When introducing an anime, it is essential to rank the popular characters! Popularity polls for Cells at Work are held on various websites, but the rankings seem to vary greatly based on personal preference. So this time, I will rank the popular characters based on my personal preferences! I will introduce popular characters regardless of gender, from cute heroines to male characters and viruses that the cells have killed.
10th place: Streptococcus pneumoniae
The 10th place is Streptococcus pneumoniae, who appeared in the memorable first episode. "From today, this is our country!!" said the pneumococci as they arrived in high spirits, but about 30 seconds later, a large number of them were wiped out by the white blood cells. In the first episode of the anime, we were paying attention to how the battle would unfold, but the scene where the white blood cell snaps at the pneumococci and kills them with a knife, calling them "bastard germs!!", left a big impact. The viewers were surprised and asked, "Is that how he's going to fight bacteria from now on?!" (laughs)
Most of them were killed easily, but the pneumococcus was actually terrifying
The pneumococcus was almost destroyed within 30 seconds of its first appearance, but one managed to get into the bloodstream and escape. However, since it was easily defeated and escaped, you might think it's a weak character, but when pneumococcus enters the bloodstream, it can suddenly cause a high fever or a terrifying disease called bacterial meningitis. In this world where the immune system is weakened, it takes control of the organs and brain in about 24 hours to destroy the world... in other words, it leads to death. However, in the end, he disappears in a comical scene where he is blown out of the body by "sneezing" while screaming.
9th place: NK cell
In 9th place is the boyish NK cell. He is a big sister type and even plays with the mischievous Killer T cell. He has a bad mouth and often fights with Killer T cell, but in terms of ability, NK cell is one step ahead. Not only is she skilled in combat, she also has a talent for reasoning, and even when the cancer cells were disguised as normal cells, the NK cells noticed their true identity from the beginning. Being a big sister type, she is able to settle things with the cancer cells on her own, and she even keeps the unaware white blood cells and killer T cells away so they don't get caught up in it. She says, "Even if the weak ones stand up to us, they'll only get hurt," which shows that the NK cells tried to protect the two in their own way.
8th place: Effector T cell (formerly naive T cell)
In 8th place is the effector T cell, who has been treated as a complete joke character. He was originally a naive T cell, a dropout character, but he was awakened by a dendritic cell that told him that the other T cells were also originally naive T cells like himself. He transforms from a weak boy into a rugged physique and a strong face. His entrance scene is a spectacular one, where he breaks down a wall and divides to save the cells from a crisis attacked by a large number of influenza viruses! He overwhelmed the influenza with a completely Jojo-like character and fighting style.
The tragic end of the effector T cell, thought to be the strongest
It seemed like a happy ending, as the killer T cell recognized him as a full-fledged member of the team thanks to his overwhelming performance, but at the end, the effector T cell appeared, looking just like the weak influenza, and said, "Let's wipe him out with one blow so he doesn't have to suffer." He hits the influenza with his flags fully open. As expected, the influenza was a mutated type A, unlike the type B influenza that they had been fighting so far, and the effector T cells were blown away with one hand, and then reverted to their weak and naive form.
7th place: Red blood cells
The 7th place is the heroine of this work, Red Blood Cell. She is a very popular character, partly because she is played by popular voice actress Kana Hanazawa. She is a character that should have been ranked higher, but she doesn't have many prominent scenes, so she is in 7th place this time... She has a tendency to get into trouble easily, and getting lost is a daily occurrence. He encounters white blood cell "No. 1146" many times, even though he usually doesn't encounter him that often because he gets into so much trouble. The two also met in their childhood (when they were erythroblasts), when the red blood cell got lost and was attacked by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but the white blood cell saved him.
6th place: White blood cell (neutrophil)
In sixth place is the main character of this work, white blood cell No. 1146! He generally has a calm personality, but when faced with bacteria or viruses, his personality changes completely, and he mercilessly attacks with a knife while yelling abuse such as "You bastard germ!" and "Die!". He generally has no emotions and may seem unsociable at first glance, but he has a serious personality and will return a very polite greeting if you greet him politely. He has a strong sense of justice since he was a child, and when bacteria or other creatures appear, he is the first to fight on the front lines, fighting until he is covered in blood, making him a popular character.
A rather dull character for the main character?
White Blood Cell is basically expressionless, and his head, clothes, and skin are all white, so there is nothing particularly notable about his appearance. The number 1146 also comes from the wordplay "good white", and to be honest, if you just look at his appearance and name, you get the impression that he is more of a mob character than a protagonist. In fact, White Blood Cell was originally based on "Number 1116" that appeared in the one-shot version, but the author has stated that he did not think he was a very important character and wrote him as he pleased. However, white blood cells are very popular with readers and even become the main character in this work... They are characters who rise from being treated as mob characters to being the main character (lol)
5th place: Eosinophil
The fifth place is eosinophil, who is not used to being praised! He is a member of the white blood cells and when bacteria appear, he bravely fights with a forked spear in his hand... but contrary to his sense of justice, he has no fighting ability and is always useless. Therefore, he is treated as useless by red blood cells and ordinary cells and spends his days in frustration. Such eosinophil plays an active role in the fourth episode of the anime, when a parasite appears! Eosinophil was not effective against bacteria, but that was because he was a white blood cell specialized for parasites. He singlehandedly took down the giant parasite "Anikisus" that other white blood cells could not do anything about, and his reputation among those around him soared. He usually has a cool personality, but he is not used to being praised, so he blushes and becomes lovey-dovey at this moment. This is the cutest scene of Eosinophil, so don't miss episode 4 of the anime!
4th place: Macrophage
In 4th place is the violent angel Macrophage. She is a beautiful older sister character with a pure white apron dress, a gentle tone of voice, and a gentle image like a maid or helper. She also plays the role of a teacher, such as actually training the erythroblasts. However, the job of macrophages is to capture and kill bacteria and foreign bodies, and transmit information. At first, I wondered whether such a beautiful woman could fight like the white blood cells, but when the macrophages appear smiling and holding a giant hatchet or blunt weapon in one hand, they keep smiling even when killing bacteria, which makes them seem quite insane. Their strength and dignity are so great that even the killer T cells bow their heads when greeting them and calling them "Macrophage-san." The secret to the macrophages' popularity is that, contrary to their appearance, they are one of the strongest in the world.
3rd place: Cancer cells
The third place is the strongest enemy, cancer cells, which are also confirmed to appear in the second season of the anime. Cancer is the disease that humans fear the most, and to be honest, I was a little scared to watch the episode about cancer cells, but the cancer cells that appear in Cells at Work are not just vicious villains, but have a sad past and are characters that you can't help but hate. There are also scenes where you feel sorry for them, such as when they complain, "Why do we have to be killed as soon as we are born?" or "What purpose did we have in life?" In particular, the line "Due to a mistake in cell division, my life was targeted by immune cells that were supposed to be my ally..." struck me. This is probably the only work that makes you sympathize so much with cancer cells, which are generally considered to be "evil." Of course, their appearance and voice are popular, but unlike other bacteria and viruses that just run wild, they are popular characters because they have many sad pasts.
Second place: Killer T cells
In second place is the militant group of killer T cells that are always excited and fighting viruses. As you can see from his dark-skinned, blonde hair, he is the perfect example of a reckless character who beats down enemies with his fists without using weapons. Although he is aggressive in words and actions and is quick to get into fights, he is kind on the inside and is popular for putting his body on the line to fight when his friends are in trouble. The voice of voice actor Daisuke Ono was also a perfect fit for the character.
1st place: Platelets
The first place choice is Platelets-chan, whose name would probably be at the top of any ranking site. The reason is, needless to say, simply because she's cute. Her catchphrase "um um" is cute, and just watching her carrying a large load with a large group of people makes you smile. Platelets are the most popular character in the series on illustration sites, and they have been made into figures, making them popular in many areas. They are popular not only with men but also with women.
Cells at Work Popular Character Ranking Summary
So far, we have introduced the popular characters from Cells at Work. What did you think? I thought I would rank it as a different No. 1, but I couldn't beat the cuteness of Platelet-chan (lol). In the second season, the cancer cells will reappear, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the popular characters, both allies and enemies! I'm also looking forward to the new characters!
