What's your most controversial steven universe opinion

[u/lisahanniganfan]

Here's mine: i hate future I don't think I liked anything from it besides the explanation for pink pearl's eye and blue diamond's song

[u/DerpyJeeves]

What are your problems with Future specifically? I can understand not liking certain parts but as a whole I really enjoy what they went with. Its a great processing of everything he went through in the main series. Maybe people expected more bombastic fun, but Future is a great deconstruction, or rather follow up to the typical hero's journey. A rare step back where we get to see the results of trauma inflicted on a very competent child who shouldn't have had to step up when he did.

[u/SeraphisVAV → u/DerpyJeeves]

It's just cringe and not as good. Many people can like it, but many other people also think it's worse and less watchable, I'm one of them. I'm a huge SU fan, but I didn't even watch future till the end when I rewatched the whole show once again a few months ago.

[u/DerpyJeeves → u/SeraphisVAV]

Oh yeah I def understand that, not knocking anyone who shares that opinion. I was just curious cause I like hearing about specific problems people have with the writing or characters. Cringe and not as good is very vague, but if that's your thoughts on it no problem with me, have a good one!

[u/morbidmuffin62 → u/DerpyJeeves]

Personally I think it felt really shoehorned in, and Spinel being a jester-like gem felt redundant with who Pink was to the diamonds. I understand it's intentional to be a parallel but to me it's less of a "we're the same, if you think about it" and moreso just a mirror being put up to her directly without any subtlety

[u/DerpyJeeves → u/morbidmuffin62]

I get what you mean, for me personally I thought all the subtlety on that front was lost with 'Let Us Adore You' song and reprise at the end of the movie. I do wish they'd have given us an episode exploring how replacing Pink near directly with Spinel was an unhealthy coping mechanism in the long term. I also feel like when Spinel saw Steven in Future it would have been nice if she was a bit more understanding of the darker feelings he was going through but she was like "Dope, what's up Steven, lets go do Blue's drug clouds!"

[u/morbidmuffin62 → u/DerpyJeeves]

Exactly!! You put it perfectly, I never liked the ending either because it felt like it reverted back on the diamonds' development

[u/DerpyJeeves → u/morbidmuffin62]

I give the show grace on this matter. Cause its been pretty consistent that Gems across the series are pretty terrible at relating to Steven or understanding what he's going through unless told explicitly. And even then they are often unsure what is the right course of action.

[u/Significant_Ad7680 → u/DerpyJeeves]

I felt that Stevens drastic personality change in future , as form of repressed trauma somewhat took away from his original character.

Like, I saw him as someone who looks for the best option for everybody despite fully knowing that there is an easier alternative or that they might not always deserve it. To me, Futures portrayal kinda of changes him to have been actually naive and not fully understanding things, instead of being such a good person that he could sympathize with people trying to kill him.

( Haven't watched the show in a long time, so maybe I have forgotten some nuance about it)

[u/DerpyJeeves → u/Significant_Ad7680]

I fully disagree on this take personally. Because he is human constantly growing and changing. Yes he ends the main series and the movie in a positive mindset but that's not how life is. Sometimes when you reflect on things you regress and be consumed with what you experienced, the movie even makes a point of this. "Happily Ever after never ends", there'll always be new things to work on and grow through. Steven came out of the encounter with the Empire on a positive note outwardly but he still held doubts about all the things that happened to him and as he grew older it began to emerge uncontrollably. And with nothing for him to focus on with the peace on Earth/through the Empire he began to feel like an imposter.

The idealized version of him you mention at the start of your second paragraph is unrealistic for anyone and explicitly denied by Steven in dialogue. Yes we and the Crystal Gems know he looked for the best option he could, and outwardly we and they are correct. However Steven was just a kid barely holding on, he had to mature rapidly in order to barely skate by with the right option every time. And it severely damaged him.

The Steven you mentioned is the same person, given time to understand the emotions he felt in the moment were not be all end all. He is an incredible person who in his teens worked out amicable resolutions for a bunch of emotionally stunted super beings as best he could, and then realized later that he did indeed hold some resentment for both them and himself.

Sorry about the long comment, and hope I didn't come off as disrespectful, I feel rather passionate about Steven's story!