"Dr. Stone" - Analysis
Image of people turned into stone - From Dr Stone page 21
When creating a manga, the author must be very selective about what words they choose to use as most of the story is pictures. By using words such as “help” and phrases such as “I can’t speak,” the author is highlighting the true horrors of what is happening to these people.
A large part about this story is the environment, as it shows what happens to it if humans are not there to destroy it. The world post-petrification is overgrown with green grasses and flowers, trees are plentiful, and the sun is shining. This reminiscent of the Korean demilitarized zone. There, much like in this story, people are not present to destroy the environment, therefore, it is also overrun with green grasses and ferns. As stated by Smithsonian author Jennifer Billock the reason the DMZ is home to so many animals is due to the, “symptomatic of the lack of direct access to the DMZ itself”. Meaning that it is humans and the damage they cause to the environment every day, with pollution, that ultimately contributes to global warming and climate change.
Many have explored the environmental lessons taught by the story of Dr. Stone, an example of such is Eric Thurm who believes the story studies, “the fraught relationship between humans and the litany of other organisms and environments that make up the Earth”. He later goes on to state that the story often, “interrogate[s] the often-harmful side effects of industrialization, and the clash between those interested in living ‘with’ nature and those interested in profiting off it.” The main villain in the story is Tsukasa, and he believes that they should choose who to revive. In his eyes the petrification was a sign from the world that was meant to purge the Earth of the greedy businessmen who “scheme to profit and exploit.” Many readers can see the merit in his argument as it is a problem in today’s world as well. Business leaders all over the world seek to earn money through the production of a product in factories that harm the environment. They release fumes into the air and destroy the ozone layers without a care in the world. These men only worry about the money they are making and do not take into consideration the murder of the world they live in.
Senuku and Tsukasa - link
The characters in the story are young as well, mirroring an ecohorror theme from class, children as environmental saviors. This reminds readers that if the younger generation does not start to care about the environment it will end up being destroyed. They cannot leave the job to adults but instead must themselves develop habits that can help the Earth as opposed to harm it. Ultimately, children are most affected by environmental issues, because they are the ones that will live the longest through the issue, thus it is up to the younger generations to fix such issues, such as in this manga.
In the end the story does an amazing job of showing off the horrors of environmental fatalism in a way that can be digested by a younger audience. While the story and panels may not be as gory as some of the things we have worked with in this class, namely The Ruins, it still does a good job of highlighting the dangers of not taking care of the Earth. By leaving the cause up to interpretation the author successfully allows for the reader to develop their own ideas about the horrors of environmental destruction.
Image of stone people in the environment with senuku - From Dr. Stone page 55
This page has paths:
- Dr. Stone - Overview Emily White
- "Dr. Stone" - Overview Emily White