What is the Japanese Series ‘Cells at Work’ All About?

A different kind of anthropomorphic anime! People who like Japanese animation are certainly familiar with the term anthropomorphism. In the world of animation, many different types of ‘anthropomorphism’ have been depicted, including text, everyday objects, weather, emotions, etc. Continuing on from this tradition, in the 2015 “Monthly Shonen Sirius”, a new popular ‘anthropomorphic work’ appeared – the manga series ‘Cells at Work!’

The Vibrant, Hidden Setting of Cells at Work!

The original manga series of Cells at Work! began in 2015, and a related anime produced by the animation company David Production started its broadcast from 2018. The main draw of this series is the anthropomorphism of the cells that we all have within our bodies. With interesting and humorous scenarios, we can learn more about the daily operation of our bodies, the importance of the various cells in our bodies from the perspective of the stories and experiences of the red blood cell protagonist. This fun series exhibits an impressive amount of knowledge about how the cells in the human body operate!

What Makes Cells at Work! So Fun To Read?

The story of Cells at Work! begins with the daily routine of the protagonist AE3803, who is a female red blood cell. Like other cells, she does not have a personal name in the same way that a human would. However, AE3803 does have other nicknames, such as ‘Senpai’ or ‘Big Sister Red Blood Cell’. Different red blood cells have different personalities, and AE3803’s personality is particularly reckless, with her often getting lost in the blood vessels. Although she often delivers the wrong goods, and encounters germs and other crises, every time AE3803 seems to be rescued by the same white blood cell, who is responsible for removing the germs. But don’t mistake this part of Cells at Work! for a love story! Because white blood cells can travel to various parts of the body very quickly, this is another big reason why they are able to save AE3803 every time they come to clear the germs!

In the story, in addition to the main red blood cell and white blood cell characters that were just mentioned, there are also many other cells with strong personalities that are responsible for different tasks in the body, such as the child-like Platelet like children, the muscle-bound Killer T Cell, the motherly Macrophage and more! These unique personalities will all appear over the course of the protagonist red blood cell’s everyday routine. Simply by reading the deeply thought out story of Cells at Work!, readers can easily gain a deeper understanding of their own bodies, while watching fun interpretations of the interesting daily life of their cells!

Five Major Cells at Work! Characters

Red Blood Cell / AE3803

The heroine cell of this story, Red Blood Cell is a girl with short red hair who sports the ID number of AE3803. She has a gentle and cheerful personality, but at the same time can be a bit absent-minded. Her main job is to manage the daily transportation of nutrients, oxygen or carbon dioxide. Her uniform coat and hat can be worn on both sides, with the bright red side facing outwards when she is transporting oxygen and nutrients, and the dark red side when she is transporting carbon dioxide. She has a bad habit of constantly getting lost.

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White Blood Cell / U-1146

Assigned with the ID number U-1146, this white blood cell often appears to save Red Blood Cell. His uniform, skin and hair are all white. With striking eyes, the dreadful aura he gives off when clearing the area of germs is so terrible that even the protagonist AE3803 wants to escape many times. Although he does not have his own name, like other white blood cells, he is generally called ‘Mr. White Blood Cell’. He usually seems to have an indifferent expression, but he is in fact very gentle and relaxed, always trying to take care of others.

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Killer T Cell

This muscular man possesses the most powerful combat ability in the immune system setting of Cells at Work! He is mainly responsible for dealing with special types of tough bacteria and virus-infected cells. Although He works in a similar manner to white blood cells, he is more fierce than the typical image people have of white blood cells.

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Macrophage

Macrophage is part of a special order of white blood cells whose main tasks include the destruction of foreign substances and the clearing of dying cells. She looks like a white Gothic maid, normally dressed as a noble and courteous woman. Some of her main characteristics are her polite, smiling demeanor, which hide the strange powers and killing techniques that are inconsistent with her appearance.

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Platelet

The childlike Platelet’s job is to close the wound when the body is injured from the outside or inside when an injury occurs, and to quickly stop bleeding. This platelet team leader with long blond hair has a close relationship with the main protagonists Red Blood Cell and White Blood Cell.

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Cells at Work! is suitable for viewers of any age, with its fans ranging from children to adults. In recent years, the story of Cells at Work! has become even more relevant as recent pandemics have given people much more interest in learning more about their own bodies. If you want to take a look for yourself, it’s a learning experience that you won’t soon forget!