Welcome to Anime Rants with Mono! As most of you know, Science Future is the equivalent of the fourth season of Dr. Stone. It will be the final season, but it will have two cours, so we have 22-25 episodes to enjoy before the end.
The opening song for the new season is upbeat and jazzy, with fun and campy visuals in the style of a casino. It’s called “Casanova Posse” by Ali. I really liked it. The ending song (“Rolling Stone” by Breimen) was also enjoyable. Anyway, let’s review the first episode of Dr. Stone: Science Future.
Episode 1: Ryusui vs. Senku
Episode Rating: 8/10
The episode begins with some narration from Minami, who is recording “news” onto a record. She reveals that they are on the ship on the way to North America, where they can start growing corn. Minami interviews some other people on the ship, including Tsukasa, Gen, and Kirisame. (It’s adorable to think that Kirisame has a crush on Kinro.) Before long, Minami discovers that Senku and Ryusui are arguing intensely.
The two “top dogs” of the crew can’t agree on which route to take to North America. Ryusui wants to take the straight course, which will be easy on the crew to manage. The only problem is that the straight route takes 70 days. Senku wants to take the shorter, curved route, which will require constant vigilance to avoid getting lost. It only takes 40 days to travel by the fast course. Gen decides to take Ryusui’s side since he doesn’t like hard work. Meanwhile, Kohaku is on Senku’s side.
It seems inevitable that Senku and Ryusui will want to have a deciding duel. But since they are men of culture, and this is Dr. Stone, they decide to settle the issue with a game of Poker. This is much more suited to them than a physical challenge. I’m bad at Poker, but I still enjoy it on occasion, so I know the basics of the game. A Poker match is relatively simple, but requires some level of ability to bluff and lie. Knowing Senku and Ryusui, they will add extra dimensions to the game using tricks and cheating.
The game begins and fun shenanigans ensue. Working on Ryusui’s side, Gen keeps trying to use mentalist tricks and cheats. However, Kohaku keeps calling him out on it. She is on Senku’s side, watching everything Gen does with her keen eyes. The game was a lot of fun. Eventually Senku wins using a trick that involves marking cards with lacquer. As a result, he has an allergic reaction and his face becomes puffy. He’ll be fine, though. After all, he was victorous!
(Side Note: There was one camera shot that focused primarily on Kohaku’s ass as she leaned over the table to stop Gen from cheating. I do sometimes tire of sexualization of female characters, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t appreciate this shot of this character. For one thing, it was humorous. Senku’s eyes are definitely looking at Kohaku’s cake and not Gen’s hand. Additionally, I’ve got a long history of thirsting over Dr. Stone characters, and I don’t intend to stop now.)
To celebrate the winning decision, Senku and company set up a makeshift casino on the ship. Ryusui’s currency is what’s used for gambling. This is what Ryusui always wanted. There are dice games, card games, pool, and more. To make things even better, Francois opens a bar and Senku pours the first glass of beer. Everyone drinks and parties all night. (This celebration was made possible using the money and resources that would have otherwise been used to support the extra 30 days at sea.)
At the end of the episode, Ukyo and Gen are chatting in a quiet corner of the deck. Ukyo remarks that it’s almost too perfect how Senku won. The entire fight could have been staged to raise morale and group participation. That’s what Ukyo says, but Gen assures him that the Poker game played out organically – it was not a thrown match. I think this scene is supposed to remind us that Senku always thinks ahead and uses his vast intelligence to help those around him. Great episode!
~Thanks for reading~
Written by 7Mononoke
Tag: Dr. Stone Science Future
