If you love the Cells at Work! manga and anime series, and enjoy a cup of Japanese sake, then you won't want to miss out on a bottle of this sake released by Nexus in collaboration with the sake brand Junmai Daiginjo Baibaikin on January 26.

Junmai Daiginjo Baibaikin | ¥6,600 (Tax Included)

Original label design

Original box

Junmai Daiginjo Baibaikin is a brand of refined sake made from carefully-selected rice milled down to 39%.It has a fruity taste of mango and black currant making for a delightful balance of sweetness and acidic kick. The bottle is wrapped with an original label design made in the traditional Japanese sumiefuu ink painting style and with an illustration of White Blood Cell from the Cells at Work! series.   Ⓒ清水茜／講談社・アニプレックス・davidproduction　ⓇKODANSHA　©Nexus Co., Ltd.

A second promotional video and key visual have been released for the upcoming TV anime series Cells at Work! Code Black. The new series will adapt the Code Black spin-off story of the popular manga series Cells at Work! Kodansha Comics describes the story: "In this new spinoff of the hit manga Cells at Work!, a newbie Red Blood Cell is one of 37 trillion working to keep this body running. But something’s wrong! Stress hormones keep yelling at him to go faster. The blood vessels are crusted over with cholesterol. Ulcers, fatty liver, trouble (ahem) downstairs … It’s hard for a cell to keep working when every day is a CODE BLACK!" The anime adaptation of Cells at Work! Code Black was first announced back in April in Morning magazine. The new promotional video was revealed on a special program on ABEMA entitled Issho ni "Hataraku Saibou" Station.

2nd key visual

Check out the new promotional video below.   Opening and Ending Theme

Japanese rock band POLYSICS are performing the opening and ending themes for Cells at Work! Code Black. The opening theme has Seiya Yamasaki of Kyuso Nekokami on guest vocals while the ending theme has Junya Enoki and Yōko Hikasa, the latter two of whom voice Red Blood Cell and White Blood Cell respectively in the anime series.  

Hiroyuki Hayashi (POLYSICS) | Comment (Excerpt)

"I read the manga several times to write something that captures the black environment of the working cells. We've written opening and ending themes for numerous anime series int he past, but this was the first time we really had to be conscious about capturing the story, so it was quite tough . We're in the coronavirus pandemic right now, so when it came time for us to be able to begin writing again, I really wanted to get our music our there to fans around the country [Japan] again, just like how Red Blood Cell carries oxygen. And we have a guest vocalist, Seiya Yamasaki from Kyuso Nekokami, and I'm thankful to him! Kyuso Nekokami are another band that continue to dash on foward without stopping. They've performed with POLYSICS on numerous occasions. We love them. I'm really happy I got to record twin vocals together with Seiya!"  

Seiya Yamasaki (Kyuso Nekokami) | Comment (Excerpt)

"I got to work on the opening theme and now the ending theme too. The opening theme was an encouraging kind of track, like let's work hard with all we've got, but the ending theme is more of a, 'Well, it's been tough, but let's press on,' like dropping an idle grumble at a bar. We also have the Red Blood Cell and White Blood Cell voice actors on board, Junya Enoki and Yōko Hikasa. I hope for everyone who watches this, after they've finished a tiring day at work, and they hear the song, it gives them the strength to keep on keeping on. The opening is more "Run!" and the ending is more "Look up and keep going."   ©Shigemitsu Harada・Hatsuyoshiya Issei・Akane Shimizu / Kodansha・CODE BLACK PROJECT

The second promotional video for season two of the Cells at Work!! (with two exclamation points) anime series was posted on the official Twitter account for Akane Shimizu's manga detailing new staff as well as showcasing the ending theme by ClariS. Cells at Work! began serialisation by Kodansha in 2015. It follows the stories of anthropomorphised cells in the human body. The first season of the anime adaptation aired in 2018 with animation by David Production.   2nd Promotional Video

ClariS will perform the second season's ending theme Fight!! which can be heard in the promotional video.   Air DateCells at Work!! will began airing on January 9, 2021, the same date when a separate series, Cells at Work! Code Black, will begin airing with a different set of staff and cast. ⓒAkane Shimizu / Kodansha・Aniplex・davidproduction

Popular anime series Cells at Work! ( Hataraku Saibō!!) is set to premiere its anime film Hataraku Saibō!!" Saikyō no Teki, Futatabi. Karada no Naka wa "Chō" Ōsawagi! in Japan on September 5, 2020. Preorders for movie tickets are to be sold from July 23, 2020. The key visuals and movie trailer have been unveiled.   Cells at Work! Trailer

As for voice actors and characters, Saori Hayami and Toa Yukinari are going to continue to voice Regulatory T Cell and NK Cell respectively. New characters are also making an appearance in the movie along with new voice actresses. New voice actresses include Yuri Yoshida as Lactic Acid Bacteria (Kuro), Rie Takahashi as Lactic Acid Bacteria (Aka), Natsumi Fujiwara as Lactic Acid Bacteria (Panda) and Yurika Kubo as Lactic Acid Bacteria (Buchi).   Cells at Work! by Akane Shimizu is currently published in Kodansha's manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Sirius. This fun and educational manga takes place inside the human body, telling the story of the cells busy at work and the drama they face each day to keep the body running. After the series launched in 2015, the adorable characters and exciting world became a popular hit, earning the story an anime adaptation in 2018 by david production. By humanising the cells in the body who are busy at work, the series became very relatable to its audience, making it the big sensation that it is today. Season two of the anime is expected to be released in January next year.   ©Akane Shimizu, Kodansha Ltd. Aniplex Inc, David Production Inc.

Akane Shimizu's manga series Cells at Work! is getting a second stage play adaptation which will run from September 27 to October 6. It will serve as a sequel to the 2018 stage play Tainai Katsugeki Hataraku Saibō.  

In addition to the teaser trailer, the key visuals of the cast and character line-up have been released.  

White Blood Cell (Ryō Kitamura)

He protects the body from any viruses or invading organisms that enter.  

Red Blood Cell (Umino Kawamura)

She delivers oxygen, carbon dioxide and other nutrients parts of the body.  

Killer T Cell (Yuki Kimisawa)

Receives orders from Helper T Cell to eliminate unhealthy cells like Cancer Cells as well as viruses.  

Normal Cell (Taishi Sugie)

Just an ordinary cell, as highlighted by his t-shirt which simply reads "Cell" in Japanese (細胞), active in the process of cell division.  

Cancer Cell (Takeshi James Yamada)

Seemingly an ordinary cell at first but soon reveals himself to be a deadly cancer cell, bent on multiplying himself.  

B Cell (Yojiro Itokawa)

A busy lymphocyte tasked with employing antibodies to tackle antigens. More characters are planned to be unveiled in the neat future. Tickets will go on sale on September 7 at 10:00 (JST).

In an effort to help combat heatstroke during Comiket 96―the largest comic market in Japan for independent creators―which is set to take place at the usual Tokyo Big Sight from August 9, it has been announced that the TV anime series Cells at Work! is teaming up with the sports drink brand Pocari Sweat. At the venue, various Pocari Sweat products will be sold including the 500ml beverage itself, Pocari Sweat Jelly, Pocari Sweat Ice Slurry (available in Hall A only), and more. If you buy two or more of any of these products you can get yourself an exclusive Pocari Sweat x Cells at Work! sticker. There will be three booths throughout the exhibition venue which can be spotted with the life-sized panels of the Cell characters.   At the Ao Exhibition Hall A booth, a special video will be streamed that was recently revealed which is a collaboration between the drink brand and anime series to help spread awareness of the effects of heatstroke. The video serves as an alternative story to Episode 11 of the anime series entitled Heatstroke. They dubbed it Episode 11.5: Heatstroke ~If Only I Had PocariSweat~. You can watch it below.

If you're attending Comiket this year, make sure you heed the Cells' advice and know what you need to do to prevent heatstroke.   ⓒAkane Shimizu/Kodansha・Aniplex・davidproduction