REVIEW: ‘Dr. STONE New World Episode 2— “Greed Equals Justice”

Dr.Stone New World Season 3 Episode 2 solidifies the series as entering its farming era. Following up the season premiere where the characters dealt with baking bread for the first time, a tedious affair that had the show speed racing through plot developments, the narrative slows momentarily to allow Senku (Yûsuke Kobayashi) and co. to breathe while introducing another new character and modern acquisition. It’s, as Senku would say, thrilling as well as a fun and often a hilarious episode of television. 

In the wake of their failure in making bread that would satisfy those who’d been petrified (even if the likes of Chrome and co., and were able to enjoy the burnt bricks presented to them,) Ryusui (Ryota Suzuki) convinces Senku that they need to revive a chef. Senku’s intellect and Ryusui’s greed combine to find that chef, it being the enigmatic Francois (Maaya Sakamoto,) Ryusui’s butler from his past life who he knows little about, from their name to their gender, believing that their skill as a grade A butler is the only element worth highlighting. Anything else is arbitrary. Clearly, though, the two align in some aspects, as Francois repeats that “greed equals justice.” 

This alignment is seen later too when, after noting Senku’s significance to keeping the community together, Francois mentions that their new world order would survive best if they brought Senku with them. It adds to Francois’s mystique, which is hilariously opposed to the broad humor they’re introduced with. 

An element that Dr.Stone has always thrived in has been its humor, and Dr.Stone New World Season 3 Episode 2 doesn’t shy away from bigger moments of comedy, ranging from slapstick to subtle visual hints. It’s the mix of the two however that delivers the biggest laughs. Sometimes, simple works, as long as the execution is handled with intelligence and a knowledge of how to use the space within a frame to best utilize the physicality of characters and the limits of their exaggerated features. 

Even in the series’ slower episodes, the humor drives the pace, and in Francois’s revival, we are given prime examples of this. The comedy stems from the group of motley characters, as they all react to Francois’s nonchalance at being reawakened after thousands of years. Their matter-of-fact approach in the face of fantastical levels of science in contrast to the others’ shock, plus the physical comedy of having them putter in and out of frame as Gen runs after them, showcases writing that layers multiple levels of humor. 

It’s not just the humor however that thrives this week but the scientific developments as well. From bread to mirrors, to an actual camera (multiples of them,) it’s a solid period for Team Science as they progress at a rapid rate in order to find oil and set sail in order to gain greater momentum in discovering what caused the initial petrification and where it started.

Ryusui remains a wonderful character, especially in contrast to those like Senku or Chrome (Gen Satô) who approach life with a much more methodical approach. Not every character in the ensemble is given the same level of time and attention but they’re allowed pieces of the story that give the series its depth of story that makes for such constant engaging viewing. 

The advancements they’ve made mean that the story is going to be able to move at a brisk pace, a strength for Dr.Stone as it suffers when meandering through the plot. It’s a character-focused episode, so the artistry is best on display through their designs and facial expressions, especially as they’re drawn in simplistic shapes and designs in order to highlight their over-the-top emotions in the events of doing something as basic as eating bread. 

Dr.Stone New World Season 3 Episode 2 doesn’t dive straight into an adventure, but the setting blocks it sets for the upcoming journey create a tone bursting with anticipation. A swift, comedic, and entertaining episode, it might not be the show at its best, but it promises future storylines that will be able to surpass the journey we’ve been on so far through scale alone. 

Dr.Stone New World Season 3 is available now on Crunchyroll.