Episode 2 of Dr. Stone: New World (Season 3) aired on Thursday, bringing back another week of laughs, fun, adventure, emotion, and one of the greatest inventions in human history — no, it’s not “the butler.” So throw that wonderful mixture in with some more funny faces and more taste for adventure, and fans got themselves a concoction that even Senku couldn’t think of. After a wonderful season premiere, Dr. Stone: New World wastes no time in getting the new age of exploration underway in an exhilarating way!
Bringing back the camera is huge in itself, but what I love about it is that it was never planned. Senku never once thought that a camera was necessary until a trade needed to happen (with Gen pulling the strings, of course). And then what does he do? He goes and makes a bunch of them because it’ll benefit mapping the land around him. I think that’s part of the reason why Senku is such a masterful main character — he wants to make everyone happy, has the brain to do so, and also uses what people want to his scientific benefit. He is truly the stone world’s own Albert Einstein!
And of course, Minami getting emotional at the thought of even having a camera in the stone age is relatable for me. Being a reporter myself for basically the past decade, that kind of technology becomes part of you and your craft. Up until now, Minami’s role in the new stone world was minimal. But Dr. Stone didn’t need to spend an entire episode dedicated to her back story to make her a solid side character. Just having some flashbacks from her childhood to the moment she was petrified told us everything we needed about her and her dedication to journalism. It’s all enough to make her feel included in the story for this season and that’s one of the things that makes Dr. Stone so damn great.
The camera is crucial to recording history. And, if anything, having a camera in the stone age is extremely vital for documentation and mapping. And the descendants of the survivors will be able to see parts of the world they never knew existed, further creating that grand sense of adventure. And in an arc that’s literally called “The Age of Exploration Arc”, a camera is vital in every sense of the word.
Move over Albert, Francois is now on the scene now. Francois is one of my favorite introductions in the entire Dr. Stone series. Her entrance was one of the best. She is revived and the first thing she does is get straight to work. Francois didn’t waste a single second since being revived and she didn’t ask any questions other than where Ryusui was. Even after being petrified for over 1,000 years, Francois remained a butler to the very core, one that Ryusui hails as the very best in the world.
There was a moment in this episode I loved. When Senku showed Francois a simple way to produce more heat to make the bread faster, Francois said that in rebuilding the family conglomerate, Senku is person she and Ryusui absolutely need to recruit. But the reason I loved this is that it showed Senku’s genius. Francois is the smartest person Senku has revived since the very beginning and she recognized how much of a genius he really is. It was the first time she was genuinely taken aback by someone’s skills.
And it’s not so much Francois being astounded by Senku’s genius. It’s the fact Dr. Stone has this nature of making Senku a perfect main character without him showing off like he is the main character. He never does anything to gloat and says “Hey, everyone, look! I did it!” He wastes no time, nor needs a training arc, and realizes that the restoration of humanity lies in his hands.
Senku constantly delegates the work in a friendly manner and this, in turn, creates unique characters with lines of work that they’re professionals in what nobody else, even Senku, could be proficient in. Yet, he still knows just enough about everyone’s work on a scientific level to help them and make them happy, further proving science is all around us and how awesome it is.
Dr. Stone has this consistent tendency to just be a well-rounded series overall with great characters every episode and more adventure. It feels like the series never hits a low, only new peaks. If a new character is introduced, all of the main characters take an interest in that character and what they bring to the table. Let’s take Minami and Francois in this episode for example.
From the moment Francois was revived, everything and everyone revolved around her. Gen running after her through the forest and dropping to the ground with an old-school video game death noise was hilarious. Then when she is at the main camp, Chrome and Kohaku are constantly enamored with her bread. Senku is blown away by her precise cooking skills. Ryusui is hyping her up the entire time. Everything from the characters themselves down to the humor and pace of the story is focused on Francois. That is precisely how you properly get the viewers to become fans of side characters.
Minami is another one. While her time at the beginning of the episode was just a phone call, when it came to her and the camera, we got layers added onto her character. We received a backstory and got to understand how much a crucial invention meant to her. As I said earlier, that camera is like a part of her. And it’s a very broad feeling that could reach so many viewers on an emotional level. We all have an attachment to a certain object that holds meaning. It’s not materialism, it’s something that’s rooted in memories and love.
To continue consistency, episode 2 of Dr. Stone: New World had perfect hilarious facial expressions and wonderful comedic timing, just as the series always had. It shows that these facial expressions, wonderfully replicated by the production staff, are staples of Dr. Stone as a series. It’s never a once or twice thing with one or two characters. It involves everyone, even Minami and Francois in this episode as well. It’s just constantly there every week a new episode releases and it’s hilarious every single time.
Dr. Stone: New World delivered a wonderfully adventurous episode filled with laughs and fluffy bread this week. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this series remain in the top 10 all season because of how fantastic this arc (and the next one) is alone. Dr. Stone is just one of those series that once you’re into it, there’s no going back. It may not be everyone’s favorite series, but it damn sure is one that many people love watching and episode 2 is a good reflection on why that is.
Dr. Stone: New World episode 2 rating: 9/10
If you enjoyed this week’s episode of Dr. Stone: New World, then make sure to vote for it in our weekly poll! Episode 3 of Dr. Stone: New World titled “First Contact” will air on April 20 on Crunchyroll.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
©Richiro Inagaki, Boichi/Shueisha, Dr. STONE Production Committee