Dr. Stone (Episode 17) – A Hundred Nights and a Thousand Skies
The story of Senku’s father, Byakuya continues and how they located the origin of the petrification and then came back down to Earth in an attempt to save humanity. This series is incredible! Watch it now!
What did you watch?
Episode 17 of Dr. Stone continues the story of the astronauts trapped above the Earth as everyone on it is mysteriously turned to stone. The last episode was excellent and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the story plays out. It’s going to be full of hope and tragedy, otherwise, we wouldn’t be where we are. I just want to get on with it, so here comes the review and don’t forget, there will be spoilers! I would recommend having some tissues to hand too.
What happened?
Byakuya used a trick that Senku taught him to trace the location of the petrification event to South America. He then volunteered to go down and see what he can find. Worried that he would instantly turn to stone upon entering the atmosphere, Volkov denies him the chance and takes his place. With only two capsules each capable of carrying three people to Earth, Lillian and Connie go with him. They make it down to the surface, but miss their landing and end up in the sea, and with the hatch underwater they are unable to open the capsule.
The remaining astronauts set off for Earth, aiming for an island nearby. Byakuya then rows a boat out to the capsule and saves them. They return to the island where they try to survive. Years pass and they have children, but then Connie gets sick and dies from pneumonia. Darya and Yakov attempted to make it to the mainland to get antibiotics but never returned. Volkov followed his wife, Connie shortly after, leaving just Byakuya and Lillian to look after the children. Worried about the future, Byakuya invented the one hundred tales as a way to pass down knowledge and prepare a place for Senku once he had revived.
What did you think?
Even knowing what was coming (yeah, thanks, Wikipedia), I was absolutely blown away by this episode. Seriously, if you’re reading this and haven’t yet watched this series, make sure it’s the next thing you do. It really is a wonderful story and it just keeps getting better and better. I’m not sure what I’m going to do once this one is over, but the manga is looking incredibly inviting right about now. Seeing the heroic, yet tragic tale of Byakuya play out was heartbreaking. I feel like that segment could have been an entire series all on its own and I would have watched it without hesitation. Even if they made it now as a prequel, I would watch it.
What was your favourite moment?
Seeing Senku have a moment alone at the cemetery, standing over his father’s tombstone was incredibly sad and just as moving. Senku, who has been such a master of logic, shed a tear for his adoptive father. You could really feel the power of the moment and appreciated Senku’s reaction. The entire story of Byakuya and the astronauts was incredibly moving and it’s especially impressive considering we met them an episode ago. To develop the characters and the connections that well in such a short space of time was outstanding and then to move us like that shows what a powerful story this is.
What was your least favourite moment?
Seeing Volkov succumbing to pneumonia and reflecting on his time with Byakuya was hard. In the short time they’d spent together, Byakuya had changed his life and his outlook. He admitted that the space ramen was wonderful and that human’s needed fun to survive. Again, this was a powerful moment and having to see Byakuya outlive all the other astronauts in such a short time was so sad. I really want to know what happened next, because the story is far from over. Byakuya and the children need to make it to Japan and set up Ishigami Village.
Who was your favourite character?
Byakuya was an incredible character and even as things went from bad to worse, he remained positive and continued to look to the future. He went so far to set up an entire culture in the belief that Senku would one day find a way out of his stone prison. His belief in his son drove him on and gave him the strength to continue. It would have been easy for him to fall apart once the other astronauts had gone, but he continued to have faith in Senku. This guy deserves to be the protagonist of his own story.
Who was your least favourite character?
I am a little concerned that Gen has kept the fact that Tsukasa is bringing an army down on Ishigama Village to himself for three episodes. This seems like information that could and should have been revealed much sooner. Sure, Senku needed to become the chief and heal Ruri, but Tsukasa and an army are coming. This is obviously going to lead up into a rather climactic final third of the season and I’m actually kind of excited about it, especially now that Senku has the means to prepare for it.
Would you like some more?
This is still the anime of the year for me and it’s not even over yet. I cannot wait for the next episode and every single one after that. The story is fascinating and so wonderfully put together. There are so many possibilities and avenues for it to explore that this series could easily run for many more seasons and I can tell you right now, baring global petrification, I will be there. I love the world and the characters and I never thought that would be the case after the first four or five episodes. I liked it, but since then it’s just got better and better.
Other reviews in the series
Series Information
| English Title | Dr. Stone |
| Japanese Title | Dr. Stone |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Apocalyptic, Comedy, Science Fiction, Survival |
| Demographic | Shounen |
Anime
Season One
Season Two
Bonus Posts
| Saturday Spinoff | Kohaku Lost |
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“Even if they made it now as a prequel, I would watch it.”
You wouldn’t be alone!
“Senku, who has been such a master of logic, shed a tear for his adoptive father. ”
Wasn’t that amazing? It’s like they spent all 17 episodes building to that point.
This whole episode was like that.
“This guy deserves to be the protagonist of his own story.”
I wish I were 1/2 the dad he is!
This series really has been getting better and better. Who know what they’ll build up to next.
It was amazing to get hit with the emotion of the situation considering we’d only met these characters an episode ago.
It really is inspiring stuff and I hope it continues.