It’s the Kingdom of Science vs. Tsukasa Shishio and Hyoga, the two most powerful opponents that Senku and he Ishigami Villagers have to face in order to conclude the Stone Wars Arc. Find out how an unsuspected Easter egg became the key to victory as we dissect Dr. Stone: Stone Wars’ 9th Episode, “To Destroy and To Save”.
The same episode also covered Chapters 77-78 of the manga.
Quick Recap
Here’s what you’ve missed from the previous episode:
The Kingdom of Science fired their bluff bullet from their Steam Gorilla Tank that set the guards into a state of panic.
In a span of 20 seconds, Senku and the Ishigami Villagers were able to accomplish their objective in securing the Cave of Miracles and restraining Tsukasa’s soldiers
Tsukasa and Hyoga got into the scene just in time to confront the Kingdom of Science
You can check out the full review of the previous episode here.
Misaligned Expectations
It’s time for the most anticipated face-off of the Stone Wars Arc. The anime spent almost the entire season just to hype this very moment, the supposed highlight of this season. It initially gave an underwhelming and anti-climactic vibe but the ending gave the audience an unexpectedly forgotten Easter egg.
At the start of the season, the audience was made to understand that there was going to be a very fierce battle between the main protagonists and antagonists. It may have still been the case, however, it was not the way most of the viewers anticipated things to turn out. The actual battle was spent on preparations to achieve certain key objectives to arrive at the most optimal conclusion for all.
Misaligned expectations might have been the cause for this episode to feel underwhelming. But we cannot say that we were not warned. After all, it was made known that Senku and the Ishigami Villagers have always wanted a bloodless siege. Put that on top of Ukyo’s condition of no casualties, the Kingdom of Science had no choice but to put that requirement at a certainty instead of a non-guaranteed want.
This is clearly identical to a game of chess where calculated moves were made by opposing parties with the common goal of defeating the other. However, instead of getting a checkmate, we all witnessed a stalemate.
Emotion vs. Logic
Despite Dr. Stone’s extremely nerdy and intellectual nature, it is equally emotional when it comes to its delivery. We have seen several scenes in past episodes where Senku re-creates scientific inventions in order to address challenges at hand. However, an underlying reason behind those inventions is his compassion for his friends. This very theme justified the conclusion of this episode.
The Stone Wars concluded on such an emotional note that stems back from Season 1 Episode 2 where Senku and Tsukasa were having a conversation by the shoreline. The very detail of that conversation was so emotional, it became the driving force of Tsukasa’s ideology of wanting to create a world according to his ideals. However, its delivery was so subtle that some viewers might have let it slide as a minor detail that requires little attention.
Senku logically used that information at the perfect timing to conclude the Stone Wars Arc. At the very end, it might not have been the epic battle that everyone was waiting for but the anime surely stayed true to its nature of using both Logic and Emotion in its delivery.
And besides, it wasn't entirely bloodless since Tsukasa threw that spear that impaled Ukyo. Quite the irony right? The one person who required no deaths ended up being the one closest to dying.
This episode was such an emotional and clever conclusion towards the end of the Stone Wars Arc. If we were to focus on the episode alone, then it would most definitely feel completely underwhelming because of the lack of action. But with the connection it had to the second episode of the first season, the show was able to tie everything together.
In true Dr. Stone fashion, the episode exemplified Senku’s tremendous intelligence which allowed him to capitalize on the emotions of his opponents. It almost seems evil in a way.
Dr. Stone: Stone Wars! Episode 10 entitled “Humanity’s Strongest Tag Team” airs on March 18, 2021 at 10:30PM (PHST).
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
Misaligned expectations caused the episode to feel underwhelming as the conclusion to the Stone Wars Arc came to a stalemate.
The episode stayed true to its nature of using both Logic and Emotion in its delivery; Senku used the information he had to attack Tsukasa emotionally and get the optimal outcome
An emotional and clever conclusion to the Stone Wars Arc connected to a little Easter egg from Season 1 Episode 2
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