DR. STONE, written by Riichiro Inagaki & art by Boichi. First published in 2017 and first published in North America in 2018.
PLOT:
Taiju isn't anywhere near as bright as his chemistry-obsessed friend Senku, but he's loyal and determined and today he's determined to finally confess to his crush Yuzuhura. At that moment, though, a bright flash envelops the world transforming human flesh to stone. Thousands of years pass before Taiji is able to break free of his stony prison, only to find that Senku beat him by six months. Together the two find a way to rescue others, but Senku and Taiju soon find themselves in competition with another fellow classmate who sees this as a chance to rebuild the world without adults. The only way to stop him is to recreate gunpowder, but can these two do so while trying to rebuild civilization in this savage world?
STORY:
Dr. Stone is more educational than your average shonen manga, but Inagaki finds a way to make it fun and fanciful. Despite being a post-apocalyptic fantasy, this story is build around chemistry (of all things). Luckily, most of the science is delivered by Senku, who swiftly distinguishes himself as the true leading man. Yes, Taiji is our viewpoint character, but his brand of hyperactive loyalty has nothing on Senku's cool demeanor, subtle snark, and science skills. If anything, the story would benefit from Taiji calming down a little. Right now he's at 11 almost constantly, and after a while he gets exhausting.
Since Inagaki's clearly planning on this being a long series, he takes his time setting everything up: the setting, our primary cast, and their first major conflict. It's good, solid, comicmaking, but not without some hiccups. There's the fact that Yuzuhura, Taiji's crush, is a total nonentity beyond being the Token Girl, and it's real easy to start getting nitpicky about some of the science we see (along with a few other plot points). Yet the whole package is delightful enough that I didn't mind. It's a good beginning, and hopefully it can keep up the more positive parts for a long time.
ART:
You have to hand it to Inagaki: he's got an eye for up-and-coming artists. This was true when he brought on Yusuke Murata to draw Eyeshield 21, and it's just as true here, where he's working with noted Korean artist Boichi. Boichi has made something of a name for himself in seinen with a gritty, lovingly detailed style and a knack for action. Thus, it's interesting to see him loosen up a little and let himself get a little more broad.
The characters here are a little more simplified, with their big eyes and outrageous expressions, as well as Senku's vaguely Einstein-esque hair. That being said, you can tell which ones got more love than others, be it Senku with his instantly iconic look or Tsukasa (the rival) who could have easily stepped out of one of Boichi's previous works if not for the lionskin robe. Yet he brings his usual level of skill to the lush jungles of what was once Japan, as well as a dynamic and fluid approach to fight sequences. If this is what he's capable of now, I can't wait to see what he'll do 10 or 20 volumes down the road.
RATING:
The combination of a novel premise and a talented artist makes Dr. Stone of the most entertaining debuts to come out of Weekly Shonen Jump in the last few years. I can only hope that those charms last and make the leap into animation gracefully.
This series is published by Viz. This series is ongoing in Japan with 8 volumes available. 2 volumes have been released and are currently in print. This series is also serialized weekly via Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha.
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