Are you afraid of the night? Many people who live in first world countries would say no. But that’s because we live in a world with dependable lights always at the ready. It is not advisable for anyone to go walking very far alone at night while camping, but I did it a few times, and once without a flashlight. That’s when I realized that night is really a scary and dangerous thing. Nothing creepy happened, no wild animals or ghostly activity. What was scary, in an literal and existential sense, was not being able to see what was around me.

Even if you’re used to driving and hanging out in places you know at night, try walking in a quiet city neighborhood, or even a suburb, that you don’t know. You’ll be scared, or at the very least more on guard than usual. If you’re not, it’s unnatural. Humans consciously rely on eyesight more than the other senses, so it’s a natural, programmed response to be uneasy when you can’t see well. But why does any of that matter? Isn’t this a post about anime?

In episode 8 of Dr. Stone, Senku and company succeed in making magnets, a generator, and an electric light. Before using the light, Senku asks Chrome if he’s afraid of the night. Chrome replies, “Yes. It’s dark, after all.” His readiness to admit that and lack of any shame for it was a pleasant surprise, and sort of refreshing. It’s what made me start on that rant.

That aside, let’s talk about a few other things that happened in this episode. A new character appears who we’ve actually seen once or twice in flashbacks of Senku’s time in school. His name is Ren Asagiri and he’s good at magic tricks. He’s even better than that at being sly with his words. Initially, he lies that he’s been by himself ever since he was un-petrified. Later, he admits he’s with Tsukasa. Or that he was. Now, Ren is deciding what side he should be on. He’s the self-proclaimed shallowest man alive, who wants the most luxurious life possible.

Like Senku, I thought that this could be a great thing — if we can convince Ren to be on the side of science, he can go back to Tsukasa and tell him that Senku is dead for sure. So, to keep Ren around to observe a little longer, Senku reveals that he’s making a generator. As outlined in my last episode review, for that you’re going to need copper, phosphorous, and strong magnets. After successfully making an iron rod/beam, they magnetize it using… you guessed it, lightning.

I was really impressed with the scenes of the storm and making the lightning rod. Kohaku’s part in it was especially impressive. The angles used for shots of her are shamelessly fanservicey lately, but it’s not bothering me. It just seems a little too blatant sometimes.

Anyway, I also liked how there was no dialogue as Senkuu “turned on” the light. The silence was perfect as the light streamed out and illuminated everything, driving away the oppressive darknes. Remember not to take eletric lights (and other modern lights) for granted. That’s it for now, so thanks a bunch for reading! 😀

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Updated Opinions on MBTI of Dr. Stone Characters

Senkuu: ENTJ
Taiju: ESFJ
Yuzuriha: ISFJ
Tsukasa: INFJ or INTJ
Chrome: INTP
Kohaku: ESTJ
Kinro: ISTJ
Ginro: ENFP
Ren: ENTP or ESTP

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Previous Posts About This Series:
Dr. Stone Episode 1 Review
Dr. Stone Episode 2 Review
Dr. Stone Episode 3 Review
Dr. Stone Episode 4 Review
Dr. Stone Episode 5 Review
Dr. Stone Episode 6 Review
Dr. Stone Episode 7 Review
Dr. Stone Episode 8 Review

PATREON

(Images from: Dr. Stone. Dir. S Iino. TMS Entertainment. 2019.)