CELLS AT WORK!

In Cells at Work!, the main characters are red blood cell AE3803 (Mei Nagano), whose main job is carrying oxygen, and her pal U-1146 (Takeru Satoh), a white blood cell whose main job is fighting bacteria. AE3803 and U-1146 are just two of the 37 trillion cells in the human body, all working day and night to protect human health.

We see them help high schooler Niko Urushizaki (Mana Ashida) fight a cold, and help her heavy-smoker/drinker dad Shigeru (Sadawo Abe) fight a variety of unhealthy lifestyle-related problems. The cells in Niko's body are always working happily, but those in Shigeru's body are exhausted from the harsh working conditions and seem ready to revolt. When pathogens arrive to invade their bodies, the battle of the cells begins.

While the production design is the film’s most extravagantly thrilling feature, it also aims to keep viewers engaged in other ways. Those who love Takeru Satoh from Rurouni Kenshin, for example, will understand why the action sequences are so acrobatically staggering (they’re also choreographed by Takahito Ouchi).

But perhaps it’s the film’s work hard and you will be rewarded message that viewers respond to most. As James Hadfield put it in his Japan Times review, “Hideki Takeuchi’s film depicts a thriving society in which everyone has a valuable role to play and cooperation is the key to keeping malign forces at bay.”