This week What This Fan Wants… from a different voice. Steve Rusky will be getting into territory Cam knows nothing about. Dr. Stone Season 2.

Hello, anime fans! In this week’s What This Fan Wants From… I’m diving into what I expect to see and hope to see in the upcoming second season of Dr. Stone. Season 2 is set to release sometime this year, hopefully following a similar “simuldub” schedule as Season 1 did, but I’ll get into that later. The first 24 episodes of Dr. Stone had me hooked from the get-go, and I am pumped to see what Senku and his crew invent next. The show’s devotion to showing off what science can do is an equally captivating and surprisingly informative theme. But, the inventions are just part of the fun. The story has set up an epic battle between rivals, Senku and Tsukasa, to be the driving force of Dr. Stone Season 2.

If it’s been a while since you watched the first season, here’s a quick synopsis of where we left off: Senku has just gained the full support of the Ishigami village for his Kingdom of Science (with the help of his father and space crew), as they prepare for a battle with the Tsukasa Empire (or the Oaf Squad as I like to refer to them).

The Stone Wars

For fans of the Dr. Stone manga, you will have a pretty good idea of what is coming in the second season. Personally, I discovered the anime first, and after reading the first few chapters of the manga, I realized how closely the anime follows the manga. After getting so hooked on the anime, I decided to stay away from the manga for the sake of spoilers. However, I have heard that the “Stone Wars” arc from the manga will be the main focus of Season 2 and is supposed to be a fan favorite arc. That being said, there are a lot of things I hope to see in the new season from having seen that epic first season.

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For a show with little action to date, I know the creators will not disappoint when tackling what sounds like will be an action-packed arc. We will inevitably see some battles, hopefully spread throughout the season and leading to an all-out clash between the two sides. I especially want to see Senku and Taiju fight Hyoga and Tsukasa. I would also like some impressive fight sequences with Kohaku, Magma, and Ginro as they are both the only fighters on the Kingdom of Science side. I’m also excited for some clever antics from Senku, Chrome, Gen, Kaseki, and Kinro. I definitely want more of a tactical approach to the battles than just straight-up fights scattered throughout the season.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of fighter anime like Dragon Ball Z and My Hero Academia, but Dr. Stone really shines when Senku finds a way to create a modern-day invention out of raw materials or impossibly gets himself out of a jam. I love how the show centers on the power of science. While the show may stretch the envelope of what is actually possible, it is still great to have the main character’s “power” rooted in something as attainable as being a scientist. Many of Senku’s inventions are able to be copied using his exact method. (I tried my hand at the homemade soda and it was awesome!) I hope we will continue to have science be the driving force to all the action, and perhaps we will see the war won with brain versus brawn.

Formidable Foes

Tsukasa has had very little screen time for being the “big baddie” of the show, so I hope we get more of his back story in this coming season. In the few episodes he was in, Tsukasa proved himself to be a worthy adversary to Senku, not just in strength but in intelligence as well. Often the best villains are an exact antithesis of the hero, with the dividing factor being their moral stance. This seems to be the case with Tsukasa, but I feel we have not seen enough from him yet to believe he can outsmart Senku.

However, I would prefer an introduction to another bad guy in Dr. Stone Season 2. Another key element of Dr. Stone’s appeal to me was its ability to keep things fresh and fast-paced. The show does not need a main villain stretching across several seasons, as this can sometimes drag the pacing of a show. Plus, the mysterious petrification of humanity serves as enough of an overarching villain. Anyways, a new villain would be a great addition to an already thrilling show, and the possibilities are endless with the world built thus far. Maybe they could follow the DBZ format and make each villain a bigger and bigger threat.

Old Friends

Season 2 better have a Taiju and Yuzuriha reunion with Senku. The first few episodes really set up Taiju and Yuzuriha to be main characters. I was surprised to see them written off after Episode 6. But, I found this decision to be a refreshing change of pace. It allowed Senku to shine on his own as the main character in the remainder of the season, all the while I looked forward to seeing Taiju and Yuzuriha back in the mix. In just six episodes of screen time, the show established these two as loveable characters. Taiju is a hilarious lughead with tons of heart and Yuzuriha is his equally heartful, and perhaps twice as sensible, lover-to-be.

I was hoping to see this reunion by the end of Season 1, so now the anticipation has been built even more — especially after getting a glimpse of the pair in the last episode. I’m hoping the season starts with a bang, beginning with a big battle. Then we get an out-of-nowhere moment where Taiju and Yuzuriha sweep in to save Senku at the minute. Those are the best. And it would be a fitting re-introduction to the characters. Waiting any longer may diminish their importance, which I definitely do not want. Bottom line: more Taiju and Yuzuriha.

SimulDub

The first season aired as a simuldub. That means that the English dubbed episodes were available shortly after the subbed episodes premiered in Japan. I love when Funimation does this with a new anime because I will often watch the sub first as the show premieres and be disinterested in re-watching the dub (unless the show was really good) by the time it comes out. And if you haven’t watched the dub of Dr. Stone, definitely check it out. It rivals the sub, in fact, I’d even say it is better. I’m no expert on anime, but it’s a rare treat to have a dub that is better than the sub. Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, Dragonball Z are a few that come to mind.

Speaking of Fullmetal Alchemist, Senku’s dubbed voice is played by Aaron Dismuke, the original voice actor for Alphonse Elric. The rest of the cast is packed with recognizable voices, and they all deliver excellent performances. I know some hardcore anime fans prefer to only watch the sub, but the Dr. Stone dub is definitely one I bet hardcore fans will even break their own rule to watch it dubbed.

Wrap it up, Fanboy

With no release date set for Season 2 as of writing, I may have to re-watch of Season 1. It may be the only way to fight the temptation of caving in and reading the manga. All in all, I’m just excited to get that second season. Even if the pandemic pushes the release date into 2021, I know it will be worth the wait. The creators have done an incredible job so far, and if they continue, Dr. Stone could prove to be one of the greatest anime of all time.

Let us know below if you are excited for Dr. Stone Season 2 and what you are looking forward to seeing.

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