MANGA REVIEW | "Dr. STONE" - Volume Twenty-Six [FINALE]
It’s been a hell of a ride watching Senku and the Kingdom of Science attempting to revive all of humanity. From the very moment Taiju awoke from his stone prison and the events of the Stone Wars, all the way towards the trips around the world and — now — the quest to conquer space, Dr. STONE delivered one of the most exciting, fun, and all-around entertaining stories ever brought to manga. But all good things must come to an end, with its final volume now arriving in the Western World in all of its glory. With it already scoring high marks throughout its journey, does Dr. STONE stick the landing?
**WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**
At first, it would appear that a safe landing would be impossible, as the rocket ship Senku, Kohaku, and Stanley suffers a bit of a malfunction. But an unexpected guest arrives (or, should we say, stows away) in one of the other pieces of the station, who helps the team with making sure their mission is a success. As they land on the moon, the three-person team seeks the location of the Why-Man, with hopes that they can figure out the reason behind humanity’s petrification centuries ago. However, it turns out that the Why-Man was among Senku and the Kingdom of Science all this time…
So it goes without saying that the big reveal of the Why-Man in Dr. STONE is something that I should’ve figured out on my own, but I never considered it a possibility. After all, even with its sci-fi elements, Riichiro Inagaki and BOICHI still found a way to tell its story that’s grounded in real science facts. Then again, there is absolutely no way that Earth is the only planet in this massive galaxy of ours that has life on this planet, so I guess you can take it as the writing/drawing duo using scientific hypotheses to keep things in the context of realism. Because yes, as the meme exclaims, it’s aliens!
You find out the reason behind the Why-Man’s quest to petrify humanity, and it’s rather complicated. “Gifting” them eternal life via petrification is some pretty ass-backwards thinking for a highly intelligent space creature, as it begs the question, “Why live forever in a state of petrification, when you can live and die a life filled with great conquests and achievements?” And that’s exactly what Senku dishes out at the creatures, as he fights them with his greatest strength: his mind.
Although it is a shonen manga series, the usage of fists to solve anything is roughly Plan Z in the world of Dr. STONE. This is a story where the person with the biggest brain will be victorious, which just so happens to be the biggest muscle in the body. (So in a way, it fits with the shonen motif.) The final battle is one that would’ve used words instead of weapons, and while Kohaku and Stanley are ready to start blasting away, Senku and his way with words just about gets the job done.
What happens in the end? Well, I ain’t one to spoil. But I will say that there are plenty of happy faces found in the final chapter of Dr. STONE. Big life changes, marriages, careers being started, and humanity rediscovering its pulse are all featured in these panels. And I can’t lie and say that I was smiling all while reading through it.
Where it concludes is in a place that Dr. STONE could continue onwards if Inagaki and BOICHI plan to return to it someday. What Senku is working on could lead to some fun what-if scenarios if implemented the righty way. But for now, let’s give that big brain of Senku’s a break for the time being. After all, he spent ten years nonstop trying to bring back humanity, so the dude deserves a damn vacation!
Dr. STONE ends the same way it began, with wow factors a-plenty and brilliant originality flowing endlessly. It wasn’t always a perfect ride, but it always found a way to get back on track when it went off-course. It was smart, funny, gorgeous to look at, and — above all — inspirational. I sometimes wished I had a manga like Dr. STONE to read when I was in high school, as I was nowhere near as a strong as a character like Goku or Kenshiro. But for current and future generations, especially those who use their minds more than their bodies, Dr. STONE is here to remind us that intelligence is humanity’s greatest gift in the world, and that the mind is something we should never take for granted.
Get excited, now and forever. Thank you, Dr. STONE, for a journey none of us will ever forget.
FINAL GRADE (VOL. 26):
FINAL GRADE (series):
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
