ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Dr. STONE’, Volume 14

Dr. STONE, Volume 14 is an action-adventure science fiction manga written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by Boichi. The Shonen Jump series is published in English by VIZ Media. The series follows the events and aftermath that caused all of humanity to mysteriously turn into stone. For thousands of years, they remained frozen unable to move, until one day a boy genius, Senku, emerged from the stone. Armed with his vast knowledge and the limited resources around him, Senku determined to bring civilization back from scratch.

Dr. STONE Volume 14 includes chapters 116 through 124. Now that Senku and his friends have a machine capable of producing unlimited revival fluid, they make their plans to strike back against the Petrification Kingdom. Senku comes up with a plan to combat their enemy, they will need a drone. But before they can get to work on the drone, they will need to bring someone else back. But first, they have to rescue their petrified friends at the bottom of the sea.

The artwork in Dr. STONE, Volume 14 is simply awesome. I especially love the level of detail that goes into illustrating the Senku’s inventions.  An interesting fact about the artist of the series, Boichi, is that he majored in physics in college to prepare for drawing science fiction works and learn the technology of performance. It is clear from the level of detail that and intricacy of the inventions and tools that Boichi applies this knowledge in his work for Dr. Stone. 

I continue to be impressed with the mangaka, Inagaki’s, worldbuilding throughout the series. As the series goes on the story continues to reveal various challenges that Senku and his friends have to overcome in order to bring humanity back into the modern age. In Volume 14 the most recent challenges that they face are the humans of the Petrification Kingdom and the secret of their petrification weapon.

Inagaki’s world-building and mode of storytelling keep my attention because they do not reveal too much information to the reader. The reader only knows what the main characters know. Which in my opinion is a great way to hold interests and tell a quality story. It keeps readers wondering what will happen next or how the characters will overcome their obstacles.

Lastly, Dr. STONE Volume 14 does a great job of touching on the core message of resilience in the face of adversity. When faced with the seemingly impossible task to revive civilization from scratch, you need to have a resilient attitude to any challenges that come your way. But when it comes to Senku, his resilience on another level. That is what I love about his character and the series so much. That when he and his friends are faced with the impossible they don’t give up. They use their resources and their knowledge to find a solution. I find that message to be inspiring, because in life when things get tough and seem like there is no way to overcome the challenges we face. And while there will be some challenges we fail and are unable to overcome, what’s important is to not give up right away.

Overall, if you are a fan of science-fiction and adventure then you do not want to missout on Dr. STONE, Volume 14. The mangakas, Boichi and Riichiro Inagaki continue to deliver a great story volume after volume. Additionally, this …arc is a great example of the manga’s world-building and how the series continues to deliver the message of resiliency. Full of awesome illustrations, a great story, and more I highly recommend picking up Dr. Stone, Volume 14. 

Dr. Stone, Volume 14 is available online and in bookstores on November 3.