“Cells at Work” Creator Akane Shimizu Releases Special Illustration to Support Stay Home Campaign

To be quite honest, a Cells at Work: Coronovirus Edition would be such a fitting release for this season. But while we’re not getting that yet—damn January 2021 seems so far away—we’ll have to content ourselves with this special illustration released by series author Akane Shimizu.

The illustration above, which fittingly shows the over-zealous White Blood Cell (with a face mask on!) on the lookout for coronavirus, was posted by the official Twitter account of the Cells at Work series. The image was accompanied by a message from Shimizu, which translates to English as:

“Your cells are fighting germs and viruses inside you to protect you. It’s your turn to protect the people around you by staying home now.”

The text in the box, meanwhile, simply reminds people not to forget to wash their hands, to always rinse their mouth, and to always wear a mask.

Written and illustrated by Akane Shimizu, Cells at Work! was first serialized in Kodansha’s Monthly Shonen Sirius in 2015. It features the anthromorphized cells of the human body, with the story mostly told from the perspective of a clumsy but lovable Red Blood Cell along with her reliable friend Neutrophil, who almost always ends up saving her from pathogens. The series depicts their daily activities and respective responsibilities as cells in the human body.

The manga series has already received several spinoff mangas, such as Hataraku Saikin (Bacteria at Work), Hatarakanai Saibou (Cells That Don’t Work), Hataraku Saibou BLACK (Cells at Work! Black), Hataraku Saibou Friend, Hataraku Kesshouban-chan (Platelets at Work), and the latest, Hataraku Saibou Lady (Cells at Work! Lady).

Cells at Work!’s first season, which was produced by David Productions, aired from July to September 2018. Its success among fans had led to a stage play adaptation that ran last November and a mobile game entitled Itsudemo Hataraku Saibou.

The series’ second season is set to adapt Cells at Work! Code Black, which tackles how cells work in a body that is not healthy. The series is slated for a January 2021 release.

Source: Anime News Network