Dr. Stone (Episode 1) - Stone World

After five years of hiding his feelings, Taiju is about to tell Yuzuriha that he loves her, but just as he’s about to a strange light bathes the Earth, turning everyone to stone!

What did you watch?

It’s time to dive straight into the Summer 2019 schedule and what better way to start than with the highly anticipated Dr. Stone. Admittedly, I’ve not seen or heard much of it other than that others are excited. I was aware of the premise going in and as such had high expectations of my own. I do love a good apocalypse and everyone turning to stone for thousands of years sounds very promising. So, this is Dr. Stone, episode 1. There will be spoilers…

Dr Stone Episode 1 Senku Before Apocalypse

What happened?

A mysterious green light covered the Earth, transforming everyone to stone. The world continued on around them, buildings crumbling, dams bursting, and forests reclaiming the land. The petrified inhabitants were helpless to resist the changing world. Moments before the apocalypse, Taiju had planned to tell Yuzuriha that he loved her and had done for five years. He stepped in front of her, hoping to protect her, but his body turned to stone.

For countless days, months, and years, Taiju clung to the memory of Yuzuriha. Then, the stone casing cracked and he was free. He scrambled into the light and stared in wonder at the world around him. Stone people mingled with the forest, some smashed and broken. Taiju, still clinging to the memory of Yuzuriha followed the river until he found the tree where he had been talking to her. The tree had grown tall and wide, but she was still there, still encased in stone!

What did you think?

So, I absolutely loved this episode. I’m a sucker for the end of the world and watching nature recover. What that says about me, I’m not sure, but there you have it. I also think the idea of the love-struck teenager clinging to his unrequited love is a great idea. I’ve known teenagers write sixteen-page love letters that just say three worlds or pursue the same person their entire school lives, so I think it’s quite believable. This was a great start and I’m looking forward to where this series goes.

What was your favourite moment?

That would be from the moment everyone turned to stone. It’s a truly horrifying idea as cars collide and planes drop out of the sky. Even worse to think that the people trapped inside the stone bodies are conscious! That said, watching the world change around them was incredible and I find the idea fascinating. There have been studies done to show how long it would take for all evidence of civilization to completely disappear and it’s a lot shorter than you’d think.

What was your least favourite moment?

For an opening episode, I think this was pretty solid. It did a great job of introducing the characters and what drives them. It showed us the world and what happened. You can probably tell, I’m struggling to come up with a good one, so I won’t. I enjoyed the entire episode and nothing really stood out as odd to me. Also, it was pretty clear that Senku moved Taiju into the cave so that acid would slowly dissolve his casing.

Who was your favourite character?

I actually really enjoyed Taiju. Using him as the main focus for the start of the series was a really good idea. Sure, Senku is really smart, super smart even, but Taiju has the qualities that most will be able to relate to.

Dr Stone Episode 1 Taiju And Yuzuriha The Day It Happened

Who was your least favourite character?

There really wasn’t that many characters in this one. Other than Taiju and Senku, only Yuzuriha had a few moments, so it seems really unfair to label anyone at this stage. I also enjoyed them all in their own ways. This series is looking very promising.

Would you like some more?

Definitely. I loved the premise and I loved the delivery of the first episode. It’s going to be interesting to see more people being revived and even what they do with the broken bodies. Is it better to leave them as stone, knowing that they may still be conscious or do you revive them so that they can finally rest in peace? There are so many questions to be answered and I can’t wait.