REVIEW: ‘Dr. STONE New World,’ Episode 6 — “Treasure Box”

“Treasure Box,” by all accounts, should be a frustrating episode. In Dr. STONE New World Episode 6, the series introduces a new character who has seemingly just been here the whole time to Senku’s (Yūsuke Kobayashi) confusion. He doesn’t have a name to avoid detection by the village, having arrived on the seaside mysteriously when he was an infant and taken in by a kindhearted woman. This confirms that others are out there while also providing a link to the new island the group is en route to.

If it didn’t land the comedic beats of his arrival (Senku’s face is remarkable at realizing he didn’t recognize him), it would stand out as the convenient plot convention that it is, a quick way to add another layer of connection from their village to the new one. However, it works enough, so it prompts little more than an eye roll and acceptance as he, too, is included in the fold once the group realizes what his existence promises.

Most of the episode remains at sea, as characters adjust to the nauseating roll of waves prompting sea sickness and impromptu battle storms which rattle the ship’s bones. Dr. STONE New World Episode 6 acts as a literal transition episode and stage to further explain Senku’s intent to go to the island where his father and crew landed immediately after the petrification. From the 100 stories that the village and its lore are built on, he’s learned that there must be remnants of the spaceship and its materials left behind, which they can use to speed along making the revitalizations acid that helps break the petrification the vast majority is still stuck in.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with this type of episode, and it is, by nature, largely necessary due to the sheer number of volumes in the manga itself. It veers away from being strictly exposition with the small character beats such as the reminder of Senku, Taiju (Makoto Furukawa,) and Yuzuriha’s (Kana Ichinose) friendship that predates petrification, to Ginro’s (Ayumu Murase) sudden sea sickness, or Gen (Kengo Kawanishi) and Senku’s schtick where they take clear delight in one another’s more wicked instincts.

That said, there’s an over-reliance on the chibi style, talking head animation that lessens some of the impact of manga illustrator Boichi’s work. The overtly simplified style is utilized in the manga as well. Still, for the time set at sea, it feels like a missed opportunity to shine a light on the series’ capabilities when it comes to landscape visuals and the artistry displayed when a greater kineticism is deployed. Instead, “Treasure Box” remains relatively stagnant, despite the forward momentum of the ship and the story.

That said, this third season remains a highlight of the series, with clear One Piece influences in style (which makes sense, considering Boichi also worked on illustrations for that manga.) With a sense of adventure and the unknown ahead of them, “Treasure Box” might suffer from the series needing to reset itself for the remainder of this arc. Still, it remains engaging and escapist fun, even in its clumsier moments.

Dr.STONE New World is available now to stream on Crunchyroll.