jazzblogsabout

[jazzblogsabout]

Something I always liked about SU that I noticed was that Steven has always been stronger than he seems, likely due to him being a diamond. Like I remember the first time I REALLY noticed was during the episode he took the metal panel off a machine that Peridot was struggling to remove, because before that it all felt really subtle. Or I was just unobservant 🤦‍♀️

No you're absolutely right, they are so subtle about it and it's one of the things I love about this show. They are so good at those subtle changes and things that you don't even realize are happening, until it becomes a fun easter egg. My favorite is the whole Steven vs Amethyst episode, because it's not like they're just suddenly like "hey, btw, Steven's way more advanced now." But they also didn't make him blatantly say in a previous episode "Guess what everyone, I've been training! See how much better I'm getting?"

It's very similar to real life in that things just happen and you don't really talk about it unless there's some big, noticeable change. Steven's probably always been strong, so that's all he knows and it doesn't feel like something that needs pointing out to him. I went on a tangent but hopefully that all made sense and I just really love it.

[jazzblogsabout]

Together Breakfast pt 2

So I'm so super curious as to what the freak this freakin thing is. I don't even have any theories, every time I try to come up with one I just end up poking holes into it. So bizarre.

Honestly, I know he did a lot of training near the end of the series, but I think Steven is just a naturally STRONG kid. This thing is like ten times his size and over powering three seasoned fighter Gems. And he just like... Single handedly pushes it into the lava with a plate? Granted, it takes a lot of effort for him, but he still does it BY HIMSELF

He a strong boy 💪

I really like that this episode ends with all the Gems together with Steven, making another Together Breakfast together (even if they ultimately don't eat it). This family still has a lot to learn about coexisting with each other, but they clearly want to make the effort to learn and grow.

This episode in all is still pretty good in my opinion, though maybe just falls short of everything that made Cheeseburger Backpack feel so great. But the ending epic fight scene along with a wholesome, sappy ending makes up for it in my book 👍

[jazzblogsabout]

Together Breakfast

Surprise! Miss me?

**SPOILERS AHEAD This is NOT a blind liveblog, if you haven't finished the show, do not continue**

Okay this strawberry bit kills me everytime, so it felt like a good point to stop.

This whole montage is just very telling of Steven's relationship with the Gems. You can tell he hasn't been living there long because 1. He is still very naive about their living arrangements and 2. The Gems have NO clue how to parent. Which is understandable because they're aliens, but very sad for Steven. You can tell he's just a lonely kid who desperately wants to build a relationship with these mother-figures.

This things gives me SO MANY QUESTIONS

Mainly WHAT THE HECK IS IT

WHY IS IT SO DANGEROUS

WHERE DID IT COME FROM

REBECCA SUGAR WHYYYYY

Our first dead giveaway clue that Garnet is a fusion. Obviously, as first time viewers, we didn't know what fusion was yet. But once it was explained this probably should have been more obvious (talking to myself, mostly. I'm sure many of you figured it out before the reveal).

This whole episode really makes me sad, tbh. No explanations, no apologies, they barely even look at him as they each ignore him in their own way. Poor kiddo.

Even Amethyst, who gives him the most attention, does it in a teasing way that's not fun or endearing. She calls him "dumb," and repeatedly squirts him in the face with water when he's clearly upset. I know these two have a much more sibling type relationship than the others, but I'm glad that even Amethyst's teasing grows into a more enjoyable kind.

I wonder why Pearl had so many swords. I mean, we know she's a trained sword fighter, but did she really use all of those? I wonder if Bismuth made them, or if she just really likes collecting.

Wonder if Steven had a little floating-powers help here??? Maybe not, considering he doesn't feel too happy. But I still like to imagine he did somehow

Okay so this episode is where we first get to see and explore the inside of the Temple... Honestly one of the biggest mysteries I REALLY wish we had gotten some answers on. Who built the temple? What is it's main function/purpose?? WHAT IS THIS CRYSTAL HEART

First glimpse of Rose's room! I actually love that the temple is all physically connected, I remember being surprised by that the first time watching this. I figured everyone's room was it's own dimension or something, idk why

[jazzblogsabout]

I have some head canons for the details/mysteries you mentioned in your review of Cheeseburger Backpack! I think the egg is definitely laid by a corrupted gem, and judging by the star motif, it was likely a corrupted crystal gem. I’m pretty sure Pearl is so intent on saving the sea spire because in early season 1 she is still really clinging to her past with Rose/PD (ie like in space race). As for the moon goddess statue my head canon is that the “goddess” was the creator of white diamond, hence why the statue is holding a gemstone that looks eerily similar to white diamond. But it is weird that no other deity is mentioned in gem culture (as far as we know). Idk about the crystal shrimp but I always assumed they were either corrupted gem “babies” like centipeetle has in episode 1 or one of Rose’s experiments gone wrong. Anyway, I’m glad you’re doing the reviews! Thanks for posting!

Oh yes, I love all of this! I was actually thinking most of this after I had finished the liveblog. I hadn't noticed the moon goddess statue was holding a "white diamond" though, that's such a neat little tidbit!! Thank you for sharing!!

[jazzblogsabout]

Cheeseburger Backpack pt 2

Pearl seems super keen on saving and preserving the Sea Spyre, but I wonder why? Shouldn't this place be a reminder of what Homeworld was trying to do to the Earth? You'd think the Crystal Gems would be all about letting the Earth reclaim this area. Weird.

Why are they gasping for air???? GEMS DON'T NEED TO BREATHE LADIES

Alright, I don't get any end credits with this one, so I'll end it here.

All around I really love this episode. On top of the humor, there's so much magic and mystery throughout, even for a seasoned viewer like myself. We got to see Steven's (likely) first mission, and can use it as a reference in the future to show us just how far he's come. And he really does come a long way from this by the end of the season!!

[jazzblogsabout]

Cheeseburger Backpack

Cheeseburger Backpack time!

**SPOILERS AHEAD This is NOT a blind liveblog, if you haven't finished the show, do not continue**

I always forget how early in the show we meet Jamie! He doesn't really make much of an impact, so I guess it's not very memorable. Maybe he hasn't figured out that he wants to be an actor yet?

I will just say right off the bat, I know a lot of people find it annoying, but I LOVE when the characters are off-model, and this episode in particular seems to go the furthest off base. I probably wouldn't like it as much for a serious episode, but in my opinion, it definitely enhances the humor for funny episodes like this. The exaggerated facial expressions and goofy proportions still make me laugh after seeing it a hundred times 😂

I love the consistency of this show. Here we have a mailman that we won't see again for like another 50 episodes, who just brought up another mailman (woman) we won't even meet for that same amount of time. And all the names and everything are the same. Love it.

Rebecca left us hanging on so many mysteries in this show (obviously on purpose, that would take the magic away to know every single tiny detail), and one of them is this giant bird that lays giant star-shelled eggs. Do you think it was a corrupted Gem?

This mystery I am much more interested in. This is the only mention ever of a "moon goddess." Do you think Gems had religion? That they believed in a moon goddess? Were there other goddesses? I would love to know more about where this idea came from.

The Sea Spyre in interesting to me as well. What exactly did Gems DO there?

I still really really want a Cheeseburger Backpack. I would use that bitch all the time like you guys don't even know.

I wonder if this is Steven's very first mission. I know later we find out the Gems used this as a "test," but had he been on other missions before? I can't imagine that he did. It's not his first time using the warp, but he's still really new at it. If it is his first mission, honestly I do think he did pretty well. For all his goofiness, Steven's a really brave and innovative kid.

Also what the heck are "crystal shrimp????" Where did they come from?? Are their shards deadly just to humans, or for Gems as well??? Such strange little creatures.

[jazzblogsabout]

Laser Light Cannon pt 2

I just love this shot. It's so cool. And the first time we really see all four CG's working together like this. LOVE.

I have so many questions about this laser light cannon. Obviously it was created after Rose assumed her new identity; what with it being shaped like a rose and the laser literally looks like her. But what the heck is it?? Why is this the only thing that can take down Red Eyes? Where did it come from? Did Bismuth make it, and if so, how was she able to create something so powerful?? Why reserve that power just for Rose's cannons?? How did she make it phrase-activated? Were they activated by a different phrase before Greg came along?? So many questions that simply just do not matter. I'll still be scratching my head all night.

This part always makes me a lil emotional 💔

This will bother me for seven lifetimes.

The Gems KNOW Greg lives in that van. They are absolutely strong enough to easily pull it back onto shore. WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE LADIES

SO 👏 RUDE 👏

For all of my nagging questions, this is a really great episode that I love very much. It has all the elements of a season finale while only being the second episode!! The dramatic lighting, music, introduction of Greg, mentions of Rose, humor, intensity of the climax, just everything was brilliantly done. Love this episode so much, it is just 😘👌

[jazzblogsabout]

Laser Light Canon

The long-awaited second episode! At this rate, it should only take me like ten years to finish the series! Hope you guys are in this for the long haul 😂

**SPOILERS AHEAD This is NOT a blind liveblog, if you haven't finished the show, do not continue**

The "antagonist" of this episode is the Red Eye! Now we know that this thing was sent from Homeworld, to detect any potential gems that might interfere with Peridot's mission to check on the Cluster.

I'm glad that there was no one inside this thing, because the Crystal Gems made their presence VERY known 😂

This episode is where we first hear of (and meet) Steven's parents. Steven's dad in particular, is not spoken of very fondly by the Gems. It's so crazy to think about how far they come throughout the series, even just by Ocean Gem Greg is tagging along their mission! Love it. Here for it.

Honestly, Greg is not giving us a great first impression... We've already heard the Gems' opinions on him, and now we see that he lives in his van and sleeps during the day. He also doesn't look the most... Well kept. I'm surprised they end up turning viewers around by the end of the episode. Just goes to show, you can't judge a book by it's cover!

This photo has always been so interesting to me. Why is Greg taking a nice photo with his lady with a hot dog sticking out of his mouth? Why isn't he using his hands to eat? Who eats a hot dog this way, I would like to know.

Also it's interesting that we don't revisit this photo until Maximum Capacity. We can briefly touch on Rose right now, but the pain of diving deep is going to require it's own episode.

Shouldn't Rose's cannon have blasted a hole through Greg's storage unit by now?

Also, what the h*ck is up with this "catchphrase?" We're told Greg says it all the time, but he literally never says it again after this episode. Like they couldn't have thrown it into the series once or twice? The movie?? The epilogue??? Not even ONCE????

Okay I'm sorry, I don't really have much to say about this other than I just really love it. It makes me cackle like a crazy person every. Time.

I've always wondered if the soul patch was a precursor to the beard, or if it was just something he tried inbetween being clean shaven and bearded.

Basically, what I'm wondering is, was this album before or after he met Rose? Did he still try to continue his music career even after dumping Marty and settling in Beach City? Could this song have been written with Rose in mind? These aren't important questions, just things I like to ponder.

The only thing powerful enough to destroy a Red Eye is a laser light cannon. And possibly the sheer force of Amethyst's body. Possibly 🤔

This little speech he gives to the light cannon makes me so sad, because you can tell he's projecting the way he feels about himself. Hoping he's not useless, everyone's counting on him, worried his powers will never work. It's hard to tell because he's such a happy-go-lucky kid (especially in season one), but he's so hard on himself right from the get go. He can't see how valuable he is to the team, with or without powers, and it's just a little heartbreaking.

[jazzblogsabout]

I can see you're active. Bitch 💚

lmao y'all kill me 😂

Yeah I kinda disappeared for a bit there huh? Bet nobody was surprised by that 😂

In more unsurprising news, my life has been CHAOTIC as HECK but in mainly good ways this time! I'm busy af but loving life and I fully intend on getting back to this blog once things calm down a little (which should be soon) 💙

[jazzblogsabout]

Hey guys, I know I said I'd do the next episode on Sunday, but I ended up getting squeezed in for a Covid vaccination that day. My pain/stress response is to sleep, so that's what I did immediately when I got home 😅 I'm pretty busy with work during the week, but I should have some time tomorrow or Friday, and then we'll be back on schedule with the Sunday posts. Thanks everyone! 😁

[jazzblogsabout]

Hi Jazz I’m glad you’re back! Did you ever finish Infinity Train?

No, I'm still working on it. I haven't been motivated to watch or review it in a while, but I still plan on coming back to it eventually. It seems like one of those shows that I WILL be really into, but it just hasn't gripped me quite yet.

[jazzblogsabout]

What are your pronouns?

She/her or he/him. My gender is a constant state of confusion, so really any pronouns are fine. I don't really care for they/them, but I don't hate it either. Whatever lol

[jazzblogsabout]

Omg, I'm so happy to see that little strawberry covered Steven back on my dash! I loved your liveblog so much, and I'm so happy you're doing a rewatch!

Awwwyyyy you're making me feel all mushy inside ☺ Thanks for sticking with me for so long!

I think I've found a good way to make the re-watch liveblogs feel like less of a chore and more of a fun hobby that I'll enjoy doing long term. Fingers crossed I'll actually make it through the whole series this time, but I feel really good about it 🤞

[jazzblogsabout]

Cookie cat is rose, thats the consensus of the fandom. You could look up some theory video or tumblr post to go into detail.

Mmm, just bc it's agreed upon in the fandom doesn't mean I have to believe it. There are really only two lines of the whole song that could apply to her: "came to this planet from outer space," and "he left his family behind" (I don't count "refugee of an interstellar war" bc Rose STARTED the war. She wasn't a refugee).

I just really don't care that much about it to dig that deep lol it just feels like trying to apply it to a single character is stretching. I think sometimes... It just ain't that deep.

[jazzblogsabout]

Gem Glow pt 2

It’s really interesting to me how everyone reacts to seeing Steven’s shield, because well... It’s Rose’s shield. We know they’ve all seen it before. It’s interesting to think about them being curious if he would get it or not. If they wondered what, if any, of Rose’s powers would get passed on to him, or if he would have totally new powers? Or did Garnet’s future vision tell them already, and they’re just happy to see the shield again after so long?

It’s also an interesting point they make to not indicate at all that this was his mother’s shield. They react as if they had absolutely no idea what his weapon would be and have never seen it before. They call it “Steven’s shield” from here on out. I wonder what that reasoning was.

Here’s our first peek at Nephrite! A character that really deserved more, in my opinion. I had really really hoped to see a bonding episode with her and Steven in Steven Universe Future. Oh well, can’t win em all.

I like that right away in the first episode Steven shows how useful you can be without powers, or doing things the unconventional way. Just very Crystal Gem-y right off the bat.

Couldn’t continue without posting this masterpiece. I’ve really missed Season 1 Crystal Gems, flaws and all.

This is also really confusing for viewers, I think. This really doesn’t look like a gemstone. I know many people have mistaken this for something similar to a pokeball at first... I just feel like it could’ve been done slightly better.

Overall, I think this was a great first episode for the series. This show is really confusing and complex for new viewers, so I think this was the perfect way to introduce our core main characters and give a small glimpse as to what the show is really about and the general vibe etc. And that’s that!

It felt sooo good to do this again. I’m hoping to do an episode every Sunday, so hit up my ask box if I brought up anything you want to discuss (or didn’t bring something up) in the meantime!

[jazzblogsabout]

Gem Glow

Woo-hoo, let’s get this party started! I’m so excited to be back and doing this! Here’s a couple reminders:

I’ve already seen the entire series, so if you haven’t finished it yet THIS IS YOUR WARNING!!! This blog is going to be extremely spoiler-heavy! The other thing I’d like to let everyone know is that while I’ve watched it all (and many times) I haven’t watched it all through since it ended. I was really sad about it and dramatic and not ready to move on. But I finally feel ready to go back through it in it’s entirety. I’m really looking forward to watching the show without any long breaks or hiatuses and absorbing it all in. Hopefully you guys like what I have to say about it as well! Let’s go!

I like that we start the show off with Steven, Sadie, and Lars. I feel like all three of their journeys really revolve around each other in a very subtle way, which I’ll be talking about more as the show goes on. But also, it’s just nice to start out on some neutral ground with a show with this much lore. 

I forget how different the animation and Steven’s voice are in the beginning of the series! Sometimes I like it, and sometimes I’m glad things changed.

“We think they were trying to get into the temple.”

We don’t really get a whole lot of explanations on the temple, do we?? What exactly is the temple, anyways? Who made it? How does it work? Why are these baby centipeedles attracted to it?

One critique I have with this first episode is that they make the concept of “Gem Monsters” a little confusing. Audiences are still trying to grasp what’s going on, and implying that gems can reproduce like that (not like how Rose did it) is a little misleading. Which leaves me wondering how the heck a corrupted Nephrite was able to make these things in the first place? So confusing, even for a seasoned viewer.

I’m sure many of us have noticed by now, but peep Connie’s glow bracelet in the freezer! Love that continuity!

To be honest, I have tried over and over again to figure out who Cookie Cat is supposed to represent. We were all so sure this song was foreshadowing for somebody. Honestly, you can stretch stories around and make it fit for a couple of characters, but in my opinion... it’s nothing. It’s just a cute rap about  some ice cream. I really don’t think it was about anyone in particular. Let me know if you have some SOLID arguments against that (or have heard anything different from a crew member), but for now that’s what I believe. 

I wonder how many times Steven’s gem has glowed in his life up until now. We know it glowed once as an infant. Obviously he can’t remember a time where it glowed, but maybe as a really little kid or toddler?

Sneak Peek into Steven Universe Future (that neck!!!)

It’s so obvious now that the Gems are so bad at teaching Steven how to summon his weapon, because they’ve never had to teach anybody before. Every other gem in existence just knows how already. That would be so wild. Like having to teach somebody how to move their hand. Like, idk, just do it??? haha

[jazzblogsabout]

Steven Universe rewatch starts tomorrow!

Tomorrow (Sunday, 1/24) I'm going to be starting my rewatch! I've decided I want to do it in a liveblog format, so this should be interesting! It won't be quite as thorough as my blind liveblogs, since I won't be reacting to everything for the first time with no reference for what I should filter. But I can't wait to discuss foreshadowing, character development, things that I missed before, and more!

Holla at your Jazz if there's anything in particular you want to see me do! Can't wait!