It’s been years since my house has housed the chaos of young children running around on a daily basis. We’re well into our teenage years now. As we’ve grown up, our interests have changed—okay, maybe her's more so than mine—so a lot of new content doesn’t find an audience in our home.

One children’s show, however, has started to weed its way into my family: "Steven Universe," which is currently airing on Cartoon Network and bringing in tremendous success for the network.

Months ago, I briefly explained my affinity for the cartoon as it provided a distraction for me in the challenging adjustment to college. In the time since then, I’ve watched each new episode and listened to the songs on repeat. Both of my parents have even watched a few parts of it to see what my hype was all about. My mom and I are currently addicted to collecting the show’s respective line of “Pint Size Hero” figures produced by Funko.

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So, what’s the big deal with "Steven Universe?"

The maturity of this cartoon never ceases to amaze me. I’m not just talking about those jokes that are sneaked into Pixar movies that only adults will understand; I’m talking about characters struggling with self-loathing, plots detailing the struggles faced by nonconventional couples (such as interracial or LGBTQ+), themes emphasizing the importance of consent, etc.

These are things that are hard to talk about, so naturally, it’s hard to teach to children. That’s OK. That’s what shows like "Steven Universe" are here for.

Take, for example, one of the main characters, Amethyst. During a rough patch for her and the other Crystal Gems (the other “good guys”), she acts aloof. Steven confronts her about it, and she snaps, explaining she isn’t mad at him, but mad at herself for not being able to defeat one of the recurring villains, (spoiler) Jasper.

This is a feeling familiar to many of us—the hopelessness of a seemingly permanent failure, where we can’t help but compare ourselves to our successful peers. Not only does "Steven Universe" explore it through Amethyst’s character arc, but we are also taught that it’s OK to fail sometimes, that life isn’t just about being better than our peers. What matters is learning how to improve. We don’t need to beat ourselves up over things, as that will just distract us from actually overcoming whatever obstacle we’re facing.

Amethyst gets back up on her feet and is able to win in her next battle by working together with Steven.

We see the topics of consent and abusive relationships also explored through the character of Lapis Lazuli, who is forced to (spoiler) “fuse” with the same antagonist that had Amethyst enraged at her shortcomings in battle. When fusing, two characters combine their physical and mental forms to become one powerful being. Fusing is typically done through characters dancing together and is often symbolic of the relationship between two or more characters. Just like any other kind of physical connection between two people, consent is a key part.

Lapis is coerced into fusing with Jasper, who manipulates Lapis through mentioning some of her past traumatic experiences. This is the foundation upon which their relationship is built on.

When the two are later separated, Lapis actually misses Jasper while consciously acknowledging their relationship as unhealthy and basically abusive—a sentiment occasionally experienced by real-life abuse victims.

"Steven Universe," I’d argue, is most renowned (in terms of maturity and representation) for its inclusion of same-sex relationships. All of the Gem characters, while not really belonging to any gender because they’re just light projections from their respective rock/stone (or whatever), use female pronouns and typically identify as such. When there are relationships between any of them, it appears to be a loving bond between two badass ladies, which isn’t something we have a lot of in media quite yet.

And the show embraces the fact that any of its relationships between the Gems will appear to be same-sex. Two of the main characters are in a committed relationship. Unrequited love is the driving force of another character’s plot. When there are characters viewing these relationships negatively, they are on the antagonist’s side of the plot, echoing the prejudice endured by same-sex and interracial couples everywhere. Gems of different types aren’t supposed to fuse together—so when a Ruby and a Sapphire who love each other fuse, they’re banished from their Homeworld.

While the show doesn’t exactly spell out all these real-life meanings to its younger viewers, it doesn’t shy away from the reality within its plots. It makes it easier to engage children in conversations about these issues when necessary. This also enables the show to reach older audiences who appreciate the “realness.”

So, if you haven’t already, you should really check out "Steven Universe."