Why is Steven universe so good?

Do you want the short answer or thr long amswer?

Short first, then long if I'm up for it and it's okay with you

It’s just good. Sure, the plotline has a few hiccups, and the original ending feels a little rushed, but it more than makes up for it with really good characters, a super interesting world, and a good overall plot. It’s also willing to tackle a lot of heavy issues, while still remaining a mostly pretty happy show overall, which is nice.

Huh. Longer version? If you want to write it

If you were to start Steven Universe from the beginning, it'd probably seem like just another goofy cartoon without that much to it. Just a goofy kid, and his family of magical gemstones fighting off big monsters, where he always manages to come up with some ridiculous solution to defeat. This was definitely necessary to build his character arc, but it does kind of leave anyone starting the show fresh with something of a bad first impression, as it doesn't start out that great. But, about halfway through the first season we're introduced to Lapis Lazuli, and we start to get our first hints that there's actually something going on here. This was another Gem, like Steven's family, but one who was trapped inside of a mirror, and we're introduced to her with a very peculiar quote; [i]"You.. You [Crystal Gems] knew I was in there.. And you did NOTHING! Did you even wonder who I used to be!? I am Lapis Lazuli! And you won't keep me trapped her ANYMORE!"[/i] -Lapis Lazuli. This, combined with the later quote "Don't trust them, Steven." are our first hints that something more's going on here. It's that episode that marks the change from this silly, but kind of pointless cartoon, like you'd see with SpongeBob or The Amazing World of Gumball, to a show with an actual, deliberate plotline. And it's a [i]good[/i] plotline, too! So may of the twists and turns along the way caught me by genuine surprise, but looking back after they were revealed the were so many hints along the way, that you can tell Rebecca Sugar (the show's main writer) knows what she's doing. And not only is this plotline good, but it tackles a lot of heavy issues, too. My favorite episode, for instance, is my favorite because it tackles the issue of the abusive relationship between two of the characters, and not only does so respectfully, but also does so without framing either one of the two as "the bad guy", acknowledging that both of them did terrible things to the other. And yet, despite such heavy topics, it knows how to balance the humor, and gravity of the situations perfectly. It knows when to tell jokes, and when to be serious, letting the show keep its happy, goofy atmosphere, while also giving these things the seriousness they deserve. All of the characters (with two notable exceptions..) get the screen time, and character development they deserve, too, and it all comes out in a natural way. None of those annoying, and out of place "backstory episodes", where we get an entire character's life story all at once awkwardly inserted into the plot. In short, it's just a good, well written show. It's a little slow to start, and Season 5 feels a little rushed (I also have some complaints with Future, but I had a good conversation with someone and want to rewatch that bit before judging it), and I really wish those two characters I mentioned got proper character arcs. The movie is also pretty much perfect, with my favorite character in all of fiction ever. So that's a big + to an already great show!