Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Steven Universe: Seasons 1-5 Blu-ray Movie Review

A zany animated comedy from Cartoon Network.

Reviewed by Neil Lumbard August 19, 2022

Steven Universe is a charming and entertaining cartoon created and written by Rebecca Sugar (writer on Adventure Time). The series is a zany comedy with plenty of exciting adventure along the way. Steven Universe explores the goofy antics of magical beings from across the galaxy. A fun cartoon for true Cartoon Network fans.

Steven Universe (Zach Callison) isn’t an ordinary nerd boy. Steven has magical powers that no one else in the entire world can claim to have. Steven is a rare half-human half-gem superhero with abilities generated from his own bellybutton. Sweet!

Even though Steven enjoys visiting the local donut shop, he loves saving the world that much more. Pearl (Deedee Magno), Amethyst (Michaela Dietz), and Garnet (Estelle) join Steven as super-powered Crystal Gems – and the epic journey unfolds. Can the Crystal Gems be the ultimate intergalactic heroes?

The characters on Steven Universe are charming. The series has a cool concept and the Crystal Gems are part of that fun. The concept imbues the series with a sense of originality. Steven, Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst are each unique characters within the universe of the storytelling. This element is a great strength to the entire production.

The animation is exceptional. The art direction by Elle Michalka, Jasmin Lai, and Liz Artinian is stunning. Steven Universe is a beautiful looking animated series and one which has an abundance of creativity displayed in each episode. The colorful backgrounds are breathtaking and the character designs are dynamic as well.

Time for adventure!

The team of animators involved in the production of Steven Universe clearly gave the production their all (and helped to make the series a wonderful success behind-the-scenes). The end result is a more visually imaginative series and one that fits nicely within the realm of other classics from Cartoon Network.

The score composed by Steven Velema and Aivi Tran is entertaining. The original music provides the series with plenty of energy and excitement. The score is simply fun and that’s something that is an outstanding fit for the zany intergalactic series. The results help the production excel on every level.

Creator Rebecca Sugar made an outstanding series with Steven Universe. The series is a joyful and heartfelt creation with plenty of charm. As one of the primary writers of the series as well, Sugar provides all the right ingredients for success: sugar, spice, and everything nice. (Ahem!)  

Featuring chief direction by Ian Jones-Quartey, Kat Morris, and Joseph D. Johnston, Steven Universe is certainly a worthwhile Cartoon Network production. The series stands out as one of the best original cartoon creations in recent years. The filmmakers provide plenty of energy, excitement, and charm.

There certainly is something wonderful about these creative elements coming together so beautifully for an entertaining animated series. Fans of classic Cartoon Network series such as The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Regular Show, and countless others, will find that Steven Universe is another worthwhile entry from the animation network. Animation fans should certainly consider the series to be enormously worthwhile.

Steven Universe: Seasons 1-5 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Madman Entertainment, Steven Universe is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The Cartoon Network series has outstanding animation. The high-definition encoding on the release showcases the stunning artistry of the animators and provides viewers with a dynamic video presentation. The encoding is top-notch. The encoding is superior to streaming and doesn't suffer from egregious compression woes.

Steven Universe: Seasons 1-5 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio on the release varies by season (considering the release is comprised of the individual season sets released by distributor Madman). The first season is presented in standard Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo and does not provide a lossless audio sound mix. The audio on season 1 is the weakest of the bunch at only 224 kbps (streaming quality). Season 2 is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo in 24 bit depth.  Season 3 is provided in uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo in 16 bit depth. Season 4 is presented in uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo in 24 bit depth. Season 5 is presented in uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo in 16 bit depth.

It is a bit surprising to see so much variance in the encoding techniques across the individual seasons of Steven Universe. As a DTS enthusiast, I always tend to prefer DTS-HD MA encoding, as it offers a more robust lossless experience. However, uncompressed PCM is still an exceptional lossless container and most audiences won't tell any difference. The release still sounds impressive overall and the sound quality is generally excellent and perfectly satisfactory for fans of the series. Dialogue is clear and everything about the soundstage sounds enveloping for the series.

Steven Universe: Seasons 1-5 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 1:

Pilot Episode (SD, 7:56)

Disc 2:

Trailers (HD, 4:27)

Season 2:

Trailers (HD, 6:46)

Season 3:

Shorts –

We Are the Crystal Gems (HD, 11:20)

What Are Gems? (HD, 11:20)

How are Gems Made? (HD, 11:20)

Fusion (HD, 11:20)

Unboxing (HD, 11:20)

Lion Loves to Fit in a Box (HD, 11:20)

Trailers (HD, 5:16)

Season 4:

Shorts –

Cooking with Lion (HD, 10:43)

Gem Karaoke (HD, 10:43)

Steven Reacts (HD, 10:43)

Video Chat (HD, 10:43)

Steven's Song Time (HD, 10:43)

Trailers (HD, 5:36)

Season 5 did not include any additional bonus features.

Steven Universe: Seasons 1-5 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Steven Universe is an enormously entertaining animated series from Cartoon Network. Created by Rebecca Sugar (a staff writer on Adventure Time), Steven Universe has a great concept and a fun cast of characters. The animation is outstanding. The comedy element is superb. A wonderful production on so many different levels.

The Blu-ray release features a quality video presentation. The audio options on the releases varies by season but the overall quality of the audio is worthwhile (despite season one being encoded with only lossy Dolby Digital). The other seasons are provided with lossless audio encoding. Fans of the series will be pleased with the collection regardless. A must-own release for series fans. Highly recommended.