English Dub Review: Dr. Stone: New World: “First Contact”
Overview: Senku (Aaron Dismuke) and the gang search for the oil field through pictures as Francois (Michelle Rojas) also helps them seek out truffles for more refined meals.
Our Take: Finding the oil is a wacky, but smart caper in all the ways Senku and the crew go about it. All the thought process is, of course, still rooted in science in deducing the pigs’ acquired nose for oil. Natural hurdles serve as clever diversions, even throwing off someone skilled like Francois with pigs’ appetite for those mushrooms. The fantastical, zanier abilities of characters help speed up the quest for oil with Senku’s smarts or Kohaku’s amazing eyes. It’s definitely out there, but it’s fun and effective in not letting the show meander about as that’d get old pretty quick.
The search for high-end food, like black truffles, is also a sweet subplot in how Suika bonds with her new pig, Sagara. Senku swooping in to save Sagara’s bacon is a peak into his true kinder side, both for piglet and Suika. It’s especially touching considering the pragmatic person he often portrays to others.
This episode could have easily been yet another stepping stone in getting the Kingdom of Science’s preparations together. Instead, the episode leaves us with a shocking turn of events in the gang putting out a radio signal and unexpectedly getting one back. The implication that it’s the group who orchestrated the petrification is an exciting cliffhanger and development to leave off on.
