After School Dice Club
Plot. Miki Takekasa is a shy high school girl who prefers to keep to herself. One day after school, she encounters a new transfer student named Aya Takayashiki, who convinces her to go on an adventure together. Sometime later, they spot the class representative, Midori Ono, heading into the entertainment district. When they follow her, they learn she works at a game shop. This discovery causes Miki, Aya, and Midori to realize that they share a passion for board games. As such, they spend time playing different games together. Media. Manga. "After School Dice Club", written  and illustrated by Hirō Nakamichi, was serialized in Shogakukan's "Monthly Shōnen Sunday" magazine from March 12, 2013 to June 11, 2021. Shogakukan has compiled its chapters into individual "tankōbon" volumes. Nineteen volumes were published from September 12, 2013 to July 12, 2021. Anime. An anime television series adaptation was announced in the October issue of "Monthly Shōnen Sunday" on September 12, 2018. The series was animated by Liden Films and directed by Kenichi Imaizumi, with Atsushi Maekawa handling series composition, Yukiko Ibe designing the characters, and Shūji Katayama composing the music. It aired from October 3 to December 19 , 2019 on ABC, Tokyo MX, and BS11. The series ran for 12 episodes. Miyu Tomita performed the series' opening theme "Present Moment", while Saki Miyashita, Marika Kouno, and Tomita performed the series' ending theme "On the Board". Reception. Anime News Network had four editors review the first episode of the anime: Theron Martin was unsure of the "cute girls do games" premise following a pre-established formula, but gave it a "tepid recommendation" on the assumption that it will lead to "good character development" and give the board games a more dramatic presentation; Rebecca Silverman felt underwhelmed by the game  scenes but said that it could get better in future episodes along with exploring Miki's social anxiety problems; James Beckett was critical of both Miki and Aya's characteristics being overly familiar but was intrigued by the board game of the week template that will build the ensemble's chemistry and individual development, saying "[T]hat might not exactly be a glowing recommendation, but it means the show is just good enough to avoid the seasonal chopping block, at least for the time being." The fourth reviewer, Nick Creamer, found "an engaging relational dynamic" among the three main leads towards  the end but found the journey lacking with Miki's "incisive characterization" being centered by a "generally weak script" propping it up, concluding that: "All in all, "After School Dice Club" certainly isn't breaking any new ground, but it's a reasonable example of its genre centered on a very appropriate gimmick. If you're a slice of life fan, I'd definitely give it a try." Fellow ANN editor Caitlin Moore reviewed the complete anime series in 2020. She was initially put off by the generic first episode displaying the typical all-girls hobby show tropes, but was  won over by both the main cast's camaraderie and exploration of their lives outside the club, and having thorough understanding of the various games they played each episode, concluding that: ""After School Dice Club"" offers the best of both worlds in terms of narrative and iyashikei anime. It takes the emphasis on friendship and good times and adds just enough development and structure to keep the tension and interest of people who normally don't care for storyless series."