However, the animation is where it doesn’t do justice nor does it make up for the simplistic art style, whereas the anime, Hikaru no Go, does. Arguably, it feels Episodic after the first few episodes with very slow pacing and undeveloped characters, albeit likeable ones.Īrtistic elements and designs are kept simple with no significant richness in color, but the characters and backgrounds are clean looking with enough definition to them add some charm and appeal. However, that’s all that After School Dice Club is really about three friends playing a new type of game each episode. I applaud LIDEN FILMS for taking a non-typical plot and making it into an anime. From here, the plot centers mainly on their friendship and the discovery of fun while playing these games, which, according to the anime, are not typical fanfare in Japan. Shortly thereafter, they realize that they are in a magical place of various board and card games. Intimidating to the girls at first, things change when they find out that Midori works part-time at this particular establishment. What should be an emotionally climatic moment, where she does eventually learn she has true friends, is instead accidentally really hilarious.This lighthearted story is about three unlikely friends, Midori (the determined one), Aya (the Eternal Optimist) and Miki (the Shy one), who form their bond of friendship through unlikely means…games! One day late after school, Aya and Miki somehow find their way into this little gaming shop owned by a large man named Takeru. ![]() You can really feel this in the final episode where Miki sits on a bench bullying herself because she realizes she might not be able to spend every waking minute of her life with her friends. While I respect the mix of traditional Japanese games and great modern games, having to deal with random drama between them caused them to lose some impact along the way. The board game sections are great, but they had to be tied into the story, which is the problem. Unfortunately, the show holds itself back by trying to include so many narrative elements. Midori’s arc is where the show unfortunately peaks from a story perspective Having made a game myself, I appreciated it at least. That plot is easily the best one as it allows you to appreciate the games more while giving some basic insight into the industry. The other positive point this anime has is showing off the creative process for making a good game. It’s one of the biggest strengths the show has. This allows the show to legitimately teach you how to play whatever the game happens to be in their entirety. ![]() Nearly all the games featured are entry-level, meaning they are quick to pick up, learn, and teach. ![]() If you didn’t know, I am pretty well-versed when it comes to board games and I was generally impressed with the selection they showed off in After School Dice Club. Not your typical anime off-brand stuff, real board games that you can go out and get today. While there is that story going on, the focus is obviously the board games. Along the way, her newfound friends have their own trials and tribulations as well. Then she learns about board games, and wouldn’t you know it, she gets some friends which gives a boost to her self-confidence. To get the show off the ground, because you can’t just have some cute girls randomly playing board games with no context, there’s Miki, a shy girl with no friends. While this series took its time to finally put my money where my mouth was, there’s just one logical question to ask: Does the show actually work? Left to right: Midori, Aya, Emilia, and Miki Apparently a 2013 manga, later turned anime, was a head of the curve though with After School Dice Club. Since A Sister’s All You Need first premiered back in 2017, I’ve been convinced that an anime about people playing board games could work well.
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