Well said. Good point made that many cartoons would stick to the bumbling kid formula, and what started as its premise has evolved into something greater. Couldn't have said it better myself.
At first I was doubtful about the show, but now I don't regret giving it a try. To me it's one of the best shows right now on CN.
As for the show itself, it has developed nicely in every aspect, especially the characters (initially i was not very fond of Amethyst but later episodes have changed my mind).
Also, I think it's a good balance of comedy and action, with a few dramatic moments for good measure (especially So Many Birthdays, that episode had a lot of mood swings).
One thing: Connie is not Steven's girlfriend. Not yet, anyway. Other than that, yes, I agree.
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A Rich World, Incredible Characters, and Great Writing: The Best Thing on Television
Steven Universe is one of the bravest shows in living memory.
Not because it stars lesbian space rocks. Not because it features a deep and sometimes frightening Myth Arc. And not because it features wonderfully ambiguous journeys into the painful realities of human relationships.
But for a much simpler reason: the satus quo is not god.
Steven Universe begins with a simple premise: Steven is the Tag Along Kid for a group of magical super-powered beings, and the show revolves around the wacky hijinks that ensue when their supernatural world crosses over with our own. Steven is bumbling, and mostly left at home when the Gems go out to hunt monsters; his attempts to help often go horribly awry, or the Gems are simply too concerned about his safety to allow him to try. The show at this stage is funny, charming, and clever, but there's a secret: it's not actually the show yet.
Because over time, Steven grows up. He gets a girlfriend. He puts away his toys - a plot point which, on any other show, would be the focus of the episode and undone by the end. Here, it's barely commented upon.
But things don't stop. The threats graduate from Monster of the Week to Myth Arc. It starts to paint a picture of a grand science fiction story that had been concealed just behind the scenes.
But soon, those hints are made good upon; the show grows more focused on the battles and missions of the Gems, Steven becomes more competent and confident, and it becomes clear that the Gems rely on him as much as he relies on them.
The characters grow and change, but maintain a frightening depth; they can be flawed and careless and loving and wonderful and spiteful and callous, and yet never feel out-of-character.
But what makes it the bravest show in my memory is that its protagonist, and its entire formula, were allowed to evolve; to change gradually, over time. To allow our hero to grow, rather than remain perpetually incompetent, perpetually sidelined.
It began as a show about what happened to a kid while his Magical Girl caretakers were away fighting cartoonish monsters. Now, it's a show about a young boy who is a part of a group of interstellar rebels, struggling against the Empire from which they defected. And most importantly, it is the boy himself who changed.