Netflix Dystopian Anime Explores How Humanity Can Start Over

By Douglas Helm | Updated

When you’re looking for a new anime to watch, it can be tough to sift through the thousands of options and settle on one. If you want to save some time in your search and check out a unique anime that incorporates science more than your average series, you should check out Dr. Stone. The series recently added the second season to Netflix, so there are plenty of episodes to catch up on.

Life After Humanity Has Been Petrified

Dr. Stone is adapted from the manga series written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by South Korean artist Boichi. The series follows Senky Ishigami, a scientific genius who and his muscled friend Taiju attempt to rebuild civilization after humanity became petrified in stone for over 3,700 years. Along with an intriguing story, the series also features beautiful animation and an endearing cast of characters.

Science-Focused

Dr. Stone sets itself apart from other shonen in a few ways, and that differentiation was very intentional from the start. Writer Riichiro Inagaki wanted to make his character fairly normal as opposed to the other protagonists you see in Shonen anime, with Senku being a slightly arrogant but kind-hearted science prodigy who focuses on hard work to achieve the goal of restoring humanity.

The show also takes a big interest in science, so if you were looking for an anime series that heavily focuses on science, this might be the right choice.

A Successful Manga And Anime

Dr. Stone was well-received upon the release of its first season, and the manga became fairly popular as well, with over 15 million copies in circulation as of 2022. The series continues to be popular, with the most recent third season being popular enough for a fourth and final season greenlit. While the third season was divisive for fans, with a little less focus on the science aspects that attracted many people in the first place, it was still enjoyable enough to recommend. 

Hooks You From The Beginning

In any case, Dr. Stone is one of those anime with a strong enough premise to grab you from the beginning. The first season does a great job of setting up the world, and the second season is even better. Those are the only two seasons for Netflix subscribers to watch, so you may have to wait to see what happens next if you don’t want to stream it elsewhere.

Another Season Is On The Way

REVIEW SCORE

Once you do get caught up on Dr. Stone, you can look forward to the fourth and final season, titled Dr. Stone: Science Future, which has yet to announce an official release date. There’s also a television special titled Dr. Stone Ryusui that focuses on the character Ryusui Nanami. So, if you end up liking what you see on Netflix, there’s plenty to catch up on.

Overall, Dr. Stone may not be the most groundbreaking anime out there, but it’s still a solid watch for those who like a little science with their fiction. Make sure to catch up now before the fourth season airs. You can stream Season 1 and Season 2 on Netflix.