History BrokenBase / StevenUniverse

* From first being shown sympathetically in the "Out of This World" arc all the way to their actual HeelFaceTurn in "Change Your Mind", the Diamonds getting redeemed was and still is a hot button topic in the fandom. One side thinks the Diamonds have done too many heinous acts, from the treatment of the Gems under them to the destruction and genocide of dozens of planets, to even consider the idea of redemption, while the other thinks that not redeeming in favor of shattering or bubbling them indefinitely [[BrokenAesop would go against the show's entire message of "everyone deserves a second chance".]] A third group believes the idea of redeeming the Diamonds is good ''in concept'', but thinks it was very rushed and poorly handled in the show proper. And a fourth acknowledges that destroying the diamonds, either bubbling or shattering them, would bring the wrath of those who worshipped them, making it a lot like [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution other]] [[UsefulNotes/TheRussianRevolution revolutions]].

* From first being shown sympathetically in the "Out of This World" arc all the way to their actual HeelFaceTurn in "Change Your Mind", the Diamonds getting redeemed was and still is a hot button topic in the fandom. One side thinks the Diamonds have done too many heinous acts, from the treatment of the Gems under them to the destruction and genocide of dozens of planets, to even consider the idea of redemption, while the other thinks that not redeeming in favor of shattering or bubbling them indefinitely [[BrokenAesop would go against the show's entire message of "everyone deserves a second chance".]] A third group believes the idea of redeeming the Diamonds is good ''in concept'', but thinks it was very rushed and poorly handled in the show proper.

* The fandom is split over what, exactly, fusion is a metaphor for. Some argue that it's a straightforward metaphor for sex, while others see it as a metaphor for any and all kinds of intimacy within relationships, including friendly and familial ones (aided by [[spoiler:Steven and Amethyst fusing in a moment of mutual understanding and support, more akin to sibling relationships]]). Which view you subscribe to will understandably affect how you think about Steven fusing with any of the Gems or with Connie, though WordOfGod has stated on numerous occasions that it's the latter. This started up yet again, after Steg debuted in the movie.

** Lapis and Peridot's new friendship has even caused contention with Lapis fans. Some love it for Peridot being sensitive and respectful to Lapis' trauma and doing her best to help her recover after Malachite, while others are still upset that Peridot was forgiven for hurting Lapis so quickly and feel like Lapis' CharacterDevelopment, especially with the other Crystal Gems, has been rushed.

* The fandom is split over what, exactly, fusion is a metaphor for. Some argue that it's a straightforward metaphor for sex, while others see it as a metaphor for any and all kinds of intimacy within relationships, including friendly and familial ones (aided by [[spoiler:Steven and Amethyst fusing in a moment of mutual understanding and support, more akin to sibling relationships]]). Which view you subscribe to will understandably affect how you think about Steven fusing with any of the Gems or with Connie, though WordOfGod has stated on numerous occasions that it's the latter. This started up yet again, after Steg debuted in the movie.* The idea of a male Gem appearing on the show has the fanbase split. According to WordOfGod, the Gems are a race that have no gender whatsoever. Conceivably this could mean that all of the Gems shown so far have just coincidentally decided to take the form of females and could just as easily be male. Some fans would like to see a male Gem, while others are strongly against the idea. Discussion of the topic sometimes results in feuds between fans. Some also argue that Steven ''is'' a male Gem while others state that, because he's half-human, he's not technically a ''full'' Gem. And then there is the issue of Amethyst's transformations as a "dumb policeman", a wrestler and (along with Garnet) as Steven count as male forms or simply female forms that look male (although an official guide suggests the former).

** A common argument against the Beach City episodes is that they could've worked if the show had a normal update schedule, but the infrequent release schedule [[ScrewedByTheNetwork couresty of Cartoon Network]] makes them more aggravating, which creates ''another'' broken base over whether the writers are at fault for not adapting to this release schedule and focusing more on moving the main story along, or whether they should just stay the course because the release schedule doesn't matter [[BetterOnDVD if you're rewatching the series or getting into it after the fact]].

* From first being shown sympathetically in the "Out of This World" arc all the way to their actual HeelFaceTurn in "Change Your Mind", the Diamonds getting redeemed was and still is a hot button topic in the fandom. One side thinks the Diamonds have done too many heinous acts, from the treatment of the Gems under them to the destruction and genocide of dozens of planets, to even consider the idea of redemption, while the other thinks that not redeeming in favor of shattering or bubbling them indefinitely would go against the show's entire message of "everyone deserves a second chance". A third group believes the idea of redeeming the Diamonds is good ''in concept'', but thinks it was very rushed and poorly handled in the show proper.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlzl0gUdb3I This video]] is a 45-minute documentary that has ''1.8 million views''. And why is it so popular? Because it explains in comprehensive detail as to why everything about the show is ''AWFUL''.

* The fandom is split over what, exactly, fusion is a metaphor for. Some argue that it's a straightforward metaphor for sex, while others see it as a metaphor for any and all kinds of intimacy within relationships, including friendly and familial ones (aided by [[spoiler:Steven and Amethyst fusing in a moment of mutual understanding and support, more akin to sibling relationships]]). Which view you subscribe to will understandably affect how you think about Steven fusing with any of the Gems or with Connie, though WordOfGod has stated on numerous occasions that it's the latter. This started up yet again, after Steg debuted in the movie.
* The idea of a male Gem appearing on the show has the fanbase split. According to WordOfGod, the Gems are a race that have no gender whatsoever. Conceivably this could mean that all of the Gems shown so far have just coincidentally decided to take the form of females and could just as easily be male. Some fans would like to see a male Gem, while others are strongly against the idea. Discussion of the topic sometimes results in feuds between fans. Some also argue that Steven ''is'' a male Gem while others state that, because he's half-human, he's not technically a ''full'' Gem. And then there is the issue of Amethyst's transformations as a "dumb policeman", a wrestler and (along with Garnet) as Steven count as male forms or simply female forms that look male (although an official guide suggests the former).
* Peridot's HeelFaceTurn in "Message Received" and whether or not it happened too fast. Some feel that it contradicted her characterization in the previous episode, where she still didn't understand why the Gems wouldn't want the Earth hollowed out, and that it doesn't make sense for her to insult Yellow Diamond to her face given how much she worshiped her. Others feel that it does make sense, and Peridot turning against Yellow Diamond may have been not so much out of appreciation for Earth as it was Yellow Diamond showing she wasn't as logical as Peridot believed.
* [[FoeYayShipping Predictably]], Lapis/Jasper is one of the most popular ships in the fandom. But since it is a toxic, unhealthy relationship, it has a very prominent {{hatedom}} with the reasoning that it's glorifying abuse. It became even more polarizing after "Alone at Sea".

* Because Garnet is literally the embodiment of a lesbian relationship, many fans see Garnet as a lesbian herself. But her statement of "Three's a crowd" in "Love Letters" has led to many interpreting her as an aromantic {{asexual|ity}}, with the argument that Ruby and Sapphire are lesbians but Garnet is not, and may see any ships involving Garnet as erasure. Debates around this can get heated.
* In "Barn Mates", many viewers felt that Lapis was being unreasonably cruel to Peridot by refusing to even consider she's changed. However, other viewers felt Peridot was EasilyForgiven and the episode gave a BrokenAesop of how victims aren't allowed to be angry at those who hurt them if it's at the expense of their friends, especially after Peridot apologized to Amethyst for being InnocentlyInsensitive in an ''earlier'' episode.
** Lapis and Peridot's new friendship has even caused contention with Lapis fans. Some love it for Peridot being sensitive and respectful to Lapis' trauma and doing her best to help her recover after Malachite, while others are still upset that Peridot was forgiven for hurting Lapis so quickly and feel like Lapis' CharacterDevelopment, especially with the other Crystal Gems, has been rushed.
* The episodes following "Alone at Sea" have brought more character and plot development. However, these episodes have caused a divide in the fandom, depending on whether or not you find the episodes to be too "rushed" or not. Some fans don't mind it or don't notice it and are just happy to see what the episodes give. Others think the episodes cram too much into the last few minutes without lingering on them long enough. The most obvious examples being the ones where Jasper makes an appearance as most of the time she would only show up within the last few minutes despite the show clearly making a far bigger deal regarding her presence.
** Related to the above example, discussions on if the episodes focused on humans that sometimes don't even feature the Crystal Gems should be considered {{filler}} or not can get rather heated. Episodes like "The New Lars", "Kiki's Pizza Delivery Service", and "Future Boy Zoltron" are among the biggest points of contention. People against this will mention that WordOfGod stated that there's no such thing as filler episodes, while people who think that they are claim that such a statement is a case of ShowDontTell.
* Pearl's crush on Mystery Girl. While most fans are genuinely enthusiastic about the potential relationship and are intrigued about how it will play out, their opinions on Pearl's crush differ. Some fans think it's cute and a sign that she's finally gotten over Rose, especially since Mystery Girl and Rose seem worlds different, but other fans cite that fact that she [[IdenticalStranger looks similar to Rose]] and she crushed on her without ever getting a full word in with her until the end of the episode as the reason ''why'' it's so skeevy, and see it as [[TheMourningAfter Pearl not truly moving on]]. Others simply dislike the idea that an ephemeral, fleeting [[MayflyDecemberRomance relationship with a human]] is something Pearl needs fresh off of losing Rose.
* Malachite is an obvious metaphor for an abusive relationship, but as the show's portrayal is a little nuanced and ambiguous, the fandom is often split on ''which'' of the components was the abusive one. While [[spoiler:Jasper's treatment of Lapis has been consistently aggressive and the "I can change" line from "Alone at Sea" is commonly attributed to abusers, Lapis ''was'' the one in control of the Fusion and in the episode mentioned "being terrible to [Jasper]" and taking everything out on her]]. Some fans claim that [[spoiler:Jasper in "Alone at Sea" was manipulating Lapis into thinking she was in the wrong]], others claim that Jasper is only considered the abuser because of her unfeminine traits while Lapis is more traditionally feminine, and some even claim it was mutually abusive. Debates about this get ''very'' heated, to say the least.

* Peridot and Lapis becoming side characters instead of main characters ended up being one of the most divisive parts of the narrative: there are those who don't mind it, either due to feeling that it keeps the cast of characters in a show with such limited runtime from being clogged up, or simply viewing Peridot and Lapis' hijinks at the barn as hilarious and cute. Others feel that it does a disservice to them by slowing their development to a halt due to how little they appear, while others are mad that it keeps them from being involved with major plotlines like [[spoiler:the Human Zoo break-in]] or [[spoiler:the fight with Aquamarine and Topaz (especially since Peridot is the reason why they're there), as well as Steven surrendering himself to them]], leading some to feel [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter that their potential is being wasted.]]
* Bismuth's episode brought up a fierce debate over [[spoiler: whether it's right or wrong for the Crystal Gems to poof their opponents from Homeworld instead of outright shattering them, essentially rendering them DeaderThanDead. Some think it's perfectly justified after everything Homeworld has done, others point out that, since they have a method of putting Gems in indefinite stasis after poofing them, there's no need to shatter them and doing so is unnecessarily cruel.]]

* The fandom is split over what, exactly, fusion is a metaphor for. Some argue that it's a straightforward metaphor for sex, and others see it as a metaphor for any and all kinds of intimacy within relationships, including friendly and familial ones (aided by [[spoiler:Steven and Amethyst fusing in a moment of mutual understanding and support, more akin to sibling relationships]]). Which view you subscribe to will understandably affect how you think about Steven fusing with any of the Gems or with Connie, though WordOfGod has stated that it's the latter. This started up yet again, after Steg debuted in the movie.

* [[FoeYayShipping Predictably]], Lapis/Jasper is one of the most popular ships in the fandom. But since it is a toxic, unhealthy relationship, it has a very prominent {{hatedom}} with the reasoning that it's glorifying abuse. It became even more polarizing after [[spoiler:"Alone at Sea"]].

* In "Barn Mates", many viewers felt that Lapis was being unreasonably cruel to Peridot by refusing to even consider she's changed. Many other viewers felt Peridot was EasilyForgiven and the episode gave a BrokenAesop of how victims aren't allowed to be angry at those who hurt them if it's at the expense of their friends, especially after Peridot apologized to Amethyst for being InnocentlyInsensitive in an ''earlier'' episode.

* The continued choice of telling the entire show from Steven's viewpoint. Some fans find it appropriate, since the show is titled after him, and the fact that we don't see how other characters behave when he isn't present makes it a little more realistic (after all, most people don't know what kind of lives their teachers/bosses have outside school/work). However, there's an increasing number of fans growing restless for a departure from it, with some even accusing it of being a cheap excuse to keep holding back big parts of the show's mythology. It got especially heated after "The New Crystal Gems", with several complaints that the team-up of Connie, Peridot, and Lapis could have been a lot better if the first few minutes hadn't been used to set up that Connie was telling Steven what happened.
* The quality of the art style and animation became the subject of much controversy during the show's fourth and fifth seasons, and can be categorized into three groups of people regarding the subject. One group dislikes the show's stylistic choice of having animators closely mirror the storyboard art to retain the style of individual boarder, stating that (despite the crew's claims of having general rules) [[http://imgur.com/a/76nbO there's no consistency with how the characters look]]. The other side of the spectrum argues that the approach can be used for humor and that the series has updated its look since the first season to better accommodate this artistic decision. Some find a neutral middle ground, usually not caring about the whole mess but noting that there are certain moments where this style becomes overly distracting and breaks the experience of watching the show.
* Peridot and Lapis becoming side characters instead of main characters ended up being one of the most divisive parts of the narrative: there are those who don't mind it, either due to feeling that it keeps the cast of characters in a show with such limited runtime from being clogged up, or simply viewing Peridot and Lapis' hijinks at the barn as hilarious and cute. Others feel that it does a disservice to them by slowing their development to a halt due to how little they appear, while others are mad that it keeps them from being involved with plot points like [[spoiler:the Human Zoo break in]] or [[spoiler:the fight with Aquamarine and Topaz (especially since Peridot is the reason why they're there), as well as Steven surrendering himself to them]], leading some to feel [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter that their potential is being wasted.]]

** A common argument against the Beach City episodes is that they could've worked if the show had a normal update schedule, but the infrequent release schedule [[ScrewedByTheNetwork forced on them by CN]] makes them more aggravating, which creates ''another'' broken base over whether the writers are still at fault for not adapting to this release schedule and focusing more on moving the main story along, or whether they should just stay the course because the release schedule stops being a problem after the episodes have already been aired for a while.

* The fandom is split over what, exactly, fusion is a metaphor for. Some argue that it's a straightforward metaphor for sex, and others see it as a metaphor for any and all kinds of intimacy within relationships, including friendly and familial ones (aided by [[spoiler:Steven and Amethyst fusing in a moment of mutual understanding and support, more akin to sibling relationships]]). Which view you subscribe to will understandably affect how you think about Steven fusing with any of the Gems or with Connie, though WordOfGod has stated that it's the latter.

* The portrayal of the Diamonds, in particular their sympathetic writing after ''Bismuth''.
** Their supposed "redemption" is probably the biggest sticking point as they have been consistently portrayed as [[ANaziByAnyOtherName a de-facto fascist dictatorship]] complete with caste systems, slaughtering the imperfect, and even using the slain bodies of millions of gems to create a massive artificial fusion with the capability to destroy and entire planet (and is in fact being made specifically to destroy Earth). Some argue that the Diamonds have committed far too many egregious and horrific crimes to be treated as if they're capable of redemption, while others argue that redemption is a better alternative to killing them and "the entire point of the show."
** Along with the above, it has been pointed out that the sheer level of the Diamonds' crimes results in the focus on their grief and insecurities coming off almost like fascist apologia. The main counter-argument to this claim is that the show is about forgiveness and to point out the ridiculousness in claiming that a Jewish woman like Rebecca Sugar would actually sympathize with fascists in any way. A third stance exists which suggests that all of this is the result of numerous bad decisions crashing into each other, as the way the show pushes redemption doesn't jive with the way it likes to constantly raise the stakes higher and higher and as a result UnfortunateImplications start to reveal themselves.
*** These arguments effectively boil down to "The crew are Nazis", "The crew believe in forgiveness" and "The crew are bad writers."
** While the Diamonds are often portrayed as a dysfunctional and sometimes abusive family, there are many who feel that the responsibility being put on Rose/[[spoiler:Pink]]/Steven to extend a hand and mend fences is an extremely toxic lesson to teach to children, especially children who are themselves in abusive families themselves. Some have compared it to the WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy episode "Seahorse Seashell Party" in that it teaches children that they are obligated to try and forgive abuse because family is important. Others argue that it's important to teach children that people can change and that it is unhealthy to hold a grudge forever. Like with the above, there is also a third argument which states that while the intention behind the story might have been good, the way the show likes to raise the stakes ultimately ruins the idea.
** While some will claim that the show is about forgiveness and so it makes sense that everyone is forgiven and problems are solved by taking, others take issue with the fact that ''Steven Universe'' seems to hold up forgiveness as an absolute which always works in any situation and refuses to budge from this idea. YMMV on whether this is actually a healthy lesson to teach to children.

** Their supposed "redemption" is probably the biggest sticking point as they have been consistently portrayed as a de-facto fascist dictatorship complete with caste systems, slaughtering the imperfect, and even using the slain bodies of millions of gems to create a massive artificial fusion with the capability to destroy and entire planet (and is in fact being made specifically to destroy Earth). Some argue that the Diamonds have committed far too many egregious and horrific crimes to be treated as if they're capable of redemption, while others argue that redemption is a better alternative to killing them and "the entire point of the show."

** Along with the above, it has been pointed out that the sheer level of the Diamonds' crimes results in the focus on their grief and insecurities coming off almost like fascist apologia. The main counter-argument to this claim is that the show is about forgiveness and to point out the ridiculousness in claiming that a Jewish woman like Rebecca Sugar would not actually sympathize with fascists in any way. A third stance exists which suggests that all of this is the result of numerous bad decisions crashing into each other, as the way the show pushes redemption doesn't jive with the way it likes to constantly raise the stakes higher and higher and as a result UnfortunateImplications start to reveal themselves.

** Along with the above, it has been pointed out that the sheer level of the Diamonds' crimes results in the focus on their grief and insecurities come off almost like fascist apologia. The main counter-argument to this claim is that the show is about forgiveness and to point out the ridiculousness in claiming that a Jewish woman like Rebecca Sugar would not actually sympathize with fascists in any way. A third stance exists which suggests that all of this is the result of numerous bad decisions crashing into each other, as the way the show pushes redemption doesn't jive with the way it likes to constantly raise the stakes higher and higher and as a result UnfortunateImplications start to reveal themselves.

* The quality of the animation[[note]]well, art style actually, but [[FanDumb how much animation fans actually understand about animation]] is a whole other debate[[/note]] became the subject of much controversy during the show's fourth and fifth seasons, and can be categorized into three groups of people regarding the subject. One group dislikes the show's stylistic choice of having animators closely mirror the storyboard art to retain the style of individual boarder, stating that (despite the crew's claims of having general rules) [[http://imgur.com/a/76nbO there's no consistency with how the characters look]]. The other side of the spectrum argues that the approach can be used for humor and that the series has updated its look since the first season to better accommodate this artistic decision. Some find a neutral middle ground, usually not caring about the whole mess but noting that there are certain moments where this style becomes overly distracting and breaks the experience of watching the show.

* People are kinda split on whether or not [[spoiler:the Diamonds should have been redeemed at the end of Season 5]].

* The quality of the animation[[note]]well, art style actually, but [[FanDumb how much animation fans actually understand about animation]] is a whole other debate[[/note]] became the subject of much controversy during the show's fourth and fifth seasons, and can be categorized into three groups of people regarding the subject. One group dislikes the show's stylistic choice of having animators closely mirror the storyboard art to retain the style of individual boarder, stating that (despite the crew's claims of having general rules) [[http://imgur.com/a/76nbO there's no consistency with how the characters look]]. The other side of the spectrum argues that the approach can be used for humor and that the series has updated its look since the first season to better accommodate this artistic decision. Some find a neutral middle ground, usually not caring about the whole mess but noting that there are certain moments where this style becomes overall distracting and breaks the experience of watching the show.

* The quality of the animation has been the subject of much controversy, and there are apparently three groups of people regarding the subject. One group finds that the animation goes OffModel far too often (due to clashing animator styles), [[http://imgur.com/a/76nbO that there's no consistency with how the characters look]], and that compared to the first season, the animation has changed very dramatically. The other side of the spectrum argues that OffModel animation can be used for humor, that hand-drawn animation is hard to consistently stay on-model, and that the series has updated its look to accommodate the other artists. Some find a neutral middle ground, saying that while they wouldn't call the animation as a whole terrible, there are certain moments that were not done well.

* Even after months after "A Single Pale Rose", fans are still divided over whether [[spoiler: the reveal Rose is Pink Diamond]] was a good twist.

%% Only add the Diamond redemption arc six months after the airing of "Reunited" (January 2019).

%% Same for the Diamond redemption arc: six months after the airing of "Reunited" (January 2019).
*

%% Do not add the "Rose Quartz is Pink Diamond" debate until six months after "A Single Pale Rose"'s ending have passed (November 2018), and only if there is still a strong debate going on.

* Peridot and Lapis becoming major side characters instead of main characters ended up being one of the most divisive parts of the narrative: there are those who don't mind it, either due to feeling that it keeps the cast of characters in a show with such limited runtime from being clogged up, or simply viewing Peridot and Lapis' hijinks at the barn as hilarious and cute. Others feel that it does a disservice to them by slowing their development to a halt due to how little they appear, while others are mad that it keeps them from being involved with plot points like [[spoiler:the Human Zoo break in]] or [[spoiler:the fight with Aquamarine and Topaz (especially since Peridot is the reason why they're there), as well as Steven surrendering himself to them]], leading some to feel [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter that their potential is being wasted.]]

** A common argument against the Beach City episodes is that they could've worked if the show had a normal update schedule, but the infrequent release schedule makes them more aggravating, which creates ''another'' broken base over whether the writers should adapt to this release schedule and focus more on moving the main story along, or whether they should just stay the course because the release schedule stops being a problem after the episodes have already been aired for a while.