Dr. Stone

Network: Viz Media

Series Director: Shinya Iino

Production Company: TMS Entertainment

Release Date: August 25, 2019

Age Rating: TV-14

Genre: Animation, Action/Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction

Format: Television Show

Reading Level/Interest Level: N/A

Awards or Honors:

Crunchyroll Anime Award Winner: Best Protagonist, Senku (2020)

Plot Summary

Taiju is finally going to confess his feelings for female classmate Yuzuriha when everyone in the world is suddenly turned to stone. Thousands of years pass as the world moves on without humans, when Taiju is able to break out of his stone casing. Nature has run rampant, covering the world with all sorts of flora, but Taiju is quickly able to find Yuzuriha, who is still encased in stone. He finds a message left on the tree that protects her and is reunited with his best friend Senku, who has been free for six months. A genius scientist, Senku has begun to build shelter and try to find a way to free humans from their stone prisons. Though humanity has been sent back to the stone age, with Taiju’s strength and Senku’s brains, the two are determined to use their skills to unlock the secrets behind the stone and rebuild.

Director Background

Shinya Iino is a director and storyboard artist who made his directorial debut with Dr. Stone in 2019. He has previously done both directorial and storyboard work for individual anime episodes, such as Made in Abyss (2017), Three Leaves, Three Colors (2016), and Seiyu’s Life! (2015) (IMDB, n.d.).

Critical Evaluation

A smart but endearing show about two teens who are trying to save humanity, Dr. Stone accomplishes quite a bit in just a single episode (though I definitely couldn’t stop at one). The pilot of this show does a great job at introducing the characters, setting up a preliminary conflict, and establishing the rules of the world Senku and Taiju wake up in. The animation is quite beautiful, especially the shots of how nature has taken over the world while humans lay dormant. I did watch the English dub (I know, I’m a monster), and the voiceover work is excellent, with voices seasoned anime fans will definitely recognize. A show about science may not sound exciting to everyone, but the way it’s delivered really does transcend the genre. Teens are sure to love the cast of characters and the post-apocalyptic setting. The theme of playing to your strengths is emphasized heavily in the first episode, and I think that message of not having to be good at everything is one that will ring true for teens.

The only thing I didn’t love about this anime is at the very beginning there is a huge lack of female characters. We do get introduced to more characters further down the line, but Yuzuriha plays a much smaller role than I anticipated. Also, while Senku and Taiju are close friends, Senku calls his friend a “big oaf” quite a bit and generally talks down to him, which started to grate on me a little bit. I think this nickname is meant in an endearing way but I felt like it was kind of belittling, especially given Taiju’s portrayal of not being very smart.

Creative Use for a Library Program

Under the close supervision of an expert, walk teens through a science experiment of their very own. Take inspiration from Senku’s experiments and try one from the show, such as making cola!

Speed-Round Book Talk

Get excited for Dr. Stone, an anime about a post-apocalyptic world where a group of teens must work together to save humanity. There is a ten billion percent guarantee you won’t want to stop bingeing this show that proves that determination, collaboration, and a dash of science are all you need to succeed in your goals. Scientist Senku along with a host of cohorts prove that in the brains vs. brawn debate, morality wins out in the end.

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation

As a streaming show, there are no recorded challenges for this item. I would say the TV-14 rating is generally appropriate for the content. There is some mild swearing and nudity in the first episode and through the rest of the series, but it isn’t overly graphic. There is nothing sexual about the nudity (you see a very brief glance of a character’s backside, it’s so fast I actually missed it) and the cursing isn’t frequent. In response to patrons who might have a problem with these issues, I would say that the rating of the show warns viewers of any issues and that they can certainly choose not to watch it.

Reason for Inclusion

This show combines science, loveable characters, and a collective goal of saving humanity in a comedic but heartwarming series. I loved the witty banter and exploration of creating items from the modern world in the stone age. It was fun trying to guess what they were going to make next and how they would accomplish it. Though it might not be the most realistic show, it’s well done and compelling.

Check out one of the most hyped-up anime intros of all time:

References

AniList. (n.d.). Shinya Iino [Image]. Retrieved from https://anilist.co/staff/121793/Shinya-Iino

IMDB. (2019). Dr. Stone [Poster Image]. Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9679542/mediaviewer/rm4016494081/

Kanozi. (2019, September 29). Childhood friend trio #dcst [Image]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/kanozi2/status/1178339846223327238

Sliverstardust. (2020, May 13). Senku Ishigami collage/wallpaper [Image]. Tumblr. https://sliverstardust.tumblr.com/post/618064449616723968/senku-ishigami-collagewallpaper

Toho Animation. (2019, July 19). Dr. Stone: Good morning world! [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF4faMbs5oQ

Uchiha, M. [@rocksdxebecs]. (n.d.). Trial and error [Image]. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/350928995976079093/

Dr. Stone

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