English Dub Review: Dr. Stone: Science Future “Ryusui vs. Senku”

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

As the crew of the Perseus sets sail for America, Senku and Ryusui organize a poker match to determine which will be the best route.

OUR TAKE

Dr. Stone is back to begin its final season, which means my Thursdays are about to get super busy. Well, I say “final season” but it seems they’re pulling an Attack on Titan and splitting said final season into three parts. I’ve seen people wonder why they don’t just number these seasons regularly since they’re going to be split up like this, but this is supposedly because this section of the story, apparently pretty close to being basically the second half, doesn’t have any clear end points to cut off at as its own season like the previous three did. I find this a dubious explanation and lean more on the theory that calling something a “final season” is simply more marketable, especially since the manga this is based on has been over for nearly three years now and this show probably needs that boost to keep people watching until it’s over. But also, I have no clue how the anime marketing industry works so everyone theorizing could be wrong about this! Regardless, Dr. Stone is back and I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far, so I’m psyched to see what happens next! And apparently what happens next is…a poker match on a ship and no real plot progression.

Yeah, this isn’t exactly the wham of a season premiere that most were probably expecting. If anything this seems like the kind of episode that would be an extra on a DVD since it feels so much like filler…as opposed to the “Ryusui” special between the second and third seasons that was actually important for the plot but wasn’t a regular episode for some reason. Super weird way to handle it. As such, there isn’t a ton to talk about with this episode other than it is actually rather fun and entertaining. We get to see everyone in swanky clothes and we get to see them display their eccentric personalities in a poker game with the dealer being Ukyo, that archer guy who they keep putting in line ups with more important characters. Stop trying to make Ukyo happen! Not sure how long this section of the season will be, but going by how the third season was split up, I’m guessing somewhere between eleven and thirteen episodes. Hopefully next time we’ll get something more substantive because I hear this part of the story is the best!