Stoic protagonists who don’t understand love are plenty in anime. But with Dr Stone, we gget to see a new take on it. The question here is whether Senku will fall in love at all VS with whom. Because, let’s face it, he’s never shown any inclination towards romance, practically ever. And again, that wouldn’t be abnormal at all, considering how protagonists work in Shonen anime in general. But Dr Stone, somehow, manages to not make him an annoying character despite his single-mindedness towards his goals.
Personally, do we believe Senku will fall in love? No, because of a couple of major reasons. I think Senku Ishigami is far too focused on his goal to bring technology back to the forefront of a world that regressed back to the Stone Age. And when you’re too busy being a Neanderthal-era Einstein, you rarely have time for something as frivolous as romance. Though, he does have that thing with Luna Wright where she’s his supposed girlfriend, and a genuine reliance on Kohaku. But both those relationship still aren’t romance.
Honestly though, does Dr Stone even need that angle? I think we are so used to anime having some form of romantic subplot, even if the protagonist is clueless, that something out of the norm is refreshing to see. I mean, yeah, seeing Son Goku bumble his way through a relationship with Chi Chi in Dragon Ball is hilarious and all, but that schtick does get old. With Senku, that fatigue doesn’t happen. And he doesn’t come off as irritating or pigheaded because of it. Even if Senku doesn’t fall in love, it doesn’t ruin the flow of the anime.
However, I do think that the anime will play around with potential love interests for Senku. Solely because that has just been a tradition with other anime similar to Dr Stone. I mean, the relationship with Luna kind of hints at it anyways, even if Senku himself doesn’t view it as that. But let’s discuss that and more in another segment of Lore Analysis!
The Women Of Dr Stone:
So, it’s not like Dr Stone doesn’t have some amazing female characters. Another reason why most fans adore the show is because of the portrayal of characters like Luna, Kohaku and Nikki Hanada, who hold their own on screen.
I mean, yeah, they do fall into that cliché of becoming an unwitting harem around Senku but even then. The characters don’t lose their individual shine with him, nor do they become automatic damsels-in-distress. I mean, just look at how Kohaku is often described as being a pillar of support for Senku, coming in clutch when he needs her skills and expertise most. To the point where he does end up considering her a friend, at the very least. At times, she was his only ally.
But then again, you also have how Senku treats other women he is forced to be in association with, like with Luna being his girlfriend but him viewing it as nothing more than a political alliance. However, that doesn’t deter Luna from at least trying to flirt with him, especially considering her bright personality.
Of course, there are so many other women here we could talk about, each one just as remarkable as the next. But Dr Stone isn’t about those women.
Senku Does Fall In Love (With Science!)
If you ask anyone who seriously reads the manga if whether Senku will fall in love, they’d argue he already has. Senku’s true mistress is science, and the pursuit of innovation. To him, there is no greater love than knowledge and no obsession as all-consuming as gaining said knowledge.
And that is so interesting to see. Truly, Senku wants nothing more than to further the advancement of technology and science in his era post revival and make sure humanity evolves in their thinking. Science is his one true love and that’s all he wants to see.
Sure, there are other protagonists in Shonen that are also shown as being focused toward their goals but a lot of them are more individual in nature. It’s about becoming the strongest, or the best, but rarely is it as altruistic as what Senku has been attempting, i.e., teaching generation to go further beyond what they know, to explore and expand their knowledge?
I think Senku doesn’t need a love interest. That doesn’t mean he won’t find a partner down the line, but that even if he doesn’t, his story is very much complete on it’s own.
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