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Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 18: Favorites

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Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 18 – Quick Summary

In Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 episode 18, “Flicker of Doom,” You Uei had just taken the Medusa device from Ibara. But as he quickly discovered, he had no idea how to use it. Senkuu had revived Hyouga to counter Moz, but Hyouga count not fully engage. His spear seemed clumsy. Moz continually pushed him back. And all the while, Ibara seemed to be recovering from the inexplicable hole through his hand. Has the Kingdom of Science met its match? 

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

Favorite Quote from Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 18

Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 18: Ukyou knew he had to pass the information on

He knew he couldn’t escape petrification. But he wanted to do what he could. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

The teamwork theme in this series really appeals to me. Most of the character exhibit it from time to time. This week, it was Ukyou’s turn

I’ll give Ibara credit: the dude is relentless. As You treaded water, trying to figure out how to work the Medusa device, Ibara dove past him and gave the command (09:46), “Three meters. One second.” You didn’t have a chance.

Fortunately, though it didn’t help you, Ukyou’s super sensitive hearing caught Ibara’s words. In the hectic minutes that followed, he didn’t have a chance to tell anyone. But later, when it became apparent that they could not stop the Medusa device within Ooarashi from petrifying him, Ukyou kept his wits about him. Yelling at the top of his lungs, he said (15:44), “The petrification beam is activated by voicing the effective range and countdown time!”

It didn’t prevent him from being turned to stone. But it passed on vital intelligence that Senkuu might be able to use. That’s how teams work, when the efforts of any one individual falter.

Favorite Moment from Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 18

Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 18: Hyouga was more effective as part of a team

Acting alone, Hyouga was strong. But acting as part of the Kingdom of Science? Now, that’s real strength. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: Teamwork Really Does Make the Dream Work

Ibara’s quite the tenacious villain, isn’t he? I had no idea he’s plunge past You and utter the activation sequence at just the right moment. Well, “right” for Ibara. Not so right for You!

This show appeals to me on so many levels. It’s in favor of a rational approach to the world. It’s pro-science. Not only that, but it’s pro-friendship. And it’s pro-teamwork. There seems to be an affinity in western literature, at least in the US, for the self-made man, or the lone wolf rising to success by lifting himself up by the boots or being a cowboy – or any other similar cliche.

Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 18: Moz saw himself as a lone wolf

Moz was a self-proclaimed genius – a lone wolf fighter. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

I’m not saying there’s anything inherently wrong with that. If you like those tropes (or people who assert that’s how they became successful), please understand that I intend no disrespect. I used to have that mindset, too. I grew up on a farm, and the culture there was pretty clear: you made your own way, you rely on yourself, and that’s how you succeed.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But it dawned on me, after I entered the corporate workforce, that being a lone wolf worked against me. To a huge degree. Success in a corporation, unless it’s a sole proprietorship, means working with teams – either as a follower or as a leader. Or both. And in fact, the sole proprietorship proves the point. How many sole proprietorships rival Apple, or Amazon, in terms of reach?

To this day, even decades after I learned the lesson, it’s still hard to shake some mental habits I developed on the farm. But remembering that journey of learning made my favorite moment in this episode resonate with me.

Delivery: Achieving Previously Unavailable Heights

Hyouga realized he could not beat Moz, the self-proclaimed genius of hand-to-hand combat, with a normal spear. It wasn’t what he had trained with. So, he conducted a tactical withdrawal. He deduced that Senkuu would not have given up on him. Further, he knew that even though he and Senkuu didn’t see eye to eye, Senkuu wanted to win this fight.

Hyouga’s weapon was the sliding yari (what a Reddit thread called the Kudayari). Without it, he was at a disadvantage. But with it? That was a different matter.

As he ran towards the spot Senkuu would be, he thought (05:24), “I believe he’ll make it for me. I believe I him. Believe? Me? In Senkuu and the others?”

Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 18: Hyouga couldn't believe he trusted Senkuu and the others

Hyouga couldn’t believe he was consciously putting his faith in others. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

He couldn’t believe it himself. But Senkuu and the others justified his faith in them. They justified his faith in their teamwork. They had created the device that would turn his spear into a sliding yari. 

“Thank you very much,” he said (07:19). “You are indeed quite proper.”

But that wasn’t all. Senkuu’s gesture made Hyouga aware of just who he was, and the position he held in the context of his spear’s discipline. As Moz wondered at the change in his demeanor, Hyouga said (07:24), “Allow me to show you, Moz-kun, the spear of science. Witness five hundred years of Owari Kanryu-style.”

You want to talk about how evolution favors the strong? How it should weed out the weak? Fine. But if you do, please don’t forget: evolution really does favor the strong. And humans are never strong than when they act in concert. Hyouga remembered that because of Senkuu’s act of faith. I was fortunate enough to learn where my failures didn’t result in my death. It’s so fundamental to who we are as a species that I really wish that more people would understand this. It’s one of the core things we need to master if we’re going to survive in the long term.

What did you think of Senkuu’s plan to use the “cellphone” to activate the Medusa device? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to share in the comments!

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5 thoughts on “Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 18: Favorites

  1. I would go as far as saying that in Japan the idea of “creating a team that is more than the sum of its parts” REPLACES the “self-made hero” concept of Western culture as the “fundamental myth.” It seems to be very, very common in Japanese storytelling and the “leader” of the group is often NOT the one who has the greatest level of individual skills but is the one who is best able to inspire the others to work together.

    1. I think you’re right.

      I much prefer that fundamental myth. I’ve seen too many occasions (most of them, actually) where the idea of trying to be or being a “self-made hero” has wreaked havoc on folks. I think I’ve read it traces back to the cowboy myth — which was a tiny part of US history. But even then, few cowboys made their own boots, or manufactured their own weapons, or created the political boundaries of the states that granted them land. They worked often alone or in small groups, and I’m not saying anything negative about their accomplishments.

      But they were pretty much nothing if divorced from the cobblers, manufactures, markets for their livestock, or political representatives.

      And don’t get me started on tech leaders right now. Too many of them seem to think their efforts alone caused the successes. But I can pretty much guarantee that the dude in charge of Oracle didn’t write a single line of code that makes up the Oracle database; or a single line of code that makes up the Java Virtual Machine. And even if he did — he’d be one among thousands. In a company of thousands. Where each and every one of those employees contributed to the success.

      Paid for by customer dollars. In support of their initiatives.

      In the context of a country whose military protects his interests and that built the infrastructure supporting every aspect of his operation.

      Dude would not get far if he had the build electrical generators, then lay wire to the server farms.

      Almost any major accomplishment can be tied back to a team. I just wish the US would understand that and adjust its thinking accordingly.

      Sorry for the rant. That’s a long way of saying, “Yep, I agree!”

  2. Wow. That was intense.

    >> This show appeals to me on so many levels. It’s in favor of a rational approach to the world. It’s pro-science. Not only that, but it’s pro-friendship. And it’s pro-teamwork. <<

    Fell in love with Dr. Stone during that first year of the Pandemic, when – coincidentally enough – an early arc dealt with developing medicine to combat a specific disease.

    Beyond that, the notion of winning people’s hearts and minds with results-based technologies of various sorts is a through line.

    In particular, food.

    (Ramen, Cotton Candy, and Stollen, among other delicacies.)

    There are episodes of ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ where Captain Pike also sways opinion by cooking.

    (“Breaking Bread” as diplomatic technique will hopefully never go out of style.) 🍞✨

    Crow, you were spot-on about the voice activation, I’d thought Ibara was just speaking aloud for the benefit of the viewing audience.

    Hadn’t noticed before that the trigger phrases are in English, which suggests U.S. involvement.

    Random Notes:

    – More new soundtrack music, I think? Appropriately dire, especially during the ‘Island Petrification’ sequence.

    – Ibara is that most monstrous blend of ruthlessness, ambition and cunning. Even figured out how to prime the Medusa while submerged.

    – The Petrification Effect was vast enough to be glimpsed from space (… though orders of magnitude less than the initial global event.) How huge must the device responsible for that initial Petrification have been?

    – A Hyouga flashback? Who’d have thought.

    – Speaking of Hyouga, even he ended up having faith in Senku.

    – The usual power escalation in enemies was subverted, once Hyouga got his hands on a “Proper” weapon.

    – That final, respectful exchange between Hyouga and Moz was oddly touching somehow.

    – Pretty much everyone’s skill sets have proven invaluable at some point along the way, Magma, Ukyo & Chrome’s time to shine today.

    – Even petrified, Soyuz seemed to be glaring at Ibara.

    – Whoa! Hadn’t expected an explanation for Soyuz’s phenomenal memory.

    – Ouch! Poor Oarashi!

    – Maybe it’s just me, but I got a kick out of Kaseki swooping into a forward lane as everyone was chasing after Oarashi.

    – Adapts Manga Chapters #132-134

    … and so, now less than 100 Manga Chapters remaining to adapt.

    Oh, by the way, there looks to be at least one spoiler in the opening credits which we haven’t gotten to yet (… it’s pretty much entirely spoilers anyway, if you look closely.)

    1. I like the comparison you made to Strange New Worlds! Very cool.

      English does seems to suggest US involvement, or maybe England. I could see companies from either country sending the research to Brazil to avoid government regulation — regulation that would have, in this case, kept the world from being petrified.

      Sometimes, regulations come in handy.

      Ibara’s been a great villain. Caused me no shortage of stress!

      I really enjoyed how Hyouga ended up having faith in Senkuu. Stumbled a little at the end when he thought Senkuu wouldn’t revive him, though. I’m pretty sure Senkuu will. That’s kind of how he is.

      Thanks for not pointing out what the OP spoilers are! I like the song, but I’ve avoided watching it closely for just that reason!

      1. All of the OPs have been – in some/most/many cases – ferociously spoilerific, yet it’s often so hard to turn away … 🫣✨

Please let me know what you think!

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