History Manga / CellsAtWorkPlatelets

[[caption-width-right:250:Blood clots were never so cute.]]

''Cells at Work: Platelets!'' is a spinoff series of the {{shonen}} {{Edutainment}} manga ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' which centers on the Platelets, [[EnsembleDarkHorse characters who were popular enough that]], [[ADayInTheLimelight despite their very minor role in the main series, they were given an entire spinoff all to themselves]]. The manga focuses on a squad of Platelets going about their daily business, be it doing maintenance on various structures within the body, training new platelets, learning about different social functions, and other low-stakes, low-impact adventures. There's no real danger or high-stakes adventuring here; ''Platelets'' is less of an action manga than a ''{{iyashikei}}'' SliceOfLife comedy featuring some cute characters.

* HonestAxe: In the "Letter Delivery" chapter, Glancer and Gazer are sent on their own to deliver a letter as a test. Once they realise that they lost the map guiding them, they blow on a emergency whistle causing the other Platelets secretly following them to come out in {{Paper Thin Disguise}}s offering them the choice between a gold map and a silver map. Glancer and Gazer are honest enough to say they had an ordinary map but on the other hand are quick to claim a map that comes with some bonus candy as well.

''Cells at Work: Platelets!'' (''Hataraku Kesshoban-chan'') is written by Yuuko Kakihara, who was on the ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' anime's writing team, and illustrated by Yasu of ''LightNovel/{{Toradora}}'' fame. It runs in ''Monthly Shounen Sirius''. An English release was secured by Kodansha Comics, with its run starting in July 2020.

''Cells at Work: Platelets!'' is a spinoff series of the {{shonen}} {{Edutainment}} manga ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' which centers on the Platelets, characters who were popular enough that, despite their very minor role in the main series, they were given an entire spinoff all to themselves. The manga focuses on a squad of Platelets going about their daily business, be it doing maintenance on various structures within the body, training new platelets, learning about different social functions, and other low-stakes, low-impact adventures. There's no real danger or high-stakes adventuring here; ''Platelets'' is less of an action manga than a ''{{iyashikei}}'' SliceOfLife comedy featuring some cute characters.

Other [[SpinOff Spin-Offs]] of ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' include ''Manga/CellsNotAtWork'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkCodeBlack'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkAndFriends'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkBacteria'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkBaby'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkLady'' and ''Manga/CellsAtWorkWhite''.

Other [[SpinOff Spin-Offs]] of ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' include ''Manga/CellsNotAtWork'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkCodeBlack'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkAndFriends'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkBacteria'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkBaby'', and ''Cells At Work: Lady!.''

It's hardly a secret: people like cute things. If said "cute things" are also sweet, funny, and/or childlike, so much the better. Nowhere is this more evident than in Japanese ''kawaii'' ("cute") culture, which plies its trade in things so chirpy and saccharine that they would send even the strongest pancreas into a complete meltdown. Even Japanese anime and manga that aren't strictly meant to be ''kawaii'' often have [[TokenMiniMoe a character or two that fit the above description]], for merchandising purposes if not for narrative reasons.

Naturally, these characters can either become a lightning rod for criticism, or simply overlooked as ''de rigeur'' for the medium. Sometimes, however, one of these cute characters can become an EnsembleDarkhorse or even a BreakoutCharacter, as the childlike Platelets from the {{shonen}} {{Edutainment}} manga ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' have done. They've proven popular enough that, despite their very minor role in the main series, they've been given an entire spinoff all to themselves.

''Cells at Work: Platelets!'' is about a squad of Platelets going about their daily business, be it doing maintenance on various structures within the body, training new platelets, learning about different social functions, and other low-stakes, low-impact adventures. There's no real danger or high-stakes adventuring here; ''Platelets'' is less of an action manga than a ''{{iyashikei}}'' SliceOfLife comedy featuring some cute characters.

It's hardly a secret: people like cute things. If said "cute things" are also sweet, funny, and/or childlike, so much the better. Nowhere is this more evident than in Japanese ''kawaii'' ("cute") culture, which plies its trade in things so chirpy and saccharine that they would send even the strongest pancreas into a complete meltdown. Even Japanese anime and manga that aren't strictly meant to be ''kawaii'' often have a character or two that fit the above description, for merchandising purposes if not for narrative reasons.

* AnthropomophizedAnatomy: True to the franchise's primary conceit, every human character represents a cell in the human body.

* ADayInTheLimelight: The entire spinoff is completely dedicated to the platelets doing their regular, non-danger-related jobs.

* CheerfulChild: All of the platelets default to this personality to some extent, though some less than others -- particularly Backwards Hat, Gazer, and Vice Leader.

* CaptainErsatz: While it's unclear whether or not they're intended to be the ''same'' Platelets from [[Manga/CellsAtWork the original series]], Leader and Backwards Hat are visually and functionally identical to ''[=CaW=]'''s two most prominent platelets.

* FauxActionGirl: Downplayed with Splash Curl, who is [[enthusiastic and willing to spring into action]], but she is the first to buckle when faced with difficulty.

Other [[SpinOff Spin-Offs]] of ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' include ''Manga/CellsNotAtWork'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkCodeBlack'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkAndFriends'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkBacteria'', ''Cells at Work: Baby!'', and ''Cells At Work: Lady!.''

* CheerfulChild: While all of the platelets default to this personality to some extent, it's often downplayed compared to most examples of the trope.

* LighterAndSofter: ''Platelets'' is ''much'' lighter than any other series in the franchise, even moreso than ''Cells at Work and Friends'', with the whole series being dedicated to the platelets' work behind the scenes, which consists mostly of maintenance and training new platelets. While serious events ''do'' happen, they are relegated to {{Battle Discretion Shot}}s and/or offscreen {{Noodle Incident}}s.

It's hardly a secret: people like cute things. If said "cute things" are also sweet, funny, and/or childlike, so much the better. Nowhere is this more evident than in Japanese ''kawaii'' ("cute") culture, which plies its trade in things so cute and sugary that they would send even the strongest pancreas into a complete meltdown. Even Japanese anime and manga that aren't strictly meant to be ''kawaii'' often have a character or two that fit the above description, for merchandising purposes if not for narrative reasons.

''Cells at Work: Platelets!'' is about a squad of Platelets going about their daily business, be it doing maintenance on various structures within the body, training new platelets, learning about different social functions, and other low-stakes, low-impact adventures. It's less of an action manga than a ''{{iyashikei}}'' SliceOfLife comedy featuring some cute characters.

Whatever else one might say about the series, ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' knows how to diversify. The series has spawned a very large number of spinoffs, with each either tackling a new genre, targeting a different demographic, or focusing on the adventures of a different group of cells (or, in one case, [[Manga/CellsAtWorkBacteria even bacteria]]). Now that most of the other cells have had their day in the sun, [[EnsembleDarkhorse the tiny little Platelet crew]] find themselves in a spinoff all to themselves.

''Cells at Work: Platelets!'' (''Hataraku Kesshoban-chan'') is written by Yuuko Kakihara, who was on the ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' anime's writing team, and illustrated by Yasu of ''LightNovel/{{Toradora}}'' fame. It runs in ''Monthly Shounen Sirius''. An English translation was released by Kodansha Comics starting in July 2020.

* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: None of the individual platelets have names; they are addressed only by their position or a distinguishing trait. Thus, the characters have names like Leader, Vice Leader, Gazer, Glancer, and Backwards Hat.

* CaptainErsatz: While it's unclear whether or not they're intended to be the ''same'' Platelets from [[Manga/CellsAtWork the original series]], Leader and Backwards Hat are visually and functionally identical to ''CaW'''s two most prominent platelets.

[[caption-width-right:250:Blood clots were never cuter.]]

Other [[SpinOff Spin-Offs]] of ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' include ''Manga/CellsNotAtWork'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkCodeBlack'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkAndFriends'', ''Manga/CellsAtWorkPlatelets'', ''Cells at Work: Baby!'', and ''Cells At Work: Lady!.''

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cellsatwork_platelets_001_1024x1536.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Blood clots were never cuter.]]