English Dub Review: Dr. Stone: Stone Wars: “Final Battle”
Overview: The final battle begins as Senku (Aaron Dismuke), Gen (Brandon McInnis), Kohaku (Felecia Angelle) and the Kingdom of Science attempt to siege the Cave of Miracles from Tsukasa (Ian Sinclair) and the Empire of Might, all within less than 30 seconds and without any fatalities!
Our Take: “Final Battle” wastes no time and makes the most of every second in it’s penultimate battle, literally. The framing of the 20 second countdown perimeter along with not being able to kill adds to the tension of the siege. It’s when things go wrong that the show gets it right, ironically enough. Hiccups like the tank toppling over or the quick thinking and improvisation on Senku, Gen and Taiju’s part with the sonic blast are some of the best moments that make it all the more thrilling to watch.
But just when you think it’s a surefire win, Dr. Stone completely flips the script. Tsukasa taking Ukyo out of commission within an instant very much sets the tone for the deadly serious confrontation. Not to mention him and his army completely surrounding Senku and the gang, completely undercutting the Kingdom of Science’s victory and making them (and me) waiver, even if just momentarily.
But leaving as fast as it came, Senku doesn’t wallow in self-doubt and fear for too long as he has the one thing nobody in anime can seemingly stand up to: the power of friendship! Yeah, I know what you’re going to say. Been there, done that. And you would be right. But in all honesty, I actually don’t mind that the show pulled on that thread and rather enjoyed it. Episode 8 did a decent job of peppering in some nostalgia seasonings by showing the duality of where Senku and Taiju started versus where they are now. Friendship, even if generic, has been a constant theme throughout not only this season, but the previous one as well. But in this case, it has been actually utilized well. With it smartly coming into play during the heartfelt backbone of season 1 with the origin of Ishigami village and Byakuya’s past adventures. Getting the group morale up effectively and hitting the ground running once again, this episode is quite the efficient tonal rollercoaster and thankfully not in a ‘I’m stuck sitting next to the kid who ate too many fried Twinkies’ sorta way.
Strength being staged against science is also a great setup for the next ninth episode in what will most assuredly be another race against the clock. But this time in the form of Tsukasa and Hyoga’s overwhelming physical prowess being pitted against Senku and Chrome’s scientific genius.
