I’m actually a little bummed that we’re at the final battle already. There are still 4 episodes left to go so it’s not that bad, but this season of Dr. Stone really flew by. I’m seriously thinking of just buying the manga. I should actually just read the digital version. I already subscribe to Shonen jump so I have access to it, but I just like physical manga so much. The feel of the paper. Man, I am opting for something super wasteful just for some random whim. It’s because of people like me that Tsukasa can’t just revive everyone.
I usually don’t go on tangents right from the first word. Not sure if this is progress. We are back with episode 7 of the second season of Dr. Sone. Crow and I will probably be spoiling some stuff so bear that in mind. Before we get to that though. How are you Crow?
I am well. Thanks for asking. I had a pang of melancholy when they announced the final battle, too. It’s been a good season so far. It built on the foundation of the first season, and I’ll miss it.
I might look into subscribing to Shonen Jump. It looks like it’s very economical. Then I look at the amount of writing I want to get done and that thing called work, and I don’t know where I’d get the time.
But there’s so much just waiting to be read! Well, better get back to Dr. Stone.
I must say, I have been curious for a while as to how the confrontation would work out. Gen and Senku’s plan, although incredibly devious, was also pretty great. But extremely risky. And as it turns out, it failed twice. And both times they were saved because the people of the Tsukasa empire turned out to be pretty great folks.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Tell me Crow, was the plan any good, to begin with, or are Senku and Gen just lucky? Also, would you say there’s a bit too much ex machina at work here? I love it and I’m ok with all these amazing coincidences myself but I want to know what you think.
To be honest, the plan sounded like a catastrophe in the making. Winning a war isn’t only about taking the field. It’s about what happens after the war. Senkuu, Gen, and Chrome might have been able to win the fight, but then what? Once Tsukasa’s people realized they’d been lied to, I doubt they’d stay in the fold. And there’s no way they could hide the lack of the United States indefinitely!
Does it feel like deus ex machina? Yeah. I’d probably call it De gustibus morum facilitas (character trait from the machine), but in both cases, Senkuu and Gen happened to run into characters whose traits predispositioned them to perfect align with their plans. Heck, Ukyo even more than Nikki! But now I’m getting ahead of myself.
I’ll just say that somehow, this show is getting away with it, and my disbelief is still happily suspended.
So Nikki was the first ally and turned out to be an unexpected boon with her encyclopedic knowledge of Lilian. I wonder if she’ll notice the family resemblance when she meets the folks from the village? Cause the sisters kind of look like Lilian clones!
And now we have Ukyo. And this guy took me a while to figure out.
That’s to be expected. They were keeping him super mysterious on purpose. He did consistently seem to help, and I always thought that he was the one who gave the battery to Chrome, but there was something not quite clear. Like Senku said, if he had been clearly on their side, then why capture Chrome at all? And his little smirk and laissez-faire attitude just didn’t come off as the altruistic type. You know what I mean?
Yep. “Super mysterious” is a good way to put it. I couldn’t get a read on what he really thought.
Dr. Stone is a show that makes me tear up unreasonably frequently. Aside from Natsume, it’s probably the show that has made me sniffle the most. Take that as you will folks, I’m a weird crier.
So it should come as no surprise that listening to Ukyo describe the secret mission was a rollercoaster. It’s always nice to see Yuzuriha have a few moments of the spotlight to herself, and watching her go on her solitary way preparing winter clothes for the gang was great enough. I was proud of her prowess. That’s my girl.
But then, right there next to Ukyo, watching her small figure hunch over all alone in the dark cave. Working for hours without pause until the sun was well set. Meticulously gluing pebbles to each other to literally put people back together. I had to get some Kleenex then make fun of myself for being such a pushover. It was pretty. I get why Ukyo would help after seeing that.
That scene hit me like a bag of hammers. Weird phrase, but it always conveyed the sense of high impact that wasn’t quite all organized yet left lots of trauma in its wake. I was going to say it was one of the most human things I’ve ever seen, but that’s a cop out. It was one of the most inspirational things that I’ve ever seen.
That’s the kind of human I want to be. That’s the kind of reaction I want to have to fiction.
The reason why I’m okay with Nikki turning out to be a Lilian fan or Ukyo a humanitarian is because, in the universe of Dr. Stone, most people are good. Or at least, moral. It’s been established since the very first episode. So far, only Magma was sort of a clear bad guy and he got redeemed. Even Tsukasa is doing what he truly believes is the best course of action for everyone. In order to ensure the best possible future. And he is willing to sacrifice himself for that.
In this established universe, it makes perfect sense that most people on Tsukasa’s side are also generally decent folks who are trying their best to survive extraordinary circumstances and are following a leader with a plan. Given an option and an alternate plan, I bet most of them would choose whatever causes the least harm.
So the idea that both times Senku’s plan failed he fell on people who are willing to grab onto any excuse to avoid bloodshed, doesn’t seem far-fetched. It fits. But maybe that’s just me.
I’m all in. I want to think that it’s realistic, even when the rational part of my brain is making the “scratch-eyes-me” sign. In American Sign Language, that’s the sign for “doubt.” Sometimes, a sign is just more expression than the written word!
That’s a long way of saying Dr. Stone made it work, because it represents hope — hope that people might really be like that.
As always, it was a great episode. Mostly exposition, but sweet and it revealed a lot. It also really set things up nicely. The final third gave us all the rewarding moments we’ve been waiting for. Senku reaffirming his dedication to a bloodless coup and securing their most powerful ally yet in the process. The long-awaited reunion between Senku and his friends which may or may not have been the second time I teared up.
Senku mentioned that they were finally playing with a full deck of cards and all I could think of was that Taiju was the Joker. I am really looking forward to seeing how these two are going to mesh with the village folks. I mean, I know everyone will get along great, I just want to see the details of it.
As I am writing I’m convincing myself to just order the manga. Damn you Irina, you love the environment, read the digital copy! You know what I actually need, a huge used manga store that delivers here. Ok the delivery part is not great…
And finally Tsukasa discovered the phone and realized something was up.
Did you see his expression? He had to be imagining all kinds of ways Senkuu was coming for him. I wonder if he’ll imagine the right one?
“20 seconds will decide the faith of humanity” is a great line. I wonder how often 20 seconds have decided the faith of humanity throughout history. I bet it’s much more frequent than I would be comfortable with.
The next episode might be my most anticipated yet! How about you Crow?
Anticipated, and dreaded. It’s one more closer to the end of the season!
Previous Dr. Stone 2 Posts
- Dr. Stone 2 Episode 1 – Starting With A Bang
- Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 2: HOT LINE
- Dr. Stone 2 Episode 3 – Smokescreen
- Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 4 – Steam Powered
- Dr. Stone 2 Episode 5 – Paper Tank
- Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 6 – Primitive-Kun and the Bad Cop
This show excels at setup/payoff, of plot points, emotional beats, and character arcs. Someone somewhere needs to use it as the foundation of a University course on effective storytelling.
I’d guessed what Yuzuriha’s Senku-assigned ‘Secret Mission’ was all the way back in Episode 6: Her skill set was too ideal a fit for the circumstances (… subtle pun intended.)
Doesn’t make the reveal any the less poignant.
From a technical standpoint, words which come to mind in regards to how the story has played out include “Confident,” “Assured,” and “Patient” …
… or, as “All My Children” creator, the late Agnes Nixon, had phrased it, “Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em cry, make ‘em wait” …
… to which I’d add, “Know when to show your hand.”
(“Timing Is Everything!”)
Very much agree with Crow that there’s a positivity which permeates the series, a definite perseverance of hope in the wake of catastrophic circumstances.
Hope, and joy as well. Taking pleasure in the small victories, while moving forward towards shared goals.
Even more than that …
Hope, Joy …
… and fun!
Typing this just a few minutes after having watched the Funimation dub for this episode, still trying to remain relatively unspoiled (… though I do know a bit about things to come.)
Love the reviews, love reading how much enjoyment you two are getting out of “Dr Stone,” and love that I’m not the only one who loves this world and these characters.
We are both huge fans and it’s exciting to know some fans are currently discovering the dub. I should give it a try some day, I’m curious to hear how these characters are voiced in English.