Dr. Stone: New World

Episode 20

This episode of Dr. Stone is exactly the epilogue I enjoy. Just because Ibara has been defeated doesn't mean that all our heroes' problems are immediately fixed. Even deciding who to depetrify and in what order is important. After all, Senku and his friends have lived in hidden exile since they arrived on the island—they have no idea where even the food is kept. Luckily, Senku goes about the process logically—making sure their immediate survival needs are met before anything else.

But just because he's pragmatic, that doesn't mean he's emotionless. There is a personal goal for Senku that he's fully invested in. When the others debate whether to bring back Kirisame or not (Magma wanting to shatter her instead) Senku ignores them all and brings her back. While he claims it's because she had only been tricked by Ibara like so many others, this is only half the truth.

Logically, there is no reason to bring Kirisame back early. She is potentially the greatest threat to our heroes—and it's unclear if even Magma, Kinro, and Nikki could take her down in a fight if it came to that. However, with immediate survival guaranteed, Senku gives in to his desires. He wants Kohaku back—and Kirisame is the most likely among all the islanders to know where she is.

What's interesting here is that we never see Kohaku's depetrification—and that's because it's not important. To Kohaku, being brought back isn't her moment of victory. That moment is when she sees that her sacrifice was worth it—that she saved Ginro's life. That's why it's at this point that she rushes to Senku and embraces him.

While Kirisame may see this hug as something romantic, Amaryllis is right in saying that it is not. Kohaku, a woman without knowledge of the “modern world,” has come a long way since she met Senku in the woods. Throughout their adventures, she has come to believe in the power of science—even when she often doesn't understand it. But more than that, she has come to believe in Senku more than any other person in the world. She trusted in science that she and Ginro could be brought back; she trusted in Senku to make that happen. Simply put, Senku is her best friend and while the feelings may not be romantic, it's clear she loves him with all her heart. And judging by his actions, he feels the same.

The other stand-out bit of this episode is that it manages a serious jumpscare amid our happy little epilogue. Hearing the voice over the radio say the petrification activation phrase is an incredible “Oh crap!” moment. However, what's even greater is that the resolution to the scare has already been set up in advance. After all, it was only two episodes back that Senku tried the same trap on Ibara—and it didn't work then either.

This jump scare is woven into the greater plot of the show—as the final piece of information needed for our heroes to divine the “Why-Man's” location: the Moon. With this, we have our new ultimate goal. While Senku now can depetrify people at will, doing so on a mass scale is meaningless if the “Why-Man” sends another rain of petrification devices to Earth. Before humanity and the modern age are fully restored, the “Why-Man” must be dealt with—and that means going to the Moon to confront him in person.

And so, with that, Senku and his friends must now embark on a mission to recreate mankind's greatest triumph. But this isn't something that can be handled by a few hundred muscle heads and a single scientific genius. This is a quest that will take years—if not decades—and require a massive human society to do so.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• I have many questions about Ginro's new companion—like what the age he lived in was like. But I'm sure we'll get that information eventually.

• Did anyone else notice Kirisame kneeling before Soyuz at the party?

• The fact that Senku gave Kohaku the petrification device to hold on to says a lot about their relationship.

• It's a good little character moment that, even when being doted on by women and being called a hero, Ginro excuses himself from the party to help Suika find Senku just because she asks. He may be selfish and cowardly but, as we've seen this season, at his core he knows where his true priorities lie.

Dr. Stone: New World is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.