This show is an epilogue to Steven Universe and it's amazing. If you have seen sequel series like Naruto Shippuden then you have a small idea of how this will be. The biggest difference is that this is a very finite and emotional end. It's take on childhood trauma is therapeutic. It's wrap ups for each character is fitting. It's hard to end a show right but this definitely satisfies an impossible expectation to somehow love saying goodbye to beloved characters.
Beware, beyond here there be glimpses of the future.
The original series has whimsey, action, silly, and impactful and groundbreaking moments, a lot for a kids show. This epilogue takes you through the aftershocks of facing life with a smile. Stevens loss of self control and descent into madness results in him watching himself become the biggest baddy yet. To start it delves into growing up and coming to terms with having the world resting on this child's shoulders. Toiling to control the growing resentment towards his family, Steven has to also juggle new powers and learn how to be a normal person with normal friends. Seeing the once loving, obnoxiously happy Steven Universe struggle to realize that his father lived in a van down by the river, neglecting him, to see his surrogate mother figures realize they used Steven as a therapist, to see him distance himself everyone he hold dear is hauntingly entertaining. This much depth of character is hard to see in a kids show but it definitely handles moderate adult themes in ways a child can understand and a parent can appreciate while watching together. I love this series and never did I expect this show to be what it is.
Yuske Yurameshi is a delinquent, a thug, and a teenage Bansho. This highschool gangster is the toughest around and the bane of his teachers. his alcoholic mother barely cares if he lives. Unfortunate for her, she find out how untrue these feelings are when he inexplicably dies saving a small child from a reckless car. He learns in his next life that not even the psychopomp sent to collect him saw this coming. This final act of surprise valiance may be enough to earn him a second chance at life.
This show is responsible for crafting the single greatest tournament arc of all shonen anime.
Spoilers
Oh, you have seen the thug with a heart of gold trope? It's played out? This is Yuske Yurameshi. His heart is gold but his mouth is full of shit. He just can't stop being an entertaining asswipe.
He's joined by the second strongest thug around KUWABARA! This idiot had his ass beat dozens of times by Yuske but wasn't ready for his sudden death. Somewhere being drowned in his own blood dozens of times Kuwabara discovered friendship.
This (not) buddy cop adventure fighting demons is quickly joined by the survivors of the first mission on probation by the big baby in charge, Koenma.
The Jigan Eyed Hiei is the demon just doing his time until he is released. This ain't your typical Sasuke clone, he predates him. He may still be unironically evil by the end of the show. Your guess is as good as mine.
The second demon Kurama, again not a Naruto clone as he predates him, will make you gay. I don't make the rules, you're just gay now, for Kurama. This bishi bitch is a gentleman and kind unless you get on your bad side. Then you're going to wish you were dealing with Hiei.
This show is as impossible to hate as Botan is impossible to not love.
I'm watching through Netflix so I'm stuck on season 9. This show started out great. It got real boring in the middle up until Neegan showed up. Once he was taken down it became boring again. The meandering story grinds your interest down. It becomes so predictable too. Every time something good happens or a character experiences happiness it's solely to contrast impending doom. Season 9 could not have been worse. What did they do with Rick? Seriously, how do you write a main character out like that? I can get behind a time skip, it can be fun to see how a future can play out. Two time skips in one season where Maggie and a whole damn war collapsing the kingdom get written out off screen is some terrible bullshit. I can't wait to see how they screw up season ten.
Edit: I've now finished it. What a waste of time. Because the spinoffs continue the story in several branches (three is it?), there is no real end to this festering corpse of a show. Watch season 1 and stop if you value your time. If you don't value your time, watch until Megan twirls his bat around then end it. If want to waste your life watching crap like I did then there's one or two good things by the end.
