Few anime series have captured the spirit of scientific discovery with as much energy and imagination as Dr. Stone. What began with Senku Ishigami using nothing more than his wits to restart civilization from a stone age has since evolved into a sprawling saga of engineering, chemistry, and interplanetary ambition. The current season, Dr. Stone Science Future Season 4 Cour 3, pushes the story further than ever, with Senku and the Kingdom of Science setting their sights on the moon. To understand how the series manages to make dense scientific exposition, eccentric characterization, and high-stakes diplomacy feel so alive, there is no better source than the actors who voice its two most intellectually formidable characters. Aaron Dismuke, the English voice of Senku, and Brandon McInnis, the English voice of Gen Asagiri, recently sat down to discuss their craft, their approaches to the material, and how they have watched their characters grow alongside the story itself.
The Craft Behind Two of Anime’s Sharpest Minds
Bringing a character like Senku to life requires more than a confident delivery of scientific jargon. Dismuke explained that the scripts are an essential foundation, but preparation is what makes the performance land. Senku, over the course of the series, has played an extraordinary range of roles within the story itself. He has been a military officer, a mecha pilot, an alien, and even a pack of anthropomorphized bacteria. He cackles, he schemes, and he delivers multi-paragraph breakdowns of complex engineering problems with the same energy he brings to a triumphant proclamation. Dismuke noted that the only advantage he has over Senku is time. He can read ahead, plan his approach, and track the character’s emotional and intellectual arc across episodes. This is not a habit he applies to every role, but specifically for characters that intimidate him. When the thought of a recording session makes him nervous, he reads. Senku, he said, contains multitudes.
For Brandon McInnis, the challenge of voicing Gen Asagiri is equally distinct. Gen is a mentalist, a master of psychology and manipulation who uses charm, misdirection, and keen emotional insight to achieve his goals. Unlike Senku, whose power lies in raw knowledge, Gen operates through social engineering. McInnis described drawing on techniques he has used for villainous roles in the past, because Gen does many of the same things that antagonists do—redirecting attention, planting ideas, reading people—but he does them for a positive end. The key, McInnis said, is to be entertaining. Gen disarms people, takes them on a little journey, and guides them toward an outcome that usually serves the greater good. That tension between manipulative method and altruistic intent is what makes the character so compelling to perform.
Making Scientific Monologues Feel Natural
One of the most frequently asked questions about performing Senku is how an actor handles long, technically dense explanations without losing the audience. Dismuke offered a detailed and practical answer. The most important step, he explained, is to understand the material at a base level. He will ask for a minute to read through a complex passage before recording. Once he understands the logic of the explanation, he focuses on which information is new and which is already established. If a sentence refers to a tank that was mentioned three paragraphs earlier, the emphasis goes on the word “septic” rather than “tank,” because the audience already knows a tank is involved. Hitting the new information and letting the old information sit in the background is what makes the speech sound like a person actively building an understanding in real time, rather than reciting a textbook. If an actor does not listen to themselves this way, Dismuke observed, the performance sounds disconnected from the scene.
This technique is especially important for a series like Dr. Stone, where the science is not background flavor but the central engine of the plot. Every invention, from a simple battery to a Geiger counter to a spacecraft, is explained in enough detail that a viewer could plausibly understand the principle behind it. The voice actor’s job is to make that explanation feel like a natural part of the character’s thought process, not a lecture delivered to the audience. Dismuke’s method of tracking old and new information ensures that even the most elaborate monologue retains a sense of forward momentum and clarity.
How the Kingdom of Science Has Transformed Its Characters
Over the course of the series, both Senku and Gen have undergone significant emotional and ideological development. McInnis reflected that Gen, at the beginning of the story, came across as deeply self-centered. His skills were tools for personal survival and advantage. Over time, however, Gen has become far more community-oriented. That growth, McInnis noted, is one of the most rewarding aspects of the character. Gen still loves modern conveniences—air conditioning, cell phones, the comforts of a rebuilt world—but his motivations have expanded beyond personal comfort to include the well-being of the people around him.
Dismuke offered a broader reading of the same theme. He described a way to track a person’s values by measuring how large they see their tribe. Some people can only afford to care about themselves. Others expand that circle to include family. What Dismuke has watched with Senku and the Kingdom of Science is that tribe growing until it covers the entire world. In some rational sense, he believes Senku always saw all of humanity as his tribe. That ambition, that greed in Senku’s own words, was always there. But over time, it has become more real, more concrete. The character has even learned to let go of power. Dismuke pointed out that Senku would never call himself the king of science. He would say that science was the king, and that he was simply the person who could speak to that king most fluently. And in a recent turning point, when the Kingdom of Science had to decide between building a two-way rocket or a one-way rocket, Senku put the decision to a vote. He let everyone decide their own fate, and his along with it. That moment, Dismuke said, showed that Senku is learning to trust people in a way he never had to before.
What the Voice Actors Would Do in the Stone World
When asked how they would fare if they were thrust into the world of Dr. Stone, both actors offered answers that were characteristically honest and humorous. McInnis admitted he would not be as elegant or successful as Gen, and certainly not as capable as Senku. He would be fending for his life. Dismuke, after a moment of clarification, laughed and said that if he were alongside the other characters, they would take care of him. McInnis quickly volunteered for emotional support duty and firewood carrying. Dismuke agreed, adding that he is good at finding good sticks. The exchange captured something essential about the series itself: the Kingdom of Science functions because every member contributes something, even if that contribution is as humble as carrying firewood or keeping spirits up.
The interview offers a rare glimpse into the discipline, creativity, and emotional intelligence that goes into performing two of modern anime’s most distinctive characters. Dismuke’s methodical approach to Senku’s scientific monologues and his attention to the character’s ideological growth reveal an actor who treats the role as a continuous intellectual and emotional challenge. McInnis’s ability to draw on villainous techniques for a heroic mentalist shows a performer who understands that character motivation is more important than alignment. And both actors clearly share a deep appreciation for how Dr. Stone uses science not just as a plot device, but as a framework for exploring what it means to build a community, to trust others, and to pursue knowledge for the benefit of everyone. Dr. Stone Science Future Season 4 Cour 3 airs every Thursday at 7:00 AM PT / 10:00 AM ET on Crunchyroll, bringing the story of the Kingdom of Science ever closer to its lunar destination.
