Steven Universe: the Movie

[LaZodiac]

Steg.

The fusion of Steven and Greg is officially named Steg.

Also, Steg and Opl's VAs are in a band together. That's why Opal.

Imagine being a fan of that band without any of the context and coming across the song?

It'd be like the people familiar with Greg's voice actor due to his comedy routines.

[BannedInSchool]

Oof, on re-watch: we see Spinel's foot in the grass as she's watching Steven's broadcast at the start of the movie (it's not obscure but I don't remember noticing or thinking anything of it on the first view) and three minutes later he's singing about his happily ever after, while she's had her HEA tossed in a black hole and that black hole into a bigger one. And now knowing what the Rejuvenator does her standing there and smiling as Steven resets her, erasing everything after learning she just wasn't anything to Pink as Pink went off to play with her new toy colony (which Spinel is also erasing). Oof. Burn everything down including herself.

[Millstone85]

The fusion of Steven and Greg is officially named Steg.

That is much better than what I came up with.

[Rater202]

A thought.

Assuming that Yellow Diamond wasn't exaggerating when she said that 6000 years was "nothing," that would explain why the Diamonds were still in very messy stages of grieving over the perceived death of Pink Diamond.

for us, it 6000 years is almost an incomprehensible amount of time.

But if the Diamonds are really so Old that 6000 years is a very small amount of time...

[Lord Raziere]

A thought.

Assuming that Yellow Diamond wasn't exaggerating when she said that 6000 years was "nothing," that would explain why the Diamonds were still in very messy stages of grieving over the perceived death of Pink Diamond.

for us, it 6000 years is almost an incomprehensible amount of time.

But if the Diamonds are really so Old that 6000 years is a very small amount of time...

It would also explain why Pink Diamond wasn't concerned about Spinel for so long. even if she realized she left her behind, her thought would be "oh its only a few thousand years, shes fine."

this is why you never give a Gem a dog for a pet: they will leave it at the house with a bunch of food go away for ten years and then come back and be confused where their dog is and why are all these white bones here?

[LaZodiac]

It would also explain why Pink Diamond wasn't concerned about Spinel for so long. even if she realized she left her behind, her thought would be "oh its only a few thousand years, shes fine."

this is why you never give a Gem a dog for a pet: they will leave it at the house with a bunch of food go away for ten years and then come back and be confused where their dog is and why are all these white bones here?

Speaking of which boy I sure am curious where the pumpkin dog is during all of this.

[Lord Raziere]

Speaking of which boy I sure am curious where the pumpkin dog is during all of this.

well real life pumpkins only last 3-5 days off the vine, so if pumpkin dog lasted longer before timeskip that means pink diamond magic is at work and that pumpkin dog is probably just as immortal as Lars. it just isn't the focus right now.

[Rater202]

It would also explain why Pink Diamond wasn't concerned about Spinel for so long. even if she realized she left her behind, her thought would be "oh its only a few thousand years, shes fine."

this is why you never give a Gem a dog for a pet: they will leave it at the house with a bunch of food go away for ten years and then come back and be confused where their dog is and why are all these white bones here?

...You know, if we hadn't explicitly seen Cat Steven, I'd be concerned about how well Garnet was taking care of her cat right now.

Thanks for that.

[Deja Who?]

Well Cat Steven has humans to look after them also

[theNater]

A thought.

Assuming that Yellow Diamond wasn't exaggerating when she said that 6000 years was "nothing," that would explain why the Diamonds were still in very messy stages of grieving over the perceived death of Pink Diamond.

for us, it 6000 years is almost an incomprehensible amount of time.

But if the Diamonds are really so Old that 6000 years is a very small amount of time...

Alternate theory: 6000 years is still a long time for the Diamonds, and the reason Yellow takes so quickly to Spinel is that putting on a brave face when in pain is a defense mechanism they share.

[Friv]

Alternate theory: 6000 years is still a long time for the Diamonds, and the reason Yellow takes so quickly to Spinel is that putting on a brave face when in pain is a defense mechanism they share.

At the very least, we know that 6000 years is long enough to diamonds that Yellow is frustrated and hurt at Blue's continued mourning when she should be at work. That doesn't sound like "it's been a few days" conceptually.

[LaZodiac]

Do keep in mind that, during that song, it takes all of Yellow's will power not to break down crying and screaming herself. So she's definitely Not Over It herself, she's just trying to be. Focusing on work so as to not fall to pieces.

[Magic_Hat]

Okay, I've been working on a little something, and I need feedback:

(This isn't actually a spoiler for anything, I just wanted to put it in spoilers.)

Spoiler

Show

Sterling Archer=Steven Universe
Mallory Archer=Rose Quartz
Lana Kane=Garnet
Pam Poovey=Amethyst
Cheryl Tunt=Pearl
Doctor Krieger=Peridot
Barry=Spinel
Other Barry=other, more extreme Spinel

I'm still working on it, but on a scale of 1 to 10 how accurate?

[theNater]

Do keep in mind that, during that song, it takes all of Yellow's will power not to break down crying and screaming herself. So she's definitely Not Over It herself, she's just trying to be. Focusing on work so as to not fall to pieces.

But we also have Blue in Reunited saying "You cannot fathom how much I've mourned; what thousands of years of grief has done to me!" This pretty strongly implies that thousands of years is a significant amount of time.

For why Yellow is still on the verge of breaking down, I'd like to reference a Connie quote from Mindful Education: "It's like, I was trying not to think about it, and that just made it worse." My take is that the Diamonds aren't over it because they don't know how to grieve healthily, rather than because the loss is still recent to them.

[LaZodiac]

But we also have Blue in Reunited saying "You cannot fathom how much I've mourned; what thousands of years of grief has done to me!" This pretty strongly implies that thousands of years is a significant amount of time.

For why Yellow is still on the verge of breaking down, I'd like to reference a Connie quote from Mindful Education: "It's like, I was trying not to think about it, and that just made it worse." My take is that the Diamonds aren't over it because they don't know how to grieve healthily, rather than because the loss is still recent to them.

So it's very true that Yellow's method of dealing with her trauma by Not Thinking About IT is very very damaging, it's also worth noting that time passes differently for everyone.

For Yellow, who's adept at compartmentalizing things (for good or ill) 6000 years is not that long a time. For Blue, who is VERY emotional (for good or ill) 6000 years is agony.

[theNater]

Let me back up a little bit here. On my first few viewings, Yellow laughing at Spinel's headstand seemed weird to me. Why Yellow, and not the more emotionally demonstrative Blue? Why is she laughing so hard? It's a cute gag, but it's not that funny. Thus the idea that Yellow is laughing not because of the joke, but because of the sense of relief at meeting somebody else who hides their pain; the feeling of "thank goodness it's not just me", is very appealing to me. I think it makes the story much better, so I'm highly motivated to read it that way.

That being said, we don't have enough textual evidence to conclusively prove things one way or the other. We don't really know a whole lot about Yellow, and what we do know includes that at one point she indicated 6,000 years is a long time, and at another point indicated that it is not. She's not being completely honest during at least one of these times. And she has reason to lie during both times. So we get to decide which statement we want to trust. So how does it benefit the story to assume that 6,000 years is a short time for Yellow?

Now if anybody wants to argue over what little textual evidence we have just for the fun of arguing, I'm in for that. But if we do so, I want to make sure everybody's comfortable with the fact nobody's going to be proven right. These are alternate interpretations that seem to have roughly equal support; there's no winning this discussion.

[Evil DM Mark3]

I have now seen the film and I really enjoyed it, although I am seriously worried that no one is going to check in on Spinel and the Diamonds. I have relatives I can't stand and I know that feeling, but now Spinel is with them Steven needs to check in every once in a while to make sure things haven't gone, wrong. If I ignore their genocidal side (which is possibly the biggest IF I have ever typed) then I suppose I should be impressed at how fast they are moving on, considering that Steven arriving on homeworld has to have been about a week ago, relatively for their lifespan.

There are a lot of little things I like, like the fact we see the garden very briefly in the transmission montage, all quiet and lonely, gives us a decided "wrong" note that comes back nicely later. Plus Lapus is now wearing a form clearly inspired by the most "I don't care what I think I am going to sit around being comfy in my own home" of human attire.

One thing the film did do is cement my view of Pink as just a through and through horrible person. Even when she was dating Greg the world was divided into those she found useful or interesting and things that were irrelevant. Its an interesting character study of a horrible person who never works out how to change, even if they want to. Did going back to the garden really never occur to her?

Absolutely the best line of the film is "Eh, I'm still on the fence". I also really liked how Bismuth and Peridot have clearly developed at the very least a close professional relationship. One's a smith and the other's a techie, which means they do share elements of their world views while also being noticeably different.

As for the "thousands of years is/isn't a long time" idea, I used to spend 4hrs on Saturdays answering complaints calls and 4hrs playing Scion (in that order, plus sleep, transit, food and usually a movie). 4hrs was an agonising eternity. 4hrs was also barely any time at all. To Yellow the idea of just existing for 6,000 years is nothing (particularly if she still has a mental block with the idea that other gems might want to do stuff other than their job) but 6,000 of emotional pain?

I suppose Spinel might actually help the Diamonds readjust their views and get some genuine empathy in there if they realise how closely Spinel's pain matches their own. Group therapy, you know?

Still not happy with the idea that we need to forgive the genocidal tyrants if they are related to the protagonist, but this gets into a problem I have had with SU for ages now. Who are/were they at war with? I mean, they are constantly grabbing resources and creating hordes of gems, most of whom are apparently for military use. I would be a lot happier if we had a reason for why they felt they had to be so expansionist.

Maybe I should write that Gems Vs Orks fanfic after all...

Oh, and I want a Sadie Killer and The Suspects album, but their earlier stuff where they mashed up the millennial ennui with horror tropes was more interesting than this straight up stuff. Less generic.

[LaZodiac]

I will note, we see Spinel in the opening for Steven Universe: Future so we'll be checking in with the aunts, don't worry.

A thing someone mentioned to me about Rose is that she has the unique position of, for us, not only never really seeing her in a non-biased perspective (baring the flashbacks) AND we see her character development in reverse order. She starts as the person everyone adores and who is really that good... and then we slowly peel back all the layers of her past to see who she used to be, and how those old scars have influenced her later life. This kind of reverse character development can lead to us thinking real nasty of Pink, but I feel like we should still acknowledge that Rose is not Pink, in the sense that even though it took her a long time she did eventually become a better person.

Lapis is the best though you're right. All I want now is for Peridot to have slightly more casual clothing please.

[Evil DM Mark3]

I feel like we should still acknowledge that Rose is not Pink, in the sense that even though it took her a long time she did eventually become a better person.

I'd buy that, if it were not for one person. There exists an individual why shows that, even when she had an easy out, even when she had nothing left to lose, even when she was on the verge of death anyway, she STILL didn't actually try and fix the damage she did, even on the smallest of scales.

Bismuth.

We know where Bismuth was, she was in Lion, and we know Rose had access to Lion at that time. So tell me, why leave her trapped? Because it is easier. Even right at the end Pink still felt that another person's autonomy and ability to exist wasn't worth the difficult and upsetting questions she would have to answer from adoring subordinates who would have bought whatever she said.

Pink didn't get better. She may have tried, but I honestly feel that it wasn't until Greg that she made ANY progress, and even then she took the easy way out.

Lapis is the best though you're right. All I want now is for Peridot to have slightly more casual clothing please.

Oh I dunno, as a man who prefers buttoned, collared shirts for weekend wear I can understand her wanting the smart, respectable, feel of a more formal shape.

[LaZodiac]

Not for nothing but like a day or two after being de-bubbled Bismith started production of assassination/siege-breaker tools that were intended to restart a long finished war purely out of revenge. What she did was wrong, but it's not without reason. Steven's better employment of empathy is what saved that mess, and if Rose had ever gained the courage to try that with Bismuth it might have worked. Not saying it's not ****ed up, but "Rose is severely flawed" is still valid next to "Rose improved over the years to become a better person than she was".

I definitely get it, but also Peridot had a lot of fun putting on that underwear and it'd be a sign of her growth if she started wearing clothing.

You know that's an idea. Peridot always keeps her general body shape, but wears Actual Human Clothing.

[Rater202]

I'm still a little surprised as how well Bismuth took the "Rose is Pink" Diamond thing.

Like, the implication is that Bismuth's hatred of the Diamond's is tied to some kind of untreated PTSD. From being one of the slave-castes of Gems. From seeing fellow gems shattered(and we know, for all of Pink's efforts, that a lot of Gems were shattered, most of them Crystal Gems.)

That's not normally the thing that you can shrug off.

We don't see how Steven explained it, but he must have done a really good job to make Bismuth understand it to the point that "that makes so much sense" overpowers the "wait, the whole thing was a lie?"


_____

Also, since we're talking about Pink and Rose...

"I always thought I might be bad, now I'm sure that it's true, 'cause I think your so good, and I'm nothing like you..."

Rose gave up her existence to create Steven, to be the part of Steven that loves himself and loves being himself because she wanted to be part of someone who could grow and change. To be like the humans she admired.

This we know.

But I think that, mayhaps, deep Down Rose knows that for all she tries to change and be better that at the end of the day, she's always going to be the same bratty and selfish Pink Diamond, and chose giving up her own existence to make a new Pink Diamond who could change and grow like humans do was her way of finally do/be "Good."

I think her relationship with Greg, and seeing a bratty and immature person change into a better, kinder, more thoughtful person before her very eyes, in what is, to a Diamond, maybe the equivalent of a few days, was the final straw.

At first, we think the song is about Steven, but... I think it's Rose singing about Greg. Or at least, humanity in general as represented by Greg.

[LaZodiac]

Gonna agree with all of that but your final point; I've always figured Love Like You was Rose's love letter to humanity, Greg in particular.

Anyway yeah, basically that. Rose knows, or at least feels, that she'll never be good enough. She'll never be able to change in the way she wants for herself. So she sacrifices herself to have a child.

It's been said with many intents, but I think it's actually a genuinely true, happy thought that the best thing Rose ever did for Steven was die.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Random thought, am I right in thinking that, as far as we have seen, Spinel is the only gem to just outright accept that Steven isn't Rose without question? Why is that?

[Rater202]

Random thought, am I right in thinking that, as far as we have seen, Spinel is the only gem to just outright accept that Steven isn't Rose without question? Why is that?

The announcement vide that includes the other Diamonds clearly treating him as separate from Pink?

[LaZodiac]

Because despite her trauma Spinel is actually rather emotionally mature. Waiting 6000 years thinking about depression and "what did I do wrong?" tends to lead to that.

[Rater202]

So, I'm watching the Steven Universe Future clip, and I notice that what is clearly a shot of antagonists shows JAsper, what appears to be a Giant Cactus merged with some Steven Melons, a pink version of White Diamond, two lapis lauzulis, and what seems to be an Aquamarine fused with a Ruby in addition to a giant worm.

Any theories on that?

[LaZodiac]

So, I'm watching the Steven Universe Future clip, and I notice that what is clearly a shot of antagonists shows JAsper, what appears to be a Giant Cactus merged with some Steven Melons, a pink version of White Diamond, two lapis lauzulis, and what seems to be an Aquamarine fused with a Ruby in addition to a giant worm.

Any theories on that?

Jaspar still has issues so that's obvious.

Cactus Steven looks FASCINATING and very fun.

Very Angry White Diamond I've got... nothing. That's exciting.

The two Lapis are... fascinating as well. Interested what'll happen there.

Aquamarine fused with Eyeball to become some sort of horrible stab-monster is hilarious to me, I very approve.

Big Worm has Steven's snub nose so... Something Big, probably.

[Lord Raziere]

So, I'm watching the Steven Universe Future clip, and I notice that what is clearly a shot of antagonists shows JAsper, what appears to be a Giant Cactus merged with some Steven Melons, a pink version of White Diamond, two lapis lauzulis, and what seems to be an Aquamarine fused with a Ruby in addition to a giant worm.

Any theories on that?

Spoiler: picture for reference

Show

Well Jasper is pretty obvious I think, she is pretty much the embodiment of the old Homeworld's warrior mindset now forced into peace, not sure what to do and since she is a Gem, two years is not enough time for her to adjust.

the Aquamarine-Ruby fusion is probably well....Aquamarine and One-Eye fusing to get some revenge at Steven probably maybe? those would be the two most probable.

that White-Pink Diamond is probably there because they KNOW that White needs more screen time and work for us to be fully satisfied with her being redeemed and that the Season 5 ending was a little rushed in that regard.

next are the two Lapises. at least one of them isn't our Lapis Lazuli, and probably both of them aren't. Lapis has come pretty far since early days and I think if the Crewniverse made our Lapis run away and be negative AGAIN the fans would riot. No these two are most likely different Lapises and have their own issue with things, but I'm not sure what.

The crazy cactus and giant monster in the background I have absolutely no idea about. cannot even begin to speculate on those.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Spoiler: picture for reference

Show

The various gems, well when autocratic societies fall there are often a fair number of miffed autocrats, would be autocrats and servants of the party line. We are still trying to get rid of the stains on our societies that the mid 20th century left after all, 2 years is no time at all in human terms, let alone gem terms. The Lapuses are probably very unhappy with their sister. I've always had the idea that Lapus was very high status back on Homeworld so her co-status gems are going to be among the ones now having to be nice to gems they had previously bossed about, and we all know how Lapuses can get when they are angry.

And when it comes to lack of time, White hasn't even had 6000 years to process Pinks loss. Once she accepted the reality Steven was there to help. She has had maybe a week? Imagine what might happen if she tried getting into contact with her inner Pink (particularly when you consider my views on Pink)?

[Maryring]

That worm thing is obviously a sneeple.