Many have discussed the countless things making Steven Universe unique, but the color scheme is one you won’t hear about as much — it’s one you have to see. Steven Universe, of course, is unafraid of facing color head-on as a concept. The names of the characters are, after all, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl and Ruby, all of them dressing after the color of their respective gems. Color is an integral part of the characters, and the way it is dealt with overall throughout the show is appealing for this reason.
While most outlandish cartoons aimed for younger audiences such as Adventure Time or Gravity Falls shared the similar, cartoonish, heavily saturated, vibrant color scheme qualities of many cartoons, Steven Universe sets itself apart. The colors certainly are vibrant, but there’s something unique about them. Something that makes them cohesive and gives them a theme.
In Steven Universe, the colors are more desaturated. This causes them to share a muted quality, instead of each color screaming its own name visually to the viewer. While I certainly would not argue that this is a better way of doing things than most, it certainly is unique. Saturated colors are generally desired in all kinds of media from high-quality film to animation, and can be seen in the world around us on a day-to-day basis. Not only do these desaturated, whimsical colors make this universe seem different from our own, it makes the show unique even from other cartoon worlds.
Personally, I think that Steven Universe is a relaxing show to watch. It certainly deals with many heavy subjects, but it deals with them maturely and has a positive light to show nearly every time. The desaturated color scheme certainly helps this mellow cohesiveness, in my opinion. It keeps the show as this whimsical, relaxing, interesting and flat out fun television series to watch, and it always gives the viewer something new to look forward to.
Thought this was just a children’s show with no layers visually or conceptually? Color yourself surprised.
Marco Omta is a junior studying music production. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you enjoy Steven Universe? Email Marco at mo183714@ohio.edu.
