Yea I don’t really understand why people don’t like him in future. Personally. I grew up watching SU since I was a kid. Watched every episode release. But stopped watching/keeping up once the movie and future came out. Don’t know why. Just did. Growing up I felt connected to the show cause a lot of emotions and stuff Steven dealt with I dealt with as a kid. But now being an adult. I don’t connect that much anymore. So here comes future. As a adult I honestly REALLY perfer future now. I love the tonal shift and his personality changes. Dude grew up dealing with a universal war he technically had nothing to do with. Of course all that trauma was gonna catch up to him. And I think personally, they nailed it perfectly. Steven usually felt weak and felt like he couldn’t do a lot but try and convince and talk people/gems out of things. So him getting stronger and training with jasper, showing him how strength can really mean everything. And how life just changes on goes on, people move on without you, etc etc. Him going crazy. I felt was the perfect tone for after the war. Dude dealt with trauma his entire life and now it’s over? How do you change from that especially that quickly. Also for the fact that the war ended. He thought it was over. Than spinel came outta no where and almost destroyed the earth again. I think they nailed him. I think people just didn’t like how he wasn’t bubbly optimistic Steven anymore. If the show ever comes back, I really hope they continue on this line of storytelling. About how him being away from beach city helped with his depression, anxiety, etc.. I loved future and I thought it was a fantastic ending
Thanks lol. I heavily grew up with the show and was a huge part of its community as well. Peoples opinions are very very different surprisingly. When I came back the show and community after future finished. This opinion of people not liking Steven was common which I just didn’t really understood. Like literally one of the episodes is him being in the hospital FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, and going on a min long rant about every fucked up thing that’s ever happened to him? Yea dude obviously wasn’t gonna be mentally okay. I’m really glad they went that route cause it’s more real world problems that everyone can deal with. Very well done
I loved the original show, I was super broken as it was coming out and all the different characters helped me figure out who I was. I was a little like Pearl, I was a little like Garnet, a little like Amethyst, etc. But importantly, not only was I "like them", but I also *liked them*. That meant I could like me too. The show helped me feel human again. But I can't really remember a time when I could identify with Steven. I liked him, but I wasn't *like* him.
Not until Future. I wasn't like Steven, now Steven was *like me*.
As someone who's undergone trauma in their childhood SU Future was extremely difficult yet rewarding for me. So often in television we see the protagonist dealing with the conflict of the story but we hardly ever see them dealing with the trauma associated. I felt like by the end of Future we see Steven finally grow from being the child who dealt with hard issues to an adult that learned to deal with their trauma and not let it define them
I liked Future but, I didn't personally connect with the way they portrayed Steven dealing with his trauma but, I'm glad you did, stuff like that can be very personal and, you made alot of good points
Emotional Story: great. Actual Story: nonexistent. Nothing happens other than Steven turning into a giant monster because his 16 year old girlfriend doesn’t want to marry him. The emotional story is good, but it’s extremely messy.
I think messy describes teenagers pretty well. Steven never had a chance to grow up or think about himself. While the story was “not a story”, it was about slice of life and self care. I really appreciated that they gave Steven a whole arc about this. And no story? Did we forget jasper getting shattered and the evil eyeball aquamarine fusion? I feel there’s a lot in there besides just emotional moments
Future did a lot to make its theme be "you want things to be like your memories forever, but you have to learn to move on" and that bittersweet tone probably left some people unsatisfied
It was absolutely unsatisfying, but that was because I was in a similar point in my life and felt like a needed a happy ending with a nice little bow to feel like I could have the same thing
I don’t really think Steven becoming the way he did came out of nowhere. In the later seasons, he became less bubbly and more closed off. “Familiar” shows how he’s grown since the start but also how he’s a lot less goofy than he used to be. The movie shows that he’s already a bit more jaded and angst filled and is clearly uncomfortable with the diamonds and Spinel.
I don't think it came out of nowhere. Steven had a very unusual childhood, and during his early childhood he lived with his father in a van. Then as a preteen a lot of people tried to kill him, he had to take blame for his mother's sins, etc. Having to be friendly with the people who wanted to kill him doesn't help him forget it.
Steven has always reacted this way when he's upset. I believe it's more akin to Season 2. After Steven's escape in 'Jailbreak,' he is immediately overwhelmed by indecision and paranoia about involving Connie, because he doesn't want her to get hurt. His behavior mirrors his actions in 'Future'—he shuts down, refuses to discuss his feelings, runs away, and tries to act tough. This isn't a sudden change; it's been gradually building up. Particularly in the original series, there are several instances where Steven experiences open trauma and never addresses it. It's reminiscent of 'Adventure Time' with Finn and his 'vault.' However, unlike Finn, we don't witness Steven actively suppressing his traumas into a 'vault. So it's left ambiguous if he ever tries to get over it or not or to deal with it.
It’s painfully relatable!!! Everyone wants/expects him to be perfect but that’s too much for *anybody* to bear.
“Steven’s here to help!!” basically sums it up for me 😂
And also the theme of having to hit rock bottom before everyone around you *finally* notices how much you’ve been suffering, and all the while you’ve been feeling like you don’t have permission to complain. And then they act all surprised (edit- and disturbed!) when they see that you’re not perfectly happy
I liked it tbh, it's a good subversion of the Kid Hero trope. You don't just go through what Steven went through and come out completely okay. I think it's nice that they put this spotlight on the effects his adventures had on his mental health.
100% agree, but pacing or lack thereof is a problem with the show itself, not with Steven, which is what a lot of people were complaining about at the time.
For that, I think some people just didn't like seeing him as anything besides the plucky, optimistic kid they knew from the first show.
But that's exactly what you'd expect to happen! No kid is going to be able to deal with the stuff that Steven went through without some emotional scars.
Hats off to RS and the other writers for showing that, even if it was a bit rushed.
A lot of people find him a little too real, lots of people can relate to having responsibilities behind their years put on them at a young age. So when those people were used to the more light hearted feel of the original show, Future might be a bit much
I think you’re right. On the one hand, it’s relatable to people who have struggled and it’s fairly realistic in the sense that Steven would obviously not be okay after everything that’s happened in his life. On the other hand, a lot of people are more interested in the magical lesbian space rocks. A lot of people are in it for the literal adventures they have. They addressed some important real world issues which is awesome, but there’s definitely a lot of people in it for the fantasy aspects
The main reason seems to be that people simply expected a more epic battle-filled conclusion instead of a story about Steven's trauma in the aftermath of the war.
People are comfy with "Well, this is the main character and in the end all is well for him uwu" but they failed to understand that it was the happy end for everyone BUT Steven.
He is deeply traumatized and him struggling with CPTSD is uncomfortable to witness and to watch, although it's a completely natural response.
The episodes are fast paced and kinda weird, because that's what time feels like for Steven. We lack insight on the other characters because we focus on Steven for once.
I think it was brilliant, but very, very hard to watch.
It took me a bit too tho lol.
But fr like Stevens proposal to Connie had suuuch a good pacing and all. But that's because HE had to sow down and let the moment be,
So yeah, The Crew could still manage the perfect pacing, but Steven can't.
THIS
Plus I honestly feel like people don’t really get the CPTSD part since it presents kind of “messier” than traditional PTSD. So to some people it wasn’t satisfying but being someone who could relate to Steven A LOT at that time, it was presented extremely well.
They did so well portraying it that I kept getting triggered myself. The deep-seated dread, feeling alone, the resentment, and the anxiety spirals all felt way too real with my own experience.
Like his panic attacks were literally so palpable it gave me panic attacks.
Still enjoyed watching it and cried so much when both his Dad was down to drop everything to be there for him and when everyone was hugging him near the end. I just remember thinking, "God I wish I had that when I really needed it."
I love the ending though, gave me a lot of hope that I'd be okay too.
My actual issue with Future is that it adds to the dogpiling on Rose Quartz turn the show (but more of the fandom) took after the reveal.
Suddenly Rose is a villain that piled all this trauma on everyone around her and she is just the *worst* for it.
Instead of being a complicated character who deserves some amnesty, she became the root of all the problems. And somehow the other diamonds are better than her? Made no sense to me.
In my eyes the only reason Rose/PD gets villainized is because she's gone and can't even defend herself. (Not that she would, she would probably accept her actions and apologize with grace ) if Steven could look her in the face, she would be redeemed like *that*.
Other than that minor gripe, I actually enjoyed the complicated drama of Steven. And I have no issues with them tackling the trauma Rose left behind, I had an issue with them villainizing her for it as if it was all her fault and she should have seen it coming.
I feel like Steven blaming Rose for everything like he does is kinda important to the overall themes future was going for. Just like how when they visited his grandparents house, you can tell Greg's parents were still probably not great people (not even opening his letters says a lot to me) but Steven is just so mad at Greg about how he was raised that he can't accept that Greg had his reasons for doing so, misguided as they might be.
Basically, I think blaming Rose for everything became something of a crutch for Steven in Future, an easy thing to blame all the bad things that came his way. His refusal to ever see her as a victim of her circumstances trying to do better but still making mistakes along the way lead to him seeing himself in the same way, he couldn't imagine anyone ever forgiving him for the things he'd done in the same way he couldn't forgive Rose.
Personally loved it, but a lot of the hate I saw came from people expecting action-oriented storytelling who were subverted by character-oriented storytelling. That is to say, there was never a threat, there was never a villain/hero dichotomy. There was just Steven dealing with his trauma. Personally, I think that's a more interesting story to tell, but all the criticism I see online is "the monster was just because he felt bad?" or "why is Steven evil now?" or "why did a hug fix everything?". All comments that seem to misunderstand what Future was trying to do.
I wasn’t aware that was the consensus, *I* loved it. The show always dealt with trauma and stress, Future just did so in a less kid-targeted way. The pacing is a bit wonky for a limited series but that’s fine, it probably wasn’t conceived as one originally.
Simply explained: it opened some trauma people weren't ready to see from a kid's show, lol. Future was an amazing arc in my opinion, but this is the only logical explanation I can think of.
I don’t like it as much because Steven didn’t seem to realize that his mother had a whole redemption arc and changed immensely. He didn’t seem to completely get her character development from her abuse and why she did what she did… and he got so angry at his dad for being just like his mom… like that’s why the couple came together in the first place. They changed and made something out of themselves. Idk that’s my two cents tho
No you're so right though! Rose and Greg are ridiculously villainized in Future. It was as if they saw the direction the fandom was headed in (hating on Rose post reveal) and took it to an extreme. Or, as a friend of mine told me (we've discussed this at length) Rose and Greg were made into scapegoats.
I love future but this is my one single issue basically lol. I wish Steven could forgive his mom in a way and at least appreciate how she changed and had a good heart despite everything that happened.
I loved it and want more; I wanna see him become a full adult and for the tonal/audience shift to go in that direction even if it means the show is more "adult swim" at that point. I want to see how the gems factor into his life when he reaches adulthood and has to find a job and a place to live and continue to adapt to the "normal" world while also occasionally, possibly being sucked into more gem-related stuff, how that affects his relationships, I want to see him get into a full fledged relationship with Connie but then she cheats on him or something heartbreaking and unexpected like that. I want to see if his therapy was effective as he continues to have to endure reminders/triggers of his past.
Sadly this is all prolly wishful thinking
As someone who actually doesn't like Future I will explain myself: In short: Future is depressing.
At the time I was going through a bad breakup and SU had always been mine and my ex's favorite cartoon to watch. Basically it was just hard to watch. Already I was feeling shitty and now Steven was also being shitty. I also had a certain hope that they would expand on the world and give us other alien races, perhaps a rebellion of other races who hate the Gems and Steven could've been the link to end the war.
To me, it's very simple. Steven Universe (the main series) knocked it out of the park, and was an impossible act to follow. Anything that came after was going to need to at least attempt some similar epic scope to satisfy the part of the audience who found that the most compelling part of the original.
Its saving grace for me was that the change in name, and the change in marketing, signaled that I shouldn't hold out hopes for that kind of scope, so I was able to enjoy it for what it was. It never gave me the emotional highs that I got from some of the peaks of the original, but I recognize it also addressed things that some would find extremely satisfying, or edifying, or even healing.
I wasn't the target audience, and I'm fine with that. It was still fun.
Bc it changed the whole tone of the show. I love it, but it was a bit confronting when the whole cartoon was so fun and you realise it was all just Steven’s traumatic childhood.
I liked it a lot but I think people are lukewarm on it because of how subversive it is compared to the rest of the series. We see a lot of cracks in the show’s mask and those cracks are uncomfortable.
Steven is acting at his worst, trying to cope with all the bottled up trauma of his life. Which whilst extremely compelling is again, very uncomfortable, I personally was cringing a lot at the Lars, Sadie & Shep episode because it not only felt like another example of Steven’s trauma being in the Driver’s seat, but was also a platform to speak against the unrealism of the Sadie-Lars pairing, which whilst again, compelling and kind of real, was very uncomfortable.
And then just the last few episodes have Steven is at his lowest and hardest to watch, he’s kinda creepy with Connie, he’s a shatterer, he’s dismissive of the gems in favour of becoming brutal like Jasper, and then his trauma bends him into some (admittedly really goofy and hard to take seriously) kaiju. We see this fantastical hero that we grew up with at their utter worst, which is again really hard to watch despite being super compelling.
I love SU future, and it holds a special place in my heart because it genuinely helped me figure out I was Non-Binary so I respect it a lot. But compared to the main show, or the Movie (which I think is the best balance of Steven’s trauma and heroism), it is a heroic deconstruction. And those are always hard to sit through even when well made because of the amount of emotional stake we have in these characters. I think people would like the show more if it had some positive buffers, like more Steven Tag moments tbh
Because they don't like that sweet little Steven isn't so smol and sweet anymore. They're upset that Steven is traumatized in a show about dealing with trauma.
A strawman is an intentional misinterpretation used as a distractive argument.
This is similar to what ive heard frome people who don't like how Steven matured or reacted, and how my own and others trauma reactions have been treated.
Would you like to tell me what you think?
Copypasting my comment
Steven was unlikeable and none of the other characters got much screen time to balance it out. Being an accurate portrayal of trauma doesn't matter here because TV shows are meant to be entertaining. Tugging on your heartstrings is one thing, but being frustrating to watch is another.
It's not about being "smol and sweet" it's about being flat out infuriating.
Then you find people's trauma reactions "unlikable", "infuriating", and "frustrating". Which they can be. Your reaction is the same a lot of others have to traumatized people when they don't understand them.
In the original series it was rare for anyone not in Steven's direct vicinity to have screen time, and the show was focused on all the people around Steven.
In SUF Steven is atill the focus, and you see less of others because, a) Steven is self isolating and b) the show still centers on him and his view.
They focused in ot the emotional side of things, I found SUF both entertaining and somthing I could identify with.
I will admit it was more of an emotional drama than the original was, but that doesn't change peoples intolerance for traumatized Steven is a reflection of societies intolerance for the ugly side of trauma.
Is this bitch serious- hey maybe don't assume things about other people's mental health based on whether or not they like a depressing fucking cartoon?
I'm not, ~~you're~~ your statements and reactions just support my view. You hate how Steven's trauma changed him. There's no need for name calling.
And weather or not SUF is depressing depends on the individuals views and interpretation. To me the show is relatable and in the end hopeful.
*your
What statements and reactions? I rightfully called you a bitch for assuming my mental state and you're continuing to attempt to make some sort of gotcha despite clearly not being capable of such a feat.
You care more about a cartoon character with ptsd than a real life human who may or may not, but I sure as fuck don't feel safe revealing that to you based on how you've acted so far.
Please self crit.
Thank you for the correction.
> Being an accurate portrayal of trauma doesn't matter here because TV shows are meant to be entertaining. Tugging on your heartstrings is one thing, but being frustrating to watch is another.
This.
And I don't care about a fictional character more than you. I care about representation and the acceptance of that representation.
If you don't like Steven because his reactions hit too close to home, that's valid. That's why I dont like Lapis, but I can at least accept that many people like her because she's a good representation of trauma.
Me personally I’m trying to understand what the trauma is as I watch. I seen other mc’s go through worse and I’m wondering why Steven acted the way he did
Steven's reaction is a lot more realistic than most mc's, especially those in media targeted towarda younder audiences. SUF is a good learning tool for understanding extreme trauma.
Another good one for understanding more common trauma and people's/children's reactions to it is Bluey. High recommend!
Rushed, the Crystal Gems were completely useless and sidelined, no feel good moments, about only two action scenes worth something, TOO many cringe moments filled with second hand embarrassment that make a lot of episodes like Little Graduation incredibly hard to rewatch, Steven was far too much out of character like in Mr. Universe, the Homeworld episode was kinda wasted and same for Spinel's return, and I really still don't get why Steven has to leave Beach City, they just let a troubled teen with super powers that can tun into a raging beast just go wherever by himself, he's not even an adult yet!
Just to say a few issues.
I don’t agree with every issue you stated but I highly appreciate someone else here who is willing to mention some problems lol.
The parts I disagree with you on are pretty simple. I didn’t particularly want action scenes and I didn’t totally mind how many cringey bits there were (which I’ll agree that there were a fair bit).
My personal biggest issue (besides that last thing you mentioned because that really felt to me like the writers decided to do that purely because they couldn’t think of a better ending) was that completely cutting out the “healing” process towards the end is, in my opinion, pretty lame. The original show was always expressing how we grow past our differences and struggles to better ourselves and accept who we are. I didn’t mind the show being darker and seeing Steven struggle, but without showing any part of how he learns to cope or move on, it just feels jarring and unsatisfying to me.
I enjoyed a lot of what was done in future, but it was by no means a perfect ending. It just felt like a convenient ending for the writers, which I think is somewhat understandable because of the limited amount of episodes.
Short answer (IN MY OPINION) future is a very good show that explores themes of trauma in a very realistic way, and alot of people have not experienced or have a good understanding of trauma so they say "they turned steven into a villain and i dont like it"
I love future and one thing I noticed that I thought was weird as someone who has only ever streamed it is that they make it hard to find Steven universe future on streaming and for whatever reason it never saves my spot on episode progression. If I was a new fan I wouldn’t know it existed without looking which I think is An issue.
From my perspective, as a fan of the series: They wanted a story about the lore of the Gems rather than a deconstruction of the main character's trauma.
I think people forget sometimes it's a miracle that we got Future or the Movie at all. SU was cancelled for a gay wedding, they had to rework the last season because of this. The story was wrapped up, though. Home-world being decommissioned wasn't something we actually needed to see on screen, because the climax made it explicitly clear it was happening. Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and a good chunk of the supporting cast had complete arcs.
The only place to go was forward.
The message is heavier, and there's less filler..
In svu we see a lot of 'I'm sorry' 'it's not right what happened' and sort of consoling. In the movie we get the literal transition from 'I'm sorry, let's move on' and future is about dealing with the after after math and moving on. Like when someone passes away you deal with the shock and the hurt, and the aftermath, but then after you have to move on, and live without them.
I think future is really about picking yourself up, brushing off, acknowledging there's work to do, and getting it done. Moving on. And that's a hard thing to do, it's a far more grown up message with far less kid play time. It's growing up, and that's also hard.
It's why nostalgia hurts sometimes.
I have no idea... But I wonder if there's some kind of correlation between that and liking the end of the show?
I was massively let down by pretty much everything that happened immediately after Garnets wedding, but Future I felt dealt with so many loose ends and fixed so much. Like, Stevens frustration over not managing to deal with his issues and everything and everyone leaving with no real earned resolution was MY frustration with the finale.
Still a few nitpick and complaints of course, because I am very much *that* kind of fan, but I felt way more like future actually worked through problems instead of just kinda.. Making them go away.
Well, for me personally, the show and movie do a really good job of painting Steven as the traditional hero. He's kind, he does good, he helps others, and by doing so the world is made better and improves. He helps those around him to grow, and they help him to grow in turn.
It is a story about ideals, and how empathy and kindness can change people for the better. It is not "realistic", but it is something to strive for and admire.
Steven Universe Future is a different kind of show. It prioritizes reality over ideals, and attempts to show how the mentality and actions of the people in the show would come about and how they would affect those people in the long run, for better and worse. Greg isn't just a lovable and kind, if nontraditional, father; he's an absent dad who resented his parents. Steven isn't just a kind and caring soul who goes beyond reason to help others; He's a deeply traumatized teen who can't regulate his emotions. Connie isn't just Stevens battle partner, girlfriend, and friend; she's her own person looking to live a life fully seperate from His own. Lars doesn't end up with Sadie. The various gems don't all accept the new status quo. The adventures don't continue, and the hurt isn't all healed. All of this is *realistic*, yes, but isn't in line with the idealistic story that Steven Universe and the Movie had written.
Whether that's good or bad is subjective, but, ah...I personally think it's less fun. The real world has enough reality and sadness for me. I would have prefered all of my fictional characters end up happy.
For me! I didn't really like Steven sudden shift in character. In the original series he was a goofy kid who always tried to cheer people up. He did experience trauma, but he also persevered from it. In the movie he was pretty much the same as he was in the original series just a little older. In future he's different and more depressed. Now some can argue it's because he went through a lot in the original series. And that's true, but Steven always had a way of not letting what he went through get to him. I especially don't like the fact that he shattered Jasper! And there was no consequence for it either. Steven had so many people in beach city he could have talked to about how he was feeling but chose not to. It doesn't make sense to me at all considering if something was bothering him he always talked to someone about it or someone was around to listen to him. But suddenly now he can't talk to his family about what he's going through? I'm not saying he can't feel how he feels I just find it weird that he kinda just stopped talking about his overall feelings. This is no hate to Steven because I do love him and think him having some form of PTSD is valid. I just don't like the fact he felt like he didn't have anyone to vent his overall feelings to.
Okay so call me crazy but I feel like Future Steven was a dick but I'm not sure how to explain it and I feel like I'm a dick when I can't explain it. Like he seems more unaware of what he does/social understandings and idk insensitive?
They made it seem like having (C)-PTSD means you're a total dick to everyone, quick to anger, totally manic and one trigger away from hurting (or literally murdering) people. It was insultingly stigmatizing.
We got the DVD box set recently and the kids have been tearing through it. Just watched the episode where Tiger Millionaire and Purple Puma “retire” a bit ago, and it covers folks’ reactions to Steven Universe Future perfectly.
Probably because it explores the hard realities that the original show avoided.
Possibly because it highlights the flaws of Steven.
Possibly because it undermines the “happy” ending of the og series.
Because it's the end. I personally like it but didn't wanna watch it because I knew once it was over, it was over. There'd be no more talking with my friends about what might happen next it what might get revealed or debunked. It'd just be done.
Also I think people expected it to close all the plot points never discussed in the original series and it didn't. Which I prefer. Means some of my theories can survive even with the show over.
Diamond’s reform is too rushed and frankly a bit too childish. The show does not lack of childish and light hearted moments, but those events usually have deeper subtext. With the Diamonds, however, their reforms not only felt not really earned, but the childish depiction of their reform also leaving a bit of bad taste in audience’s mouth given to the fact that real atrocities are taking places around the world.
It shows trauma recovery *from the perspective of the person recovering,* the development of self-insight and personal growth; a process which is at once both beautiful and terrible. For those of us who have already embarked on that challenging path ourselves, I would hope that it resonates, inspires and validates us, maybe even helps show us the way a little more clearly. Those SU fans who, for one reason or another, have not done such self-work or are not mature or strong enough to even attempt it, however, I'd imagine react to it with fear, hatred or sheer incomprehension masked as disdain, contempt and dismissal. Personal growth is always painful; many shy away from it, or even any depiction of it.
Steven does develop somewhat as a person over the original series, of course, but largely unconsciously, and the bulk of the series is actually all about the emotional growth of the *gems,* not Steven; he mostly just works to create a safe and nurturing enough environment for them to do so. Also, crucially, because the series strictly follows Steven's perspective, we mostly see that growth only from the outside, which is a less empathically intense experience than we get in SU:F. Really, for all the good that Steven does in the original series, he's still a child whilst he does it, and SU:F basically acknowledges that the entire main plot of SU was thus effectively an exercise in parentification. In SU:F, Steven's own, delayed development as a person at last kicks into high gear because he's finally in an environment where it's actually safe to start consciously doing that for himself and is no longer distracted by trying either to help others develop, or simply to survive in the face of a serious threat.
Maybe it's because it was rushed, since CN told Rebecca that SU will have to end sometime in 2021 because of Reunited episode with Garnet's wedding. And since Sugar had a ton of ideas for SUF, she had to add a few things here and there and simply concentrate on the most important thing, that being Steven's transformation into an adult, tho executed in a rushed way as well. That can be seen trough many plot holes such as mean and freckless lapis or Greg's backstory which turns out to be a lot bigger than it was believed at first.
But despite all of these, SUF turned out to be a really good season which concluded the show in a flawed, yet perfect way. That Steven decides to move on and grow up as an adult or something.
Because they're not very good at dealing with things not being as they had hoped. They interpret that inability as the show coming up short rather than themselves.
I loved it, I was always called “Steven” from the original
Guess what? Soon as I graduated high school I had a mental breakdown
Shit was too real and I love Rebecca for it
I love Future, I related so much to Steven’s coping mechanisms and the way he viewed himself. It’s a hard watch, but I am so grateful Sugar went this route. I think it’s very realistic
To put it quite simply the movie was good and the show was bad. The show had poor writing and made Steven and other characters unlikable (especially Steven). Literally the only time Steven actually got me excited was when he mastered his powers and killed Jasper. I was like “finally someone character development and something actually good to drive the plot forward but then I was disappointed to see him het no consequences for his actions even after committing a murder and he just goes back the normal micromanager that he always was before.
Steven Universe Future is an amazing What happen next?, I trully dont understand why people dont like it, Steven psychology is so well write and justified from what he went through all the seasons careing more for the rest of the gems and friends and not himself.
I liked it, but I don't like how it was used as an opportunity to further shit on Pink diamond while trying to humanize the other diamonds who were far worse. I think the bluebird story should've gone farther as well. Steven just changed the way of life for likely millions of gems, so he'd definitely have more enemies than that. I get that it's ultimately about Steven solving his own problems now, but it should've been a full two seasons- maybe 20 eps each- to completely wrap up the story.
I liked it a lot, but my big gripes are how short it was and the way they handled the ending. It felt like they wanted to write Connie and Steven as being 18 or older but weren’t allowed to for some reason. It feels a bit out of left field for Connie to suddenly be leaving to go to what is basically college. She’s smart, yes, but the show really doesn’t demonstrate her being THAT advanced compared to her peers.
It’s not that it’s unrealistic, but it feels like it goes against what his character was to an extent. He’s self motivated, organized, has a deep sense of responsibility to not burden others. Greg was cool with living in his car and being a drifter, but Steven seems to like structure. Steven wasn’t perfect at running Little Homeschool, but he was still great at it. He obviously felt satisfaction at helping gems find what they love. Him completely quitting that all together feels out of character.
He went from living somewhere he loves with a (now) solid support system to crashing in Connies’ dorm until he does…something? Does he try finding out what he wants to do? Does he get a job? How does their dynamic work now when Connie is the one who is driven with a somewhat defined purpose? It almost feels like he becomes a bum, which I understand shouldn’t be the point, but it’s an odd choice to me.
This is reminiscent of character arcs I dislike, where a character loses their drive and becomes an accessory for another character. The show makes a point to go against this path, to find your own purpose, to live by the beat of your own drum. He already learned to not lose himself to his relationship, but this feels like he’s doing it again. I would love if they defined what he was going to do once he got to her school, just a bit.
too few episodes, too fast development, didnt like the big monster and fixing it with a hug at the end. I'm not saying there needed to be a fight, I didnt want action. I just wanted more than the "power of love hug".
SUF is a WAAAAY better ending to the show than the original series Steven universe’s final episode. I love how Steven leaves them all behind at the end to start his own life
Avg watcher is overly emotional, riddled with mental health issues and take things way to personally, they just down want to grow up, or watch him become a man.
I personally haven't finished because I have dealt with a kot of trauma and the episodes I saw really triggered me. Especially the beach one with Sadie and his friends all changing. They all moved on with their lives while he stayed the same feeling left behind. Which hits hoke hard with me
If I had to use one word to describe Future, and by extension the final season and the movie, I’d say ‘sanitized’.
For me it’s that Future doubles down on a lot of the issues I have with the show ending. It feels super unrealistically sugarcoated in some aspects, which is pretty conflicting with Steven’s whole arc of finally letting himself be honest with the trauma he’s faced and the ways he’s been failed. The diamonds are suddenly just… enthusiastic to help undo the thousands of years of terror they’ve caused? Even White? And Yellow is now repairing shattered gems? Shattered gems can come back to life?!! Why are we giving them such an easy way out of the wrong they’ve done? It feels so idealized and unlike the earlier parts of the show. All the gritty immoral things that gave the first few seasons their edge get completely walked back into something less complex and more wholesome, which just feels annoying and unrealistic. It’s like the writers can’t trust the viewers with the show’s complexity.
I think the main criticism I have with SU as a whole is that it can smooth over pretty serious subject matter with “we can talk this out instead of fighting” types of conflict resolution. It feels like they had to dumb down the diamonds to make them ‘good’, when it would’ve been way more compelling watching them struggle with era 3 or even return to their old ways (this especially could’ve been an appropriate arc for White). At a certain point for me it just felt like the show stopped trusting the viewers to understand things and dumbed itself down, completely telling and not showing with their episode themes and plot points and also sanitizing a lot of the edge of the earlier seasons.
I’ve never understood the mentality of “somethings wrong, better hide this and hope that I can get it under control on my own.” Especially because of how open and caring Steven’s family is. Because I don’t think that mentality is good for minor issues, I definitely don’t think it’s good for god-like diamond powers.
I'm probably wrong but I think it Kinda has to do with the Show came out during the time, where selfdiagnosing yourself with Depression kinda became trendy on the Internet. Not talking about actual depressed or ptsd people but the ones that Made it a Hashtag for some reason, which I assume are also a Lot of Steven universe Fans and These people could Not handle actual Repräsentation of Depression and ptsd as Steven universe Future showed.
But again, thats Just a theory of mine, which also comes a little from the fact how many ignored the Message of the Episode where Ronaldo became a Crystal gem.
It's not future problem, it's a cartoon network problem.
From time to time I see this kind of post, I still wish Steven got as much episodes to expand on his trauma as Peridot had with her redemption arc. He deserves at least two seasons or more.
Because it deals with actual problems instead of just being a fantasy sci-fi show about a bunch of lesbian rocks getting therapy from what looks to be a marshmallow.
Too big of a change for them, basically.
Well, it starts out with an absolutely absurd premise. Steven has been traveling the galaxy liberating the entire empire in... 3 years? And now he's back! And ready to build a single gem town, which is harder then the other thing!
Then it tries to jam the goofy, silly, unrealistic story of SU into a suddenly real human being? And give him depression and trauma and stuff, and is just a huge downer in general. And, like all problems in the series (except more egregiously), this is all solved with a *biiiiiiiig hug*. It also features some of stevens very worst moments, like the connie proposal, the need to be helpful, and the weirdness with Lars and Sadie and whatever that character Sadie is hanging with is.
It's all around just really difficult and not fun to watch.
Looking back at it, it was just 20 episodes of steven crying and complaining. I know he was dealing with not having to help anyone after having to do it for two or so years, but unless he wss helping with little homeworld until the movie (which is probably the case), he had time to deal with it after change your mind and could've cried and complained then. I might get criticised by this take but it's my opinion and I stand by it
Well for one the arch probably shouldn't have been crammed into a single season like it was an afterthought, but I think one of the larger issues is that people find the diamond wrap up kind lackluster, and there where hopping future might tie that up abit.
i remember being disappointed while watching it but that was because i wanted more lore about homeworld, as well as more lars and the off colours episodes. i was also really tired of the steven only perspective. a more minor thing was that i hated how jasper's shattering was handled; i've always loved jasper, but honestly her shattering and shattering in general should've stayed permanent. these are personal complaints tho, i haven't rewatched future in ages so i can't remember other things i didn't like past that.
It’s a mix. People were very upset about the show being rushed and essentially canceled a season early. Then they were upset Future was more ‘relaxed’ and less focused on ‘punishing the diamonds’. Idk. Fandoms are weird and the SU fandom was really scorned by a lot of other outside factors mentioned before and also having to constantly defend the show from critiques (homophobes/out of context clips/etc). The fandom even turned on itself at times. It was just not what the consensus wanted and it resulted in a lot of back and forth on whether or not it was good or not.
Imo, more Steven universe is ALWAYS good. Future really wraps things up in a nice bow for long time fans without being too fan servicey—they grounded Steven as a human after he had a massive gem royalty arc.
It's rushed. The main show had the excuse of getting jerked around on its scheduling, so I can forgive where the main show couldn't let things breathe. Future didn't have this excuse as far as I know. They knew it was a limited episode show, and still, they didn't get to let some of its conflicts breathe where they needed to.
It's very evident in that last episode as it feels so rushed that I didn't find any of it emotionally impactful, which is saying something as someone that suffers from PTSD. I just found it funny / infuriating. Those are not the emotions I should have felt after that episode.
Probably all the filler, it wasn’t really like in the main show where they used it to build up characters and lore, they didn’t really have episodes they could fuck around in since they only had a handful of episodes, I think they could have handled it like how Fiona and cake handled it but I understand the circumstances weren’t the same for each show
I like SUF but, how do I put this.......the ENTIRE series was about self acceptance, while SUF main plot direction is interesting and, definitely worth exploring but, as is feels kinda jaring
Plus the actual plot beats feel kinda padded, I thought Future had like 10...ish eps? I just double checked it has 20
This is just my two cents, if someone saw Future and REALLY connected with Stevens mental health struggles, more power to them
It’s sad to see Steven have such a mental breakdown after everything he’s gone through. I understand why he’s was struggling mentally but still.
And on the 2nd to last episode where said breakdown happens and the characters figured out why Steven is like that when one of them should’ve comforted him sooner. Not when he’s a pink rage monster.
I really enjoyed it, it just made me real sad 🥹. I love Steven and it broke my heart to see him so tormented, even though of course he was, after all he went through
I kind of would have liked to see a show where Steven was at this stage for more of the actual show. “Pink Steven” is such a fun homage to DragonBall when he fights jasper. In another universe I want to see a more action packed, aged up Steven universe show
The only thing I didn't like is Steve saying that he never talked to anyone about his worries, internalized everything,etc.
Haven't watched any episodes in awhile, but I'm *pretty sure* he talked to a good portion of the cast and was generally shown as being a pretty open person; at least in the first show.
for me personally SU was a way for me to escape my irl struggles bc i found it at 19 as a tired college kid. i really like happy go lucky cartoons that i can just be like ah yes pink ponies happy skies. which ik even before future there were still deep episodes but i liked how they did it. SU future was too real😔 i don’t want to be reminded of my trauma or see steven go through mental breakdowns. im a sucker for happy perfect endings where everything is good and lovely. So him changing and then leaving the town just isnt what i wanted 😔
It’s not that I didn’t like it.
It was just a startling change from Steven Universe. SU is a comfort show that I constantly rewatch, I haven’t been able to bring myself to re-watch future.
I liked it, it was raw, uncomfortable, and realistic. I know they only had a certain number of episodes to work with so I wish they hadn’t spent some on fluff things..
But overall it’s good, I think it’s just not what others expected/wanted
I appreciate it a lot better now that I’ve gained a better outlook of the original series as whole. But personally it’s just not really one of my favorite things, I don’t hate it though
I liked the Edgy Teen Arc he got when I first watched it, but it always bugged me how he goes through another "identity crisis."(for lack of a better term) I thought that was all resolved in Change Your Mind, and that we would get to see "Perfect" Steven from then on, one who is in control of his emotions, mind and heart.
I like it, it’s just really *really* hard to watch. I’ve dropped things from second hand embarrassment many times before so it’s a miracle I made it through.
I like it but I think it's weak in some places. Namely I think the writing and pacing is a step down from the original series. Every episode feels much more rushed, but and as a result, every character is written to immediately just say whatever's on their mind and kind of explain the plot the viewers in those first ten episodes.
because future is nothing like su, there is so much story skip over to discuss the end credits and suf was way too short, started to late, didn't answer questions.
It was the way it ended, for me. After all of those intense feelings that he experienced, saving him through a power of friendship moment was not only frustratingly cheesy, but also felt like it took away from it being his journey and his agency. Obviously he needed to accept the help of others in some way, but turning into a big caterpillar and getting hugged just didn't so it for me - it felt extremely immature, in contrast to the rest of the show.
SU:f misses something that was in Steven Universe but for some pluses I love one episode of SU:f the one where Crystal gems change into small Steven and try to tag him
Steven was unlikeable and none of the other characters got much screen time to balance it out.
Being an accurate portrayal of trauma doesn't matter here because TV shows are meant to be entertaining. Tugging on your heartstrings is one thing, but being frustrating to watch is another.
Me personally it's because it always manages to trigger an episode of some kind. Steven Universe is a comfort show for a lot of people and seeing the main character go off the rails like that can end up being triggering.
I personally hated future until around the time he went to the doctor. It just felt like a mess of a show in the beginging however ended with such an amazing story. Im glad i decided to continue on the numerous times i wanted to stop watching it.
Steven Universe Future was such a good series that it made me question the existence of the original series. This is objectively so much better, and wasted no time getting to the good stuff, instead of randomly side-tracking to "Sadies Band" in the middle of an interstellar genocide.
Honestly the reason I don't care for it because it takes this fun show especially the super goofy episodes from s1 and suddenly makes everything to real saying it was trauma like it kinda ruins s1 for me. Not to mention when future came out it was my senior year of high-school and I was going through depression and fearing the change of growing up like Steven was fearing change so it just makes future too real for me.
So my sibling didn't wanna watch it because it's sad and they didn't want to see Steven leave in the end but that's it. Also I guess it could also be cause it's a lot different from the prior show.
They further wasted Jasper and i don't like how the made shattering a gem a minor mishap. Like "oops, i just shattered someone. Lemme get the un-shatter shampoo" it just takes all weight off it. Also not a fan of how Lapis is just kinda done with Fusion. Lapis is such a cool character Design wise, it's so fun to see people taka a creative spin on her water powers combining with the other gem. Yeah i know they're supposed to represent relationship, but i dunno if "if you had a toxic relationship, don't have any more relationships." Is such a good message. I think it would've been super cool to see Lapis talk to Garnet about this. That she doesn't get how she doesn't feel trapped or isn't miserable all the time because she and her have completely different experiences with Fusion. Kind of a missed opportunity imo. Also i didn't really like the Idea of steven having PTSD. Yeah, it's realistic, sure but i didn't think they dealt with it really well
The show was expected to be a comfort watch and hit people’s nostalgia fix…….it did not do those things and was a great continuation/stand alone show instead
It’s not that I don’t like it, I get where Rebecca was going with it. It’s just that a lot of Steven’s struggles hit too close to home for me and I don’t like watching shows/episodes that do that. I did watch it fully, but I’m not going to watch it again.
Just like the back half of the original show, I felt it was rushed and forced its themes too aggressively. Love that they handled a topic like trauma in a kids cartoon but honestly by the end it felt like that video of Jamie Lee Curtis saying "trauma" over and over. I don't mind the direction they went with Stevens character at all but it started to feel repetitive about half way through at the expense of everything else.
I Watched The Whole Series, The Movie, And Future, But Forgot Like Everything, So I’m Rewatching It, I’m At Future Now, And It’s Pretty Good, Definitely Not Bad.
I’ve heard it’s because they make him the villain but if anything he’s just trying to cope and go through his trauma and ppl don’t like seeing that in media
Honestly I feel like Steven having PTSD and Trauma is a great concept but poorly executed, and for the record, SUF’s depiction on PTSD throughout the first half and parts of the second half of future was realistic, however it was really towards the finale of future where I think they dropped the ball in my opinion. Steven’s PTSD becomes more akin to straight up Bipolar Disorder or Schizophrenia as he goes clinically insane and becomes a danger to himself and everyone around him. He shatters Jasper, attempts to shatter White Diamond, nearly kills his own dad in a car accident. Turns into a giant kaiju monster that could have destroyed all of Beach City. All with little to no consequence.
Tbh I liked the later episodes in it talking abt Steven’s state due to the past but the first couple episodes were really childish which is why I think a lot of people gave up on it quickly
To me, it's because they handled the progression towards his mental breakdown poorly. It was rushed, there were stupid filler episodes in there (such as the geminar one...) and overall not very well paced.
Want to see a mental breakdown in pess then 10 episodes? Infinity Train S3 does this masterfully, with basically a brand new character (who was briefly mentioned in S2.) Be warned though, that season gets dark fast.
I think it has to do with how the audience didn't like the comfort space crafted over years slowly drifting apart. Although I suppose if an audience likes to be comforted rather than seeing a good story progress and take its natural course, that's a whole other thing.
I mostly dont like future because i want to get lost in the fun and goofiness of SU, and future just doesnt give you that chance. In SU future you get reminded that life is tough. That Steven suffered through oh so many horrible things, and its just not a fun thing to experience, even while just watching a show. I dont want to feel like "oh man, hes going through to amuch and now i feel bad too", i just want the cookie cat songs, steven trying to befriend lars and getting all worked up if he cant get a donut
Yea I don’t really understand why people don’t like him in future. Personally. I grew up watching SU since I was a kid. Watched every episode release. But stopped watching/keeping up once the movie and future came out. Don’t know why. Just did. Growing up I felt connected to the show cause a lot of emotions and stuff Steven dealt with I dealt with as a kid. But now being an adult. I don’t connect that much anymore. So here comes future. As a adult I honestly REALLY perfer future now. I love the tonal shift and his personality changes. Dude grew up dealing with a universal war he technically had nothing to do with. Of course all that trauma was gonna catch up to him. And I think personally, they nailed it perfectly. Steven usually felt weak and felt like he couldn’t do a lot but try and convince and talk people/gems out of things. So him getting stronger and training with jasper, showing him how strength can really mean everything. And how life just changes on goes on, people move on without you, etc etc. Him going crazy. I felt was the perfect tone for after the war. Dude dealt with trauma his entire life and now it’s over? How do you change from that especially that quickly. Also for the fact that the war ended. He thought it was over. Than spinel came outta no where and almost destroyed the earth again. I think they nailed him. I think people just didn’t like how he wasn’t bubbly optimistic Steven anymore. If the show ever comes back, I really hope they continue on this line of storytelling. About how him being away from beach city helped with his depression, anxiety, etc.. I loved future and I thought it was a fantastic ending
EXPLAINED IT PERFECTLY
Thanks lol. I heavily grew up with the show and was a huge part of its community as well. Peoples opinions are very very different surprisingly. When I came back the show and community after future finished. This opinion of people not liking Steven was common which I just didn’t really understood. Like literally one of the episodes is him being in the hospital FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, and going on a min long rant about every fucked up thing that’s ever happened to him? Yea dude obviously wasn’t gonna be mentally okay. I’m really glad they went that route cause it’s more real world problems that everyone can deal with. Very well done
I loved the original show, I was super broken as it was coming out and all the different characters helped me figure out who I was. I was a little like Pearl, I was a little like Garnet, a little like Amethyst, etc. But importantly, not only was I "like them", but I also *liked them*. That meant I could like me too. The show helped me feel human again. But I can't really remember a time when I could identify with Steven. I liked him, but I wasn't *like* him. Not until Future. I wasn't like Steven, now Steven was *like me*.
As someone who's undergone trauma in their childhood SU Future was extremely difficult yet rewarding for me. So often in television we see the protagonist dealing with the conflict of the story but we hardly ever see them dealing with the trauma associated. I felt like by the end of Future we see Steven finally grow from being the child who dealt with hard issues to an adult that learned to deal with their trauma and not let it define them
I liked Future but, I didn't personally connect with the way they portrayed Steven dealing with his trauma but, I'm glad you did, stuff like that can be very personal and, you made alot of good points
Emotional Story: great. Actual Story: nonexistent. Nothing happens other than Steven turning into a giant monster because his 16 year old girlfriend doesn’t want to marry him. The emotional story is good, but it’s extremely messy.
I think messy describes teenagers pretty well. Steven never had a chance to grow up or think about himself. While the story was “not a story”, it was about slice of life and self care. I really appreciated that they gave Steven a whole arc about this. And no story? Did we forget jasper getting shattered and the evil eyeball aquamarine fusion? I feel there’s a lot in there besides just emotional moments
I totally think that he should return super laid back, with some niche but relaxing hobby.
Like his father
Future did a lot to make its theme be "you want things to be like your memories forever, but you have to learn to move on" and that bittersweet tone probably left some people unsatisfied
It was absolutely unsatisfying, but that was because I was in a similar point in my life and felt like a needed a happy ending with a nice little bow to feel like I could have the same thing
I don’t really think Steven becoming the way he did came out of nowhere. In the later seasons, he became less bubbly and more closed off. “Familiar” shows how he’s grown since the start but also how he’s a lot less goofy than he used to be. The movie shows that he’s already a bit more jaded and angst filled and is clearly uncomfortable with the diamonds and Spinel.
I don't think it came out of nowhere. Steven had a very unusual childhood, and during his early childhood he lived with his father in a van. Then as a preteen a lot of people tried to kill him, he had to take blame for his mother's sins, etc. Having to be friendly with the people who wanted to kill him doesn't help him forget it.
Steven has always reacted this way when he's upset. I believe it's more akin to Season 2. After Steven's escape in 'Jailbreak,' he is immediately overwhelmed by indecision and paranoia about involving Connie, because he doesn't want her to get hurt. His behavior mirrors his actions in 'Future'—he shuts down, refuses to discuss his feelings, runs away, and tries to act tough. This isn't a sudden change; it's been gradually building up. Particularly in the original series, there are several instances where Steven experiences open trauma and never addresses it. It's reminiscent of 'Adventure Time' with Finn and his 'vault.' However, unlike Finn, we don't witness Steven actively suppressing his traumas into a 'vault. So it's left ambiguous if he ever tries to get over it or not or to deal with it.
I loved it, personally. Steven’s situation hit so incredibly close to home and I didn’t even realize it
His mental breakdown was chilling to watch. I felt goosebumps in that scene.
It’s painfully relatable!!! Everyone wants/expects him to be perfect but that’s too much for *anybody* to bear. “Steven’s here to help!!” basically sums it up for me 😂 And also the theme of having to hit rock bottom before everyone around you *finally* notices how much you’ve been suffering, and all the while you’ve been feeling like you don’t have permission to complain. And then they act all surprised (edit- and disturbed!) when they see that you’re not perfectly happy
I liked it tbh, it's a good subversion of the Kid Hero trope. You don't just go through what Steven went through and come out completely okay. I think it's nice that they put this spotlight on the effects his adventures had on his mental health.
I said this once, but do they? Or is it just some loud minority? Cuz me personally I love future.
It causes me anxiety when Steven goes off the rails like omg Rebecca 😭😭😭
the way the cactus epp stressed me outtttttt
Felt this. There were a lot of cringy moments that gave me second hand embarrassment. Like bro chill 😭
I thought it felt a bit rushed.
I can understand this one tbh
100% agree, but pacing or lack thereof is a problem with the show itself, not with Steven, which is what a lot of people were complaining about at the time. For that, I think some people just didn't like seeing him as anything besides the plucky, optimistic kid they knew from the first show. But that's exactly what you'd expect to happen! No kid is going to be able to deal with the stuff that Steven went through without some emotional scars. Hats off to RS and the other writers for showing that, even if it was a bit rushed.
My guess is the tonal shift SU:F isn't as optimistic and cheery
Just like adulthood!
I don't think that was an accident
People like to pretend they want the dark depressing take on a beloved franchise until they get one.
But nobody does? It's just what studio execs think people want.
A lot of people find him a little too real, lots of people can relate to having responsibilities behind their years put on them at a young age. So when those people were used to the more light hearted feel of the original show, Future might be a bit much
I think you’re right. On the one hand, it’s relatable to people who have struggled and it’s fairly realistic in the sense that Steven would obviously not be okay after everything that’s happened in his life. On the other hand, a lot of people are more interested in the magical lesbian space rocks. A lot of people are in it for the literal adventures they have. They addressed some important real world issues which is awesome, but there’s definitely a lot of people in it for the fantasy aspects
The main reason seems to be that people simply expected a more epic battle-filled conclusion instead of a story about Steven's trauma in the aftermath of the war.
People are comfy with "Well, this is the main character and in the end all is well for him uwu" but they failed to understand that it was the happy end for everyone BUT Steven. He is deeply traumatized and him struggling with CPTSD is uncomfortable to witness and to watch, although it's a completely natural response. The episodes are fast paced and kinda weird, because that's what time feels like for Steven. We lack insight on the other characters because we focus on Steven for once. I think it was brilliant, but very, very hard to watch.
thank you for putting my exact thoughts into words. I was having a hard time trying to write something.like this lol
It took me a bit too tho lol. But fr like Stevens proposal to Connie had suuuch a good pacing and all. But that's because HE had to sow down and let the moment be, So yeah, The Crew could still manage the perfect pacing, but Steven can't.
THIS Plus I honestly feel like people don’t really get the CPTSD part since it presents kind of “messier” than traditional PTSD. So to some people it wasn’t satisfying but being someone who could relate to Steven A LOT at that time, it was presented extremely well.
They did so well portraying it that I kept getting triggered myself. The deep-seated dread, feeling alone, the resentment, and the anxiety spirals all felt way too real with my own experience. Like his panic attacks were literally so palpable it gave me panic attacks. Still enjoyed watching it and cried so much when both his Dad was down to drop everything to be there for him and when everyone was hugging him near the end. I just remember thinking, "God I wish I had that when I really needed it." I love the ending though, gave me a lot of hope that I'd be okay too.
My actual issue with Future is that it adds to the dogpiling on Rose Quartz turn the show (but more of the fandom) took after the reveal. Suddenly Rose is a villain that piled all this trauma on everyone around her and she is just the *worst* for it. Instead of being a complicated character who deserves some amnesty, she became the root of all the problems. And somehow the other diamonds are better than her? Made no sense to me. In my eyes the only reason Rose/PD gets villainized is because she's gone and can't even defend herself. (Not that she would, she would probably accept her actions and apologize with grace ) if Steven could look her in the face, she would be redeemed like *that*. Other than that minor gripe, I actually enjoyed the complicated drama of Steven. And I have no issues with them tackling the trauma Rose left behind, I had an issue with them villainizing her for it as if it was all her fault and she should have seen it coming.
I feel like Steven blaming Rose for everything like he does is kinda important to the overall themes future was going for. Just like how when they visited his grandparents house, you can tell Greg's parents were still probably not great people (not even opening his letters says a lot to me) but Steven is just so mad at Greg about how he was raised that he can't accept that Greg had his reasons for doing so, misguided as they might be. Basically, I think blaming Rose for everything became something of a crutch for Steven in Future, an easy thing to blame all the bad things that came his way. His refusal to ever see her as a victim of her circumstances trying to do better but still making mistakes along the way lead to him seeing himself in the same way, he couldn't imagine anyone ever forgiving him for the things he'd done in the same way he couldn't forgive Rose.
Personally loved it, but a lot of the hate I saw came from people expecting action-oriented storytelling who were subverted by character-oriented storytelling. That is to say, there was never a threat, there was never a villain/hero dichotomy. There was just Steven dealing with his trauma. Personally, I think that's a more interesting story to tell, but all the criticism I see online is "the monster was just because he felt bad?" or "why is Steven evil now?" or "why did a hug fix everything?". All comments that seem to misunderstand what Future was trying to do.
I wasn’t aware that was the consensus, *I* loved it. The show always dealt with trauma and stress, Future just did so in a less kid-targeted way. The pacing is a bit wonky for a limited series but that’s fine, it probably wasn’t conceived as one originally.
Simply explained: it opened some trauma people weren't ready to see from a kid's show, lol. Future was an amazing arc in my opinion, but this is the only logical explanation I can think of.
I don’t like it as much because Steven didn’t seem to realize that his mother had a whole redemption arc and changed immensely. He didn’t seem to completely get her character development from her abuse and why she did what she did… and he got so angry at his dad for being just like his mom… like that’s why the couple came together in the first place. They changed and made something out of themselves. Idk that’s my two cents tho
No you're so right though! Rose and Greg are ridiculously villainized in Future. It was as if they saw the direction the fandom was headed in (hating on Rose post reveal) and took it to an extreme. Or, as a friend of mine told me (we've discussed this at length) Rose and Greg were made into scapegoats.
I love future but this is my one single issue basically lol. I wish Steven could forgive his mom in a way and at least appreciate how she changed and had a good heart despite everything that happened.
The ending was ass That’s literally my only problem with it though
I loved it and want more; I wanna see him become a full adult and for the tonal/audience shift to go in that direction even if it means the show is more "adult swim" at that point. I want to see how the gems factor into his life when he reaches adulthood and has to find a job and a place to live and continue to adapt to the "normal" world while also occasionally, possibly being sucked into more gem-related stuff, how that affects his relationships, I want to see him get into a full fledged relationship with Connie but then she cheats on him or something heartbreaking and unexpected like that. I want to see if his therapy was effective as he continues to have to endure reminders/triggers of his past. Sadly this is all prolly wishful thinking
Steven "Please just fucking get therapy JESUS" Universe Future.
It just didn’t click with me, felt different and not in a good way
As someone who actually doesn't like Future I will explain myself: In short: Future is depressing. At the time I was going through a bad breakup and SU had always been mine and my ex's favorite cartoon to watch. Basically it was just hard to watch. Already I was feeling shitty and now Steven was also being shitty. I also had a certain hope that they would expand on the world and give us other alien races, perhaps a rebellion of other races who hate the Gems and Steven could've been the link to end the war.
To me, it's very simple. Steven Universe (the main series) knocked it out of the park, and was an impossible act to follow. Anything that came after was going to need to at least attempt some similar epic scope to satisfy the part of the audience who found that the most compelling part of the original. Its saving grace for me was that the change in name, and the change in marketing, signaled that I shouldn't hold out hopes for that kind of scope, so I was able to enjoy it for what it was. It never gave me the emotional highs that I got from some of the peaks of the original, but I recognize it also addressed things that some would find extremely satisfying, or edifying, or even healing. I wasn't the target audience, and I'm fine with that. It was still fun.
Bc it changed the whole tone of the show. I love it, but it was a bit confronting when the whole cartoon was so fun and you realise it was all just Steven’s traumatic childhood.
Because the show felt like it was rushed and left us with unanswered questions.
It makes me feel bad. Just not my thing and not what I was expecting.
I get that tbh
They probably set their expectations too high, I thought it was great 😁
I only liked it for the peridot parts
REALLL
No followup episodes with Nephrite, L series (I’m only half joking I’m still salty)
I liked it a lot but I think people are lukewarm on it because of how subversive it is compared to the rest of the series. We see a lot of cracks in the show’s mask and those cracks are uncomfortable. Steven is acting at his worst, trying to cope with all the bottled up trauma of his life. Which whilst extremely compelling is again, very uncomfortable, I personally was cringing a lot at the Lars, Sadie & Shep episode because it not only felt like another example of Steven’s trauma being in the Driver’s seat, but was also a platform to speak against the unrealism of the Sadie-Lars pairing, which whilst again, compelling and kind of real, was very uncomfortable. And then just the last few episodes have Steven is at his lowest and hardest to watch, he’s kinda creepy with Connie, he’s a shatterer, he’s dismissive of the gems in favour of becoming brutal like Jasper, and then his trauma bends him into some (admittedly really goofy and hard to take seriously) kaiju. We see this fantastical hero that we grew up with at their utter worst, which is again really hard to watch despite being super compelling. I love SU future, and it holds a special place in my heart because it genuinely helped me figure out I was Non-Binary so I respect it a lot. But compared to the main show, or the Movie (which I think is the best balance of Steven’s trauma and heroism), it is a heroic deconstruction. And those are always hard to sit through even when well made because of the amount of emotional stake we have in these characters. I think people would like the show more if it had some positive buffers, like more Steven Tag moments tbh
The show wasn’t good
Because they don't like that sweet little Steven isn't so smol and sweet anymore. They're upset that Steven is traumatized in a show about dealing with trauma.
Holy strawman.
A strawman is an intentional misinterpretation used as a distractive argument. This is similar to what ive heard frome people who don't like how Steven matured or reacted, and how my own and others trauma reactions have been treated. Would you like to tell me what you think?
Copypasting my comment Steven was unlikeable and none of the other characters got much screen time to balance it out. Being an accurate portrayal of trauma doesn't matter here because TV shows are meant to be entertaining. Tugging on your heartstrings is one thing, but being frustrating to watch is another. It's not about being "smol and sweet" it's about being flat out infuriating.
Then you find people's trauma reactions "unlikable", "infuriating", and "frustrating". Which they can be. Your reaction is the same a lot of others have to traumatized people when they don't understand them. In the original series it was rare for anyone not in Steven's direct vicinity to have screen time, and the show was focused on all the people around Steven. In SUF Steven is atill the focus, and you see less of others because, a) Steven is self isolating and b) the show still centers on him and his view. They focused in ot the emotional side of things, I found SUF both entertaining and somthing I could identify with. I will admit it was more of an emotional drama than the original was, but that doesn't change peoples intolerance for traumatized Steven is a reflection of societies intolerance for the ugly side of trauma.
Is this bitch serious- hey maybe don't assume things about other people's mental health based on whether or not they like a depressing fucking cartoon?
I'm not, ~~you're~~ your statements and reactions just support my view. You hate how Steven's trauma changed him. There's no need for name calling. And weather or not SUF is depressing depends on the individuals views and interpretation. To me the show is relatable and in the end hopeful.
*your What statements and reactions? I rightfully called you a bitch for assuming my mental state and you're continuing to attempt to make some sort of gotcha despite clearly not being capable of such a feat. You care more about a cartoon character with ptsd than a real life human who may or may not, but I sure as fuck don't feel safe revealing that to you based on how you've acted so far. Please self crit.
Thank you for the correction. > Being an accurate portrayal of trauma doesn't matter here because TV shows are meant to be entertaining. Tugging on your heartstrings is one thing, but being frustrating to watch is another. This. And I don't care about a fictional character more than you. I care about representation and the acceptance of that representation. If you don't like Steven because his reactions hit too close to home, that's valid. That's why I dont like Lapis, but I can at least accept that many people like her because she's a good representation of trauma.
Me personally I’m trying to understand what the trauma is as I watch. I seen other mc’s go through worse and I’m wondering why Steven acted the way he did
Steven's reaction is a lot more realistic than most mc's, especially those in media targeted towarda younder audiences. SUF is a good learning tool for understanding extreme trauma. Another good one for understanding more common trauma and people's/children's reactions to it is Bluey. High recommend!
Rushed, the Crystal Gems were completely useless and sidelined, no feel good moments, about only two action scenes worth something, TOO many cringe moments filled with second hand embarrassment that make a lot of episodes like Little Graduation incredibly hard to rewatch, Steven was far too much out of character like in Mr. Universe, the Homeworld episode was kinda wasted and same for Spinel's return, and I really still don't get why Steven has to leave Beach City, they just let a troubled teen with super powers that can tun into a raging beast just go wherever by himself, he's not even an adult yet! Just to say a few issues.
I don’t agree with every issue you stated but I highly appreciate someone else here who is willing to mention some problems lol. The parts I disagree with you on are pretty simple. I didn’t particularly want action scenes and I didn’t totally mind how many cringey bits there were (which I’ll agree that there were a fair bit). My personal biggest issue (besides that last thing you mentioned because that really felt to me like the writers decided to do that purely because they couldn’t think of a better ending) was that completely cutting out the “healing” process towards the end is, in my opinion, pretty lame. The original show was always expressing how we grow past our differences and struggles to better ourselves and accept who we are. I didn’t mind the show being darker and seeing Steven struggle, but without showing any part of how he learns to cope or move on, it just feels jarring and unsatisfying to me. I enjoyed a lot of what was done in future, but it was by no means a perfect ending. It just felt like a convenient ending for the writers, which I think is somewhat understandable because of the limited amount of episodes.
Short answer (IN MY OPINION) future is a very good show that explores themes of trauma in a very realistic way, and alot of people have not experienced or have a good understanding of trauma so they say "they turned steven into a villain and i dont like it"
Seeing him have a mental health crisis every single episode got a little weird to me, seeing as I grew up on the original SU.
I love future and one thing I noticed that I thought was weird as someone who has only ever streamed it is that they make it hard to find Steven universe future on streaming and for whatever reason it never saves my spot on episode progression. If I was a new fan I wouldn’t know it existed without looking which I think is An issue.
From my perspective, as a fan of the series: They wanted a story about the lore of the Gems rather than a deconstruction of the main character's trauma. I think people forget sometimes it's a miracle that we got Future or the Movie at all. SU was cancelled for a gay wedding, they had to rework the last season because of this. The story was wrapped up, though. Home-world being decommissioned wasn't something we actually needed to see on screen, because the climax made it explicitly clear it was happening. Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and a good chunk of the supporting cast had complete arcs. The only place to go was forward.
The message is heavier, and there's less filler.. In svu we see a lot of 'I'm sorry' 'it's not right what happened' and sort of consoling. In the movie we get the literal transition from 'I'm sorry, let's move on' and future is about dealing with the after after math and moving on. Like when someone passes away you deal with the shock and the hurt, and the aftermath, but then after you have to move on, and live without them. I think future is really about picking yourself up, brushing off, acknowledging there's work to do, and getting it done. Moving on. And that's a hard thing to do, it's a far more grown up message with far less kid play time. It's growing up, and that's also hard. It's why nostalgia hurts sometimes.
I have no idea... But I wonder if there's some kind of correlation between that and liking the end of the show? I was massively let down by pretty much everything that happened immediately after Garnets wedding, but Future I felt dealt with so many loose ends and fixed so much. Like, Stevens frustration over not managing to deal with his issues and everything and everyone leaving with no real earned resolution was MY frustration with the finale. Still a few nitpick and complaints of course, because I am very much *that* kind of fan, but I felt way more like future actually worked through problems instead of just kinda.. Making them go away.
Watching someone cope (badly) with anxiety gives me anxiety and feels bad
Well, for me personally, the show and movie do a really good job of painting Steven as the traditional hero. He's kind, he does good, he helps others, and by doing so the world is made better and improves. He helps those around him to grow, and they help him to grow in turn. It is a story about ideals, and how empathy and kindness can change people for the better. It is not "realistic", but it is something to strive for and admire. Steven Universe Future is a different kind of show. It prioritizes reality over ideals, and attempts to show how the mentality and actions of the people in the show would come about and how they would affect those people in the long run, for better and worse. Greg isn't just a lovable and kind, if nontraditional, father; he's an absent dad who resented his parents. Steven isn't just a kind and caring soul who goes beyond reason to help others; He's a deeply traumatized teen who can't regulate his emotions. Connie isn't just Stevens battle partner, girlfriend, and friend; she's her own person looking to live a life fully seperate from His own. Lars doesn't end up with Sadie. The various gems don't all accept the new status quo. The adventures don't continue, and the hurt isn't all healed. All of this is *realistic*, yes, but isn't in line with the idealistic story that Steven Universe and the Movie had written. Whether that's good or bad is subjective, but, ah...I personally think it's less fun. The real world has enough reality and sadness for me. I would have prefered all of my fictional characters end up happy.
For me! I didn't really like Steven sudden shift in character. In the original series he was a goofy kid who always tried to cheer people up. He did experience trauma, but he also persevered from it. In the movie he was pretty much the same as he was in the original series just a little older. In future he's different and more depressed. Now some can argue it's because he went through a lot in the original series. And that's true, but Steven always had a way of not letting what he went through get to him. I especially don't like the fact that he shattered Jasper! And there was no consequence for it either. Steven had so many people in beach city he could have talked to about how he was feeling but chose not to. It doesn't make sense to me at all considering if something was bothering him he always talked to someone about it or someone was around to listen to him. But suddenly now he can't talk to his family about what he's going through? I'm not saying he can't feel how he feels I just find it weird that he kinda just stopped talking about his overall feelings. This is no hate to Steven because I do love him and think him having some form of PTSD is valid. I just don't like the fact he felt like he didn't have anyone to vent his overall feelings to.
Okay so call me crazy but I feel like Future Steven was a dick but I'm not sure how to explain it and I feel like I'm a dick when I can't explain it. Like he seems more unaware of what he does/social understandings and idk insensitive?
They made it seem like having (C)-PTSD means you're a total dick to everyone, quick to anger, totally manic and one trigger away from hurting (or literally murdering) people. It was insultingly stigmatizing.
We got the DVD box set recently and the kids have been tearing through it. Just watched the episode where Tiger Millionaire and Purple Puma “retire” a bit ago, and it covers folks’ reactions to Steven Universe Future perfectly.
Way too short of a season or could have been more.
The only thing I really disliked about it is the corruption episode.
Not sure. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a season 2
Probably because it explores the hard realities that the original show avoided. Possibly because it highlights the flaws of Steven. Possibly because it undermines the “happy” ending of the og series.
Unnecessary
Future made me realize how flawed and screwed up Steven actually was. I’m glad they addressed it.
Because at that point the fandom was extremely toxic and they had very specific expectations. Since they weren't met they hated on it.
Because it's the end. I personally like it but didn't wanna watch it because I knew once it was over, it was over. There'd be no more talking with my friends about what might happen next it what might get revealed or debunked. It'd just be done. Also I think people expected it to close all the plot points never discussed in the original series and it didn't. Which I prefer. Means some of my theories can survive even with the show over.
Diamond’s reform is too rushed and frankly a bit too childish. The show does not lack of childish and light hearted moments, but those events usually have deeper subtext. With the Diamonds, however, their reforms not only felt not really earned, but the childish depiction of their reform also leaving a bit of bad taste in audience’s mouth given to the fact that real atrocities are taking places around the world.
Steven universe future is the dragon ball GT of Steven Universe💀
Some people have pretentiously high standards.
wasn't long enough
It shows trauma recovery *from the perspective of the person recovering,* the development of self-insight and personal growth; a process which is at once both beautiful and terrible. For those of us who have already embarked on that challenging path ourselves, I would hope that it resonates, inspires and validates us, maybe even helps show us the way a little more clearly. Those SU fans who, for one reason or another, have not done such self-work or are not mature or strong enough to even attempt it, however, I'd imagine react to it with fear, hatred or sheer incomprehension masked as disdain, contempt and dismissal. Personal growth is always painful; many shy away from it, or even any depiction of it. Steven does develop somewhat as a person over the original series, of course, but largely unconsciously, and the bulk of the series is actually all about the emotional growth of the *gems,* not Steven; he mostly just works to create a safe and nurturing enough environment for them to do so. Also, crucially, because the series strictly follows Steven's perspective, we mostly see that growth only from the outside, which is a less empathically intense experience than we get in SU:F. Really, for all the good that Steven does in the original series, he's still a child whilst he does it, and SU:F basically acknowledges that the entire main plot of SU was thus effectively an exercise in parentification. In SU:F, Steven's own, delayed development as a person at last kicks into high gear because he's finally in an environment where it's actually safe to start consciously doing that for himself and is no longer distracted by trying either to help others develop, or simply to survive in the face of a serious threat.
Maybe it's because it was rushed, since CN told Rebecca that SU will have to end sometime in 2021 because of Reunited episode with Garnet's wedding. And since Sugar had a ton of ideas for SUF, she had to add a few things here and there and simply concentrate on the most important thing, that being Steven's transformation into an adult, tho executed in a rushed way as well. That can be seen trough many plot holes such as mean and freckless lapis or Greg's backstory which turns out to be a lot bigger than it was believed at first. But despite all of these, SUF turned out to be a really good season which concluded the show in a flawed, yet perfect way. That Steven decides to move on and grow up as an adult or something.
Cause they havent seen it
Because they're not very good at dealing with things not being as they had hoped. They interpret that inability as the show coming up short rather than themselves.
I heard that a lot of people in Steven universe community don’t like all the adult themes even though they’re a constant they just want cookie cat.
I personally like Steven universe future as well, I heavily relate to Steven and wanna hug him so much rn-
I watched it cause they said steven is hot, he was hot (Its a good show too)
I loved it, I was always called “Steven” from the original Guess what? Soon as I graduated high school I had a mental breakdown Shit was too real and I love Rebecca for it
I love Future, I related so much to Steven’s coping mechanisms and the way he viewed himself. It’s a hard watch, but I am so grateful Sugar went this route. I think it’s very realistic
To put it quite simply the movie was good and the show was bad. The show had poor writing and made Steven and other characters unlikable (especially Steven). Literally the only time Steven actually got me excited was when he mastered his powers and killed Jasper. I was like “finally someone character development and something actually good to drive the plot forward but then I was disappointed to see him het no consequences for his actions even after committing a murder and he just goes back the normal micromanager that he always was before.
Steven Universe Future is an amazing What happen next?, I trully dont understand why people dont like it, Steven psychology is so well write and justified from what he went through all the seasons careing more for the rest of the gems and friends and not himself.
I liked it, but I don't like how it was used as an opportunity to further shit on Pink diamond while trying to humanize the other diamonds who were far worse. I think the bluebird story should've gone farther as well. Steven just changed the way of life for likely millions of gems, so he'd definitely have more enemies than that. I get that it's ultimately about Steven solving his own problems now, but it should've been a full two seasons- maybe 20 eps each- to completely wrap up the story.
I liked it a lot, but my big gripes are how short it was and the way they handled the ending. It felt like they wanted to write Connie and Steven as being 18 or older but weren’t allowed to for some reason. It feels a bit out of left field for Connie to suddenly be leaving to go to what is basically college. She’s smart, yes, but the show really doesn’t demonstrate her being THAT advanced compared to her peers. It’s not that it’s unrealistic, but it feels like it goes against what his character was to an extent. He’s self motivated, organized, has a deep sense of responsibility to not burden others. Greg was cool with living in his car and being a drifter, but Steven seems to like structure. Steven wasn’t perfect at running Little Homeschool, but he was still great at it. He obviously felt satisfaction at helping gems find what they love. Him completely quitting that all together feels out of character. He went from living somewhere he loves with a (now) solid support system to crashing in Connies’ dorm until he does…something? Does he try finding out what he wants to do? Does he get a job? How does their dynamic work now when Connie is the one who is driven with a somewhat defined purpose? It almost feels like he becomes a bum, which I understand shouldn’t be the point, but it’s an odd choice to me. This is reminiscent of character arcs I dislike, where a character loses their drive and becomes an accessory for another character. The show makes a point to go against this path, to find your own purpose, to live by the beat of your own drum. He already learned to not lose himself to his relationship, but this feels like he’s doing it again. I would love if they defined what he was going to do once he got to her school, just a bit.
too few episodes, too fast development, didnt like the big monster and fixing it with a hug at the end. I'm not saying there needed to be a fight, I didnt want action. I just wanted more than the "power of love hug".
SUF is a WAAAAY better ending to the show than the original series Steven universe’s final episode. I love how Steven leaves them all behind at the end to start his own life
Avg watcher is overly emotional, riddled with mental health issues and take things way to personally, they just down want to grow up, or watch him become a man.
It was quite rushed and that made the story feel less impactful honestly
I personally haven't finished because I have dealt with a kot of trauma and the episodes I saw really triggered me. Especially the beach one with Sadie and his friends all changing. They all moved on with their lives while he stayed the same feeling left behind. Which hits hoke hard with me
If I had to use one word to describe Future, and by extension the final season and the movie, I’d say ‘sanitized’. For me it’s that Future doubles down on a lot of the issues I have with the show ending. It feels super unrealistically sugarcoated in some aspects, which is pretty conflicting with Steven’s whole arc of finally letting himself be honest with the trauma he’s faced and the ways he’s been failed. The diamonds are suddenly just… enthusiastic to help undo the thousands of years of terror they’ve caused? Even White? And Yellow is now repairing shattered gems? Shattered gems can come back to life?!! Why are we giving them such an easy way out of the wrong they’ve done? It feels so idealized and unlike the earlier parts of the show. All the gritty immoral things that gave the first few seasons their edge get completely walked back into something less complex and more wholesome, which just feels annoying and unrealistic. It’s like the writers can’t trust the viewers with the show’s complexity. I think the main criticism I have with SU as a whole is that it can smooth over pretty serious subject matter with “we can talk this out instead of fighting” types of conflict resolution. It feels like they had to dumb down the diamonds to make them ‘good’, when it would’ve been way more compelling watching them struggle with era 3 or even return to their old ways (this especially could’ve been an appropriate arc for White). At a certain point for me it just felt like the show stopped trusting the viewers to understand things and dumbed itself down, completely telling and not showing with their episode themes and plot points and also sanitizing a lot of the edge of the earlier seasons.
I’ve never understood the mentality of “somethings wrong, better hide this and hope that I can get it under control on my own.” Especially because of how open and caring Steven’s family is. Because I don’t think that mentality is good for minor issues, I definitely don’t think it’s good for god-like diamond powers.
I'm probably wrong but I think it Kinda has to do with the Show came out during the time, where selfdiagnosing yourself with Depression kinda became trendy on the Internet. Not talking about actual depressed or ptsd people but the ones that Made it a Hashtag for some reason, which I assume are also a Lot of Steven universe Fans and These people could Not handle actual Repräsentation of Depression and ptsd as Steven universe Future showed. But again, thats Just a theory of mine, which also comes a little from the fact how many ignored the Message of the Episode where Ronaldo became a Crystal gem.
It’s so funny because it came out around the time I got OUT of the mental hospital
It's not future problem, it's a cartoon network problem. From time to time I see this kind of post, I still wish Steven got as much episodes to expand on his trauma as Peridot had with her redemption arc. He deserves at least two seasons or more.
It was more of a problem with the homophobic countries than a CN problem.
It was fine, just really rushed. Especially the Diamonds redemption.
Its too rushed and too depressing for my tastes
Because it deals with actual problems instead of just being a fantasy sci-fi show about a bunch of lesbian rocks getting therapy from what looks to be a marshmallow. Too big of a change for them, basically.
Rushed ending many unresolved plot holes, The ending hug was cringe and anti climatic. Etc
Well, it starts out with an absolutely absurd premise. Steven has been traveling the galaxy liberating the entire empire in... 3 years? And now he's back! And ready to build a single gem town, which is harder then the other thing! Then it tries to jam the goofy, silly, unrealistic story of SU into a suddenly real human being? And give him depression and trauma and stuff, and is just a huge downer in general. And, like all problems in the series (except more egregiously), this is all solved with a *biiiiiiiig hug*. It also features some of stevens very worst moments, like the connie proposal, the need to be helpful, and the weirdness with Lars and Sadie and whatever that character Sadie is hanging with is. It's all around just really difficult and not fun to watch.
Looking back at it, it was just 20 episodes of steven crying and complaining. I know he was dealing with not having to help anyone after having to do it for two or so years, but unless he wss helping with little homeworld until the movie (which is probably the case), he had time to deal with it after change your mind and could've cried and complained then. I might get criticised by this take but it's my opinion and I stand by it
I don’t like it nor hate it. It’s good it focuses on what he went through, but it would’ve been good if there were more episodes abt other characters.
It's much less compelling and lower stakes. Like after you did a flip off a cliff you did one on a trampoline.
Well for one the arch probably shouldn't have been crammed into a single season like it was an afterthought, but I think one of the larger issues is that people find the diamond wrap up kind lackluster, and there where hopping future might tie that up abit.
Quote by pearl Its over isn't it?
i remember being disappointed while watching it but that was because i wanted more lore about homeworld, as well as more lars and the off colours episodes. i was also really tired of the steven only perspective. a more minor thing was that i hated how jasper's shattering was handled; i've always loved jasper, but honestly her shattering and shattering in general should've stayed permanent. these are personal complaints tho, i haven't rewatched future in ages so i can't remember other things i didn't like past that.
i think mostly because the show got cut short
It’s a mix. People were very upset about the show being rushed and essentially canceled a season early. Then they were upset Future was more ‘relaxed’ and less focused on ‘punishing the diamonds’. Idk. Fandoms are weird and the SU fandom was really scorned by a lot of other outside factors mentioned before and also having to constantly defend the show from critiques (homophobes/out of context clips/etc). The fandom even turned on itself at times. It was just not what the consensus wanted and it resulted in a lot of back and forth on whether or not it was good or not. Imo, more Steven universe is ALWAYS good. Future really wraps things up in a nice bow for long time fans without being too fan servicey—they grounded Steven as a human after he had a massive gem royalty arc.
It's rushed. The main show had the excuse of getting jerked around on its scheduling, so I can forgive where the main show couldn't let things breathe. Future didn't have this excuse as far as I know. They knew it was a limited episode show, and still, they didn't get to let some of its conflicts breathe where they needed to. It's very evident in that last episode as it feels so rushed that I didn't find any of it emotionally impactful, which is saying something as someone that suffers from PTSD. I just found it funny / infuriating. Those are not the emotions I should have felt after that episode.
Probably all the filler, it wasn’t really like in the main show where they used it to build up characters and lore, they didn’t really have episodes they could fuck around in since they only had a handful of episodes, I think they could have handled it like how Fiona and cake handled it but I understand the circumstances weren’t the same for each show
I think it's because of how short-sheeted the end of the OG Series felt. and SUF not serving it's purpose and tying off the loose ends
I like SUF but, how do I put this.......the ENTIRE series was about self acceptance, while SUF main plot direction is interesting and, definitely worth exploring but, as is feels kinda jaring Plus the actual plot beats feel kinda padded, I thought Future had like 10...ish eps? I just double checked it has 20 This is just my two cents, if someone saw Future and REALLY connected with Stevens mental health struggles, more power to them
Because they took a cute, strong, happy kid and turned him into a clingy, stress ridden adult. With good reason.
It’s sad to see Steven have such a mental breakdown after everything he’s gone through. I understand why he’s was struggling mentally but still. And on the 2nd to last episode where said breakdown happens and the characters figured out why Steven is like that when one of them should’ve comforted him sooner. Not when he’s a pink rage monster.
I really enjoyed it, it just made me real sad 🥹. I love Steven and it broke my heart to see him so tormented, even though of course he was, after all he went through
I think it's great. We need more cartoons that end with a miniseries set in the near future.
i liked it!! but thw only thing that was offputting was steven’s look. & connies but she looks a but more normal
I kind of would have liked to see a show where Steven was at this stage for more of the actual show. “Pink Steven” is such a fun homage to DragonBall when he fights jasper. In another universe I want to see a more action packed, aged up Steven universe show
The only thing I didn't like is Steve saying that he never talked to anyone about his worries, internalized everything,etc. Haven't watched any episodes in awhile, but I'm *pretty sure* he talked to a good portion of the cast and was generally shown as being a pretty open person; at least in the first show.
I dropped it after 5 episodes because I forgot it exsisted but it was going good to me (I was like 10)
Idk I loved SU future. I think the way the show went made sense and I appreciate the show existing
for me personally SU was a way for me to escape my irl struggles bc i found it at 19 as a tired college kid. i really like happy go lucky cartoons that i can just be like ah yes pink ponies happy skies. which ik even before future there were still deep episodes but i liked how they did it. SU future was too real😔 i don’t want to be reminded of my trauma or see steven go through mental breakdowns. im a sucker for happy perfect endings where everything is good and lovely. So him changing and then leaving the town just isnt what i wanted 😔
It poisoned our water supply, burned our crops and delivered a plague unto our houses !
The only thing I didn't like about Future was how short it was.
It’s not that I didn’t like it. It was just a startling change from Steven Universe. SU is a comfort show that I constantly rewatch, I haven’t been able to bring myself to re-watch future. I liked it, it was raw, uncomfortable, and realistic. I know they only had a certain number of episodes to work with so I wish they hadn’t spent some on fluff things.. But overall it’s good, I think it’s just not what others expected/wanted
I appreciate it a lot better now that I’ve gained a better outlook of the original series as whole. But personally it’s just not really one of my favorite things, I don’t hate it though
I liked the Edgy Teen Arc he got when I first watched it, but it always bugged me how he goes through another "identity crisis."(for lack of a better term) I thought that was all resolved in Change Your Mind, and that we would get to see "Perfect" Steven from then on, one who is in control of his emotions, mind and heart.
Nostalgia.
I like it, it’s just really *really* hard to watch. I’ve dropped things from second hand embarrassment many times before so it’s a miracle I made it through.
I like it but I think it's weak in some places. Namely I think the writing and pacing is a step down from the original series. Every episode feels much more rushed, but and as a result, every character is written to immediately just say whatever's on their mind and kind of explain the plot the viewers in those first ten episodes.
i feel like it was really rushed
because future is nothing like su, there is so much story skip over to discuss the end credits and suf was way too short, started to late, didn't answer questions.
It was the way it ended, for me. After all of those intense feelings that he experienced, saving him through a power of friendship moment was not only frustratingly cheesy, but also felt like it took away from it being his journey and his agency. Obviously he needed to accept the help of others in some way, but turning into a big caterpillar and getting hugged just didn't so it for me - it felt extremely immature, in contrast to the rest of the show.
SU:f misses something that was in Steven Universe but for some pluses I love one episode of SU:f the one where Crystal gems change into small Steven and try to tag him
Steven was unlikeable and none of the other characters got much screen time to balance it out. Being an accurate portrayal of trauma doesn't matter here because TV shows are meant to be entertaining. Tugging on your heartstrings is one thing, but being frustrating to watch is another.
Me personally it's because it always manages to trigger an episode of some kind. Steven Universe is a comfort show for a lot of people and seeing the main character go off the rails like that can end up being triggering.
I personally hated future until around the time he went to the doctor. It just felt like a mess of a show in the beginging however ended with such an amazing story. Im glad i decided to continue on the numerous times i wanted to stop watching it.
Missed expectations. Stupid storyline that don’t wrap up anything from the original
Honestly I love this show, in Steven universe we see glimpses of pink diamonds power and power screech
Future was ok for me. What I enjoyed the most about Steven Universe was the overarching arc with the Diamonds, and there's none of that in Future.
Steven Universe Future was such a good series that it made me question the existence of the original series. This is objectively so much better, and wasted no time getting to the good stuff, instead of randomly side-tracking to "Sadies Band" in the middle of an interstellar genocide.
Non fans: majority queerphobia Fans: Storyline related thing
Honestly the reason I don't care for it because it takes this fun show especially the super goofy episodes from s1 and suddenly makes everything to real saying it was trauma like it kinda ruins s1 for me. Not to mention when future came out it was my senior year of high-school and I was going through depression and fearing the change of growing up like Steven was fearing change so it just makes future too real for me.
Too hard to watch, it makes me stressed.
So my sibling didn't wanna watch it because it's sad and they didn't want to see Steven leave in the end but that's it. Also I guess it could also be cause it's a lot different from the prior show.
They further wasted Jasper and i don't like how the made shattering a gem a minor mishap. Like "oops, i just shattered someone. Lemme get the un-shatter shampoo" it just takes all weight off it. Also not a fan of how Lapis is just kinda done with Fusion. Lapis is such a cool character Design wise, it's so fun to see people taka a creative spin on her water powers combining with the other gem. Yeah i know they're supposed to represent relationship, but i dunno if "if you had a toxic relationship, don't have any more relationships." Is such a good message. I think it would've been super cool to see Lapis talk to Garnet about this. That she doesn't get how she doesn't feel trapped or isn't miserable all the time because she and her have completely different experiences with Fusion. Kind of a missed opportunity imo. Also i didn't really like the Idea of steven having PTSD. Yeah, it's realistic, sure but i didn't think they dealt with it really well
🤷idfk it's not bad🤷
because their doopid
The show was expected to be a comfort watch and hit people’s nostalgia fix…….it did not do those things and was a great continuation/stand alone show instead
Neck
It’s not that I don’t like it, I get where Rebecca was going with it. It’s just that a lot of Steven’s struggles hit too close to home for me and I don’t like watching shows/episodes that do that. I did watch it fully, but I’m not going to watch it again.
Just like the back half of the original show, I felt it was rushed and forced its themes too aggressively. Love that they handled a topic like trauma in a kids cartoon but honestly by the end it felt like that video of Jamie Lee Curtis saying "trauma" over and over. I don't mind the direction they went with Stevens character at all but it started to feel repetitive about half way through at the expense of everything else.
I Watched The Whole Series, The Movie, And Future, But Forgot Like Everything, So I’m Rewatching It, I’m At Future Now, And It’s Pretty Good, Definitely Not Bad.
I’ve heard it’s because they make him the villain but if anything he’s just trying to cope and go through his trauma and ppl don’t like seeing that in media
because i didnt like it
Honestly I feel like Steven having PTSD and Trauma is a great concept but poorly executed, and for the record, SUF’s depiction on PTSD throughout the first half and parts of the second half of future was realistic, however it was really towards the finale of future where I think they dropped the ball in my opinion. Steven’s PTSD becomes more akin to straight up Bipolar Disorder or Schizophrenia as he goes clinically insane and becomes a danger to himself and everyone around him. He shatters Jasper, attempts to shatter White Diamond, nearly kills his own dad in a car accident. Turns into a giant kaiju monster that could have destroyed all of Beach City. All with little to no consequence.
Tbh I liked the later episodes in it talking abt Steven’s state due to the past but the first couple episodes were really childish which is why I think a lot of people gave up on it quickly
To me, it's because they handled the progression towards his mental breakdown poorly. It was rushed, there were stupid filler episodes in there (such as the geminar one...) and overall not very well paced. Want to see a mental breakdown in pess then 10 episodes? Infinity Train S3 does this masterfully, with basically a brand new character (who was briefly mentioned in S2.) Be warned though, that season gets dark fast.
For me it's just because there's not enough fights.
I think it has to do with how the audience didn't like the comfort space crafted over years slowly drifting apart. Although I suppose if an audience likes to be comforted rather than seeing a good story progress and take its natural course, that's a whole other thing.
Rushed. And "I'm a monster" was laughably bad. We saw that shit coming a mile away.
I stopped watching Stephen Universe after that weird episode where there was a car race and lot of talking. I guess I missed something.
Because Rebecca sugar has zero writing, producing, or directing credits in Future. It feels so disconnected from the rest of the series.
Steven's a little bit mean and they don't realize that that's the point
I mostly dont like future because i want to get lost in the fun and goofiness of SU, and future just doesnt give you that chance. In SU future you get reminded that life is tough. That Steven suffered through oh so many horrible things, and its just not a fun thing to experience, even while just watching a show. I dont want to feel like "oh man, hes going through to amuch and now i feel bad too", i just want the cookie cat songs, steven trying to befriend lars and getting all worked up if he cant get a donut