Science Meets Adventure in Dr. Stone's Stone World

2019 left us with a long list of exciting series we could watch during the quarantine of 2020. Dr. Stone was one of the Japanese anime I watched most during confinement a few years ago. It is worth separating it for a moment from the others since it has dared to touch on a subject that few animations of the shonen genre have managed to include successfully in an exciting way: science.

TMS Entertainment produced the original Dr. Stone anime adaptation and began airing it in July 2019. Shinya Iino directed the series, and the music was composed by the trio of Tatsuya Kato, Hiroaki Tsutsumi, and Yuki Kanesaka. The manga was created by writer Riichiro Inagaki and illustrator Boichi, running in Weekly Shōnen Jump from March 2017 to March 2022, spanning 27 volumes. Inagaki developed the series to create a more grounded protagonist, drawing inspiration from his previous work, Eyeshield 21. His fascination with science from childhood drove him to make an entertaining science-based story that would resonate with audiences.

The series has seen several key staff changes through its seasons. Shūhei Matsushita took over as director for the Dr. Stone: Ryusui special and continued directing the third season, Dr. Stone: New World. The third season aired in two cours, from April to June 2023 and October to December 2023. For the upcoming Dr. Stone: Science Future, TMS Entertainment returns as the animation studio for the final season. The series is scheduled to run for three split cours starting in January 2025. The production will introduce new cast members, including Kenji Nojima as Dr. Xeno Houston Wingfield and Koji Yusa as Stanley Snyder.

In a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has turned to stone, 3700 years after the event, our protagonist, Senku, a genius in the exact sciences, and his friend Taiju, an airhead who stands out for his physical abilities, wake up. After many experiments, they made a liquid to reverse the petrification. However, when they attempt to use it, they are attacked by lions, forcing them to revive a former fighter named Tsukasa, who manages to assist them. Still, he intends to restore only the people he considers worthy and create a utopia. Consequently, two opposing factions emerge. Senku aims to replicate the advancement of human society without distinguishing between Tsukasa's revival and his own.

The premise of Dr. Stone is excellent, not only because it is intriguing and mysterious but also because of its concept—being the riskiest experiment and the work itself. The attempt to bring a fantastic science fiction story closer to the public has yielded more than satisfactory results, inspiring the public to become interested in science or, at the very least, recognize its importance and learn together while watching the series. Although it is true that the first episodes are somewhat slow and that the series, in general, does not stand out for its frenetic pace, the animation studio knows how to measure the plot timing correctly. Despite the frequent occurrence of humor and dramatic moments, the incredible power of science remains a constant presence. Senku's genuine fascination with rebuilding humanity captivates me, making me feel happy for each of his accomplishments. The narration in this aspect is excellent as it makes us feel like we are participating in the world’s reconstruction.

For obvious reasons, I wanted to separate Senku from the other characters because there is no story without him. As the reincarnation of Google, he possesses the necessary knowledge to rebuild society. However, I appreciate how the series portrays this character with multiple facets and emotions, highlighting his virtues and defects, enhancing our empathy, and humanizing him. The biggest problem that Senku has is his participation. It is too much, and the series becomes dependent on him because nothing happens if Senku does nothing. This detracts from the value of the secondary characters and can eventually make the character somewhat annoying.

Then, we have Tsukasa, the antagonist. Tsukasa's concept is well thought out, as he, unlike the protagonist, possesses an ideology. Remember, Senku's goal is to restore society. Still, he has no interest in improving it and doesn't even consider what that would mean for the world. Returning to the topic, the antagonist's extreme stance forces the plot to adopt a traditional shonen structure. Given Senku's intelligence, it defies logic that they still need to devise a solution. Senku can restore society with science. At the same time, Tsukasa helps to create an equal community. This is a more reasonable way; instead of simply rejecting my ideal, I will kill you. Another problem is that the character is overpowered, as I can't explain the fact that a boy between 16 and 18 can beat a lion with his hands. Furthermore, without a background in science, he can learn about nitric acid simply by touching it and mixing and distilling the wine to produce the de-petrifying liquid.

Finally, we have the supporting characters. This anime's side characters are good, but I group them for two reasons. The first is that very few of the characters have a remarkable development. Their evolution is consistent; for example, Kohaku is the same, but now she likes Senku; Kinro is the same, but now he likes Senku, and so on. The only characters who escape this scenario are Chrome, who forges an exceptional bond with the protagonist and, more importantly, gains a new motivation and goal. The other one is Gen, who changes slightly due to the series' ability to make the impossible possible and begins to consider others.

An example of this is the gift he creates for Senku. The rest of the manga may improve this aspect, so it remains open for future development. The second reason is that they hardly contribute to the plot. I will give you an example from the story. If Ginro or another character got sulfuric acid, it didn't matter. The spear was indispensable, and situations like this happen in several parts.

With the manga's conclusion now available, we can fully appreciate the masterful character development throughout Dr. Stone. Chrome's journey from village sorcerer to scientific pioneer represents the series' core theme of intellectual awakening. His complete character arc, now fully revealed, shows how raw curiosity can transform into genuine scientific understanding. The series deftly balances tradition and progress through the village guards Kinro and Ginro. Kinro's struggle with poor vision, eventually resolved by Senku's science, is a powerful metaphor for how scientific advancement can enhance rather than replace traditional values. The supporting cast has grown beyond their initial roles, with characters like Nikki and Kaseki proving essential to the Kingdom of Science's development. Their stories interweave with the main narrative, creating a rich tapestry of human adaptation and growth in this stone world.

We could highlight two aspects regarding design and animation if we talk about Dr. Stone. On the one hand, the characterization of its characters. Far from the exacerbated detail of many other authors and a series of marked features, Dr. Stone proclaims characters that are somewhat simpler in layout. Characters like Yuzuhira and Kohaku demonstrate this in their designs. Conversely, male cast members have much more marked defining features. This is more than just due to the animation studio and the author's desire to accentuate their physical attributes. No. They also convey this through their facial expressions. The chosen color palette is lovely to look at. The combination of diverse environments—the contrast between nature and science—is adequate and plausible. The post-apocalyptic world’s recreation gains integers thanks to the studio's incredible work, which has managed to convey, with outstanding success, the feelings that the mangaka captures in his drawings.

Dr. Stone has achieved something remarkable in the saturated anime landscape—it has made science accessible and exciting. The manga has surpassed 17 million copies globally, but its influence extends far beyond sales figures. The series has sparked genuine scientific curiosity among viewers, leading to practical applications in education. Several Japanese schools have incorporated simplified versions of Senku's demonstrations into their science curricula, proving the series' educational value. The franchise has expanded into successful mobile games like "Dr. STONE Battle Craft" and educational initiatives, creating an ecosystem where entertainment and learning coexist. The series carefully balances entertainment with education, including thoughtful disclaimers about altered formulas to prevent dangerous experimentation while maintaining scientific accuracy. As the last season of Dr. Stone approaches, the show's legacy as a link between popular entertainment and scientific education is safe. It has inspired a new generation to see science not as an uninteresting subject but as an exciting way to solve problems in the real world.

If you want something lighthearted, Dr. Stone is great. It has very emotional, humorous moments, and above all, I adore how it develops all areas of science. Those unfamiliar with this genre may find it amusing that our protagonist, possessing such extraordinary intelligence, manages to count every second for 3700 years without losing his sanity. Taiju, who spent those same years thinking about proposing to Yuzuriha or Tsukasa by touching the bat's urine, already knows it is nitric acid. These resources are used in fiction to write a compelling story with a script focusing on precise scientific ideas. The anime maintains the necessary humor to make the plot engaging. Without a doubt, it's the anime of 2019 that I relished the most and would strongly suggest seeing.