Dr. Stone: New World

Episode 6

This episode of Dr. Stone contains our second world-changing revelation of the season. The first was the existence of the “Why-Man”—a person with technology on the same level or greater as what Senku has recreated. If the existence of a modern human weren't enough—especially given his apparent connection to the petrification of all human life—this episode reveals that the people of Ishigami Village aren't the only native humans left in the world.

To the show's credit, this was hinted at back when Senku discovered the origins of Ishigami Village. The flashback episode in season one explains that Byakuga and his crew washed up on an island off the coast of Japan. Yet, a millennium later, Ishigami Village exists right next to the mainland. Given what we see in the flashback, it makes logical sense that not all would try to make the dangerous crossing. Some would definitely stay behind—if for no other reason than to try again at a later time.

The only real issue here is how the existence of another group of natives is revealed: it just so happens that one of the people in Senku's crew is from that island. More than that, it's a background character who has had no noticeable impact on the story whatsoever. This is a crazy coincidence—and one lampshaded quite a bit by the fact this “no name character” literally has no known name (and no one thought that it was particularly strange).

While it is contrived writing to an extreme degree, at least it is properly leveraged into character development for the nameless man—who reveals his true name is “Soyuz” after the space capsule utilized by Byakuga and his friends to return to Earth. Basically, he grew up in Ishigami village, always afraid that someone would figure out he wasn't actually from there. So he kept his head down for all of his life. However, now that they are going to the island, he feels that he has to come forward—that he can't let Senku and the others walk into a potentially dangerous situation despite the fact he may lose the only home he's ever known in the process.

While Kohaku's father reacts poorly at that moment, Senku is quick to accept the man once he hears about Soyuz's solo attempts to reach the island—his burning desire to know his origins. That drive to uncover the unknown is the key to all scientific pursuits. So in Senku's eyes, Soyuz may have not been born as a member of Ishigami Village but he was born as a member of his Kingdom of Science. At that moment, Soyuz realizes that he has already found where he belongs—even if he hadn't realized it. And now, together with the people who accept him for who he is, he is finally ready to find out where he came from.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• It's nice that Soyuz doesn't come completely out of nowhere. He debuted on-screen back in episode seven of the first season (only in the background).

• So Soyuz was old enough to remember the shape of the Treasure Island but young enough to be passed off as one of the Ishigami Villagers' babies? I don't buy it.

• Also, when the population of your village is 40 people, I don't think you can get away with pretending you were pregnant for 9 months and popped out a kid and no one noticed.

• I wonder when exactly in the overall timeline Ruri told Senku all 100 tales.

Dr. Stone: New World is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.