Volume 15

I came to a certain decision when drawing Japanese landscapes untouched by man for 3,700 years. I shouldn't draw flat forests filled with Japanese cedar trees growing straight up. There can't be a lot of cedar trees because, in real life, people have developed the land. They can't grow straight up because that requires careful pruning and engineering. And the forests can't be level because it's an easy cop-out for someone who's lived on the flat plains of Kanto. For 13 years I lived there, and the first image of a forest that comes to mind is a flat one with cedar trees— manicured to uniform average height. That's why I draw as few cedars as possible, and I never make them straight. The trees have been growing freely for hundreds or even thousands of years.

I won't draw level forests. I modeled the plains of Kanto that appear in the story after Russian airspace images of the tundra. I'm always striving to impart these scenes with a sense of majesty, showing the power of nature in all its glory.

But even with all that thought put into it, I still haven't quite pulled it off. The problem lies in my abilities, I'm only capable of so much...

They came out with a Dr. Stone-themed escape room! You use science experiments to solve puzzles, making it an experience pretty much unlike any other. They let me try it out as a test run, and I managed to clear the game (after receiving some hints)! It was lots of fun! If you get the chance, definitely give it a shot.

There's also a Dr. Stone stamp rally event, a special Dr. Stone skin for train cars, a Dr. Stone science exhibit... I'm thrilled that the series is inspiring all these events!