English Dub Review: Cells at Work! “Bump”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

After killing another germ on patrol, White Blood Cell U-1146 frightens a lost platelet with a backwards cap on her head. Her lack of directional sense and accident-prone self reminds the White Blood Cell of Red Blood Cell AE3803. The platelet explains how she’s training to get stronger as their master, Megakaryocytes berates her for holding the group back. After a bit of encouragement from White Blood Cell, they make their way out of the white blood cell migration route.

Meanwhile, Red Blood Cell after another delivery runs into another White Blood Cell who asks about White Blood Cell. They chat about White Blood Cell before Red Blood continues her route. Later she runs into White Blood Cell with the platelet. Before they could chat, the grounds breaks and sends everyone up in the air. The platelet with the backwards cap joins the other platelets to resolve the bump. The Megakaryocyte shows up and motivates the platelets with the promise of a gold medal. The platelet with a backwards cap shows growth by risking her life for the last coagulation factor. They stabilize the disaster and Megakaryocyte awards them all with gold medals.

 

Our Take:

This first episode of Cells at Work season two leans more to the cute and heartwarming than the violent bloody scenes from the White Blood Cells. The English dub opening is a nice surprise. It reminds me of old Saturday morning shows. The episode features the Megakaryocyte, the cell that produces platelets, and the conflict as a bump.

It starts off with a normal day in the body with every cell doing its task to keep the body healthy. White Blood Cell terrifying the platelet was hilarious when he profusely apologizes. Then there’s the little platelet’s struggle to improve herself which is adorable when she’s explaining it to White Blood Cell. The anime cranks the cuteness level to the max with the platelet’s stumbles and working together with other platelets. There’s also White Blood Cell cheering the little platelet on much to his friend’s confusion and it’s hilarious coupled with the fact that they get stuck to the fibrin and don’t get to fight germs cause there’s no hole. Red Blood Cell being sent flying during the incident was amusing.

Megakaryocyte appears to be the scary teacher at first, but her second appearance at the chaotic scene while carrying a baby definitely was adorable. When she motivates the platelets with the gold medal, it works given how young they are. The platelets being that pumped up over the gold medal was hilariously frightening with their speed. Her comments on the actions of the leader platelet and platelet with the backwards cap were good. Despite her scary demeanor, the Megakaryocyte does care about her little platelets as seen with her talk with the platelet with the backwards cap.

Overall it was a good episode to kick off the second season. The cuteness of the platelets is overwhelming and I look forward to more adventures inside the human body.