard that coincidently brings them luck wherever they are. There are interesting themes of technology and how it literally fries your brain into a coma mode but I really miss Jeff being part of the trio. I would not have mind this episode quite as much if we did not have a Jeff central story line last week that used Sumo and Clarence to a minimum.

The chase scenes involving the lizard are fun to watch and Jeff trying desperately to play his game which is about being a big brother building the perfect utopia shielded from anarchy and chaos also gets some chuckles. But in the end, I really wish that Jeff was a part of the anarchy and chaos that is Clarence and Sumo. By the end of the episode, Clarence catches the lizard and named it Jeff because he missed him with them. Me too Clarence. Me too.

Cool Things Noticed

• Jeff said he had to sell all of his decorative spoons to get that game. What is a decorative spoon and how can I get one?
• I love that lady from the fast food place. The way she handled that garbage is how I want to handle all my problems.
• Sumo/Clarence got a lamp from the bushes. I shall now check bushes for free lamps.
• Welcome to the blog! This is my first time reviewing so bare with me!

Welcome All! 10/10/14

Hello Avid Animation Fans!


My name is Jane and if you are like me you are just counting the hours on Thursdays waiting it to be six to get our weekly dosage of new episodes of our favorite cartoons. If you are also like me you head to AV Club TV section on their website to read on what they had to say about the 11 minute episodes we just watched. So far, there has been only two weekly coverage done of the Thursday line up Regular Show and Adventure Time. Both are done really well by the respected reviewers and I always learn a new aspect of the show I might have overlooked or I disagree and troll on the comment section. Irregardless, I always have a fun time on those pages. But today I found out there will be no weekly coverage of Regular Show..




This made me quite sad and then I realize there is not a review page of Clarence or Steven Universe. So in order to fix my sadness I have decided each week to review *gulp these three shows. This will not be a fancy blog but just a way for readers of the Regular Show page or people who want to discuss the episode to go. I will post the link to the adventure time page each week. So here we go! Look out for Clarence and Steven this week. Then starting the 28th (AT premiere) is when it gets serious.

Here are a few rules to keep in mind

1) I will try to get reviews up that Thursday night or Friday. Whenever I have seen all the new episodes.
2) These will be short blogs since I am reviewing three shows so no longer than 3 paragraphs.
3) Since I am sure AT will be reviewed perfectly by the Club I will not do it (unless I have something really good to say!)
4) I want this to be a community blog so if you want to write something for the week concerning these shows or other CN shows let me know!
5) Happy reading and commenting!