In this week’s chapter of Bleach…no, wrong series, that series is over with. In this week’s episode of Steven Universe…that’s right, I’ve made my decision on which series to review once the Bleach manga ends, and…here it is, Steven Universe. So in this week’s episode of Steven Universe, when Connie and Steven entered the library, Steven encountered a book that belong to a certain somebody from the olden times. This is my spoilerific review of ‘Buddy’s Book.’
Here we are, ladies and gentleman, the first episode in the weekly schedule since the infamous Summer of Steven that lasted four weeks and merely destroyed the majority of the fandom and nothing says resuming the old weekly schedule like visiting your local library…and no, it’s not International Literacy Day, that’s in September. We got Connie and Steven arriving at the library with of course, riding on Lion. Traveling on wrap speed. And this is Steven’s first time visiting the library. I mean, we all know that feeling we, the individuals, visit the library for the first time while in elementary school. Living through the hype when looking around for books while people are doing their business, reading books, looking for research online, while being told to shut up by the librarian. Good times.
But going to the library was just the build up when Steven found a book with a blank cover below the bookshelf that looks interesting. Which turn out to be a journal. But not just any journal, this journal is belong to First Mate Buddy. Yes, the same First Mate Buddy that was mentioned back in “Historical Friction” when Steven and Jamie put on a play on how Beach City was founded. Talk about a major throwback to that episode. Speaking of a major throwback, when it comes to envision Buddy when Steven and Connie read through the journal…
Yep, Steven and Connie envision Jamie in Buddy’s place because…you know, drama. And of course, Jaime did play Buddy in the play. But wait, Steven knows that Jaime played First Mate Buddy since he was in a play with him, but not Connie? Huh, I guess Steven told Connie the whole experience on that night. Anyway, the story from the journal that Buddy wrote comes after the founding the Beach City as he prepares to adventure around the world to explore like it’s ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’. Only except he travel through boat and not hot air balloon since of course the setting is in colonial times and something tells me hot air balloons are not invented yet.
They were some surprises possibly filled in this episode when Buddy traveled across the world away from the now founded Beach City, not to mention, calling throwbacks to areas we know that appeared in previous episodes and even some stuff that we did not know but possibly deserve some attention. First off, the Strawberry Fields where one of the battles in the Gem Wars was once held.
Found out that the Strawberry Fields, where it also included the Pyramid Temple, is located in Norway. Yes…Norway. Something tells me tourism in the Scandinavian country will spike after this episode airs.
Also, can we talk about Garnet and Pearl’s outfits in this week’s episode? Talk about 18th Century European. Of course, it’s not new because back in the day, way before the events of the show took place, they wore those clothes when getting Captain William Dewey, Buddy himself, and others to land when taking on an unknown sea creature, that may or may not gem related, that was mentioned in the play in ‘Historical Friction.’ Oh yeah, and the clothing style first shown up in a photo in ‘So Many Birthdays.’ Anyway, when traveling around the world to explore and record some stuff, Pearl told Buddy to stay away from the designated area on the map if he want to continue to live, or as either Pearl or Garnet stated, “keeping his short life,” Buddy ignored the directions that Pearl gave him and follow along from the Strawberry Fields to Sky Spire, to the Lunar Sea Spire, to the Communication Hub, all the way to the Kindergarten. And along the way, he drew some pictures to record what he encountered along the way, including some artifacts like the Moon Goddess Statue and the Palanquin.
Don’t know if the Palanquin that Buddy found is related to the same Palanquin that Blue Diamond used back in ‘The Answer.’ Don’t know if Blue Diamond played a role in the Earth since of course, the Earth is Pink Diamond’s territory…or at least it was until Rose shattered her. So, we’re not sure about.
Of course, we got Buddy now arriving at the Kindergarten, noticing the holes where the gems made on Earth come out where he found Amethyst’s and before checking it out, Amethyst surprised Buddy in the back, and well…besides the outfit that Amethyst wore back in the day, which looks like she’s been wearing a uniform that looked like it’s from the American Civil War in the Union side, what questions me is the height because in the whole Rose and Greg backstory, she was short in height, like in the height of the first or second grader, but in this backstory, she was in regular height. The same height that we knew today. Is there something going on here? Possibly when she was reformed? We don’t know as it is revealed that Amethyst like visiting the Kindergarten sometimes, only to check on her rock.
Aw, rock…you never changed. Remember Pet Rock? Like, that toy from the 1970s where you have to treat a rock like a real pet? Yeah…pretty sure no get that reference. Anyway, Buddy finally realizes that he been acting like a tourist all this time when traveling through multiple gem areas and gem artifacts, killing his self-esteem until Amethyst told Buddy, while drawing the map on where he need to go next, to find the sand castle, which is surprisingly located in the Sahara Desert. And speaking of geography, look at the map…
The hell happened to most parts of the world? What happened to Florida? Russia? Western Africa? Well…Florida turned into a major land mass, please don’t be mad, Floridians. Western Africa is now part of South America, it’s like after the splitting up of Pangaea, when South America and Africa split and drift away, the Western side of Africa remains South American territory, like splitting the continent 80-20 or 75-25, 70-30. Maybe 60-40. As a guy who is possibly an expert in Social Studies, something tells the world we live in today, the present times, in the Steven Universe universe, probably the same countries that we know, probably different outlines and the probably the same old problems.
What also surprises me that is while looking for the sand castle that Amethyst told him to look for, he wandered the desert for ten, count ‘em, ten days. Ten days! I’m surprised he’s not dead, mostly because of the high heat during the day and the low cold during the night. Without any food or water, looks he’s about to pass out before seeing someone coming by with what look like a herd of several lions, thinking that he’s about to die until being saved by that same person that Buddy saw from a far distance and who is this mysterious person with a herd of several lions? Well…you already know who it is.
It’s Rose Quartz, who saved Buddy from certain death, in which Buddy is in shock because he saw several lions surrounding him like he’s on the lions’ menu but don’t worry, because they’re harmless. Yeah, same goes for Cecil the Lion, and look what happened? Anyway, while Buddy rambles about his journey to Rose, Rose has a little exploration of her own when reading Buddy’s journal. Fascinated on the drawings and answered Buddy’s question on finding the sand castle and points to it. Thought that Buddy would be excited over this but got upset that he thinks that Rose founded first, and that ruined his expedition, which led to him trying to get the lions to eat him in total shame. Yeah…someone should tell that to other explorers who think that they founded it first, but somebody else claimed that title. Yeah, I maybe referring to Christopher Columbus, but so others as well. It was explored before, many people went there before, that what Rose said, Buddy recorded the sand castle in his journal, making the area look new and special again. And even told Buddy to become an author and an author Buddy became when wrote so many books, so much that he can fill a library with it, thus the library that Steven and Connie are in is named after, the Buddy Buddwick Library.
Also, really enjoyed that ending when both Steven and Connie look at a photo of the real Buddy Buddwick, not the one they envisioned since the real one has glasses and half bald. So, they prefer the one they envisioned in the story, the one that was portrayed by Jaime. Just like choosing which version of a historic figure do you like, the real one or the one that was portrayed on either TV, movie, or play. It’s your opinion and that was Steven and Connie’s opinion on the portrait of Buddy Buddwick.
Reaction/Thoughts:
So what do I think about this week’s episode of Steven Universe? I really enjoyed this episode, mostly because of the experience of what Buddy went through after Captain Dewey founded Beach City, visiting every gem location and recording it in his book, seeing four of the Crystal Gems in various areas with Pearl and Garnet in the Strawberry Fields, Amethyst by the Kindergarten, and Rose and her herd of lions in the desert. I think my favorite part of this episode is mostly setting on the current timeline when Connie took Steven to the library, which of course, pretty sure we’re like Steven when we first visit the library. Of course, there some questions revolving around some things like for example, the Palanquin that may or may not be owned by Blue Diamond? Did Blue Diamond play a role in the planet Earth? Is the Palanquin Pink Diamond’s? Since Pink Diamond owned the Earth colony before Rose came in, revolt against her and her authority, and shatter her gem. What also questions me is of course, Amethyst’s height because in those episodes when we have the backstory of Rose and Greg, she was short in height like the size of a first or second grader child and in this episode and the photo that was first brought up in ‘So Many Birthdays’ shows the Amethyst with the height that we know today. Could someone explain that? And of course, if it weren’t for Rose and her herd of lions, there wouldn’t be a library that both Steven and Connie are currently at. So you can thank Rose Quartz for boosting up Buddy’s self-esteem and told to become an author coming from the gem that we learned last week, shattered a certain gem even though she’s against the idea of murder.
Let’s not to forget about that moment when Rose just broke the freaking Fourth Wall when telling Buddy about his journal. It’s almost like she’s trying to say, “Remember kids, to read and write, and you too can be a successful writer.” And just in time for the start of the new School Year, holy shit. I can’t…I just can’t. So anyway, all and all, I think this episode is non-fiction at it’s finest with a hint of drama and a tablespoon of some comedic moments. I give ‘Buddy’s Book’…
…a 9.5 out of 10. Like I said, really enjoyed this episode, really loving this backstory with Buddy taking center stage and have Steven and Connie imaging Jaime as the First Mate despite finding the real Buddy in the portrait at the end of the episode with Steven and Connie liking their version, the Jaime version, better than the real one. And of course, really enjoying the Crystal Gems being the support in this week’s episode as Buddy embarks in his journey. Anyway, the now normal Thursday schedule continues with a new episode on August 25 when we head back to sword training but something tells me, both Steven and Connie need to pay attention in the Seventh Episode of the Fourth Season, ‘Mindful Education.’ But that’s it for me, tell me what you think about this week’s episode of Steven Universe? Do you enjoyed this episode? Do you think we could get another episode like what we saw in this week’s episode? Anything interesting you saw in this episode that caught your attention? Tell me what you think in the comments below.
(C) 2016 Rebecca Sugar, Cartoon Network, Turner Broadcasting
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AuthorThis Page is on Me reviewing Stuff that isn't include the Naruto and Bleach Manga! Reviews on other Fandoms I'm Currently In in my Tumblr Page including Adventure Time, Korra, Gravity Falls, Doctor Who, or any show/anime in spectacular. So...yeah. Also, a page for the News from my Fandoms Clock*All Times Central
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