Dr. Stone: Science Future S4 Premiere Review
Everyone, I’m ten billion percent certain I’m going to be watching this season of Dr. Stone.
I’ve been following the Dr. Stone anime off and on since it came out back in 2019, but the new season is said to be the last one. And given how I love the series’ sense of comedy, quirky characters, and (largely) accurate use of science, I wanted to see it off. It also helps that it’s got a solid dub and caught up to the point where I actively started reading the manga as it came out. And while some may see the season premiere as padding, I see it as a way for the show flex its comedic muscles.
I can’t spoil anything from the manga, but trust me: you are going to miss the light-heartedness after a certain point.
Disagreements on Travel
Having acquired one of the mysterious devices responsible for turning humankind to stone, the Kingdom of Science’s next step is to confront the one responsible. There’s one problem, though: they’re located on the Moon. Getting to the moon was a gargantuan undertaking even with modern society, and Senku is having to rebuild civilization from the ground up. With Japan unable to provide all the resources needed, the Kingdom of Science has no other option: they have to start recruiting people around the world. First stop is the good ol’ US of A.
One question, though: what route will they take?
Once again showing their knowledge of science, the anime points out that taking a route hugging the continents would get them there faster, even if it’s more difficult. However, the resident sailor Ryusui argues that they should go in a straight line to the west coast of America. Unable to break the deadlock, Senku and Ryusui decide to settle the matter…in a game of poker.
It’s party time! Science vs. Greed… Who has the edge in a game of Poker?
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Many people will likely consider this episode focusing on a game of poker to be a waste of time. To be fair, they’re not wrong. Even in the manga, this largely gave off the feeling of padding the story out for the sake of it. However, it still winds up being enjoyable to watch for two reasons. Firstly, it means we get to see the character interacting with each other, which is one of Dr. Stone’s strongest selling points. Most of the main cast does a good job of bouncing off one another’s quirks for comedic effect, and that holds true for this episode.
The second reason? Simple: seeing everyone wearing casino attire. You can’t deny that Senku and Kohaku look amazing in their respective outfits!
Enjoy the fun while it lasts
So, after shenanigans ensue, Senku ends up winning like he usually does. And with their route now set, everyone celebrates by doing the other thing casinos are known for: drinking and partying. And Senku does point out how he’s 3,700 years old, so he’s able to drink. Plus, there are no governments to enforce drinking ages, so it’s a moot point.
Some people might see the season premiere as unnecessary padding. I see it as a fun little way to get started on the final season of Dr. Stone. Like I said, I’m ten billion percent watching this entire season, because this is going to be one of the big early hits of 2025.
Also, I wasn’t joking earlier: there will come a time when you will miss how light-hearted things are.
