I am a young adult who greatly enjoys cartoons, and sometimes that makes people laugh. Not a good laugh, but rather a bad laugh.

"You watch children's shows? What are you, 5? You're going to have to grow up eventually."

NEWS FLASH, JERKS!: Those cartoons were created by adults. They were produced, written and drawn by full-fledged adults, usually with the intent of appealing to many different age groups and demographics. Not only that, but, like other forms of media, animation is an art—a beautiful, thoughtful, well crafted art.

The ramble above is going somewhere, as you could guess from the title of this article. One of my favorite cartoons, which is currently one of my favorite television shows in general, is "Steven Universe." Steven Universe is a half-human, half-gem species who is being raised by his late mother's friends who call themselves "The Crystal Gems." While the series is externally bubbly and colorful, using song to convey thoughts from time to time, regular viewers know that the show touches upon some very serious topics such as grief, belonging and consent. A wide array of well-developed characters are used to further these very real problems and lessons.

If you’re living in somebody’s shadow, people will still love you if you’re not like the person you're compared to. (Steven)

For Steven to exist, his mother had to essentially give up her life to create him. Because of this, he is constantly being bombarded with the guilt of taking away the Crystal Gems' leader and friend. Although they love him very much, they never let him forget about how great his mother was and how much better everything would be if she were still around. One of the Crystal Gems, Pearl, was in love with Steven's mother and would do anything for her. (There's even a song about it!) Now that Rose is gone, not only does Pearl mourn the loss of her one true love, but also feels immense guilt for still being around even though she isn't. While he doesn't talk about it too much, Steven is aware that he lives in the constant shadow of his mother, the great and powerful Rose Quartz. But ultimately, The Gems love him very much and try to put their feelings for his mother aside in order to take care of him.

Where you come from does not define you. (Amethyst)

Gem-kind came to Earth to populate thousands of years ago, using the planet's nutrients to grow more Gems. When these gems are grown in a place they would call "The Kindergarten," life was sucked out of planets and this would destroy them completely. Steven's mother, Rose Quartz, believed that life on Earth was precious and deserved preservation. The Gems from Homeworld disagreed with her ideology and therefore went to war with her supporters. The Gems grown on Earth were mighty quartz warriors who were used in the war to fight for the home team, but one of the quartzes being grown stayed in the ground for too long and missed out on all of the fun, while also ending up smaller than how she should've been. This particular quartz is Amethyst, one of the Crystal Gems. The Gems never talked about The Kindergarten in order to shield Steven from their species' evil history, but this only made Amethyst feel worse about where she came from. When the topic is finally brought up in the show, she is reassured that she's actually one of the only good things to come out of a horrible event, and that she is loved.

Don't be discouraged from doing what you love because of your size or status in life. (Pearl)

Back on Homeworld, pearls are servants to the upper class with the purpose of looking nice and holding your things for you. Although we do not know much about Pearl's backstory, we know that some way or another, she ended up mastering combat and swordsmanship and fighting in the war with Rose Quartz. While she may seem like she has it all together, she is sometimes seen breaking down because she doesn't feel strong enough. But with the help of her friends, she is reminded of how much she has accomplished and overcome, and how she's strong in many ways.

Love who you love, and love who you are. (Garnet)

For those who don't watch the show, a fun thing Gems can do is fuse with one another. Usually fusion is used for combat and practical purposes, but the process of fusing itself is very intimate and requires consent and understanding. It is revealed that Garnet, one of the Crystal Gems, is a fusion of two very small Gems named Ruby and Sapphire who love each other so much that they wanted to be together as one being. When Garnet appeared for the first time, other gems were appalled at the sight of two different types of gems fusing. A young and newly formed Garnet happened upon Rose Quartz and Pearl after running away from the angry crowd of people. Garnet was scared and afraid because what she felt was new and exciting and meant to be, so Rose Quartz told her never to question why it was great, but to just accept it. Over the years, Garnet overcame her doubts and became confident and full of self love.

Don't knock it 'til you try it. (Peridot)

Peridot, a Homeworld Gem, is stranded on earth and must work with the enemy to defeat a monster now that she is left with no other options. At first she is very rude to the Crystal Gems, calling them names and talking down to them, but over time, she befriends them and sees that they're not so different from her. She also learns that Earth is beautiful and worth protecting, furthering her understanding of why the Crystal Gems saved the planet in the first place. Even though Peridot started off as a pain in the butt, she has grown so much and become a valuable member of the team.

Be confident and be yourself! (Steven)

Lastly, be yourself! Steven's always doing something fun or wacky around town, whether it's making new friends or performing in talent shows. He is confident and therefore is not afraid to be himself, and many people find that to be an admirable trait about him. Nearly everyone in town adores him because of his happy-go-lucky attitude, and he would not be that way if it weren't for him being happy with who he is.