MANGA REVIEW | "Dr. STONE" - Volume Twenty-Four
“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.” - U.S. President John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962
The morals and values of Dr. STONE can be summed up perfectly in President Kennedy’s speech. Throughout this manga, Senku and the gang have taken on many difficult challenges all around the world. From reviving others and rediscovering fuel to bringing back humanity’s greatest inventions, every task that has occurred has been tough yet necessary. After all, the Why Man could be watching from the moon, awaiting for his chance to petrify the world once more.
It’s why the stakes are high in its twenty-fourth volume, as Senku aims to build a rocket to go up to the moon. With newcomer Sai’s math skills, the concept of space travel is all in the numbers. But in order to get a rocket high in space, that also means a computer must be created. Fortunately, Senku’s already got a plan, and it needs everyone involved in order to make it happen.
Inventions don’t just happen with a snap of one’s fingers; they take time and countless mistakes in order to come to fruition. Dr. STONE demonstrates this well, especially in this particular volume. As the team will have to start from scratch with building an old-school computer, the size and parts of it would be akin to how computers were in the 1950s & 1960s. They’re heavy, large, and require millions of tiny parts to make it work.
Thankfully, the Kingdom of Science runs on a can-do attitude, as Yuzuriha and the rest go to work to make tiny parametron for the computer. The discovery of aluminum results in what will be the outer shell of the rocket, while a dam can create enough electricity to launch it into space. But then, Senku reveals a grim truth about the upcoming moon launch: it’s a one-way ticket. However, Chrome and Suika have a plan to make sure that that won’t be the case!
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking down for when the mission needs to occur. The Medusa device suddenly goes off, with Senku and the gang realizing that someone must’ve set it to go off awhile back. Was it the Why Man, or could it be someone on their team? This makes the team realize that they must get to the moon ASAP, as there’s no telling when it could be set to go off again.
But the question now remains: who in Dr. STONE will be brave enough for space travel, especially without a guaranteed ride home? While Ryusei could pilot and Tsukasa can be the pilot, it may be up to either Senku or Chrome to be the pilots. (Obviously, it’ll be the former, but I’ve been surprised in the past!) Nevertheless, there are plenty of sacrifices that’ll have to be made in order to defeat the Why Man, especially now with the clock winding down.
Dr. STONE has done a phenomenal job showcasing the tough challenges of recreating the world. But Senku does it not because it’s easy, but because it is hard. Every member of the Kingdom of Science has used their skills towards bringing Earth back to its former self, and Volume Twenty-Four showcases that beautifully with both wit and humor. Will this mission end in success, or will Why Man pull out one final trick? I don’t know, but we should all get excited either way!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt and Mandy Earles of VIZ Media.
