English Dub Review: Cells at Work! “Cytokines”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

NK Cell threatens Normal Cell, but White Blood Cell U-1146 steps in to help. Meanwhile, the missing red lactic acid bacteria appear in the Dendritic cell’s place. Normal Cell searches for the lactic acid bacteria as U-1146 and NK Cell discuss how they’re looking for something. However, the influenza virus invades and they’re stronger than normal ones. B Cell and Memory Cell arrive, but the influenza is immune to their attacks. They notice the influenza virus went through an antigenic shift. NK Cell’s confidence decreases after realizing that she can’t defeat the influenza virus.

The other immune cells try to get her back on her feet until Dendritic Cell sends an embarrassing photo of NK Cell. The photo activates her and she defeats a few infected cells quickly. Thanks to the lactic acid bacteria, Dendritic Cell activates with a change in personality. Dendritic Cell throws photos to activate every immune cell and they successfully wipe out the influenza virus. The lactic acid bacteria reunites with the Normal Cell and later goes with their group. Normal Cell apologizes for his words in the last episode and tries to apologize to NK Cell. She runs away at the mention of the photos which causes U-1146 to go after her. NK Cell warns U-1146 about what she’s been looking for: Cancer Cell.

Our Take:

This week’s episode was an absolute riot with the activation of Dendritic Cell during the influenza crisis. The animation was good with the influenza-infected cells showing off their super-strength against the immune cells.

The episode picks off with NK Cell (Morgan Berry) giving Normal Cell (Bryce Papenbrook) a threat with her role in the body. Her role gives her the right to eliminate any cell. The pacing is linear going from that scene to Normal Cell frantically searching for the missing lactic acid bacteria. The episode had a good build-up to NK Cell’s warning to U-1146 about Cancer Cell. The bloody appearance of Macrophages’ group was amusing. The camera focuses on their weapons and adds to Normal Cell’s nervousness at meeting other immune cells. Furthermore, U-1146’s kindness is a small and heartwarming moment as he saves the lactic acid bacteria from the stomach ache storm.

The narrator (Karen Strassman) explaining the reactions and activations was good to cover why NK Cell’s confidence depleted so quickly. Stress makes the immune cells sluggish. Then there are the lactic acid bacteria which helped produce polysaccharides for the activation of the Dendritic Cell. Admittedly the activated Dendritic Cell was interesting especially with the riding crop and his change from the gentle photographer we see most of the time. That scene was wild and worked well as the cause for the blackmail parade. Then the show drops a bit more scientific facts. Cytokines, proteins secreted by cells to stimulate other cells, get the spotlight. The interpretation of cytokines as blackmail photos was hilarious. If embarrassing photos aren’t a good motivator then I don’t know what is. The Macrophages’ unperturbed attitude to the storm of embarrassing photos cements that they are the coolest cells in the body.

Overall it was a funny episode with seeing all the cells’ embarrassing pictures from their youth. However, NK Cell’s warning about Cancer Cell generates a lot of anticipation of Cancer Cell’s reunion with U-1146. I look forward to seeing their reunion and most likely another fight between the two.