As today’s world becomes more welcoming to different varieties of relationships and genders, cartoon shows like Adventure Time, Gravity Falls and BoJack Horseman start introducing kids to the LGBTQ+ community. Rebecca Sugar is the creator of the show Steven Universe and many popular songs from the show. The interaction between characters on the show represents some form of family event that happened in Sugar’s childhood. Sugar also includes the queer community in her show because she herself is a lesbian. Compared to other television shows like Adventure Time or Gravity Falls, who also present LGBTQ characters, most Steven Universe characters have an identity that revolves around the queer community. Steven Universe not only brings up the LGBTQ+ community into the show, but its twisted plot, phenomenal music, character development, and its take on mental issues have spiked interest in many young viewers.

Steven Universe first aired on Cartoon Network on May 21, 2013. The plot circulates around Steven Universe, a growing teen voiced by Zach Callison. His mentors, the Crystal Gems, a gem rebellion group, and his dad raise him. Led by Steven’s mother, Rose Quartz, who is now deceased, the Crystal Gems protect the Earth from Homeworld gems who yearn to destroy it. The Crystal Gems are gender-fluid aliens, most of which came from Homeworld, the main planet home to gems. Homeworld is run by the Diamonds, the highest ranking and most powerful gems. White Diamond is the head, Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond are second commands, and Pink Diamond has the lowest ranking diamond. Their roles in Homeworld is to create more gems by colonizing other planets. Colonization is a long, extensive process that drains a planet of its natural resources to create more gems and leaves the planet with nothing but a broken outer shell.

This tense and creative plot line contains many twists, all while involving  LGBTQ+ relationships into the show. It presents all the gems as non-binary characters, even though they viewed as female by the public and are recognized as female by Steven. The show is a huge support for same-sex marriage as two of its most recent episodes, “The Question” and “Reunited,” made cartoon history by producing a same-sex marriage between two beloved characters, Ruby and Sapphire. The plot is great, but the music is even better.

The shows most popular songs were written by Sugar herself. The song lyrics help give a character more depth and help us, the viewers, understand their emotions and mentalities. One of the shows most memorable songs, “Stronger Than You,” is sung by Garnet, voiced by Estelle. When battling Jasper, a Homeworld quartz soldier sent to destroy the Crystal Gems, Garnet sings, “I am their fury, I am their patience, I am a conversation!” What makes the songs so amazing is the words “he” and “she” is never used when describing herself. Aside from these genderless lyrics, the background music has a variety of synths, keys, and strings. In another song favorite, “It’s Over Isn’t It,” Pearl describes her immense love for Rose and how Steven’s dad ruined their relationship by having Steven. Now “she’s gone” and Pearl feels left behind with Steven. In addition to Pearl’s saudade, Pearl opens up to Steven about her mental issues after fighting in the Gem War, a war between the Crystal Gems and Homeworld, which ended the lives of almost all the Crystal Gems. Even though this is traumatizing to Pearl, this is merely the tip of the iceberg compared to Lapis.

Lapis Lazuli, an aristocratic gem from Homeworld, has the darkest past of all the characters and can frighten young audiences. Lapis was caught in the Gem War, a war it wasn’t meant to fight in. Mistaken for a Crystal Gem, Lapis is imprisoned and left on Earth only to be found and released hundreds of years later by Steven. In the episode “Jail Break,” Lapis is forced into an abusive relationship with its capturer Jasper. Lapis is set free weeks later in the episode “Super Watermelon Island.” As Lapis becomes more welcoming towards Earth, Jasper begs Lapis to stay in the relationship, to which Lapis responds with a punch to his face. Even though Lapis retaliates with an eye-opening comeback, the mental issues and abusive relationship with Jasper can be too much for young audiences to handle and understand.

Despite the possibly over-bearing abuse subject, overall, Steven Universe is a must-watch cartoon. The positive feedback from fans greatly surprised Sugar. “I had no idea that it would connect with people on this scale,” she said in a Teen Vogue interview. With each episode ending on a cliffhanger, viewers finish wanting more. Secrets have yet to be discovered about who the Diamonds truly are, what Homeworld is, and what other secrets are the Crystal Gems hiding from Steven. Nonetheless, you can never get enough of “Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl and Steven.”