Steven Universe: Fusion Cuisine
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Disaster Date
B +
Family has always been a very strong component of the success of Steven Universe. Stevens love for his family is always presented in a very sweet but realistic matter. Watching them through family dynamics intertwined with supernatural elements is a humorous but sentiment take on relationships between guardians, friends, or parents. This episode introduces us to what happens when a relatively traditional family collides with an unstructured one. Though they could not be more different, what is transparent is that love they have for their children
I always assumed that it was a known fact that everyone in Beach City knows about the crystal gems and their hybrid child Steven. However, not everyone knows or accepts the magical events that partaken in this town. When a hangout date with Connie goes astray, a dinner date is setup with each respectable parents. In glorious Steven fashion, he requests for the presence of all his family members at the restaurant. As a viewer, you know that this is not going to end well but you understand why everyone goes. The gems sense there pet peeves will be the downfall and probably know ahead of time this will not end well but Stevens request comes from with such utter adoration of his family and approval of his crushes family that they agree. The date itself is of course great because Steven has no idea what a socially accepted “nuclear family” is. The escaping on a bus seems a little too rush for the episode which is my only nitpick. However, it is also nice to see families bond over their discipline for crime and punishment because nothing brings families closer together than the misery of their children.
The Connie and Steven angle of this show is a delight to watch as always. It is a very nostalgic format of dealing with a first crush. Everytime they are on screen it is like the equivalent of seeing dimples on a kitten. It also deals with very real issues of first love, like meeting the parents and the desire for acceptance. This episode also deals with the formats of families. Preaching that family can come in all different shapes and sizes. Not one family is exactly the same however, what can be equal in all families is the willingness they would go for their child's happiness.
Cool Things Noticed
- Garnets response to Connies Mom was brilliant. She panicked ok?
- Under the knife seems a bit of a nail biter. Poor Steven cannot watch again for another 1,000 years.
- Greg wore a sweater!
Garnet was easily the MVP of this episode. Her on the phone could easily be my new favorite line of the show, and her "All comedy is based on fear" line was just icing on the cake.
ReplyDeleteI'm always partial to Connie episodes, and I was looking forward to seeing her parents in this one. They've been built up as a fairly overbearing and strict, and her humorously petty attempts to rebel against them have blossomed into her leading a full-fledged double life. I was glad this episode brought that plot point to the forefront and gave us some good character conflict. At first it looked like she was afraid her parents wouldn't approve of Steven's unorthodox family situation, but in reality she's more afraid of her parents objecting to the Gems' weirdness in general. Her parents prevent her from eating doughnuts and watching soft science medical shows, so she's pretty justified in being paranoid that they would prevent her from seeing Steven, especially if they knew of the times she's been put in mortal peril during their adventures. Fortunately, she and Steven survived their first fight and perhaps she'll be able to open up to her parents more about her adventures with the Gems, or at least her fixed vision.
I never put much thought into how the outside world views the Gems. The residents of Beach City seem to be fairly well aware of who they are and what they do, but Connie actually mentioned in another episode that her dad's job necessitates that they move around a lot, so they may be less familiar with the Gems. Even so, they adjusted to the idea of a 50 foot tall, 6 armed woman joining them at the dinner table fairly quickly, so maybe they're aware of who the Gems are just didn't know of their connection to Steven.
Miscellaneous observations:
* Connie has always been cool, but the fact that her mom and dad are Major Kusanagi and Regal Bryant, respectively, make her all the cooler.
* Alexandrite's design led me to a lot of fun on reviewings of the episode. Each set of arms corresponds to one of the Gems, and it's interesting to see which Gem is responsible for which action, especially once they start their Three Stooges routine.
I liked that the rift between Steven and Connie didn't last for too long. She put him in a tight spot, but it's understandable why. Her blushing when Steven hugged her was very cute.
ReplyDeleteSteven And Pearl really were in love...Literally:-))))
ReplyDeleteConnie's too good for Steven and plus, Connie not yet ready for this relationship with Steven.
ReplyDeleteBecause Steven's a free boy agent.
I've wish Connie's death really comes out as a basis reference on Spider man issue 121 & 122 comic,The night where gwen Stacy died,
ReplyDeleteYou know where the Green goblin(which it's a reference all about where Connie mom forceigly forces her own husband,to send a reinforcement,wherein one Tiffany Oiler,who's now transforming into Metalloid,to 'take care' of their own Daughter, Connie,by impaling her heart by using Tiffany's very own trophy:The Kyanite Sword).
I've think Steven And Pearl really were in love because it their own burden just like Greg first met Rose.
ReplyDelete