Steven Universe: the Movie

[Lord Raziere]

man, I missed the first showing, anyone know when the movie is going to show again? or where I can find it?

[Delicious Taffy]

Spinel is basically this show's Broly, isn't she.

[Magic_Hat]

Just saw the movie. Okay I guess. Above average maybe. I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10. There were some inconsistencies that prevented me from fully enjoying it and Spinel's first song was a disappointment (I hold villain songs to high standards). If you haven't seen it just take this piece of knowledge with you when you first view it: it doesn't feel so much like a movie as more it's just a week long Steven Bomb condensed into one entity with no commercials (if that makes any sense).

If either of these were fixed I'd give it an 8. Also did anyone feel the third act was just tacked on?

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Like Spinel removed the drill, but one reactivated it because she feared being forgotten again. All Steven had to say was Spinel won't be alone again and she can come and live with everybody else on earth.

One more thing about the villain I actually really like:

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I feel like Spinel was a deconstruction or satire of what animation and comics have become. Like here original form is very Mickey Mouse and other 1930's cartoon characters. She has large shoes, gloves, pants live Mickey, and not matter what angel you view her from both her pigtails are part of her silhouette like Mickey's ears. After being neglected she turns all dark and edgy. I feel like it's a commentary about how some studios try to re-brand their characters to appeal to the youth, though I might be reading too much into this.

Spinel is basically this show's Broly, isn't she.

She definitely has more depth than that:

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Broly: evil because Goku cried.
Spinel: evil because left and forgotten alone for 6,000 years.

[Rater202]

She definitely has more depth than that:

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Broly: evil because Goku cried.
Spinel: evil because left and forgotten alone for 6,000 years.

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Uh... You haven't watched Dragon Ball Super: Broly, have you?

The Canon, written by Toriyama Version of Broly is evil because Frieza, hot off of his second resurrection, murdered Paragas and said that Goku and Vegeta did it.

Up until then, Broly was just a guy who had been through one never-ending crap storm who just did what his somewhat abusive father told him to do.

And afterward the lie was cleared up and he ends up being friends with Goku(Who tells Broly that if he really wants to, he can call him 'Kakarot' and if that's not setting something up iI don't know what it is.)

Fans really like the reimagined Broly for his sympathetic traits and more realistic motivations.

And a lot of people seem to like Spinel for her sympathetic traits.

So I think that's where the comparison is coming from

As for the last part

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Keep in mind, this seems to be what Tvtropes calls a Decon-Recon Switch.

You start deconstructing a premise but then once you've pointed out the problems.

The first time, Steven didn't actually fix anything. All he did was get Spinel to transfer her fixation with Pink onto him. All of her issues were still there, so when e miswords his desire to just bury the situation and let everyone heal, her paranoia and issues with abandonment set her off again.

Which is a common criticism of shows that use the "defeat the bad guy by making him your frined" dealy.

That's the decon.

the recon is when Steven proves that he was genuinle about feeling bad for her and being her frined and Spinel realized how far she'd fallen, realized how shallow her motivation is, and became disgusted with herself. She doesn't actually have a real face turn until she comes to terms with the fact that she's got issues.

[DigoDragon]

Also did anyone feel the third act was just tacked on?

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Like Spinel removed the drill, but one reactivated it because she feared being forgotten again. All Steven had to say was Spinel won't be alone again and she can come and live with everybody else on earth.

Spoiler: Third Act

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Yeah, that was cliche "Hero ruins the situation saying something stupid."

[Magic_Hat]

I don't want to spoil too much but Steven fuses with a character he never fused with before:

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What's the canon name for Greg/Steve fusion? Also did anyone find it odd Steve fused with his father? Like I thought fusion was supposed to be a romantic/intimate allegory for something..."very adult," unless they're just dropping the metaphor or I'm misinterpreting it.

I do LOVE the design of Greg/Steven fused though.

One more thing:

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Did Connie bring a sword to space camp?! Like we see her teleport into Steven's house after leaving space camp! I mean what probably really happened is Lion came for her, then they teleported to Connie's house to get the sword, then teleported to Steven's house. But my head-canon is Connie brought the sword to space camp because that's more funny!

Spinnel is my new favorite gem :)

BUY ALL HER PLAYSETS AND TOYS!*

*Man I really hope someone gets that reference.

[Rater202]

I don't want to spoil too much but Steven fuses with a character he never fused with before:

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What's the canon name for Greg/Steve fusion? Also did anyone find it odd Steve fused with his father? Like I thought fusion was supposed to be a romantic/intimate allegory for something..."very adult," unless they're just dropping the metaphor or I'm misinterpreting it.

I do LOVE the design of Greg/Steven fused though.

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According to Close Captioning and a list of actors, it's "Steg," though I don't know if it's pronounced "Steeg" or "Stehg."

As for Fusion: Fusion is about relatiosnhips.

It can be romantic--Garnet and Stevonie--but it can be just as much about friendship(Opal) or even toxicity(Malachite.)

Some fusions can be read as sexual, but the Crewniverse has been pretty adamant that it's not inherently to be read as such.

In This Case, Steg is an embodiment of Steven and Greg's relationship as a Father and Son.

[Magic_Hat]

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According to Close Captioning and a list of actors, it's "Steg," though I don't know if it's pronounced "Steeg" or "Stehg."

As for Fusion: Fusion is about relatiosnhips.

In This Case, Steg is an embodiment of Steven and Greg's relationship as a Father and Son.

I have reservations about Steven Universe coming back for a new series, however...

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...if Steg is a regular character...

...I wholeheartedly support this move! In fact...

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...whenever Steg isn't on screen all the other characters should say "Where's Steg?" Also Steg needs to be louder, edgier, more in your face, and have access to a time machine.

[Deja Who?]

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Tons of non-romantic characters have fused and all the main characters fuse at once into one being so unless you think the most pure show on TV is depicting an orgy involving a 14-year old it’s always been pretty obvious that fusions are about how strong the relationship and emotional connection is- no matter the relationship. -_-

Heck the first fusion depicted in the show is Opal and it’s between two characters that are like bickering sisters. In fact out of all the fusions only Garnet and Rhodinite are explicitly romantic. Steven and Connie constantly call each other best friends and are too young to want to romance in the series. They only stared pecking and blushing in the movie so we’ve never seen them form a romantic fusion.

And I absolutely loved “Other Friends” even tho “Drifting Away” blows it away. Spinnel is everything in all her appearances. Amazing.

My only complaint is that it wasn’t three hours long.

[Lord Raziere]

Spoiler: My Thoughts on the Movie:

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Watching it on youtube movies, so here we go.

I like how the Diamonds still have some problems with being a little suffocating and doing this mostly for his favor rather than out being good in of itself, even after two years. It shows that while progress is made, its still going to take quite a while.

you just had to ask that, didn't you Steven? YOU JUST HAD TO ASK, because even if this didn't happen well.....other things would...

let me guess Spinel: your her old playmate and now your jealous. yeah. seems pretty right.

Lol, One Hit. Quadruple Kill!

Yup I was right, Spinel is designed to the ultimate playmate and she used this scythe to get rid of memories. she got rid of all the character development all the Crystal Gems had, she got rid of Steven's growth, and Steven cutting her made her revert back to the original things Pink played with. makes a lot of sense. But I bet she is faking her reversion to.

everyone is very medium-aware in this movie, I'm not sure how much of this is fourth-wall breaking...

OH GOD WHY PERIDOT, WHY THE GIANT PIZZA CUTTER.

and yeah, I knew it, that would bring back Garnet. not to full.

and yeah I knew it, Spinel is totally faking.

oh Amethyst is back, cool but....oh right.....world ending. bio poison. great.

.....Steg. well thats a thing.

ah, so old Spinel has just been left alone for 6000 years. yeah, I can see how bitter she is. though she really was reverted, huh.

and yeah, that kind of......that scythe and his choice of words really screwed things up there.

Spinel and The Diamonds......yeah they're kind of perfect for each other. in their own screwed up way. its so weird yet makes so much sense. I thought the Diamond song at the beginning was just a throwaway but no....it was setting up for this, thats actually pretty good. the Diamonds get someone to dote on, Steven gets to be free of their doting.

so yeah, I enjoyed this.

as for parallels, I think she is more of a Buu parallel in that she starts off childish but morphs into a nightmarish lean planet-killing evil person. I mean, I can see the Broly but Buu fits far better in my opinion.

but yeah, Spinel is basically probably what Steven would be as a Gem if he wasn't a diamond hybrid: a fun loving childish entertainer whose purpose to basically be a kid forever, while he was able to change and therefore grow up. it makes sense that it took so little to remind Spinel of herself, because she actually had the least amount of change happen to her- 6000 years of standing still hardly changes you at all, while Garnet and Pearl took longer and were harder to remind since so much changed about them, and Steven changed a lot, so....he was the last to be reminded fully.

[Deja Who?]

Spoiler: My Thoughts on the Movie:

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Watching it on youtube movies, so here we go.

I like how the Diamonds still have some problems with being a little suffocating and doing this mostly for his favor rather than out being good in of itself, even after two years. It shows that while progress is made, its still going to take quite a while.

you just had to ask that, didn't you Steven? YOU JUST HAD TO ASK, because even if this didn't happen well.....other things would...

let me guess Spinel: your her old playmate and now your jealous. yeah. seems pretty right.

Lol, One Hit. Quadruple Kill!

Yup I was right, Spinel is designed to the ultimate playmate and she used this scythe to get rid of memories. she got rid of all the character development all the Crystal Gems had, she got rid of Steven's growth, and Steven cutting her made her revert back to the original things Pink played with. makes a lot of sense. But I bet she is faking her reversion to.

everyone is very medium-aware in this movie, I'm not sure how much of this is fourth-wall breaking...

OH GOD WHY PERIDOT, WHY THE GIANT PIZZA CUTTER.

and yeah, I knew it, that would bring back Garnet. not to full.

and yeah I knew it, Spinel is totally faking.

oh Amethyst is back, cool but....oh right.....world ending. bio poison. great.

.....Steg. well thats a thing.

ah, so old Spinel has just been left alone for 6000 years. yeah, I can see how bitter she is. though she really was reverted, huh.

and yeah, that kind of......that scythe and his choice of words really screwed things up there.

Spinel and The Diamonds......yeah they're kind of perfect for each other. in their own screwed up way. its so weird yet makes so much sense. I thought the Diamond song at the beginning was just a throwaway but no....it was setting up for this, thats actually pretty good. the Diamonds get someone to dote on, Steven gets to be free of their doting.

so yeah, I enjoyed this.

as for parallels, I think she is more of a Buu parallel in that she starts off childish but morphs into a nightmarish lean planet-killing evil person. I mean, I can see the Broly but Buu fits far better in my opinion.

but yeah, Spinel is basically probably what Steven would be as a Gem if he wasn't a diamond hybrid: a fun loving childish entertainer whose purpose to basically be a kid forever, while he was able to change and therefore grow up. it makes sense that it took so little to remind Spinel of herself, because she actually had the least amount of change happen to her- 6000 years of standing still hardly changes you at all, while Garnet and Pearl took longer and were harder to remind since so much changed about them, and Steven changed a lot, so....he was the last to be reminded fully.

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Let's go in the garden
You'll find something waiting
Right there where you left it
Lying upside down
When you finally find it
You'll see how it's faded
The underside is lighter
When you turn it around
Everything stays
Right where you left it
Everything stays
But it still changes
Ever so slightly
Daily and nightly
In little ways

[False God]

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Well, watched it, was...not expecting such a play-like setup. That tends to work better in theater with it's natural need for overacting, the amount of singing was rather...overwhelming. One of the biggest flaws in a lot of movie-musicals(and movies in general) these days is the pacing between music and silence. Moments without music, or with less music or subtle music can be all the more profound for the lack of sound. But the songs were almost constant and frankly...rather "meh".

Spinel's first villain song was short and repetitive, but her second song was pretty darn awesome. I can't say I actually remember any songs other than hers and the Diamonds.

The first 3/4ths movie felt like a really big recap of the entire series, or at least the character development within it. As a finale to a finished series, that's....weird. But as a prelude to a new series, that makes a lot more sense.

It annoyed the holy beans out of me that Steven wouldn't ask the Diamonds for help. His single-mnded obsession over Pearl being the only one with the knowledge to help him was...weird. And his obsessive desire to do everything himself was equally annoying. Mostly in that it denied other characters a role in the show. Having to take the "B-Team" of Lapis, Peridot and Bismuth(who are all short on the character development side) to solve the problem, or heck, go with him to speak to the Diamonds would have introduced some REAL character development!

But no...we just got to watch the character development we already saw...again. I will note I liked that Sapphire and Ruby sort of resolved their own character development, with Steven only being instigator of the chaos, with the role-reversal of Sapphire saving Ruby being quite good.

For a show that had great characterization in the series, everyone seemed really flat.

Overall it was okay. I could have done with fewer, better, and more poignant songs, "Steg" was arguably the most awesome thing in the entire movie. 6/10 Good, but rather light on the things that I enjoy about SU.

[theNater]

I liked it. I was fully invested by the end of the first song.

But it did make me think about Rose.

Spoiler: Rose

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What a jerk. I mean, we knew that, but geez.

I did wonder, briefly, why she lied to Spinel. Like, Spinel works for her, she can't just fire her or reassign her or whatever? And of course the answer is no, because if there's one thing Rose can't do it's look someone in the eye and tell them something they won't want to hear. It's why she needed a new form to start a rebellion, and it's why she never told anybody about Bismuth.

In fairness to her, she did spend millennia living with the other Diamonds; she probably learned to avoid hard truths after a few long-term groundings.

I do think it's also interesting that in Spinel's flashbacks we can see Rose getting tired of her, even before she gets the new colony. This makes a lot of sense given Rose's fascination with new things.

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Like Spinel removed the drill, but one reactivated it because she feared being forgotten again. All Steven had to say was Spinel won't be alone again and she can come and live with everybody else on earth.

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I don't think lying to her to manipulate her into doing what he wanted would have been as effective as you seem to think, given that that's exactly what she's accusing him of. It would also be kind of a jerk move, given that's how his mom started the whole mess.

I don't want to spoil too much but Steven fuses with a character he never fused with before:

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I do LOVE the design of Greg/Steven fused though.

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Yeah, chiseled isn't usually a look I care for, but the first thing I did after my first watch was go back and rewatch "Independent Together".

I'm sometimes more affected by music than I recognize, so maybe the song's doing the heavy lifting. Not sure.

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As for Fusion: Fusion is about relatiosnhips.

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Absolutely. I just want to add to your list the Rubys fusing, whose relationships are very much that of co-workers.

[Balmas]

So, I just watched it this morning in between folding my laundry, and hooboy do I have some capital-F Feelings about it.

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So, for those of you who don't know me intimately, I have ADHD. That comes with a host of issues, but the relevant ones today are Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, anxiety, hyperfixation, a touch of inability to pick up social cues, and a tendency towards depression. I tend to fret over little things, especially over whether I'm annoying to my friends or not. Free hypothetical example: My friend frowned--not even necessarily at me, but a frown nonetheless. Am I boring them? I've been talking about this thing I like for a long time, or ragging on about an issue that's got my goat, oh goodness I'm boring them. I've probably missed a dozen social cues. I'm an imposter, and my friends only tolerate my presence, nobody likes me... and so on, and so forth, until I'm hyperventilating over what my friend might or might not be feeling.

I think you might know where I'm going with this. I can recognize a lot of myself in Spinel--in tending to hyperfixate on the rare things that bring happiness, and gushing about them to friends, and so on--and I bet most people with ADHD or who land somewhere on the Autism spectrum probably have some idea what I'm talking about. As a result, it's absurdly difficult for me to hold any kind of sympathy for Rose in how she treated Spinel. The idea of somebody you know--somebody you trust, who's become such a part of your life that you revolve around them--not liking you is bad enough. But pair that with the person not liking you and not telling you, choosing instead to abandon you? That's abhorrent, monstrous. Abandon isn't even the right word; Rose discarded Spinel, like a toy that she'd outgrown and no longer wanted. Lied to her friend, sat her in a world that'd been designed expressly for the two of them, and left. That's... I don't have words for it.

man, I missed the first showing, anyone know when the movie is going to show again? or where I can find it?

If you need to watch basically anything related to Steven Universe, worldofsteven.com is a pretty good source.

[Deja Who?]

So, I just watched it this morning in between folding my laundry, and hooboy do I have some capital-F Feelings about it.

Spoiler: Spoilers, natch

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So, for those of you who don't know me intimately, I have ADHD. That comes with a host of issues, but the relevant ones today are Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, anxiety, hyperfixation, a touch of inability to pick up social cues, and a tendency towards depression. I tend to fret over little things, especially over whether I'm annoying to my friends or not. Free hypothetical example: My friend frowned--not even necessarily at me, but a frown nonetheless. Am I boring them? I've been talking about this thing I like for a long time, or ragging on about an issue that's got my goat, oh goodness I'm boring them. I've probably missed a dozen social cues. I'm an imposter, and my friends only tolerate my presence, nobody likes me... and so on, and so forth, until I'm hyperventilating over what my friend might or might not be feeling.

I think you might know where I'm going with this. I can recognize a lot of myself in Spinel--in tending to hyperfixate on the rare things that bring happiness, and gushing about them to friends, and so on--and I bet most people with ADHD or who land somewhere on the Autism spectrum probably have some idea what I'm talking about. As a result, it's absurdly difficult for me to hold any kind of sympathy for Rose in how she treated Spinel. The idea of somebody you know--somebody you trust, who's become such a part of your life that you revolve around them--not liking you is bad enough. But pair that with the person not liking you and not telling you, choosing instead to abandon you? That's abhorrent, monstrous. Abandon isn't even the right word; Rose discarded Spinel, like a toy that she'd outgrown and no longer wanted. Lied to her friend, sat her in a world that'd been designed expressly for the two of them, and left. That's... I don't have words for it.

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I also heavily relate to Spinnel for the same reasons and have similar feelings. What Rose did has got to be one of the most horrible things you can do to a sapient being. And diamond orders are for keeps- Pearl couldn’t tell Steven no matter how much she tried. She had to show him. Rose never intended her to leave or she just didn’t care at all. Imagine how deeply Spinnel must have broken to move.

[LaZodiac]

Just saw it!

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I really really liked it, but in an equal and opposite side of me, felt a little sad about it. It wasn't what I wanted, what I would have written... it was still great though. If anything, it's just inspiring and encouraging me to make what I want to make even more.

So yeah, it's great.

[Lord Raziere]

Spoiler: On Spinel

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Yeeeah, what Rose did was pretty messed up. pre-character development Pink was no better than any other Diamond in that regard.

I'm autistic, and I can kind of understand what your saying Balmas, though I haven't ever experienced that myself. I'm kinda sure have the opposite problem in that I don't really care how many cues I miss or how they're feeling unless there is some clear indication that I screwed up, and I just put in like the least amount of effort possible into making sure things are fine. I just kind of assume that if no one is yelling or making long speeches about whats expected of me that I'm fine. The former is scary but the latter is just tiring and annoying, especially when I heard it all before.

what I relate to in Spinel is that to me, she is feeling useless, having no purpose or direction from her stasis and so gets angry because she wants to be useful in some way but can't fulfill it, because the world at first seems to have no use for her and thus she fits nowhere. she latches onto getting some revenge on Steven because its a direction, any direction rather than no direction at all so that something happens rather than more endless stasis and uncertainty in that stasis that she can't break out of. and throughout the film she expresses that she kind of is doubting herself and that she is getting worse as she breaks down, aware that she has become this monstrous being but can't stop what she is feeling regardless. its not 1:1 what she is actually feeling, your probably more accurate what Spinel is feeling, but thats how I can see feeling something similar to that, if I picture the whole thing as an extended meltdown after a really long time of being stoic and/or avoiding a problem. and that feeling of uselessness is caused by someone just outright discarding/abandoning her entirely and thus leaving her without someone to give her some direction, support and guidance forward, all so they can go off build some big lifeless over-decorated thing that probably needs more maintenance and upkeep than its worth.

[Rater202]

Rose discarded Spinel, like a toy that she'd outgrown and no longer wanted.[/spoiler]

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Yeah.

Kinda what Diamond's did.

I don't think "Rose" would have done what Pink did, because Rose was at worst innocently selfish, but I think this is a better example of what Pink was like before learning the value of individuals--of what the Diamonds were like at their worst--than anything else.

And she'd clearly already forgotten about Spinel entirely by the time she got her character development.

[LaZodiac]

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Someone brought it up, but when Greg asks Rose what she's like as an actual person, her response is "I'm not a person" which... I mean is indicative of her false identity as Pink Rose, but also a sign of how the diamonds feel too. They're not people, they're living authority. They were trapped by their system as much as anyone else, and it's caused a lot of damage. So that's part of why she abandoned Spinel. She grew bored of her toy and and a Job To Do.

[random11]

Not so sure about the ending...

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The diamonds and Spinel does not look to me like gems that can have a healthy relationship.
Maybe some sort of dependency, but nothing that can benefit either side in the current way the relationship is described.

I guess I would have been fine with that if they just mentioned that it's something they need to work on.

[Lord Raziere]

Not so sure about the ending...

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The diamonds and Spinel does not look to me like gems that can have a healthy relationship.
Maybe some sort of dependency, but nothing that can benefit either side in the current way the relationship is described.

I guess I would have been fine with that if they just mentioned that it's something they need to work on.

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I mean....

at the end of day, Gems are immortal slow-to-change beings designed for specific purposes that perceive time differently to humans, and the Diamonds are slower to change than most, and if Spinel wants to fulfill her purpose, and if entertaining the Diamonds does that and everyone is happy with it, is there a problem at all? maybe later on we'll explore the problems with it.....or maybe the Diamonds just needed someone who they can just be warm and personable with after a long hard day of managing Gemkind who can keep them from going depressed/angry/super-cold without constantly pulling Steven away from his life? He kind of has enough problems saving Earth every time something happens, he doesn't need the Diamonds regressing on him because he doesn't visit.

and if Steven is mortal, then Spinel is all the more important because the Diamonds will need someone just as eternal as them to make sure they don't go evil again. and I don't think any of the Crystal Gems are willing to do the job. They may be allies now but they did rebel so they can have a choice other than serve the Diamonds.

whether its an unhealthy relationship or not is kind of a moot point since if change takes a long time, and the Diamonds perceive 6000 years as nothing, then they will need eons to change without needing some form of scaffolding to keep them from sliding back. kind of have to work this one thing at a time.

[Magic_Hat]

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I don't think lying to her to manipulate her into doing what he wanted would have been as effective as you seem to think, given that that's exactly what she's accusing him of. It would also be kind of a jerk move, given that's how his mom started the whole mess.

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Huh? Are you implying Steven saying to Spinel "You're our friend now, and we'll never leave you," would be a lie? The whole series Steven makes friends with gems who have literally tried to kill him. There's even a joke about it in the film. I don't see how Steven befriending Spinel would be dishonest or made to "manipulate

[LaZodiac]

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I mean....

at the end of day, Gems are immortal slow-to-change beings designed for specific purposes that perceive time differently to humans, and the Diamonds are slower to change than most, and if Spinel wants to fulfill her purpose, and if entertaining the Diamonds does that and everyone is happy with it, is there a problem at all? maybe later on we'll explore the problems with it.....or maybe the Diamonds just needed someone who they can just be warm and personable with after a long hard day of managing Gemkind who can keep them from going depressed/angry/super-cold without constantly pulling Steven away from his life? He kind of has enough problems saving Earth every time something happens, he doesn't need the Diamonds regressing on him because he doesn't visit.

and if Steven is mortal, then Spinel is all the more important because the Diamonds will need someone just as eternal as them to make sure they don't go evil again. and I don't think any of the Crystal Gems are willing to do the job. They may be allies now but they did rebel so they can have a choice other than serve the Diamonds.

whether its an unhealthy relationship or not is kind of a moot point since if change takes a long time, and the Diamonds perceive 6000 years as nothing, then they will need eons to change without needing some form of scaffolding to keep them from sliding back. kind of have to work this one thing at a time.

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Consider a future where he and Connie's kid shows up to Great Auntie Diamond's house-planet for visits, and Spinel is there to be her friend.

I think I'm okay with what happened.

[theNater]

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...it's absurdly difficult for me to hold any kind of sympathy for Rose in how she treated Spinel.

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Just in case, I want to be clear I wasn't trying to inspire sympathy for Rose. I'm just trying to identify her patterns of behavior, and maybe guess at why they exist. Her treatment of Spinel is absolutely abominable.

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I don't think "Rose" would have done what Pink did, because Rose was at worst innocently selfish, but I think this is a better example of what Pink was like before learning the value of individuals--of what the Diamonds were like at their worst--than anything else.

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It's very close to what she did to Bismuth. An old friend, locked away somewhere, to be forgotten by all of gemkind. She avoids the emotionally difficult conversations that might help, finds a quick-"fix", and just forgets all about them.

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Huh? Are you implying Steven saying to Spinel "You're our friend now, and we'll never leave you," would be a lie? The whole series Steven makes friends with gems who have literally tried to kill him. There's even a joke about it in the film. I don't see how Steven befriending Spinel would be dishonest or made to "manipulate

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I'll have to rewatch, but the short of it is I don't think he likes her very much. I think he tolerates her and genuinely wants to help her, but that's not the same as enjoying somebody's company.

I recognize that "Steven doesn't like somebody" is an unusual claim and requires significant evidence. I'll do my next viewing with an eye for that and a notepad to see if I can properly support it.

[Magic_Hat]

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I'll have to rewatch, but the short of it is I don't think he likes her very much. I think he tolerates her and genuinely wants to help her, but that's not the same as enjoying somebody's company.

I recognize that "Steven doesn't like somebody" is an unusual claim and requires significant evidence. I'll do my next viewing with an eye for that and a notepad to see if I can properly support it.

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Steven likes Lars, and Lars at the beginning of the series out right insulted Steven to his face. Steven likes Amethyst who can be obnoxious so tolerating Spinel shouldn't be an issue. I'm willing to bet Steven would even like Freddy Krueger or Thanos and would give them a second chance.

[Rater202]

Is it weird that part of me thinks that Spinel was created specifically to appeal to people like me?

I like the mix of cute and creepy that comes from a childish young girl that's also kind of a psycho.

I like psychos with sympathetic backstories and who get talked down and get help before they cause permanent harm.

I like playful, cartoonish characters.

[Magic_Hat]

Anyone else find it odd that...

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...Onion hasn't aged at all! What manner of Lovecraftian horror is this creature?!

[LaZodiac]

Anyone else find it odd that...

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...Onion hasn't aged at all! What manner of Lovecraftian horror is this creature?!

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He's also seen hanging out with a gem while Steven is searching around for his friends on Lion, and then seen at the doughnut shop despite being on the boardwalk. Mystery onion!

[Magic_Hat]

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He's also seen hanging out with a gem while Steven is searching around for his friends on Lion, and then seen at the doughnut shop despite being on the boardwalk. Mystery onion!

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Multiple Onions? I only like multiple onions on my sandwich.

[theNater]

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I'll have to rewatch, but the short of it is I don't think he likes her very much. I think he tolerates her and genuinely wants to help her, but that's not the same as enjoying somebody's company.

I recognize that "Steven doesn't like somebody" is an unusual claim and requires significant evidence. I'll do my next viewing with an eye for that and a notepad to see if I can properly support it.

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Okay, I'm back with evidence. Before I begin, I want to state clearly that this is neither an endorsement nor a castigation of either character. Sometimes personalities clash and people don't get along; that doesn't make anybody involved bad or wrong.

The biggest piece is not a single moment or a single scene. It starts with Steven telling us, in reference to the Diamonds, that being "smothered with attention 24/7" doesn't sound like fun. During his peaceful interactions with Spinel, she is frequently hugging him, taking his hand, jumping out with a "hey Best Friend", and in general layering on the heavy attention he just told us he doesn't like. That's the core of it.

On top of that, there are some indicative moments, including:
Steven is exasperated and frowning when introducing "my new best friend Spinel" to Bismuth, Peridot, and Lapis.
After Bismuth's song, Spinel joins in, singing the wrong part, and Steven has to stop her. She's out of step with him, symbolically.
He tries to leave her behind to look for Amethyst, and humors her when she gets really angry about it.
During Steven and Amethyst's song, she jumps in the hay with them, he's annoyed.
When it's suggested that they need her memories back, he describes her as "cute" and "harmless", not "fun" or "nice" or anything similar.
She pops up in front of him while he's watching Pearl ignore the concert; he grimaces and frowns.
In the garden he talks of her finding new friends, but never suggests that he might be one of them.

I do want to mention that talk of love factors heavily into the kind of friend they're talking about here. They could build the kind of relationship Steven and Ronaldo have, which you can call friendship, but that's not the kind of relationship Spinel is looking for.

Is it weird that part of me thinks that Spinel was created specifically to appeal to people like me?

Not really. There's probably people like you among the crew.

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He's also seen hanging out with a gem while Steven is searching around for his friends on Lion, and then seen at the doughnut shop despite being on the boardwalk. Mystery onion!

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Even more mystery Onion! Steven visits four places on/near the boardwalk while looking for Amethyst: the fry stand, the Funland entrance, one of the roller coasters, and the doughnut shop. Onion is in all four places.

A few other miscellaneous rewatch notes:

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Peridot's new robonoids have visors. I love them.

"C'mon Dad, let's duet" is the kind of terrible pun I get out of bed in the morning for.

A phrase that caught my ear this time was "One of Pink's lost treasures". Anybody want to place bets on how many abandoned gems Pink has left scattered around the galaxy?

PeeDee is in the background of a few shots near the end, and he is a handsome young man now.