Them: Steven Universe is bad and it shouldn’t be recognized as a groundbreaking cartoon.
Me: Regardless of your personal feelings on the quality of the show, it has pushed the boundaries of representation on Cartoon Network and kid targeted cartoons in general. Not only does it have explicit LGBT+ couples that aren’t just shoved in at the end for the rep points, but they are diverse in shape, colour, and personality. There are characters that utilize they/them pronouns and are always addressed correctly, no matter how offensive or kind the character is. The show tackles strong messages of trauma, abuse, and discrimination with respect, while on a strict budget and lack of time. It challenges the idea of writing by storyboard rather than by script, and demonstrates why off-model animation can and cannot work. The story is so open that adults and younger alike can still get enjoyment from it. It is by no means exempt from criticism and does have flaws, but there is a noticeable trend of it being crucified for the same criticism that is ignored in other stories.