Am I ripping off Stephen Universe?

[Rai_Muffin]

OK, this requires background on my story, and a lot of spoilers if you're one of the 10 people who read it.

One of the main antagonists is a group of beings based on precious stones (you might see where I'm going with this),
who take people with unique powers and encase them in crystal, locking them in a dream state while an artifical being with their face and ability is created, called Dolls.
Each is named after the stone they share a colour with (Amethyst, Ruby, Topaz, Sapphire, Emerald and their matriarch, Diamond), can regenerate from any damage and each controls an aspect of time or space.

The thesis of the story is broadly about overcoming limits (personal, societal or physical, depending on the character) and the Dolls represent the dangerous idea of perfection.
They see themselves as perfect, complete beings who don't need to improve because they are the ultimate lifeforms. Ageless, incredibly powerful and in their own eyes flawlessly beautiful.
The main character who's arc intertwines with the Dolls is lured with the promise of perfection; she sees herself as weak and plain, constantly berating herself for her perceived weakness. Until she finally accepts herself as being good enough and vows to free the people the Dolls have captive.

That leads me to Stephen Universe; I haven't seen the show but from what I understand its about coloured characters based on precious gems who can regenerate from damage. On hearing that I started to worry that it sounded a lot like the characters I was writing.
And I want to know if my concept is distractingly similar, or if most people wouldn't notice, or do i just not know enough about the gem people in Stephen Universe to see that they aren't even similar?

[delladz]

There are elements of similarity and overlapping themes but I feel like from this summarized read and my own viewing of SU (which was a while ago tbf), they seem different enough.

The gems are also the actual gems itself rather than being like artificial doppelgangers like your story does. The gems are more akin to being an alien species if that makes more sense?

I would also just recommend watching Steven Universe cause I think it's a fun show with great aesthetics, a beautiful OST, and if you're normal about it, I do like the overarching themes and story

[NickRowler]

I think anything with gem stone theming might get some people comparing it to Steven Universe. However, stuff like Trollz exist which also does a gem theming for the characters.

With any series who use theming, like colors, elements, zodiacs, planets, greek gods, etc. there are going to be similarities. I think it's how you do it will determine if it is a rip off or not.

[kyupol]

Everything has already been done before. Just repackage it. Nothing is original

[DokiDokiTsuna]

So on the one hand, @NickRowler is right; anything with a gem theme is automatically gonna get the SU comparisons. ^^; But on the other hand, @delladz has a point about the overlapping themes; there is some genuine similarity...tbh, I think that's just a natural coincidence, due to the way people tend to conceptualize gemstones-- ordinary pieces of rock, processed and transformed to create rare objects of perfection and beauty. These themes are naturally gonna attract gemstone imagery, and vice versa.

In conclusion-- I do think the concepts are noticeably similar. Not 'distractingly', but noticeably. But I don't think that's a bad thing. ^^; Like I said, it's a natural coincidence, and it's fine. Maybe you could even use it as a selling point.

[narrativegold]

I wouldn't worry too much about seeming similar to existing IPs and stories!

Echoing @kyupol and @NickRowler, everything has been done before and ideas are a dime a dozen. Execution and vibe are going to be the most important thing to your project.

If the aesthetic, the core theme, dialogue style, and relationships seem a bit too similar as well, I'd consider making changes and leaning a bit more into what's different.

As long as you're focused on the story, the message, and a strong aesthetic-- and of course as long as the project is notably good, you should be in the clear.

I mean... look at Yuyu Hakusho, Bleach, and Jujutsu Kaisen. Urban Youths with Superpowers fight fantastical spiritual beings, but they're notably different.

[cruellinnet]

Just don't make your main character pink with a big cat as a pet and also the secret son of one of the BBEG's and you're fine! Nothing's original under the sun just have fun.

[AmysGames]

I haven't seen the show

^ This by definition means that it can't be a ripoff. Having unintentional similarities is extremely different from intentionally ripping something off.

That said, there are definitely some striking similarities in how you described your story that most likely will get some comments. But I think so long as the execution is different enough, you'll be fine.

[Ordinaryaverageguy]

"File off the serial numbers, change the body lines a bit, give it a new paint job, switch it over the state line, and it’s yours!—that’s the secret of literary success. Editors always claim to be looking for new stories but they don’t buy them; they buy “mixture as before.” -- Robert A. Heinlein

[jwabeasley]

I agree with the others, although you might consider looking for gem names that SU didn't use, so that people aren't making those comparisons in their mind. You have this trouble with any large franchise that's still in the zeitgeist. There are many gem names around, many that SU didn't use for its main characters.