Gender Representation and LGBTQ+ Portrayal in Steven Universe

Kayson Carlin

Bowling Green State University

April 18, 2018

 

Gender Representation and LGBTQ+ Portrayal in Steven Universe

            Cartoons have spread far and wide, and cover a great variety of topics, from educational television shows for children, to nationalistic propaganda during wartime. Certain themes addressed in cartoons, like all media, change with the societal and/or political climate. For example, in the 1950’s, American cartoons have included references to the Cold War. Even characters were coded as Russian or communist. At that time, it was a relevant issue for audiences who watched international political tension rise day after day. 60 years later, we find ourselves concerned with different issues that affect our daily lives, such as representation of certain minority groups. Today’s cartoons are beginning to reflect ideas of gender and queerness by either explicitly acknowledging it, or subtly coding characters, similarly to certain ethnicities and affiliations of those from time gone by. However, there is concern when it comes to proper representation and how certain groups of people are displayed. Steven Universe (Sugar, 2013) is a fairly recent, ongoing animated series on a major network, that approaches such issues in a positive way, without becoming overbearing or preachy. It contains characters that are considered gender-variant, and queer, and takes their struggles seriously, giving them validity where other cartoons may play them off as a joke. Steven Universe provides visibility for these underrepresented groups.

The 2013 American cartoon Steven Universe centers on a young boy, Steven, and his family of gemstone based aliens as they protect earth from invaders who would wipe out the human race. Millenia before the start of the series, Earth was a colony for these gemstone aliens, until a soldier named Rose Quartz, rebelled. Believing that life on Earth was precious and should be spared, she gained a following of like-minded gems, eventually leading a rebellion and succeeding. In the present, the story continues with Steven, who learns that he is half-human, half-gem, the first hybrid ever in the universe, having inherited his gemstone from his mother, Rose Quartz, who gave up her physical form so that he would live on in her place. With him are the last three remaining gems on Earth; Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst. Together they help each other heal after the loss of their beloved leader, Rose Quartz, as well as defend the planet from the returning threat of the gemstone home world.

In the lore of Steven Universe, the gemstone based beings are technically sexless, as they are quite literally humanoid forms of rocks. However, every single gem shown in the series thus far is considered female. From this fact, Steven Universe makes a distinction between sex and gender as two different concepts, portraying gender as a social construct. Gems do not have human anatomy, and as such, they have a “fluid, self-described gender” (Tishma) of whatever they wish; in their mind/personal identity, or how they present themselves. Interestingly, every gem uses feminine pronouns i.e. “she/her”, despite not being anatomically female. Though the details of why this is have not been discussed, it’s created a starting point for gender variant characters, especially when looking at how some gemstones present.

A central figure, Rose Quartz, is a gem that embodies femininity. Despite starting a savage war against her own people, she is portrayed as a kind, just, and protective motherly character. She wears a long, white gown, and often gracefully floats just above the ground. Her hair is pink, a color commonly associated with femininity, and her preferred human form is that of a bigger-boned woman. In fact, her entire character theme is associated with the color pink and rose motifs. From these characteristics it is evident that Rose represents someone on the effeminate female side of the gender spectrum. In stark contrast is the antagonist, Jasper, who is on the masculine side of the gender spectrum. Jasper is a tall, muscular humanoid with a sharp jawline and husky voice. She is seen wearing trousers and boots as opposed to more “flowing” clothing such as skirts or dresses that other gems have been known to wear. She is a soldier, physically strong, huge, headstrong and unrelenting (Tishma). Aside from her physical appearance, Jasper also displays male-coded personality traits, such as a disdain for emotions that she considers weak. Within the storyline, her position of power is one often filled by men, and she often bullies others to go along with her. She has no interest in anything outside of combat, and victory, again landing her squarely in the hyper-masculine square (Tishma). However, Jasper is still considered female, using she/her pronouns. This can be read as a representation that not everyone who is female is necessarily feminine. With Rose Quartz and Jasper, two vastly different characters, Steven Universe is portraying gender expression variance by having effeminate females, hyper-masculine females, and everything in between.

Steven is the only gem considered male, as he is half human and thus has a human, male body. Despite this, he has many characteristics that are typically coded as female. He is gentle, caring, and wishes to avoid conflict by meaningful communication instead of fighting and violence. He readily expresses his emotions, such as fear, sadness, loneliness, and most importantly love, unlike a typical male protagonist in many cartoons. And while his confidence, independence, and adventurous spirit classifies him as masculine, his deep nurturing core makes him feminine (Tishma). Further evidence of this is shown in battle, where his weapon of choice is not actually a weapon at all. While the gems wield spears, swords, and whips, Steven uses a pink shield to protect others instead of inflicting harm. He even has healing powers when his friends and family are injured. Both of these aspects are normally reserved for female characters, who are commonly portrayed as unwilling to fight, preferring to utilize their “maternal instinct” to heal and care for others. These traits are not used to reflect negatively upon Steven nor do they detract from his bravery and other such heroic traits. Thus, his character provides viewers with exposure to a male with stereotypically feminine traits being taken seriously (Clark p.82). The show takes this a step further in an episode called “Sadie’s Song”, where Steven performs a song onstage, decked out in a dress, heels, and make-up. The event is not used to embarrass, emasculate, or punish his character, rather, the crowd supports him, not because the drag is funny, but because they genuinely enjoy the performance (Clark p.83). Continually throughout the series, Steven’s character is used to break and challenge gender roles and norms.

Midway through the first season of Steven Universe, viewers are introduced to the concept of fusion- when two (or more) gems become so in sync, they fuse together to become an entirely new gemstone. This is commonly done when one gem cannot complete a task by themselves, and enlists another to utilize both their strengths. Fusion can also happen when two gems form a strong bond and desire to be with the other, which will be discussed later. Steven, being half-human, half-gem, can fuse with both gems and other humans, which is how the character Stevonnie is created. Stevonnie is a being created from the fusion of Steven (male) and his friend Connie (female), and uses they/them pronouns. Since they are literally a combination of male and female, Stevonnie has an androgynous appearance, neither distinctly masculine or feminine. They are simply described as “an experience” (McDonnell p.78). Stevonnie can be viewed as a representation of a transgender character, intersex character, agender character, non-binary character, and/or a genderfluid character (Clark p.51). Again, Steven Universe is clearly displaying gender, gender presentation, and sex as separate concepts.

As stated in the previous paragraph, fusion is a strategy to make gems stronger, as well as a metaphor for a relationship. Garnet is a central character that is a permanent fusion between Ruby and Sapphire, two gems that are portrayed as having a romantic relationship. Since the gems use female pronouns, many interpret this relationship between Ruby and Sapphire as a lesbian relationship and see Garnet as a physical embodiment of a lesbian relationship (Clark p.54). She is portrayed as strong and level headed, formed out of Ruby and Sapphire’s strengths and often described as “better together”. This provides a positive representation of not only a same-sex relationship, but a healthy one as well.

Pearl and Rose Quartz are other primary characters that can be considered LGBT. In flashbacks and soliloquies, Pearl discusses her devotion, and almost obsession of Rose. She recounts how she risked her life to protect their leader, and how jealous she became when Rose began seeing Steven’s father. On multiple occassions, Pearl has even asked why Rose chose Steven’s father over her. Because of this, Pearl’s orientation is considered to be a lesbian due to her perceived romantic love and devotion for Rose Quartz (Clark p.45). This is further cemented, when she later develops a romantic crush on a pink haired mystery woman she meets at a party. On the other side of the equation is Rose Quartz, who conceivably had feelings for Pearl as well before she fell in love with a human man. From this perspective, it can be argued that Rose’s orientation is bisexual.

The inclusion of characters who are not cisgender or heteronormative not only provides a unique perspective in storytelling that is often left out, but also serves as a connection for LGBT+ youth. Steven Universe is obviously a show targeted towards the younger generation, and young people are becoming more familiar with queer identities as a result. It bridges the gap for children who are questioning their own identities, by providing them with characters they can relate to. It invades the darkness, breaks the silence, and tells them “you exist” (Dennis p.96). Such positive representation is critical in forming a healthy foundation for self discovery and acceptance. Steven Universe goes above and beyond what is expected of your average cartoon.

 

 

Bibliography

Clark, Heather. My Lesbian Space Rock Show”: Representations of Intersectional Identities in Steven Universe. Humboldt State University, May 2017. Document.

Dennis, Jeffery. “Queering Without Difference.” Journal of LGBT Youth 5.3 (2008): 96-98. Journal Article.

McDonnell, Chris. Steven Universe Art and Origins. New York: Abrams, 2017. Book.

Tishma, Mariel. Masculinity in Steven Universe. 8 November 2016. Web.

SHAFT: A Visual Journey

Kayson Carlin

Bowling Green State University

February 20, 2018

 

SHAFT

When discussing animation, one attributes certain styles, themes, and techniques to individual production studios. While there exists multiple creative positions within a studio, the talents of all individuals are pooled together to create the final project. Of course, some people influence the work much more heavily than others, but in the end the final product is attributed to a specific studio. As such, many animation companies begin to form their own “markers”. Not only is this apparent in America, where features are described as having “Disney quality” animation, the same is true for Japanese anime. To the eye of a standard consumer, many anime may look alike, if not exactly the same. And while this is a result of Japan’s notion of uniformity, there are also animation studios that strive to be different from the rest. A prominent company that has successfully stood out from the myriad of anime studios, is Studio SHAFT. Through the use of highly stylized design properties, and mixed animation techniques, Studio SHAFT has earned a rightful position at the top of the industry food chain.

Although the first production of Japanese animation took place as early as 1917, the animation industry did not emerge as such until Toei Animation, Japan’s first large-scale commercial studio (then called Toei Douga), was founded in 1956 (Morisawa p.265). Years later in 1963, animation began being broadcasted on a weekly television network, Fuji TV, and gave rise to a studio called Mushi Productions, founded by Osamu Tezuka. In these weekly broadcasts, Mushi Productions gave life to Tezuka’s most famous manga series; Astro Boy. However, Tezuka’s creative vision could not be quelled, pushing for higher budgets and production values which could not be responsibly met, leading to the studio’s bankruptcy in 1973. The dissolution of Mushi Productions led to its creative body branching into several smaller production studios throughout the 1970s, many of which eventually grew into some of the finest production studios in the industry today (Morisawa p.265). One of these production companies, Studio SHAFT, began as a modest animation hub, producing less than a dozen works from 1975 to 2004. However in 2004, a man named Akiyuki Shinbo joined the team, greatly influencing the studio’s signiture style with his unique artistic expression, and forever changed SHAFT’s art direction.

A striking feature of anime done by SHAFT is their use of color, space, and background in the designs of both characters and environments. Minimalist and often abstract/interpretation-friendly backgrounds are one element of this, clear in works from Bakemonogatari (2009) to Nisekoi (2014) to Madoka Magica (2011) (Creamer 2017). Geometric lines and shapes fill buildings and architecture to create a neatly uniformed space within the world environment. However, in place of a flowing, natural landscape, or intricate, bustling city street, the characters will be placed on a two-dimensional space with shapes, lines, silhouettes, or abstract objects such as scissors. This is especially true when dialogue is taking place, even sometimes replacing whole backdrops with stylized live-action photos, or holding on a single image of road signs during exposition. Such stylizations often interrupt the viewer’s immersion, making them acutely aware they are merely watching a screen.

Along with background art, colors work as a semiotic element in SHAFT’s animation, for various emotions and artistic styles (Dai p.37). Basic color pallates paint the world, with heavy focus on bold, contrasting degrees of color. This creates a dynamic feel to the scenes and characters. Reds, blacks, and yellows dominate most of their work, as the nature of each anime is fairly straight forward. The exception to this is Madoka Magica, which starts off using pastels, and slowly adds in more black to demonstrate the narrative getting darker with each episode. This was used to lure viewers into a false sense of security, portraying the anime as cute magical girls saving the day. In reality, Madoka Magica delved into the psychological aspects of having power, the consequences of using it, and the eventual death of one’s humanity.

Studio SHAFT’s most notable design in their animation is the presence of on-screen text. At any point during the episode or movie, text will appear on abstract backgrounds or “cards”, either static or scrolling. What’s interesting is that unlike normal captions with a few words, these captions can be a literal wall of text. The viewer is bombarded with a surplus of information (Wasylak p.432). In some cases, the text is shown so briefly that the viewer cannot even begin to read it unless they pause the video every few seconds. Sometimes, the captions refer to a character’s mood or serve as a comment for the situation, but mostly they are just unrelated babble. The captions in the background or on the cards usually consist of a lot of tiny lines written in small font and are displayed in motion or appear only for a second (Wasylak p.432). Given the limited space, text appears as mostly kanji, a complex writing system of symbolic characters. Interestingly, Akiyuki Shinbo has chosen to use obscure kanji as much as possible. For example, sono (which roughly means “that”) is usually written in hiragana, but they chose to use kanji instead (The Visual Medium 2012), leaving even native Japanese speakers confused. In the case of Bakemonogatari, which centers on a young man with a knack for running into supernatural women, the source material from which the anime is adapted is a series of novels. This fact is reflected with the on-screen captions, occassionally plucking sentences or paragraphs straight from the original novels and displaying them as text. In contrast, Goodbye, Mr. Despair (2007), a parody of school life featuring a depressive, paranoid teacher, sometimes uses text as an explanation to certain jokes, pop culture references, and puns. Given that the Japanese language is complicated even for native speakers, puns can be misunderstood so having just a brief explanation is helpful. However when watching Goodbye, Mr. Despair, it, like Bakemonogatari, only provides flashes of this text, leaving viewers needing to pause the video in order to read the comments. This also jars viewers out of their complacency when watching, bringing attention to the fourth wall, and the separation between audience and screen.

Japanese anime, in general, is mostly limited animation that aims at reducing the overall number of drawings (usually there are twelve drawings per second) when compared to full animation (approximately eighteen to twenty-four drawings per second) as in Disney movies (Wasylak p.428). On average, the standard format of half-hour television animation in Japan is composed of approximately 300 “cuts”, resulting in a jerkier motion (Morisawa p.267). This can be beneficial, as anime uses more static images and an absence of movement that is akin to manga graphics, on which many anime is based (Wasylak p.428). Studio SHAFT is no exception, but instead uses aforementioned stylistic choices to replace actual animation. Limited animation favors graphic design and character design over character animation (Wasylak p.429), which is evident in the make-up of SHAFT’s worlds. CGI is rarely implemented, reserved only for extremely complex movements of both foreground and background. The animation techniques in So Long, Mr. Despair indicate a strong tendency toward manga style (Wasylak p.432), as the source material was originally a manga (graphic novel). The images are composed as if they were manga frames, and onomatopoeic sounds in the anime are accompanied with their written form (Wasylak p.433), akin to sound effects and speech bubbles. While this could be described as design choices, it can also apply to the technicality of the series, making it less taxing for animators, and reducing production costs.

In the anime community, there is what’s referred to as a “SHAFT pose” when describing character movement. These character poses may look cool, but are usually nearly impossible for a real human to pull off. The mose famous of these poses is the “head-tilt”, in which a character is facing away from the camera and tilts their head backwards to look into the lens with their chin towards the air. This is arguably SHAFT’s most trademark style that informs audiences that they are indeed watching a SHAFT production. The head-tilt has appeared in every single anime they’ve produced since 2004 (Swale p.77). In context with the narrative, the character who performs this pose is most often archetyped as mysterious, being deceitful, or possessing knowledge that the protagonist or audience does not have. For example in Madoka Magica, the character Akemi Homura, who is actually a time traveler, frequently stands in this head-tilt pose while providing cryptic warnings to the protagonists of what horrors lie before them.

Yet another commonality between SHAFT works is the ratio of animation to dialogue, described by some as a “spoken novel” (Swale p.79). As discussed previously, animation is limited, and static images are widely employed to substitute for movement and action. As a result, anime by SHAFT is dialogue heavy, taking the focus away from the sparse animation, and putting it on exposition, character development, and character design. This opens the door to multi-dimensional characters who are relatable and engaging to viewers. Such dynamic characters are strongly evident in Madoka Magica, where despite all the characters fighting for the same thing, each has a different history and resulting outlook on the world that conflicts with the main “good guy” protagonist. Viewers can understand the reasoning behind their actions, and care what happens to them even if the line of moral ambiguity is reached. So while restrictive animation can potentially harm shows, SHAFT has found another door to open via its characters to enrich the series as a whole.

The grandious and ambitious style of Studio SHAFT betrays its humble beginnings as a small production company, that slowly released films over a 30 year period. Thanks to Akiyuki Shinbo, the major creative force that forever changed the face of SHAFT, works such as Bakemonogatari, Madoka Magica, and Goodbye, Mr. Despair have brought the studio away from the perception of being one in a hundred. They stand apart, as a pioneer in alternative storytelling due to the incredibly unique, and sometimes bizarre art direction and design. Using their design strengths, they open up a world of possibilities in not only narration but characterization itself, bringing to life otherwise limited animation. SHAFT has truly made a reputation for themselves as a production studio that innovates new ideas for a changing market. Audiences can be sure of certain markers when watching a series or film with the SHAFT logo stamped on it, and are guaranteed a strange yet complex ride through visual storytelling.

 

 

References

AnimePlanet. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Rebellion. 2011. 2 2017.

Creamer, Nick. The Secret of Studio SHAFT. 18 January 2017. <https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2017-01-18/the-secret-of-studio-shaft/.110526&gt;.

Dai, Boyao. “Investigating Visual Differences Between Japanese and American Animation.” Rochester Institute of Technology (2016): 6-42.

Morisawa, Tomohiro. “Managing the unmanageable: Emotional labour and creative hierarchy in the Japanese animation industry.” Ethnography 16.2 (2015): 262-284.

Swale, Alistair. Anime Aesthetics. Waikato, New Zealand: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. Print.

The Visual Medium. Shaft Style. 2012. <http://the-visual-medium.blogspot.com/2012/01/shaft-style.html&gt;.

Wasylak, Katarzyna. “Need for Speed: Anime, the Cinematic, and the Philosophical.” Children’s Literature Association Quarterly 35.4 (2010): 427-434.