Following the broadcast of the first and second seasons of the anime, the third season of "Dr. Stone" has been announced. What do you think is the appeal of this series? As an incredibly popular series that has continued into its third season, it undoubtedly has many outstanding features compared to other works, but when an anime fan you know asks you, "What is the appeal of this series?", you'll want to be able to give a specific explanation. So, today I'd like to briefly introduce the appeal of "Dr. Stone." This series stands out in particular among the many Jump series that have been serialized, so be sure to understand its characteristics and interesting points. I'll also introduce some points to look out for as the third season of the anime approaches, so be sure to check it out!
Enjoy Science from the Ground Up
The appeal of this series is that it allows viewers to enjoy learning about science from the ground up. While scientific knowledge is typically acquired through studying magazines and textbooks with a pencil and notebook, this series allows viewers to acquire scientific knowledge while having fun through the medium of manga. This ability to experience the fascinating world of science while purely enjoying the story is perhaps its greatest feature.
The Battle Between the Kingdom of Science and the Tsukasa Empire
Furthermore, this unique feature allows readers to acquire scientific knowledge through the battle between the Kingdom of Science and the Tsukasa Empire, depicting the clash between opposing camps. This is not simply an easy-to-understand science lecture manga, but rather allows readers to learn scientific knowledge through the heated battle between the Kingdom of Science and the Tsukasa Empire.
Easy-to-understand Illustrations
Furthermore, because this work is a manga, it is able to present the process by which various scientific technologies are born through easy-to-understand illustrations. While there are many books that use illustrations to summarize the origins of science and technology, there is perhaps no other work that presents such a natural flow of illustrations of a science and technology roadmap as this one. In this way, this work is a textbook that makes the most of the manga medium to explain science and technology.
Science advances when faced with adversity
The most important lesson learned from this work is that "science advances when faced with adversity." Understanding science and technology cannot be achieved simply by looking at a roadmap of how that technology develops. It is also necessary to understand the background that led to the creation of that technology.
The fascinating story of depicting the development of science and technology
Textbooks cannot detail the process leading up to the development of such science and technology, but because this work unfolds as a single story, it is able to depict the difficulties that have plagued humanity alongside the emergence of science and technology.
A well-paced story
This work's appeal extends beyond its role as a science book about science and technology. It also has many appealing aspects as a purely Jump manga. From here, I'd like to introduce the appeal of this work as a manga.
Deep Characters
One of the appealing aspects of this series is that the characters' personalities are not monotonous. For example, even the villains are clearly portrayed as having their own unique thoughts and principles of action.
Many characters have extreme personalities
This series has many characters with extremely extreme personalities, but rather than being a purely good versus evil story, the villains' backgrounds are also explored in depth, which is a good thing, as it doesn't solely focus on Senku's exploits.
A Story with Many Twists and Turns
As such, the characters in this work have complex backgrounds, which lead them to think differently depending on the situation, often resulting in actions that take many twists and turns in the story. Perhaps it's precisely because the characters have such complex backgrounds that we can enjoy such a complex story?
Civilization Advances
Through the interactions between these characters, each with their own unique characteristics, new technology is created and civilization advances. The appeal of this work lies in the ability to simultaneously enjoy two elements: the human drama woven by each character and the accompanying development of civilization.
In-depth introduction to the fascinating characters!
Now, let's take a closer look at the many fascinating characters that appear in this work. The story's fascinating progression is shaped by the many unique character settings, so if you're interested in learning more about the appeal of this work, be sure to check it out!
Science-oriented Senku, Humanities-oriented Ryusui, and Athlete-oriented Tsukasa
It's especially important to note that while the protagonist of this work, Senku, is a character who specializes entirely in science, Ryusui, who appears in the third season of the anime, has mastered humanities traits such as sociology and imperial studies, while Tsukasa, who appears in the first season and elsewhere, has mastered athletic traits such as martial arts.
Contrasting Characters Work Together
As such, the main characters in this work are comprised of characters with extremely contrasting traits, including those with a science background, a humanities background, and an athletic background.
Similarities with the Real World
Just like in our real world, you can't have too many extreme science majors like Senku, or too many extreme humanities majors like Ryusui. By balancing characters with these diverse traits, an advanced scientific civilization can develop in this work, just like in the real world.
The Descendants of Senku's Father-in-Law
Furthermore, the descendants of Senku's father-in-law, Byakuya, add a unique atmosphere to this work. If the story only featured characters resurrected from the past, the dialogue between the characters would be boring. However, the introduction of characters who take advantage of the setting, thousands of years later, such as Byakuya's descendants, instantly increases the story's appeal as a sci-fi work.
The dialogue with the native characters is fascinating!
The differences between the people resurrected from civilization and the native inhabitants of the Stone World, as well as their distinct characteristics, are intricately intertwined in the manga, resulting in a compelling story design.
Who is this work recommended for?
So, with so many fascinating aspects, who would this work be recommended for? I would like to introduce this work from these perspectives. While this is a classic Jump manga, it does have some unique twists, so when recommending it to someone, you might want to consider whether they fit the profile I'll be introducing below.
People who like science fiction and fantasy
Above all, the type of person this work will appeal to most is a fan of science fiction and fantasy. Science fiction and fantasy are typically opposing characteristics, so they're rarely combined in the same work. However, this work successfully combines the scientific knowledge that's unique to science fiction with the mysterious setting unique to fantasy, which is unthinkable in modern society. This allows you to enjoy both science fiction and fantasy in one work.
People who like quirky characters
This work is also recommended for people who like quirky characters. Each character in this work excels in something, and many are skilled artisans. As a result, their personalities are strong, with many characters possessing strange obsessions, being overly competitive, and simply being quirky. For those who like characters with unique personalities that are a little different from the average person, this is an ideal work, allowing you to enjoy every character.
People who just aren't good at science!
Above all, this work is recommended for people who aren't good at science. Unlike textbooks or stuffy TV shows, this work's premise is that it has an interesting story. Building on this fascinating story, it explains science and technology in an easy-to-understand way, allowing readers to enjoy science from a new perspective. It's a work that will help you learn about science, something you may have disliked before, in an entertaining way, so it's a must-read for anyone who isn't good at science.
Summary
What did you think? This article briefly summarizes the appeal and features of "Dr. Stone." Of course, there are many other appealing aspects of this work that we couldn't cover in this article, so we encourage you to think for yourself about what makes it so interesting!
