Cells at Work! Episode 7: Copying Error

The seventh episode of Cells at Work! adapts a chapter from the manga that I have been quite looking forward to seeing animated. It is quite the foe that the cells have to deal with in this particular episode. Let’s see if it lived up to my expectations.Before picking up from where the previous episode left off, we see Red Blood Cell experiencing a few bad omens.When we return to NK Cell, the regular Cell reveals his true form: he is actually a Cancer Cell. NK begins to fight Cancer Cell.

Cancer Cell

NK begins to fight Cancer Cell, and quickly discovers that he is a tough opponent. She asks him why he didn’t cause havoc in a public place, but Cancer Cell refuses to give her answers.

White Blood Cell fights the cancer

Elsewhere, White Blood Cell and Killer T Cell are doing some investigation of their own. They end up discovering that the enemy that they have to face this time is cancer – just as a horde of enemies attack. As the two fight, NK Cell comes flying in from out of nowhere. Cancer Cell is pursuing her.

Cancer Cell overwhelms the three Immune Cells

With White Blood Cell, Killer T and NK all gathered together, Cancer Cell reveals he wants the Immune Cells to feel what it is like to be ganged up on and killed. He completely overwhelms the three of them, giving us the scene in the screenshot above.

Red Blood Cell and a Platelet

We go back to Red Blood Cell, who happens upon other Red Blood Cells delivering huge amounts of nutrients to one specific place. She and her senpai decide to help out, though they quickly regret peeking into the housing complex where the nutrients are being delivered.

Young Cancer Cell

Going back to Cancer Cell, the Immune Cells may be down but they are not out. They get back up to try and fight their enemy, but struggle to do so. Cancer Cell doesn’t know why he has to die – he was born that way.
As soon as he came into the world, he was being hunted down by Immune Cells. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but he was treated as a defective thing that had to be eliminated.

Metastasis

White Blood Cell, Killer T and NK are still unable to put a halt to Cancer Cell. He prepares to move on to spread throughout the body – this process is called metastasis.

Reinforcements arrive

Before Cancer Cell can go anywhere, though, reinforcements arrive – a group of Immune Cells. Red Blood Cell was the one who gathered all the other Immune Cells. The tables soon turn on Cancer Cell. NK Cell also activates herself through laughter.

Activated NK Cell

When you laugh, neurotransmitters called “neuropeptides” are rapidly produced. These chemicals attach themselves to NK Cells, activating them. In other words, it turns out that laughter might actually be the best medicine. NK cuts through the enemies, before finally incapacitating Cancer Cell. She gets White Blood Cell to finish him off.

The defeated Cancer Cell

White Blood Cell goes to put an end to Cancer Cell, but stays his knife for a short while to talk to him. Cancer Cell was born due to someone else’s mistake, hunted by the Immune Cells that should have been his friends and now will disappear without a trace.
Regardless, White Blood Cell has to kill Cancer Cell – it is his job. Before Cancer Cell is killed, he ominously suggests that he will return someday.
With the threat of Cancer Cell eliminated, this episode comes to an end.

This episode adapted chapter 9 of the manga, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. Out of the character designs, Cancer Cell’s is up there as one of my favourites from Cells at Work!.
It’s not just his design that is good about him, though. He’s a sympathetic character, who suffered through absolutely no fault of his own. It’s odd, but Cells at Work! gets its audience feeling sorry for cancer – or, rather, the character of Cancer Cell.
Cancer Cell’s last words were ominous, though left somewhat vague. The English translation of the manga is more direct about Cancer Cell stating his intention to return to the body and kill the Immune Cells.

This is probably my favourite episode of Cells at Work! to date. Cancer Cell is an interesting character, and NK Cell being heavily involved in this particular plot is a nice bonus as well.