American animator, screenwriter, producer, singer, and songwriter Rebecca Sugar has added another success to her list when she wrote and directed “Steven Universe: The Movie.” Following the series “Steven Universe”, an animated show focusing on the life and challenges of a team of magical, humanoid alien gems and their half-gem half-boy leader. the movie is a fun, compassionate, and entertaining film to watch while invoking a more profound feeling.

“Steven Universe: The Movie” takes place after the fifth season of its 2013 series. After Steven Universe (Zach Callison) finally ends the hostile relationship between the diamonds of the Gem homeworld and Earth with the help of the Crystal Gems; Garnet (Estelle), Amethyst (Michaela Dietz), and Pearl (Deedee Magno); he heads back home to continue his efforts to restore peace. Unfortunately, the fight for peace never stops. Steven learns this when a mysterious new gem named Spinel (Sarah Stiles) comes to Earth to kill him and the planet. Steven and the Crystal Gems must find a way past all the obstacles thrown at them and stop her.

“Steven Universe: The Movie” was seen by 1.57 million viewers on its premiere date. This is not surprising based on the quality of this movie. With its runtime of 88 minutes, the beginning of the movie is clear and moves quickly into the plot without rushing the events, keeping us entertained right from the start. We really see how all the characters have dealt with the end of the war and the impact the two enemies-turned-allies have had on each other, leading to new developments that translate to the fight further into the movie. Another factor in portraying the current events as well as they did was that they stuck to the base elements of each characters while really letting all of their carefully cultivated development show. This is a very important piece of any show, especially this one. With the deep emotional connections that this franchise has reached in and out of the show, it’s good to see that it kept improving. The characters made me cry, and laugh, and fill with satisfaction with all the things they have learned and accepted. Such as when Steven learned the cause of Spinel’s attack, he wasn’t surprised by the root of the problem, he just continued moving forward trying to fix it. This strengthened my love for series even more.

A key factor in the identity of Steven Universe is its musical prowess. In this musical, the songs put us right in the middle of the events that are occuring. It gives a clear message of how the characters are feeling, complicated or simple, for the viewers. As well as a fun way to way to learn what the Crystal Gems have been up to. Not to mention the sound of the music itself. All the songs were catchy and melodious, luring you to the edge of your seat by hearing the emotion in their voices. By combining these tones with some of the key scenes in the musical everything just comes together as a masterpiece.

The most significant part of Steven Universe is the lessons you learn from it. The movie has stayed true to that trend. The series started off being recognized as the most progressive animated show on cartoon network for LGBTQ+ rights, but it also taught its viewers about personal identity, acceptance and growth. The entire point of the movie was to restate that no matter what happens in your life, you can always change and grow into a better version of yourself. In this day and age, where adolescents constantly feel like they’re being tested and judged to live up to expectations, this is a very important lesson. It makes “Steven Universe: The Movie” ten times better. I give this movie a solid A+.