Spiritual Matters of the Heart: Taoist Imagery in Cells at Work

• Author: Reese Jacobs

• Editor: Trent Cannon

August 25, 2024 marked six years since the eighth episode of the anime Cells at Work! aired. It’s a fairly light-hearted show depicting anthropomorphized cells and a wealth of information about just how much work your body does to keep you alive and healthy. Episode 8 of Season 1, titled, “The Circulatory System,” pleasantly surprised me with the influence of Eastern Spirituality in the designs, including Taoism. It's a blink and you'll miss it kind of situation, but I was so intrigued by the way they wove in the cultural spirituality of Japan with the Chinese influence of Taoism, I decided I wanted to learn more.

The show’s main protagonists are AE3803, an anthropomorphized, female-coded Red Blood Cell, and U-1146, an anthropomorphized male-coded White Blood Cell, who reside in a human body. AE3803 has an extroverted personality and a bad sense of direction, while U-1146 is more reserved and quick on his feet to destroy viruses that attack the body. From the common cold to cancerous cells, we watch these illnesses get defeated with the help of fellow cell colleagues like brash Killer T Cell, spunky B Cell and the adorable Platelets portrayed as Japanese kindergarteners.

Image via David Production

When I first tried watching this anime a few years ago, I had been at a point in my life where I couldn't really appreciate it, so I pressed pause after the first episode. Then I went through a multitude of life changes—from figuring out my gender identity to my first real breakup. I was in a pretty dark place, but something that I held onto as I climbed out of it was the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism (also spelled Daoism). And anime.

I know that things are getting pretty bad if I’m not watching anime. I prefer shows that fall on the side of shōnen, with the protagonists going through hard times, training, and coming out on the other side stronger. But I also love when a good mix of slice-of-life is thrown in, with the found family trope being the cherry on top. Once I started to get out of that dark place, I decided to revisit Cells at Work! after a friend mentioned it. When I got to that eighth episode, I knew I’d made the right choice to give it a second chance.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. How did those spiritual designs pop up in the first place? 

Despite her tendency to get lost, AE3803 took it upon herself in this episode to do her oxygen delivery and waste/carbon dioxide pick-up all on her own. Following her fellow Red Blood Cells, a large number of them reached the entrance of the heart—housed in a shrine structure—after passing through a red torii gate. In Japan, all shrines have a torii gate, which is believed to be the boundary between holy ground and the secular world. Once they passed through, on the entrance of the shrine hung the popular yin-yang symbol, but more on this later.

Image via David Production

Before the Red Blood Cells entered the tricuspid valve (which is located on the right side of the heart), a large mitsu-dome symbol hung from the ceiling. The mitsu-dome is a Japanese symbol that is often associated with Buddhist and Shinto shrines to represent the relationship between the cosmos, the earth and humanity. Not too far from it, a thick, rope-like structure hung over the actual entrance to the tricuspid valve, with little white zig-zag papers hanging from the rope in different places. The rope-like structure is called a shimenawa, which denotes a Japanese shrine as sacred and pure. Traditionally, they were woven from hemp, but, due to legal restrictions, they tend to now be made from rice and wheat straw. The white zig-zag papers are known as shide, made from Japanese washi paper. They also represent purity and are thought to ward off evil spirits.

Image via David Production

Once AE3803 entered the tricuspid valve, she was quickly moved into the heart’s right ventricle, where a large bell hung from the ceiling and was rhythmically being struck, representing a heartbeat. The bell itself is reminiscent of the ones used in Shinto shrines to let the shrine’s deity know that it has visitors.

So, how does this all tie back to Taoism?

Taoism is a religion and philosophical way of life that originated in ancient China. It has been connected to Lao Tzu (or Tsu), the author of its main book—the Tao te Ching. Lao Tzu is believed to have written that book around 500 B.C.E., before leaving society forever to become a hermit. The main point of Taoism is that everyone should live in harmony with the Tao—which cannot fully be explained (see Tao te Ching, Chapter 1)—but is akin to following the way of the universe.

Dōkyō—the Japanese translation of the Chinese Tao-Chiao—means, “Teaching of the Way.” The Tao te Ching was one of the main ways that religious (not philosophical) Taoism and its mysticism spread in Japan. It ended up influencing the pre-existing indigenous Japanese belief of Shintoism, regarding folklore and ritualistic practices. Shintoisim itself, with its belief in the divine and earthly kami, is rooted in something akin to animism—that all things in nature have a spirit.

The most obvious Taoist imagery seen in “The Circulatory System” episode is the yin yang symbol at the entrance of the shrine. And although the Tao te Ching itself has 81 chapters, only one specifically mentions the concept of yin and yang. Chapter 42 says:

“The ten thousand things carry yin and embrace yang.

They achieve harmony by combining these forces" 

(Lao Tzu, ch. 42, lines 6-7).

There is no yin without yang. The light and dark parts of the yin-yang symbol chase each other constantly, which, according to an article from Nova Southeastern University, “[symbolizes] that human life or the universe constantly goes on” (Lee, Yang, and Wang, 71). Neither side is superior to the other, neither is “right,” or “wrong.” They simply represent duality and the way of the Tao. 

The representation of harmony appeals to many, making the yin-yang a popular, hot-selling item. From tattoos that people get with some Chinese or Japanese words slapped under it, to chic $170 purses from the brand Poppy Lissiman, some are not even aware of the true concept of yin and yang.

Split into two sides, the heart is something of a yin-yang itself. The right side collects the oxygen-poor blood returning from the other parts of the body, and the left side returns oxygen-rich blood to the body. The process repeats itself over and over and over again. The average adult heart beats 100,000 times a day, which is around 35 million times a year. It is what keeps us alive, yet we never even have to think about it. 

Image via David Production

The heart, and cardiovascular system as a whole, play a vital part in maintaining the homeostasis, or balance and equilibrium, of the body. Homeostasis is achieved when the entire, complex network of the cardiovascular system does its job to bring oxygen and nutrients to cells, removes waste and chemicals, and regulates the body’s temperature, with the heart being at the very center of it all—our own mini-universe. Sacred and life-giving, its depiction as a shrine Cells at Work! aligns with Taosim’s philosophy of harmonious balance. 

Taoism is not something you see portrayed often in Japanese media—Buddhism and Shintoism, sure, but seldom Taoism. So although AE3803’s journey through the shrine was humorous to watch, personally, it was also sobering. The subtle spiritual aspects the artists chose to include were no mistake. These symbols from Eastern Philosophy were deliberately placed in different spaces of the heart to emphasize its sanctification. Integrating them into this episode added an understated depth, a nod to that ancient Chinese wisdom.

“In meditation, go deep in the heart.

In dealing with others, be gentle and kind”
(Lao Tzu, ch. 8, lines 4-5).

Works Cited

• Lao-tsu, et al. Tao Te Ching Lao-Tsu. Vintage House, a Division of Random House, 1989. 

• Lee, Yueh-Ting, Honggang Yang, and Min Wang. “Daoist Harmony as a Chinese Philosophy and Psychology.” Peace and Conflict Studies, vol. 16, no. 1, 2009, article 5. Nova Southeastern University, https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1103&context=pcs.

• “Crikey BB - Yin Yang.” Poppy Lissiman US, us.poppylissiman.com/products/crikey-bb-yin-yang. Accessed 24 Aug. 2024. 

• Rutty, J.E. “Religious Attitudes to Death.” Shintoism - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2005, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/shintoism. 

• “Dōkyō.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Dokyo-Japanese-religion. Accessed 26 Aug. 2024.