In the internet age, people are naturally curious to know what others think of their favorite shows, which has given rise to the 'reaction video' as a form of entertainment. And nowhere is there a more perfect pairing of show and reactor than Crunchyroll's release of Kari Byron, former host of Mythbusters, reacting to the hit sci-fi anime Dr. Stone.
With Mythbusters known for following Senku's style of scientific trial-and-error, Byron has plenty of experience with outside-the-box thinking, experiments not working the way the team predicted, and general mayhem in the name of science. While she may not be trying to save all of humanity, Byron has done her fair share of experiments, and has personally used and made many of the items that Senku uses. This makes her uniquely qualified to speak not only to the show's realism, but the difficulty of the tasks at hand.
Much of the reaction video's fun comes from watching Byron simply enjoying the science, and predicting what Senku is going to do with the materials he's gathered -- and she's usually right. Given that Mythbusters was primarily about producing replicable results, it makes sense that she would be thinking ahead to the materials' possible and probable uses as fitting in with Senku's larger goals.
But for all the scientific praise she gives the show, there are most definitely moments where she shakes her head and acknowledges the show's more... creative liberties taken with the subject matter. Whether it's a hilarious reaction shot, a quick cut to an imaginary cooking show or the more serious matter of getting a better look at the sparking gunpowder before running away, Byron is quick to point out the unrealistic nature of those scenes -- while still clearly enjoying them for the absurdity.
However, just like Dr. Stone and Mythbusters itself, the video ought to come with a strict "do not try this at home" clause, as Byron not only verifies Senku's black powder recipe but quickly pulls out her own bottle of the stuff to double-check the ingredient list and percentages. She also laments the fact that for the majority of the time, the characters aren't wearing any sort of protective gear.
Byron is even able to explain a few things that the show does not -- like what exactly the "Print Gocco" mentioned in Season 2, Episode 2, "Hot Line" is, and it's something that she personally owns. Basically, it's an accessory for screen-printing. It creates a stencil which can be painted over to create a design on t-shirts, paper and other items.
Finally, the video wraps up with Byron referring to Senku as "the ultimate Mythbuster," noting that he combines some of the best aspects of her team -- and for those familiar with the show and its hosts, it's not hard to see. He has enthusiasm, levelheadedness, integrity, ingenuity, and tenacity, making him a fun guy to hang out with as well as learn from. If Senku didn't already have a dream to become an astronaut or if some event took that dream off the table, it's only too easy to imagine anime's favorite science nerd hosting a Mythbusters-style show alongside Taiju and Yuzuriha, and having a blast doing it.
