In a world of ninjas and pirates, Dr. Stone brings a brilliant science twist to the Shounen scene. It’s not just good, it’s great. Let’s break this sci-fi anime down!
Anime ID Card
What’s it about?
In a startling and inexplicable moment, every human being on Earth gets petrified into a stony statue. Enter Senku Ishigami, our high-spirited, insanely brilliant, and always-scheming scientist who wakes up thousands of years later in a Stone World. Senku, with the power of SCIENCE (yes, all caps), decides to rebuild civilization from the ground up. Gone are the days when Naruto’s ambition was just to be Hokage. Senku? He’s on a whole different level.
What makes it good?
Crunchyroll
Story: We’ve seen countless post-apocalyptic narratives: zombies, nuclear wastelands, even some with oversized Titans. But a world reverted back by millennia because of mysterious petrification? It’s like humanity’s biggest unplanned experiment. The story blends shonen action with the excitement of MythBusters. Who said real-world science and anime don’t mix?
Characters: Senku is a standout: an Einstein in a world that’s forgotten the wheel. But he’s not just a textbook character; there’s heart, ambition, and that iconic hair. And let’s not ignore the ensemble: Tsukasa and his radical ideology, Chrome’s native intelligence, and Taiju’s unyielding loyalty. And remember when everyone rooted for Ross to finally get with Rachel in Friends? That’s kind of how we feel about Taiju and the ever-graceful Yuzuriha. Kind of.
Animation: It’s one thing to narrate a story. Another to paint it. The landscapes have this Studio Ghibli-esque detail, making the stone world eerily inviting. It’s rich, it’s vivid, and it’s every shade of nostalgia for a world you’ve never known. Kudos, TMS Entertainment.
Music: “OHAYOU SEKAI, GOOD MORNING WORLD!” Ahem, excuse the excitement, but that opening track is an earworm. The soundtrack, composed by Tatsuya Kato, Hiroaki Tsutsumi, and Yuki Kanesaka, perfectly complements the show’s rhythm. From the energetic beats that capture the thrill of discovery to the mellow tunes for those introspective moments, it’s a melodic rollercoaster.
Entertainment factor: Yes, Dr. Stone is loaded with the usual Shounen anime bombast: larger-than-life proclamations and a hint of reality-defying flair. But instead of just another clone from the Shounen Jump factory line, it throws a delightful curveball. It’s science, not sorcery; chemistry over chakra. And while it may take liberties with its scientific steps, who’s complaining when it’s this much fun? Think of it as the show that swapped out grueling training montages for exhilarating “eureka!” moments. It’s refreshing, engaging, and educational. For a shounen, that’s a winning formula.
Room for improvement
While Dr. Stone meticulously charts the voyage of rediscovery, occasionally, it might leave some viewers yearning for a quicker pace. Ever felt like a YouTube video could use a x2 speed? Yeah, that. Plus, while the humor is mostly on point, occasionally it feels like a misplaced meme in a serious TED talk.
Digging Deeper
Beneath the layers of calcium carbonate and ramshackle inventions, Dr. Stone is a reflection on humanity. At the risk of sounding all Philosophy 101, Dr. Stone doesn’t just teach science; it asks: what makes our civilization tick? Is it the skyscrapers or perhaps the shared histories and cultures? And given a chance to start afresh, would we, should we, rewrite the narrative?
Final Score
9/10 – Why? Because in a world with flying cars and AI, Dr. Stone dares to ask: “What if we went back to basics?”. And the answer is far from basic. It’s riveting.
You can stream Dr. Stone on Funimation and Crunchyroll.
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