Grace Kraft

Really nice little character driven pieces set between episodes of the fifth season of Steven Universe. Peridot takes up music to distract herself after the departure of a friend. Steven and Onion have a playdate while Amethyst and Vidalia visit. Garnet learns about pet care. Pearl revisits a place that was once special to her and Rose Quartz.

I'm in the midst of my third viewing of the series, and these are certainly worthy enough to have been episodes.

This series is hitting a nice stride with lots of character interaction and fusions and a little bit of action. Stories in this volume address depression, video game addiction, teamwork, anxiety, and life balance.

Mild stories that give me just enough of that Steven Universe tingle I'm looking for. It's a nice bonus that two of them feature Peridot and Lapis Lazuli.

These middling Steven Universe stories are elevated by featuring fave ships Lapis Lazuli/Peridot and Ruby/Sapphire. Life is good when little blue and red are flirting up a storm.