Steven Universe

Holy crap. That was... I dunno what that was. Wait, was that the season finale? Because that felt like a season finale since it had like every character there and a two parter.

So yeah, go Greg saving those kids at the cost of his home!

..... His life sucks a lot. He depresses me a little.

You know, this has been building up to this. The season has been dropping hints throughout on the mysterious nature of gems, hey they could be "healed", how the centipeetle was sort of friendly.

You know, it's interesting that when the monster gems lash out, it's because of Garnet. Just a note.

Also, I can't believe Steven hit Garnet. I can't believe she got angry at Steven. I can't believe we got to see all three angry eyes. Which was both narmy and creepy. What sold it was the contrast from how Garnet normally.

Actually this episode has quite a few references to past ones. Like how Pearl acknowledged how she "hates fighting herself", Amethyst's wrestler form, Lion's special powers, Greg's music.

This is a true finale. We had set ups, we had pay offs that enhance the episode.

Though, anyone else wonder if there was supposed to be some sort of hidden meaning behind Pearl specifically talking about symmetry and the episode about a broken mirror?

Huh... Because She and the Crystal Gems represent order and the status quo, the broken symmetry; the mirror, representing that coming apart, especially in the future.

Finally, I would like to note that Steven Universe displays an excelled t and positive message to young boys and suggesting that they don't have to be fighters and that it is also okay for them to be compassionate, caring, loving, and protective and that these traits can make it possible for positive conflict resolution.

The Blog The Art

I wonder what it takes to corrupt a gem into a monster

edited 26th Sep '14 4:30:41 AM by Nouct

So most, if not all of those monsters we saw were corrupted Gems?

Hmmm.

Not sure if this is a Shout-Out to Puella Magi Madoka Magica or just plain coincidence.

Considering this show has plenty of references and the creators seem to be anime fans I would not be surprised if this was a reference to Madoka.

The Blog The Art

Steven is a lot like Madoka.

I forgot about the whole new episode thing yesterday, but luckily some fans are putting up about every episode online at least the day after it airs, so I'm all caught up.

I find it interesting how the Crystal Gems called Lapis 'corrupted' despite the fact she just wanted to go back to wherever Gems originally came from (does this means the Gems in general are aliens?)

This also brings up the question of if that's what usually happens; a Gem's gem cracks, and they defect from Earth. But then that too begs the question of why the Crystal Gems keep on trapping them on Earth if they knew that would happen.

All in all, really confusing episode. But still satisfying.

I thought she was corrupted not because she wanted to go home but because she was violent, destructive, and needed to use an outside source to channel her abilities rather than a typical gem weapon.

Also, the "No eyes" thing. That seemed kind of important.

The Blog The Art

Y Eah, that would make sense. Guess I'm sort of reading into this too much.

I do think it was a smart move to leave a lot ambiguous. There's not a single event in this entire episode where we can say for sure the Crystal Gems' motives.

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.

I took it more that they were assuming she was corrupted before taking the time to understand that she wasn't, which is a bit Knight Templar-y but less suspicious than claiming she was corrupted like the others while knowing she wasn't.

edited 26th Sep '14 8:16:02 AM by KnownUnknown

"The difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense." - Tom Clancy, paraphrasing Mark Twain.

Pearl freaking out over the mirror talking because it was supposed to be just a tool makes it seem like they didn't know it was a living gem. On the other hand, they knew the monsters were gems and only defeated/contained them because there's nothing else they could do (and we know Rose at least tried)... It's very confusing.

Hooray moral ambiguity in a kid's show?

You know, I bet all these revelations have made Sijo extremely happy.

The Blog The Art

Intresting episode thought Randomness.

Corrupted Gem = immediate threat that must be contained.

Mindset of the Crystal Gems apparently, if they appear to be on course to earth thats main priority and other stuff.

YO. Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie.

I haven't seen the episode since it premiered last night, but here are my thoughts (going by memory for now and most of this is just theorizing; please forgive any rambling): Spoilers Ahead^note I can remove the tags if someone wants me to. Right now I'm just doing it out of courtesy.

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Knight Templars

After seeing Lapis, I think "Knight Templar" is just the normal state of mind for a Gem. Her response to want to go home was to take up the ocean and try to use it to reach the home of the Gems. She made it pretty clear that she (and possibly other Gems) don't care at all for the Earth, that the Crystal Gems are unusual (and possibly considered treacherous as a result) because they care for it, and that she would more than likely destroy it if it meant being able to get home.

The Crystal Gems also display this at times, even before it was revealed that the beings they've been fighting were Gems (which I thought was a bit obvious early on, but that's just me). However, they don't have it as bad as Lapis did; it's pretty clear that they try to keep Steven and other humans safe, but oftentimes they don't seem to care about any structural damage they do to human buildings and such.

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Corruption

It was also mentioned (by the Crystal Gems) that Corrupted Gems are inherently dangerous. It's mostly inferred that the Crystal Gems meant "dangerous to others", but I think it could also mean "dangerous to themselves" as well. People have been pointing out that Lapis is right: that the Crystal Gems should've done something to help her out instead of leaving her "bubbled" or otherwise incapacitated. However, I don't quite believe that that is entirely the fault of the Crystal Gems.

The Crystal Gems (whom I will now refer to as "Crystals") seem to lack an ability to heal anything other than themselves. Rose Quartz did, so maybe they've been bubbling gems because they hope that Steven can one day do what Rose could: heal the corrupted/broken Gems. I want to wait until they hint at this though before I commit to that idea.

We also don't know why Lapis was shoved into a mirror. It's possible that the mirror was her dormant (for lack of a better word) form, but considering that she needed to be released from it to be free, I doubt it. I don't know if the Crystals did it, but I think it was mentioned that they found it like that.

And to be honest, I can't see that being the reason either; Pearl was aware of how the mirror was supposed to work, which means that she must've used it before to know what it does. What I'm guessing happened was that they found Lapis in the mirror, used her for a bit for knowledge, eventually learned that Lapis was actually a Gem trapped in the mirror, and then bubbled/discarded her because they either couldn't figure out how to release her, or thought that she'd be a threat to them or the Earth. Lapis gains a crack in her gem, either from being mishandled at some point, or because her hatred of the Crystal Gems for keeping her from going home corrupted her.

Or something. I'll be expecting a reason given for why the Crystals are worried about other Gems sometime later.

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Rose Quartz

Speaking of Rose Quartz, she, in general, seems to be an unusual case for a Gem. Her kindness, compassion, and empathy is constantly brought up, as if this behavior was considered strange at first, but grew to be one of the reasons for the Crystals' fondness of her. She loved everything, regardless of what it was. Maybe her personality rubbed off on the Crystals, and in respect, they're trying to honor the best way they can. It's possible that the Crystals all thought that Earth wasn't a place worth caring about at first, but Rose did, and that bled into the Crystals themselves.

Of course, this means that Steven means a whole helluva lot to them. I think that if he wasn't there (or if there was nothing to remember Rose by), the Crystals would have eventually become Corrupted themselves, endangering the Earth.

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That done, I really enjoyed this episode and I really like how ambiguous they've left things for now. I'm honestly surprised that this wasn't a season finale.

edited 26th Sep '14 10:14:29 AM by Customer

Well, we literally have no idea how a gem becomes corrupted (aside from a physical defect); the phrasing is just as ambiguous as Greg saying that Rose "gave up her physical form" to concieve Steven.

charles stiles mystery diners

Basically what I was thinking, except that Rose was stated to not be capable of healing corrupted gems. Maybe she gave up her form to create Steven in hopes that someone with both her empathy and Greg's optimism would finally be able to cure the corruption?

I also just noticed that all of the monsters' gems are warped or irregularly shaped in some way, almost as if their gems were cracked and healed improperly. Maybe corruption happens if a gem tries to regenerate from a cracked gem? That would explain the Crystals' concern about releasing Lapis...

edited 26th Sep '14 2:56:00 PM by ElementalMacaroon

Watching Mirror Gem now...Lapis is so cute...who locked her into a mirror like that, and for what purpose? Some really dark implications about the Gems, or Lapis...

Ocean Gem:

- Yeah, there's a lot we don't know about crystal gems because you never explain anything.

- Poor Mayor.

- Oh, Garnet...I understand.

- Yep, we knew that monsters-are-gems thing by now. What the heck happened to them though? Zombie virus?

- Gems can breathe in space, I guess.

- Gems can definitely breath in space. And propel themselves. I guess.

- Did the gems just become corrupted from being on Earth for too long?

So some questions answered, many more questions raised. I thought that might be the season finale, but I suppose not (thankfully.) Really cool two-parter.

Loves feel-good animation a whole lot.

I think the real question is why all these gems, artifacts, and ruins are all over earth if they have their own planet. Is Earth previous Gem planet? Did they abandon Earth and the ones left behind became monsters? Arre humans gems that have become corrupted and devolved and lost their gemly ways?

I saw one theory that the current Crystal Gems were rebels among a group of colonists that set about "gemmaforming" the earth...

Another theory was that the Cookie Cat rap was actually about the Gems!

LOL yeah.

Loved this two-parter, best story so far in the series; we got a LOT of revelations, character moments and action! I agree with most comments made above re: the Gems and their origins, but would like to add:

-I might have misheard it, but I think Pearl hinted that what caused the corruption is age. Which in their case must mean being really, REALLY old. Though obviously the Crystals did not fully understand the status of Lapis (or how to deal with it.)

-The resolution to the events could be seen coming a mile away but hey, I don't care, it worked. (Also, now we know the TRUE reason behind introducing Steven's new power in An Indirect Kiss.)

-So Steven doesn't even know what school is? Seriously?? Sorry, but even if the Gems never homeschooled him, no other kid or adult he knows mentioned it before? (Also: geez, Pearl, no need to stab a poor teddy bear because of your Feng Shui needs!

-Lapis' introduction opens a whole new phase in the show, I hope. I can't wait to see what happens next. Will the Crystals be put under trial by the rest of their kind?

-Favorite moment: Steven bearing his magic shield.

It took me a while to guess what that scene was even about; since Pearl stabbed from off-screen, at first I thought they were building some kind of auto-stabbing machine. Maybe the real reason Pearl started Dual Wielding was from her sudden obsession with "symmetry". (And maybe Steven should pull out three shields next time: one to block, one to bash, and one to throw.)

Pearl kept talking about all the ruins and how they used to be like trading posts, so I'm going with Gems tried to colonize Earth but left because of something.

There will be an evil Gem that the Crystals will have to fight. Said Crysal will be named Onyx

I highly doubt that only one evil Gem is responsible for whatever made them leave Earth.

during that Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs section of Garnet's fight, all i could think of is Garnet going "ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA" and Lapus!Garnet going "MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA"

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.