Thank you for visiting Anime Rants. Senku’s adoptive father, Byakuya Ishigami, once said the following: “No matter the state of humanity, someone will always emerge intent on unearthing all the workings of the world.“
As someone who majored in wildlife biology, I love science and understand its importance to modern life. There’s no doubt that people like me – and hopefully people much smarter than me – will always arise to look for answers in the natural world. But not everyone wants to use science in the same way. While some – like Senku – want to prolong and improve life, others – like Xeno – develop weapons that end lives.
Humanity has a long history of weaponizing science. The pattern continues with Dr. Xeno as he put his brain, resources, and manpower into developing guns. It’s not hard to tell that he’s American. Regardless, I appreciated this episode’s commentary on the darker, more violent side of humanity. Let’s review episode 8.
Episode 8: Lock On
Episode Rating: 10/10
This excellent episode told us the story of Xeno’s awakening in the stone world and how he developed weapons. I thought it was interesting that the ring Carlos saved in his mouth was made of platinum. Thanks to that coincidence, Xeno had the material necessary for making munitions. In the second half of the episode, we went back to the present, where Stanley was preparing to shoot Taiju. Before we talk about that, though, there’s an important element to point out: Stanley and Xeno are gay.
People who hate queer head-canons might be too pig-headed to see it, but the evidence is strong that Xeno and Stanley are in a relationship. They are clearly close, and have been for years. They also have a distinct sexual tension when together, even when they’re fully clothed and not touching. I doubt that the sensual arm wrap while shirtless is just “bro stuff.” And those who say it is probably need to acknowledge that they like homoerotic content. Nothing wrong with that.
(Also remember that in Japan, being openly gay is still not socially acceptable, so it makes sense that Xeno calls Stanley “my childhood friend” (Japanese: boku no osananajimi) and not something like “my lover.” This line was also included so the viewer would know that Xeno and Stanley have been together since childhood.)
Xeno and Stanley are both fairly interesting characters, but I like Stanley more. It’s not just because of his incredible sex appeal – though that’s part of it. It’s also his general chill, cool attitude and impressive physical skills. I know he’s cold-hearted enough to kill on command, but I think Stanley is redeemable because of his love and loyalty toward Xeno. Speaking of Xeno, he seems a bit shallow, wanting power for its own sake. Anyway, that’s enough about Stanley and Xeno for now.
Let’s move our attention to Luna. She approached Taiju and Senku who stood in plain view on the open deck. All she had to do was point to Taiju, she told herself, and it would be over. Despite her efforts to force herself, Luna could not bring herself to help kill another person – at least, not so directly. Instead, she tried to pass information to Carlos and Max, who were hiding in the trees near Stanley.
Luna tried to relay the fact that Senku had a connection to Dr. Xeno, but all she managed to do was pass the word “Senku.” Carlos and Max reported this to Xeno, who immediately understood. The boy he once wrote to about rocket science, Senku Ishigami, was the real mastermind. Stanley managed to guess which one was Taiju, but Xeno told him not to shoot the decoy.
He then spent a few minutes trying to figure out how to kill Senku. Stanley had never seen him, after all. But thanks to Xeno’s brilliant mind, he calculated Senku’s height and told Stanley to look for a male target of about nineteen years. After identifying Senku, Stanley asked if Xeno really wanted him to shoot. Xeno seriously thought it over, but decided in favor of killing Senku. He gave the order to shoot.
Interestingly, it sounded like Xeno genuinely wanted Senku at his side. Two science superpowers would be unstoppable together. However, Xeno knew that Senku would never let a pair of dictators rule the world – let alone become a dictator himself. There was no future in which Senku would rule together with Xeno. Therefore, he must be eliminated.
Ryusui figured out what was happening and warned everyone of the sniper. Thanks to that, Senku had a few moments to prepare. He protected himself with a bag of liquid starch, which could potentially stop a bullet if the physics were done right. It isn’t clear whether Senku was pierced by the bullet, but a small amount of blood was seen in the brief frame as Senku got floored by the impact of the shot.
That’s a bold way to end an episode. Best-case scenario, Senku has cracked ribs and ugly bruising. Worst case, he’s about to bleed out or die of shock from a bullet wound. I’m not worried about Senku dying, but it might be difficult to treat a bullet wound when none of the characters are doctors. I look forward to seeing how this will unfold.
~Thanks for reading~
Written by 7Mononoke at Anime Rants
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