This review on Dr. Stone contains spoiler. If you haven't seen the chapter we recommend that you do it and then go back to read the review.
Chapter 5: "Steam Gorilla"
Dr. Stone Premiere of his fifth program with a comparison of the forces between the steam engine and magma, with this first being won. The basic archetype of the car is ready, but they still have to test and improve it, starting with the wheels. These are covered with bamboo fabric and imitate the airless wheels of the NASA prototypes.
As soon as they are ready, the elders decide not to accompany them on the journey to make the journey and the next battle easier. On the way, Senku comes to the conclusion that they need to stop and turn the car into a tank. To do this, he makes paper by boiling herbs in sodium hydroxide, creates a shield with a wood structure, and reinforces it with plastic without solidifying. The result is a very flexible and resilient material, carbon fiber. However, the tank is single-use, a frontal attack on Free Chrome whose location Suika discovered during a raid.
In her cell, Chrome discovers that Tsukasa has set traps. He knows that Senku can build a steam engine at any moment. The young "scientist" decides to flee alone to warn his companions of the dangers.
Analysis: science and determination
Dr. Stone creates an intense and perfect narrative in its fifth chapter. The whole episode revolves around the advancement of the Kingdom of Science and the scientific improvements to the car that has just been turned into a tank. On the other hand, the last few minutes give us the tremendous determination of Chrome who breaks the expected narrative scheme and decides to save himself and others.
To borrow from the series, and with so many elements already discussed in previous season one reviews, we're going to dive into the beauty and importance of a few moments:
- The scenes of the March of the Kingdom of Science are particularly beautiful and full of metaphors and suggestions. As the snow has practically melted, spring and the explosion of flowers accompany the first tests of the steam engine. At the time of departure, they advance with the flag of science and great scenes follow in which a swallow goes to the Tsukasa realm. The swallow is the bird that started Senkus' scientific revolution, with which he discovered the formula of being reborn in stone.
- On the enemy side we have again charismatic characters like Tsukasa, who suspects Senku's ability to build a steam engine. from the fountain pen enemies, who abuse repetitive drawing too much as they are all muscular men with small heads and hairstyles Punks.
- It is worth noting at this point in the plot the strong ties of trust and teamwork of the Ishigami village. This allows technological improvements and ideas like silk to flow, and each of them is clear about the value the others are adding. Emotional bonds also create a climate of affection and protection among residents of the Kingdom of Science. Their interrelationships make us see some kind of great family.
Chapter 6: "Prison Break"
Dr. Stone opens a new chapter devoted to Chrome's escape from the bamboo prison where Tsukasa's army held him. His kidnappers consider him a Stone Age savage, and Chrome uses this to his advantage to free up space and develop a strategy. In a first attempt, he pretends to go to the toilet and collects herbs and materials around himself. However, they don't seem to be useful as you can't make a fire with such small branches.
All of a sudden, a person is using the shadows to push one of the batteries they were carrying. With that, he decides to imitate Senku to create a caustic acid that dissolves the threads that hold the bolts in place. Since it needs a saline solution, it collects its own sweat that it gives off with the battery. The plan works and he manages to escape thanks to his attention to the terrain and the surprise factor. You, a former police officer, pursue him until he is cornered. Chrome then vomits blood, tells him he has pneumonia and infects him by throwing it. The enemy is horrified and Chrome escapes.
Chrome appears in the camp and shows everyone how she escaped. He also admits that he vomited up some herbs.
Analysis: Chrome, the "scientist"
The sixth installment of Dr. Stone turns the whole protagonism in Chrome, the Ishigami village. On the way between the scientist and the magician he himself coined the expression "user of science" which - in my opinion very aptly - was translated as "scientist" or "scientist".
Maybe Chrome is one of the characters who believe in Senku the most (if not the most). However, the admiration is mutual, as our protagonist projects him as a partner, a alter ego This is the new stone age and above all the realization that science is inherent in man and will never go away. Chrome is real, he's the curious man who breaks the rules and wants to know, the first stone on the path of civilization. Hence, the existence of this prescientist destroys Tsukasa's utopia as science will emerge from the ground up.
With that in mind, Senku believes it isn't strictly necessary and knows that Chrome has the ability to learn and contribute. He would never underestimate his lab partner. However, the enemy despises him and banishes him to the myth of the good savage. In an act of total arrogance, those reborn from the stone pretend to live an era without civilization, but at the same time laugh at Chrome from their 21st century mentality. That ignorance on the back is a weapon the character uses in their favor, and in the end they know how to do science, strategy, and drama.
Me and other aspects of the chapter
As we predicted in previous reviews, the explosion of new characters will enrich the world of Dr. Stone bit by bit. Today the manga follows an interesting path that does not stop with the appearance of charismatic characters with important gifts intended to contribute to the kingdom of science.
In this chapter we meet Yo, a former police officer who does not marry civilized methods and finds the right place in the world of stone. His indescribable personality and sense of justice, as pure as it is twisted, are pretty consistent. Unlike many other characters who are trapped in goodness, innocence, or ideals, or characters like Hyoga who are simply evil, Yo has the originality of being mentally unbalanced.
As for the narrative approach of the episode, it already starts to feel like they are slowing down the plot. On the other hand, it was inevitable. This season two is more of a necessity to close the arc of war with Tsukasa than a true sequel to the manga's story. (And really, the decision is not understood).
Finally
Dr. Stone gives way to spring, the floral landscape and the green after the white winter. The Kingdom of Science advances into hostile territory with the steam engine to save Chrome. However, it is the "scientist" himself who makes the decision to flee and save his companions from a trap.
Without a doubt, this is one of Chrome's big moments. In it he shows that the enormous trust that Senku has placed in him can even exceed his expectations. Far from being the princess to be rescued or the good savage that 21st century reborns laugh at, Chrome combines all of her skills and proves to be a true "user of science".
