Back by popular demand: Dr. Steve here to talk about Dr. Stone! (Though technically I’m the only one of the two with a Ph.D. So there, “Dr.”) Samuru has already given a fine summary of the plot start in his First Impression post: All of humanity (and strangely enough, the birds, but no other creatures) mysteriously turn to stone. 3,700 years later, two people emerge from petrification: the tough Taiju and the smart Senku. Together they set out to solve the mystery of the petrification and rebuild civilization from scratch.
I’ve been following the manga since it launched in Weekly Shonen Jump, and thoroughly enjoy the plot, humor, and characters. One of the intriguing points of the series is that, for all of the emphasis on science, Senku’s science is one of humanity and faith. When one of the other characters suggests a eugenics program, choosing only the “best” people to revive, Senku will have none of it. And when it’s further pointed out that the Earth can’t support the 7 billion people Senku wants to revive, he responds with an expression of faith: Do the right thing, to the best of your ability, and it will work out. This sort of sentiment is a far cry from the amoral utilitarianism usually associated with a reverence for science. Here’s to hoping the anime succeeds in bringing this to life.
So far the anime seems well on its way to bringing the manga’s spirit to the screen. The only significant change I’ve seen so far is that the anime appears to dial back on the manga’s fanservice, a good thing as far as I’m concerned.
Dr. Stone is streaming on Crunchyroll.
[…] Boichi, has sold over 10 million copies to date and won the 2019 Shogakukan Manga Award for shonen. It inspired an anime, the third season of which is scheduled for next year, with a special episode and final bonus manga […]