Welcome back to Anime Rants! This episode was highly entertaining, revealing new information from right before the green light that petrified humanity. The music was also memorable. My other notes and thoughts are below. Enjoy!
Episode 7: The Two Scientists
Episode Rating: 9/10
This entire episode took place in the past. When Senku was ten years old, he was already trying to build a mini-rocket. Taiju often joined him in his wacky and dangerous science experiments. One day, Senku reached a dead end of what he could do on his own. He emailed all his questions to NASA and hoped that someone would respond. The man who answered was of course “Dr. X,” whose real name was Xeno Houston Wingfield.
This episode reminded us of the core of Senku’s character: he is driven by curiosity. I admire and relate to Senku since we both value knowledge and science so highly. As a young adult, Senku would become more humanistic and interested in helping people using science, but as a child, it was purely amoral curiosity that drove him. This is stark contrast to Xeno, who longs for power over others. He believes the intelligent few – like himself – should guide and rule the ignorant masses.
It’s slightly disappointing how much of a cartoonish villain Xeno seems to be so far. He helped Senku because he viewed science prodigies as the leaders of the next generation with whom he can compete. Despite his helpful actions in this episode, Xeno is literally the kind of man who admits he would try to be a dictator if thrown back into the stone age. All he can think about is dominating others and feeling superior.
Time passed and Senku became a teenager. One day, he came to visit his adoptive father, Byakuya Ishigami, who worked at NASA. (Realistically, he didn’t come for a family visit, but for the chance to borrow his father’s credit card, which he always used for buying lab supplies and machines.) While at NASA, Senku briefly encountered Xeno. The two didn’t speak for some reason, but each one seemed to know the identity of the other. It was a strange scene since both men were completely silent.
(Side Note: It was great to see Byakuya again. He’s so loveable and energetic. I’ve always been a fan of this character, his innate kindness, and reliable skills. I need a spin-off series about Byakuya running the survival colony and raising children with the other astronauts. Please!)
Also in this episode, we saw an interesting but vague scene involving “Project Helium-3.” We know that it’s a research project proposed by Dr. Xeno in his early twenties. The proposal was rejected, and nothing more was explained about it yet. My memories of chemistry are fuzzy, but I knew Helium-3 was an isotope of Helium. A quick Google search revealed that this isotope is abundant on the moon. That definitely means there’s a connection to Why-Man and the petrification of humanity. Interesting.
We also learned a little bit about the composition and chemical behavior of the “stone” that petrified the swallows. I’m not sure how much of that was important. One interesting bit I picked up on was that the stone wouldn’t degrade when exposed to powerful radiation. I think what’s important to know is that the world was trying its best. In the two days leading up to the petrification event, scientists worldwide were trying to analyze the stone birds, knowing there could be a dangerous new weapon in use.
Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough time. The USA held a secret gathering of special forces – like Stanley Snyder and Maya Biggs – and the brightest scientists in the country. Dr. Xeno was there as well. He revealed to everyone that the swallows were conscious, and that the key to surviving petrification might be staying awake. Before more could be explained or learned, the green light covered the earth, and all 7 billion people who were alive in 2017 turned to stone.
Two quick side notes about the meeting in the USA. Firstly, what the fuck was that line from Stanley about his asshole puckering? That was so bizarre. Secondly, I was pleasantly surprised to see Carlos giving a ring to Luna. I think he was trying to propose. Despite Max calling him a womanizer, it seems like Carlos is serious about his love for Luna. That was a cute moment.
My last note for today is a reminder that I am an unhinged fujoshi/fudanshi who constantly ships characters into queer relationships. Guess who I’m talking about? Stanley and Xeno, of course. These men are gay for each other. You cannot convince me otherwise! Do you think Xeno is top or bottom? Anyone know a good Xenley fanfic? Lol, that’s all for today.
~Thanks for reading~
Written by 7Mononoke at Anime Rants
See more posts about Dr. Stone: Science Future
