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Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 22 – Quick Summary
In Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 episode 22, “BEYOND THE NEW WORLD,” Senkuu prepared to try to revive Tsukasa Shishiou. But there was a problem. The Medusa device was running out of battery! Is there anything Senkuu can do to recharge it? Get a little more life out of the batter? Or will Mirai never get to see her brother alive again?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 22
Even Tsukasa had to admit that Ryuusui had a point. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
There’s a reason it’s fashionable to talk about the evils of capitalism. Two reasons spring to mind. First, capitalism can indeed be used for evil. Just look at the various wealth disparities in the world — many of them are by design of those misusing capitalism. Second, there’s no way to disguise some of its bad points. To paraphrase Churchill (who was actually talking about democracy), “Capitalism is the worst economic system in the world. Except for everything else that came before it.” In its unregulated form, capitalism tends to reward bad behaviors (defined from the perspective of the good of the community).
So it’s no wonder that Tsukasa has historically been very much against wealth and the power that goes with it. He only saw the negatives. He wanted a society based on worthiness and strength, and as you can see from the character of some very rich and prominent people, money is no guarantee of good character! The evidence, in fact, seems to point to the contrary.
The situation was so bad that Minami Hokutozai tried to keep Ryuusui far away from Tsukasa. She was afraid they’d come to blows. And nobody wanted that!
But Ryuusui said something that amazed me. He framed capital in a way I found appealing. He said (18:54), “Money is just a useful tool that we humans invented. Money doesn’t exist to control people. It exists to bring desires together. It allows us to pool our strengths. That is the very reason humanity is so powerful.”
Tsukasa, out of sight, overhead. Ryuusui’s words seemed to appeal to him, too! Man, I wish more people had that understanding of the real purpose of capital.
Favorite Moment from Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 22
Gen’s idea might not seem like much. But it was just the thing that Tsukasa needed. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: Tsukasa is a Proud Man
I’m used to thinking about Gen’s mentalist abilities in terms of how they can fool people. It’s a negative thing, you know? We’ve often seen him use psychology to get people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do, which isn’t exactly respectful of other people’s wills. That might be something we’re so used to that we don’t give it a second thought. Still, it’s something to consider.
My favorite moment in this episode involved Gen using his powers for good. He responded to a situation that was as big a challenge as any he’d faced before, and the stakes were every bit as high.
Remember just after Tsukasa asked Senkuu what was going on right after he had been awakened? You could see how uncomfortable he was with the situation. Not the part about going to the moon. Sure, that threw him for a loop, but he immediately got back on track. To the point he even said (07:36), “We can only take a few people to the moon. You’ll need a strong fighter.” He was already considering what they’d need to do and how they would need to do it.
Even Tsukasa had to blink at the idea of going to war with the moon. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
The key here is that Tsukasa knew who that strong fighter would be: himself. And that’s where the problem came in. Remember how Tsukasa had opposed the Kingdom of Science? Remember how Tsukasa himself had destroyed hundreds or thousands of statues that he deemed unfit? He did those things because of how he viewed the world.
Tsukasa is a principled man. He couldn’t just say, “Oh, well, let’s let bygones be bygones.” Even worse, after sparring with Matsukaze, Tsukasa knew Matsukaze was a capable fighter. Matsukaze could train to go on the mission. Finally, Tsukasa couldn’t reconcile Senkuu’s request with their shared past.
Hanging his head, Tsukasa said (09:26), “I can’t shamelessly join the Kingdom of Science now to serve as a warrior.”
Delivery: Gen Found a Way
Even when Senkuu showed he really didn’t care about what came before, it didn’t matter. Nor did it matter that Taiju pointed out that Yuzuriha had repaired the statues. Tsukasa’s pride prevented him from joining. He couldn’t think of a way to justify it.
Gen saw what was happening. Keeping in mind that Gen’s betrayal originally set Tsukasa up to fall to the Kingdom of Science (which is a hopelessly vague generalization, but work with me here), Gen’s slight smile showed he understood the problem.
I think Suika gave Gen the final piece he needed. As a little kid, she didn’t get what was going on, so she asked Senkuu about the cracks on his face. Gen, Tsukasa, and others who the Medusa device had recently healed didn’t have them. But Senkuu did because the Medusa device was out of power, and he saved using it for Tsukasa. Senkuu said he didn’t care about cracks in his face, and Ryuusui said after they defeated Why-Man, they’d probably have all the Medusa devices they needed.
That’s when Gen recreated the facial cracks he no longer had with lines of black face paint. “War paint,” he called it (10:16). Paint that he intended to keep in place until after they defeated Why-Man. Senkuu didn’t get it. The rest did. Taiju applied it; so did Ryuusui.
Gen came up with the idea of using war paint to declare tribal membership – and unity of purpose. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
That’s when Gen presented the paint to Tsukasa. Gen made a joke of it, but Tsukasa understood. Thinking (11:02), “Thank you, Gen and everyone,” he applied the face paint. And in that moment, he declared his membership in the tribe that was called the Kingdom of Science — and accepted the mission to defeat Why-Man.
A tribe needs a shared vision and clear leadership. It needs a mission and clear rules for entry. In this case, Gen gave Tsukasa a way to join without having to confront the reasons he had opposed the Kingdom of Science in the first place. The mission, their shared goal, was now everything, and the face paint gave Tsukasa a way to declare his membership in the same way everyone else did. Except Senkuu. When this was over, he could use the Medusa device on himself, and then everyone in the Kingdom of Science could remove their face paint, too.
Gen’s contribution was subtle, but it was profound. Without it, Tsukasa might not have been able to find a way to join. He might have had to exile himself. Wouldn’t that have been a bummer?
What did you think of how fired up Yuzuriha and Kaseki became about creating the world map? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 22: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Dr. Stone New World Part 2 – Episode 22 discussion
- I Drink and Watch Anime: Dr. Stone: New World Episode 22 Review
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 12: The Kingdom of Science’s Counterattack
- Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 13: The Medusa’s True Face
- Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 14: Deal Game, Test of Wit
- Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 15: Battle in Three Dimensions
- Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 16: Total War
- Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 17: JOKER
- Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 18: Flicker of Doom
- Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 19: LAST MAN STANDING
- Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 20: FIRST DREAM
- Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 21: Treasure Island
- Dr. STONE NEW WORLD Part 2 Episode 22: BEYOND THE NEW WORLD
Belatedly, a few thoughts on the Season 3 Finale …
– Would have to go back and check, but reasonably sure that “What’s The Situation?” was the exact phrase Tsukasa spoke when de-Petrified the first time.
– New (… or at least seldom-heard) music cue playing over the Tsukasa flashback. Might be a cue used when they first froze Tsukasa.
– The ‘Laying on of Hands’ sequence is a single panel in the Manga, drawn out here to wondrous emotional effect.
Utterly amazing, between the music, direction and dialogue, how much emotion permeates the revival scene.
Even moreso, if you consider that Tsukasa was the show’s ‘Big Bad’ for the first half of the series.
– Ruri is a Romantic. Also stronger than she looks.
– Gen had more to do this week, and with more people. Subtle interactions.
– François had her role to play as well.
“Stollen: The Goat’s Gift” – Tried some earlier in the year, might never have known about it save for “Dr. Stone.”
Speaking of which, Riichiro Inagaki had been reaching around for something to justify the series’ title for ages, this rationale might actually stick.
– Yuzuriha and Kaseki are by turns adorable and horrifying in their zealousness.
– Senku has a grand plan – as always – and that ‘Road Map’ is certainly visually impressive.
“We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard” – JFK, in reference to the Space Program.
Even Magma was grinning at the audaciousness of it all.
– The last thing Senku and Tsukasa spoke of prior to Tsukasa’s refrigeration was who they might deploy aboard a space capsule such as the Soyuz: Foreshadowing.
– The anthropomorphic ears of corn are dressed as Ryusui, Kohaku, Senku & Chrome.
– This time, Mantle actually definitely did go with them, as did Suika – as a full crew member – and Minami.
And Kirisame.
And Matsukaze.
And Tsukasa.
– That callback to ‘Li’l Senku’ is from one of the earliest episodes, where he declared to a teacher that he was “… going to the Moon. Right now!”
– Adapts Chapters #141-142
Season 4 Confirmed: Dr. Stone Science Future! 🙏✨
My concern is that there are about 90 chapters remaining to adapt, and on average the series has averaged two or three chapters per episode.
Even if the production company burns through these, they’ll need 30 episodes, bare minimum, to do the Manga justice. 🤔✨
About the proposed Spacecraft …
If they follow the basic design glimpsed in this episode, looking at the more detailed art in the corresponding Manga chapter, it looks to include an orbital command capsule, detachable aerodynamic return vehicle for atmospheric re-entry, along with multiple Lunar Excursion Modules.
Realistically, the return vehicle and LEMs would add drag upon launch, so the craft probably would require stages of booster rockets with the capacity of the Saturn V (… used in the original Moon Shot) for its launch.
The Return Craft portion appears to take design cues from the “Flying Wing” school of aerodynamics, allowing for a controlled landing.
(Long, long runway would assist.)
And so, the equally long, long wait until the next season begins …
“Would have to go back and check, but reasonably sure that “What’s The Situation?” was the exact phrase Tsukasa spoke when de-Petrified the first time.”
You’re right. I had a few minutes, so I went back and checked. All the way back in episode 2, he said (08:45), “What’s the situation?” The dude’s consistent!
“drawn out here to wondrous emotional effect.”
That was almost my favorite moment.
“Gen had more to do this week, and with more people. Subtle interactions.”
Those are some of the best Gen interactions! I’m glad he’s on Senkuu’s side.
“Yuzuriha and Kaseki are by turns adorable and horrifying in their zealousness.”
I’m not sure why, given their personalities, but I never thought of them become allies like this. But they’re both consummate craftsmen, just in different niches.
“The anthropomorphic ears of corn are dressed as Ryusui, Kohaku, Senku & Chrome.
Thanks for point that out — I missed it when I watched it.
“Season 4 Confirmed: Dr. Stone Science Future! ”
Looking forward to it — bated breath and everything!
“so the craft probably would require stages of booster rockets with the capacity of the Saturn V”
I’m struggling to understand how they’re going to do it. But you know what? After everything the writer’s shown us, I’m going to have faith he pulls it off.
“And so, the equally long, long wait until the next season begins …”
Fortunately, there’s a ton of new anime to keep us occupied! Though precious little of it has the kind of hope this show has!