| 1 | ->"''[I]f you ever find yourself wondering if ''Steven Universe'' just referenced {{anime}}, the answer is almost always 'Yes.[='=]'' " |
| 2 | -->-- '''Matt Burnett''', former show writer |
| 3 | |
| 4 | References made by ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse''. |
| 5 | |
| 6 | '''WARNING: Unmarked spoilers follow!''' |
| 7 | |
| 8 | ---- |
| 9 | |
| 10 | !!Examples: |
| 11 | |
| 12 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 13 | |
| 14 | [[folder:General]] |
| 15 | * In the first intro, Connie [[http://s23.postimg.org/t4qmtjc3v/SU_unnamed_girl.png is holding the]] [[http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/files/2012/06/WrinkleInTime5.jpg book]] ''Literature/AWrinkleInTime''. |
| 16 | * The ending theme, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS38ywgJ24w "Love Like You"]] is a light jazz piece featuring a woman accompanied by a piano, set to an image at night, reminiscent of how "Fly Me to the Moon" was arranged as the outro of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. |
| 17 | ** Also similar to ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]]'', the outro constantly rotates over episodes; however, unlike ''Eva'', where it was always "Fly Me to the Moon", as sung by different cast & crew members in its entirety, ''SU'''s ending is sung by Creator/RebeccaSugar only, but in different parts, slowly revealed piece by piece over the course of dozens of episodes. |
| 18 | * Pearl in general seems to have a lot of links to [[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Utena]]. One of her early designs had her wearing an outfit that looked undeniably like the uniform Utena wears. |
| 19 | ** Her pilot design, meanwhile, is a dead ringer for [[Music/DavidBowie Ziggy Stardust]]. |
| 20 | * The idea of Gems, particularly Crystal Gems, seems to be somewhat inspired by [[MagicalGirl magical girls]]. The fact they're an all-female species, Rose's flower petal motif, the impressive clothing style, a dedication to protect the helpless, etc. In an in-character interview, Steven mentions that he's a big fan of ''Manga/SailorMoon'', because he feels it's very "down to Earth", which should give some indication what tropes influence the kid's life. |
| 21 | * The official ''Steven Universe'' Facebook page revealed that the show's use of vibrant colors are directly inspired by ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland''. Not the art style, just the colors. |
| 22 | * The shot in the second intro where the camera moves backward to show each of the Crystal Gems drawing their weapons [[http://myloish.tumblr.com/post/121626411998/pokemon-vs-steven-universes-new-intro is similarly framed]] to part of the first ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' opening. |
| 23 | * [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2015-07-31/why-are-anime-fans-obsessed-with-steven-universe/.91130 This Anime News Network article]] gives a pretty detailed list of all the anime references in the show. |
| 24 | * The combat in most episodes strongly evokes ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''. |
| 25 | * At the end of "Fusion", there is the heart background that is always seen at the end of episodes of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''. |
| 26 | * Peedee bears some clear resemblance to Tommy from the Italian cartoon ''Tommy e Oscar'', about a boy and his VoluntaryShapeshifting alien best friend. |
| 27 | * Peedee and Ronaldo's names are both references to UsefulNotes/McDonalds mascots: their original mascot Speedee, and their current one Ronald. |
| 28 | * Peridot is obviously based off of ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim''. Short green alien invader who's fanatically devoted to her leaders, similar voice and speech pattern, LargeHam, SmallNameBigEgo, and childish behavior. [[VirtuousCharacterCopy Unlike Zim though, she sees the beauty in Earth and joins the Crystal Gems]], along with calling her superior a clod. |
| 29 | * The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBhPNRHxWaQ promo]] for the "In Too Deep" event feels very similar to the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmeOjFno6Do teaser trailer]] for ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', right down to the creepy background music. [[https://estufar.tumblr.com/post/143590652857/steven-universe-in-too-deep-is-the-core-2003 Another fan compared it]] to ''Film/TheCore''. |
| 30 | * Jasper [[http://thestomping-ground.tumblr.com/post/148320357976/i-see-what-youre-doing-rebbeca-sugar-and-i has a]] [[http://thestomping-ground.tumblr.com/post/148666559666/as-i-said-beforei-see-what-youre-doing-sugar lot of]] [[http://darkpit.co.vu/post/148397394939/jasper-and-vegeta-are-literally-the-same-character parallels]] [[https://hetclosebutnocigar.tumblr.com/post/148356595031/im-just-sayian to Vegeta]] [[https://hetclosebutnocigar.tumblr.com/post/148674860836/ok-so-i-know-i-already-made-a-post-comparing from]] ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. |
| 31 | ** The Rubies landing on Earth has the opening be a near 1:1 of [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/2/26/Rubgeta_Ref.png/revision/latest?cb=20160602152014 Vegeta doing the same.]] |
| 32 | * [[https://twitter.com/CartoonNetPR/status/1152326073096396800 The title of the show]] started as a [[PermanentPlaceholder placeholder]] reference to ''Anime/TenchiUniverse'', a spin-off of the harem anime ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'', which ended up being the main character's full name. Creator/IanJonesQuartey [[https://twitter.com/ianjq/status/759214499475914752 has joked]] that ''Steven Universe'' is a sequel to a harem anime titled ''No Need For Greg''. ''Tenchi Muyo!'' can be translated as "No Need for Tenchi!", and is about a man from Earth becoming involved with a number of alien women, like Greg was. |
| 33 | * The Cookie Cat ice cream brand is a reference to Carvel's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookie_Puss Cookie Puss]] character.%%Talking Simpsons: A Milhouse Divided with Ian Jones-Quartey and Toby Jones |
| 34 | * The IrisOut at the end of most episodes seems to be taken from ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa''. |
| 35 | * Lapis Lazuli's design is very similar to [[https://youtu.be/XoVf0WHExN8 Queen Penny]] from ''Anime/GoldenBat'', of all places. They both even share a water affinity (Penny is the ruler of an undersea kingdom). To a lesser extent, [[http://home.alphalink.com.au/~roglen/gorgoanddrzero.JPG Gorgo]] from the same anime resembles Sour Cream. |
| 36 | * Gems [[CallARabbitASmeerp call robots "robonoids"]], a reference to what the MiniMecha in ''Anime/FutureBoyConan'' [[AMechByAnyOtherName are called]]. |
| 37 | * Characters usually have simplified designs when viewed from a distance. It possible that the show took influence from [[WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot My Life As A]] [[https://youtu.be/NvZVbnGV70c?t=464 Teenage Robot]], since they often did the same thing. |
| 38 | -->'''[[WebVideo/RebelTaxi RebelTaxi]]:''' Another nice animation detail is when characters are viewed from a distance, their bodies are designed to be simplified. Yeah, I noticed a lot of techniques here were also used in Steven Universe. |
| 39 | [[/folder]] |
| 40 | |
| 41 | |
| 42 | [[folder:Season [=1A=]]] |
| 43 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniversePilot "The Time Thing"]] ({{Pilot}})]] |
| 44 | * The Electric Skulls featured in the episode look an awful lot like [[TabletopGame/TombOfHorrors Acererak the Demilich]]. |
| 45 | |
| 46 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E1GemGlow "Gem Glow"]]]] |
| 47 | * '''Lars:''' Get off me, man! [[Film/MidnightCowboy I'm stockin' here!]] |
| 48 | * The Centipeetle Mother's gem bears an uncanny resemblance to a [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Poké Ball]]. It even makes a similar noise when it hits the ground. |
| 49 | |
| 50 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E2LaserLightCannon "Laser Light Cannon"]]]] |
| 51 | * One can find [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros a Mario mushroom]] in Greg's shed. |
| 52 | * The design the cannon's beam makes as it shoots into the sky is reminiscent of a [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica certain magical girl's]] signature arrows. |
| 53 | * Steven's desperate monologue when the cannon doesn't seem to work resembles that of [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Shinji]] when [[Recap/NeonGenesisEvangelionEpisode19Introjection Unit-01 wouldn't move during the fight against Zeruel]]. Like Unit-01, it rises to the challenge, powered by the hero’s mother, who no longer has a physical body. |
| 54 | |
| 55 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E3CheeseburgerBackpack "Cheeseburger Backpack"]]]] |
| 56 | * Steven tells Pearl, [[Series/FullHouse "You got it, dude!" while giving a thumbs-up.]] |
| 57 | * When Steven is packing his backpack upstairs, a Platform/Nintendo64 can be seen. |
| 58 | |
| 59 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E5Frybo "Frybo"]]]] |
| 60 | * The jellyfish ride was called the [[Manga/BoboboboBobobo Jelly Jiggler]]. |
| 61 | * The walking, fighting clothes are very ''Film/BedknobsAndBroomsticks'', especially once the military drums kick in. Pearl's description ("semi-sentient drone soldiers with the capacity to follow basic orders, Gems once created an army of these drones, but found their obedience waned as the shards overdeveloped inside their uniforms and turned on their commanders") is basically the final part of that film. |
| 62 | |
| 63 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E6CatFingers "Cat Fingers"]]]] |
| 64 | * While in the form of a bluejay, Amethyst says "Uhhh, chill it, dude". This is similar to the laidback personality of [[WesternAnimation/RegularShow another cartoon bluejay]]. |
| 65 | * Steven's cat tumors growing out of control is a reference to Tetsuo losing control of his powers in ''Manga/{{Akira}}''. |
| 66 | * One of the [[http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/936/129/058.jpg promo posters]] is a direct parody of the covers to most ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' books. |
| 67 | * The Gems are away because they've taken a sloop to a [[Series/HRPufnstuf Living Island]]. |
| 68 | |
| 69 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E7BubbleBuddies "Bubble Buddies"]]]] |
| 70 | * The title name itself is a shout out to another [[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants bubble buddy]]. |
| 71 | * Connie appears to be reading ''Literature/TheCatcherInTheRye''. |
| 72 | * Steven wants to talk to Connie alone without anyone disrupting his [[VideoGame/ParappaTheRapper "funky flow"]]. |
| 73 | |
| 74 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E8SeriousSteven "Serious Steven"]]]] |
| 75 | * The final Gem Battle took place in a [[Music/MagicalMysteryTour Strawberry Field]]. |
| 76 | * When Steven gets swarmed by butterflies, he shouts, [[Creator/NicolasCage "They're in]] [[Film/TheWickerMan2006 my eyes!"]] |
| 77 | |
| 78 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E9TigerMillionaire "Tiger Millionaire"]]]] |
| 79 | * Steven's wrestling persona is essentially Wrestling/JimCornette with a cat nose. His back story is even the same as the one Cornette used when he ran [[Wrestling/{{SMW}} Smoky Mountain Wrestling]]. He wears brightly colored suits, throws money around and even at one point uses a tennis racket and his teaming with Amethyst is essentially Cornette when he worked with Wrestling/{{Vader}}. His giant cell phone, however, is clearly taken from [[Wrestling/PaulHeyman Paul E. Dangerously]]. |
| 80 | * Tiger Millionaire's use of coconuts as a weapon recalls the infamous "coconut incident" where Wrestling/RoddyPiper hit Wrestling/JimmySnuka over the head with one. |
| 81 | * The episode name is a shout out to ''Film/SlumdogMillionaire''. |
| 82 | |
| 83 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E10StevensLion "Steven's Lion"]]]] |
| 84 | * "But how can it be invisible and pink?" is a reference to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Pink_Unicorn Invisible Pink Unicorn]]. |
| 85 | * Lion himself is a wholesale reference to [[https://ysr718.tumblr.com/post/181251634604/demonsanddogweeds-tamiraki-i-just-found-out Catra's pink lion Clawdeen]]. |
| 86 | |
| 87 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E11ArcadeMania "Arcade Mania"]]]] |
| 88 | * When Steven, Pearl and Amethyst are discussing where Garnet is, Steven says he hopes she's fighting a giant foot, then phrases it as "fighting the foot", which could be a reference to Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles's main enemy, The Foot Clan. |
| 89 | * Mr Smiley's arcade has a few games that are clearly references to real life games: |
| 90 | ** ''Teens of Rage'' has a name similar to Sega's ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'' beat-em-up series, but looks more like a late-80s/early-90s era Capcom fighter, with the game even being made by a Capcom parody named "Carpcom". Taking things further, [[http://keepbeachcityweird.tumblr.com/post/77096876346/someone-broke-teens-of-rage this Keep Beach City Weird post]] indicates that Teens of Rage got a 3D reboot in the mid-90s called ''Virtua Teens of Rage'', a clear reference to another Sega franchise, ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' (accompanied with a fake screenshot of the game, looking almost exactly like the original ''Virtua Fighter''). Ronaldo Fryman's image macro in said blog post even refers to the Capcom expy as "Crapcom", a common derogatory nickname directed at the real life Capcom by people displeased with some of the company's more recent actions. |
| 91 | ** The game Pearl plays, ''Road Killer'', seems to be a parody of car combat games like ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal''. |
| 92 | ** ''Meat Beat Mania'' looks like it might as well be ''VideoGame/SambaDeAmigo'' with the maracas replaced by meat. The name also brings to mind [[VideoGame/{{Beatmania}} another rhythm game]]. |
| 93 | * One of the arcade cabinets was of ''[[WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes Lakewood Plaza Turbo]]'', a Cartoon Network pilot created by Ian Jones-Quartey, the creative director on ''Steven Universe''. |
| 94 | * Steven's pose as he's directing Garnet to ''Meat Beat Mania'' almost looks like he's telling her to [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaCDiGames come back when she's a little, MMMMM, richer!]] |
| 95 | |
| 96 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E12GiantWoman "Giant Woman"]]]] |
| 97 | * The process they use to combine is literally a [[FusionDance fusion achieved through dancing]], most likely an allusion to the [[Anime/DragonBallZ Trope Namer]]. |
| 98 | * Continuing this, the pathway to the top of the Sky Spire greatly resembles Snake Road, as well as the arena in ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' (which the series references constantly). |
| 99 | * The heaven beetle's tiny temple has a little beetle Platform/SegaGenesis. |
| 100 | |
| 101 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E13SoManyBirthdays "So Many Birthdays"]]]] |
| 102 | * The painting of the Gems is a reference to ''[[http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/asset-viewer/watson-and-the-shark/PQFQLHZpw5YfYg?utm_source=google&utm_medium=kp&hl=en&projectId=art-project Watson and the Shark]]'' by John Singleton Copley. |
| 103 | ** One of the humans in the painting looks an awful lot like [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra Mako]], especially his red scarf. |
| 104 | |
| 105 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E14LarsAndTheCoolKids "Lars and the Cool Kids"]]]] |
| 106 | * The appearance and behavior of Rose's Moss is reminiscent of a certain blob in [[Film/{{Creepshow2}} The Raft]]. |
| 107 | |
| 108 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E15OnionTrade "Onion Trade"]]]] |
| 109 | * When Steven first gets the wand, Onion advances on him in front of the fire he just created by blowing up his scooter and shrugging off a barrage of capsules in the same manner as [[Film/TheTerminator a certain robot with an Austrian accent]]. |
| 110 | * When Amethyst asks how they're supposed to move in a giant sea of slot machine toys, Steven suggests she "swim like a [[PooledFunds rich]] [[WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987 duck]]". |
| 111 | * Steven screaming Onion's name and Onion flinging around cars while wearing a red "cape" is reminiscent of Kaneda confronting a newly empowered Tetsuo in ''Manga/{{Akira}}''. |
| 112 | * When Steven is explaining his "Guys" toys to Amethyst, it's presented like a ''Franchise/MegaMan'' stage select screen, complete with 8-bit music, characters with the naming scheme: _____Guy, and Steven's head in the middle of a 3x3 square of squares, looking at each Guy's head. |
| 113 | * Onion gets his lunch from a suitcase salesman with an eyepatch and a mustache. He looks almost exactly like one of the pirates from ''Anime/PorcoRosso''. |
| 114 | * Ranger Guy's hat might look [[ComicStrip/SpyVsSpy a little familiar]]. |
| 115 | * It's revealed that Steven marks his action figures by drawing his initials on the soles of their feet — exactly like Andy of ''Franchise/ToyStory'' writes his name on Woody and Buzz. |
| 116 | |
| 117 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E16StevenTheSwordFighter "Steven the Sword Fighter"]]]] |
| 118 | * Pearl and Holo-Pearl's swordfighting skills [[http://queenlionsnake.tumblr.com/post/82248706657/everyone-else-is-like-sanic-was-in-steven bear more than a passing resemblance]] to [[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Utena's]], especially Holo-Pearl's opening attack, which is a shot-for-shot imitation of Utena's finishing move. Not to mention the, uh... back stabbing... |
| 119 | * Amethyst's inflated form after eating said cloud and the way she has to be carried around by Garnet like a balloon is similar to [[http://ohtori.nu/gallery/Series/Episodes/Black_Rose_Saga/22/Series_ep22_025 this]] shot of [[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Utena and Chu-Chu]]. |
| 120 | * Steven's window sill has figures of a [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pikachu]]-[[Franchise/FinalFantasy Moogle]] hybrid, a character that looks vaguely like VideoGame/GitarooMan, and [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sa]][[MemeticMutation nic]]. He also has a [[Franchise/FinalFantasy Cloud]]-lookalike toy drawn in the same style as The Hero from ''Webcomic/RPGWorld'', who was based on Cloud: the creator of ''Webcomic/RPGWorld'', Ian Jones-Quartey, works on ''Steven Universe''. |
| 121 | * Before she eats it, the way Amethyst rides the cloud around is similar to how [[Manga/DragonBall Goku would ride the Flying Nimbus]], which was itself a reference to the Monkey King's cloud from ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest''. |
| 122 | * When ''Lonely Blade'' performs the Boomerang Blade, he's shouting "Kaiten Kenbu!", which is a move from ''Manga/RurouniKenshin''. |
| 123 | * The move Holo-Pearl uses to attack Steven is ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'''s Sephiroth's Hell's Gate move, the same one used to kill Aerith in the original game. Fitting, considering Holo-Pearl stabs the Cloud lookalike toy Steven owns moments prior. |
| 124 | |
| 125 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E17Lion2TheMovie "Lion 2: The Movie"]]]] |
| 126 | * [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/f/fd/Lion_2_The_Movie_Promo_Sun_Lion.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150329182922 A piece of promotional art]] is a clear reference to ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}''. |
| 127 | * Steven and Connie visit a cave that has a cache of weapons, armors, and [[Franchise/{{Batman}} one giant penny]]. |
| 128 | * The shot of Lion warping in front of the movie theater and skidding is reminiscent of the [[Film/BackToTheFuture1 DeLorean crashing into the former movie theater of Hill Valley when Marty goes back to 1985]]. |
| 129 | * Another ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' reference is made when Steven pulls the sword out of Lion. Granted it was from the forehead and not the torso, but Lion seems to be Anthy to Steven's Utena. |
| 130 | * The star that usually [[IrisOut closes out the episode]] closes on Lion, with the black space surrounding it resembling a [[Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer certain lion-based logo]]. |
| 131 | * The machine that Steven accidentally activates behaves very similarly to certain bosses from Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda, what with [[TennisBoss shooting balls of energy that must be reflected back at it with a sword]] in order to destroy it. |
| 132 | |
| 133 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E18BeachParty "Beach Party"]]]] |
| 134 | * Amethyst hitting the volleyball so high that it turns into a meteor and wrecks the field brings [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheBeach another beach volleyball game]] to mind. |
| 135 | |
| 136 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E19RosesRoom "Rose's Room"]]]] |
| 137 | * Steven's video game ''Golf Quest Mini'' is a constant stream of video game references: |
| 138 | ** The first line of dialogue shown in the game is "[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE! TAKE THIS.]]", followed by a weapon being handed over. |
| 139 | ** The room the aforementioned line takes place in looks similar to Prof. Oak's lab in the original ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games. The main character even appears to have the same 7-character name limit (since Steven chose the name "stevenU") and paraphrases the series's "Gotta catch-'em-all!" tagline. |
| 140 | --->"Don't worry Professor, we're gonna sink-'em-all!" |
| 141 | ** Professors who all follow ThemeNaming of the pattern "Prof. [object found on a golf course]" reference the tree themed names of ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' professors. |
| 142 | ** The way the party members follow the PC and the RandomEncounter with a Windmill resembles ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' (which also has Windmills and other random scenery as enemies) and the line "Windmill Wants to Fight" is yet another Pokémon reference. |
| 143 | ** It also uses some ''Final Fantasy'' sounds, and one of the characters is named Wedge (referencing two of the games' recurring characters Biggs and Wedge, themselves named for ''Franchise/StarWars'' characters). |
| 144 | ** The robot in the game looks like the robots from [[Anime/CastleInThesky Laputa]]. |
| 145 | ** Professor Film/{{Caddyshack}} in the game bears a strong resemblance to [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Dr. Robotnik]]. |
| 146 | ** The soundtrack of the game is reminiscent of ''VideoGame/MarioGolf''[='=]s. |
| 147 | ** The console looks remarkably similar to a Platform/Nintendo64, right down to the controller and cartridge designs. |
| 148 | * The bunk beds and slide are a reference to [[WesternAnimation/PBAndJOtter three sandwich-themed otters]]. |
| 149 | * When Steven realizes he never left Rose's room, he says that "it's all a FAKE-A-ROO!", a line from the ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'' episode "There's No Place Like Springfield", said by Shipwreck upon discovering [[FakedRipVanWinkle a similar situation]]. |
| 150 | |
| 151 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E20CoachSteven "Coach Steven"]]]] |
| 152 | * The pointy eyeglasses and the overall [[LargeHam hammy]] [[HotBlooded hotblooded]] attitude of Sugilite can't help but remind you of a [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann certain other character]]. |
| 153 | |
| 154 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E21JokingVictim "Joking Victim"]]]] |
| 155 | * Mr. Smiley's instructional video is a reference to the musical instructional videos shown to employees at Wendy's, in particular, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZXeFPpPJeI hot]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ-JBFXh2IU soft drinks]]. |
| 156 | * The episode title may be a reference to New York punk band Music/ChokingVictim. |
| 157 | |
| 158 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E22StevenAndTheStevens "Steven and the Stevens"]]]] |
| 159 | * The Glass of Time being the smallest and least impressive of a vast collection of hourglasses is likely a direct reference to ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', as is the booby trap that goes off when Amethyst grabs the wrong one (although in the movie, the temple only collapses when Elsa tries to take the ''real'' one outside). |
| 160 | * When Steven walks up to his dad for the first time, Greg and Yellowtail say "Yup" and "mmm-hmm", echoing ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill''. |
| 161 | * Steven's musical style and his band name nudge at ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussycats''. |
| 162 | * Fans of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' might notice that the pompadour Steven sports bears more than a passing resemblance to [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Josuke]]'s. While that alone could be coincidental, coupling it with [[http://40.media.tumblr.com/b9ce089426412081311b6ccaa513942c/tumblr_ni93sakLdK1r5hhnao1_1280.jpg Jotaro's signature point]] seems to indicate otherwise. |
| 163 | ** It might not even be a reference, but Handsome Steven's final line to Prime Steven is 'Arrivederci', which is [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Bruno Bucciarati's]] catchphrase. |
| 164 | |
| 165 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E25MirrorGem "Mirror Gem"]]]] |
| 166 | * Steven briefly emulates Music/MichaelJackson; he {{moonwalk|Dance}}s and even throws in a "Hee-hee!" |
| 167 | * Garnet greets Steven with a bang, just like Spike in ''Anime/CowboyBebop''. |
| 168 | * When Pearl lets Steven out of "school", he says "You mean... [[Music/AliceCooper school's out for summer?]]" |
| 169 | |
| 170 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E26OceanGem "Ocean Gem"]]]] |
| 171 | * The PummelDuel between Garnet and her opponent would make [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Jotaro Kujo]] and [[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar Kenshiro]] shed a tear. |
| 172 | ** The beginning of Garnet and Water!Garnet's fight is also similar to [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Leela's]] fight with an alternate universe clone. |
| 173 | * Garnet punching her mirror opponent in the face only for its face to re-form around her fist is reminiscent of a similar scene in Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay. |
| 174 | * Steven's Water Clone's attempts to drown Steven and Connie resemble Sloth's attacks in ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003''. |
| 175 | [[/folder]] |
| 176 | |
| 177 | [[folder:Season [=1B=]]] |
| 178 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E27HouseGuest "House Guest"]]]] |
| 179 | * A FreezeFrameBonus reveals that Steven reads ''Manga/SailorMoon''. The book even has Usagi on the cover! |
| 180 | * In another Freeze-Frame Bonus, a Platform/NintendoGameCube can be seen near Steven's bed, which shows up in multiple episodes from this point. |
| 181 | ** Steven owns what looks like ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''. |
| 182 | * The Warp Whistle the Gems give Greg looks just like the [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3 original item]], except blue. |
| 183 | * The song "Dear Old Dad" follows the same chord progression as the song "Bombs Away" by Foxy Shazam. This would just be a neat coincidence, were it not for the fact that Amethyst yells "Bombs away!" immediately after the song is over, apropos of nothing. |
| 184 | * Stevdad saying "You messed with my head!" can be seen as a reference to the English dub of ''Manga/{{Akira}}''. The geode also looks eerily similar to the explosion of Neo Tokyo. |
| 185 | |
| 186 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E28SpaceRace "Space Race"]]]] |
| 187 | * The first engine used is labelled "Jimsy", the name of a character from ''Anime/FutureBoyConan''. |
| 188 | * Pearl's [[https://40.media.tumblr.com/7ab16d737fb6a9402875ab0a24c0e115/tumblr_ndlsmnYq2F1smn4pqo7_1280.jpg spacesuit]] bears more than a passing resemblance to [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Rei Ayanami]]'s [[https://sarge133.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/animepaper-netpicture-standard-anime-neon-genesis-evangelion-neon-genesis-evangelion-picture-126406-genestar-preview-6952228a.jpg plugsuit]]. |
| 189 | |
| 190 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E29SecretTeam "Secret Team"]]]] |
| 191 | * The [[http://the-world-of-steven-universe.tumblr.com/image/100114465966 promo art]] is a clear reference to ''Series/CharliesAngels''. |
| 192 | |
| 193 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E30IslandAdventure "Island Adventure"]]]] |
| 194 | * Amethyst pranks Steven by transforming her head into that of a [[Film/TheFly1958 fly]] when he warps the Gems back to the temple. |
| 195 | * The fight with the Gem monster could be seen a reference to the end of ''Film/{{Predator}}'': fighting an invisible monster with sticks while in a mud pit. |
| 196 | |
| 197 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E31KeepBeachCityWeird "Keep Beach City Weird"]]]] |
| 198 | * Ronaldo's theory about "sneople" ruling the government resembles [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reptilians David Icke's "Reptilians"]]. |
| 199 | * Ronaldo's wall has a picture of [[Franchise/StarTrek Spock]]. |
| 200 | * There's a [[Series/TheXFiles picture of a UFO with the word "believe" under it]]. |
| 201 | * This episode (once again) shows that Website/{{Tumblr}} exists in ''Steven Universe''. |
| 202 | * The crater that Amethyst leaves during Steven Tag resembles the [[Anime/DragonBallZ crater left by Yamcha versus the Saibaman]]. |
| 203 | |
| 204 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E32FusionCuisine "Fusion Cuisine"]]]] |
| 205 | * The scene with Alexandrite chasing the bus resembles scenes of [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion of EVA-01, and other giant robots]] running down the angels. |
| 206 | * Connie's plan to run away from their families on a bus could be a reference to the famous ending of ''Film/TheGraduate''. |
| 207 | |
| 208 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E33GarnetsUniverse "Garnet's Universe"]]]] |
| 209 | * Garnet's two animal companions, Hoppy and Hopper, look a lot like [[VideoGame/ChronoTrigger Frog]] and [[ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo Miyamoto Usagi]]. It might also be notable that the third talking animal in the episode is [[VideoGame/StarFox a fox]]. |
| 210 | ** Additionally, the battle music used when Garnet battles Mr. Fox sounds inspired by ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger''. |
| 211 | * The device that Hoppy uses is obviously inspired by the Platform/WiiU [=GamePad=]. |
| 212 | ** It is designed to measure fighters' {{power levels}}. At one point Garnet gives it a reading so high, it goes over 7000, then [[Memes/DragonBall over 8000, then 10,000]], until finally [[ReadingsAreOffTheScale "numbers have no meaning!"]] Bonus points for not only having referenced the original, but by jumping from 8,000 straight to 10,000, it also made painfully obvious that it was referencing the meme from the scene as well. |
| 213 | * Mr. Fox at one point is browsing Website/{{Tumblr}}. |
| 214 | * Ringo's transformation is ''Manga/SailorMoon''-styled. |
| 215 | * Garnet uses weighted hair and a ''Franchise/DragonBall''-style transformation into a Super Saiyan-esque form. |
| 216 | * Near the climax of the episode, Garnet performs what appears to be a [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Giga Punch Breaker]]. |
| 217 | |
| 218 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E34WatermelonSteven "Watermelon Steven"]]]] |
| 219 | * Greg saying "By jove, it's full of seeds" is a play on the line from [[Literature/TheSpaceOdysseySeries 2001: A Space Odyssey]] (the book), "My god, it's full of stars!" |
| 220 | * Amethyst uses a [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog spin-dash]] when fighting the melons. |
| 221 | * Garnet's fight with the melons consists of them forming a circle around her and piling in from all directions, in the same way [[Film/TheMatrixReloaded another sunglasses wearing hero fights a huge army of clones]]. It also references a [[https://wroble.tumblr.com/post/130709903400/so-apparently-this-scene-from-steven-universe-is-a certain bizarre sculpture in Norway]]. |
| 222 | * The scene where Baby Melon dramatically punches Steven, then looks up at the sky with his arms out wide accepting his oncoming "death" is extremely reminiscent of the climax of the last episode of ''Anime/ProjectK''. |
| 223 | |
| 224 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E35Lion3StraightToVideo "Lion 3: Straight to Video"]]]] |
| 225 | * Design and relationship-wise, Rose Quartz being a redheaded, statuesque, magical lady married to a mortal man is comparable to [[Anime/PonyoOnTheCliffByTheSea Granmamare]]. |
| 226 | * The videotape and Steven and Sadie's reaction to it bears some similarity to the betamax tape delivered to Faye Valentine in ''Anime/CowboyBebop''. The opening is shot-for-shot identical, Greg (like Faye) introduces himself and then becomes embarrassed and stops filming, and Rose's words of encouragement to Steven are tonally very similar to the teenaged Faye's. It's even a message from a forgotten past life addressing a wistful present. |
| 227 | |
| 228 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E36WarpTour "Warp Tour"]]]] |
| 229 | * The idea of "seeing something strange while being teleported, but no one believes you" might be a reference to an episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', where Lt. Barclay saw weird things while being transported (it didn't help that he had a fear of the transporter); it turned out to be people that got trapped in the beam in an accident. |
| 230 | * The title is likely a reference to the VANS Warped Tour. |
| 231 | |
| 232 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E37AloneTogether "Alone Together"]]]] |
| 233 | * Sour Cream uses several handheld Nintendo consoles (A Platform/GameBoy and a Platform/GameBoyAdvance respectively) to make music for the rave. Also serves as a nod to Aivi and Surasshu's {{Chiptune}}-laden soundtrack for the series. |
| 234 | * One of the rave's patrons looks like [[WesternAnimation/AdventureTime Betty Groff]]. |
| 235 | * The song that Steven and Connie dance to sounds very similar to the chorus in Estelle's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic5vxw3eijY "American Boy"]]. |
| 236 | |
| 237 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E38TheTest "The Test"]]]] |
| 238 | * Amethyst's room is a reference to ''VideoGame/MarbleMadness'', with the square tiles and the giant Marble itself. It also references the TropeNamer of IndyEscape. |
| 239 | * The wooden-with-vertical-bars doors slamming behind Steven as he enters each room are taken straight from [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime the Nintendo 64]] [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Zelda games]]. |
| 240 | * Pearl's room is reminiscent of ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' in general. |
| 241 | * Garnet's room resembles [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bowser's Castle]]. |
| 242 | * When Steven leaves the test, it looks like a video game level after using console commands or cheats to view it from the outside (or from a level editor), right down to the moving parts of the "level" not being attached to anything in particular. |
| 243 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFIzpaurSGM The Gems congratulating Steven for completing the test]] is done in an eerily similar way to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDajqW561KM this infamous scene]] from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. |
| 244 | |
| 245 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E39FutureVision "Future Vision"]]]] |
| 246 | * Steven takes down a ''Ninja Squad'' poster and replaces it with a ''New Ninja Squad'' poster with an older (somewhat angsty-looking) character on it, parodying ''Manga/{{Naruto}} (Shippuden)'' and many other anime with {{Time Skip}}s along the main character's youth. |
| 247 | * "Master of Ceremonies Bear Bear" is wearing a pair of Music/KanyeWest's infamous shutter-shades. A teddy bear known as "Dropout Bear" is a recurring symbol in Kanye's album artwork. Also note that Kanye also provided a couple of verses on a hit single with, who else, Garnet's voice actress Estelle. |
| 248 | * Garnet and Steven work out to a SuspiciouslySimilarSong version of music for the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SU6IOI7n2A 'National Exercise']], which is a set of basic exercises educated in Korean schools. |
| 249 | * Garnet predicts a possible future in which Steven is stabbed to death by "wasps" that have spike limbs like [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Beedrill]]. |
| 250 | ** She also predicts Steven might die from choking on a fry bit, and the way it's represented is [[VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins Steven turning into a skeleton and crumbling into a heap]]. |
| 251 | |
| 252 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E40OnTheRun "On the Run"]]]] |
| 253 | * There's a shot during that has Steven, a raccoon, and Amethyst in a flipped-perspective reference to Simba, Timon and Pumbaa walking across a log in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'''s "Hakuna Matata". |
| 254 | * The "Kindergarten" is a quarry full of human-shaped holes in the cliff faces, much like in ''Manga/TheEnigmaOfAmigaraFault''. Amethyst even claims one of the holes as hers (''Amigara Fault'' [[MemeticMutation infamously]] includes the line "This hole! It was made for me!") and slowly slides into it like in the manga. |
| 255 | * Steven's favorite book series, ''The No Home Boys'', resembles a mix of ''Literature/TheHardyBoys'' and ''Literature/TheBoxcarChildren''. The former even had its own failed graphic novel adaptation. |
| 256 | * During Pearl and Amethyst's fight, Amethyst repeats a line from the 2002 Spiderman movie: "I wouldn't want to fight me neither!" |
| 257 | |
| 258 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E41HorrorClub "Horror Club"]]]] |
| 259 | * Lars refers to Ronaldo as "social napalm", which is a phrase from the anarcho-punk band {{Music/Crass}}'s song "Punk is Dead". |
| 260 | * Ronaldo's costume is a mashup of the werewolf, Film/{{Dracula|1931}}, and Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera. |
| 261 | * ''Evil Bear 2'''s TagLine is "Come Scream with Me Tonight", a parody of [[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTeddyRuxpin Teddy Ruxpin's]] "Come Dream with Me Tonight". |
| 262 | * Young Lars wears a shirt with what looks like the ''Music/{{Nirvana}}'' logo. In the [[http://raveneesimo.tumblr.com/post/110938418823/horror-club-storyboard-panels storyboard]] it looked almost ''exactly'' like one. |
| 263 | |
| 264 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E42WinterForecast "Winter Forecast"]]]] |
| 265 | * Another [[WesternAnimation/AdventureTime Betty]] look-alike shows up in a picture at the Maheswaran residence. |
| 266 | * There's a jar of [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Lon Lon Milk]] in Steven's room. |
| 267 | |
| 268 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E43MaximumCapacity "Maximum Capacity"]]]] |
| 269 | * ''[[ShowWithinAShow L'il Butler]]'' is quite a lot like ''Series/MrBelvedere'', a show about a (fully grown) butler who taught a family lessons about themselves while caring for the home. |
| 270 | ** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vz_SeHIOAs Intro]] sounds almost, aside from the bridge, 100% like the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0clmd26HN4 Mega Man 3 game over / password screen]]. |
| 271 | * ''Series/TheBradyBunch'' had a special two-part episode taking place in Hawaii, as Amethyst describes of "Li'l Butler". |
| 272 | * One of the books in the box Steven finds in Greg's storage locker, the only book that's missing its title, has a cover based on one for ''Literature/LordOfTheFlies''. |
| 273 | ** Another book is a reference to ''Literature/TheHeartIsALonelyHunter''. |
| 274 | |
| 275 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E44MarbleMadness "Marble Madness"]]]] |
| 276 | * ''VideoGame/MarbleMadness'' was the name of one of the first generation [[TheEighties 1980s]] video games. |
| 277 | * The book that Connie shares with Steven, ''Unfamiliar Familiar'', has an awful lot in common with ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'' — it's set in a world where everyone has animal familiars, the female protagonist has a name similar to Lyra's, and she's searching for her kidnapped father. There are also witches involved, although that could be a reference to a number of young adult novels, most obviously ''Literature/HarryPotter''. The name for the series the book belongs to, ''The Spirit Morph Saga'', also sounds similar to ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}''. |
| 278 | * Pearl appears to be performing a [[Franchise/KamenRider Rider Kick]] when she attacks the first Robonoid. |
| 279 | * On the cover of the first book, Lisa bears a resemblance to a long haired [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} Rose Lalonde]]. |
| 280 | |
| 281 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E45RosesScabbard "Rose's Scabbard"]]]] |
| 282 | * Steven surprises Pearl while she's in the middle of projecting a hologram, causing her to form a floating exclamation point like the guards in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''. If one listens closely, there's even a distorted version of the sound effect from the games used when Pearl makes the projection of the exclamation point. |
| 283 | * Pearl is dressed up like the [[Series/DoctorWho Fourth Doctor]] with the hat and scarf that Steven puts on her as he's pulling things out of Lion. |
| 284 | * The little tune Steven sings as he removes Rose's sword from Lion's mane is faintly reminiscent of the chest-opening theme from ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series. |
| 285 | |
| 286 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E46TheMessage "The Message"]]]] |
| 287 | * When Steven accidentally plugs a guitar into the video jack instead of the audio, Greg reminds him that "[[Music/TheBuggles video killed the audio star]]". |
| 288 | * In Greg's van, you can clearly see that he has the Music/{{Queen}} album ''[[http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/929/810/4d1.jpg News of the World]]''. |
| 289 | |
| 290 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E47PoliticalPower "Political Power"]]]] |
| 291 | * When Steven points out that Mayor Dewey lied to Lars and Sadie, he comes up with a very familiar excuse. |
| 292 | -->'''Mayor Dewey:''' Look, Steven, [[UsefulNotes/RichardNixon it's not lying]] [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem when you're the mayor]]. |
| 293 | |
| 294 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E48TheReturn "The Return"]]]] |
| 295 | * Jasper's hair is rather [[Franchise/DragonBall Super Saiyan-esque]]. |
| 296 | * Her gem "nose" could be seen as a nod to Franky from ''Franchise/OnePiece'', who has a similar-looking one made of metal. |
| 297 | * A giant floating hand uses a finger-gun gesture to shoot a beam of energy, combining two of [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Master Hand's]] attacks. |
| 298 | * Jasper calling Garnet a "shameless display" could be a nod to the "shamefur dispray" meme originating in ''VideoGame/TotalWarShogun2''. |
| 299 | |
| 300 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E49JailBreak "Jail Break"]]]] |
| 301 | * If Amethyst is Sonic the Hedgehog, then Jasper pulling the same move with a BattleAura makes her Super Sonic, not to mention furthering the ''Dragon Ball'' parallel. |
| 302 | * Two aliens, one huge and aggressive and one small but technologically advanced, come to Earth to investigate one of their own? ''Dragon Ball Z'', anyone? |
| 303 | * Ruby's design [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoDCIWlgjnI is based on]] K.O. from ''Lakewood Plaza Turbo'', the short what would later be developed into ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes''. She also looks like Ryu from ''Franchise/StreetFighter''. |
| 304 | * Before fusing, Ruby picks up Sapphire and spins her around in a fashion that looks extremely similar to [[Anime/CastleInTheSky a scene in a certain Ghibli movie]]. |
| 305 | ** It may have actually been a reference to [[Anime/FutureBoyConan Conan and Lana]] from one of Miyazaki's earlier works. The scene of them spinning comes shortly after a rescue scene and shares similar dialogue. ''Future Boy Conan'' was listed as an influence for ''Steven Universe'' by Rebecca Sugar in [[http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2e4gmx/i_am_rebecca_sugar_creator_of_steven_universe_and/cjvykmy/ her AMA]] as well. |
| 306 | * Peridot's line "'Go to Earth,' they said. 'It'll be easy,' they said..." is reminiscent of a popular ImageMacro [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/it-will-be-fun-they-said format]]. |
| 307 | * Jasper emerges screaming "WHERE IS SHE?!" in a very similar style to another character in a very famous [[Film/{{The Dark Knight}} movie]]. |
| 308 | * The opening riffs, basic rhythm, and general theme of "Stronger Than You" (Garnet's BadassBoast[=/=]IAmSong) are similar to [[{{Sexophone}} "Just the Two of Us"]] by Bill Withers and Grover Washington, Jr. — so similar, in fact, that [[http://picosong.com/2pTJ/ someone's made a mashup]]. |
| 309 | * Sapphire [[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena kisses the tears from Ruby's face]]. |
| 310 | * The imagery of a hand-shaped spaceship falling towards Earth and throwing forward a projectile, and that of a giant, pierced hand standing on a hill next to a seaside small town, are both memorable images from ''Anime/{{FLCL}}''. |
| 311 | * The scene where Malachite gets water cuffs put on her wrists and then gets pulled into the ocean mirrors the scene from ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' where [[spoiler:Genie!Jafar gets the golden cuffs put on his wrists and then gets pulled into his own lamp,]] all symbolizing imprisonment. They both even let out a BigWhat. |
| 312 | [[/folder]] |
| 313 | |
| 314 | [[folder:Season 2]] |
| 315 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E1FullDisclosure "Full Disclosure"]]]] |
| 316 | * Pearl distracts Connie at the front door so Steven can escape by jumping out the window ''directly adjacent to the front door'', mirroring a scene in ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld''. |
| 317 | * In keeping with the ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'' references in the previous episode, Steven's song, particularly the guitar portions, is heavily reminiscent of ''Music/ThePillows'', who did most of the soundtrack to FLCL. |
| 318 | |
| 319 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E2OpenBook "Open Book"]]]] |
| 320 | * Steven's Magic Falcon costume looks like a combination between [[Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman Gatchaman]] and [[Series/ChoujinSentaiJetman Jetman]]. |
| 321 | * After leaving the costume shop, Connie's outfit highly resembles a discount [[WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} Ruby Rose]]. |
| 322 | |
| 323 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E3JoyRide "Joy Ride"]]]] |
| 324 | * "[[Music/PurpleRainAlbum I only wanted to see you laughing in the pizza rain]]." If that wasn't enough, Hilary Florido, the writer of the episode, did [[http://hilaryflorido.tumblr.com/post/114701986588/joy-ride-is-one-of-the-episodes-where-i-like-my fan art]] of Buck dressed as Music/{{Prince}} in honor of the episode. |
| 325 | * Peridot's escape pod fills up with an apparently breathable liquid when in use, just like the cockpits from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. To drive the point home, Steven's initial reaction is holding his breath until it covers his face, directly mirroring Shinji's. |
| 326 | * Besides the Platform/NintendoGameCube that's been seen in Steven's room since House Guest, the viewer can see boxes for both ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'' lying on the floor close to Steven's fanart of Archemicarus and Lisa's wedding. |
| 327 | |
| 328 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E4SayUncle "Say Uncle"]]]] |
| 329 | * One of the [[http://stevencrewniverse.tumblr.com/post/115079576232/jeffliujeffliu-r-u-ready-say-uncle-airs-on promos]] matches the eyecatches of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann''. |
| 330 | * The [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Beedrill]]-like wasps make a reappearance, this time fired from WesternAnimation/UncleGrandpa's [[BeeBeeGun "Beezooka"]]. |
| 331 | * In one of the scenes, Uncle Grandpa and Steven are shown playing a game resembling ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' |
| 332 | * When the [[AnAesop Aesop]] of the episode is delivered, Uncle Grandpa tells the audience to "See with eyes unclouded by hate", a quote from ''Anime/PrincessMononoke''. |
| 333 | * Uncle Grandpa's list includes [[WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory Dexter, Dee Dee,]] [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup,]] [[WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy Ed, Edd, Eddy,]] [[WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy Billy, Mandy,]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee Juniper,]] [[WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends Mac,]] ''WesternAnimation/SWATKats'', [[WesternAnimation/TheMarvelousMisadventuresOfFlapjack Flapjack,]] [[WesternAnimation/AdventureTime Finn,]] Steven, and WesternAnimation/{{Clarence}}. |
| 334 | * Pearl's hysterical {{Freak Out}}s in this episode resemble [[WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy Double D's]]. |
| 335 | * The bow that fires snakes is of one of Thulsa Doom's weapons in ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'', in which it kills Conan's LoveInterest. |
| 336 | |
| 337 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E5StoryForSteven "Story for Steven"]]]] |
| 338 | * Greg begins the episode telling Steven the bedtime story of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother''. |
| 339 | * When Rose jumps over to Greg after he meets the other gems, she floats down in a similar way to Princess Serenity from ''Manga/SailorMoon''. |
| 340 | |
| 341 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E6ShirtClub "Shirt Club"]]]] |
| 342 | * When Steven asks the Gems to help him stop the shirts, Pearl first assumes that they are sentient and take over their wearer's body and mind. Kinda like the plot of [[Anime/KillLaKill a certain anime]]. |
| 343 | * One of the signs in Mayor Dewey's printing press reads [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush "Read my lips: no new faxes."]] |
| 344 | * Steven pulls off a mock ConspicuouslyPublicAssassination with a shirt cannon by acting like ''Manga/{{Golgo 13}}'' and even wearing his glasses. |
| 345 | |
| 346 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E8Reformed "Reformed"]]]] |
| 347 | * There appears to be a basket of yellow pansies from ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' in Amethyst's room. |
| 348 | |
| 349 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E9SwornToTheSword "Sworn to the Sword"]]]] |
| 350 | * The attack all four of the Holo-Pearls use to attack Connie and Steven is ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'''s Sepiroth's Hell Gate move, the same one used to kill Aerith in the original game. |
| 351 | * The outfit Connie wears in the second half of the episode bears more than a passing resemblance to the outfit worn by [[Anime/DragonBallZ Gohan when he was being trained by Piccolo as a kid]], minus the scarf. Fitting as they're both child fighters with alien teachers. However, it appears to actually be a Kalaripayattu outfit, which Creator/AkiraToriyama might have used when designing Piccolo's outfit. |
| 352 | * The cover of Steven's book, ''How to Talk to People'', resembles a version of ''[[Literature/HowtoWinFriendsandInfluencePeople How to Win Friends and Influence People]]''. |
| 353 | |
| 354 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E10RisingTidesCrashingSkies "Rising Tides, Crashing Skies"]]]] |
| 355 | * The atrocious editing and less than great effects and fonts used in Ronaldo's documentary resemble those used in the amateurish editing software Windows Movie Maker. Jones-Quartey even called it "[[https://twitter.com/ianjq/status/610955330671874048 a tribute]]" to the software. |
| 356 | * Ronaldo is first seen sitting [[http://www.funnyordie.com/between_two_ferns between two ferns.]] |
| 357 | * The giant crab monster resembles [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Gohma]], and even shares [[GoForTheEye a weak point]] with it. |
| 358 | |
| 359 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E12WeNeedToTalk "We Need to Talk"]]]] |
| 360 | * While digging through Greg's vinyl collection, Steven finds an album by Orange Magic Orchestra, with similar [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/e/e0/We_Need_To_Talk_%28002%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20190613024153 cover]] [[http://991.com/NewGallery/Yellow-Magic-Orchestra-Kimi-Ni-Mune-Kyun-451504.jpg art]] to Music/YellowMagicOrchestra's single ''Kimi Ni Mune Kyun''. Connie meanwhile finds a copy of The Philosophy Majors' album ''[[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/b/b4/We_Need_To_Talk_%28007%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20190613024609 Nietzsche's Breakdown]]'', which references Music/NoDoubt's ''[[http://www.nodoubt.com/sites/g/files/g20001361/f/201306/00606949258023.jpg Tragic Kingdom]]''. |
| 361 | * Greg calls the Gems [[Creator/TheMarxBrothers Groucho, Harpo, and Chico.]] |
| 362 | * There's a flier in Greg's van for something called "Pet Rock," with a depiction of what looks a lot like [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing K.K. Slider]]. |
| 363 | * Rainbow Quartz, with her big hair, pastel color scheme, and leg warmers, looks similar to Danse from [[WesternAnimation/JemAndTheHolograms Jem and the Holograms]]. |
| 364 | |
| 365 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E13ChilleTid "Chille Tid"]]]] |
| 366 | * In Steven's second dream, he flies with [[Manga/{{Doraemon}} a propeller attached to his head]]. After a power boost from Pearl's giant floating head, he soars like ''Anime/AstroBoy''. |
| 367 | |
| 368 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E14CryForHelp "Cry for Help"]]]] |
| 369 | * Sardonyx's warhammer is quite similar to [[https://gaogaigar.fandom.com/wiki/File:GaGaGaPromo-GoldionHammer.jpg another warhammer]] [[Anime/GaoGaiGar known to crush suns]]. |
| 370 | * Not a direct reference to anything in particular, but Sardonyx, in a particular moment of the episode, does a classic [[AnimeAndManga anime trope]]: a NoblewomansLaugh. |
| 371 | --> '''Sardonyx:''' Oh ho ho! What are we waiting for? Let the show begin! |
| 372 | * One the promotional arts has [[http://www.fybertech.com/4get/14368423111594.jpg Pearl]] doing the famous shot of [[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iygHEEFV6Vk/VIsdFDJFjsI/AAAAAAAAASo/ar0nDrleBRg/s1600/Shinji_Ikari_crying_in_chair_Neon_Genesis_Evangelion.jpg Shinji]] sitting on chair from Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion. |
| 373 | ** Similarly, although not promotional/technically official art, fan art drawn by storyboard artist Danny Cragg features [[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Shadow Play]] [[http://41.media.tumblr.com/d602d492d0ea7076e412d41585cb7394/tumblr_nro85t3ohX1qcm2uao1_1280.png Peridots]]. |
| 374 | * Steven has a carton of [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Moomoo Milk]] in his fridge. |
| 375 | * Sugilite's communication hub destroying punch was [[https://mobile.twitter.com/ianjq/status/620728608307310592 confirmed]] to be based on the Twister-Sock Punch from Popeye and [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry Donkey Kong's]] [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Giant Punch]]. |
| 376 | * The shot of Pearl's OhCrap face at the end of the episode suspiciously looks like the shot of [[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants Mrs. Puff's]] [[OhCrap "Oh Neptune"]] face. |
| 377 | |
| 378 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E16OnionFriend "Onion Friend"]]]] |
| 379 | * Amethyst turns into something resembling Migi from ''Manga/{{Parasyte}}''; Vidalia had painted a picture of it. |
| 380 | * "[[Literature/TheSpaceOdysseySeries Onion, it's full of guys!]]" Reinforced by the picture of Onion as a space baby in a painting on the wall. |
| 381 | * The bag of chips that Onion steals from Steven has a chip and barbecue pit wearing the same glasses as [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Kamina,]] with the latter's pair sporting a noticeable amount of the LensFlare famously featured in the show's eyecatches. |
| 382 | |
| 383 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E17HistoricalFriction "Historical Friction"]]]] |
| 384 | * Pearl's re-write of the play contains the lines "[[Creator/WaltWhitman O Captain, my captain!]]" and "[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare What light through yonder stage left breaks?/It is the east, and we are the Crystal Gems!]]" |
| 385 | |
| 386 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E18FriendShip "Friend Ship"]]]] |
| 387 | * Peridot already had the general proportions of a ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' character, but her busting out a charging ArmCannon really seals the deal. |
| 388 | * After the Gems find Peridot, Steven greets her with a cheerful "[[WesternAnimation/UncleGrandpa Good mornin'!]]" |
| 389 | * When Garnet and Pearl fuse into Sardonyx to escape the [[DeathTrap death trap]] that Peridot's trapped them in, Sardonyx escapes by turning her warhammer into [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann a drill on the end of a pole]]. |
| 390 | * When Steven grabs Peridot's leg to keep her from escaping, he yells "[[{{Franchise/Pokemon}} I caught a Peridot!]]" |
| 391 | |
| 392 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E19NightmareHospital "Nightmare Hospital"]]]] |
| 393 | * Connie saying that she has a "SecretIdentity" when [[ClarkKenting putting on her glasses frames]] is an obvious reference to ''Franchise/{{Superman}}''. |
| 394 | * The mention of a "Dr. West" may be a ''Film/ReAnimator'' reference. |
| 395 | * A hospital door has the label "Dr. Gero, Patient 20", a reference to Dr. Gero/Android 20 from ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. |
| 396 | * Next to that door is a poster of mountains whose negative space makes the image of a pine tree, which is the same as one of the promotional posters for the game ''Firewatch''. |
| 397 | |
| 398 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E20SadiesSong "Sadie's Song"]]]] |
| 399 | * In Sadie's room, a [[WesternAnimation/AdventureTime Gunther]] doll can be seen among her plushies. |
| 400 | |
| 401 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E21CatchAndRelease "Catch and Release"]]]] |
| 402 | * A Game Boy can be seen in the bathroom. |
| 403 | * Steven's "Playful Kitty" doll looks a lot like a ComicStrip/{{Garfield}} doll sans stripes. |
| 404 | * Peridot flushing herself down a toilet is reminiscent of [[WesternAnimation/InvaderZim another small, green, megalomaniac alien]]. |
| 405 | |
| 406 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E22WhenItRains "When It Rains"]]]] |
| 407 | * In Lamar Abrams' promotional art, [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/6/6a/When_It_Rains_promo_by_Lamar_Abrams.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151001194226 Peridot is riding a cloud with eyes]], reminiscent of a [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Lakitu]] |
| 408 | * The way Amethyst jumps on the fusion mutants is yet another nod to ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog''. |
| 409 | |
| 410 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E23BackToTheBarn "Back to the Barn"]]]] |
| 411 | * One of the competitions was a go-kart race. The rainbow around both racers is almost like [[VideoGame/MarioKart Rosalina and Luma dashing down Rainbow Road.]] |
| 412 | * Another competition was drawing Amethyst like [[Film/{{Titanic1997}} one of those French girls.]] |
| 413 | * Peridot's (green and bulky) robot [[MetronomicManMashing grabs Pearl's by the leg and thrashes it around]], much like [[Film/TheAvengers2012 Hulk did to Loki]]. |
| 414 | * The piloting of giant robots, as well as Pearl's suit while in the robot, brings [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion a certain anime to mind.]] |
| 415 | ** Speaking of anime, Pearl also does an [[Anime/GunBuster Inazuma Kick]]. |
| 416 | ** Pearl's mech looks like a plane with limbs sticking out. It's basically a [[{{Manga/RideBack}} Rideback]], down to the wheel-feet, but with a bit of [[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Gerwalk]] thrown in (or, State-side, the [[Anime/{{Robotech}} Veritech Fighter's Guardian mode]]). |
| 417 | ** Peridot's mech, meanwhile, [[https://metalslug.fandom.com/wiki/Vehicles looks like it stepped out of]] ''VideoGame/MetalSlug''. In particular, it looks like a beefier [[https://metalslug.fandom.com/wiki/LV_Armor LV Armor]]. Alternately, it could also be a stylized [[http://plamoya.com/en/1per100-crab-type-xabungle-p-20680.html Crab Type]] Walker Machine from {{Anime/Xabungle}} - and the whole "let's settle this in mecha!" bit even shows up in the first episode. |
| 418 | * [[Film/IndependenceDay "Welcome to Earth."]] After Peridot was punched in the face inside her vehicle, no less. |
| 419 | * Peridot shouts "Praise me! Praise me!", exactly like [[WesternAnimation/InvaderZim GIR]] does in the episode "GIR Goes Crazy And Stuff". |
| 420 | |
| 421 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E24TooFar "Too Far"]]]] |
| 422 | * A dramatic scene from this episode can be compared to a particular scene from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' [[http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1105799-steven-universe here]]. |
| 423 | |
| 424 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E25TheAnswer "The Answer"]]]] |
| 425 | * The silhouette animation style in the floating castle is a direct reference to pioneer animator Creator/LotteReiniger's films, especially ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfPrinceAchmed'', as [[http://www.themarysue.com/comics-pros-shout-out-fave-female-creators/ stated by Rebecca Sugar]]. |
| 426 | * The ship Ruby and Sapphire were on has more than a passing resemblance to [[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena The Castle Where Eternity Dwells]]. |
| 427 | * The scene where Sapphire jumps from the ship looks exactly like ''VideoGame/KnyttStories''. |
| 428 | * When Ruby and Sapphire start to properly dance in order to fuse again, the scene looks like the famous dance from ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}''. [[StockFootage And/or the dance from]] ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'', too. |
| 429 | ** Garnet's original mixed colors form brings the messy pink and blue dress from the latter to mind. |
| 430 | ** The scenery during the dance seems to refer to the "Love" sequence from ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood1973''. |
| 431 | * After Sapphire and Ruby run away from the authorities who want them dead, Garnet describes herself having an unique moment of magic, amazement and self-discovery ... "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ondfiwhy-30 Then I fell]]". |
| 432 | |
| 433 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E27ItCouldveBeenGreat "It Could've Been Great"]]]] |
| 434 | * The song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss7rLjGAlQE "Peace and Love (On the Planet Earth)"]] has an AllLovingHero convincing a short, [[GreenAndMean green]], [[HeelFaceTurn reformed villain]] to sing a song about the joys of the world to the tune of a ukulele. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqhfLTsEeZg Where have we]] [[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants seen that before?]] |
| 435 | * Steven shouts, [[Anime/GoLion "Go Lion, go!"]] |
| 436 | |
| 437 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E29LogDate7152 "Log Date 7 15 2"]]]] |
| 438 | * The opening card for the ''Camp Pining Hearts'' show has [[http://central-avenue.me/post/136934551006/i-think-i-figured-out-who-wrote-camp-pining-hearts a shooting star symbol with a rainbow tails]] that looks like [[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls Mabel Pines']] — and it's exactly the kind of thing she would write. |
| 439 | * Peridot makes a shipping chart after observing her TV show, much like [[WebComic/{{Homestuck}} Karkat]] [[http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/067/418/9a2.jpg did]] after observing the kids' interactions. |
| 440 | * When Steven asks if Peridot is going to be okay after [[spoiler:Peridot turns on Yellow Diamond]], Peridot turns around and says "NO". It's subtle, but the way she says it could remind one of ''VideoGame/HotelMario''. |
| 441 | [[/folder]] |
| 442 | |
| 443 | [[folder:Season 3]] |
| 444 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E1SuperWatermelonIsland "Super Watermelon Island"]]]] |
| 445 | * The opening shot with the Steven-possessed Stevenmelon waking up on the island is similar to the opening of ''Series/{{Lost}}''. |
| 446 | * A shot of Alexandrite's toothy mouth opening up and roaring is identical to a shot of [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion EVA-01's]] toothy mouth opening up and roaring. |
| 447 | * The shot of Lapis and Jasper falling from the sky is reminiscent of a famous falling scene from ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI''. Speaking of which, the shot of the light arrow going right through Malachite is identical to another famous scene from that same game. |
| 448 | * The Stevenmelons on the gliders have a silhouette identical to the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' logo. |
| 449 | |
| 450 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E2GemDrill "Gem Drill"]]]] |
| 451 | * The drill's blaster is operated by a Platform/Nintendo64 controller. |
| 452 | * The LeaveTheCameraRunning gag with TheElevatorFromIpanema brought back ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' to some. |
| 453 | * Some of the scenes spotlighting the Cluster bear resemblance to the souls and the Philosopher's Stone from ''[[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood]]''. It helps that Steven's way of dealing with it (by having all of its components become friends and get to know each other) is similar to how Van Hohenheim from FMA decided to cope with his status as a living Philosopher's Stone. |
| 454 | * Can there really be a giant drill without reference to ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann''? |
| 455 | |
| 456 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E3SameOldWorld "Same Old World"]]]] |
| 457 | * The flying ride is identical to the one from ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'s'' "A Whole New World", complete with going up into the clouds and then spinning. Heck, even the episode's ''title'' is kind of a reference! |
| 458 | * Lapis looks at Jersey and asks Steven [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 "What's that shadowy place over there?"]] |
| 459 | * The travel scene can also remind you of the flying scene from ''WebAnimation/OnYourMark''. |
| 460 | * In Empire City, there's a play running called ''[[Theatre/SpidermanTurnOffTheDark Dogcopter: Turn Off the Bark]]''. |
| 461 | |
| 462 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E4BarnMates "Barn Mates"]]]] |
| 463 | * Lapis' deadpan/blank-faced expressions are very similar to Saitama's from ''Manga/OnePunchMan''. |
| 464 | * The Ruby coming out of the Roaming Eye at the end of the episode [[http://artemispanthar.tumblr.com/post/145019053627/rosabiaz-dragon-ball-z-1989-steven-universe strongly resembles]] a certain scene from ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. |
| 465 | |
| 466 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E5HitTheDiamond "Hit the Diamond"]]]] |
| 467 | * This episode's premise strongly resembles that of the ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' episode "Baseball Blues", right down to the high-stakes baseball game and the ridiculous playing levels. |
| 468 | ** It's also similar to ''Film/SpaceJam'': aliens invade Earth and are after the heroes, but are tricked into playing a game and if they lose they have to leave forever. |
| 469 | * The Ruby Squad were all given nicknames by the crew [[AllThereInTheScript that only appear in the credits]]. All of them are descriptive of their gem locations except for their visor wearing leader Doc, a nod to Disney's ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs''. |
| 470 | * Doc is wearing a outfit like ''Franchise/MassEffect's'' Jack, pants with a pair of suspenders going up her chest. |
| 471 | * When Peridot shouts "You're lying to me!" her head goes square, echoing a gag done by [[WesternAnimation/InvaderZim another small green alien]]. |
| 472 | * Lapis's slow, somewhat delayed gesture to catch a baseball mirrors the intro sequence to ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}''. |
| 473 | * Sapphire's outfit is modeled on the (real life) uniforms in ''Film/ALeagueOfTheirOwn''. |
| 474 | * Sapphire hitting the game-winning home run bears a striking resemblance to the end of the fourth episode of ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'', especially when the ball spins in place on the bat. |
| 475 | * The words on the box of baseball supplies are "[[http://www.booksonbaseball.com/2010/06/baseball-joe-by-lester-chadwick/ Baseball Joe]]", the name of an old book series about baseball. |
| 476 | |
| 477 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E6StevenFloats "Steven Floats"]]]] |
| 478 | * The way Steven's emotions affect his floating ability — causing him to stay in the air when he's happy and fall when he's sad — brings to mind the Disney version of ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan''. |
| 479 | ** There is also [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003 another]] Cartoon Network character that can use their happiness as a power source to fly. |
| 480 | * The "!", complete with its trademark sound effect from ''VideoGame/MetalGear,'' appears when Garnet makes her checkers move. |
| 481 | * Steven's skull in his ImagineSpot still has his hair attached, making him resemble Brook from ''Franchise/OnePiece'', who's a skeleton with an afro. |
| 482 | * When Amethyst tries to throw a bag of chips up to Steven, she explodes a bird, like Randy Johnson's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PyCpG06138/ infamous bird incident.]] |
| 483 | * The episode ends with Steven proclaiming [[WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh2011 "Oh, bother"]]. |
| 484 | |
| 485 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E7DropBeatDad "Drop Beat Dad"]]]] |
| 486 | * [[Film/{{Zoolander}} "What is this, a concert for ants?"]] |
| 487 | |
| 488 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E8MrGreg "Mr. Greg"]]]] |
| 489 | * In the scenes where she's holding a top hat in one hand and a red rose in the other, Pearl nearly looks exactly like [[Anime/SailorMoon Tuxedo Mask]]. |
| 490 | * Pearl's 360-degree turn as she sings "It's Over, Isn't It?" was inspired by the same camera move used during "Crazy World" in the 1982 film ''Film/VictorVictoria''. |
| 491 | * The dance number seems to be well inspired by the dance in ''[[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Adolescence of Utena]]'', including suspiciously similar music at some points. |
| 492 | |
| 493 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E9TooShortToRide "Too Short to Ride"]]]] |
| 494 | * Among the applications Peridot scrolls through on her tablet is ''VideoGame/NekoAtsume''. |
| 495 | |
| 496 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E10TheNewLars "The New Lars"]]]] |
| 497 | * Sadie's DVD shelf includes ''[[Film/NakedLunch Exposed Brunch]]'', ''[[Film/TheLastHouseOnTheLeft First House on the Right]]'', ''[[Film/TheShining Redrum]]'', and ''[[{{Film/Caligula}} Caligula: the Documentary]]'' . |
| 498 | ** Another movie on the shelf is titled ''Enjoy the Violence'', with a crown next to the title. The film's name sounds a lot like "[[Music/DepecheMode Enjoy the Silence]]", and the music video contains the lead singer dressed up like a king and wearing a crown. |
| 499 | * They end up watching a movie called ''Fangs of Love'' about a forbidden romance between [[Literature/{{Twilight}} a vampire and a werewolf]]. |
| 500 | |
| 501 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E11BeachCityDrift "Beach City Drift"]]]] |
| 502 | * The title of the episode is a reference to ''[[Film/TheFastAndTheFurious The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift]]''. |
| 503 | ** The "Nitrous Boost" can also be a reference to the film series in general. |
| 504 | * The big race sequence, with its Eurobeat techno music, car designs, and racing site, is one big homage to ''Manga/{{Initial D}}''. |
| 505 | |
| 506 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E12RestaurantWars "Restaurant Wars"]]]] |
| 507 | * The end of the episode, wherein Fryman and Kofi try the food Steven and Amethyst make, become shocked, and explain in detail how the food is amazing, resembles the way people react when they try food in ''Manga/FoodWars'' (minus the [[OrgasmicallyDelicious foodgasms]] of course). The title itself could also be a reference to the English name of the series "Food Wars". |
| 508 | * Kofi's reaction to the pizza bagel Steven makes is a reference to a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So50EUl8wbc popular Bagel Bites jingle]] from the 1990's. |
| 509 | -->'''Kofi:''' ''AND WITH PIZZA ON A BAGEL, YOU CAN EAT PIZZA ANYTIME!'' |
| 510 | |
| 511 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E13KikisPizzaDeliveryService "Kiki's Pizza Delivery Service"]]]] |
| 512 | * The episode title itself is one to [[Anime/KikisDeliveryService the Studio Ghibli movie]]. |
| 513 | * A shot when Kiki and Steven are sitting and looking at the sky looks exactly like the famous ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion The End Of Evangelion]]'' shot. |
| 514 | ** The way the cheese also attempts to consume Kiki is very reminiscent of humanity in ''End of Evangelion'' being dissolved by LCL towards the film's end. |
| 515 | * Once again, Steven flies around like ''Manga/AstroBoy''. He even does some rocket-punches! |
| 516 | * Steven calls himself a [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet3DreamWarriors Dream Warrior]]. |
| 517 | ** This could also be a reference to the completion percentage rankings in ''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure''. |
| 518 | %%* ''Manga/BlackJack'' |
| 519 | |
| 520 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E15AloneAtSea "Alone at Sea"]]]] |
| 521 | * [[http://67.media.tumblr.com/936f753054058be5e573ac4051eead39/tumblr_ob1g7aLlKv1qa0bhmo1_r1_1280.jpg One of the promos]] mirrors the famous poster for ''Film/BrokebackMountain''. |
| 522 | * The "ayyyy" Greg and Steven say to each other is a reference to the Fonz's famous catchphrase from ''Series/HappyDays''. |
| 523 | * A very subtle one to ''Series/GilligansIsland'': Greg is the Skipper, and refers to Steven as his "little buddy". |
| 524 | * Jasper getting punched so hard she flies off into the distance until she's just a speck on the horizon is reminiscent of the "looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agaaaaaiiiinnnnn...!" RunningGag from ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''; Lapis' (water) punch in itself resembles ''Anime/OnePunchMan'''s. |
| 525 | |
| 526 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E16GregTheBabysitter "Greg the Babysitter"]]]] |
| 527 | * Greg mentions a "mudnado" that rolled through town, a nod to Syfy's ''Film/{{Sharknado}}'' film series (not that they haven't had many "[something] tornado" movies). |
| 528 | * Greg's song comments how it's said that [[Music/MagicalMysteryTour "Love is all you need]] to be a happy man", but he also needs to eat. |
| 529 | * When Greg and baby Sour Cream are stuck on the Ferris wheel, Greg shouts [[WesternAnimation/TheJetsons "Rose, get me off this crazy thing!"]] |
| 530 | |
| 531 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E17GemHunt "Gem Hunt"]]]] |
| 532 | * Connie talks about the Gem Mutants dressing up in costume only happens in cartoons, usually over a property dispute, which seems like a playful jab at ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo''. [[http://colin-howard.tumblr.com/post/148322516590/jinkies-theres-a-brand-new-episode-of-steven Promotional art by Colin Howard]] even shows the Crystal Gems as Mystery Inc. |
| 533 | |
| 534 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E18CrackTheWhip "Crack the Whip"]]]] |
| 535 | * The scene where Jasper quickly and repeatedly punches Amethyst mirrors a scene from ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''. |
| 536 | * Stevonnie riding on Lion into a fight seems to evoke the way [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002 He-Man]] would do the very same thing on Battle Cat. |
| 537 | |
| 538 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E19StevenVsAmethyst "Steven vs. Amethyst"]]]] |
| 539 | * One of the characters in the "Lonely Blade" video game bears a striking resemblance to Mokujin ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}''. Another is a bear, like Kuma, but white. |
| 540 | * With the way Amethyst wears her [[TomboyishPonytail ponytail]] with only one eye visible, among other things like her clothing, she definitely looks like Leela from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. |
| 541 | * The name of the game console Steven is playing is on the controller: "Dolphin". This was the codename for the Platform/NintendoGameCube, which his system is obviously an {{Expy}} of. |
| 542 | |
| 543 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E20Bismuth "Bismuth"]]]] |
| 544 | * The star symbol on Bismuth's shoulder resembles the Renegade symbol from VideoGame/MassEffect. It certainly fits her personality. |
| 545 | * Bismuth's Breaking Point resembles [[Anime/TheBigO Big O's Sudden Impact]], using an elbow mounted piston to provide an impact originating from the attacker's fist straight through the opponent. |
| 546 | * At the beginning of the episode, if you very look closely, you'll see Steven playing ''VideoGame/SuperMarioKart''. |
| 547 | |
| 548 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E22Earthlings "Earthlings"]]]] |
| 549 | * As pointed out under General, the fight in this episode has several to the first fight with Vegeta from ''Anime/DragonballZ'', including the way in which the Corrupted Quartz falls back first on Jasper and crushes her into a crater, just like Great Ape Gohan fell on and crushed Vegeta. |
| 550 | * A lot of Smoky Quartz's physical mannerisms, namely their near constant cat smile and habit of giving out Peace Signs, are based on ManekiNeko dolls. |
| 551 | |
| 552 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E24Bubbled "Bubbled"]]]] |
| 553 | * The scene where Crystal Gems recover Steven with the Ruby ship bears a strong resemblance to the scene from ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' where [[spoiler:the Ravagers arrive to retrieve Star Lord and Gamora.]] |
| 554 | * The opening scene, with Steven rotating through space in his bubble, brings to mind a similar scene in ''Film/{{Gravity}}''. |
| 555 | [[/folder]] |
| 556 | |
| 557 | [[folder:Season 4]] |
| 558 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E1KindergartenKid "Kindergarten Kid"]]]] |
| 559 | * The episode is a homage to old ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' shorts, specifically WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadrunner, right down to the location, gags, and character designs. |
| 560 | |
| 561 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E2KnowYourFusion "Know Your Fusion"]]]] |
| 562 | * Sardonyx spends part of her talk show tapping her desk with her pencils, something that Creator/DavidLetterman has been known to do in his talk show. |
| 563 | * The I ♥ EC logo on Sardonyx's mug is based on the famous [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Love_New_York I ♥ NY logo]] designed by Milton Glaser, with "EC" standing for "Empire City". |
| 564 | * Alexandrite's unique ability is called "Breath of Fire", a reference to a role-playing video game franchise [[Franchise/BreathOfFire of the same name]]. |
| 565 | |
| 566 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E4MindfulEducation "Mindful Education"]]]] |
| 567 | * [[http://66.media.tumblr.com/99b53473e5a2ca394b8d6f29c7f77d38/tumblr_ochkrylrIj1raqqdgo1_1280.png One of the promotional images]] for the episode is in the style of ''WesternAnimation/SchoolhouseRock'''s title cards. |
| 568 | * Stevonnie floats by rapidly kicking their legs back and forth, a la [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2 Luigi]] or [[VideoGame/YoshisIsland Yoshi]]. |
| 569 | * The ButterflyOfTransformation motif and using a MentalWorld to bring up and deal with issues brings to mind ''Franchise/{{Persona}}''. |
| 570 | * The shot where two butterflies are held in Garnet's hands mirrors a certain famous shot from ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'' where Nani and Lilo are holding two hibiscus flowers. |
| 571 | * The butterflies representing negative emotions and coming in swarms might be a reference to ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'', where [[BigBad Hawk Moth]] utilizes them to turn people into [[MonsterOfTheWeek Akumas]] via their negative emotions. |
| 572 | * The way Imaginary!Rose looks down onto Stevonnie mirrors the scene from ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'' where Mufasa first looks down to adult!Simba from the clouds. |
| 573 | * Steven and Connie holding both hands while falling after a revelation, and then a glowing transformation, is similar to Chihiro and Haku at the end of ''Anime/SpiritedAway''. |
| 574 | |
| 575 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E5FutureBoyZoltron "Future Boy Zoltron"]]]] |
| 576 | * The title itself is a reference to ''Anime/FutureBoyConan''. The name Zoltron is a combination of the Zoltar fortune teller machine from ''{{Film/Big}}'', and the real life Zoltan machine it was based on - It also sounds similar to {{Anime/Voltron}}. |
| 577 | * Looking closely at some of the arcade machines show that "[[Podcast/TheAdventureZone Zone of Adventure]]," OK KO! and (in a bit of RecursiveCanon) ''Attack the Light'' are arcade games. |
| 578 | |
| 579 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E6LastOneOutOfBeachCity "Last One Out of Beach City"]]]] |
| 580 | * The title [[http://ben-levin.tumblr.com/post/150142287935/dear-su-crewniverse-resident-ska-enthusiast-can references]] "Last One Out of Liberty City" by Music/LessThanJake. |
| 581 | * The puzzle Pearl and Steven are putting together at the beginning of the episode has 612 pieces; 612 is one of Homestuck's {{Arc Number}}s. |
| 582 | * Pearl saying "New Pearl, ''no plan''" while wearing a leather jacket parodies Karamatsu Matsuno and his famous line, "''No plan''", from the second episode of ''Anime/OsomatsuSan''. |
| 583 | |
| 584 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E7OnionGang "Onion Gang"]]]] |
| 585 | * One of Onion's friends bears some resemblance to the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}''; same hairstyle, same color shirt, and their gender is left ambiguous. This episode also first aired on September 15, the day ''Undertale'' was originally released (though this one might've been accidental). |
| 586 | |
| 587 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E8GemHarvest "Gem Harvest"]]]] |
| 588 | * This wouldn't be [[WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce the first time]] a character voiced by Dave Willis made his debut complaining that someone messed up his stuff. |
| 589 | |
| 590 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E9ThreeGemsAndABaby "Three Gems and a Baby"]]]] |
| 591 | * The title is a reference to the movie ''Film/ThreeMenAndABaby''. |
| 592 | * The Gems bringing presents to baby Steven are an obvious reference to the three Wise Men doing the same for baby Jesus. The reunion in the van towards the end of the episode is totally a nativity scene, with Greg wrapped up in a blue blanket recalling the Virgin Mary's garb. |
| 593 | |
| 594 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E10StevensDream "Steven's Dream"]]]] |
| 595 | * During the montage in [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea Korea]], one of the outfits Steven wears resembles that of Sans' from ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}''. |
| 596 | * Rebecca Sugar herself confirmed that Blue Diamond's character design, particularly her thin and elongated facial features, was inspired by Creator/LeijiMatsumoto's works, specifically Maetel from ''Manga/GalaxyExpress999''. |
| 597 | * A sign advertising karaoke has "Sing Whenever I Sing" written on it, referencing a song from ''Film/TheGiantGilaMonster'' whose lyrics [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SU95v5QfP4 became a running gag]] on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''. |
| 598 | |
| 599 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E11AdventuresInLightDistortion "Adventures in Light Distortion"]]]] |
| 600 | * The scenes where the Crystal Gems turn small, big, then tiny, and then so huge that they take up the entire screen most likely parodies the scenes where ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicSchoolBus'''s Shrinkerscope malfunctions multiple times in "Gets Ready, Set, Dough". |
| 601 | |
| 602 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E14ThatWillBeAll "That Will Be All"]]]] |
| 603 | * [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/f/f5/That_Will_Be_All_063.png/revision/latest?cb=20170214011528 The door to the Diamonds' chamber]] resembles [[http://ohtori.nu/gallery/Series/Episodes/Apocalypse_Arc/39/Series_ep39_199 the coffins]] that appear in ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena''. |
| 604 | |
| 605 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E16StormInTheRoom "Storm in the Room"]]]] |
| 606 | * Steven tries to kick a football the way Charlie Brown would, and Rose pulls it away just like Lucy frequently does to Charlie Brown, in homage to the RunningGag from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}''. |
| 607 | * Steven mentions that ''Lonely Arms'' is an Arm-Wrestling spin-off of a fighting game, a reference to the SpinOff of ''VideoGame/PunchOut'', ''Arm Wrestling''. |
| 608 | |
| 609 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E17Rocknaldo "Rocknaldo"]]]] |
| 610 | * Ronaldo uses a classic line from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': "That's rough, buddy." |
| 611 | |
| 612 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E19RoomForRuby "Room for Ruby"]]]] |
| 613 | * Navy's pose after she crashes from her atmospheric reentry is very much like [[Franchise/DragonBall Yamcha's infamous pose after he got blown up by a Saibaman]]. |
| 614 | |
| 615 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E20Lion4AlternateEnding "Lion 4: Alternate Ending"]]]] |
| 616 | * A book half buried next to one of the refuse piles looks like the book shown in the opening of ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' (except the star doesn't have eyes, making it look like the Crystal Gem emblem). [[http://stevencrewniverse.tumblr.com/post/160530907512/intindra-some-layouts-from-lion-4-alternate The layout]] made for the scene even included a screenshot of the original book so the reference would come across. |
| 617 | |
| 618 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E22TheGoodLars "The Good Lars"]]]] |
| 619 | * A sticker on Lars's wall reads "[[Music/TheAquabats Aquaticus Baticus]]". |
| 620 | |
| 621 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E23AreYouMyDad "Are You My Dad?"]]]] |
| 622 | * The cover of the "Dream Ghost" DVD that Steven finds in the Big Donut references the much-parodied pottery wheel scene from ''Film/Ghost1990'', with a BedsheetGhost in Patrick Swayze's role. |
| 623 | * [[spoiler: Aquamarine]] and [[spoiler: Topaz]] resemble Darla Dimple and Max from ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance'' far too well for it to be a coincidence. |
| 624 | ** You could also argue that [[spoiler: Aquamarine]] resembles an evil version of [[Franchise/TouhouProject Cirno]]. |
| 625 | ** According to [[http://podbay.fm/show/1261418557/e/1512637200?autostart=1 an official podcast]], Rebecca Sugar initially described [[spoiler: Aquamarine]] as being [[WesternAnimation/SouthPark Cartman-like]] and that [[spoiler: Topaz]] evokes the feeling of [[Manga/MyLoveStory Takeo]]. |
| 626 | * [[spoiler: Aquamarine]] repeatedly asks "Are you my dad?" and ignores all other questions. You almost expect her to ask [[Series/DoctorWho "Are you my mummy?]] |
| 627 | [[/folder]] |
| 628 | |
| 629 | [[folder:Season 5]] |
| 630 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E2TheTrial "The Trial"]]]] |
| 631 | * The room where Zircon preps Steven's case seems to be based on [[http://jamesturrell.com/work/date/ the light and space compositions]] of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Turrell James Turrell]], who is probably best known outside of the art community for inspiring Music/{{Drake}}'s "Hotline Bling" video. |
| 632 | * The Zircons' character designs have been confirmed by crew to be inspired by the lawyers in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' series. [[https://www.polygon.com/2019/8/30/20837281/steven-universe-movie-rebecca-sugar-cartoon-network Rebecca Sugar also stated]] that the Zircons' designs and Defense Zircon's mannerisms are influenced by the screenwriter in the 1968 Soviet animated short ''Animation/FilmFilmFilm''. |
| 633 | * Yellow Diamond, who is the closest of the Diamonds to a stock sci-fi EvilOverlord, [[Characters/StarWarsEmperorPalpatine is able to hurl lightning bolts from her fingers]]. |
| 634 | |
| 635 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E3OffColors "Off Colors"]]]] |
| 636 | * Lars tells Steven to not move and the Robonoid won't notice them, stating that he saw it in [[Film/JurassicPark a dinosaur movie]]. |
| 637 | * The way Steven [[spoiler:revives Lars]] strongly resembles Eugene's revival from ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}''. |
| 638 | |
| 639 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E9SadieKiller "Sadie Killer"]]]] |
| 640 | * Sadie's collection of horror and sci-fi movies includes ''[[Film/PrinceOfSpace Archduke of Space]]'', ''[[Film/{{Nosferatu}} Bossferatu]]'', ''[[Film/SpaceMutiny Galactic Insubordination]]'', and two movies from the ''[[Franchise/EvilDead Malevolent Cadavers]]'' series. |
| 641 | |
| 642 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E11LarsOfTheStars "Lars of the Stars"]]]] |
| 643 | * The outfit Lars wears in this episode strongly resembles the trademark outfit of ''Anime/CaptainHarlock''. |
| 644 | * Lars occupies a Captain's chair reminiscent of those ever-present in ''Franchise/StarTrek''. |
| 645 | * The arrival of the Destiny Destroyer is heralded by sirens, large 'WARNING' notifications popping up, and Rhodonite calling "a huge battleship is approaching fast" — exactly how ''Videogame/{{Darius}}'' [[BossWarningSiren announced]] its bosses. |
| 646 | |
| 647 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E12JungleMoon "Jungle Moon"]]]] |
| 648 | * The bird-blob creatures' color palette matches that of [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb Perry the Platypus]]. |
| 649 | |
| 650 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E13YourMotherAndMine "Your Mother and Mine"]]]] |
| 651 | * The episode is named for a song from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan''. |
| 652 | * The style of Garnet's story, with everyone's faces being black silhouettes, is similar to the style of flashbacks in ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena''. [[spoiler:And like in Utena, the art style is used for flashbacks that are misleading or which don't quite reflect reality.]] |
| 653 | |
| 654 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E15PoolHopping "Pool Hopping"]]]] |
| 655 | * Garnet offers to model for Vidalia, telling her [[Film/Titanic1997 "Paint me like one of your Amethysts."]] |
| 656 | * Garnet and Steven following the kitten through the bushes is very similar to Mei following the Totoros in ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro''. |
| 657 | * She also wants to name the kitten Steven, but upon being told that would be confusing, decides to name it Cat Steven. [[note]] like musician Cat Stevens.[[/note]] |
| 658 | |
| 659 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E17CantGoBack "Can't Go Back"]]]] |
| 660 | * After finding out that Steven knows about the moon base, Ronaldo's response is [[WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged "I have so many questions!"]] |
| 661 | |
| 662 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E18ASinglePaleRose "A Single Pale Rose"]]]] |
| 663 | * When Pearl [[GhostInTheMachine inside Pearl's pearl]] shuffles between all the sorted items and [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/steven-universe/images/0/02/ASinglePaleRose_%28250%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20180513082228 briefly displays an assortment of notes with phone numbers]], one of the notes also includes an email address whose domain is ''[[Website/{{Google}} Gmail]]''. |
| 664 | |
| 665 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E19NowWereOnlyFallingApart "Now We're Only Falling Apart"]]]] |
| 666 | * The title of the episode is a reference to the lyrics of "Music/TotalEclipseOfTheHeart" by Bonnie Tyler: "Once upon a time I was falling in love / But now I'm only falling apart." |
| 667 | * When Pearl and Steven find Sapphire, she's draped over the side of the fountain sobbing [[http://spam-monster.tumblr.com/post/175489265761/sapphire-disney-princess-confirmed in the same position as]] WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}. |
| 668 | * [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/how-do-you-do-fellow-kids "Heyy fellow amethyst guards."]] |
| 669 | * When Pearl tries picking up Rose/Pink to fuse with her, the way she yells "Fus-ion activate!" sounds a lot like the classic "Fus-ion-Ha!" from ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. |
| 670 | |
| 671 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E20WhatsYourProblem "What's Your Problem?"]]]] |
| 672 | * When Amethyst shrinks her body so that it seems her gemstone makes up a majority of it, she looks like a [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Squirtle]]. |
| 673 | * [[Anime/PonyoOnTheCliffByTheSea Sosuke and his mother, Lisa]] can be seen at Funland as Steven is throwing the flyers from the tea cup ride. |
| 674 | |
| 675 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E21TheQuestion "The Question"]]]] |
| 676 | * When mentioning reading comics, Ruby holds one up called ''Dolphin Tail''. It's a nod to ''[[WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987 DuckTales]]'', right down to the font. |
| 677 | |
| 678 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E22MadeOfHonor "Made of Honor"]]]] |
| 679 | * Ruby says, "If you want to milk the cow, [[Music/{{Beyonce}} you need to put a ring on it]]." |
| 680 | * One gift in the wedding registry is a ''Meat Beat Mania'' game called ''[[VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents Elite Meat Beat]] Mania''. |
| 681 | |
| 682 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E23Reunited "Reunited"]]]] |
| 683 | * Sapphire channels [[Series/TheWire Lester Freamon]]: |
| 684 | ->'''Ruby:''' We've been together for 5,750 years.\ |
| 685 | '''Sapphire:''' And eight months. |
| 686 | * Lapis dropping the barn on Blue Diamond is a reference to the [[Film/TheWizardOfOz Wicked Witch of the East being crushed by a farmhouse]]. |
| 687 | * Lapis withstanding Blue Diamond's sadness attack because she's "felt worse" parallels [[Franchise/OnePiece Usopp]] [[http://yunisverse.tumblr.com/post/175633242151/cinematic-parallels-one-piece-episode-356-2008 fighting off Perona's Negative Hollows]] because "I am already negative!" |
| 688 | |
| 689 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E24LegsFromHereToHomeworld "Legs From Here to Homeworld"]]]] |
| 690 | * When Centipeetle/Nephrite is temporarily restored by the efforts of Steven, Yellow Diamond, and Blue Diamond, she introduces herself as being from Facet [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} 413]]. |
| 691 | * White Diamond's design is inspired by the work of Creator/NellBrinkley. She has the iconic Brinkley Girl's stark eye outlines, eyelashes, and lipstick exaggerated to the point where they're all of her face that is visible. |
| 692 | * White Diamond's flared hair and shining cape also bring to mind the Whore of Babylon scene from the film ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''. |
| 693 | |
| 694 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E25Familiar "Familiar"]]]] |
| 695 | * The Pebbles construct Steven's Pink Diamond outfit in a manner reminiscent of the mice from ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}''. |
| 696 | |
| 697 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E27Escapism "Escapism"]]]] |
| 698 | * The scene where Stevonnie climbs up to take a look out the window of their prison cell is reminiscent of the scene in ''Anime/CastleInTheSky'' when Pazu was thrown in prison, complete with falling immediately afterwards. |
| 699 | |
| 700 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E28ChangeYourMind "Change Your Mind"]]]] |
| 701 | * In Steven's dream, the organic creature that Blue Diamond finds in her hair resembles a Gloworm toy from the 1980s, glowing tail and all. |
| 702 | * Sadie's stage outfit resembles ComicBook/TheJoker. |
| 703 | * Rainbow Quartz 2.0 behaves in a similar manner to Film/MaryPoppins, umbrella and all. |
| 704 | ** The quirky British accent and dress sense also calls to mind ''Series/DoctorWho'', especially the Sixth Doctor. |
| 705 | *** Those who are fans of ''Podcast/TheAdventureZone'' have also drawn comparisons to a certain elf wizard who uses an umbrella. |
| 706 | * Peridot's new visor is almost identical to [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Kamina]]'s shades. |
| 707 | ** Garnet's new visor also looks like Simon's. |
| 708 | * Obsidian's CoolSword resembles the Flameblade from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', with some elements of the Frostblade as well. |
| 709 | * White Diamond implies that she [[LiteralSplitPersonality split the other Diamonds off herself]] in an effort to remove perceived flaws, [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist like Father did with the Homunculi]]. |
| 710 | * Sunstone is immediately hit with a GiantFootOfStomping in the style of Franchise/MontyPython. |
| 711 | * Rhodonite' reaction to seeing the Diamonds on Earth is the Gem-equivalent to [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Bender's]] occasional catchphrase, "Well, we're boned!" |
| 712 | * According to the DVD commentary, the flying trash can is a reference to [[WesternAnimation/TaleSpin a certain flying bear cartoon]], but they couldn't say the show's title out loud otherwise they'd be ScrewedByTheLawyers. |
| 713 | [[/folder]] |
| 714 | |
| 715 | [[folder:Movie]] |
| 716 | [[AC:WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseTheMovie]] |
| 717 | * The Movie itself seems to be a WholePlotReference to [[Fanfic/LongTermMemories Long Term Memories]], a fanfic wherein a character named Spinel manipulates the memories of the Crystal Gems. |
| 718 | * The opening credit sequence mimics that of [[Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon early Disney animated features]]. |
| 719 | * Some of Spinel's attacks resemble [[Franchise/OnePiece Monkey D. Luffy's]]. In particular, her strongest attack is almost identical to his King Kong Gun. |
| 720 | * Spinel's animation during her fight scenes recalls the works of Shinya Ohira, such as ''Anime/TheAnimatrix'' and ''[[Film/KillBill The Story of O-Ren Ishii]]]''. |
| 721 | * Connie and Lion perform [[Manga/{{AKIRA}} Kaneda's Motorcycle Slide]] as they return to help. |
| 722 | * Spinel's pigtails/heart-shaped OdangoHair will always stay in the same place [[CheatedAngle no matter which way she turns her head]], mimicking how WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse's ears are designed in the same way. Her voice evokes characters of the era such as WesternAnimation/BettyBoop and [[WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}} Olive Oyl]]. |
| 723 | ** She even reels Steven in with her hand-rod to save him while whistling, resembling Mickey’s [[invoked]]SignatureScene in ''WesternAnimation/SteamboatWillie''. |
| 724 | * Spinel's spinning the [[SinisterScythe Rejuvenator]] as like a flag brings to mind other scythe weapon wielders such as [[Anime/SoulEater Maka Albarn]] and [[WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} Ruby Rose]]. |
| 725 | * Spinel herself also brings to mind Crona from ''Anime/SoulEater'', having gone violently insane due to poor treatment from a mother figure and being fundamentally innocent and naïve. Both also go through two attempts at a HeelFaceTurn before succeeding due to the protagonist’s [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre faith in them]]. |
| 726 | * [[SinisterScythe The Rejuvenator]] itself is a wholesale reference to the Hollow Scythe wielded by a possessed Rukia in ''Anime/BleachFadeToBlack'', right down to the blade having the power to remove memories. |
| 727 | * Steg ''strongly'' resembles a cross between Mic Sounders the 13th (four arms, double neck guitar, ThePowerOfRock) and Stallion White (human, hairstyle, TheRockStar) from ''Anime/GaoGaiGar''. |
| 728 | * Spinel reforming back into her present-day form is reminiscent to that of ''Manga/SailorMoon'''s. |
| 729 | * At the Suspects concert, Buck Dewey is wearing a ''[[Music/TheBeatles Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' jacket. |
| 730 | * The main characters have a scene in a [[Creator/TakarazukaRevue Grand Theater-esque]] stage before the credits, complete with staircase and finale feathers. Creator Rebecca Sugar drew Pearl as an ''otokoyaku'' in the artbook. |
| 731 | * The lyric "That's why..." from the reprise of "Happily Ever After" at the end of the movie is sung in the same way Rebecca Sugar sings it in her versions of [[Recap/AdventureTimeS9E13ComeAlongWithMeTheUltimateAdventure "Time Adventure"]]. |
| 732 | [[/folder]] |
| 733 | |
| 734 | [[folder:Future]] |
| 735 | [[AC:"Little Homeschool"]] |
| 736 | * The shot of Connie studying resembles a still from ''Anime/WhisperOfTheHeart'', famously used as the inspiration for thumbnails for several lo-fi compilation videos on Youtube. |
| 737 | * According to Rebecca Sugar on the Complete Series DVD Commentary, the whole concept of the Little Homeschool is a reference to Acme Looniversity from ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'', as both schools are about people learning to be who they are (gems learning to be gems vs. cartoons learning to be cartoons). |
| 738 | |
| 739 | [[AC:"Guidance"]] |
| 740 | * A blue creature that enjoys the sound of screaming who later discovers children's laughter is an acceptable substitute. [[WesternAnimation/MonstersInc Sounds familiar?]] |
| 741 | * Smoky Quartz: ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Gotta go FAST-er!'']] |
| 742 | ** After saying this and turning pink, Smoky Quartz [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog sprints to the rollercoaster with their arms back]] (could also be a ''Naruto'' reference too) before jumping onto the rollercoaster in what looks like a spindash. |
| 743 | |
| 744 | [[AC:"Volleyball"]] |
| 745 | * The fused state of the two Pearls looks like if [[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Utena and Anthy]] did a fusion dance of their own. |
| 746 | |
| 747 | [[AC:"Very Special Episode"]] |
| 748 | * Rainbow Quartz's similarities to Film/MaryPoppins is played up again: while babysitting Onion, they use their magical umbrella to make toys come to life and clothes to fold and pack themselves, while comparing the chores they do to the bird in front of their window building a nest, just like in "A Spoonful Of Sugar". The bird is even a [[MisplacedWildlife geographically misplaced]] thrush species[[note]]In ''Film/MaryPoppins'', it was an American Robin in England, whereas here it's a Eurasian Blackbird in the East Coast of the USA[[/note]]. |
| 749 | |
| 750 | [[AC:"Snow Day"]] |
| 751 | * The character introductions for every Steven-shaped Gem Fusion, including Steven himself, tags them with [[VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc 'Ultimate Steven']]. When Steven!Sapphire tags Steven and the game ends, the screen even shatters like the 'Break!' of an argument from Danganronpa. |
| 752 | |
| 753 | [[AC:"Little Graduation"]] |
| 754 | * The Big Donut now sells space-themed pastries. One of them is named "[[Music/TotalEclipseOfTheHeart Total Eclipse of the Tart]]". |
| 755 | |
| 756 | [[AC:"Prickly Pair"]] |
| 757 | * Cactus Steven's final form - a hulking green monster with a misshapen leg - visually resembles [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} Lord English]]. |
| 758 | |
| 759 | [[AC:"Mr. Universe"]] |
| 760 | * The song that Greg plays in the car is reminiscent of both Creator/DavidBowie and Peter Murphy. The person on the cover even looks like a cross of Ziggy Stardust and White Diamond. |
| 761 | |
| 762 | [[AC:"Fragments"]] |
| 763 | * Steven learns to use his shield by making a flat one in front of him that he pushes forward, much like Urien's Aegis Reflector in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII''. |
| 764 | |
| 765 | [[AC: "I Am My Monster"]] |
| 766 | * [[spoiler:Monster Steven]] is unmistakably based on ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}''. |
| 767 | * [[spoiler:Connie kisses Monster Steven on the forehead, in the exact same way as WesternAnimation/{{Moana}} kissing Te Ka]]. |
| 768 | [[/folder]] |
| 769 | |
| 770 | [[folder:Shorts]] |
| 771 | [[AC:The Classroom Gems]] |
| 772 | * The format of all the "Classroom Gems" short is a direct homage to {{Anime/Gunbuster}}'s "Science Lesson" shorts. |
| 773 | |
| 774 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS0E7CookingWithLion "Cooking With Lion"]]]] |
| 775 | * The whole episode is a reference to ''WebVideo/CookingWithDog''. |
| 776 | |
| 777 | [[AC:[[Recap/StevenUniverseS0E10VideoChat "Video Chat"]]]] |
| 778 | * Connie's laptop has {{Bland Name|Product}} versions of ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'', ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'', ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings'', Skype, and Platform/{{Steam}},[[labelnote:note]]Empire & Eras II, Colonization V, Conqueror Kings II, Videophone, and Grid, respectively[[/labelnote]] as well as a Google Chrome browser simply titled 'Internet'. |
| 779 | |
| 780 | [[/folder]] |
| 781 | |
| 782 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 783 | [[AC:''VideoGame/AttackTheLight'']] |
| 784 | * To show that Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl are more experienced than Steven, he starts at level 1 and they all start at level [[Memes/DragonBall 9001.]] |
| 785 | ** "Over 9000" is also the name of the {{achievement|System}} for completely leveling all of the Gems up. |
| 786 | * "[[UseItem Item]], [[{{Franchise/Pokemon}} I choose you!]]" |
| 787 | ** There's also a badge called the [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Boulder Badge]]. |
| 788 | * Steven will sometimes say [[WebVideo/TheAnnoyingOrange "Neato Burrito!"]] |
| 789 | * The gameplay was inspired by [[VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG Mario]] [[VideoGame/PaperMario RPGs]]. |
| 790 | * When Steven gets an item or uses a key, he holds it over his head just like [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] does. |
| 791 | |
| 792 | [[AC:''VideoGame/SaveTheLight'']] |
| 793 | * One of the things that Boltron can say is [[WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife "Bad luck and extreme misfortune will haunt your pathetic soul for all eternity!"]] |
| 794 | * In-battle voice clips are full of shout-outs, including Connie's [[Series/ReadingRainbow "Take a look, it's in a book!"]] and [[WesternAnimation/{{Up}} "Adventure is out there!"]] |
| 795 | * On her level-up screen, Garnet sometimes says [[Music/MagicalMysteryTour "Love is all you need."]] |
| 796 | * One of Peridot's abilities is called [[VideoGame/{{Overwatch}} "Molten]] [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Core"]], and one of Greg's abilities is called "Amp It Up". |
| 797 | * Upon being reduced to critical health, Steven may say "No sir, I don't like it.", the CharacterCatchphrase of Mr. Horse from ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''. |
| 798 | * When tuning Greg's guitar, he may say "It's just a tribute", a reference to the Music/TenaciousD song "Tribute". |
| 799 | |
| 800 | [[AC:''VideoGame/UnleashTheLight'']] |
| 801 | * One of Pearl and Connie's low-health lines is "[[Film/GalaxyQuest Never give up, never surrender!]]" |
| 802 | * Pearl also has an Adventurer's Jacket as a piece of equipment, the blurb for which is "[[Franchise/IndianaJones this jacket belongs in a museum!]]" |
| 803 | * One of Lapis' lines when she uses her Focus ability is "[[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.]]" |
| 804 | * One of Connie's lines on her stat screen is "[[Franchise/DuckTales Cool deduction never fails; that's for certain!]]". And "[[https://twitter.com/Grumpyface/status/1383233355735465984 I'm tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties!]]" was considered at one point. |
| 805 | * And Garnet has "[[WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck Let's get dangerous.]]" |
| 806 | * One of the Peridots on the Alien Moon gives you the [=PrismDex=], [[MonsterCompendium which catalogues Light Constructs]]. Its item description says, [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} "Gotta Scan 'Em All!"]] |
| 807 | * The Plumber Alien charm is dressed up like [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario.]] |
| 808 | * The achievement for hitting 6 enemies with one Shield Throw is called [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica "Captain Universe"]]. |
| 809 | * Some of the video game charms that Steven and Amethyst can equip are called ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Mega Mash Bros]]'', ''[[VideoGame/SecretOfMana Secret of Mama]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Gale Sleeper]]'', and ''[[Franchise/FinalFantasy Final Final Final Vision 23]]''. |
| 810 | --> '''The Description for ''Final Final Final Vision 23''''': A semi-recent release in this mega RPG franchise. [[RidiculousFutureSequelization How many of these are there?]] |
| 811 | * One of the weapon charms that Pearl, Connie, and Bismuth can equip is the [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda "M" Sword]]. |
| 812 | --> ''This sword looks familiar. Legend has it that a master swordsman wielded it long ago.'' |
| 813 | * One of the manga charms that Lapis can equip is called ''[[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Evolutionary Gal]]''. |
| 814 | * One of the book charms that Connie can equip is called ''There and Back Once More'', a reference to ''There and Back Again'', the WorkingTitle of ''Film/TheHobbitTheBattleOfTheFiveArmies''. |
| 815 | * The description for the Equilibrium Keytar paraphrases one of Thanos's quotes from ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''. |
| 816 | --> ''Perfectly balanced for Rock and Melody, as all instruments should be.'' |
| 817 | * One of Amethyst's lines when she's using one of her Treasure Box abilities is [[Series/TheOprahWinfreyShow "You get a thing! And you get a thing! And everybody gets a thing!"]] Likewise, one of her lines when she's using {{Fire Breath|ingDiner}} is [[Film/SpiderMan2 "Pizza time!"]] |
| 818 | * One of Steven's low-health lines is [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar "I don't feel so good..."]] while one of his lines upon fainting is [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros "Mamma mia..."]] |
| 819 | * The upgrade that makes Disregard free to use is called [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure "Oh? You're Attacking Me?"]] |
| 820 | [[/folder]] |
| 821 | |
| 822 | [[folder:Comics]] |
| 823 | * While Pearl is organizing things in issue #5, one can spot [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys Bonnie, Chica, and Freddy Fazbear]] as [[http://41.media.tumblr.com/42f6c2dbc3f5dde718e3d7a4cbac354b/tumblr_ngulygqGWx1qknma4o1_1280.png plushies]] among the other things. |
| 824 | * In issue #7, while Pearl and Connie are discussing stories, Steven [[https://41.media.tumblr.com/04db14d8e6f1f2950d0f8e04c6707d0a/tumblr_njacn2gwgp1sume0oo1_r2_1280.png is in the background]] playing (a LawyerFriendlyCameo of) ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'', with a poster featuring a [[Franchise/PowerRangers Pink Power Ranger]] hanging on the wall. |
| 825 | * Stevonnie's prom outfit in issue #2 of the new run is [[Anime/YuriOnIce Victor and Yuri's]] skating outfits [[https://twitter.com/Kate_Farina/status/844553810274078721 mashed together]]. |
| 826 | * The [[https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n_R7fnaF-GU/VXtD-5ksVzI/AAAAAAAABcQ/9C4K88BOU9A/s1600/CVR%2BB.jpg B cover of the October 2014 issue]] shows Steven and Connie with a pile of comics referencing classic anime and manga, including a copy of "Revolution Lion". |
| 827 | * The April 2017 issue has ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'''s Keith and Lance in the background at a food truck, seen [[https://68.media.tumblr.com/62a7b12138d9c1b843b158a3f2071b19/tumblr_inline_op02p8L6tQ1ssub3p_540.jpg here]]. |
| 828 | * In the May 2017 issue, several characters from ''Anime/YuriOnIce'' can be seen as background characters at the Renaissance fair; [[https://68.media.tumblr.com/8cec3eb70acda47d37b58a123955eee4/tumblr_oqsrg7lgJa1r90hd4o1_540.jpg Victor and Yuri]] are in one panel, and [[https://68.media.tumblr.com/67976dd6356c1f52759ccf617235ebfb/tumblr_inline_oqtpvgb1pQ1r4fsyb_540.jpg Yurio and Otabek]] show up in another. |
| 829 | * Issue 8 has a scarecrow that looks like [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia All Might's emaciated form]]. |
| 830 | * "Crystal Clean" alludes to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' with its plot that involves Steven being framed by a EvilDoppelganger vandalizing Beach City with sludge. When he asks Peridot for help building a water shooting device, she essentially develops a F.L.U.D.D. complete with a hover function. |
| 831 | [[/folder]] |
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