Steven UnIVerse: 4shadowing

[DigoDragon]

While I agree, I don't think he so much gave up his dream as chose a better one.

Fair enough. Though hanging out with the Gems is probably more stressful than the life of a rock star. ;)

[Rater202]

Don't have a barn full of interesting junk though. I'd totally want one.

Can have lot's of fun with one of those.

Isn't Greg also fabulously wealthy (or at least was)? He hardly got the short end of the stick here.

That's a recent thing--he only got his ten million Dollar Royalty Check at the beginning of the Summer Adventures Bomb(and only because Marty was legally obligated to give it to him.) Prior to then he was either mooching or begging, or living off of his paycheck/profits from the carwash, with the implication being that most of his money went to making sure Steven had food, books, and toys.

[random11]

Recently started to watch the show.
Since I'm only getting close to the end of the first season, I'll probably not join this thread to avoid spoilers, but I just had to ask two questions:

1) Why didn't we have shows like this when I was a kid?
2) I won't say every episode is perfect, but in most of them they manage to insert a complete short story, character development, and/or world building element in only 10 minutes, and it usually doesn't feel rushed.
HOW?!

Really impressed with this show so far.

[Professor Gnoll]

Recently started to watch the show.
Since I'm only getting close to the end of the first season, I'll probably not join this thread to avoid spoilers, but I just had to ask two questions:

1) Why didn't we have shows like this when I was a kid?
2) I won't say every episode is perfect, but in most of them they manage to insert a complete short story, character development, and/or world building element in only 10 minutes, and it usually doesn't feel rushed.
HOW?!

Really impressed with this show so far.

The key largely seems to be a high level of artist control rather than studio control combined with a genuine passion for the show that the creators put into every episode. So instead of being a production made purely for the money by a studio executive, it's made by artists who want to make something good.

[DigoDragon]

Can have lot's of fun with one of those.

Pshaw, I'd have my own Robot Wars thing going on. :D

with the implication being that most of his money went to making sure Steven had food, books, and toys.

A quality of parenting done right in my opinion. Though really the most important part is spending time with Steven. And I love how understanding Greg is, being patient with his son and trying to explain things in a way that isn't babying him.

[Rater202]

A quality of parenting done right in my opinion. Though really the most important part is spending time with Steven. And I love how understanding Greg is, being patient with his son and trying to explain things in a way that isn't babying him.

I'd said it before, but Greg is doing very, very well by Cartoon Standards.

He loves Steven unconditionally("I'm a monster!" "No your not, your my son!") and is always there when Steven needs him. He's at about average intelligence or greater, which doen'st sound like much but, well, you've seen most Cartoon Dads.

Off the top of your head, name two other cartoon dads who have all three of those things going for them. Bet you can't

[DigoDragon]

well, you've seen most Cartoon Dads.

The one thing I fault World of Gumball for is that their dad is an idiot. If he were just quirky instead of dumb, it would be a fantastic silly show.

Off the top of your head, name two other cartoon dads who have all three of those things going for them. Bet you can't

It is a really limited list. The dads that come close to Greg would probably be Professor Utonium, Stu Pickles, and... maybe Bob Belcher? (I've only seen 2 episodes of Bob's burgers and he seemed pretty decent father in those).

[Keltest]

The one thing I fault World of Gumball for is that their dad is an idiot. If he were just quirky instead of dumb, it would be a fantastic silly show.

Well yeah, he's dumb, but the show takes that and really explores the implications. The family doesn't trust him with anything, the mother is constantly teetering on the edge of madness, and he knows that he isn't smart, and doesn't try to be smart. They even explore how he ended up that way: his mother was so completely overprotective when he was a child that he never developed the capacity to figure things out for himself.

But at the end of the day, he does love his family, which is why he is still in the picture.

[Flickerdart]

The dads that come close to Greg would probably be Professor Utonium, Stu Pickles, and... maybe Bob Belcher? (I've only seen 2 episodes of Bob's burgers and he seemed pretty decent father in those).

Bob Belcher is a very good example - he's definitely not the "lazy fat guy gets cheap laughs" breed of cartoon family dads that was popularized by Homer Simpson. He's self-absorbed in other ways, but he is at least dutiful to his family.

When they are not dead, missing, or evil (and sometimes even then!) anime parents can be pretty decent. Minato from Naruto, for example. But they also usually deal with teenage or grown-up children, which is a different kind of dynamic.

Greg is also an interesting contrast to the dad from Rebecca Sugar's previous show, Adventure Time. Finn's dad is pretty much the worst.

[Draconi Redfir]

Off the top of your head, name two other cartoon dads who have all three of those things going for them. Bet you can't

So, it's typically depicted in live-action rather then Cartoon. but can i throw Gomez Addams into the ring? His children literally COULD be monsters and he'd still love them unconditionally.

[DigoDragon]

but can i throw Gomez Addams into the ring?

It's Gomez Addams. He'd throw himself into the ring and request a rapier.

[Rater202]

So, it's typically depicted in live-action rather then Cartoon. but can i throw Gomez Addams into the ring? His children literally COULD be monsters and he'd still love them unconditionally.

That hardly counts. The whole thing with the Adams is that, well, they're creepy, insane, and might be monsters literally or figuratively depending on the incarnation, but they're also some of the most genuinely nice and kind people you'll meet and an Ideal Family in spite, or perhaps because, of their scariness.

Seriously, Adams Family Values, a black widow killer literally has them tied up in electric chairs set high enough to actually kill the invincible Adamses and is narrating her little "oh woe is me" bull crap excuse for why she's a serial killer.

The Adams not only fully believe her backstory, but are fully sympathetic to her as she gives it as she's trying to actually kill them, and when she dies they bury her in the family cemetery even though they knew full well that she only married into the family for the money and was planning to murder them.

...God Damn it, now I want an Adams Family/Steven Universe Crossover.

[Draconi Redfir]

New Adams family was by far the best IMHO. then again it was the first one i ever saw, so i might be biased.

[LaZodiac]

...God Damn it, now I want an Adams Family/Steven Universe Crossover.

"Oh, I do love your dress. Suited for combat AND stylish. Though I believe it needs more black. Though I do love the...avant-garde look"

"TRISH! That's FRENCH!"

*Pearl covers Steven's face*

[Admiral Squish]

"Oh, I do love your dress. Suited for combat AND stylish. Though I believe it needs more black. Though I do love the...avant-garde look"

"TRISH! That's FRENCH!"

*Pearl covers Steven's face*

Oh, lord, please, somebody make a tumblr about this.

[Zhentarim]

The one thing I fault World of Gumball for is that their dad is an idiot. If he were just quirky instead of dumb, it would be a fantastic silly show.




It is a really limited list. The dads that come close to Greg would probably be Professor Utonium, Stu Pickles, and... maybe Bob Belcher? (I've only seen 2 episodes of Bob's burgers and he seemed pretty decent father in those).

The old power puff girls were great

[Draconi Redfir]

Oh, lord, please, somebody make a tumblr about this.

Poor Steven covering in terror was Wednesday Addams. Pgusly probably joining in.

Lion, Lurch, Thing, and/or cousin it all kind of hanging out with one annother.

... ... ... Granmama flirting with Greg?

[Flickerdart]

Forget Steven - I want to see Onion have a go at the Addamses.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Recently started to watch the show.
1) Why didn't we have shows like this when I was a kid?

That's a little unfair. We did have things like Magic Roundabout (Thompson translation), Danger Mouse, Les Shadocks (or, as I knew it, Shadoks and Gibis). There have always been shows where effort was put in, and shows where it ... wasn't.

I'd said it before, but Greg is doing very, very well by Cartoon Standards.

He loves Steven unconditionally("I'm a monster!" "No your not, your my son!") and is always there when Steven needs him. He's at about average intelligence or greater, which doen'st sound like much but, well, you've seen most Cartoon Dads.

Off the top of your head, name two other cartoon dads who have all three of those things going for them. Bet you can't

Agreed. The huge irony is that each time I see him I think of Homer Simpson... Something about the visual style.

[Draconi Redfir]

Forget Steven - I want to see Onion have a go at the Addamses.

i'd imagine he gets along amazingly well with them. i'd say he could be a cousin of theirs, but i rather doubt yellowtail is related to them at all

[Rater202]

i'd imagine he gets along amazingly well with them. i'd say he could be a cousin of theirs, but i rather doubt yellowtail is related to them at all

I don't know, with that beard and the gibberish he speaks... He could be part of It's branch of the family.

[Sholos]

I'd said it before, but Greg is doing very, very well by Cartoon Standards.

He loves Steven unconditionally("I'm a monster!" "No your not, your my son!") and is always there when Steven needs him. He's at about average intelligence or greater, which doen'st sound like much but, well, you've seen most Cartoon Dads.

Off the top of your head, name two other cartoon dads who have all three of those things going for them. Bet you can't

Baloo from Tailspin is a pretty good father figure most of the time (from what I remember). Might be cheating to go so far back, though.

[random11]

That's a little unfair. We did have things like Magic Roundabout (Thompson translation), Danger Mouse, Les Shadocks (or, as I knew it, Shadoks and Gibis). There have always been shows where effort was put in, and shows where it ... wasn't.

Maybe you are right, but when I look back at shows I can remember as a kid, it's usually things that even if they effort, their main goal was still to sell toys rather than tell a story.

BTW, did a marathon of episodes to finish the first season yesterday.
I only wish "mature" shows had half the effort, passion and dedication this show has so far.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Maybe you are right, but when I look back at shows I can remember as a kid, it's usually things that even if they effort, their main goal was still to sell toys rather than tell a story.

Ah... I go back far enough that selling toys was not a goal at all.

[John Cribati]

Ah... I go back far enough that selling toys was not a goal at all.

Given that there existed a cartoon whose purpose was to sell the Rubik's Cube, I'm actually curious how far back we're talking.

[neriractor]

I'd said it before, but Greg is doing very, very well by Cartoon Standards.

He loves Steven unconditionally("I'm a monster!" "No your not, your my son!") and is always there when Steven needs him. He's at about average intelligence or greater, which doen'st sound like much but, well, you've seen most Cartoon Dads.

Off the top of your head, name two other cartoon dads who have all three of those things going for them. Bet you can't

do mothers count? does anime count? do fatherly figures count? if so is easy, if not it gets tricky, assuming they do I can quickly give you splinter from TMNT (he is generally toughtful in most of them, even if he can´t match Greg´s cheer charisma), Uncle Stan from Gravity Falls, even if he sometimes placed them in danger he did all he could for their (and bonded heck of a lot for one summer).

[Flickerdart]

do mothers count? does anime count? do fatherly figures count? if so is easy, if not it gets tricky, assuming they do I can quickly give you splinter from TMNT (he is generally toughtful in most of them, even if he can´t match Greg´s cheer charisma), Uncle Stan from Gravity Falls, even if he sometimes placed them in danger he did all he could for their (and bonded heck of a lot for one summer).

Gruncle Stan was secretive, exploitative, and generally sleazy. He's hardly a model parent figure.

If we feel like winding the clock back a bit, Ma and Pa Kent might qualify for the Greg Club of Parenthood.

[neriractor]

Gruncle Stan was secretive, exploitative, and generally sleazy. He's hardly a model parent figure.

I´ll take him over the average cartoon dad any day of the week.

[LaZodiac]

Gruncle Stan was secretive, exploitative, and generally sleazy. He's hardly a model parent figure.

He also wrestled dinosaurs to save the kids and never once was actually bad to them.

[Rater202]

He also wrestled dinosaurs to save the kids

While paraphrasing classic literature. Add's a touch of class and makes it all so much better.