Otakon 2024: Biology of Cells at Work!

Note: Due to the time-sensitive nature of our coverage, this will debut on the main Anime Herald site on August 10. We apologize for the inconvenience.

• Author: Samantha Ferreira

• Editor: Samantha Ferreira

Host: Matthew Vaughn

Biology Through Anime

On January 26, 2015, Akane Shimizu’s Cells at Work! debuted in the pages of Kodanahs’a Monthly Shonen Sirius magazine. The series, which reimagines the human body as a world populated by a gaggle of anthropomorphized cells, follows a newbie Red Blood Cell as she performs her duties. As she rushes to and fro throughout the body, Red Blood Cell crosses paths with other cells like macrophages, platelets, and neutrophils (white blood cells). Together, they help guide their body through all manner of crises, from food poisoning to cancer.

The series exploded in popularity, selling more than 1.5 million copies by 2018, and spawning an anime adaptation by David Production. The Cells at Work! anime became an immediate darling among fans worldwide, earning accolades from the community and industry, alike, while garnering praise from a cancer researcher at Emory University School of Medicine. A second season of the show aired in January 2021, alongside an adaptation of the spinoff Cells At Work! Code Black, which presented a darker take on the concept.

An Early Morning Lecture

As the doors opened on Otakon’s first day, thousands of fans flooded into the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Some milled about the entrance, while others found their way to the traditional first screening of Otaku no Video. Others found their way to panels about Gundam SEED or Banana Fish. And others, still, made their way to Panel Room 4 for The Biology of Cells at Work!, which was near capacity when panelist Matthew Vaughn kicked the panel off at 9:00 AM. 

The presentation was, in essence, a high school biology lesson that used the Cells at Work! anime as a springboard into weightier discussions on cellular structures and functions. For each topic at hand, Vaughn showed a relevant clip from the anime, which transitioned into a slide containing detailed information. For example, when discussing Neutrophils’ tracking ability, he began with a clip from the show’s first episode depicting White Blood Cell’s detector pinging as he tracked a virus. This was followed by a diagram that detailed the cell’s receptors, as the host explained their greater function.

In another example, the presenter explained the macrophage’s ability to consume pathogens to identify their components while playing a segment of anime, which saw the Macrophage character slaughtering an infected host cell, and rooting through its remains to determine the specific cause. This transitioned immediately to a time-lapse presentation of an actual macrophage engulfing a bacterium, while Vaughn explained the process of consumption and release of antibodies.

Despite being the first panel of the first day of the convention, Vaughn was eager to present his topic to the audience. He was well-researched and charismatic, and peppered his lecture with more obscure details, which gave the overall discussion much-needed depth. At the same time, the presenter came armed with copious strong visual aids, from 3D renders of cells to labeled diagrams and time-lapse lab footage. He cited his sources well and encouraged readers to dive deeper into topics at their leisure after the panel. Meanwhile, his use of clips from the show as visual shorthands helped to give a relatable context to their real-life counterparts. 

Vaughn kept the mood of the discussion light with a playful sense of humor, that veered into mildly dark territory at points. At one point, for example, he loaded a slide containing a diagram of the COVID-19 virus. The panelist quipped, “So, this is a virus you breathe in, perhaps at a convention,” as the mostly unmasked crowd giggled and chuckled. In another, he played clips from episode 7: “Cancer”, which depicted a cancer cell wreaking havoc on the human body. As the cell went through a body horror-ish transformation onscreen, Vaughn quipped, “During this panel, your immune system has done its job and killed some of these,” prompting a wave of chuckles.

Overall, though, Vaughn delivered an informative, engaging lecture, that encouraged those in attendance to explore the universes that existed within themselves. His enthusiasm was infectious, and his general flow and playful banter helped to keep the topic fun for even the most checked-out audience members.

As the clock struck ten, and the dozens in attendance spilled out into the convention center’s halls, a spark of excitement crackled through the crowd. The weekend was young, and more than two hundred panels awaited fans of all ages. Otakon was just beginning, and its many panelists were prepared to bring their very best for the thousands of eager attendees this year.