Dr. Stone Season 1 Episode 12 Recap – Buddies Back to Back

Silver Spear

Ginro cries as he sees the beauty of his newly made silver spear. Senku tells him to stop celebrating because they’ll need him as a bodyguard.

They head out to a location in the mountains further from the hot pools to investigate. Senku instructs Ginro to use the silver tip as a sensor. If the silver turns black, they should head back or risk certain death.

Senku finds a location where no living fish are in the streams, indicating that their path lies further ahead. Ginro leads the group, holding the spear forward while terrified out of his wits. Kohaku wants to replace him, but he refuses as he doesn’t want to let go of the spear.

Finally, further up top, they arrive at a sulfuric pool with sparkling emerald waters. Senku feels apprehensive as the terrain doesn’t look too suitable for them. Mesmerized by the beautiful pool, Ginro walks ahead to explore, envisioning a beautiful fairy leading him forward.

But soon, the silver spear turns black, and Kohaku pulls him back. A crow falls into the pool and dissolves into shreds. Senku explains they’ll have to secure sulfuric acid to further their experiments but warns them of an incident where a professor dies just by inhaling the toxic gas while he tries to tie his shoes.

Successor

Back home, they design and make their own gas masks, knowing that these prototypes aren’t tested yet. Senku asks Chrome not to join them for now because if they both die while collecting sulfuric acid, humanity’s knowledge would be lost. He offers to pass down all he knows about science to Chrome.

Chrome refuses to be his successor, saying he doesn’t want his friend to die. He’s too valuable for that. Chrome offers to be his buddy instead. If anything goes wrong during their mission, then the other should always be there to help. He offers to work with him despite the danger, just like Taiju and Yuzuriha.

Senku laughs at his bravery but agrees to his terms.

After seeing their exchange, Kohaku remembers her sister’s words. Ruri explains that her duty as a priestess is to tell the Hundred Stories passed on from the generations before them, but now that Ruri is sick, they ask Kohaku to succeed her. Kohaku refuses, resolving to save her sister in any way she can. Without Ruri’s role as priestess, she may have less reason to live. Kohaku tries her best to be as unqualified a priestess as possible.

With their current plans, Ginro and Kinro could be wedded to Ruri. If that happens, Kohaku offers Chrome to marry her instead. Chrome refuses, saying she’s a gorilla.

Facing Fear

With their gas masks all ready, they head back to the sulfur pools, but Ginro doesn’t want to go back this time. Senku leaves him and takes the cleaned silver spear to the pool with Chrome. As they approach the water, Chrome sees Senku shaking.

Back at camp, Kaseki calls out Ginro for leaving his comrades to face danger alone. He tells him that fear is a normal emotion, and the others also feel it, but they don’t let it get to them. Kaseki “accidentally” finishes another gas mask and leaves it for him to decide.

While collecting acid, Chrome suddenly slips and falls. Ginro arrives and catches him with the spear, but he’s still terrified by the sulfur fairy. Senku asks him to control his breath and overcome his fear. Chrome tells him to trust his heart.

Ginro remembers his role as a bodyguard and manages to carry Chrome out of the toxic pool. Finally, they complete the most dangerous task in creating the cure-all drug: collecting sulfuric acid.

Our Thoughts

Every episode is so dense and accurately depicts the human struggle to figure out and conquer the world around them. I rate this 4/5.