Edutainment is rarely entertaining. A lot of media with an educational aspects falls flat. There’s a difficult balance to maintain between being fun to watch and imparting information. In the 90s the best examples were Bill Nye the Science Guy and Beakman’s World. Both presented STEM topics in fun and easy to digest episodes. More recently I enjoyed Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey with narrator Neil deGrasse Tyson in 2014. As 2019 comes to a close, I’ve found a new show to add to the list: Dr Stone.
I’ve seen it described as Bill Nye for Weebs, and the line is a perfect fit. The series follows Senku, a high school student with an incredible mind for science, after being turned to stone for 3700 years. This was the fate of all humanity, and the world has moved on. Senku’s goal is to restore humanity, by freeing everybody he can from their stone state. He’ll accomplish this through rigorous study and testing with the scientific method.
Science lessons and factoids fill each episode. It’s not enough to be truly educational. Watching Dr Stone cannot replace a formal education or even a good science lesson in high school. The information provided doesn’t work as a guide, but does a fantastic job of sparking viewer interest in the topics presented. It does so by always tying them to situations within the show’s narrative. The show’s characters and plot cannot be separated from the science element.
Senku and the friends he makes throughout series face many challenges in the post-apocalyptic Stone World. Logic and application of the scientific method solve most problems, and the rest require social interaction and understanding. Sometimes its part of an emotional payoff to a story line, other times it’s the application of psychological concepts.
*spoiler alert for a new show*
One of my favourite examples comes during the anime’s tournament arc. Shonen seems required to have a tournament, but Dr Stone does it far better than most. The arc is short and well plotted. The narrative perfectly suits the world. Senku helps his friend, Kinro, nearly defeat his opponent, Magma, by providing him glasses. It’s a near defeat because the Magma uses his understanding of Kinro’s personality to manipulate him and land the final blow. That same psychological manipulation is used later to defeat Magma.
*end spoilers*
I’ve seen problems solved through various means, and none of them are simple. Half the series is dedicated to the creation of a medicine. The process involves many steps along the way. They can’t simple create the ingredients. First they create a powerful magnet and electrical power, then kilns powerful enough to forge iron and craft glass, which are used to retrieve sulphur acid. I can’t pretend to know whether the show’s accurately depicting how these things are in the real world, but they provide more than enough depth to spark curiosity.
Whether viewers learn anything from Dr Stone or not, they’ll walk away entertained. I found myself connecting to the characters throughout the story. After Senku frees himself from the Stone, how he did that hasn’t been fully explained yet, he wakes up his old friend Taiju. He knows Taiju isn’t the smartest person, but he’s strong and kind. Taiju’s the perfect assistant to help Senku in his task to save the world.
Taiju and Senku’s relationship anchors the early episodes. They work together wonderfully. Senku can be an ass, but ultimately he cares about people and Taiju knows it. When Senku says something off putting or rude, Taiju’s the lens that bends it so we accept it. As the story progresses, newer characters are introduced and change the story dynamic. Senku doesn’t have that same foil, but the new characters help Senku grow as a person. He’s always changing, despite likely believing he hasn’t. I’m excited to see where the first season will have him end.
As if right now, I’ve watched 18 episodes of the DUB over the course of three days. Funimation’s done a great job with the voice talent, and is keeping up with the new episode releases. I usually don’t watch anime as it’s released, but I’ll be sticking with Dr Stone week over week. If you’re looking for something new and very different, please check it out. It’s easily the best current anime I’ve seen in a long time.