Taking the functions of the human body and filtering them through a quirky anime exterior, Cells at Work! has become incredibly successful, a feat which it owes both to its unique look at bodily functions and surprising medical and scientific accuracy. The success of Cells at Work! has given rise to a growing body of spinoffs and sequels. Featuring different protagonists, ailments, life stages and bodily functions, these spinoffs have ranged from the innocuous tales about cute platelets to more adult stories about such things as erectile dysfunction.
While all of the spinoffs are certainly entertaining, some of them are more worthwhile than others. With Kodansha making three of the spinoffs available in digital editions this month, here's a look at each Cells at Work! spinoff (minus Cells at Work! Lady!, which is not currently available in English), and whether or not they're worth checking out.
Cells at Work!: Code Black
The first spinoff of the manga was Cells at Work!: Code Black, which launched in June 2018. The basic premise is very similar to the original series, though with different characters and a fairly ruinous twist. The protagonists are Erythrocyte AA2153 and Neutrophil U-1196, who are tasked with somehow keeping a rather burdened body going. Said body is racked with all sorts of ailments that are caused by its owner's unhealthy lifestyle, which includes drinking, smoking and a lot of stress. These take their toll and cause havoc for the blood cells behind-the-scenes. This is in contrast to the main series, where many of the ailments are caused by outside forces, such as viruses.
True to its name, Code Black is grittier and grimmer than the main series and tackles darker themes, as well as more adult anatomical content. The word "black" in the title also references stressful working environments in Japan, which are partially responsible for some of the ailments seen in Code Black. Overall, Code Black one of the best spinoffs for the franchise as a whole, and definitely worth checking out. The series will be receiving an anime adaptation in 2021.
Cells at Work!: Baby!
Debuting last October in Kodansha's Morning magazine, Cells at Work!: Baby! fittingly deals with the biological functions of an infant. The series begins 40 weeks after conception, and the cast of cells in this one are all childishly diminutive. Given their small stature and the fact that they're in a baby, none of the cells really know what to do or what their jobs are. Together, they have to quickly discover what their function is in time for their host baby's birth. Given that the premise revolves around the cells all trying to learn their particular functions, it serves as a sort of biological prequel to the rest of the series. This alone makes Cells at Work! Baby! worth checking out.
Platelets at Work!
While they are relatively minor in the main series, the child-like platelets are given center stage in Platelets at Work!. The series is written by Yuuko Kakihara, who coordinated the writing on the main series' anime adaptation. Platelets at Work! only lasted a few brief chapters. Given its apparent premise of coasting off of the platelets' adorable nature, it's perhaps the most easily forgettable of the series. While a fun and cute read, Platelets at Work! is definitely more of a supplement, and much less of a must.
Bacteria at Work!
Perhaps the most unique spinoff has been Bacteria at Work!, which began serialization in 2017 and will conclude this month. As opposed to the more negative, invasive portrayal given to bacteria in the main series, this spinoff has more humanoid bacteria. The premise features good and bad bacteria waging war in the intestinal tract of a teenage girl. Pathogens and foreign invaders also appear throughout to get in on the fun, creating a riotous battle in the belly of a human being.
Bacteria at Work! offers a more humanized and nuanced look at bacteria within the franchise, making it, just like Code Black, much more than just supplemental material to the main series. Instead, Bacteria at Work! is easily the best spinoff the franchise has to offer.
Cells at Work and Friends!
Cells at Work and Friends! is a spinoff starring a Killer T Cell who has grown weary of his life of harsh combat. While many of the other spinoffs tend to showcase drama, Cells at Work and Friends! focuses more on character drama and comedy. Although it's still mostly accurate scientifically and medically, this spinoff does have the effect of diminishing the franchise's edutainment value. Thus, while it's certainly a funny read, Cells at Work and Friends! has the same fault as Platelets! in that it focuses more on a gimmicky concept than truly fleshing out what made the series so great.
Cells NOT at Work!
Cells NOT at Work!, also known as Cells That Don't Work!, looks at a body in which a blood cell is particularly dysfunction. In this case, it's an erythroblast that does not want to work to become a red blood cell. This erythroblast is violently defiant in his laziness, to the chagrin of a Macrophage who attempts to get him to work. The lazy erythroblast has the appearance of a bum, and the general spot-on characterization of bodily dysfunctions makes Cells NOT at Work! just as good as Bacteria at Work! in regards to fleshing out the body.