Spend any amount of time in the cartoon world that is Steven Universe and you’ll find there’s absolutely nothing ordinary about the Cartoon Network series. Sure, the animated television show does contain fantastical elements that are hallmarks of cartoons — science fiction, superpowers, and an adorable pink pet lion, just to name a few — but, beyond that, the Emmy-nominated series is like nothing else on television, and that’s exactly the way it was created to be.

Since its premiere in 2013, Steven Universe has made history. The show’s creator, Rebecca Sugar, is the first non-male in Cartoon Network history to have created and led her own animated series, and just weeks ago, she reached another milestone: Steven Universe televised one of the first animated queer wedding proposals between Ruby and Sapphire.

On its surface, Steven Universe appears to be a series centered around a young boy named Steven and his quest to fully understand the world around him. But, as one dives deeper into the animated series, the full scope of Rebecca’s carefully created world is revealed. Raised by his father and a group of genderless beings called the Crystal Gems, the titular Steven and his guardian Gems protect the world from evil threats. But beyond showcasing their fantastical adventures, Steven Universe has set an impressive precedent for cartoons, presenting storylines focusing on gender identity, LGBTQ+ relationships, mental health, and more.

“We never wanted to shy away from anything that felt real,” Rebecca told Teen Vogue. “One of the goals early on was to show Steven living in a very real world, where all of the adults around him are living very adult lives and having adult problems. He’s slowly getting this window into the heaviness of reality for everyone around him. I wanted the show to be able to grow up with the audience and to be realizing all these sorts of heavy, beautiful, and complicated things about what maturity is.”

Courtesy of Cartoon Network

The show’s willingness to explore these subjects and incorporate a continuing narrative of inclusion is what has made it so popular and impactful among its fans. Steven Universe has amassed an impressive following, with viewers taking to Tumblr, Twitter, and even a 2018 San Diego Comic-Con panel to express how the out-of-this-world adventures of an animated child has changed their lives.