Cells at Work!

Cells at Work! (Japanese: はたらく細胞, Hepburn: Hataraku Saibō) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akane Shimizu. The story anthropomorphizes the cells of the human body, focusing on characters like red blood cell AE3803 and white blood cell U-1146 as they work to keep the body healthy. Originally a short story by Shimizu called “The Story of Cells”, the manga began serialization in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Sirius in March 2015 and concluded in March 2021. The series is acclaimed for its unique perspective and engaging characters, making the complex workings of the human body accessible to a wide audience. Beyond the manga, the franchise has expanded into anime, spin-off manga, novels, and more, and has even been adopted by educators to help students understand human physiology.