So I watched the Steven Universe movie the day after it was released. Did I have other stuff to do? Ahaha yes. But was it worth it? Without a doubt.
-SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BOTH THE MOVIE AND THE TV SHOW-
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
1. Time skips need to be done well
THE TIME SKIP WAS SO GOOD IN THIS MOVIE. It’s quickly established that although Steven’s life is perfect now, it’s only temporary (the trailers showed this very well).
Steven still has problems to solve and a universe to protect. In a YouTube comment, someone said that the villain–Spinel–was finally someone who was not out to find Pink or Rose, but was after Steven himself. That’s development right there.
And not only that, but even though two years have gone by, he still has character development to go through. He’s not a static character. Although the major part of his character arc is finished, he still has lessons to learn about the world and about himself.
Additionally, the subtle change that he went through is nice: by that I don’t mean just his voice and his new look, but also he’s also more mature as compared to the last episode of season five and it really shows that time can have a pretty big effect on someone.
2. The MC should have consequences for his actions.
Steven’s message was what drove Spinel to invade Earth. Even better, this particular message is sent at the very beginning of the movie, setting off a bunch of plot dominoes that lead to Spinel finding Earth and Steven having to solve yet another conflict.
Everything your characters do should have a consequence. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, because that’s just how life is. We make choices, and whether we like it or not, those choices impact us and affect us in ways we can’t imagine.
3. Don’t push side characters aside after their character arc is finished.
It took Steven too long to remember Peridot, Bismuth, and Lapis after the original Crystal Gems were poofed. I felt they were pushed aside — they didn’t really add much to the story.
This is often the result of having too many characters and wanting everyone to be included in the story. Adding to that, I’ve seen side characters pushed aside in series like Keeper of the Lost Cities, and it’s not always a good idea.
4. On the same note, don’t write characters… out of character
People are probably going to disagree with me on this, but I felt that the Diamonds were just kind of clingy and overly excessive in the movie. After all, they were the main villains of the first 5 seasons, so this feels a little odd to me.
Of course, they are going through a lot of change, but this time it was a little bit too much. *shrugs*
5. Make your villains relatable
Spinel was so well done in this movie. I actually felt bad for her — I mean, I knew Pink was a terrible person, but wow she really sucked in this movie. It’s kind of amazing how different Pink and Rose are (yay character arcs!).
Moving back to Spinel, she had a great motive and her character arc was such an amazing ride. I really related to her as a character, and that’s a quality every great villain should have. If we relate to a villain, they become a reflection of us, in some way. Villains show us what can happen when we make the wrong choices. Spinel was just such a sad character and I was rooting for her redemption all the way!
Side note: the foreshadowing of Spinel was genius. When Steven’s message is broadcasted, there are a few seconds where Spinel’s garden is shown and I thought that was absolutely genius.
6. An ongoing theme makes separate stories feel more cohesive
The strongest running themes in Steven Universe (both the show and the movie) are love, friendship, and redemption. Every villain is redeemed, no matter what. I think this makes the show a lot more cohesive, but also makes the franchise more recognizable. It’s not a Steven Universe story if the villain isn’t redeemed or if a conflict isn’t solved through the power of love and friendship.
In short: a common theme running through a series makes them feel more put together and cohesive.
7. The missing piece
This is especially useful for books before their conclusion / finale. Having a couple of missing pieces before everything is tied together keeps your audience going. In the movie, there was one gem whose absence was particularly striking: Jasper.
After she was healed at the end of season five, she completely disappears from the scene. This leaves us questioning where she is and what she’s up to. I’m hoping she turns up in the next season, of course 😀
A different way to look at missing pieces, however, is character development. The movie makes it out that someone is made up of several pieces – events that they learned and grew from, that shaped and changed them. I think that’s instrumental to both character creation and development – what are the different pieces that make a character unique?
8. What is the MC’s misbelief?
In the end, Steven realizes that “happily ever after” doesn’t really exist and that the life he’s living right now — dealing with new threats, taking his mother’s place, and being the savior of the universe — is actually an adequate happy ever after.
He also learns the the world doesn’t revolve around him. I thought that was an interesting way to go — having him succumb to selfishness, then make his way back up again after he realizes this.
Steven also forgets how his past had shaped him. When he remembers this, not only does it come with a musical number, but it’s also a striking aha moment. This is always satisfying: watching a character overcome their misbelief.
Questions to ask yourself:
- What is the MC’s misbelief?
- How do they finally realize this misbelief is wrong? What triggers it?
- How do they overcome their problems using their new knowledge?
Bonus: Other stuff I enjoyed
- THE MUSIC WAS SO GOOD. I have been playing the soundtrack over and over and it’s beautiful, okay. I’ve also been listening to it as I write this post, haha.
- OPAL GOT TO SING AGAIN — that part definitely made me happy
- ALSO CONNIE AND STEVEN AHHH I SHIP IT
Summary:
- If you decide to employ a time skip, make sure to do it well
- Everything the MC does should have consequences, whether great or small
- Don’t push side characters away
- Make sure your characters stay in character, even after their character arcs
- Relatable villains are powerful villains
- An ongoing theme makes a series feel put together
- Leave loose ends / missing pieces until the conclusion / finale of a series so your readers keep reading
- Figure out what your MC’s misbelief is and use this to keep them from solving their problems and inner conflict
That’s all for now!
I hope reading my fangirling over this show and its movie was at least mildly entertaining. Have you seen this movie or watched the show? Listened to the music? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Make your mark,
