English Dub Review: Cells at Work! “Acquired Immunity/Peyer’s Patch”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

In “Acquired Immunity” the Memory Cell recalls a memory and mistakes it as a vision of the future. Then an army of mumps appears and the cells struggle to keep up with the growing army. While the white blood cells hold the mumps back B Cell and Memory Cell search for the records for the specific virus. They find it and use acquired immunity to defeat the army of mumps. The rest of the cells find out about Memory Cell’s mishap and start blaming him.

In “Peyer’s Patch” White Blood Cell U-1146 is at odds with Killer T Cell as he is going to get the Red Blood Cells their tea in the small intestine. Then a group of bacteria called the Campylobacter invades and takes a hostage. Their leader threatens the White Blood Cells with the hostage and White Blood Cell accepts their demands. The group of White Blood Cells lures the viruses into a trap with their bad acting. They successfully eliminate the viruses with the trap. Killer T Cell admits White Blood Cell is capable of completing the task when needed. White Blood Cell rushes off after remembering that the Red Blood Cells are waiting for their tea

Our Take:

This episode balances between character relationships and dealing with a specific type of virus while giving out educational details about it. The comedy of the cell’s antics doesn’t get old with the variety of situations that these cells deal with every day. The episode is simplistic enough for people to remember the details of the cells and the villains.

Its first half is about the mumps virus and the body’s acquired immunity for the body via a vaccine. The episode goes in-depth on what a vaccine is, weakened pathogens that the body uses to gain immunity. The Memory Cell’s delusion that he’s a prophet is hilarious. Especially when Memory Cell reveals that his vision is an old memory of a vaccine. I do enjoy the dynamic between the Memory cell and B Cell as B Cell attempts to get Memory Cell to snap out of his prophet mode. Furthermore, it’s pretty cool how B Cell’s tool transformed into a mega shooter for the mumps disease. Speaking of the mumps virus, the virus gives the effect of swelling cheeks to those infected by it. It’s amusing to see the characteristics of the virus on these humanoid viruses.

In “Peyer’s Patch” the cell is in the small intestine where bacteria can easily invade thanks to the thin membrane. U-1146 runs into Killer T Cell who doesn’t like his soft attitude when it’s their priority to kill viruses. I did enjoy the irony of Killer T Cell’s words about viruses attacking as one crashes to the window. It’s a standard workplace conflict between White Blood Cell and Killer T Cell. Furthermore, it shows how committed the two are to the job albeit with different perspectives. The villain for the day, the Campylobacter, and their gang taking an Intestinal Epithelial Cell as a hostage which indirectly solves their opposing perspectives with them working together.

The White Blood Cells humiliation was amusing with their bad acting and it comes out in their voice acting. The Campylobacter falls into their trap predictably enough. In addition, I do enjoy the subtle hints afterward with the White Blood Cells communicating to the other cells about luring the viruses into the Peyer’s Patch. The Peyer’s Patch is an immune tissue and the M Cell, which traps bacteria and viruses, covers it. It’s an interesting take with the bar setup and M Cell being the bartender. The food disguises were hilarious as well and I enjoyed how Helper T Cell was eating a cherry as the others beat up the viruses with their disguises still on.

Overall it was an enjoyable episode with funny moments and explanations on the villain of the day. Furthermore, I hope we get to see the cute colorful bean-shaped creatures with the ordinary cell in the opening soon. Right now the show is starting out with its daily hijinks with short moments of trouble. Hopefully, there will be a long conflict for these cells to deal with like the Cancer cell as implied by the opening.