Cells at Work: Putting a New Spin on Slice of Life
Cells at work is an anime written by Yuko Kakihara and Kenichi Suzuki that follows a red blood cell, humanized, as she moves through a human body doing her job. It is a classic slice-of-life anime, on a microscopic scale, in that she deals with everyday problems and does not have a dramatic quest.
Cells at Work is an episodic show with no real overarching narratives. Each episode deals with one disease and has no bearing on the previous or following episodes. That being said they are not wholly self-contained. There is minor character development that carries over into the following episodes, but there is no main drive or throughline to the plot.
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It may be surprising to learn that there is no romantic subplot in this anime, neither between the main characters nor among any of the side characters. When viewed within the lens of the story that it is telling this makes sense. Cells reproduce asexually and therefore have no need for romance. However, for an anime with a male and female lead, the lack of any romantic hinting is quite unique. Red Blood Cell and White Blood Cell do have a healthy friendship and grow quite familiar with each other throughout the course of the show though.
The main character is Red Blood Cell, a quirky, easily confused, new blood cell. The audience gets to watch as she learns her way through the circulatory system with the help of other cells, primarily other types of blood and immune cells. Her bumbling nature is charming especially when it is framed as a constant drive to improve. Not once is Red Blood Cell discouraged by her troubles, despite facing many on her way to becoming a fully capable red blood cell. One episode is even entirely dedicated to her struggle for self-improvement.
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