One of the most surprising anime hits of 2018 was undoubtedly Cells at Work! (Hataraku Saibou), an incredible and informative series that answered the unasked question “what if someone made an Osmosis Jones anime?” The inventive series about humanized versions of the cells in your body running around a giant immune-system city and battling dangerous infection creatures was equal parts entertaining and educational, quickly becoming a huge hit for producers Aniplex. Now, we know when we can expect even more stylish cell-focused action to become available, as Cells at Work! is set to hit the big screen with a feature-length film this September.
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Released via the official Twitter account for Cells at Work!, a new trailer announced the special theatrical premiere happening on September 5th (a YouTube link is also available but does not work outside of Japan). With the incredibly long title Special Screening Edition: “Cells at Work!” The Return of the Strongest Enemy. A Huge Uproar Inside the Body’s “Bowels!” (Tokubetsu Jōei-ban “Hataraku Saibō!!” Saikyō no Teki, Futatabi. Karada no Naka wa “Chō” Ōsawagi!), the theatrical debut for the series is a full-length feature-film version of one of the arcs from season 2 of the show, based on a story from volume 5 of the original manga. Since the 2nd season of the anime isn’t set to premiere until 2021, fans will be able to catch an early glimpse of the action with this film’s release.
The film, as well as the upcoming second season, are both produced at David Productions, the anime studio responsible for the incredibly popular ongoing Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure anime. Hirofumi Ogura, who previously directed Black Butler II and Null & Peta, is set to be the new director of the second season and the theatrical anime. Yuuko Kakihara is once again writing and overseeing scripts for the series, while Takahiko Yoshida is returning as character designer and Kenichiro Suehiro is once again composing the music. The voice acting cast from the first season will also be reprising their roles in season two of Cells at Work!
The original anime premiered in July of 2018, running for 13 episodes in total. Aniplex of America streamed the series on Crunchyroll while it aired, with Funimation later adding the show in February. Then, in August, the anime localization company released Cells at Work! on Blu-ray Disc with an English dub. An OVA special for the series debuted in December of 2018, and is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Aniplex of America describes the series as follows:
This is a story about you. A tale about the inside of your body…
Enter the fascinating world inside your body where roughly 37.2 trillion cells work hard for you 24 hours a day and 365 days a year! The cell-sational action comedy Cells at Work! that has garnered praises from a wide array of audiences, from casual viewers to professionals in the medical field is the latest hit edutainment now on Blu-ray. The show is available with English audio, while also showcasing the English version of the opening theme song in each episode. Carry, fix, fight! Don’t miss out on your chance to own the only series starring your Cells at Work!
The original manga was launched by Shimuzu back in March of 2015 in Kodansha’s Monthly Shonen Sirius magazine, with the company going on to release the series in compiled volumes and shipping the fifth volume in Japan in August of 2017. Kodansha Comics publishes the manga in English, and also released the localized fifth volume of the manga in November of 2017. A huge variety of spinoff manga have been inspired by the series, such as Bacteria at Work, Cells That Don’t Work, Cells at Work! Code Black, Platelets at Work, Cells at Work! Baby, and Cells at Work! Lady. That’s a whole lot of cells.
