Steven Universe: The Complete Collection (DVD)
DVD Reviews | Jan 25th, 2021
Starring: Zach Callison, Deedee Magno, Michaela Dietz, Estelle, Tom Scharpling, Grace Rolek, Shelby Rabara, Dee Bradley Baker, Erica Luttrell
Created By: Rebecca Sugar
Directed By: Various
Written By: Various
Studio: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment/Cartoon Network
Buy On Amazon
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of this DVD set that I reviewed in this post. The opinions I share are my own.
“Steven Universe” can be categorized as a charming, heart-worming slice of positivity that, along with “Adventure Time” has captivated the hearts and souls of children, young adults and adults alike of all walks of life. Its inclusiveness and storytelling pushed animation storytelling to new heights and its creative team has nabbed some of the most prestigious nominations and awards in the industry.
What we have before us is the complete collection of “Steven Universe” material which includes amongst its 15-discs: every episode of “Steven Universe”, Steven Universe Future, “Steven Universe: The Movie” plus hours of new bonus content.
I’m at a loss of words as to what to say about a show that’s already had anything and everything already said about it, so I’ll just talk briefly about my introduction to the show and then focus on what’s included in this mega collector’s set. To be honest, I’ve watched a few episodes of the show here and there over the years but having the opportunity to see everything from the beginning and in order with this collector’s set was my actual real introduction to the show. People may dismiss it as children’s faire, as they do with so many other animated shows, but for the generation that grew up with the characters and the worlds that they live in and explore, “Steven Universe” is an encyclopedia about life.
Underneath the charm and chubby visage, Steven is a kid coming into his own. When he meets someone who isn’t similar in appearance or in personality to him, he welcomes them with open arms and tries to see the best in every person, place or situation. He’s a relentless optimist and it’s infectious to those around him and to those watching from afar. The show promotes positivity, imagination, love and kindness…all wrapped up in a weird and wondrous mix of action, sci-fi and fantasy. You find yourself rooting for Steven and company no matter the situation.
Diving into the collector’s set, I want to point out one of my major points of frustration and this is not just in regards to this set but with countless other animated series sets…these shows are aired in HD, released digitally in HD (no digital codes, HD or otherwise is included with this set) and are released in other countries on Blu-Ray. So why is this set not available in Blu-ray in HD? Why is it only DVD? This has never made much sense to me especially for a show as popular as “Steven Universe”.
Moving on from that point, this collector’s set contains just about everything else that you could want in a compete collection. Not only is the set packaged in a very cool looking prismatic box, but when you open up the set and get your DVD’s, you’ll discover a stunning storybook with each page containing the DVDs. This fits the style of the show perfectly and you can follow along with new art inside as you reach for your next disc.
In regards to features, there are waaaaaaay too many for me to list here unless you have the rest of the week free. There are episode animatics, music videos, minisodes, sing-a-longs, commentary and much more for you to indulge in.
For collector’s sets, this collection is how it should be done. It is as complete as one can get with just about every aspect of “Steven Universe” included except the comic books and video games. Being that it’s on DVD, that keeps the price at a reasonable $70 currently but I’m sure that fans would have dropped the extra cash on a Blu-ray set if available. Overall, this is a must-have for fans of the show to add to their collection.
Special Features:
• Animatics
• Music Videos
• Steven Universe Minisodes
• Steven Universe The Movie: Sing-A-Long
• Commentary for Select Episodes
• Much much more!
Audio:
English 5.1
English SDH
Video:
16×9 Widescreen Format
Bottom Line: “Steven Universe: The Complete Collection” is absolutely a complete collection that fans of the show will want to add to their collection. Outside of no digital inclusion and only being available in the US on DVD much like the season sets, you couldn’t really ask for much more with this release.
Running Time: 2062 Mins, Enhanced Content 120 Mins
Rating: PG
Extras Rating:
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