Many people brush "Steven Universe" off as a kid's show, but it is definitely more than that. It's considered family entertainment, meaning that while it's accessible to children, it also contains themes and narratives that are capable of captivating audiences of all ages. Admittedly, I wasn't into the show when I viewed the first few episodes. When the series started out, it was a little too silly for my liking, but as the plot continued on, I found myself becoming absorbed into the series. Upon further analysis, I was amazed at the sort of advice that exist in different episodes, many of which I hadn't expected to find in a show where kids are at least part of the target audience. This is the first installment of interesting moments that I feel have the potential to leave a mark on audiences of all ages.
1. Children are often more capable than we assume.
"Cheeseburger Backpack" details how, even though Steven is young and inexperienced, he is capable of being a useful member of the team. At times, he jeopardizes the mission with his behavior or lack of expertise, but he often makes up for it by saving the gems in unexpected ways (such as in "Ocean Gem," "The Return" or "Jail Break"). While it is easy to forget that kids have their own talents and expertise, it is important to acknowledge that kids have their own contributions to make. The truth is that you won't do children any favors by trying to oversimplify things for them.
2. Don't take on more than you can handle.
In "Cat Fingers," Steven learns about his shape-shifting ability, but tries to do too much too quickly and ends up having to be rescued from a dangerous situation. We see this again in "Watermelon Steven," when he learns about his power over plants and the situation once again gets out of hand. Especially as kids grow into teenagers, it's important for them to know their limitations before taking chances. It's good to try new things, but it's equally important to ask for help before things get overwhelming.
3. Don't try to grow up too quickly.
In "Serious Steven" we see Steven trying to be "serious" so he can be of more help on his mission. It is very difficult for him, but in the end he's shown that, while he needs to take his missions seriously, he shouldn't change himself or try to force maturity. Sometimes the gems expect too much of him (as seen a later episode in season two, "Joy Ride"), but they have to realize that even though Steven is maturing over the course of the show, he's still a child. This can be a good lesson for parents who may watch the show with their children. Nobody should expect a kid to shoulder immense responsibilities with no regard for their enjoyment of their childhood.
4. Be yourself. Don't try to change who you are to fit in.
In "Lars and the Cool Kids," it is wonderfully illustrated how important it is to not try and be someone you're not just to fit in with others. Steven behaves as himself and is liked by the "cool" kids, while Lars has trouble connecting with them when he's trying too hard to be the person he thinks they want him to be. Lars' behavior is self-centered and erratic, and throughout the episode he comes to resent the ease that Steven has fitting in with the "cool" kids. Lars ends up mistreating Steven, who shows his forgiveness by making it seem like it was Lars' idea to see the flowers blossom over the cliff so he could impress the others. It's a hassle and a burden to pretend to be someone else, and if others don't like you as you are, they're not worth your time.
5. Physical power isn't the only way to be strong.
"Coach Steven" is an excellent episode about how brute strength can only take you so far. Steven gets wrapped up in trying to be big and strong like Sugilite, that he loses sight of what real strength is-- that is until Pearl shows him how to be strong through wit and strategy. With such overbearing strength, it seemed like Sugilite was going to win the fight against Pearl, but Pearl makes a comeback when Steven's words inspire her and ends up breaking Sugilite apart, back into Garnet and Amethyst.
6. Looks can be deceiving.
In "Monster Buddies," Steven learns that despite the centipeedle's monstrous appearance, it's actually quite calm and responds well to attempts to befriend it. The Crystal Gems still behave warily toward the creature, but it's loyal to Steven and in the end saves him from a falling rock in a show of appreciation for his kindness and attention. This can also be seen in "Mirror Gem," where Steven befriends and releases the trapped Lapis Lazuli despite the other gems trying to steer him away from the mirror she was trapped in. In turn, she later ends up trapping the enemy Homeworld gem, Jasper, in a fusion so she wouldn't be able to harm Steven. Steven shows viewers that it is important to look past appearances and to get to know who people are on the inside.
7. A loss of confidence doesn't have to hold you back.
In "House Guest," Steven's dad lies about his broken leg when Steven tries to heal it, causing Steven to lose his confidence, which hinders his ability to use his powers. Steven's lack of confidence gives him immense anxiety about his progress as a Crystal Gem and he begins to feel like he may never get the hang of his powers after this major setback. In the end, his father was found out and it came to light that he only lied about his leg so that he could spend more time with Steven. From this, we learn that confidence can be your best tool for improvement and success.
8. Don't ignore what someone has to say just because they're younger than you.
Steven discovers a hidden danger in "Warp Tour" that goes ignored and even somewhat mocked by the Crystal Gems, because they feel that it's impossible for anyone but them to be able to use the warp system. Later, they find Peridot's robots fixing the Homeworld warp, discovering that they should have trusted Steven all along, and that his observations and contributions are just as important to the team as theirs. It's easy to discount the experience of children due to their age and lack of knowledge, but unless there is a clear and obvious issue with what they're saying, it's best to give them the benefit of the doubt from time to time. Their youth may hinder their understanding somewhat, but that doesn't mean they're incapable of knowing what's going on around them.
9. Don't worry about "what if's," or the situations that are beyond your control.
In "Future Vision," Garnet tells Steven about her power to see into the future. At first they have some light-hearted fun with it, but Steven soon gets anxious about the future and unknown dangers to him. He has to learn that her future vision only tells the future based on where he is now, and ultimately he is the master of his own destiny. It's easy to spiral into fear and unease when it comes to matters of the future, especially those that we can't control, but if something isn't within your capabilities to change and influence, try to let it go and see how the situation pans out. After all, there's not much use in worrying about what you can't change. Time is best spent preparing for the consequences so you're better suited to handle it.
10. Don't make assumptions about how someone else is handling a situation.
During "On the Run," Amethyst brings Steven to the Kindergarten, the place she was created on Earth. She seems enthusiastic about being there, reminiscing about her time spent in that place before she joined the Crystal Gems. That is, until Pearl shows up and scolds her for showing the place to Steven, telling him that the Kindergarten was there for terrible reasons and that she never wanted him to know about the damage it did to Earth. Amethyst harbored a lot of insecurities about the role she played in being born there, and lashes out at Pearl. All along, Pearl had assumed that Amethyst detested the Kindergarten and knew of her worth to the Crystal Gems, but Amethyst reveals that Pearl has made her feel like a burden and a mistake, merely for coming into existence the way she did.
11. Sometimes holding onto remnants of the past can weigh you down.
In "Maximum Capacity," Greg and Amethyst rekindle an old friendship from years ago by watching a show they both enjoyed called "Lil' Butler." They become engrossed in it, and Amethyst becomes possessive of Greg, taunting him with memories of his dead lover when he wants to stop watching the show and spend more time with his son. Also within the episode, he's having trouble cleaning out his storage space, which has a lot of items that had sentimental value to him, even if they were things he never used or hadn't looked at in years. In the end, Steven confronts them and Amethyst feels ashamed for the way she treated Greg, and makes up for it by enlisting the other gems in helping him clear out his storage, so they can both move on from their past. The past shapes us into who we are, but it's important to not allow it to weigh us down and prevent our future progress.
12. You don't own the rights to a person's memory.
Throughout "Rose's Scabbard," Pearl has a bit of a show and tell with Steven about his mother, and becomes dismayed when he knows of a place she was sure was secret and enraged when she finds out that Lion was connected to Rose, because she felt that her and Rose were so close while Rose was alive, that she knew all about her and her secrets. She lashes out at the others, screaming phrases like, "None of you had what we had!" or, "What do you know? You never even met her!" Steven chases after her and tries to calm her down afterward, then he shows her Rose's possessions that were kept inside of Lion, so they could share in her memory together. It's sometimes easy to think that the bond you have with someone is above all, but don't callously discount their interactions with other people, especially when it comes to speaking about the deceased. All of their relationships with others matter, even if they weren't as close.
13. Give those who want to help you a chance, even if you think they can't.
In "The Message," the Crystal gems are trying to receive a message from the wailing stone. Greg wants to help, but fails in his first attempt, so the gems opt to not allow him to try again. He feels that he can figure out how to get the message, so he confronts them, to which they reply with almost patronizing remarks. Eventually they concede and give him another chance, and he's able to get the message for them. If the gems hadn't given Greg another chance, it's likely they would have had no warning to use to prepare for the coming invasion, and the consequences could have been disastrous.
Bonus: LGBT+ Acceptance.
In "Jailbreak," we learn that Garnet is a fusion of Ruby and Sapphire, and the show displays them as a normal, healthy, affectionate relationship with no emphasis or questioning on the gender of the individuals involved. Homosexual couples are coming into media more and more lately, but it can be rare, especially in shows that include children as a target audience, to see them portrayed as normal couples with the same ease as heterosexual couplings. It is incredibly important to normalize LGBT+ relationships, rather than merely hinting at them, or constantly shouting them from the rooftops. LGBT+ relationships are normal relationships, not secret, shameful ones or loud, overbearing ones. This healthier take on LGBT+ relationships is hardly seen in adult media, let alone the ones that reach children, so it is definitely a much needed refresher.
In addition to that, the relationship is portrayed outside of the usual tragic or overly dramatic tones that often follow LGBT+ relationships in media. Most infamously, there tends to be an issue of deaths of LGBT+ characters in media, known as the "Bury Your Gays" trope in television. We've seen this more recently with the young adult series "The 100," where a notable lesbian character, Lexa, was killed off the show, and many fans came forth in outrage, saying this wasn't the first time a show had released a gay character just to kill them off, and that it's become quite a disheartening commonality in LGBT+ characters throughout all forms of media. It's about time that a homosexual pairing gets a chance to be the sought after love story instead of the horrible tragedy.
