Politix Culture, "Steven Universe", Part 3 of 4. Steven Universe tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe who lives with the Crystal Gems—magical, mineral-based aliens — in the fictional town of Beach City. Steven, who is half-Gem, has adventures with his friends and helps the Gems protect the world from their own kind. “I really like the mature themes of the show, and how the writers take on serious issues without being reactionary. Like redemption, the show tells us that as long as a person is willing to try that they are not beyond redemption,” Nicholas Homberg.