Smoking, Bacteria, and the Beginning of the End

"Smoking, Bacteria, and the Beginning of the End" (喫煙、細菌、終わりの始まり.) is the 1st episode of the Cells at Work! CODE BLACK! anime adaption. It is based on the first chapter of the same name.

Plot
The episode opens with a hallway filled with dead red blood cell bodies. The person responsible seems to be a Pneumonia Coccus. A female white blood cell is chasing after a red blood cell that is right behind her. The white blood cell quickly dispatches the bacteria. However, the young red blood cell worker is clearly overwhelmed.

Inside the human body, the red blood cells produced after erythroblast enucleation, watch an orientation video explaining that they will be going to a fun work environment. AA2153 is rigorously taking notes while his mates are much calmer.

However, AA2153 and his new colleagues find themselves at the mercy of their seniors, who make unreasonable demands to them without explaining anything about the job. Nevertheless, the rookies find out that the cells he saw in the orientation video are now overworked and look like a mess, much like his senpai described.

While delivering oxygen, AA2153 gets lost on his way to the stomach. He runs into a rather rude Platelet Leader and her colleagues. Finally, AA2153 makes to the stomach. However, the Chief Stomach Cell is angry with the red blood cell for being late. Even though AA2153 tries to be polite and introduces himself, like the Chief Stomach Cell suggested, he comes to the harsh realization that the body has gone downhill. As a result, the cells are overworked, and priorities must be made much to the normal cells' dismay.

AD6614, a senior red blood cell, comes along and gives AA2153 some valuable advice. Even Though the senior cell is holding a smile on the outside, deep down inside, he's feeling everything but that. He suppresses his true emotions.

AD6614 and AA2153 make it to a hallway. However, it's filled with fatty, yellowish lumps dumped by LDL, the bad cholesterol. After an exhausting round, AA2153 decides to take a break but is interrupted by his senpai. Red blood cells have no time for breaks. Even though AA2153 is tired, he continues with his work alongside AD6614. Suddenly, a white gas, carbon monoxide, burst out of the vents, instantly turning the rest of the red blood cells into carboxyhemoglobin, dangerous zombies.

Out of nowhere, Pneumonia Coccus appears, a bacterium that triggers pneumonia and kills the carboxyhemoglobin. Before reaching AD6614 and AA2153, a female Neutrophil‎, a white blood cell, named U-1196, appears and kills the bacteria with her katana.

Even though the scene is horrifying, the red blood cells have a job to deliver the oxygen to their intended destination. Their job doesn't allow for breaks, even if it means mourning the dead.

AD6614 exposes himself to carbon monoxide so that AA2153 can deliver his oxygen through a safer route. AD6614 spends his final moments laughing maniacally, although in a determined fashion, as he tries to deliver his oxygen before dying.

When 22153 is about to go after his senpai, U-1196 stops him and implores for AD6614’s sacrifice not be for nothing.

The white and red blood cells head towards the long to see what caused the carbon monoxide outbreak. The incident was caused by smoking for the first time in ten years. However, that is only the beginning of the dangers awaiting this body.

New characters

 * AA2153
 * U-1196
 * Platelet (BLACK)
 * Gastric Chief Cell
 * Pneumonia Coccus (BLACK)
 * AD6614