Have you wondered what Cells at Work and Inside Out's love child would be like? I wonder no more about my first official spotlight; I'll be shining it on the ever famous rom-com Yumi cells by Donggeon Lee.
Summary
For thousands of years, people have been trying to understand the most central organ of the human body: the brain. We've devoted our entire lifetimes to see what makes us tick from psychology, neuroscience, and even sociology. Thankfully for us readers, we don't have to worry about those mysteries as we follow Yumi Kim's journey while she navigates life and love.
Characters
Yumi: Our main heroine, Yumi, is your everyday woman bumbling from day to day. Yumi has proven to have a passion for food, poor spending habits, procrastinating tendencies, and many hidden away emotions. Central cells: love cell, hunger, writer, emotional, rational, naughty, inner feeling.
Woong: A quiet, hard-working man of principles. He often tries not to trouble others with his actions. But, unfortunately, he also is a bit of a troll. Central cells: pride, ambition, faker, love, rational.
Babi: Our second He has a sincere kindness and passion that he often tries to hide. Central cells: overbearing, detective, love, emotional.
Soonrook: A worker who keeps a somewhat professional aura about him, Soonrook likes to keep up his appearances long enough until he retreats to the paradise that is his bed. Central cells: Love, Detective, and Naughty.
Overview
So as I stated before, Yumi's brain cells are usually the main focus, but that doesn't mean we don't focus on other characters' cells. Each cell has its one-note characteristic. The real fun is how all these unfiltered one-note personalities pretty much war against each other, like the MHA fandom picking the best girl(Or picking which one of my stories is the best). The story will often focus on an underappreciated cell and mechanic for a change of pace, leading to even more wacky scenarios.
Each character in yumi cells primarily has a prime cell that directs them to central cells that usually represent feelings and cells that control the body's functions. Some cells have gotten labeled as retired, like my diet cell. However, cells have also shown the ability to fuse to make a more powerful cell. Like how introvert and timid cells can Digi-fuse into hermit cells.
Each cell pretty much allows us to understand Yumi and the cast a lot better as, like all of us, we usually have to hide our true feelings to move ahead. And this is one of the reasons I love this comic so much. Yumi cells have legitimately significant social interactions that don't feel too bad as Yumi goes through one stage to the next despite the funny over-the-top gestures.
I think the best way to appreciate Yumi's cells is for me to set the record straight. If you're looking for a story about sexy men and women talking about how hot they are, then this isn't for you. If this is a story about a will, they won't get the couple; this isn't the story for you. I stated in the beginning that the story is about life's little stories.
Yumi gets into multiple long-term relationships, each with its dynamics, changes, and evolutions. Yumi goes through various hurdles and stages in her life and often struggles with her path. Yet through it, as the art matures, so does Yumi when she finds herself. And as a person is hard not to get efficiently invested in that story.
Sure it may not be the flashiest or most impactful webtoon. Sure the author is the biggest goddamn troll in the universe. But don't we all have our own private trivial stories that we reflect on?
Epilogue
Overall I hope you check out Yumi's cells if you're interested in a fun little story before you get your day started, just like I hope you enjoy my stories whenever you tune in. It's a fun romp that knows when not to take itself seriously. I hope you enjoy more chapters like this, as next time, we'll see where the spotlight takes us next.