Steven Universe · 8:59pm Nov 4th, 2015
Since Danger Mouse has annoyingly decided to have a hiatus after a mere 15 episodes, I've finally given in to the people who have been pestering me to watch Steven Universe for ages. So, well, I started watching Steven Universe. I've just finished the first (long) season, which is to say that I'm up to "Jail Break". I suppose the very thought that I've got this far tells you something -- but here are some thoughts anyway:
* Perhaps because of the 11-minute format, it takes forever to get going. It was really only in the mid-20s, when Lapis Lazuli turned up, that I started to find it more than mildly diverting.
* It does -- eventually -- become pretty involving and intriguing, which is the main reason I'm going to stick with it now.
* It deals with rather more mature themes than MLP -- but, sheesh, it's a PG-rated show. Of course it does!
* There's some nice music and an occasional good song, but nothing (edit: except perhaps "Stronger Than You") that's going to make Daniel Ingram quake in his boots.
What it doesn't have (at least, not now) is the sheer emotional pull that MLP:FiM still does -- I'm not involved in its fandom (does it even have one?) and don't have any desire to write fanfic for the show. There's nothing in SU that's affected me like seeing the CMC get their cutie marks did. Even after all these years, Pony is still the gold standard for me, and I can't see that changing any time soon. But I am glad to be watching Steven Universe, and I think I'll stick with it now.
You obviously don't know that much about the SU fandom. I personally love the show, but recently the fandom is the head of all fandom news. Why?
Tumblr.
People on Tumblr drove a girl who drew Amethyst with a skinny body into attempting suicide.
The SU fandom tops the list of the worst fandoms.
3520476 I did know about that, actually, since it was kind of hard to avoid. I just didn't feel like bringing it up in such a general post. Also, not being involved in said fandom, I don't feel it's reasonable for me to judge. After all, consider how this fandom was being described in the midst of Derpygate.
I too don't feel the pull of writing fanfiction for SU. I feel like maybe it's that their world is less open ended? More depressing? I don't know.
Season 2 of SU has a lot more emotional pull, where I sit.
Also, >implying Let Me Drive My Van Into Your Heart isn't better than everything MLP :V
I kid. But Jailbreak is the episode with Stronger Than You, right? I'm not even as obsessed with that song as most people are, and I gotta say it blows everything Ingram's done for MLP out of the water. Of course, it may also be the exception proving the rule.
3520530 I'm not sure what it is, really. MLP is the first thing I've really written fanfic for since Watership Down over a decade ago, and I've enjoyed plenty of shows, books etc in the intervening period.
3520580 "Stronger Than You" is excellent, by far my favourite SU song. That said, I don't love Pony songs for their technical excellence. I love them for making me happy. "Shine Like Rainbows" does that better than "Stronger Than You", despite being much simpler in its construction.
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Stronger Than You hits the same notes for me that a lot of pony fan songs do: The Twilight Will Rise, Still Shy, songs about the characters recognizing their strengths and defining themselves by them.
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The video that first alerted me to the existence of Steven Universe, half a year before I started watching it:
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I was so stoked when I heard that song in SU cuz I'd seen that video first. :D