In an age of scientific innovations, we're lucky to have two great science-themed anime in recent years: Dr. Stone and Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It. While both anime tell unique and compelling stories dealing with the scientific method, they're also very different genres and styles.
While comparing which is the better anime overall might be difficult, there is a clear answer to the question of which series does a better job teaching viewers about science.
Dr. Stone
Dr. Stone has set the bar high since its debut in 2019. An original take on the post-apocalypse genre, Dr. Stone centers around Senku, a high-school genius who specializes in all things science, as he traverses the Stone World. Thousands of years after a mysterious attack on the planet that turned everything and everyone into stone, Senku uses science to bring "old world" technology back into play. His rival, Tsukasa, wants to usher in a new world built of only the best people, determined by him and him only. Senku uses science to wage war against him and thus the plot unfolds.
Dr. Stone focuses on Senku recreating inventions lost to time, such as ramen, gunpowder, and sulfa-drugs. While the scientific concepts are loosely based on factual information, the way the anime presents it is very broad and easy to digest - perfect for an entertaining anime. Dr. Stone uses "Road Maps for Science," visual diagrams of how Senku gets from simple ingredients to complicated inventions. It brings the scientific concepts to their bare bones and generally explains how the inventions are to be created, step-by-step.
Science Fell In Love, So I Tried to Prove It
Science Fell In Love is a very different type of anime, in contrast. It's predominantly a romance, focusing on the developing feelings between Yukimura and Himuro, two researchers at a university. The couple's goal is to scientifically quantify love and its conditions through extensive research and experiments. To explain complicated scientific concepts to the viewers, some scenes feature a grad-capped Science Bear who breaks down the real, scientific information featured in the anime.
Dr. Stone or Science Fell In Love, Which Is the Better Science Anime?
While Dr. Stone does a fantastic job at integrating science into an action-filled plot rather seamlessly, the scientific information it gives viewers is drastically toned-down and only used in circumstances that are unwise and unlikely to replicate. On the other hand, Science Fell In Love clearly and concisely explains the science being used and how it's being used. It's very easy to understand and can be applied to any situation where research and experimentation are central.
Overall, Science Fell In Love is superior in terms of its actual science content. While Dr. Stone enthusiastically emphasizes the positive effects of scientific innovation, it falls flat when it tries to accurately explain how the inventions are made and how the scientific method actually works. Science Fell In Love provides a better grasp of scientific concepts and even real-world problems that still stump scientists to this day. At the end of the day, they're both excellent anime, but as far as which one conveys difficult concepts to the viewers more effectively, Science Fell In Love wins this competition.
