Hataraku saibou

Cells at Work! Is a wonderful film adaptation of the beloved anime - think of it as the Asian version of Once Upon a Time... Life. It's an incredibly educational experience that manages to remain fun, light-hearted, and, most importantly, genuinely gripping. The film brilliantly brings to life the microscopic world inside our bodies, turning biology into an epic tale of heroism, teamwork, and sacrifice. What makes it truly special is its emotional depth: there are moments that are surprisingly moving, reminding us just how much our bodies go through every day. It's a rare gem that entertains, teaches, and touches the heart, all at once.

I loved how they intergrated learning with action sequence, although it is rated 13+ for violence. The scenes are justified and not gory at all. A must watch movie for people who wants to be educated and entertained at the same time. The scenes are fast moving and very engaging. Overall, the movie has funny moments and sad and engaging moments, and it will sure to make you nostalgic for Rorouni Kenshin due to the action sequence. Finally, it is well worth your time watching such a fun movie. I am not sure why other people didn't like it, but my family and I surely enjoyed watching, laughing and crying over the movie.

Background: I've seen the original "Cells at Work!" (2018) and "Cells at Work! Code Black" (2021) and 3 previous movies by Hideki Takeuchi (the director): Tonde Saitama (2019) and Thermae Romae I & II.

Verdict: A solid 7/10, I still prefer the anime version and ditto when comparing the live action version of Thermae Romae (2012) with the anime Thermae Romae Novae (2022).

Thoughts: It was indeed a treat seeing the familiar characters in live action - there was that unmistakable cocktail of goofy comedy and deadly serious 'enough-to-make-a-grown-man-cry' drama which I've come to associate with Hideki Takeuchi. Perfect use of classical music soundtracks as always. Recommended.

The live action reminds me of Power Rangers down to the vibe of the villains and the colorfulness of it. I like it. I remember watching the anime and it does feel faithful from the sets to the character albeit more streamlined. They added in some bits of the manga spin-off too. I like that they show us the pov of the humans they reside in and they gave off a nice emotional plot line... too bad it's a film so it just feels very quick. Pacing just goes boom with the plot so it can feel pretty thin and simple. Overall it's a wholesome but kinda bloody here and there show. It's fun and sweet enough if you can get past the cringiness of it.

A movie that isn't bad, it has a creative idea, but it's quite strange, with a script that initially lacks direction but ultimately takes off, and with the usual Japanese humor.

The Good: The production design is impressive, the cinematography is good, as is the soundtrack. The characters were charismatic, and the third act was definitely much better than the beginning of the film, with improved action scenes, more emotional weight, and a more mature feel.

The Bad: The beginning and a bit of the middle of the film are quite mediocre; it lacks direction in the story and is more of an exposition of the human body. This part is the one that has the strangest and slightly cringe-inducing touch of Japanese content (not all Japanese content is like this, obviously). Some acting was mediocre, and some visual effects looked strange, but they weren't bad. It's also worth noting that this introductory part takes a long time to take off.

In short, an entertaining film that's more of an educational experiment. The film's third act saves it from being mediocre. This was better that i expected

6.5 stars rounded to 7.