The appeal and evaluation of "After School Dice Club": An anime that lets you enjoy the world of board games

After School Dice Club - After School Dice Club -

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

October 3, 2019 - December 19, 2019
26:11～

■Broadcasting station

ABC, AT-X

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

Hirotaka Nakamichi

■ Director

Kenichi Imaizumi

■ Production

・Animation production: LIDEN FILMS

■Works

©Yutaka Nakamichi, Shogakukan / After School Dice Club Production Committee

■ Story

Always being alone.
For Takekasa Miki, who is not good at socializing and is shy, this is just a normal part of her daily life.
Miki meets her innocent classmate Aya Takayashiki, class representative Midori Ohno, and transfer student Emilia from Germany.
They deepen their friendship through board games and gradually move forward.
The ordinary everyday life turns into something special.

■Explanation

Board games make people all over the world smile!
"After School Dice Club", a popular board game-themed comic currently being serialized in "Gessan" (Shogakukan), is being made into an anime!
A coming-of-age story about a high school girl who is drawn into the fascinating world of board games and grows as a person through the games and deepens her friendships with her friends.

■Cast

・Miki Takekasa/Saki Miyashita ・Aya Takayashiki/Marika Takano

■ Main staff

・Original story: Nakamichi Yudai ・Serial: Gessan (Shogakukan)
Director: Kenichi Imaizumi Series Composition: Jun Maekawa Character Design: Yukiko Ibe Art Director: Hitomi Haga Color Design: Aiko Shinohara Director of Photography: Teppei Sato Editing: Tomomi Umezu Dubbing Director: Junichi Inaba Dubbing Director: Kazuzo Hamano Music: Shuji Katayama (Team-MAX)

■ Main Characters

Miki Takekasa is a high school student who is not good at socializing and is shy, but kind-hearted. She is the only one who cannot fit in with her class.
Takayashiki Aya A cheerful classmate who just moved to Kyoto. Always cheerful and curious.

■Subtitle

・Episode 1/An unknown world ・Episode 2/This is a cockroach!
Episode 3: I'm Not Alone Episode 4: Midori's Dream Episode 5: A Message for You Episode 6: The Birth of a Newbie Designer!
Episode 7 / Open your heart Episode 8 / The fourth friend Episode 9 / Dharma Sangha Colonda Episode 10 / Happy Holy Night Episode 11 / Everyone's Game Episode 12 / Our Favorite Place

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Period: 1-12
・Present Moment
Lyrics: Mayumi Kaneko Composition: Shuhei Mutsuki Arrangement: Shuhei Mutsuki Singer: Miyu Tomita ED1
・Period: 1-12
・On the Board
Lyrics by Shio Watanabe; Composition by Takamitsu Ono; Arrangement by Chihiro Tamaki; Sung by Miki Takekasa (voiced by Saki Miyashita), Aya Takayashiki (voiced by Marika Takano), Midori Ohno (voiced by Miyu Tomita)

The appeal and evaluation of After School Dice Club

"After School Dice Club" was loved by many viewers as a coming-of-age anime with a board game theme. The original manga is by Nakamichi Yudai, serialized in "Gessan" (Shogakukan), and was broadcast as a TV anime from October to December 2019. Animation was produced by LIDEN FILMS and directed by Imaizumi Kenichi.

The story centers around the protagonist, Takekasa Miki, a high school student who is not good at socializing and tends to be isolated in her class. However, through board games, she meets classmates Takayashiki Aya, Ohno Midori, and Emilia, a transfer student from Germany, and the story depicts the process of deepening friendships between them. This work deeply touched viewers by depicting human relationships and personal growth through the communication tool of board games.

The anime aired from October 3rd to December 19th, 2019, with a total of 12 episodes. It was broadcast on ABC and AT-X, with each episode lasting 30 minutes. The opening theme "Present Moment" was sung by Miyu Tomita, and the ending theme "On the Board" was sung by Saki Miyashita, who plays Takekasa Miki, Marika Takano, who plays Takayashiki Aya, and Miyu Tomita, who plays Ohno Midori. These songs are also important elements that add to the atmosphere of the work.

Character Appeal

Takekasa Miki is a shy high school student who has trouble socializing, but her kind-hearted personality is what makes her so appealing. Her story of growth resonated with many viewers. Takayashiki Aya is a cheerful and curious character who plays an important role in opening up Miki's heart. Ohno Midori is responsible as the class representative, and Emilia offers new perspectives from a different cultural perspective. The story of friendship and growth woven by these characters deeply moved viewers.

The appeal of board games

A major feature of this series is that it is centered around board games. The board games featured in each episode are depicted as symbolizing the relationships and growth of the characters. For example, in episode 2, "This is a cockroach!", Miki deepens communication with her friends through a cockroach-themed game. Additionally, in episode 6, "The Birth of a Newbie Designer!", the fun and difficulty of game design are depicted, providing viewers with a new perspective. Through these episodes, the appeal and potential of board games are conveyed.

Animation and Music

Liden Films, the animation production company, was successful in meticulously depicting the characters' expressions and movements, allowing viewers to empathize with the characters. In particular, the board game scenes visually illustrated the game's rules and progression, giving viewers a sense of realism as if they were actually participating in the game. Music was also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work, and the music by Katayama Shuji (Team-MAX) skillfully expressed the characters' feelings and the atmosphere of the scenes. The opening and ending songs also reflected the theme of the work, and resonated with viewers.

Viewer reactions and ratings

"After School Dice Club" was highly praised by viewers. In particular, the story of friendship and growth through board games resonated with many viewers. The variety of board games featured in each episode and the character growth through them were also highly praised. Many viewers said that the show helped them rediscover the fun of board games.

Recommended points

"After School Dice Club" is recommended not only for those who like board games, but also for those who like youth anime and works that depict friendship. In particular, the following points are recommended points.

• A story of friendship and growth through board games
• Introducing various board games and their fun
• Character charm and growth
• Detailed animation and music

This work will not only bring smiles and excitement to viewers, but will also give you the opportunity to discover new charms in board games. Please give it a watch.