Dr. STONE / First Impressions / Series Introduction

OP Sequence

OP: 「Good Morning World!」 by BURNOUT SYNDROMES

「STONE WORLD」
“STONE WORLD”

I went into Dr. Stone with zero knowledge of the show and came out a gigantic fan.

General Impressions

Man do I love everything about this show. From the characters to the story all the way to the animation style and character designs, everything about this first episode was damn near perfect. To kick things off, let me dive into the amazing mix of personalities and humor between Senkuu and Taiju.

When it comes to character types, I’m normally not a big fan of the condescending genius who thinks they know it all. Besides not being super fun to watch, I’ve found that as I’ve gotten older it’s tough to just accept that their “super knowledge” will solve all problems. Luckily, Senkuu isn’t that type of character or rather gets to be the smart one without all the negative baggage. As someone who’s probably a lot smarter than the rest of the population, it isn’t too hard to see where his snarky personality comes. That said, it’s also clear that he’s able to socialize with his peers and can build meaningful relationships with others which means he’s not some savant that requires good will from others to be more than just a one dimensional character. On the other hand we also have Taiju, the loveable oaf who has strong morals but isn’t reduced to being a dummy for the sake of making Senkuu look smart. A more simple character for sure, but when it comes to balancing Senkuu, I don’t think we could have asked for a better duo.

Shifting gears to the story, I loved the world that Dr. Stone introduced us to. Existing in an interesting time period after a calamity has struck and left its mark on humanity, you have to love the underdog feeling of two guys doing their best as they try to literally reestablish humanity. As the “Adam and Eve” of this new stone world, it’s great to see the lack of technology act as both a realistic barrier to progression and the driving factor that leads to creative solutions.

Man, what a great first episode! I can’t wait to see where Dr. Stone goes from here, but I for sure will be there watching Senkuu and Taiju’s exploits. Based on the opening sequence, it looks like there are a ton of characters on the way and I for one can’t wait to see what kind of story they’re all going to tell.

 

Preview

21 Comments

  1. Man I am really happy this series is getting such a positive reaction since I adore the manga. And this is just the weakest part of the series. It gets far better as it goes on. Probably helps that this really was a damn good adaptation.

    Skizzit
    Reply

    1. i am guessing, with that much episodes and roughly estimating the pace based on episode 1 the more likely climax is Show Spoiler ▼

      <<< for sure i cant wait to see this animated.

      anyway as a man of science too, all i can say, "behold the power of science, GOD believing freaks"

      Jeffers
      Reply

  3. Stone’s manga artist, Boichi (real name Park Moojik), is a native South Korean. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boichi

    However, he left for Japan in 2003 due to his dissatisfaction at the Korean government’s clampdown on freedom of expression in Korean print manhwa via the 1997 Juvenile Protection Act.

    “(T)he Korean manhwa market (used to have) four major (seinen) manga magazines…but (the Act)…forced (them) to cease publication by law…(its rules meant) many adult manhwaga (couldn’t) express themselves (as freely as Japanese mangaka)… and bookstores no longer welcome or display adult and young adult manhwa magazine and titles. They even look down on kids manga.”

    “(Korea’s) PTA and prosecutors claimed that our manhwa were harmful for children and teens. They treated us like criminals. At times, they even called us to court.”

    After much consideration (and some protests), he left to start a Japan career; seeing no future in Korea. He says he much prefers the creative freedoms Japan’s manga industry has.
    https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2014/04/19/feature-qa-with-manga-artist-boichi

    PS. Note that Boichi moved before further developments and rise of Korea’s webtoon industry.

    The Korean government also tried applying the same censorship laws to said webtoons, but had to back down due to intense opposition from its readers. The result is today’s webtoons have more in common with Japanese manga in terms of artistic freedoms, being unbound to the rules of print manhwa.
    It’s why you can find a lot of smutty/porn-themed webtoons (among others).

    https://www.reddit.com/r/manhwa/comments/bf7pzb/question_on_korean_manhwa_webtoons_and_censorship/

    PPS. Boichi himself did hentai for a time in Japan, before going to seinen stuff like Sun Ken Rock and Origin.
    https://www.mangaupdates.com/authors.html?id=1827

    zztop
    Reply

  4. Different and solid artwork / animation.

    Of course it’s a fantasy setting, so you have to leave your science at
    the door. I meant, over 3k years with only brain activity — how without
    oxygen? Details, details…. Only thing I would criticize / laugh at are
    the petrified birds in flight. Wouldn’t they have smashed into pieces
    when they suddenly fell out of the sky?

    Anyway, looks like a fun watch — can’t wait to see his squeeze revived.

    mac65
    Reply

    1. well, theories, — since they turn to stone, which of course will mean cells are included, they wouldnt need oxygen. since neurological functions (which includes “conciousness”) relies from network of neurons (that doesnt need oxygen since they are “stoned”), they will have their consciousness for as long as the network isnt broken. and there’s the idea that rocks can breath too. so i guess, they acquire oxygen via absorption, contrary to normal respiration. and i also they drink in the same way. they dont need food since there is no working cells (they are petrified), that will “burn” sugars converted from foods.

      as to birds, we should know what kind of stone they turned into? if they turned to gypsum or some soft rock, sure they will break. one can also consider the height they are flying and their mass so we can compute for energy at point of impact.

      Jeffers
      Reply

    2. The birds are definitely a plothole when you think about it. But as for turning into stone… well, it’s definitely the realm of fantasy. But Senku stresses that just because you don’t know how it works, doesn’t mean it’s magic.

      SuicuneSol
      Reply

  6. … well blow me down. I thought the story would open AFTER the apocolypse to enhance the sense of dread and hopelessness of the world that our heroes have to deal with, but instead here we’re spending time BEFORE it, in a more real-world setting!!

    starss
    Reply

  9. They really should have come up with a different cure. If that substance dissolves all stone and they turned into stone then wouldn’t it just dissolve everything? Also wouldn’t it make more sense if they soaked people in it instead of pouring it on them?

    I did like the fact that they’re all still conscious. That really adds to the circumstances. How will more people react to being freed and will their minds still be intact?

    sealouse
    Reply

  10. This show seems a bit too “Shounen” in genre for my tastes, so it’ll likely be one the two shows I’m most likely to drop after the “three episode” rule.

    If Shounen is your thing, you’ll probably like it.

    To each their own, after all.

    LoliHat
    Reply

  12. Personally, I really didn’t get the universal love for this episode. Nothing happened. I just found myself bored, trying to understand why this was supposed to be interesting.

    Now, I do like the concept here, and that’s why I watched episode 1, so I’m giving more it time to become interesting after the plot starts moving.

    hjerry2000
    Reply

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