The Summer 2025 Anime Preview Guide - Dr. STONE SCIENCE FUTURE Season 2

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It's the new stone age! Many thousands of years after modern humanity was inexplicably turned to stone, a group of revived young Japanese people, led by scientist polymath extraordinaire Senku, battle to rebuild society with the power of science. Following a battle in North America against rival scientist, and Senku's former mentor, Dr. Xeno and his army, the conflict ended in a compromise. Senku now sets off on his ship with a small crew, plus Xeno as a hostage, across the ocean towards South America, and the presumed source of the petrification beam that almost caused humanity's extinction.

Dr. Stone: Science Future Season 2 is based on the Dr. Stone manga series by writer Riichirō Inagaki and artist Boichi. The anime series is streaming on Crunchyroll on Thursdays.

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Episode 14
Bolts (MrAJCosplay)
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One of the funniest aspects of Dr. Stone is how the cast ends up randomly coming across genius-level experts in particular fields that perfectly align with their intended goal. They've encountered combat experts, master craftsmen, fellow scientists, mentalists, and individuals who can create perfectly crafted meals from limited materials. Now, they've encountered someone who perfectly understands the topography of South America. This show may be grounded in its explanation and utilization of science, but it is definitely not intended to be taken seriously when it comes to its plot progression. Oh, and what a coincidence, the new bubbly personality they found also has a connection to Xeno. The coincidences keep piling up, but I don't care because the characters are incredibly fun, and I want to see what crazy contraption they'll build next.

Of course, they're gonna build motorcycles so they can traverse through the mountains. What else are they going to do? The only difference is that now we have to secure the materials to make the next contraption, while also maintaining their distance from Stanley. There has to be a point where the gap closes significantly, and we get more high-stakes chases. Perhaps that's what will happen as soon as the motorcycles are made, which could lead to an exciting action set piece.

I'm glad I get to watch this season dubbed because Aaron Dismuke's Senku really does straddle that line between being a little bit of a dick but also a well-meaning one. Plus, I think John Burgmeier is a great voice for Xeno because he's able to have that proper way of speaking that can sound both gentle and intimidating at the same time. The newest member is Rebecca Chiara Marano as Chelsea, and I was curious about how the dub would handle her character, because, from what I remember in the original manga, she speaks with a lot of exaggerated slang. Don't worry, the dub didn't really add much more to what was already there with her character, and the amount of energy she puts out is very infectious. Given the pace of the show is going, the climax of the season will probably be us reaching the epicenter of the stone changing phenomena, but I hope the show keeps up a soli,d consistent pace to get us there.

Episode 13
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Ever since Xeno was first introduced into Dr. Stone, they were very much painted as “the evil Senku”. However, I knew that that wasn't necessarily the case. Science is a remarkable field that enables us to create significant innovations. When people are dedicated to science, there isn't always an allegiance or moral alignment that accompanies their dedication. It really comes down to what you are willing to do for the sake of progress. Xeno has definitely expressed maniacal ambitions, and he is definitely the antagonist, but deep down, his love of science dominates everything else. That's what the flashback at the beginning of the episode is supposed to showcase, and that's what his eventual relationship with Senku has showcased here.

I love the fact that Chrome, Senku, and Xeno are all working together, and it just looks like a bunch of guys with ADHD, hyper-obsessing over a single problem. It's quite amusing that the hostage situation was what brought Xeno and Senku together over their shared love of science. Now they're unstoppable and drawing in everybody they can, so I can only imagine how this will propel things even further. I'm very curious to see what the outcome will look like when Stanley eventually catches them. Will they be able to convince them that they're actually working towards the same thing, or are we going to see some friendship fallouts as a mirror to the friendships that Senku gained through his love of science? It could go either way, and I'm very curious about it.

I just like the fact that Byakuya is revered by literally everybody who gets introduced in this show. He paved the way for many of these future developments when he eventually returned to Earth after being petrified by the petrification beam, and even before fully opening up to Senku, Xeno still regarded him as an incredible person. We're putting respect on the name of one of the best anime dads ever, and I still love it so many seasons into the show. Speaking of the many seasons of the show, I appreciate that this premiere wastes the least time in catching us up to speed and moving us to the next plot point. Additionally, it marks the next major step in uncovering the source of the petrification beam, which is likely a sign that we are nearing the end. Dr. Stone does a fantastic job of standing the test of tim,e even though the manga is long over. As the title suggests, I'm wondering how much of a future this anime is going to have.

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Episode 14
Richard Eisenbeis
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At this point in the series, the cast of Dr. Stone has felt rather, well, set in stone. We have the Kingdom of Science, the descendants of the astronauts, and Dr. Xeno's band. While it was possible our heroes would run into another single person, depetrified by chance, it never seemed likely—so the introduction of Dr. Chelsea is a welcome surprise. She's quite different from either Senku or Dr. Xeno—a geographer rather than a literal rocket scientist.

Of course, I won't pretend that her sudden appearance—though adequately explained—doesn't feel a bit too convenient. I mean, just when Senku and the others need someone able to get them across South America without having to go all the way around the Strait of Magellan, they run across the one person in the entire world who has that exact knowledge sitting in her head. Moreover, she's not with Dr. Xeno and would rather team up with Senku than with him? Yeah, it's a bit too much, even for Dr. Stone.

On the other hand, this episode does a great job of building tension. While our heroes might have a head start, they are in the far inferior ship. Worse still, they're being chased by a ship filled with their best scientific inventions—not to mention a crew of experienced special forces soldiers. However, the key is that Stanley's group is missing one thing Senku's is not: engineers.

Senku and the others don't just know how to use equipment; they know how to create it and improve upon it. When they see a problem, they are able to look at the materials they have, put their knowledge to use, and then overcome it. In the end, this makes for another solid episode of Dr. Stone, and I can't wait to see what's awaiting them at ground zero.

Episode 13
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The second part of Science Future starts our heroes in a strange situation. With Senku and a small band fleeing with the kidnapped Dr. Xeno and Stanley's special forces unit hot on their tail, the remainder of both factions have come to an uneasy peace. Basically, they'll act as one tribe until either Dr. Xeno or Senku returns—and follow whoever comes out on top. This means our extended cast, who are being largely left behind this arc, are safe for the time being, and we don't have to spend time or effort worrying about them.

Meanwhile, on the fleeing stolen ship, Senku and Dr. Xeno get down to business. From the start, it's clear that the two have different ultimate goals: with Senku wanting to understand the petrification technology for the sake of science (and the eventual mission to the moon) and Dr. Xeno wanting to monopolize that power to control the Stone World. However, their immediate goal is the same: find ground zero and the petrification device there.

Up until now, Senku's best lead on the devices' location was “South America” based on what the astronauts saw. Dr. Xeno, on the other hand, had only a general “southern” direction to go on. Neither Senku nor Dr. Xeno had any real chance of locating it on their own. However, with two sets of data, some trigonometry, and some rudimentary simulation models, they are able to pinpoint the location.

Along the way, we also lay out the rules of the petrification beam. We've known the beam doesn't move at the speed of light for a long time (as its much slower speed was a vital part of Senku's victory on Treasure Island), but now we know its exact speed and have a general idea of the height of the wave that enveloped the world. We also learn a bit about the exact nature of the wave. It can pass through solid objects, but it moves more slowly through them. It also seems to be affected by gravity. With this information in hand, our heroes may have what they need to start building a defense against further petrification attacks.

In the end, this episode feels more like a lore drop than a season premiere—and honestly, that's okay. We are so many seasons deep into this show that there aren't likely to be many first-time viewers. For the rest of us, all we need is the episode's short recap and we're good to go. With one of the show's greatest mysteries about to be solved and our heroes being hunted by a special forces team, this season looks to be one of both high-stakes action and world-shaking revelations—and I am here for it.

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Episode 14 Kevin Cormack
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Immediately, this episode is improved by a distinct reduction in Ginro-related content, in that he only briefly appears in a single scene, and doesn't do anything egregiously irritating. Hopefully, he remains stuck in Stanley's ship's torture dungeon for the rest of the season, having his fingernails slowly twisted off, off-screen.

Instead, we meet a new gimmick character, and she's a pumpkin-flavored, adult-sized Suika! Dr. Chelsea was originally part of Dr. Xeno's conference at the time of the original petrification, and she got the message to remain (ludicrously) conscious for the several thousand years of immobility awaiting her. When she awoke three years after Xeno and Stanley, due to her appalling eyesight, completely missed the signs erected to inform petrification survivors of the new settlement, and instead she wandered south into coastal California. There, she survived by apparently eating, wearing, and living in pumpkins. Even after being rescued and provided with functioning eyeglasses by Senku and pals, she decides to maintain a distinct pumpkin fashion sense. When we first meet her, Dr. Chelsea's eyes are so screwed up due to uncorrected myopia that she looks several centuries old. I'm pretty sure that's not how faces work, but then her “normal” face has a perpetual cat-like smirk plastered on it. I'm not sure what's worse.

Xeno tries to tempt her to the dark side, but Dr. Chelsea doesn't need decent eyes to see he's a wrong'un, deciding instead to align with Senku, mainly because he's “more fun.” Dr. Chelsea brings her encyclopedic mind to the table, her grey matter packed with obsessively catalogued geographical details. If this were a Danganronpa game, she'd be “The Ultimate Geographer.” She's a bit less likely to meet a sticky, pumpkin juice-stained end in Dr. Stone, though. Already, she has proven useful to Senku by suggesting a shortcut to the central Amazon rainforest that doesn't involve sailing all the way around the bottom of Argentina and up the eastern coast, though it hinges on finding a source of rubber to make motorcycle tires. Yeah, Senku's going to build a fleet of motorcycles so his team can roar across northern Ecuador and over the mountains to reach the Amazon River.

Dr. Chelsea's misspelled “HELL” (should be “HELP”) canvases also help Senku's little ship gain some distance from Stanley's larger carrier ship by being repurposed as massive kite sails. Stanley has more fuel than he needs, while Senku's ship runs on burnt wood, necessitating regular landings to harvest fresh wood. While it briefly looks like Stanley might catch them using his radar. Senku's always been blessed with a mix of both luck and resourcefulness. Despite the unlikely fortuitousness of Dr. Chelsea's arrival (surely it would statistically be more likely she'd have woken alone, lived alone, and died among her pumpkins without ever encountering another human being), she's yet another bow in Senku's quiver. Senku might be annoying and hyper-focused on science to the exclusion of all else, but he has a way of dragging others into his enthusiastic, crackpot schemes. Even supposed antagonist Xeno seems happy to be along for the ride. No wonder, as Dr. Stone remains a great deal of daft fun.

Episode 13
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If you've not watched Dr. Stone by this point, absolutely do not start here. Despite an attempt to bring viewers up to speed on the current state of Senku's quest to revive the world's entire petrified populace, by this seventh(!) cour, there are so many characters, and so many in-jokes, that it's hard enough for a veteran viewer to keep up. We start with what I assume is a flashback to Xeno's first meeting with his eventual purple lipstick-wearing, gun-toting enforcer Stanley Snyder. Young Xeno looks so much like Senku that, for a moment, I was confused about this gray-haired child's identity. Even as an adult, Xeno is essentially Senku's dark shadow – equally obsessed with science and its “elegance”, but willing to use it to wield power through weaponry and technological superiority. Despite his lack of people skills, Senku is an optimistic philanthropist who genuinely wants to help people and improve the world. Satisfying his curiosity came first on his agenda, of course.

This is an even more dialogue-focused episode than usual, with Senku and Xeno spitballing relentlessly while trying to identify the source of the petrification beam from thousands of years previously. As usual, Dr. Stone strains credulity when it comes to the mechanics by which its scientist characters derive their solutions, but it's never meant to be taken seriously. Case in point – when self-taught neo-stone age scientist Chrome decides to barge in on Senku and Xeno's science discussions, he's bemused to find them blowing enormous glycerol-reinforced soap bubbles. Why? Why not? It's this kind of random, whimsical humor that either attracts or repels viewers from the show. I mostly kind of dig it.

What I don't enjoy is anything involving screechingly irritating side character Ginro. He's a one-joke character, in that he's physically useless, mentally weak, and courageously challenged. He adds nothing to the show, and every scene in which he appears is like metaphorical nails on a chalkboard to me. He's followed around by his inexplicably devoted manservant/bodyguard Matsukaze, and succeeds only in disappointing the poor man with his terrible decisions. Hopefully, Ginro will meet some painfully humiliating and sticky end this season.

Otherwise, this episode is mostly concerned with setting up the main conflict for the season, which is Stanley's pursuit of Senku and Xeno across the sea (courtesy of Ginro's needless information-leaking screwup). It won't convince naysayers to return, nor will it attract new viewers. I find it entertaining enough that I'll stick with it to the end, even when the humor often fails to land for me.

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