A Live-Action Anime Adaptation is Shattering Records At The Box Office

Live-action anime adaptations are becoming big business in the industry, with recent examples like One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender helping to pave the way for new projects to arrive on the screen. In the past, we’ve seen successful, and not so successful, entries in this genre including live-action take on Cowboy Bebop, Ghost In The Shell, Rurouni Kenshin, Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, and almost too many others to count. In a surprising twist, a series that might not stand at the top of the heap has been making serious waves at the box office thanks to it’s latest live-action film.

For those who don’t know, Cells At Work is a franchise that would focus on the story of white and red blood cells inside of a human body hoping to keep their host alive. First premiering in 2015, the original manga went on to receive quite a few spin-offs while also receiving an anime adaptation thanks to David Production. The manga came to an end in 2021, though that didn’t stop the story from finding new ways to continue. The live-action movie released in Japan thanks to Warner Bros and has made serious waves on the silver screen.

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Cells At Work: Top Of The Mountain

Cells At Work’s live-action movie has brought in over 6 billion Yen, which roughly translates to nearly $40 million USD over its sixty-one day run. This might not seem that much in comparison to say a Marvel Cinematic Universe entry in North America, but it’s a major achievement for a series that is bringing its story to the live-action world for the first time. This is especially amazing considering that there isn’t an anime adaptation currently running that follows the Blood Cells fight for their home.

In its theatrical run, which is continuing in Japan, the movie was actually able to “defeat” some heavy hitters in terms of Japanese box office. Major films like Moana 2, Kraven The Hunter, and Attack on Titan: The Last Attack, were unable to halt the anime blood cells from rising the ladder. Perhaps with this resurgence of the franchise, Cells At Work might make a comeback in both the manga and anime fronts in the future.

What is Cells At Work?

Warner Bros released an official breakdown of the film prior to its release, sporting how the movie’s story stays true to its source material, ““The smallest protagonist in film history – a human cell! There are a staggering 37 trillion cells in the human body. Red blood cells that carry oxygen, white blood cells that fight bacteria, and countless other cells work tirelessly day and night to protect your health and life. High school student Niko (Mana Ashida) lives with her father, Shigeru (Sadao Abe). Because of Niko’s diligent nature and her healthy lifestyle, the cells inside her body are always working joyfully.”

The description continues, “Meanwhile, inside Shigeru’s body, the cells are always complaining, exhausted from the brutal working environment, as he leads an irregular and unhealthy life. On the outside they may look like a happy father and daughter, but on the inside their bodily environments couldn’t be more different. As their lively days go on, pathogens start to sneak up on their bodies… The most epic battle in the history of human cells, with the future of Niko and Shigeru at stake, is about to begin!”

Via Crunchyroll