Cells at Work! Code Black is a spin-off from Cells at Work! The season is 13 episodes long and this is a darker and more serious take on the formula. It’s still educational in how the body works, showing off the many functions of the body and how they all work in tandem with each other. However, the body in question is not healthy. From the very first episode, it shows how different its perspective is going to be by showing the effects of an unhealthy diet and the lack of exercise. Then it further entrenches that with showing off what smoking and excessive alcohol will do to you.
Similarly to the main series, the protagonist ends up being a red blood cell and a white blood cell. The red blood cell is a newbie. We see him come straight out of training, so he is naïve at first but quickly comes to realize the dire state of the body. His job is to deliver oxygen, but this is made more difficult by the fats clogging up the blood vessels. Everyone seems stressed due to being shorthanded, with tempers flaring up and not having time for anything extra. Oxygen seems to be in short supply and all in all, this is not a good environment to be in.
When compared to the mainline series, there is a big difference in how the body is portrayed. The bad state of the body is reflected in the dirty corridors, the fat clogging up important pathways, and the constant emergencies. Seeing gruffier T Cells and other vita cells gives it a nice contract and makes the anime feel more serious. This is despite the anime containing a similarly bright colorful aesthetic as the mainline. Plus, all of the scenarios are the characters trying to deal with what the body is doing to itself, rather than external threats.
If that is not enough to paint a bleak picture, then the type of emergencies, diseases, and infections that this body fights off will. There are sexually transmitted diseases, kidney stones, high stress, and even a heart attack. These are all portrayed and explained in an engaging way as it visualizes the symptoms and causes. Blood in the urine? It’s red blood cells in the urine. Inflammation of the scalp? Fire breaks out where the hair is being produced. These are clever and ingenious ways to portray the issues. Sometimes these are so well done that it gives you second thoughts on leading an unhealthy lifestyle when you realize just how much damage it could be causing your body, and how much it must do to keep up.
Instead of an idealist world where the body can fight off all its infections and diseases on its own, given the state of this body, there is constant help from external sources. The white blood cells may be overwhelmed at the bacteria’s ability to stop their attacks while being able to multiply at a higher rate than they can be killed. Just when all hope is lost, antibiotics are administered to save the day. This is just one of many examples and it is scenarios like these that add that extra layer of depth.
The darker theme shines through towards the end of the season. During the events of each episode, the characters are always in danger, but you can be sure of the fact that they will always pull through and the germs or infection or whatever it is, always gets eliminated. This ends up becoming your expectation, which is when the anime strikes, and it takes you more than just a second to process what had happened and what this means going forward. The saddest part is that even if the cells know that the body is not treating itself right, and it is on a path of self-inflicted disaster, they have no choice but to continue to work hard to keep it alive, doing such a thankless job.
The final arc for the season felt like it was a culmination of a long journey for the red blood cell. He started out as a rookie, had to work, and suffer his way through the horrible and harsh environment while having his hopes dashed again and again. Yet his spirit did not break, and he continued to do his job by overcoming so many obstacles. It felt a bit rushed at the end with how the condition of the body changed. The whole season had portrayed the body in a rapidly deteriorating state, so it felt weird with the result at the season finale, but this did help with setting up the nice stinger.
Overall, Cells at Work! Code Black is a good anime and like the main series, it is an eye opener in terms of what it teaches you about how your body works. The darker themes help separate itself from the mainline series, and this is to its benefit. It addresses the sometimes overly positive and hopeful outlook of the mainline series and shows off the consequences of bad habits. At the same time, we get to see how some external treatments work for the body, making this a much more rounded series.