Quick Summary of Dr. Stone: New World Episode 9
In Dr. Stone: New World episode 9, “Beautiful Science,” Senkuu and Gen voiced real doubts that Ginrou could leverage his position on the Perseus to help them regain the mobile lab. Kohaku, though, believed in him. Meanwhile, on the ship, Ginrou was about to behave exactly as Senkuu and Gen expected. But then he saw the petrified form of Kinrou on the deck. Will the stone form of his friend galvanize his resolve? Destroy it? And where is Suika in all of this?
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! A lot happened in this episode. In fact, it went by so quickly that I didn’t even realize how much had happened until I reviewed my notes!
Irina, before we get into the episode, I have two questions for you: first, in last week’s review, I remembered you talked about what you hoped would happen to Ginrou in terms of him helping acquire the mobile lab. What’d you think of his role? And second, any opening thoughts?
Hi Crow! I’m going to take the questions backwards. Although I do think that Dr. Stone has regressed into a more general audience type of show this season (maybe it’s just me but it seems a little less sophisticated for lack of a better word), I also find that the pacing and mystery are really fun to watch and I’m having a great time.
As for Ginrou. The short answer is yes! They are keeping the goofball aspect of the character but it doesn’t feel like the show just has him around as a punching bag any more. When it really matters, he comes through and I think that balances the cast way better!
Review of Dr. Stone: New World Episode 9
Covering Their Escape
In addition to the resourceful and, frankly, brave teamwork between Ginrou and Suika, there were three things we should talk about (and Irina, feel free to add more if I miss anything). One, there’s something going on with Ibara. Two, it’s hard work becoming pretty. But apparently, its application is wider than you might think! And three, Kohaku is Kohaku.
Let’s start with Ibara. After Ginrou and Suika’s daring escape, our heroes now had their mobile lab. But there was a problem: apparently, the master (whoever he is) invests heavily in military or police recruitment, because the island is crawling with his minions. So, Senkuu used jasmine and some chemicals to make a “poo” smell that they could feed through the lab’s exhaust. Gen added to the illusion by making farting noises.
Of course Gen, the mentalist, knew how to sell the illusion! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
An appeal to the twelve-year-old’s sense of humor? Actually, no. Senkuu and Gen knew that the islanders wouldn’t know what to make of the lab, so might as well make them think it was an escaped animal.
It was funny, and it helped move the plot forward. But did you see Ibara? When he examined the tracks, his eyes turned purple (09:26). I think we saw him demonstrate that effect before. I’m not sure what to make of it – is it just a dramatic artistic effect, and nothing more? Some kind of mutation? Acquired skill?
What did you think of that escape and Ibara’s eyes, Irina?
An Appeal to Base Humor
The escape was cute but I do think it was partly an appeal to base sense of humour. The fact that the lab is an amphibious vehicle was already a stretch. I do admit it looks a lot like a big cute monster. I would get a plushie like that.
I’m not sure what to make of the Islanders yet. They don’t seem to be supernatural for the most part, at least in what we’ve seen. And as I mentioned before, aside from really really REALLY exaggerating human abilities, Dr. Stone does generally avoid going into actual fantasy so I would be surprised if they introduced straight up magic at this point but I’m not sure how else to explain it.
Maybe it’s just a visual marker for a more mundane ability. Like a super sense of observation. Keen but not magical. And the eye thing is just a bit of flare?
Just what is up with this guy’s eyes? Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
We’ve talked before about Kohaku’s natural beauty. But, for some reason, some of the social norms from our era apparently stretched into the future, because Senkuu had to inaugurate “Operation: Beauty Kohaku-Chan Makeover.” But first, they had to make cosmetics.
Re-Establishing the Cosmetics Industry
In rapid succession, they created shampoo, which by itself was completely incapable of taming Kohaku’s hair. Then, Senkuu created conditioner, which seemed to help. Next came foundation, lipstick, and perfume. Apparently, all the things some folks think are necessary for “beauty.”
Yeah. I grew up on a farm. I’m not really knowledgeable about such things. And neither is Kohaku. She tried to apply her makeup by herself first.
Irina, what did you think of her attempt?
Oh man, this was such a throwback to the 90s! Not sure anyone who watches this show aside from us can appreciate the nostalgia of having the sporty girl take off her ponytail and suddenly she’s booootiful!
This said, as suspected, Kohaku looked pretty much the same after her transformation. But what are you going to do!
I did like Senku and Gin’s feminine personas. They looked great. And Ginrou also pretty much looked the same.
This entire scene was extremely gendernormative and possibly a little outdated by now but it was also an appeal to tropes and visual shorthand that have existed in media forever. Almost an homage if you will. I did appreciate it on that level.
Amaryllis to the Rescue
Amaryllis took over. My guess is she’s been experimenting with anything that would help her to get into the inner palace, so she knew something about how to apply makeup. When she was done, Kohaku looked good. At least, she didn’t look like a deranged character from a cheap Batman-knockoff.
To be fair, this is likely Kohaku’s first attempt to apply her own makeup. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Ah! But Amaryllis and Kohaku are tactically aware. They wanted to increase their odds of getting into the inner palace, and that meant giving Ibara more choices. And that meant applying makeup to the remainder of the team.
Senkuu might have had the facial features to pull it off, but the dude just could not do anything with his voice. I loved his remark (16:23): “This is ten billion percent not going to work.” You know, I found myself completely unable to argue with him.
I thought Gen came close to pulling it off. He could even modulate his voice – so much so that I think he freaked Amaryllis out. Soyuz? Well, I’ll give you a hint. Soyuz himself said (16:42), “Th-this is a hard nope.” There was no dissent.
Do you see who’s missing? Who hasn’t gotten a makeover?
What did you think of Ginrou’s transformation, Irina?
Transformation is a big word. He had a flower in his hair.
A Delicate Balancing Act
Crossdressing as a gag has gotten a little old now but what I did like is how Ginrou got picked right away. Amaryllis and Kohaku mentioned that Ibara has surprisingly diverse tastes. You know not “bad” taste or even unusual, just that it’s surprising how wide ranging his appreciation is. And I liked that, you know. It was a good joke and one that rang true without sounding like it was written by a 50 year old media company exec.
Kohaku and Amaryllis seemed a bit surprised when Ibara selected Ginrou. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
I guess I appreciated what went around the selection scene more than the actual dress up. Although I admit some part of me always enjoys seeing characters I know dressed differently for once. What can I say, I’m a sucker for hats!
It looks like Ibara ran the harem selection process on behalf of the Master. However, Mozu has an interest in the event, because he said (16:59), “The high-quality selection for the inner palace is my one source of joy each year.” Seems that the guy sneaks into the inner palace for some social time. Euphemistically speaking, of course. But it’s an important point because of what comes next.
Ibara surveyed the assembled young women. Amaryllis played her role perfectly – she turned on the “defenseless, pretty girl who just wants to please” act so well that Ibara selected her without a second thought. The interesting part happened when Ibara came up to Kokahu.
The Kingdom of Science knew there was no way Kohaku could pull off cute. She’s too honest and strong. So, they had her try “the spry girl act instead.” Turns out she’s not good at that, either! But Kohaku is, unquestionably, a beautiful woman. Ibara was intrigued. So much so that he slowly reached out to touch Kohaku’s breast.
A Good Way for Ibara to Lose an Appendage
Now, you don’t need to watch Dr. Stone very carefully to know how that will end. The only question is how many pieces Kohaku could tear Ibara’s body into before the soldiers overwhelmed her. But even as she reached out to rip his arm off, Mozu separated them with his spear. What’s more, he covered for her – he said he was killing a bee.
Why would he do such a thing?
Mozu just saved Ibara’s arm — and Kohaku’s mission! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
“You’re really strong, aren’t you?” he asked (20:37), honestly intrigued by her strength. He said he would love to spare with her sometime, when he’s sneaking into the inner palace. Saying he really didn’t care what she was really up to, he added (20:51), “Although I’ll stop you with all my power if you try to ruin my fun at the inner palace.”
Irina, what do you make of these developments?
Loved it. I just really enjoyed that entire transaction. It was tense but also fun. Kohaku’s line that went something like …if it’s a fight you’re looking for then I’m ready anytime… was perfect. It showed her strength and determination but she said it in such a nonchalant way that you could tell she was in full control and simply very confident in her skills.
Meanwhile Mozu’s dialogue and tone were teasing but not at all disrespectful. He seems to be very okay with women who are strong fighters and has no trouble acknowledging their power.
Dr. Stone’s Treatment of Strong Women Characters
Dr. Stone has always been pretty okay with showing physically strong women characters. After all, Kohaku has been a lead since season 1 and she has always been portrayed as the strongest warrior on the show with no one ever questioning that because of her gender. So Mozu’s attitude isn’t exactly surprising.
I’m looking forward to how this tension plays out. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
But the fact that we are going into a harem storyline and that they transformed Kohaku specifically to look meeker made me think that maybe the islanders had some more traditional views on the subject. But no, all good. I was left with a sort of begrudging respect for Mozu. he might be a jerk who helps and upholds a corrupt master, but he isn’t a fool. That’s bad news for our heroes but it makes for a better character in my opinion!
I should note that Ibara ended up choosing Amaryllis, Kohaku, and, yes, Ginrou. The latter selection prompted Amaryllis to say that Ibara had “surprisingly diverse taste.”
Closing Thoughts about Dr. Stone: New World Episode 9
Seems to me that we’re headed for the inner palace, and the Kingdom of Science will have three diverse assets in place. I’m looking forward to learning the master’s identity. And learning more about the petrifying grenades!
Irina, any closing thoughts?
I’m so curious to find out more about what’s going on. Who the master is, what the petrification ray is, where in the world are they? Also how are they going to solve this arc? Is it the last arc? It feels too sudden. But if they solve all the mysteries here and get unlimited un-petrification…
Dr. Stone: New World Episode 9: Other Posts
This Collaboration (I Drink and Watch Anime and Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Dr. Stone: New World Episode 1: New World Map
- Dr. Stone: New World Episode 2: Greed Equals Justice
- Dr. Stone: New World Episode 3: First Contact
- Dr. Stone: New World Episode 4: Eyes of Science
- Dr. Stone: New World Episode 5: Science Vessel Perseus
- Dr. Stone: New World Episode 6: TREASURE BOX
- Dr. Stone: New World Episode 7: Ray of Despair, Ray of Hope
- Dr. Stone: New World Episode 8: The Trump Card Aboard the Science Vessel
- Dr. Stone: New World Episode 9: Beautiful Science
- Dr. Stone: New World Episode 10: SCIENCE WARS
- Dr. Stone: New World Episode 11: With This Fist, a Miracle
Yay! Pary ended up reviewing the tear gas tech after all in his video covering episodes 3.8 & 3.9, as there was a recap of events at the beginning of 3.8 …
https://youtube.com/watch?v=5jlUe4QEisc
… though he didn’t get much into the creation of makeup, focusing mostly on shampoo.
(His reaction to one particular plot point this week is beyond hilarious.)
Random Observations:
– Suika being able to retreat into her watermelon like a turtle into its shell (… and subsequently hop around like a video game character!) is one of those abilities which the camera probably shouldn’t linger on overly long …
… and do they ever linger in a few shots this week.
Let’s not focus overly much on how that particular ‘Magician’s Trick’ works: It’s a convention of Anime, right?
(That said, she looked like a decapitated head often as not. Yikes!)
– Senku knows his team’s strengths inside & out, and in Suika he trusts!
– With Suika & Ginrou’s recovery of the Lab Car, we are now past all of the spoiler imagery in the opening credits. I think.
– Speaking of Ginro, he really stepped up this week, even if it did take a visually innovative pep-talk from a petrified Kinro to get him on board with the plan.
– The Petrification Kingdom was pretty cavalier with everyone who got ‘Stoned’ & ‘Disarmed.’ Kinro was lucky to survive with himself (… and his glasses!) in One Piece. So to speak.
– The choreography of Suika & Ginro’s escape (… and the clever way in which Suika is ultimately able to retain her Melon/Glasses) is taken note-for-note from the manga, as was the aforementioned Kinro/Ginro exchange, the anime adding a shot where the amphibious Lab Car essentially doubled back to pick up Ginro during the escape sequence.
– Someone (… I think in the comments on Pary’s YouTube video?) hypothesized that Suika had scouted the area and worked out an escape route prior to going in to retrieve the Lab Car: Remember, she’s driving an unfamiliar vehicle, in the dark, without her glasses. Yes, as Gen noted, she is indeed Super Capable!
– Senku instantaneously appearing aboard the Lab Car is another example of staging adapted directly from the manga.
– Soyuz’s visualization of how the Lab Car must appear to the soldiers is an Anime Original, and a nice one, too! (In the manga, he makes the same point, just without that shot.)
– Clever of Senku & Gen to play upon the soldier’s mistaken belief that the Lab Car is some sort of unfamiliar fauna: Perception (… and stage misdirection) occasionally exploit the brain’s tendency to see what we expect to see.
– Ibara’s not buying it though.
Irina, for what it’s worth my interpretation of Ibara’s eyes going purple is that it’s a visual flourish as opposed to anything genuinely preternatural, though as noted some of the characters do push human abilities towards their absolute limits.
– Adore the visual of Kohaku & Suika rolling the decoy tires like logs, yet another shot taken directly from the manga. Additional Misdirection!
– Which is fortunate, as Ibara is taking no chances, searching every known nook & cranny: A brief, yet genuinely suspenseful sequence.
– Sulfurina Returns! The “Kohaku Beautification Project” is loaded with cute visuals (… “Sailor Moon” much?), as well as a fresh roadmap.
– Best not to ever let Kohaku apply her own makeup again: As deeply and genuinely terrifying as any image “Dr. Stone” has ever presented.
– “Tha-Thump!” ‘Nuff Said!
– There’s strength in numbers, so Amaryllis’ plan is a sound one, even if she has limited resources to work with.
– The music playing beneath the Drag Reveals is a first season track titled “A Cotton Candy Machine!”
– Still amazes me how effortlessly this show can yo-yo from suspenseful to hilarious in a heartbeat multiple times within a single episode.
– Moz seemingly has one thing on his mind at the moment: Kohaku.
An oddity this week, two manga chapters and change adapted, material from …
109 Great Escape (大脱走, Dai Dassō)
110 Beauty Science (美しい科学, Utsukushī Kagaku)
111 Science Wars (SCIENCEサイエンス WARSウォーズ , Saiensu Wōzu)
… very slightly shuffled in order to end on a cliffhanger.
As of this writing, I’m on episode 3.10 and already in pre-withdrawal. Ouch!
That video was interesting. I felt for the guy when he misunderstood the final scene. It’s so easy to get into a mindset where you think you’re following the episode, but then you learn you missed something. Been there, done that. Repeatedly!
“– Senku knows his team’s strengths inside & out, and in Suika he trusts!”
That’s one of the many things I like about Dr. Stone. Senkuu respects performance.
“even if it did take a visually innovative pep-talk from a petrified Kinro to get him on board with the plan.”
I like that scene. I almost went with it as my favorite!
“– Someone (… I think in the comments on Pary’s YouTube video?) hypothesized that Suika had scouted the area and worked out an escape route prior to going in to retrieve the Lab Car”
That would fit Suika’s MO perfectly. When it comes to scouting, she’s the pro!
“– Best not to ever let Kohaku apply her own makeup again: As deeply and genuinely terrifying as any image “Dr. Stone” has ever presented.”
I only laughed because it was more manly that screaming in terror. Because, wow, was that every scary.
“– Still amazes me how effortlessly this show can yo-yo from suspenseful to hilarious in a heartbeat multiple times within a single episode.”
I’ve wondered about that. I suspect it has something to do with the speed and duration of the comedic shots, but I’m not sure. It’s very effective, though!
“– Moz seemingly has one thing on his mind at the moment: Kohaku.”
Kind of made me dislike Moz a lot less because of that!
“As of this writing, I’m on episode 3.10 and already in pre-withdrawal. Ouch!”
Me, too. I thought we’d get a 12th episode this cour, and it looks like we’ll have to wait until October. Bummer!