REVIEW: Dr Stone Science Future Cour 1 Is An Exhilarating Beginning Of The End

From the moment we hit the deck of the Perseus, Dr Stone Science Future Cour 1 doesn’t stop moving. Despite a few episodes of setup that bracket the beginning of the latest and final season, Dr Stone trims any remaining fat of its story for something streamlined and action-packed as Senku (Yûsuke Kobayashi) and his Kingdom of Science crew face off against their most formidable threat yet.

Dr Stone Science Future Cour 1 removes the cast from their familiarity as they set forth on an adventure to America to find more resources (corn) to create a bounty of revival fluid. While the journey itself is already perilous, it’s no match for the threat that awaits them. Based on the manga written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by the artist Boich, the series has seen a colorful crop of antagonists in the past. Many of them would, ultimately, join forces with Senku, such as Tsukasa (Yuichi Nakamura) and Hyoga (Akira Ishida) in the first two seasons and then Moz (Kazuyuki Okitsu) and Kirisame (Kaede Hondo) in Season 3.

But, in the past, those adversaries worked as foils to Senku’s strength — his intellect. Tsukasa and Hyoga were physically superior and domineering in their might. Moz and Kirisame were also physically imposing, but their leader, Ibara, proved the real threat due to his access to the petrification tool, the Medusa. Dr Stone Science Future is the first time Senku has faced off against someone of potentially superior intellect with Dr. Xeno (Kenji Nojima), his former mentor.

New characters shine in Dr Stone Science Future Cour 1

Paralleling Senku’s revival, Xeno, too, was awake for well over 3000 years, keeping his mind sharp. As Senku built forces and looked to awaken the planet, Xeno created forces to keep people out. The Kingdom of Science has ships and tools for documentation and experimentation — Xeno and his right-hand man, Stanley Snider (Kōji Yusa), have guns and ammunition.

It’s a striking parallel that the Cour leans into as the tension accelerates. The season’s relentless string of action establishes just how great a threat Xeno and Stanley are. They’re superb antagonists, and the character designs lavishly in the series consistently exaggerated tone. They’re not just morally diametrically opposed to Senku’s cause. It’s that they have the means to lay waste to everything they’ve achieved thus far. When Senku is injured after a failed assassination attempt, Xeno’s intentions are clear. He’ll stop at nothing to achieve the power he seeks through the science he reveres — even if that means taking down a former pupil.

How the team rallies after Senku’s injury offers some of the best character moments of Dr Stone Science Future Cour 1. While he’s only out of commission for a short while, it lets supporting players like Chrome (Gen Satō), Taiju (Makoto Furukawa), and Tsukasa take point. Chrome, in particular, gets a real hero moment as his plan allows Tsukasa’s team to break through Xeno’s tower to take him hostage.

Chrome has long existed as Senku’s student; his pure love for science is a guiding point for his character and how he approaches problem-solving. It’s a great way to show the different types of intelligence, with Chrome’s being rougher around the edges. It’s similar to Taiju’s strength. Neither are honed skills, but both establish themselves as the purest form of what they can do — supporting others through their definitions of strength. It makes their moment in the finale all the more potent, with Chrome gaining the respect of Xeno.

The series is unrelenting in its final stage. 

Luna (Akira Sekine) is a strong addition to the team as the newcomer meant to be a spy for Xeno. Her vibrant and odd crush on Senku is a hilarious backdrop, considering his disinterest in romance. The series hosts an enormous ensemble at this point, so any new addition must stand out. Aided by strong voice acting, Luna fits right in.

For all of its narrative strengths, Dr Stone Science Future isn’t perfect. The season premiere takes too many detours, and an aerial fight loses steam because it cuts away in too many other moments. In all honesty, it can be difficult to dismiss some of the cruder elements of the series, which seemingly thrives on its intelligent character being the protagonist of a sometimes willfully ugly show.

But that’s also simply part of the appeal. This is a rough-around-the-edges world with a genius protagonist who is constantly casually cursing. It’s that contrast that makes it so enjoyable. Without that heightened sense of comedy and ridiculous cut scenes where characters are pulling some repulsive facial expression or another, it would be a textbook. The science is nice, but how it’s delivered matters.

Dr Stone Science Future Cour 1 allows all of its many characters’ moments to shine with action that makes it loud and clear that we’re in endgame territory. With propulsive momentum and formidable threats, Senku’s team is in near-constant peril, and it’s some of the most fun — narratively and visually — that the series has ever had.

Dr Stone Science Future Cour 1 is out now on Crunchyroll.