Stone World (
Summary
A science-minded boy with a superhuman brain, Senku, and his close friend, Taiju, who prides himself on physical endurance. Taiju has longed to convey his true feelings for a childhood friend, Yuzuriha.
However, suddenly the sky is covered with a dazzling light, and a mysterious phenomenon occurs: humans all over the world instantly turn to stone!
Over 3700 years pass, until one day Taiju miraculously breaks free from the stone. He reunites with Senku, who has also broken free, and the two swear to rebuild civilization from scratch through the power of science!
After six months of experimentation, the pair develops the Stone Formula, allowing them to set others free from the Petrification.
Plot Details
Determined and hyperactive, a young student named Taiju decides today is the day he will confess his true feelings for his long-time friend, Yuzuriha. He goes to the school's science laboratory to tell his best friend, Senku, about the decision. Senku tells him he'll cheer Taiju on from the science lab and even offers him a love potion. Taiju refuses and storms off to reveal the contents of his heart.
Humanity is petrified in stone.
Senku's classmates ask about the love potion, which Senku reveals is just gasoline created from plastic. He was 10 Billion % sure Taiju would never take the easy way out of this. Taiju has long feared to profess his love would ruin his friendship with Yuzuriha. No longer a coward, Taiju finds his future love trying to repair the damage done to a tree using a red bow.
Some of the other students bet on how badly he'll get rejected, but Senku truly believes the girl will receive his feelings well. Just as Taiju is about to confess, a dazzling green light encompasses the sky. He tries to protect the girl from the effects, but he, along with every other human in the world, are petrified in stone.
All the humans of the earth find themselves trapped in stone. Everything goes dark, but Taiju stays focused on confessing his love for the girl. For thousands of years, the young man survives on willpower alone until one day the stone covering his body crumbles away, setting him free at last. He awakens from a long slumber and realizes the entire world has been affected. Many are still trapped in stone and eventually, he happens upon the love of his life.
Taiju promises to rescue Yuzuriha.
Yuzuriha is still trapped in stone, still next to that same tree, which has grown exponentially larger in the time. He finally tells the girl he loves her and apologizes for not saving her. Instead, she saved him, allowing his mind to be focused on her in all of that darkness over time. He finds a hidden message by her body, instructing him to head upriver.
Taiju eventually encounters his best friend, Senku, who is amused to see the big oaf has finally awakened. He's ecstatic to see that Senku is in good health. The smug young scientist reveals the day is October 5th, 5738 and it has been about 3700 years since the world was turned to stone. Senku counted and remained focused while frozen in stone until springtime six months ago when he began working.
"So you're finally awake, you big oaf."
Senku takes Taiju to his treehouse and claims he needs more manpower to restart civilization. He knew Taiju would survive no matter what because of the strength of his heart and love for Yuzuriha. Together, these two high school kids will try to rebuild humanity from scratch. Using his enhanced stamina, Taiju spends his days searching for food, despite Senku deeming half of the items he brings back inedible, he brings back a large haul.
During Taiju's small expositions, he finds the strongest highschooler trapped in stone, as well as some grapes and some sort of contraption collecting droppings in a cave. At first, the boy believes there might be another human around, but Senku disproves his theory and reveals it was his doing. Senku believes nitric acid from bat guano was the key to unlocking them from their stone prisons.
Senku and Taiju tirelessly experiment on a cure.
By experimenting with the effects of nitric acid on stone-clad birds, Senku believes he can find a way to dissolve the stone minerals. He wants to increase its potency using alcohol, so Taiju suggests they create wine using grapes. Over the course of a year, Senku and Taiju experiment using nitol distilled from wine and the bat droppings. They distill enough potent nitol and one day, free a bird from its stone prison. Senku teaches Taiju that there is nothing that can't be proved scientifically. Science is simply the processed used to explain anything, even this phenomenon.
With their first major breakthrough since awakening, Senku expresses his excitement to defeat fantasy using science.
Characters
- Tsukasa Shishio (Petrified)
Locations
- Cave of Miracles
- Camphor Tree
- Tree House
Inventions
- Stone Formula
Anime to Manga Differences
- There's no Donald Trump cameo in the anime version.
- The scene showing how to make wine in a plastic bottle is omitted in the anime.
Template:Stone Formula Arc Navibox