Life as a lady can be tough, but life IN a lady is that much tougher. From periods to pregnancies, it can be an emotional ride…especially when you're the size of a cell. Thankfully, Macrophage, Killer T, Helper T, and White Blood Cell are joined by a host of hard-working allies equipped to deal with the daily struggles of lady life in this female-focused spin-off of Cells at Work!
tl;dr Another solid installment in the series with plenty of science to learn. This time with a butler.
Thoughts The Cells at Work series has always been peak edutainment for me. The original was fun, Code Black was a great twist, and now we have a new installment - Lady? The most evident change is that they story now follows Macrophage instead of a Red Blood Cell, stylized as an ikemen butler (in fact, nearly all the characters in this are ikemen of some sort). The plot follows a lot of the usual virus-busting, but it also covers things like menstruation, dieting, anemia, and a physical exam. But most interesting to me is the relationship that the characters have with the body. The original series didn't touch on this too much, and Code Black was a person who actively did damage to their body. In this case, Macrophage raises a prayer of gratitude every time the body does something to take care of itself, even if it's a small token like a hot bath. But having an anthropomorphized reminder that your body will thank you if you take care of yourself is kind of nice. As usual, there's plenty to learn, all packaged in a fun storytelling device. Fans of the series will enjoy this one too.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
- Thank you to the author and the publisher for putting this title as a "read now" on NetGalley. -
I'm honestly not familiar with the Cells at Work series, even if it's in my to-read list, but if this is how the other one is made then I will have to check that out ASAP.
This series in centered in a woman's body and reading it made me remember watching a series I used to love as a kid about the human body. This one is basically its manga form but being more informative because it uses actual medical and scientific terms that will all be explained and translated.
I loved how the author decided to made our characters interact with their lady and how devoted they all are to her. In fact that's exactly how it works. If we treat our body with kindness and if we listen to its needs, it will do everything in its power to keep us healthy and active.
All the chapters are based on a woman's event in her life or period of time and it shows us how our body reacts with said certain events, in some creative ways of representing them.
Definitely an informative and useful read, turned into a real adventure for our protagonists.
Another entertaining Cells at Work spinoff... This time focusing on women's health!
Overall this was a really fun manga to read, especially as someone AFAB. The goddess worship was a little extreme for me, but it didn't detract from the story. I was especially impressed with their interpretation of the female reproductive system, including the uterus and the endometrial cells there, the metal arms representing prostaglandins and cramping, and the focus on reproductive health (which could've been done without the pretext of birth, but the body doesn't know the difference).
Running a body is hard work! If you could ask the cells in your body how much work they do in a day, they'd never shut up. The truth is that some bodies have to work harder than others, while specific cells pull even harder shifts.
Macrophage, Killer T, Helper T, and White Blood Cells are very busy keeping the lady safe and healthy. It's easier said than done, as we're all about to find out!
Review:
It's time to dive back into the world of Cells at Work! Cells at Work! Lady Vol. 1 is a different perspective, but it has the same overall concept as the rest of the series. In other words, it's pretty perfect for fans of the series.
I'll admit that I haven't been that great about reading the series in order. I mostly pick it up here and there as it's made available to me. Bad reader, I know. That said, I've still enjoyed everything I've read.
This series is great in that it's funny, quirky, and informative. It's a sneaky way to learn more about how our bodies function. Okay, there's more drama than that, but that's just to keep us entertained.
Highlights: Part of the Cells at Work! Universe Funny Informative
Will I continue the series? Here and there, yes
Thanks to Kodansha Comics and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for providing me an e-copy in exchange for a honest review.
I love Cells at Work. I read the original series and watched the anime. This new one is a little different from the original though. It focuses on a the woman's body and the main 'character' is the butler looking, Macrophage!
Together with his team, White Blood Cell (not the original), Killer T, B Cell and Helper T he combats a variety of situations including viruses, germs, bacteria, different bodily functions and a several medical procedures. I was wondering how they were going to represent menstruation and the fertility cycle, and got a bit of a chuckle at the way they were about it. Very classy. I also enjoyed how the book provides women helpful info on things they can do to help with symptoms including foot baths, aroma baths, particular exercises, general medication, vitamins, minerals, food and drink choices. All are given in a general way that provides advice you can either take (if you didn't already know some of it) or leave.
They use the correct terms for a variety of characters they encounter in the volume. Each one gets a little box that provides a explanation of what they are and what they do. In the back there is a small glossary of terms for people to look at as well.
The art is sometimes quite pretty and the standard matches that set by the original series.
It's cute. It's educational and it's entertaining. Honestly, what more could you want in a manga???
Thank you Kodansha Comics for an e-copy through NetGalley. Rating: 4
The Cells at Work series is back, and this time, we will look at the lives of cells that are in the female body! It’s a little different in there, but all the cells are prepared to work together to keep the Lady healthy and happy. Follow Macrophage, a strong white blood cell known for quickly disposing of enemies, as he, Killer T, and other immune cells experience chills, dieting, and all the symptoms of the menstrual cycle. The manga explains each medical inquiry in efficient and correct detail, providing scientific facts and some advice on how to treat certain problems. The art is fluid, easy to follow, and action-packed, and the characters are overall wholesome, funny, and helpful to one another, even when their personalities clash. I personally like the original Cells at Work series slightly more because the OG cast were the most well-written and not complete caricatures, but new cells in Lady provide good humor and storytelling nonetheless. I would recommend it to anyone who has already read the Cells at Work! and Cells at Work: Black series and want more, teens who want to learn about the human body in a fun, story-driven, and engaging medium, and teens who just want a campy, feel-good manga.
I am totally impressed with the book! Surprised me and made me super excited about this serie.
The book beautifully represented the human body, and is really well done and explained. I love the main characters, with their engaging personalities that add another touch to the story.
The story and approach to it, with the fantastic illustrations made the volume a wonderful experience. Furthermore, I was very curious because I am a woman, and the book explores topics that aren't that much talked about about women's bodies. As I also lack iron, it was super interesting to know what happens inside me and how my body reacts to it.
Reading the book was like an experience that took me back in time, back to science classes where the teacher put a video of "Once upon a time - Life". Was so cool.
I recommend everyone pick up this book, learning about the human body is essential for everyone, but this book does it in a charming way.
I really want to read the second volume!!
A huge thanks to the authors #Shigemitsu Harada and Akari Otokawa and Akane Shimizu the publisher Kodansha Comics and to Netgalley
Another great addition to the Cells at Work universe, this new manga series introduces a new cast of cells who reside within the body of a woman and handle her day-to-day needs. The same handling of germs and viruses occur, but new scenarios are brought to the forefront that focus on issues commonly found amongst women such as PMS and cervical cancer cells. I've always loved this series for its informative nature and the way it educates in a way that keeps the reader's attention, but this particular edition goes above and beyond in the way that the cells worship and adore the body that houses them. In a world where women's bodies are constantly critiqued and have unrealistic standards placed upon them, it's always refreshing to read from a perspective that not only respects the body, but reveres it. The world of this series is a special one, and worth protecting, and it's a joy to see the ways it cares for itself and the actions that can be taken to help with that process. Highly recommend checking this one out, and I look forward to the editions to come!
I quite like the original Cells at Work! series, as well as a few of the spinoffs so requesting an arc of the newest alternative story was a given. As usual this was not only enjoyable but also educational- I was nervous as to how the menstrual cycle would be explained but thankfully it was presented well and with accuracy. The fixation and glorification of pregnancy was a little creepy at points but I thought the endometrial cells were adorable which balanced it out xD
Notes I made as I was reading:
+ For some reason, I thought it was hilarious the way in which phagocytosis was depicted.
+ I loved the Memory B cells (though I can't remember exactly why right now and didn't write more about it in my notes)
+
+ The uterus chapter as a whole I thought was adorable
Would I pick up the second volume? Probably !
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, authors and illustrators for the arc.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, Shigemitsu Harada, Akari Otokawa, and Akane Shimizu for the opportunity to read this manga in exchange for an honest review.
Much lite traditional Cells at Work!, this manga starts with a few of the basics, like T Cells and Red Blood Cells and White Blood Cells, using fact boxes to explain their functions and how they work in the human body. Well, this series subtitle is "Lady," hinting that we may get some different focused information as the story progresses.
As the subtitle indicates, we learn about what happens to a woman's body during her cycle, accompanying anemia, dieting, and how hormones change when one is in love. This turned from basic Cells at Work! to something very focused in its direction, becoming vastly interesting.
I recommend this for older teens, but find it to be a strong teacher of the topic itself. A fun accompanying installment to the Cells at Work! universe!
I first encountered Cells at Work while browsing Netflix for an Anime to watch. As someone that is in the science field, and loves Anime, it was a mix of both of my worlds. When Cells at Work! Lady appeared in my dashboard for review I was excited, because I can read more about our awesome cells and what they do in a women's body. This manga is fun, informative and great for tweens and teenagers. For parents that do not know where to start talking to their kids about the changes a lady goes through, I think this will be a good way to start the conversation. Not only you are having a leisure read, but also you are learning about the body and the roles each cells have within our body.
Totally recommend, you won't be disappointed.
I just reviewed Cells at Work! Lady 1 by Shigemitsu Harada, Akari Otokawa, Akane Shimizu. #CellsatWorkLady #NetGalley
For anyone interested in human biology, probably an interesting choice, but otherwise fairly average. I found it a little strange that such a large percentage of the characters/cells were male, especially at first.
I did appreciate the giant hands grabbing and squishing things to represent cramping during menstruation. Pretty accurate to how it feels!
There’s a few pages during a gynecological exam where an ultrasound wand is depicted. It’s explained as being ‘premarital exam’ for those who are considering having children. I know this is a dead obvious topic for this series but I’m a little surprised we’re setting that up already in the first volume, there’s plenty of other stuff to explore than just childbearing.
Also didn’t like the bit about dieting, felt outdated. Overall meh and I’m not interested in reading more.
Another spin-off of the Cells at Work! series, but focusing on being in an adult woman's body and dealing with things like dieting, menses, and OBGYN visits. If you're not familiar with the series, it's a sort of edutainment series featuring anthropomorphized cells living in a human body and dealing with their roles in the different parts of the body in both daily routines and problems/diseases.
The characters felt rather on the nose, pulling a bunch of otome archetypes devotedly serving "their Lady", like if they did a series about teen boys and all the cells were ecchi high school girls. The tone felt like an outlier for the series. It still had the informational aspects discussing some sexually-specific health ailments and the names of cells and hormones, but the format was kind of an uncanny valley for me: the "your body is a butler cafe"-vibe. It felt more like that was the focus rather than the goings-on of the body.
Somehow after all these years I've never read/watched Cells at Work, so when Cells at Work! Lady popped up on NetGalley I knew it was time! This spin-off focuses on common issues for female (that is to say, people designated female at birth, although some intersex and transwomen may have some similar issues dependent upon hormones/etc) bodies, with a huge amount of definitions and explanations in a fun and easy to understand way, helped by anthropomorphized cells and other body-functions including the main character, a sexy butler version of Macrophage. Honestly I learned a ton!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the eARC borrow in exchange for this honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the E-arc!
I have watched the Cells at Work animes and enjoyed them but not enough to seek out the manga. However, when I saw this iteration I was a bit intrigued since it takes place in a woman's body and the cells seem to be mostly female. What I was not expecting was a butler-like cell and a focus on women's health. The other Cells at Work! are just as informative but I feel like they are centered around male health and more broader health issues. In Cells at Work! Lady, you get discussions of menstruation, diets, pregnancy, etc. This was a fun read I would tune into this if it gets an anime adaptation.
"Cells at Work! Lady" is a wonderful spinoff of the franchise. I thought the original "Cells at Work" was great, but was not into "Cells at Work! Code Black", the grim spinoff. As one can expect, Lady focuses on the operations within a uterus-bearer, going as far as to have a "Uterus" chapel. The effects of temperature sensitivity, restrictive diets, anemia, cervical cancer, and menstruation factor into volume 1. If you're trying to ease a child into practical sex education through learning about the human body first, this would make a great addition to your library. (I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.)
In this version of the popular "Cells at Work" series we are located inside the body of a young woman. The series stays true to its record of being both entertaining and informative as we learn about different ailments and issues the body can endure as well as tips and advice for how to keep your body healthy. Many different topics are explored such as the effects of stress, the menstrual cycle, and anemia. The informational boxes explain the duties of different cells as well as provide information about different areas of the body and different types of bacteria. It's a great way to get a mini biology lesson while enjoying some witty plot.
I have been a huge fan of cells at.work for a long time. This time we get to see the journey from a macrophages point of view and its nice.to return to the intense at times, sweet and cute at others storylines.
I finished this one quickly and I loved every part of it and i cant wait to see when the "day of legends" arrives.
If youre new to the series or an old fan definetly pick this one up!
Thank you to net galley for letting me arc read this and to the author as.well.
ARC requested from NetGalley and Kodansha in exchange for an honest review.
in a ragtag gathering of boisterous fighters who just can't seem to keep their shared housing clean, a butler with a single-minded fervor for serving his mistress has no choice but to keep them in line. but the butler is a cell called a macrophage and his housemates the immune system. in this spin-off of cells at work, we get to take a look at how the different cells and systems work in the female body, through the lens of bishonen and bishojo - making even the most medical of concepts easier to explain.
Yes, yes, yes! Everything I love about Cells at Work but for women's issues! She's abnormally cold, she has PMS, she is menstruating! All of it! This should be an amazing series! I love the original manga and the Code Black manga because they are actually smart and educational. The art style is fantastic and the writing is humorous. I literally read this in one sitting! I can't wait to see which other female issues they tackle!
Menstruation and baby prep is the focus for this volume. While those topics are fresh and interesting to the series I found the character portrayals off putting. The immune cells felt all around underwhelming and the changes to macrophages an odd choice. Overall, made the female body feel weaker and prissy in comparison to the original gender unknown series. Why can't the lady cells be badasses?
A little too romanticized and glamorized for my taste (why is the uterus a chapel??), but still offers solid information and could be useful in a middle grade sex ed classroom.
...the menstruation chapter is one of the most unintentionally hilarious things I've read lately, though.
I have read all the book in the Cells at Work series as well as all the spin off and this one may be my favorite. This one was really fun and I liked how accurate it was but in a really funny way. If you enjoyed the original series definitely give this one a shot cause its a lot of fun.
The manga is about all the body cells as an individual character who are assigned to do a particular job in the host's body i.e. a human body. I love the way the writer and illustrator have planned and scripted this beautiful concept. It is easily relatable to all the human being.
I will admit I think I like this one a bit better than the original. It is still entertaining and informative (this time the body belongs to a girl). I love the characters design/art with both microphage and killer T giving us something a bit different.
Ironic enjoyment at the start, but soon the science learned and uniquely feminine themes explored make up for the cartoonish start. Hang in there a few volumes the cannon army is worth the wait and had me cackling.
Just another Cells at Work series, nothing to really get excited about. Still very fun and cute at points and still a very fun way to learn a little about how the human body functions on the inside.
A fun and fascinating take on how bodies work, this time with an eye on typically female issues. Our main characters this time are immune cells - instead of a red/white blood cell duo as with the original and Black - with the major focus on a macrophage, a butler this time instead of a maid. It's cute and charming as usual, and full of interesting facts on how what we do as we go about our lives affect our health and the inside of our bodies, with a great translation of the various medical topics and jargon.
The one drawback is that it focuses almost exclusively on "typically feminine" issues, with this volume covering pms and menstruation, dieting, skin problems, and gynecological exams with a heavy focus on pregnancy. While I understand that this is "Lady", I can't help but think that women have health issues and lives not tied to uteruses, but such is the narrow view of "women's health", I suppose.
I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
Yes, another Cells at Work series! I was a bit on the fence about it, on the one hand I am a bit done with all the Cells at Work, but on the other hand I just cannot resist a butler, especially not with glasses. Plus, this one takes place in a female body along with female anatomy stuff, so I was curious.
In this one we dive into the body of a woman and see all sorts of female stuff happening. From menstruation (which had me both laughing and feeling even sadder for the cells there, I mean, I know that it is called making a bed for the cell and such, but to actually see it in illustration.., but at the same time it was also silly) to dieting (which caused quite some problems for the body and we see how the cells struggle to keep everything afloat and hoping that their lady will eat something) to things like sensitivity to cold (which I could clearly understand, I have the same problem and now I feel a bit bad for my body, then again, my body could also just try harder to stay warm XD), and there is more. It was definitely a lot of fun to read though sometimes a bit too dramatic.
I loved seeing all my favourite cells again but then a bit different. Personalities are often the same (well, the biggest change would be White Blood Cell who is generally murderous but in this one a scaredycat) but they look different.
The butler was hot and I loved how good he was with weapons and how quick his wit was. There was just one thing that got a bit off-putting for me. His dedication and stalkerish attitude towards his Lady (aka the body he lives in). It was just a bit creepy seeing him go all out at points, talking to a statue, and more. I mean there is dedication and there is obsession and he was often just heading straight into obsession.
The art was quite fun. Not always the best, but still I like the designs of the characters, love that the body in this one is more like a fancy estate with fancy town instead of what most of the series have shown us. Very elegant.
All in all, despite the butler being slightly to a lot creepy and some things felt a bit blunt (as we Dutch would say Kort door de bocht) it was still a lot of fun and I would definitely be interested in checking out the next volume.