Dr. Stone (Episode 2) - King of the Stone World

Senku has got the formula down to free humanity from their stone prisons, although it takes a while to create. They have enough to save one more person, but how do they choose?

What did you watch?

I’m back with episode 2 of Dr. Stone and things are about to get really interesting. I enjoyed the first episode and this one raised the bar even more. The summer schedule for 2019 is already looking great and I can’t wait to see where they go. In the last episode of Dr. Stone, it was just Senku and Taiju, but now they have harvested enough to wake another person and Senku is letting Taiju choose who they revive. As normal, there will be spoilers after this point.

What happened?

After they successfully revived a bird, Senku has harvested enough of his formula to free another person. Worried about potentially waking a murderer, he allows Teiju to choose who they awaken. It’s a no brainer for Taiju, which is generally how he operates anyhow and he chooses Yuzuriha. However, once they get there he realises that Yuzuriha, like all the other stone people, is naked and he can’t possibly wake her here, like this. So, he picks her up and decides to carry her back to camp, however, a large sound causes them both to pause.

A lion emerges from the jungle and begins to chase them. Teiju is confused at why there would be a lion in Japan, but Senku offers a quick hypothesis. Anyhow, we no way to defend themselves, Taiju decides to revive another – The strongest primate high-schooler, Shishio Tsukasa. It turns out to be a very good decision as Tsukasa easily defeats the lion and offers his help as a fighter and hunter. However, Senku is unsure of his real motives…

Dr Stone Episode 2 Tsukasa Successful Hunt

What did you think?

I thought this was an excellent episode and even though Taiju would make some fairly outrageous gestures and facial expression, for whatever reason they didn’t seem to bother me. Maybe it’s because of the style of the animation and the tone of the show, but they seem to fit in. The introduction of Tsukasa is going to make this series outstanding in my view. Sure, the prowess of this hunter is extraordinary and a little bit superhuman, something that Senku even notes in the show. I like how it often appears to be self-referential in these aspects, almost making fun of itself.

What was your favourite moment?

It was quite the surprise when Tsukasa’s casing cracked and he calmly asked what the situation was. Even funnier when Senku explained it without missing a beat. Then to top the whole situation, Tsukasa broke free and defeated the lion with one punch. What an epic entry for the guy that is quite clearly going to become the villain. I’ve called this my favourite moment, although the discussion on the beach was also excellent, but I’ll get to that soon.

Dr Stone Episode 2 Tsukasa Defeats A Lion

What was your least favourite moment?

I think they may have made Tsukasa a little too overpowered, especially as this is supposed to be grounded with science. Well, at least that’s the impression I’m getting from this series. So, having him outrun boars and grab birds out of the air seems a little far fetched. It’s really cool to watch, but he’s feeling a little too much like Disney’s Tarzan at this point.

Who was your favourite character?

After all that, I really enjoyed the Tsukasa and while he’s making his steps towards becoming the villain, you can’t help but agree with some of what he says. That’s always one of the things that I think makes a great villain. You might not agree with their methods or their conviction, but there is some truth to their beliefs or at the very least you can see why they would think that. He’s more than just an overpowered hunter.

Dr Stone Episode 2 Senku Stopping Tsukasa From Smashing A Person

Who was your least favourite character?

Again we aren’t really dealing with that many characters so it’s really not fair to label anyone at this point, especially when I am enjoying them all and the weird dynamic that is developing. I get the feeling we’ll see more and more people as this series goes. It was very interesting to see that Senku used some of his revival formula on a broken stone body to see what would happen. That was something I was wondering about last week.

Would you like some more?

Yes, yes, yes! That final scene where Tsukasa made his feeling known was amazing and I can’t wait to see where this ends up. It seems obvious for him to become the villain, but it could go anywhere at this point. Interesting to see Senku revise his information about calcium carbonate, keeping the fourth usage as a secret and also working on a crossbow in secret. This series has a lot of potential and after two episodes I’m all in.