From the Archives: So Many Birthdays (Steven Universe)-Animated Critic #3

 

Originally Released on July 17th, 2015. 

Please note: I no longer stand by a lot of the things said or the way I conducted this review. I am reposting it purely for preservation purposes as a part of my history. I was 15 when I wrote this and took inspiration from some dubious creators to say the least. I also kept it in its original state, mistakes and all (including the weird font change I did halfway through for some reason?). Anyway, apologies to anyone reading this. I hope you get some sort of enjoyment, even if it's ironic, from this glimpse at my past. Thank you. 

Show-Steven Universe

Episode Title-So Many Birthdays

Air Date-March 3rd 2014

Season 1 

Episode 13

Welcome back to the Animated Critic. Lets talk about Steven Universe. This show is AMAZING. I love it. In fact I love it so much that I'm even willing to say that it's the best cartoon currently airing on television. There is nothing like Steven Universe. It seems that this decade that cartoons are mainly focusing on humor instead of serious stories. Which isn't a problem, it's just something I noticed. I mean sure we have Adventure Time and Gravity Falls and Korra ,but for the most part most cartoons of this decade are focused on humor. Shows like Gumball, Uncle Grandpa, Teen Titans Go. Its weird in the 80s, 90s and 2000s there where a variety of cartoons focused on telling stories. As I said its no problem, just something I noticed. Steven Universe though has a nice balance between comedy and serious moments. It also has an overarching story something a lot of cartoons don't do. This episode however does stand on it's own. It's called So Many Birthdays and it's a beautiful episode. Heart-Wrenching as well. What are we waiting for lets get into this episode and see whats so great about it. 

The episode starts of with Steven and The Crystal Gems (Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl). They're going through Amethyst's room as it is extremely dirty. Its more like a dump than an actual room. They even find a burrito from a place that closed down 5 years ago. Gross. Steven also finds a picture of his mother with the crystal gems. 

That has to be the most perfectly timed photo EVER. I also love how Garnet is just casually punching a shark. 

Any way I should probably explain the story of Steven Universe for those who haven't seen it. The show is about a boy named Steven. His mother was part of an alien race known as the Crystal Gems. His mother unfortunetly died. Steven is part human part gem. He in fact has his mother's gem and so Garnet Pearl and Amethyst help him learn how to use his gem powers while protecting the human race. 

So there's a basic plot summary of the show. Any way he sees his mother in the photo and ask why everybody looks old-timey. The gems explain they are old-timey and Steven comes to the conclusion that they must be a Bajillion years old. He then ask how hard it is to fit all those candles on the birthday cake. 

The gems explain that they don't celebrate birthdays as they don't age and their bodies are just an illusion. We also get some more information about crystal gems, like the fact they can die but not from ageing. This is a pretty early episode of Steven Universe. Only episode 13 so world-building is definetly a good thing. I'm always up for world-buding. Makes the world seem more real despite being fictional. Anyway, the fact that the gems don't celebrate birthdays astonish's Steven and he decides to throw them all a birthday party. First up is Amethyst's party. 

She even gets to where Steven's special birthday suit. (As seen above) Any way the Crystal Gems begin to think that they're to mature for this celebration. They explain this to Steven in a way that doesn't make them sound like complete jerks. They actually do say that they appreciate all the effort Steven put into the parties. They just thiink they're to mature to enjoy the party. 

By the way I just wanna point out that all of these birthday party scenes are extremely fun to watch. 

Next is Pearl's Party. 

By the way if I see one Pearl is Salty joke in the comments I will fight you in an alleyway and brutally.............

*Technical Difficulties*

*Fake Cough* We apologize for that sudden, unplanned interuption. And by We I mean just me. I was perhaps a bit to harsh. Still point stands. 

Pearl's party is next. 

Steven even dresses up like a clown for this party.  Which the Crystal Gems don't understand. He begins telling jokes but the crystal gems don't understand the concept of a joke. It's a really funny scene. Steven then pulls out a pie and tries to fall so the pie will cover his face. Pearl stops him before he falls (cause as i said before she doesn't understand a joke) but Steven slams the pie in his face anyway. The gems are confused and slightly horrified. Pearl says shes partyed out. Your losing them Steven. Losing them

We then get to Garnet's party.

It even has tiny little cars. 

Steven wants to use them for a game called Kazoo racers. Garnet says she's to big for the cars and that they're made for young kids. This makes Steven feel childish and he wonders off to reconsider birthdays. He begins to contemplate if he's to old for the stuff he currently enjoys. This episode deals with the interesring concept of ageing and the struggle of leaveing things behind. Which I like. Doesn't take up a whole lot of the episode but I like that they tackle these issues and I like how they execute this. Anyway as Steven begins to feel older his age changes due to his gem.

We actually get some pretty funny scenes out of this. Like Steven gets a shirt that says professional beach hunk. Its hilarious. 

But the episode soon takes a serious turn as Steven goes to the doughnut shop. The two people who work there, Lars and some other girl I can't remember the name of(I think it's Sally but i'm not 100% sure) are friends of Steven. They don't reconize him since he's older, but Steven thinks they're messing with him. He then gives a speech about growing up saying if you don't grow up everybody else well without you. Which is true. It's something they should totally teach to kids. You gotta grow up one day. However this episode also teaches that even as a grown up you can still enjoy childish things. You can still have a childish side. You just gotta grow up and learn to be mature and take responsibility. It's a good moral.

Steven finally sees his refletion and how old he's gotten. J

He gets chased out(I would tell you why but it would ruin a really funny moment) and gets even older. To the point where he can barely stand. Luckily lion (who is Steven's pet pink lion) finds him and carries him over to the crystal gems who are cleaning up from the parties. They even admit they actually had a bit of fun going back to what I said earlier about having a childish side. Garnet even kept the birthday suit on. 

Lion brings in Steven and the crystal gems are horrified.  We learn that since Steven is part human he can still die of ageing unlike the other gems.

They wrap Steven in his birthday suit in the hopes it'll help. It didn't. They then try to connect him with his inner child. They ride around in a tiny car that Amethyst morphed into, they have a pinata that Amethyst also morphed into. They also have the pie and pearl dressed like a clown. Its probably the saddest part and I'm not going to lie guys....this part almost made me shed a tear. So many feels. 

You can just feel the emotion coming from this scene. We know, as an audience, Stevens gonna live but the gems don't. Seeing how much they care for Steven and seeing them doing all of this for him it's......it's.....just really depressing. It is such an emotional scene. I don't think I've ever come so close to crying over a Cartoon. That's something that this show does really well. Heart-Wrenching scenes like this one. I love it. 

Garnet tries shaking Steven in a desperate attempt to save him and this causes a fight between the gems. Steven tries to intervene the fight and he gets younger. Apparently his gem is fluxtuateing his age based on how he feels. He just has to feel like himself again. As Pearl puts it "Sweet and considerate and only occasionally obnoxious" By the way Steven is probably the best representation of a child in cartoons because of all those things. Pearl then says if he wasn't all those things he wouldn't have thrown them all those parties. Steven turns back to his regular self and we get a Sweet, happy, heart-warming ending. 

And also slightly funny.

This episode is great. It's funny, heart-warming, tear-jerking, beautiful, funny, well written and just overall fun to watch. It also has a great lesson about growing up. You will have to leave stuff behind it's just a part of life, but you can still enjoy childish things. 

Best Part-That emotional ending.

Worst Part-During the Kazoo Racers scene Amethyst is kinda a jerk. Though she was just probably playing. It's minor and won't affect the score which is why I didn't mention it earlier but I would be lying if i said it didn't even slightly irk me. 

Score-9/10

So there you have it Steven Universe. Chances are that I'll talk about this show again some other day but for now I have other things I want to review. 

Since I did 2 positive reviews in a row I'm probably gonna have to review a piece of animated crap next. 

Well if that's the case lets do a Family Guy episode next. 

Next Animated Critic-Peter Problems (Family Guy)

Other Future Reviews

Driven to Tears (Spongebob)

Friendship is Magic Part 1 and 2 (My Little Pony) 

Mysterious Shadow (Cybersix)

I also wanna do a movie review soon. Any movies you want me to review. 0