Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11 Review

Quick Summary of Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11

In Dr. Stone: New World episode 11, “With This Fist, a Miracle,” Kohaku continued exploring the site she suspected was the old Soyuz capsule. She dug down through the layers of dirt until she hit something like stone. She was surprised, but Senkuu wasn’t. He expected his father to have encased the capsule in concrete. Now, the question was: how do they open it with making so much noise they’d attract all their enemies? Kohaku could break through the concrete, after all – but even she would make a racket! And once they break in, then what? How would they get the goods from the village to the Science Team?

Collaborating with Irina from I Drink and Watch Anime!

Irina from I Drink and Watch Anime and I are collaborating to review Dr. Stone: New World this season! Which reminds me of the shocking news I received as I was preparing my part of the review. Well, maybe shocking is the wrong word. The news is this: it looks like episode 11 was the last one we’ll see until October! At least, that’s according to posts like this one.

Irina, is that what you’ve heard? What do you think about that?

Oh I have known it was a split cour for a while now and I like it. It’s going to give the team time to really invest in the final part of the season and from past experience a single season break goes by in a flash. We won’t have time to completely forget everything at all! Maybe…

Regardless of when we get episode 12, we have episode 11 to review now. So let’s get to it!

Review of Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11

Byakuya’s Looms Large

The episode seems to break down into two sections: the Spy Team’s thrilling work and a father’s dedication to his son and the future. Before we get started, do you have any opening thoughts, Irina?

I do love whenever we get to see Byakuya in Dr. Stone. Even though it’s never been an active part of the series, I find that Senku and Byakuya’s relationship is the beating heart of the show. It sort of ties everything together, past, future, hope, family…Science!

As such, I always get a renewed sense of meaning when we see the astronauts and particularly Byakuya. And I pretty much always cry… this week included!

Seeing Kohaku risk her freedom, and potentially her non-petrified life, to explore the suspected capsule site had me feeling anxious on her behalf. She carefully cleared away the plant matter and dirt, but she hit rock. Fortunately, Senkuu had expected that – she had actually hit concrete, and it turns out it’s an effective way to protect a capsule.

Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11: Kohaku uncovered the capsule's concrete shell

Kohaku uncovered a lot of the capsule with her bare hands. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Could they just turn the powerful Kohaku loose against it? Sure, but her smashing the concrete would be too loud. So, they sent her the material to make plaster. But first, she had to create holes in the concrete. She had a small drill, and she tried to work it as silently as possible, but they knew there was no way she could be completely silent. That’s where the rest of the spy Team came into play.

Amaryllis and Ginrou Ran Interference

Amaryllis saw Ooarashi and his guards on patrol, so she intercepted them. Under the guises of practicing her dance for the master, she kept their attention riveted on her. This plan seemed to work. But then two things happened.

First, the guards asked why Ginrou wasn’t dancing. Ginrou tried his best, but the dude cannot dance. This obstructed Amaryllis’ plan. Second, Kohaku started to drill. As careful as she was, she could not help by making some noise – noise that Ooarashi heard.

These scenes made me nervous – I thought they were that effective at building tension. Irina what did you think?

I thought it was mostly cute to tell you the truth. I do enjoy the show but I have to say there is a sense of thick impenetrable plot armor when it gets to the main characters. I mean even if they get petrified, at the end of the day they will get unpetrified soon enough, heck, they can get glued back together if they get broken. The stakes to people are next to zero. It’s really more about the mystery for me.

Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11: Amaryllis almost panicked

Amaryllis almost panicked — but Ginrou stepped up! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Grinou stepped it up. He put together dance moves with a spear that not only attracted Ooarashi and the guards’ attention; his moves made a lot of noise, too! True, he had come up with those moves when he had been on guard duty back in his village, and they were just to impress people. They served no useful purpose at all! But they worked here. Ginrou and Amaryllis were able to give Kohaku the time she needed.

The Episode’s Cool Science

This episode’s cool science was what she was going to do with those holes that Kohaku drilled. Using the motorized rats, Senkuu had sent test tubes full of the raw materials that, when combined, would make plaster. Kohaku had to put a tube of each component in a hold, then slam home a cap that shattered both test tubes. The result was plaster that expanded as it dried.

Apparently, it exerted “a force of 300 kilograms per square centimeter” – around 661.387 pounds for us metric-challenged Americans. It’s what Senkuu called a “silent bomb.”

What did you think of the solution and Kohaku’s efforts, Irina?

I have to say the silent explosion scene was one of my favourites visually. That shot of Kohaku silhouetted over the large stone sphere shining with dozens of points of light from the holes she had drilled (very symmetrically might I add, the girl is ridiculously precise for not having so much as a ruler!) just reminded me of classic sci-fi movies.

Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11: Kohaku's drilling skills were impressive

Kohaku showed off some impressive drilling skills! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

It’s almost an homage shot to an entire genre, one that might not be instantly familiar to the core demographic of Dr. Stone at that. I appreciate that sort of easter egg. I really hope other people got a kick from it as well. It’s the sort of shot composition that Spielberg could have put together. Only not with animation obviously cause that’s not for serious filmmakers.

Ok, I’m about to get way off track, let’s get back to Dr. Stone.

Later that night, Kohaku went back to see if the silent bomb had worked. It had. Most of the encasing concrete had been shattered. Now, she just had to clear it away. As she did so, one piece dropped into the hole and made a very, very loud shattering noise. She worried that she had broken the treasure.

More Than Mere Sand

In fact, she had. But only a single glass vessel that contained what looked like flakey powder. At first, she thought it was just sand. Then, showing once again that she’s bright, she realized it would have some value to Senkuu. She gathered it up and sent it to him using their rats.

Care to guess what it was? I thought it was gold at first, and I was partly right. But it was more than that. So much more, in fact. The parts of the story line that dealt with Byakuya have always hit me hard. They appealed to the dad in me; they appealed to a confidence and faith in the future that amazed me. And in this episode, they amped all of that up.

When he examined the gold flakes, Senkuu hoped to find a little platinum. He explained how rare it was, so when he could a spec, he was elated. Then, he found another. And another. And another. Do you know why he found so many?

Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11: The volume of platinum overwhelmed Senkuu

Senkuu could not believe how much platinum his father had gathered. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

He found so many because Byakuya had spent the rest of his life panning for gold and platinum. Every day, standing in the river, sifting the sentiment and looking for specs. Every day, in the hot sun, until the villagers begged him to stop. But he didn’t stop. Not until death dropped him, right in the middle of the river, as he tried to find just one more fleck of platinum.

I’m a grown-ass man. But seeing Byakuya age, seeing him become the last of his generation, and seeing his dedication to giving Senkuu the best chance he could was so beautiful that I had to pause. My allergies acted up!

Irina, what did you think of Byakuya’s actions?

Science Requires An Investment

I said it up there, didn’t I? I teared up…again… Every time! I never get any better at it!

You know, I think they mentioned this a few times throughout the seasons of Dr. Stone in one way or another. Science might be just a more modern way to say magic! But when it comes right down to it, it’s almost always built on mind-numbing repetitive mundane work. And huge quantities of it at that! Any real scientist worth their salt knows it. There are dues to pay!

And I really appreciate that the show stops to remind us of that once in a while. Obviously not every time as it would be a rather dull show, but when they slow down and pay tribute to the nature of progress and the sacrifices that were made along the way to obtain it, I feel like we get better connected to what it’s all about.

Yeah sure, Senku’s amazing and extravagant adventures about saving mankind are exciting to watch. But humanity will owe just as much to Byakuya, painstakingly sifting through a river alone for decades just to collect a handful of platinum. Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something amazing about that in a different way! A way that I find deeply touching!

What were his last thoughts? He felt glad he had fallen face first so he could see the stars reflected in the water. “Senku,” he thought (17:49). And so he died.

Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11: Byakuya dedicated his life to improving the odds for Senkuu

Tell you what — this summer’s allergy season has been rough! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

It’s Been a Long Time Since the Previous Seasons…

Yeah, my allergies made me pause again.

Gen figured it out. He remarked how Senku and his dad were so much alike, in that neither ever gave up. Senkuu’s response surprised me, though. Maybe it shouldn’t. But Senkuu said they weren’t biologically related. Apparently, Senkuu had been born to one of Byakuya’s friends. But Byakuya was undoubtedly Senkuu’s dad, in all the ways that mattered.

Irina, did you know that? Was that a detail I’d forgotten?

That Senku was adopted? Yeah I know that. I talk about it all the time. I talked about it in my gallery post this week as well. I have a weird hangup about their character designs looking so wonderfully related while the story keeps insisting they are not!

I’m curious, if you had forgotten that detail, what did you think about Senku’s mom? And the fact that Byakuya had a long love story with Lillian? One that repopulated the earth from the looks of it!

I think I should try harder to remember obviously important details! But it looks like Byakuya invested his time in many activities!

Closing Thoughts about Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11

And now, if the news is correct, we have to wait until October to see what happens next! What a bummer!

Any closing thoughts, Irina?

Does “I can’t wait until October,” count? I just need to know what that petrification beam/ray/jug is all about!

Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11: Other Posts

Reddit: Dr. Stone: New World – Episode 11 discussion

Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11 Review

Quick Summary of Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11

Collaborating with Irina from I Drink and Watch Anime!