In Defense of Lapis: A Response to Slice of Otaku 

My main problem with Slice of Otaku is that he complains about people putting Lapis on a pedestal and demonising Jasper, but he then puts Jasper on a pedestal and demonises Lapis.

Lapis is one of my favorite characters but not because I feel sorry for her or anything, I don't think she's a great person either, I even think in her relationship with jasper, jasper did draw the short end of the stick. Lapis always seems to be the person least biased towards herself, she knows she's not a great person, she's got a bit of self-loathing for it but she doesn't outright apologize for everything she does because of it or try to change to be something she's not, she never seems to be asking for pity or anything like that despite her situation, she just keeps on trucking on, she feels like most people you'd meet on the street and I like it that way.

FINALLY! I totally agree with you 100%! I see a lot of people using that seen in "Alone at Sea" to defend Jasper. Saying "she's _down on her knees_ beging and saying that shes changed" But they never realize that that's what they always say. Jasper would have gone back to the way she was before she 'changed'. It drives me nuts when they defend Jasper in this episode.

this is probably the best analysis of Lapis I've seen on RU-vid. I feel like at first Malachite was meant to be a sacrifice to save Steven and over time Lapis saw the fusion as a way to vent her anger. Then over more time, it became the twisted abusive relationship we're exposed to

How it could've been: Jasper: Lapis! Fuse with me! Lapis: No Jasper: Darn The End

Both Jasper and Lapis were abusive toward each other. The difference is that Lapis recognizes how horrible both she and Jasper were to each other, and really makes an effort to change thigs

"Rose, who shattered Pink Diamond" _well..._

Another thing with the whole lapis being selfish for fusing is, Jasper's fusion is more selfish. She knows she can't go back to home world after cross fusing, so it's only for her ego. Even if lapis did it kind of out of selfishness, she also did it to protect Steven. Jasper had no reason other than selfishness. Lapis did.

i think that *BOTH* of them are the abusers *AND* the victims they abused and victimized each other meaning they are *BOTH* at fault...

you are blue zircon :v

Thank you for this video. I'm an abuse survivor myself, and I like SliceofOtaku, but his Lapis video bothered me for this exact reason. I can't tell you the number of times I was accused of being the abuser, when it's so obviously one-sided. Violence taken to defend oneself from the violence of an abuser is not equal, and trying to equate them is extremely dangerous. Our current political atmosphere is the perfect example of this too, but that's exactly what SliceofOtaku did. I was also shocked that he didn't bring up the obvious mental illnesses Lapis' character exhibits, such as PTSD and learned helplessness. The latter of those two is especially important because it explains why she didn't think she was strong enough to overcome Jasper in Jail Break, and why her defeating Jasper in Alone at Sea is such a triumphant moment in her character's development.

lets make a defending lapis colony #LapisDefenders who is with me

Hey! Nice video. I am so glad that you took a level headed approach to this topic. I know there has been a pretty big debate going on between Lapis fans vs Lapis haters and Lapis fans vs Jasper fans ever since that video came out. It's so great to see someone make a counter argument with actual evidence to back it up, rather than someone being biased to the character they like and ignore their flaws and then use that as their argument. So again, nice video! I hope you keep up the great work!

I know she was portrayed as an abuser but from both of their reactions and later speech about it it feels like both were abusive since that is possible to have both people in the relationship can abuse eachother. it happened with my freind and it seems a lot like that.

It’s about time someone made a response to this. Though I do like his videos, I don’t agree with his opinion on Lapis.

Truth be told, I think you missed some real points. The problem is that Lapis seems to be hailed in the fandom. You said things in other arguments that if you brought up in a different argument could've derailed it. For example, when Lapis destroyed the recorder, it was not to defend herself. It was with far more malicious intent than when Amethyst threw away her tablet. Lapis was trying to destroy it because she could because she wanted Peridot to get away and because she doesn't want to accept that someone could ever change. When Amethyst threw away her tablet, it wasn't because Amethyst wanted to, or because she wanted to upset Peridot, such as Lapis did, she was trying to help. She saw that Peridot was becoming reliant on it. This was true, and she didn't want her to become so reliant on it (such as the limb enhancers) that she sees herself as nothing without it. Sure, she probably didn't make the right decision, but it was what was happening. She only used the tablet until she figured out that she had powers. She was reliant on it and beginning her decent. Also, Peridot doing things on orders is entirely different to how you seemed to see it. The entirety of the hierarchy of the diamonds is based on lawfulness. They aren't humans, and anybody who breaks away from the diamonds should be forgiven. They have been taught the same things, have been following orders and doing the same job since they were made. Lapis knows how much bravery this takes, and this is almost flat out said. Of course, Jasper is most definitely a bad person, but truth be told, I haven't seen where she really abused Lapis after imprisoning her, again, upon orders. Lapis flat out says that she took her pain out on Jasper. And, really, I can't see how Lapis could've thought that she was making a sacrifice. She knew what was happening. She was aware that Jasper must've needed her, to go down to the level that she, at that point, saw as the worst and weakest thing a gem could do. She isn't portrayed as dim, and she knew that the CG's would be able to defeat her if she didn't fuse, as they are yelling and sceaming at her not to do it. She doesn't say 'I will stop you,' she says that she has been trapped so many times, she wants to keep Jasper trapped. She is doing this as revenge for Jasper. She is doing this for herself. She kept Jasper trapped inside her body and the ocean. This is unrelated, but can we just talk about how Malachite refers to the watermelon Steven she kills as 'Steven' not 'Rose'?

I also want to add that even though Lapis Lazuli has openly confessed to abusing Jasper, Lapis changed. Jasper did not. While Lapis became a kinder person, regardless of her anger towards Peridot because it's understandable, Jasper tried to start a freaking army of CORRUPTED GEMS. Jasper ALSO FORCED one of the corrupted gems to fuse with her, no questions asked, which goes to prove that Lapis Lazuli really DID change and Jasper didn't. And to add even more to this, all of the characters are flawed - some more than others - but that's exactly what makes a character believable. Steven DID feel guilty about Jasper. This is shown in the episode "Mindful Education," where it's showing the recent events that have been bothering Steven, with Bismuth, Ruby, AND Jasper. Lapis Lazuli, in my opinion, really did make a sacrifice. Jasper was weakened, but it still took a VERY long time to FINALLY poof her. The Crystal Gems were ALL weakened after Jail Break, so Lapis Lazuli fusing with Jasper ACTUALLY DID save the Crystal Gems. After all, we knew already that Jasper was an EXTREMELY strong gem - so much so that it took THREE different fusions to weaken her (Stevonnie, Garnet, and Smoky Quartz). There are plenty of things that the other gems have done who have never apologized for. Peridot apologizes for hurting Amethyst's feelings in the one episode (forgot the name), but Amethyst feels NO guilt about making fun of the other gems. Yet, everyone GLORIFIES Amethyst as this "poor soul," but her self-esteem issues do NOT make up for the way she acts sometimes. Pearl didn't "almost" let Steven fall to his death, she LET HIM, without even trying. If Steven hadn't caught himself - he'd've been dead. Anyways, Lapis really needs more sympathy than what people give her.

But lapis amitted that she was abusing her and took her pain out on her

Lapis literally said; "I was terrible to you. I liked taking everything out on you. I needed to. I-I hated you." That doesn't portray Lapis as a victim. I feel like both of them were abusive, with Lapis being the primary abuser, since she was the one who held down their fusion in the ocean and tormented Jasper (and enjoyed doing so). I dunno, its just hard for me to feel sorry for her when she does terrible shit, and rarely apologizes (*cough* The New Crystal Gems *cough*). It just sucks that they screwed over her development for townie episodes.

Lapis has still done horrible things, and while it is true that she is a victim of abuse, Jasper also had to go through the reflection of abuse Lapis took out on her. Most of the actions that make people like Lapis, like her being tormented, sad, really edgy and stuff, are mostly a thing because it is relatable, but being relatable doesn't justify her being an ass to everybody and then just come back all happy and dandy because why not.

I'm pretty sure, back in Jailbreak, when Malachite says, in Lapis's voice, "I'm done being everyone's prisoner. Now you're my prisoner! And I'm never letting you go," pretty much confirms Lapis went into this fusion with selfish intentions: having control over another gem.

I agreed a little with Slice of Otaku. I have to say that. Imprisoning Jasper like she did was hard for me to wrap my head around (then again, I have difficulty judfing people's emotions and motivations). But as a victim of abuse myself, I cried while watching this and seeing someone defend Lapis. Thank you.

"even rose shattered pink diamond." oh, did she? did she _really_ ?

It was practically stated that she fused with Lapis so she could have a prisoner. She says it immediately after fusing with her, and she admits it in Alone At Sea.

So everyone's pointing out all of these things about this review, while I am busy laughing at Onion being chaotic evil

your counter arguments make a Lot of sense,i`m glad that someone analised this deeper than others did ,i love this video because it makes so mutch sense.

2:22 she literally said "I'm done being everyone's prisoner, now your my prisoner and I'm never letting you go" she's taking her anger out on her and having someone go through something similar that she did and being hypocritical ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

its the classic story of abused becoming abuser. that doesnt excuse everything she did but to say shes just outright horrible for it is misunderstanding trauma and the effects it has on people

SO SOMEBODY IN THIS FRIKIN PLANET AGREES WITH ME?

I watched SliceOfOtaku's video, and I must say that you managed to capture some of my own thoughts, but part of your criticism doesn't make sense. Firstly, Lapis was indeed the abuser in her relationship with Jasper. She outright confessed, in "Alone at Sea", that she enjoyed taking out all her anger on Jasper, missing it even. To quote Lapis, "I needed to. I hated you". What I mean to say is that being confused with the enemy at a time of war, trapped and kept inside a mirror for thousands of years, then brought back as a prisoner to the planet she despised the most really drained Lapis emotionally. So when Jasper asked to fuse with her, she saw it as an opportunity to lash out all the anger she had been storing onto someone. Jasper may have made Lapis prisoner on the ship, but she doesn't hold responsability over everything else that happened to her, and that's why Lapis' action was unexcusable. Does that mean she didn't do it for Steven at all? Well, partially. But the selfishness is still there. Yes, Lapis did suffer with the fusion too, but that's because Jasper was fighting back through all of it. And how could she not be? She was literally being tortured with the weight of the planet above her; of course she's gonna try to break free! But when Jasper finally took control over Malachite, she got to experience power like she had never even imagined. And that's why she missed the fusion. Jasper got addicted to both the power and the pain that came along with it. In the end, Lapis did right by ending everything there, but that doesn't change the fact she was the abuser, and Jasper the abused.

i'm going to have to hesitantly disagree with your stance on lapis' position in malachite's relationship-- i've been *abusive* and *abused*, i've been on both sides of the coin. the real dangerous idea here is 'jasper has to be the abuser because she's big and bad and a brute'-- this is untrue. i'm small and quiet but i was verbally abusive, albeit unintentional, i still was. it scares me that people would label both lapis and me as victims in our respective situations, because it's just false. lapis had all the power in the world to end malachite but she didn't because she felt the need to keep jasper trapped. do you have any idea how mentally taxing it must have been on jasper? jasper had lost her fucking mind in 'alone at sea'. i'll switch perspectives here as i've been abused before. jasper was made out to be the bad guy, and she begged lapis to fuse again, *BECAUSE she felt like she wasn't enough by herself anymore. THAT is terrifying, being THAT dependent on someone else after being stripped of your own self.* neither of them are innocent, but to paint lapis as the victim is just.. incorrect.

I agree! It's pretty toxic to expect trauma victims to be without flaws (reminds me of the toxic "ideal victim" trope). Not mention almost everyone whom Lapis has been resentful towards has previously wronged her in some way (usually involving traumatic imprisonment). Yet because Steven showed her kindness and empathy, Lapis is arguably WAY kinder to Steven than people like Amethyst, Peridot, or even Pearl. And while I don't like how her character was moved to the sidelines and written to have kinda the stereotypical "meh" attitude, this has less to do with realism (as desensitization, reduced interest, and stubbed personal relationships are common traits of depression) and more with how her subsequent character framing is less active in the full story. Particularly how the cyrstal gems never directly apologized to her for their enablement of her long traumatic suffering. So subsequently, her character isn't allowed to bond with most of the characters outside of Steven and Peridot, let alone be an active player in the main story after "Alone At Sea" (with the exception of her panic-induced departure in "Raising the Barn & "Can't Go Back", as well as her brief, but meaningful Deus ex machina return in "Reunited"). However, while it is more realistic to have her be apathetic and mistrusting towards newcomers, I feel like the show not allowing her to bond with other characters outside of Steven and Peridot kinda takes away from her character's thematic payoff to the "treat others how you want to be treated" and "if you reach out to people in pain, they'll appreciate it" message from the mirror and ocean gem episodes, as her kind reaction to Steven's empathy was a nice contrast to her angry retaliation towards the Gems' initial cruel apathy to her millennia of trauma inside the mirror and immediate desire to bubble her. I don't expect her to warm up to newcomers immediately, but it would've been nice if her eventual warm-up to others wasn't as downplayed. It would've also been nice if they fleshed out personality more and gave her more personal interests and passions aside from reading and watching TV. But this has less to do with her character traits and more with how they push her character to the sidelines and how her character framing relates to her thematic message to the audience about the importance of reaching out to people in pain, helping them recover, and inclusivity. Plus it's kinda ironic that the show often neglects Lapis from the main plot in later episodes despite one of her character's priamry conflicts being emotional neglect. It reduces the payoff of seeing her character grow and rise from her harsh past and kinda feels less empowering. Especially since her powers often not nearly as large scale as she was in her 2 debut episodes. Hell, even in Reunited she's one of 2 gems taken out by Yellow diamond despite her previous dillema of confronting the diamonds and just how powerful her ocean manipulation powers are. Particularly since we don't see her return again until the season finale in "Change Your Mind". But at the end of the day, I still find her character very emotionally resonating with important messages regarding empathy and mental illness behind it. Plus a lot of my complaints (outside of the crystal gems never apologizing to her) are more nitpicks than serious flaws.

Lapis and Jasper were both harmful and abusive. It’s not always only Party A is abusive to Party B. The difference between Lapis and Jasper is that Jasper was addicted to being Malachite, as a sort of Stockholm syndrome, Lapis hated it. She developed a form of PTSD to the point of avoiding water. She was originally tricked Jasper in order to save Steven, it turned into an endless cycle of abuse between both Lapis and Jasper. Jasper knew it would be exactly the same. She loved how it was. She was trying to manipulate Lapis into thinking it would be different because that is what would get her to fuse. Lapis tricked her the first time, so Jasper wanted to trick her for a second round of Malachite. Lapis knows that she was terrible to Jasper, she doesn’t see herself as the victim. Jasper was following Lapis in Alone at Sea just because she wanted her back. Their relationship was toxic and dangerous. Garnet summarizes it perfectly by saying “those two are really bad for each other”. It wasn’t one is bad for the other. They both were bad. What started as a trick to protect Steven turned into the most traumatizing thing for Lapis, despite spending 5000 years trapped in a mirror and being caught in a war she had no place in. She was able to withstand Blue Diamond’s pathokinesis while everyone else dropped to their knees, crying.

I wish Slice would see this.

This response to Slice of Otaku was very well done and detailed. While, usually he does a good job of his theories you did a better job defending Lapis. Maybe I am biased to a degree because I love Lapis but pretty much a ll you said was true. In an abusive relationship usually both people are abusive to a degree, but one person is worse. Jasper w very abusive and Lapis was right back but she did it in self defense and fear, this also helped her take out her anger and frustration towards her position in an unhealthy way which is still wrong but I feel a lot of sympathy for her because she really isn't that bad intentionally. As for her aggression and bitterness towards Peridot that was also correct because who wouldn't feel some resentment towards a person that interrogated, imprisoned, and returned a gem back to their hell. Her reaction towards Peridot's attempts at peace were cruel but not without good reason. Overall thanks so much for this video it really is a good one and I'm glad you could really correct some errors.

I dislike Lapis because she is an emotionally abusive person in general. Everyone has a "walking on eggshells" feel about them when she shows up because everyone has to jump through hoops to avoid offending her. Everyone excuses this behavior because she's "been through so much". But honestly the other crystal gems have been through just as bad traumas in the war and they don't act this way.

I understand and respect both arguments and opinions. . But i like this one more...

Both of you made good arguments, but I would like to point out that many of Lapis' decisions were made from a desire to run and/or control.

you should make more videos about steven universe. Because you have so many good points and arguments.

Gonna get overlooked, but eh. Here's what I felt on your points on defending lapis. -She uttered the words "I'm done being everyone's prisoner, now you are my prisoner" while forcefully dragging Jasper into the ocean. She also confesses to Jasper that she enjoyed releasing all of her anger onto her during the imprisonment as Malachite, immediately damaging Jasper into developing stockholm syndrome and believing the abusive relationship with Lapis was fine and normal. It's a for sure plot hole to push the story though like you believe. -Fusion is supposed to represent/symbolize the relationship and bond between gems, yes, but the show made the idea come off as sexual since Garnet felt violated about Pearl using her to fuse. Not the point though. Lapis had any and every opportunity to send Jasper flying like she did in Chille Tid, but chose to fuse because it would be a better way to use her as a punching bag. She did this out of pure selfishness. She didn't fuse with Jasper to save everyone, only used this as a mask to her true intentions. Therefore, Lapis DID use Jasper for her own selfish reasons, just like Pearl did with Garnet. -Lapis in that same sentence states that she enjoyed lashing out on Jasper during the fusion and needed her there since she was her punching bag. The fact that you negate the valid criticism Jasper makes about Lapis is baffling. Lapis, in her first episodes, dried up the ocean, attempted to kill Connie and the gems, and did so much damage. You even point this out that water IS Lapis' element. She can control it however she wants and it can destroy completely. She was the one person who legitimately mind broke Jasper into developing Stockholm Syndrome and believing that they could work out and try to become Malachite again. I do agree with you on the part about having to help Jasper. Jasper is beyond help and getting help from someone who just isn't healthy for her and vice versa and continuing a toxic relationship just doesn't work out at all. Pointing out that you noticed that she sent Jasper flying after Jasper was going to attempt to shatter Steven, why didn't she just do that instead of fusing as Malachite? -I agree with you completely with the Peridot point. She has her reasons to not trust Peridot initially because job or not, she kept her captive and helped put her through this whole thing. I can't agree or disagree with you on your point about Lapis' trauma. It's understandable that people go through so much that it's hard to deal with, but lashing out on others because of it isn't an excuse. The -This is probably the absolute WORST justification I've ever seen. "Lapis probably wanted to subdue Steven and Connie", okay, so why not tie them up? Why not put them in chains like she did Jasper? You're admitting that she's depriving them with oxygen lmao. You use the excuse "she's flawed" but then don't use the same excuse with Jasper and completely demonize her which comes off as double standards. At the end of it, both characters are awful for each other (Lapis more than Jasper). I still wonder what your feelings on these two are since this was around the time the show wasn't finished.

Um. Lapis openly admits that she was the abuser. The fact that Jasper was acting like the sterotypical abuser was meant subvert expectations.

It's fine if you like Lapis as a character. I go back and forth between liking her, like in mirror/ocean gem, Jailbreak, Chille Tid and Same old World, to disliking her attitude at times and the lack of development she's gotten. However, to say she is totally an innocent victim to Jasper in the Malachite situation is simply false. Re watched all of Steven Universe recently with a friend so I have the scenes fresh in mind. She agreed to fuse with Jasper to trick her for revenge. "I'm done being everyone's prisoner! Now your my prisoner and I'm never letting you go!" is the quote. It wasn't to save Steven and the gems, who by the way weren't damaged by the ship crash because of Steven's protective bubble around them. Only Garnet was damaged from the fight with Jasper. Lapis could have easily sent Jasper flying away with water. Remember, she turned and extended a hand to Jasper, she wasn't held by the arm or foot by her at that moment and she was quite close to the ocean. Lapis also could have run the other way, tried to take off again or just flat out refused. Jasper was outnumbered by the gems and lion even showed up as well. Lapis did not need to fuse to save anyone. Lapis decided to take control of Malachite and drag her underwater. You can even see Malachite's face shift as Jasper desperately tries to escape the fusion but is literally dragged by water chains into the ocean. This made for great visuals, a dramatic exit and amazing set up for episodes later but I feel like the show did it just to get rid of those two characters for a while and cause conflict later, not because Lapis was forced to do it. In the episode Chille Tid we get to see that Lapis is literally forcing the fusion to stay together. Jasper is show to be gasping for air, desperate to escape and constantly trying but Lapis continues to hold their toxic relationship together. Whether she is truly doing it for Steven alone, just saying it to justify her actions as she takes out her frustration and anger on Jasper or a bit of both is up for interpretation. Personally, I do feel it was a bit of both and they both suffered during this, not just Lapis and not just Jasper. I, a fan of both Lapis and Jasper at the time watching this, was convinced that yeah, Lapis was doing it to hold Jasper back and protect Steven from her should she escape. Until I saw Alone at Sea. Alone at Sea was such an intense episode for everyone. Looking back on it, I have to give Jasper my sympathy. She awoke from her nightmarish ordeal with Lapis where they both suffered, alone. She didn't have any contact with homeworld, or Peridot, the ship was destroyed and the only person she'd connected to, even in the most toxic of ways, was gone. Lapis had Steven and the other gems to support her and try to help her. Jasper had no one. We don't get her perspective. I suspect that both Lapis and Jasper suffered from Stockholm syndrome as Lapis expressed missing Jasper and being Malachite together and Jasper felt an overwhelming need to be with Lapis again. Unfortunately we don't really get more into it and probably never will. We also don't know what Jasper has been thinking while she's been trailing Lapis. I'm not saying that she was right in confronting Lapis or threatening Steven but please try to see it from her perspective. Was she panicked? worried about Lapis, Feeling alone and frustrated? Addicted to being with her like a drug that gives her a rush? I think it is an addiction on her end, just my interpretation. Jasper's never had that kind of power so far as we know. Addiction is an incredibly hard thing to break especially if you don't have a good support system. She was drawn back to Lapis to become Malachite again, like a druggie that hasn't kicked the habit. I agree with you that the way she was talking to Lapis was akin to how an abuser talks to their victim. I've been in an abusive relationship before myself and the "I'll change! you've changed me, things will be different this time!" is something they say to keep you as well as isolate you from your friends and family to control you better. However, just because she's saying things that an abuser would say at that moment doesn't mean that she's solely the one to blame in this situation. Lapis ADMITS TO ENJOYING HURTING JASPER! That she took her anger out on her and that it was wrong of her. Still people just claim Jasper is the only abuser in this relationship, even after Lapis says this and its frustrating. It's clear that Jasper wasn't quite right when she approached Lapis in this episode. She was acting desperate and unhinged, willing to say anything to get what she wanted, like an addict cut off from their supply. When Lapis shuts Jasper down, in her frustration, desperation and rage Jasper turns to attack Steven, whom she thinks poisoned Lapis against her. Not saying that is in any way OK or justified but I understand why it happened. Doesn't mean I sympathize with the attacker, I just understand what made it happen. If you take away crack from an addict cold turkey do you expect them to immediately become normal with no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever with no support system in place to help them? That's why I view Jasper as more of a tragic character rather than a full on villain or abuser. The difference being, Lapis got way from that situation with help from Steven and got healthier because of it, while Jasper's path took a much darker turn arguably because she had no support. I also think that judging by appearances is a scary way to think. Because Jasper is big, beefy and butch she's immediately assumed to be the aggressor to Lapis's pretty petite character without thinking more deeply into the situation. That's almost like saying men can never be abused by women because they tend to be bigger and stronger when it most definitely happens in real life. While I could probably make my own vid about why I think Jasper got the raw deal on the show, there's more to Lapis I think you've excused. When Lapis broke Peridot's recorder it was to be a jerk. Let's not deflect the argument by saying oh Amethyst did the same thing. The situation was entirely different. Amethyst was trying to motivate Peridot because she was feeling sorry for herself and getting depressed because she didn't have any powers. "You don't need this to be you!" Was Amethysts message and she got carried away and almost succeed in throwing the tablet into the ocean. Not saying breaking anyone's devices is OK in the first place but intent is very important. Lapis could have given the recorder back to Peridot, dropped it on the ground, or tossed it to the side, yet she chose to break it on purpose. To hurt Peridot. Could it have been for revenge for the mission with Peridot or homeworld in general, taking out her own anger on her like she did to Jasper? We don't know. Only because Steven guilt tripped her, did she even give Peridot a chance...and then cut to them being roommates/bffs/potential love interests? That's where I wish things with her were developed more. Instead of the townie episodes, the show could have focused more on Peridot and Lapis and even Jasper instead of just brushing them to the side really. We could have gotten a lot of character development with Lapis as well as Peridot but nowadays she seems to be just there for deadpan jokes and to use her awesome powers on something. She definitely shouldn't be defined by her powers. While I do appreciate that she's not all sunshine and happiness like a lot of the other characters which makes for an interesting contrast, I'm not a fan of deadpan jokes. A lot of times Lapis just seems to be miserable. I understand why and I sympathize. She's had an awful past and is still trying to come back from it. I get it, and if she were given episodes to develop her more work through her issues and become better for it, i would love it so much but she isn't. It's not fun to watch and there are times where I'm like, if you don't want to be here then leave instead of making everyone else around you miserable. Recently too, she was mean to Connie, and to Navy with no reason for Connie and out of jealousy to Navy, even though she proved to be right. I could see if she was just looking out for Steven and being suspicious and watchful of Navy but she was just downright rude and couldn't stand the thought that someone was adjusting to Earth faster than her and wasn't in pain like her. I just get the feeling from her that she want's everyone to be miserable and pity her and that's just not the character I used to like. Just wish they'd do more with her and bring out the fun we used to have with her like in "Same old world". Sorry if this got a bit long but I do think people have a bias against Jasper because she's so big and intimidating. Hate her if you want but at least be fair and give the situation a thorough look. I still think they were both wrong, both abusers in their own way and that Lapis wasn't completely innocent. Feel free to debate me, I'm always up for an adult exchange of views. ;)

In terms of Jasper and Lapis fusing, both of you are being too specific. Lapis allowed Jasper to fuse with her to trick her into a false sense of security. She did have selfish intentions when it came to her reasoning, it just looked like she was being a martyr. The reason Lapis allowed Jasper to fuse with her is because she wanted someone else to feel like how she felt being trapped for what seemed like an eternity to Lapis. She even explains this in "Alone at Sea" when she explains to Jasper that she "needed to". Although, it wasn't a very good way of coping with what happened to her, Lapis acknowledged this as she said "what we had wasn't healthy" and refuses to continue with that relationship. You're right, fusion means different things to different gems, but the fact still stands; Lapis and Jasper had opposing views when it came to why they fused with each other. Jasper wanted to destroy the Crystal Gems and Lapis wanted to get back at someone, albeit anyone, for what she had to go through for thousands of years. The only reason Lapis said that to Jasper is because she realized what she was doing was wrong and would only turn her into the people who trapped her. Both you and SliceofOtaku are calling Lapis either the abuser or the victim, while in reality, she's both. She was mistaken for a crystal gem and subjected to thousands of years of interrogation before being abandoned and cracked. Without any way of being able to cope constructively, she takes her anger out on someone who's made her relive that traumatic experience by taking advantage of their naivete. Through this, she turns herself into the victim AND the abuser. By defending one part of the story and condemning the other, both of you turn it into a one-sided argument and leave out that simple fact.

TBH i think the scariest person in the series is lapis. She stole the freaking ocean and created clones more powerful than the crystal gems, also there is a huge chance that she has been lying and manipulating everyone. I mean there r sooo many holes with her its weird.

I just hate Lapis

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with your first statement. slice of otaku is right when he said that her sacrifice was actually selfish and really wasn't a sacrifice at all and she later admitted that she just wanted to take her pain out on another gem I don't think she was trying to protect the Crystal Gems or even Steven because if it was her goal to protect there were many ways of going about that we've literally seen her lift up the whole entire ocean while sporting a cracked gem and you're telling me she can't take down a weak and wounded Jasper while rocking a healed gem. you lapis fans are just making excuses. all this could have been fixed if they spent a little more time developing her character she's had nothing but time.

She was imprisoned by Jasper and Peridot, and when she imprisons Jasper only she's a bad guy?

I love how onion was in the like chaotic or true evil spot on the alignment chart lmao

Nice video, however I don't agree with you. I think Lapis' character has been ruined beyond repair by what they've done with her in the show, no matter how nitty gritty you get about her actions. She's just a badly portrayed character.

Thank you for making this video; you've perfectly highlighted everything that I took issue with in sliceofotaku's video, especially Lapis being the abuse survivor part, not Jasper, and her grey morality cos those are the things I really love and enjoy about her character

“Then there’s rose who shattered pink diamond.” If only she knew.

The comment section: 50% Long essay of disagree and Lapiz IS the abuser. 30% Agree and thank you for making this vid. 15% SliceOfOtaku needs to see this! 5% on both sides and doesn't really care either.

I disagree. I mean, why would Lapis at any time actually believe she would have to fuse with her? Not only were the Crystal Gems there and were willing to fight Jasper, Lapis also had a whole ocean right next too her she could control. She even admitted to enjoying abusing Jasper.

I agree with a lot of your points. It amazes me how many people are unable to recognize Stockholm Syndrome, Abused Spouse, Lima Syndrome, and many other aspects of dangerous co-dependent relationships. For a story geared towards children, it is quite surprising to see this topic broached. I also agree that not only are Lima Syndrome and Stockholm Syndrome being conflated by the Lapis critics, they are also playing into an even worse situation that prevents people from getting help: victim shaming and victim blaming. No, Lapis is just as bad as Jasper with regards to the fusion. Garnet even said this at the end of "Jail Break" when she said "those two are bad for each other". But as you pointed out, the stronger person knows how to say "no" and walk away. And since the Malachite fusion was predicated on anger, hate, revenge, and most importantly power, what did Lapis stand to gain from re-fusing? Jasper would gain everything, Lapis would only gain more pain and misery. It reminds me of the difference between a rape victim and a rape SURVIVOR. A nuance, but a very powerful and important one. Victims continue to suffer until they die. Survivors overcome despite the trauma and become better people.

Point 1: The show doesn't have to read it out for you for it to be an element in the show. And if it does turn out to be just bad writing why would it be in your face? It's not a REACH. He's claiming that it's bad writing. Point 2: It doesn't matter if other Gems see fusion as certain things. Fusions is a relationship said by the creators themself. And the relationship Lapis did was a real bad one. She chose to deceive her when a Lapis is stronger than a quarts. She took the entire ocean and had the gems fight copies of themselves. She couldn't beat Jasper in a normal fight???? Lapis didn't hate the experience. She said she ENJOYED abusing Lapis wtf??? The reason she hates the experience so much because it makes her think about how bad of a person she was. Jasper was even saying that she was worse then herself! Lapis is a terraform. Which means she probably killed tons of other creatures for the sake of the diamonds. Even the crystal gems are bad. I don't think Jasper was lying just to lie. That doesn't even fit her character. She uses hard cold truth(Like she did with Amethyst) . You left out what Lapis actually said because it proves that she enjoyed hurting her. Point3: And I don't think Slice Of Otaku ever just up and said "She was doing her job it was fine"But I would like to say that she did forgive Peridot and had no thought of trying to help Jasper even though she was the abuser in the relationship. A lot of these just feel like excuses.

So lapis holding jasper at the bottom of the ocean in a forced fusion wasn't abuse? Ok sure

Slice of otaku got terminated!!

You missed the point where Lapis literally says she liked taking out all her anger on Jasper and when she used all her strength to keep Jasper bound to her. Lapis admits that she was the one hurting Jasper and that Jasper was trying escape the whole time. Also don't forget that even though Lapis tricked Jasper to help others, she still tricked her! Her intentions didn't matter, fusion is the most complicated part of gem relationships, but as far as we know tricking and forcing people to fuse is reprehensible. Garnet says we need permission to fuse, Stevonni shows how fusions should check up on themselves to make sure their components are comfortable. Immediately after Malachite is formed Jasper asked Lapis to stop, but Lapis ignores her drags her down to the booth of the ocean and spends the following months taking her anger out on her, until she is too weak to continue allowing Jasper to take the reins. You say that people could be misinterpreting the crewniverse's intentions, but the golden rule of writing is show not tell. And what they have been showing, at least up to this point, has me siding with Jasper.

doesn't lapis admit how much she need jasper around strictly to hurt her? even if jasper was the villain, lapis still had a Co dependent relationship with her, and took out her pain on jasper. even if you feel justified in hurting someone, as you mentioned in the video hurting someone is still wrong.

Here comes a thought: Lapis DID want to save steven via sacrifice but ALSO wanted to take out her anger on jasper

The part when you talk about Jaspers getting in her knees and all the "I've changed" stuff was exactly the thing that bothered me abour Slice of Otaku's video. Thanks for breaking it down c:

This didn't change my mind at all

Amethyst tried to help peridot by getting rid of the tablet but lapis broke it and that was uncalled for

Oh my stars thank you for making this video! I know Im watching this 2 years after it was made, but even so Im a huge slice of Otaku fan and that video ticked me off. I'm glad that you pointed out all the potholes in his arguments, because some of them were just straight wrong. I'm happy to see someone also explaining how Lapis partly was a victim of an abusive relationship, and tried to sort out her feelings by HERSELF. Overall, thank you for making this!!!!

Amethyst thought she was helping though

It's okay you obviously love lapis

But Lapis said that she enjoyed fighting with jasper.

Thank you for making this video. While I did not have a problem with SliceOfOtaku's video and was able to see where he was coming from, it was good to see someone make a video about how I was feeling while watching it. Lapis isn't my favorite character, but she is the character I am most like and relate to most. I absolutely loved the episode Alone At Sea because it mirrored what I have been through. I don't think a show that I have watched before dealt with something like this, much less a kid's show! Lapis as a character can definitely be handled better recently in episodes, but it's so important to me and other abuse victims to have this sort of character to relate to.

I love lapis’s character and this video really helps since you look at all of the points. But no matter how many awesome scenes lapis has done I was still really shocked that she broke the recorder which was peridots most prized possession.

Almost drowning Connie and Steven: Did she realize either of them even NEEDED oxygen? I don't think so. Connie mentions this: Lapis is saying she doesn't remember Connie, because she's almost drowned many people!!

Please make more videos. I think you have really good and valid points and I love your video!

Dang this response video is amazing, the points you mention reminds me of how I first watched the episode when jasper returns. I loved it!!!

Okay but Lapis IS Jasper's abuser? Like okay Lapis is a victim too but don't think for a god damn minute Jasper wasn't a victim as well. Lapis hurt her and Lapis knows it. She said herself, "I hurt her" and "I liked taking everything out on you". Jasper was no fucking prize in this situation either and I'm happy Lapis said no to her and stood up to her abuser, I am happy about that. But Lapis was NOT the only victim in Malachite. Another thing is that you, Geekachu, compared Lapis destroying Peridot's tape recorder out of HATE and MISTRUST to Amethyst throwing Peridot's tablet, out of PROTECTION and doing WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS RIGHT. Yeah it's still pretty fucked up to throw her tablet, but Amethyst did it coming from a place of caring, thinking Peridot didn't need it because it was hindering her from facing her problems and enjoying Amethyst and Steven's company. Lapis, on the other hand, calls Peridot's tape recorder fucking garbage and smashes it because she didn't like Peridot. Amethyst didn't apologize, but neither did Lapis for the tape recorder (or for any of the other countless rude interactions in Barn Mates lol) No Lapis is not a saint but I'll be damned if you compare her actions to that of Amethyst's and Garnet's, who do seem like saints when you put them next to Lapis. Sorry I just don't agree with you Geekachu and I think Lapis is a bad character, and not just for the bad writing.

I appreciate this video very much, while watching steven universe ive noticed that I'm a lot like lapis lazily. Once in my life I felt like i was in prison for things i haven't done. This imprisonment has led me to do some regrettable things and watching lapis's character as well as connie coping with how she beaten someone up has shown me theres a light at the end of the tunnel.

I really liked the points you made! I tried to watch SliceofOtaku's video but I couldn't watch it all the way through without being bothered by the points he missed.

i agree with slice. lapis abused jasper. lapis tricked jasper into fusing with her & dragged her into the water & held her there. lapis definitely didn’t have to do that.

I like lapis but she did say she loved abusing Jasper.

I appreciate the argument style and how you utilized real psychological tactics that abusers use in order to explain Jasper's behavior towards Lapis in Alone at Sea. I also agree that it's a dangerous notion to demonize the victim and it makes one think about the way how a character analysis video is reflected by how people analyze the characters of other humans in their actual, breathing lives.

Thank you. Slice of otaku made that video without considering that in real life people like lapiz exist and they react very similarly and for good reason. Its like he wants lapiz to be a mary sue that can just get over her ptsd and abusive relationship by talking things out. Which is ironically stevens main flaw as stated in room for ruby.

I feel like she’s just trying to take care of herself and fix herself and figure herself out. She went through thousands of years of trauma and isolation, and that doesn’t go away in (maybe?) three years. She’s still gonna lash out and she’s still gonna be a lil bit of a bitch and a lil selfish sometimes. She finally figures herself out in one of the more recent episodes where they are fighting blue and yellow diamond (excuse the fact I forgot the episode name) No character is perfect and they’ve all screwed up but at least she finally made up her mind Idk where I was going with this lol

That's basically how I feel about Lapis too. Lapis definitely isn't one hundred percent good, but she's far from being a horrible person, and like you said her character would get pretty boring if she were made to be just a "good guy." Her character definitely could've been handled better though, and I think she's a big missed opportunity in the show. Her introduction is still one of the best moments in the show if you ask me, the build up to it was perfect, and her character was super mysterious and really made you realize that we really know nothing about the gems and whats actually going on with them. But after that, outside of a couple episodes, she's just kinda there. Lapis is still an interesting character and one I enjoy watching, but like you said, it feels like she was sidelined and lots of her development needed to be fleshed out more instead of being forgotten about or just having it happen off screen.

I know I’m late to the party on this subject, but I appreciate someone sticking up for one of my favorite characters with actual facts. This, I think will help many others who rewatch the show and look through older yt videos on the subject. There was another video that I watched just before yours that explained about Lapis’s PTSD and how hard it can be to work through the stages. Thank you again for the awesome video!!

Thank you for doing this! I thought the same thing as you while watching Slice of Otaku's video

i think ur both right!! there's a lot of grey areas of morality when it comes to su characters, and that's what i particularly like about the show.

It doesn't seem like a reach at all. Lapis keeps Jasper down there for months when she could easily have overwhelmed her with the power of her element. Hell, like you said, she could have shattered the CGs if she really wanted to, but chose to keep them subdued instead. And when she was under the ocean, she wasn't exactly concentrating on pulling all of it to make a massive pillar. Jasper isn't the all-powerful behemoth she's made out to be. If Lapis can attack all of the CGs with perfect replicas of themselves- while again, utilising the entire ocean- then she can more than subdue Jasper, hell even poof or shatter without a second thought. And let's be real here, Lapis plain *was* the abuser in this scenario. She essentially kidnapped Jasper, and tortured her under the ocean for months and months on end. It was never even a relationship to begin with, as you even pointed out yourself- it was a matter of getting something done, and when Jasper wanted out, Lapis refused to let her go. It only turned into a 'relationship' when they didn't have anyone else to turn to, and Jasper decided she couldn't manage without her strength. Also, just because Jasper wants to resume the partnership doesn't mean that she's doing it because she's an aggressor who wants to continue the cycle. Sometimes the victims do that, and clearly, she's shown to be submissive as she drops to her knees to beseech her. Her anger issues towards Steven and Rose don't negate this, either. Lapis yelling at Steven 'Just let me do this for you!' was likely what made Jasper think that Steven was at fault (like... she was trapped for 'Steven's sake'). That's not to say her lashing out at Steven was okay, but the issue I think SliceofOtaku was getting at was that Lapis turned her away without truly indicating to Jasper how much she had hurt her in this situation and try to help her, instead bemoaning her own feelings and telling her to 'go', launching her off when the situation escalated. Speaking of 'out of context', I believe you're taking the line about Jasper having 'changed' out of context with what actually happened. It's a common line for abusers, sure, but given that Lapis' character is supposed to subvert the 'usual role' given to characters similar to her (say, damsel in distress), the same can be said of the role she plays in this scenario (i.e- being the one dominant in the fusion). The situation isn't as 'classic' as it appears, and that's the point. Appearances are deceiving- making the assumption that 'weak looking' ones are the ones who get abused, is dangerous in of itself. Lapis is not a 'damsel', she's a powerful being with millennia on top of millennia of abject, vengeful fury which she sought to sate by tormenting Jasper. Jasper may have coerced her into taking revenge, but she had no idea what she was getting into. None at all. Again, as the victim, Jasper will say that 'she's changed' to suggest that she won't make her angry any more, she'll be strong enough to please her and not be hurt. And that 'I'm the only one who can handle your kind of power'? Well, given the immense power Lapis holds in her gem, that would mean that she's been 'trained' a lot by Lapis. It reeks of Stockholm, frankly. Also, Lapis' line 'Why... would you want that'... it's a strange comment to make narrative-wise, if Lapis is the victim. Because the abuser coming back would be a 'no shit Sherlock' in terms of what they wanted, but given how badly Lapis fought against her, this sounds a lot more like genuine confusion. If you think about her avoidance of water and the 'Don't put me in charge' outburst, it's clear that she's suffering with a control complex. That is why she is avoiding her element- it's what makes her uncomfortable on the boat the whole time, and that was a fear that she would be tempted back into using Jasper as a punching bag. Even symbolically (with the fishing segment), this episode explored Lapis' guilt, and strength of character for accepting that and backing away. It wasn't perfect in terms of how her arc was handled, but the hints all point to her concern about loss of control- as she's learned to get along with Peridot on good terms, she has a point of reference for what a relationship should be. Jasper doesn't quite have this yet, and is still under Homeworld's thumb, not to mention the aftereffects of Malachite and her obsession with being strong enough. She's still got a longer way to go.

People also seem to forget that lapis was trapped for thousands of years and was caught in a war. So duh, she won't be the nicest gem ever. This of course does not give her the right to abuse others, but people need to cut her some slack. Also I have to say, I'm so fucking grateful that you pointed out the other short comings of the other gems that EVERY Lapis hater seems to forget about

I like how you interpreted the fact that lapis is not evil but still learning to cope,forgive, learn about the earth

Here are my two cents to add on: When Lapis said she had almost drowned a lot of people, she seems to show shame for what she did. Her face appears regretful and she looks away from Connie. It seems as if she's lost and confused, potentially having developed a personality disorder throughout all of this. She's been gaslit into questioning who she is, her own thoughts, and everything around her. Of COURSE, she's going to have trust issues, she even says in Room for Ruby "Something is seriously wrong with me." She seems to have a lot on her mind. Also, in Hit the Diamond, it doesn't seem she really forgives the Crystal Gems, but is choosing to be neutral towards them since Steven, the only one she truly trusts, and Peridot, the one she's learning to trust, are both comfortable around them. And yes, she is definitely pushed to the side a lot, which is very disappointing, but the story of this show IS being told from Steven's point of view. I strongly feel like more is going to be revealed about her in the future, but I could be wrong. And I'm not trying to say "Lapis did nothing wrong!!!!!!!!" because she is indeed the most neutral character in the show; she's not the sole abuser and she's not the sole victim. It seems to me that she and Jasper have been abusing each other. Neither is solely black-and-white right or wrong here. THAT'S what I love about this show.

No she didn’t hate malachite she even said she missed being malachite and taking her anger out on jasper

I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A VIDEO WHERE SOMEONE REFUTED ALL HIS POINTS THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS AND MAY GOD BLESS YOUR SOUL

Lapis did say “just let me do this for you” To steven stating that lapis was staying fused as Malachite to protect Steven from malachite

ok i have a solution for all of this just go where the crewniverse wants you to go... haven't you notice that this is a kids show.... but with emotions after all it's just a T.V. show that reached in everyones heart and if people criticises it your heart will be shattered.... :/

"Even if lapis didnt have to fuse with jasper, she might have thought she did." Lapis looked pretty calm while she made the decision to agree to fuse. I dont think she was afraid of a reaction to a negative response...

2:38 "she even said she hated the experience." Um. What? She said liked taking everything out on jasper and that she missed her.

I LOVE YOU -not literally im just expressing my emotion to this pure channel-

Yeah, I used to really dislike Amethyst. But she has grown a lot. Unlike Lapis who has remained the same cruel uncaring person who thinks just because you've been hurt by someone that you are allowed to hurt everyone around you.

i disagree on the whole "it's a plothole" as that isn't what a plothole is. but i dont understand why you think lapis isn't in the wrong in the slightest, also jasper is right lapis is the dangerous one, she abused jasper aswell its two sided not one sided. the point of the video was that lapis' character is selfish and does things that would benifit her or what she thinks is right without caring for anyone else's ideas or thoughts. you can't really compair lapis destroying peridots thing with amythest doing the same, another thing you can't take tumblr seriously in the slightest, esspecially their sayings on what types characters are.

I really like this video. You bring up some amazing and valid points. I’m not a huge fan of SliceofOtaku and the kind of fan he is because he and many others rely so heavily on Jaspers redemption being confirmed. Kind of like how Sapphire stated that she kept looking into the future when all of this was solved when she should be caring about the present and the basic problem at hand. Sometimes they overanalyze things so heavily that they forget what is actually going on. Maybe its the Hiatus getting to everyone...

Thank you so much for this. I was really upset watching Slice of Otaku's video, and you reminded me that some people get it. I was like how is he saying Jasper is innocent. Thank you, and thank you for explaining better than me how abuse works.

Steven took one of the rubies in his bubble to save. AND he said they'll get them in the way back. Lapis is obviously you're favorite character