Houkago Saikoro Club

Friendship through the power of board games - a board-gamified review of Houkago Saikoro Club

(this review is structured and meant to be read as if it was a board game manual)

-- General game info --
> game idea and concept by Xiaraith
> inspired by LIDENFILMS
> original story and art by Nakamichi Hiroo
> for any player count, age 13+
> Playing time: 5 minutes, potentially leads to another game of 276 minutes

-- Game Material --
> models of 3 girls, board game shop, manager
> locked boxes to be opened when instructed
> decision board, pawn

-- Game Setup --
Prepare the game by taking the two models of the introverted (Miki) and the cheerful (Aya) highschool girls out of the game box.
Initiate their starting situation by allowing them to meet, which results in them starting a quest that they'll try to achieve for the foreseeable future. As trivial as it might sound, this quest is an adventure to learn about fun and friendship.
The remaining unlocked models are now added to the mix (the board game shop+manager and the class representative girl named Midori). After making the three girls meet in said shop, the main bulk of our game (and the actual anime) commences.
Prepare a way to note or remember your personal score (which starts at zero), place the decision board in front of you, and the pawn on the first spot.

-- Course of Play --
The rules are simple and straightforward. You control the pawn and move it forward on the board, one step at a time.
On each spot, you decide whether or not you agree with the statement written on it, and if you do, add or subtract the respective points to your personal score. Once you reach the end of the board, your final score will determine the outcome of the game/review.

+2 -- I value the depiction of a growing friendship
+1 -- rather innocent and curious girls are someone I enjoy watching
+1 -- cute girls for the win
-2 -- cute-girl anime mustn't feature any males in order to be enjoyable
+1 -- looking for a slice of life setting that, next to hobbies, also deals with daily problems and interactions in school
+1 -- I don't mind if characters in slice of life anime try something new/engage in activities not commonly seen in anime
+1 -- plot progression in slice of life anime exists, and it happens via character development
+1 -- a colourful/comfortable/picture-book art style gets a thumbs up
+1 -- people are happy and grow to each other by connecting via shared activities
+1 -- having a vivid imagination is no foreign concept to me and/or I enjoy gamifying parts of my life
+1 -- terms and names such as Spiel des Jahres, Alex Randolph, Catan, Eurogame/German-style board game, mean something to me
+3 -- I am interested in what an upcoming board game author needs to worry about, some of the steps required for a board game idea to take form, and perhaps I even tried my hands on an own game creation
+1 -- modern board gaming is something that fascinates me or that I want to learn about
-1 -- traditional games such as Monopoly, Risk or Clue feel decently complex and are all I need
+1 -- when I hear the term "gaming", I picture things that aren't related to video games
+1 -- in case I am German, I like to feel good about my nationality and/or want to experience something that my country has historically been, and nowadays still is, worldwide known for

-- Game End and Scoring --
Your pawn has moved forward, has moved to the final spot, netting or losing you points.
Whatever happened, your final score now determines how this game actually concludes:

(10+)
If today is the first time you've heard of "Houkago Saikoro Club", then let me tell you, it might just be your best day of the entire month! In any case, engage in this anime's world and get blissfully treated ^-^

(7-9)
Well played, and a worthy score for someone who might be looking for something comfortable to watch in order to calm down or explore the world of gaming. This anime is able to offer the desired variety.
(Treat this review as if it's rated 7 instead of 9)

(4-6)
If you are one of MAL's rare board game enthusiasts, Houkago Saikoro Club will almost certainly give you a blast of a time. And if you feel good about cute art and slice of life vibes while also being open to new ideas, this anime is a legit option too. In the end, you'll likely not have to worry about ending up with major things to criticise about this show.
(Treat this review as if it's rated 6 instead of 9)

(Less than 4)
Hmm, even though it might have come down to poor luck or other unfavourable circumstances, the chance of Houkago Saikoro Club not living up to your anime expectations has to be feared. The thing is, while this anime does offer a lot to those who scored highly or are otherwise intrigued by its vibes and themes, there isn't exactly much to find here for the rest of the anime populace. But hey, rather some specialised entertainment than everything trying to please everyone.
(Treat this review as if it's rated 4 instead of 9)

-- Credits --
First things first, you probably wonder what the locked boxes contain and how/when to open them. Well, do you like to be surprised?
LIDENFILMS's adaptation of a comfy manga will introduce characters and games that you might have not expected, but which all add to the entire concept. A game needs to be played after all in order to fully realise the special emotions and interacting mechanics, and same goes for this series.

All games in the anime (aside from those created by voiced characters of the show) are real existing games, and details of all the game boxes are all legit.

The genuine interest in board games by the mangaka, Nakamichi Hiroo, is easily noticeable in both the anime and manga, thus having the board game topic is not done in a cheap way as quick attention grab, but to provide a window for everyone to realise that board gaming is a thriving hobby.

Speaking of which, modern board gaming is in a very healthy spot these days, and people like me can easily spend hours daily just to read about new games or play some with friends/family/coworkers/etc. Board gaming isn't physically demanding, which is also why virtually every age group from young to old can enjoy it, something we also notice in the anime.

And you know, speaking from personal experience, I've noticed board game friends (those who generally don't know about the existence of anime) share trailers and details about Houkago Saikoro Club, and some of them did start watching it. A broader appeal is absolutely there, which I can't say about a lot of other anime/manga that feature certain sports/hobbies as their main activity and quirk.

If there is something I've got to criticise, then that the episode length doesn't allow for actually complex games to be part of the anime, even though I would have loved to see some of those. Well, reason enough for me to get a hold of the manga and see what else we get gaming-wise. And isn't this what a good anime tries to achieve, making you want to deal with its source material~

May these girls and everyone else keep enjoying the activity of board gaming. Its potential is infinite!

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Underrated Gem of the season. Wholesome, the anime.

Houkago Saikoro Dice club is not an anime that will blow you away in terms of quality, plot, direction, etc. However, what it excels at is being a very relaxing and enjoyable time, which is why it earns a 10 from me. I base my ratings on my overall enjoyment of a series, I don't care about super complex things that you may see in other reviews. Now that that's out the way, let's get into explaining the series.

Dice club starts off with Aya having recently moved to Kyoto and looking for new friends, she ends up encountering Miki, the MC of the series, who although a Kyoto native has struggled to make friends and connections. The two of them end of becoming friends and bonding, while out one day, they stop by a game shop to check out the contents of the store, due to this they become friends with Midori, the class rep and fall in love with the art of board games.

Each episode follows the group as they hang out, go through school and find out about new board games. That's basically the plot so far, and while it may not seem like much, what I find really interesting and why this got a 10 from me, is the fact that i can learn about so many new games and hobbies through this series. I actually have got into playing shogi and cards as a result and as someone who has suffered through depression myself, enjoying a nice relaxing anime is such a cool change of pace.

The art is gorgeous and really bright, music is well done, character designs are great, a lot better than the manga and overall I really enjoy the series. Think of this series as the senko san of this season, not much in the way of actual plot, but it's moe fluff, and if you ask me, we can all use a bit more of that these days.

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The foundation of Houkago Saikoro Club (Afterschool Dice Club) is based on tabletop games in the form of card games, board games, and of course, dice games. Chances are that you played a tabletop game at least once in your lifetime, whether it’s between friends or family. Hiroo Nakamichi manages to create a manga about tabletop game culture and to my delight, this is a slice of series I can recommend to just about anyone.

To start off, you don’t need to be a fan of tabletop games to really enjoy the show. I haven’t played tabletop games in a long time but had no problem looking into interest from the very first episode. We meet Miki Takekasa, an antisocial girl who has trouble finding fun in her life. After meeting Aya Takayashiki and Midoro Ono, she discovers a world of fun and excitement with tabletop games. Welcome to the Dice Club. This club is more than just an experience at games. It’s a social connection that bonds together characters such as Miki.

Indeed, character connection is an important element from the very beginning. Miki started off as being socially awkward but begins to grow out of her shell after joining the club. This is thanks to the friendly characters she meets including Aya and Midori. Both characters may be different but they manage to bring together the fun of experiencing with board games. From the show itself, we have cockroach poker, roleplaying tabletops, and even popular real world games such as Bunny Kingdom. However, it would seem a majority of the games are based on European tabletops than ones from North America. Ironically, a foreign character does later join in the show named Emilia. Known for her Irish descent, she brings in new excitement for her friends as she also experience the joy of board games. Like I said before, Houkago Saikoro Club delivers the social experience of people together rather than high stake competitions.

As a slice of life, the story flows in an episodic structure without a complicated plot. Character development is minimal although Miki’s growth is exceptionally noticeable the more she plays with her new friends. Every episode introduces games with different rules to keep the show refreshing. Sometimes, we even get episodes taking place outside of the store such as at the beach or school. During these times, the club members experience the teenager dream – being able to hang out together as normal people and enjoying life. With the light comedy, the comedic humor is generally tame that’s usually based on character personalities than dry humor. That is to say, this anime isn’t trying to make you laugh. It’s here to show how board games can change people’s lives.

Watching the series from start to finish, I do have to say that the male character cast is generally underwhelming. Characters such as Aoshima and Shouta are easily forgettable and fits the role of stereotypical school roles. The only guy in the show I commend on being noticeable is Kinjou Takeru, the store manager. With a bald head, apron, and intimidating sunglasses, you’d least expect him to be someone who would run the store. Thankfully, the anime also introduces Maki Kyouko. She may not be featured as much as the main cast but to me, she is a breakout character. From the moment she was introduced, Maki displays a free spirited attitude and loves making friends. In one particular episode, she and Aya goes on an outdoor adventure of their own to enjoy themselves. And that’s the same attitude you should have when watching Hokuago Saikoro Club. Enjoy this show with an open mind with a free spirited attitude.

Hokuago Saikoro Club’s art style is very manga-like with the drawn characters. The anime brings their character designs in definitive form with enhanced quality. Every character in the show stands out with the vibrant look. Character expressions is usually demonstrated with interactions than reactions. It aims to show how characters bond together with a common interest in games. To my delight, studio Liden Films even manages to make impressive appeal to the board games themselves. With each game featuring unique styles of gameplay, the show itself looks and feels different every episode.

I don’t think there’s much more need for a slice of life such as Hokuago Saikoro Club. From the very beginning, it knew what the audience wanted and delivered on almost every aspect of their goals. It seems nowadays, slice of life has taken on many forms. A show about a group of friends playing tabletop games together and experiencing the creative excitement is most welcoming.

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Surprised this isn't higher than it is. While sure it's not an 8, a 9, or a 10. But it's certainly a 7 in my books. A simple concept of board games can be real interesting.

Again, it could be just tastes. But this is a lot better than the rating it is given. The characters are rather cute with how their portrayed and look. With relatable characteristics you see in every day life honestly, that aren't annoying in any stretch that could ruin the experience. As it doesn't here. From shy and timid, to one that is energetic and so on. Great characters overall.

It also has a great way of how the story is told through playing these games, and how the characters develop through playing these games together. It's a real heart warming feeling and I love it.

The games themselves shown in the show are rather interesting too! I'd love to play them myself! From just a simple fun card game, to a simple board game that honestly looks a world of fun. I'd honestly play them with my friends and family if I could haha. After all, who doesn't love a good board game.

The art of the characters and games is very pleasant and well done. It's a great looking anime. From the detail on character looks, to the covers of the games themselves. To even the pieces in the games. It's well done.

Should you watch it? I'd say yes. While the concept of playing board games might not sound interesting. But it's the way it's done that is really enjoyable. I'm very interested in seeing how it progresses further.

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Welcome to my review of Houkago Saikoro Club! This review contains minor spoilers!!



Miki are a very shy and insecure girl who rather keep to herself! Sadly she got bullied in her early years. And later in high school she rejected invitations on social activities with her classmates. And because of her odd behaviour, and that she try to close herself in!! Avoiding places where people are gathering and are unwilling to take part of the world outside, I think she may suffer from a mild form of autism!!



Aya on the other-hand are a very enthusiastic social and positive young lady! She have recently moved to Kyoto where this tale take place!!, A mighty grand city!! Once capital of Japan!! Know for its beautiful and breathtaking cherry blossom! And the imperial palace garden!!



One day when Miki are walking home from school.! Taking her safe route that usually are people free!!But this day it's not!! Aya are ridding on her bicycle ,The brakes stops workings and to avoid to crash right in to Miki she goes right in to the lake!! After some talking they venture together to see more of Kyoto!!



After some unexpected event and getting lost! Miki react like people with mild type of autism often do, when they are put in those kinds of unexpected situations. She panics and start crying!! Aya understands what is going on and most importantly she understand what Miki needs!! And because of that they bond and Miki gets her first real friend, and with Aya at her side, Miki feels safe, and together they face more of the outside world! And stumble in to a board game shop where their class representative Midori works.After playing some game with the owner a new window are open up for Miki,. And now she wants to take part of the social activity of playing board-games with her new friends!!



This anime revolves around this high school board game club! A lot of different games will be introduced ,And the cute girls will hang out and play them together!!! But this anime are so much more! The board games are just a setting!! It's more about getting friends and understand each other!! But mostly about Miki! And Her growing in to a more secured person that don't isolate herself! And Aya are very protective and will not allow any more type of ill behaviour against Miki!!! Later on more girls will join in!!



The animations are not the best but still doing it's job . Love the warm vibrant colours and the animation makes me feel comfortable and relax!And works well with the females but the males sticks out and the cute style making them look weird and very ill-fitting!!


The characters feels a bit flat to be honest! Noting interesting neither unique!! And the anime fails on concentrating on the girls and focus to much on frivolous support characters. It take away important time which should be used to build the girls.And therefor the girls doesn't feels as warm and captivating they usually do in this kind of anime!! The support characters are not support! They are in the way and totally fails on supporting the main characters!!


The characters development are extremely shallow and bland like the characters themselves .Its more the less only about Miki becoming a bit less shy!!The anime neither care or takes it time with it .


The males undermines the female characters.In a CGDCT it should be ALL about the females!! It shouldn't be about males trying to hit on the cute girls, That's a romance not a CGDCT .This anime have a huge identity problem.And with so many balls in the air at the same time, its fail miserably. It's better to do one thing well than ten things poorly!!


Cute Girls Doing Cute Things is a wonderful concept! one of my favourite genres! And I have high standards on those kind shows. And I'm not going to sit and watch when my girls gets defiled by males! This is more a Irritating Males Being Loud And Trying To Climb The Cute Girls Show, Then a CGDCT!! And for that it goes to my trash pile where it fucking belong! And I don't recommend this anime!! Keep away from it!!



Dropped 1/10


Thank you for reading!!

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Houkago Saikoro Club is a simple show that manages to succeed with its accurate representation of playing board games along with the character development and heartwarming interactions that are brought on by these games. There are lots of fun moments that can happen during a board game and the show does a good job of communicating these moments and showcasing the fun, glory, and growth that they get from playing these games.

The characters in Saikoro Club are generally well developed and showcase a good example growth that is tied in well to the subject matter that is being focused on. In the case of Miki we see a girl who is not only an introvert but is very shy from being bullied frequently in her youth. Her mental state reminds me of my own back in the day. She is hesitant to join with others and makes a beeline to and from school not stopping along the way. She is unable to bond with others, and has this feeling of loneliness rooted in her. But then she meets a friend. And along that she is introduced to the world of board games. The usage of board games both is nice as a tool to get her to open up and to be able to interact with friends, as well as use an activity that is able to provide group interaction while also allowing Miki to be her introverted self. The growth that we see from her is real and the games provide a good mirror as we see her grow in the action of the games. It's not as if she's not an introvert, she always is. But her timidness shrinks and the moves she plays in the games become grow bolder, showcasing her growth.

In the case of Midori, we see someone who already enjoys board games a lot and already is more put together from the start. However she does have a dream, one that she has been working on for a while, but that was pushed more to the back-burner. I really enjoyed the development of her dream as she was pushed to continue it and go outside of her comfort level. It's nice to see her missteps guided through and the development that her dream goes through, as she tries to push it towards reality. There are choices that she makes that make sense in thought but actually negatively effect her dream and keep it in its infant stages without growth. I like how the show was able to call out these patterns and give better advice to fuel the dream and push for the best result the dream could have. Not only did the advice and path make perfect sense to me, as the information given was all correct, but it was nice to see this growth and showcase the common failings that can happen in the path of making a dream a reality. While this dream is specific to the focus of the show I think there are good parallels that can be made with many dreams, and provides general good advice for dreams. I liked how the show didn't just make the dream happen but managed to have realistic set backs that I think are common for many people to go through even outside of the medium that Midori was focused on. It's a nice change to shows that focus more on overly dramatic roadblocks rather than the more real roadblocks we push ourselves into.

As a fan of board games myself it's fun to see the board games played out. I think the explanation of the games is excellent. Especially with how well they're able to explain the base rules, have it still be entertaining, and not have it take too much time. I have been introduced to a lot of new games and have had to bare through a lot of awful explanations. So to see good explanations for these games and to not be bored is quite a boon in my opinion considering how boring (at best) they can be in real life. The games themselves were fun to watch. It was cool seeing games that I had played before being played in an anime. Some of the games looked quite interesting too and made me want to play them myself. While how well the show was able to showcase the game being focused on varied from episode to episode the bulk of the games were fun to watch and had nice interactions between the characters. In particular the game in episode 2 was fun to watch as you could see the character's naivete and lack of skill very prominently which led to very funny results. These moments in playing board games are highlights of them and can be quite fun to watch and see.

The graphics and sound quality of the show is a much more mixed bag. The show isn't wowing it with its production, although it doesn't have any quality issues either. It's very average to the point of being exceedingly average, if that's even possible. It looks fine. Never great but never awful.

Overall Houkago Saikoro Club is a great anime that is able to use it's subject matter and give good development and growth based off of it. It has the heartwarming interactions and fun that is needed of a CGDCT, and never fails to be a fun little ride. It's a modest show but it fits together really well.

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Anime which focuses on 1 idea can go one of 2 ways, it can be entertaining and fun to watch or it can be extremely boring. Thankfully, Houkago Saikoro Club was closer to the first one here. It wasn't the best but it was still a very good watch.

I really liked how the anime presented psychological issues even if it didn't necessarily deal with all of them. The fact that it had characters talking and experiencing very heavy stuff like the feeling of being left out, fear of the future and the fear of having no dream or passion in anything is something that I don't think I saw in many/any anime before. And although we didn't get to see solutions for some of these, we still got some hints that made you think that everything will hopefully pass by alright.

One the best things about this anime was the representation of the games. The mangaka was able to choose lots of great games and it was very enjoyable exploring different unique game and watching a great presentation for each of them which made it easy for me to understand what the game was about.

I also really liked the voice actors, specially Aya's and that was understandable after seeing the other roles she had before. Her voice is really charming and pleasant to listen to.

The characters themselves were great. The variety and uniqueness of every character combined with very well-fitting voice actors was a great match. The development each character had was also very good to watch.

The art, animation, OSTs, ED, OP and overall atmosphere of the anime was great to help you relax and enjoy yourself.

Overall I would give the anime an 8/10.

Would recommend it to anyone wanting to watch a fun anime about games or board games to be exact.

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On the surface, this may seem like another one of those usual shows where you have cute girls doing cute things for club activities at school. I mean, I get it. If the show was only about girls playing board games and nothing else, you’d probably get pretty board of it early on, right? Okay, that was a bad one…

But, anyway. It isn't, it's better than the usual ones. And I’m here to briefly convince you guys that it is. So let’s jump right into it.

As the synopsis mentions, Houkago Saikoro Club begins when three girls meet and come together by chance to start playing the one thing they have discovered to love – board games. A new game is introduced pretty much every episode and the rules are clearly explained each time, allowing us viewers to understand the game well, as though we were playing together with the characters too. Over the course of the series, the girls play several different games, through which they have meaningful interactions with other characters. Certain events and conflicts arise, and the characters resolve them through playing games (Oops, that sounded like something out of Yu-Gi-Oh…). As a result, the series is by no means episodic; the characters do not simply get together, play games, then forget all about it and go back to their own daily lives. Instead, the interactions and process of playing the games help to drive the series forward and bring about the development of the characters. The pacing really hit the spot for me, and it fit the genre of the series. Nothing was rushed, the game playthroughs were well-directed and neatly integrated, and the heart-warming elements with regards to the story really took this series a level higher than the average ones.

The characters also played a major part in making this series so enjoyable. All the characters, especially the main group, have different personalities which are easily likeable. These personalities and attributes of the characters are expressed not only through the story but also through the game playthroughs. While the characters play the games, you can tell what kind of person they are from the decisions they make or the things they say. As the series progresses, you’ll find that no one character is perfect and they all have their own flaws, thus making their personalities realistic and relatable for viewers. I would say that there is a high chance of you identifying with at least one of the characters or, at the very least, knowing people in real life who share similar personalities with them. One thing of note is that the presence of the male side characters really added to the enjoyment of the series. They could have easily made the girls come from an all-girls school like what most series would have done and have the story focus on the interactions between these girlfriends. But no, they added male students into the mix and have them interact together with the girls. This, in another way, made the feel of the series even more realistic and allowed me to identify even more with it. It made me think, “Ah, this really is a show about high school girls going through high school lives, and not just a show about girls doing girls’ things.” With that being said, I do wish that there was more character development, especially for those side characters, although I understand that resources may be limited considering it’s a one-cour.

Another thing to commend about the show would be the music and soundtrack. First and foremost, the OP is sung by Tomita Miyu, a young seiyuu on the rise who has already voiced characters from various renowned recent series. The catchy OP is also her first single as a solo artiste. Of course, she also voices one of the main girls in the series itself. In general, while the cast is not exactly star-studded, they fit their roles really well, even though some of them had to adjust in order to accommodate the accents their characters speak in. The soundtrack was beautiful, the music suited the mood of the scenes and added to the emotional element of the story. I will definitely be listening to the OST when it releases, if it does (to date there still has been no news of an OST release).

The reason I wrote this review is because I felt the series is criminally underrated. In a season in which there are plenty of big-name series and sequels, it doesn't surprise me that this one would go under the radar. But I assure you, it's not all that bad. While the story is not exactly unique and compelling, the series makes up for it through its other components. It won’t be keeping you at the edge of your seat, but it may allow you to sit back and relax while watching people play board games, occasionally hitting you in the feels. Who knows, it may even light a spark within you and encourage you to start getting into board games or to go out to find your very own definition of ‘fun’.

Houkago Saikoro Club is not a complex story, it is simple and straight-forward and therein lies its beauty. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish, and I sincerely hope this review has done enough to convince you to give it a try as well.

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Houkago Saikoro Club (2019)

Beginning with a sad story of an introverted girl due to the bullying she faced from her shyness. She has little in the way of friendship but this changes with the arrival of Aya. Later Midori and Emilia join the fold too. They all share a past time going through the series with analogue games. Miki the introverted girl meets various people and solves a few misunderstandings with some pointless romance devices shown. Pointless because they are barely touched, they could have been not shown and the show would hardly change.

Initially, I thought this would be a hidden gem, however, I, unfortunately, was mistaken. Initially, it had a slow pace but that was expected and my issue is that the show is just boring.

I gained so little joy out of watching it, for the first time ever I actually considered (but didn't) speeding up the playtime slightly. I watch everything I start to finish.

There is nothing majorly wrong with the show but nothing right particularly either.

The art is average at best. It often can drop its quality a little too often. The characters also have very little charm to them which ruins the viewing a bit.

The show itself I really did try to enjoy, I really wanted to enjoy it but I personally couldn't.

Take my review however you wish. Ultimately the show had a lot of opportunities and instead it failed for me. It could have even been cute girls do cute things but it can't even do that.

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I’m kind of disappointed by both the current reviews (except the first one - “wholesome” this show is, indeed) and the LACK of ‘current’ reviews. Thing is: ‘topping off’ at the 4th episode, why isn’t this show garnering more attention and reviews further than that? I’m very confused by this, and you can bet I’ll darn-well explain why:

So, firstly, I don’t expect my review to change between this point in the season and ‘by the end of the season’. It has been extremely consistent and, frankly, I’d almost bet my life that it’ll continue to uphold its standards of storytelling, animation, (mediocre) sound design, whatever else, and just its overall feel. (I’ll edit this bit and the intro out when the show is done since, lel, I’m certain it will be a “keeper” for me).
I’m sure I’ll rewatch this show for funzies when I’m in the mood to re-live my “newbie” passion for board games - something I’ve only ‘cracked the surface of’ (Dungeon Pets is my intro to board games :3. Check it out! It’s a top 10 of sorts, ya know!) whilst refuelling my ambition to play board games with more people!

Thing is: I can relate to this show quite a lot. I’m an older guy (urgh... 25+, k?), and having moments of ‘intellectual connectivity that’s “inconsequential”’ is really fricking hard to come about in normal ‘attempts at “bonding”’. ... Board games are something special here. They are an ‘inconsequential, intellectual activity’ for adults to ACTUALLY ENJOY. ... Board games are MASSIVELY underrated!

I’ve talked enough about the setting if this review—so let’s talk about the actual show/anime.

50% of the show is about board games and their ‘novel poetic-complexities’—the other 50% is about showing the beauty, the artistic zeal, and the compatriotism you feel during an ‘intense board game’ as you slowly become familiar with the personalities of those who you are “sharing the experience with”; you see, the ingenuity and limitations of ‘board games’ leave an opportunity for your ‘own’ personality to leave its unmistakeable mark! Houkago Saikoro Club gets the core facets of this hobby across to all those uninitiated in the drunken nature of ‘imagination’ + ‘innovation’ + ‘limitation’ that a board game carefully guides you upon. So many times whilst watching this did I want to order whatever game they were playing (especially ‘The Island’ in episode 7).

Houkago Saikoro Club is more then just an advertisement of Board Games. It’s a love-letter to the hobby that SIMULTANEOUSLY deals with the stigma AND ‘common stereotypes’ of those who play/would enjoy board games.

Well: though I phrase it like that, our Main Character is very real and isn’t all that “tropey”. I really like this as she grows in an acceptable manner (that’s a total plot twist for a show meant to be just about ‘board games’) as she finds herself through the relationships and interactions she forms through these board games. It’s extremely unexpected that any character participating in such a show would have sooooo much depth—I mean, I did say it was 50:50, right? That’s the point: if thus show is that dedicated to ‘showing its art’, then just imagine just how much time we get to see each and every character grow alongside each other. :3

Thing is: I have a personal agenda to talk up the ‘board game’ aspect—however, the character-‘personal and meaningful’ prospect of Houkago Saikoro Club takes the spotlight over the board-gaming side... Even if I’m super proud of how they’ve addressed the ‘art of boardgames’, the characters are ANYTHING but ‘last-minute throw-ins’! Heck, even though our MC is but 1 character to experience growth out of the many that do: the board games are ‘literally a supplement (of many kinds) of growth’ towards our angelic protagonist - which is so extremely well-devised by the author(s)/screen-writers that I’m extremely disappointed by how many people aren’t moved ~like I~ by this precise work of art!

Fact is: the quality is consistent, the character-building is continuous and unpredictable, the artwork is very fair and pleasing, the ‘messages’ are wholesome and realistic (philosophically speaking!), and the show builds up from simple games to hard games, but also from simple relations to complicated relations - all which involve the growth and self-discovery of our main character.

Seriously: how is this show not an utter ‘cult-masterpiece’?! 9/10 - only because it is, technically, ‘inspired and unique, as well as perfectly arranged and presented’, but... it isn’t a ‘masterpiece of the ages’ if I’m to compare it to other ‘blockbusters’—however: it never intended to be this, and it was always in a different ‘zone of ambition’; so, in other words: for what it tried and wanted to be (aka probably a ‘7/10’), to narrowly miss the criterion for a 9/10 (for how well it culturally supported and propelled its medium - board games), it’s absolutely incredible what Houkago Saikoro Club has managed to pull off! ... Be it an 8/10 or a 9/10, I very-much have to gift it ‘bonus points’ for accomplishing something that none of its ‘competitors’ could hardly ever come close to...

Rightfully so: 9/10. This won’t change. An amazing show that’s absolutely ’inspired’ from beginning to end! Well... How’d you feel now for a game, perhaps? :D

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Board games is probably not the most mainstream hobby out there but in my experience, it is one of the best social experiences you can have with your friends. For the past 5-6 years now I've regularly hosted board game nights at home with my former high school classmates and it's one of our most regular ways to hang out and reasons to meet. Board games are a great way to interact with each other in a fun, intelligent and rewarding way which also offers flexibility and versatility, and just in general it's one of the most social experiences you can have. I just wish more people gave it a chance because it sure beats going out clubbing, I'll tell you that much.

In case it wasn't obvious, Houkago Saikoro Club is a slice of life anime about exactly that: board games and the social experience that they provide. Despite the cover, it is not really a cute girls doing cute things kind of show, because while the main cast is primarily female, there are also numerous male characters in this show and more importantly it never really tries to go too excessive with the moe. Instead it focuses more on the actual games, and this is something I very much appreciate. You see, the games they play in this anime aren't just random made-up ones, but rather all 100% real board games that you can likely find in any sizeable store that sell these types of games. Even the ones you see in the background on the various shelves that are never actually used or even mentioned in the show are all real too. I've played several of them myself and even own a handful so for any fan of the medium then it's also a show which is packed with relatable references in that sense. It's almost like an easter egg hunt for trying to see how many of them you can find.

On the downside, I guess for anyone that doesn't play board games themselves and/or is relatively unfamiliar with them, I think a lot of the intended appeal of this show goes out the window. If you're solely trying to watch it for the cute girls factor then... you'd probably be better off watching an anime more directly dedicated to that end goal, because again that isn't really what Houkago Saikoro Club is about. Don't get me wrong, the girls in it are likeable enough as they are, but I wouldn't really call them outstanding either.

Overall, it just feels like an anime made for people that are fans of board games, and for those of us at are it's a very relatable, realistic and enjoyable watch. But for anyone else, they'll probably miss the point of the show to some extent. That doesn't make it bad, but it definitely makes it niche. Take that as you will.

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The effects of CGDCT (Cute girls doing cute things) and SoL (slice-of-life) can be found almost vastly within different narratives, whether is it in sources where there exists girls doing something they didn't think they would do or being forced to do, but it grows on them so much that it becomes a pastime or a hobby pretty much most of the time. This is also the case with Houkago Saikoro Club, a cast of seemingly random girls doing a Meetup session for people with similar interests, and bonding friendships together within that span of interest.

So first off, to explain this series in simpleton form, put yourself in memory of how you are like in school. Are you the introvert or extrovert in class? If so, can you still hang out with friends that well? If your answers to both of that are more of the introverted side and "cannot hang well with friends", welcome to Miki Takesaka's life. Being a loner (that she doesn't talk to anyone), she's looking for a source of "fun", to find its meaning and what to make out of it. A simple coincidence with classmate Aya Takayashiki, and class rep Midori Oono's "private" part-time job (since schools in Japan prohibit students to take up jobs) lands her in a board game store full of different games to play and explore. As soon as the experience for Miki chalks up, so does her exposure to both Aya and Midori to put down her walls of vulnerability and introvertedness to open up to them. Soon thereafter, another girl joins the fray (German foreigner Emmy) and the friendship bond takes a notch for the better.

Pretty much for the most part, this show does not instill such stories as taglines to hook us viewers, but what I can say is that character "development" (if you could call it) is shown fervently around the 4 girls that each of their characters lends that aesthetic to the others, so that one needs the support of the other, and that is what makes this show more sweeter. Furthermore, the board games that the girls play all tell vastly different but similar stories, to question about their own lives and how it can be adjusted for the better. Some spoilers, for example, where Miki's introvertedness and pursuit of meaning and purposes gives a hand to Aya's family issues, so that she can understand why her parents pursuit the things that they want to do and such; and where Midori felt pressured at times to be a game creator, but even with Aya, Miki and Emmy's feedback, her dream couldn't be realized, and it's not much of the expertise of the game, but rather the fun and enjoyment that makes the experience worthwhile. So while this show hasn't had a great story, but it being pretty much a CGDCT foundation IMO, plus that point of being a slice-of-life, really great characters and storytelling that is full of heart and definitely heartwarming moments galore.

The games themselves, albeit how many and how much we know about it, it was pleasant to see the games that I have played before (e.g. Blokus and 6 Nimmt! just to name a few) and understand their various histories behind it. So you could call it a history class as such? I would definitely love to go back to playing those games when I have the time.

It always seems a stretch to call the familiar studio who always does CGDCT anime well (Doga Kobo), but Liden Films was chosen to adapt this from the manga, and I'd have to say that at first I was quite skeptical about the character design against the two mediums, with the manga being somewhat unique on its own and the anime being that of a classical generic design. Regardless, what turned out was quite the fanfare I didn't expect to be good on its own, with the light palette and soft visuals which didn't break the overall experience, and honestly, I could just see myself sitting back and relaxing while watching this show for 3 months, and it did just that, so nicely done.

With the pleasant visuals, comes the even more melodic music that strings out of this show. Even though there were fun moments (and some dark times), it still manages to bring that atmosphere while integrating together with the visuals that won't be one that will blow you away, but it's one of comfortedness. The OST was quite generic, but thankfully it didn't fall to that trap as both the OP and ED will leave you away with emotions that flutter. So, another checkbox for the music department that's as good as it comes.

Looking at the numbers, it's hard to wonder why so many people have slept on this show, because of its boringness (and yes, that's true) and any lack of appeal made this show fly further under the radar. But take my word that if there is a show you would want to feel comfy to on a long day, then this show would satisfy you to the fullest.

Hidden gem / Dark horse of the season? You betcha!

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Houkago Saikoro Club, or After School Dice Club, was a refreshing anime, and an overall nice change of pace. I love serious animes with life or death stakes, as much as the next guy, but, I loved having a show this season where the biggest stakes at hand, were simply who would win the board game the girls were playing that episode.

Past that though, Koukago Saikkoro Club is something more, there appear to be a lot of life lessons embedded within the simplistic nature of this anime, leaving you feeling good and refreshed, and even at times, looking up from something that might be bothering you in your real life.

You see, Koukago Saikoro Club, takes you on a journey of growth, and not just from one of the girls either, but all of them. The board games are generally speaking, both physically present, and metaphorical, or therapeutic in a way, as they generally help one or more of the girls deal with something going on in their life.

Aya, Midori, Miki, and Emilia, are all dealing with their own struggles, and each step of the way, you see the girls confront them, with a helping hand from their friendship, and the thing that brought them all together, board games.

Sure, this anime wasn't the most exciting show ever, but, it did certain things well, and as a result, was super enjoyable. This was a nice anime to have in my Fall repertoire, as it was a nice change of pace, with some of the crazy, and nonsensical animes that I was watching this season.

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Follow along the tranquilizing story and learn about different types and kinds of board games with a group high school of girls! This is Houkago Saikoro Club ( Afterschool Dice Club ), an anime about high school girls playing board games!

As simple as the anime may sound. After School Dice Club actually holds a strong sense of Slice of Life despite not being categorized as one. It could also be reckoned as a CGDCT & Soft Yuri due to how much moe and insignificant teases the show gives off in spite of the fact that the characters look mature and "friendly".

This anime shows you a variety of board games from reality. Some of them are even recognizable if you've ever played them with your friends and/or families. An example would be something like Cockroach Poker. Other than the group of girls playing all sorts of games, the anime also teaches you through the basics of how to play the representing games. Each episode they would play at least two games. The games are clearly explained using simple terms so that it could be understood by everybody.

After School Dice Club also gives off a sense of reality. It teaches you about things such as board games being replaced by technology games nowadays, in addition to them being unpopular in Japan and so forth. Aside from things regarding board games, the anime also symbolizes strong friendship externally - the strong bonds of friendship that can carry one's life into a better, the feeling of not wanting to "lose" ( I don't mind if you misinterpret this and I'm not going to clarify it ), the joy of sharing happiness with each other.

[ OPTIONAL ] Precaution ( Issues Regarding The Anime That May Trigger Fans ) : The voice acting and the ending. Alright I'll be honest. The Kyoto accent doesn't really trigger me much, but it probably would for a lot of people since it sounds so "unique" and "unfamiliar". The other problem is the ending which in fact was expected and unexpected at the same time. The realism packed within the ending might hit home for some introverts, up until the point where you'd probably end up getting depression rather than happiness. So all the joy you built up from 1-11 might go to waste.

Now you probably wonder why I am giving this anime such a high rating regardless of the fact that this show's rating is 6.77. Well let me tell you something. This show was amazing, and it was either botted or people don't understand how great board games are because they're fortnite fanatics. This anime is one of the best anime where you can just unwind and watch in peace without thinking much about it.

Incredible anime. Subarashi 10/10. Recommended to those seeking for something relaxing to watch.

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Do you remember Chip and Dale, the worlds most polite and considerate squirrels ? Next up think of Pollyanna the most optimistic girl in the world, toss in Louisa May Alcott's little women blend a little, dumb it down, toss in some do your best to overcome obstacles messaging, last a little gaming and you have After School Dice Club. If you think you would want to watch something like that Dice Club might be for you. The rest of this review is about why it wasn't for me.


First up, I don't think I have ever seen anything aired that had so little dramatic tension and left me so unconcerned about the characters as Dice Club did. All their problems/challenges are so easily and neatly resolved that it's impossible to generate any concern. Especially after you go through the cycle of problem, be cheerful, problem resolved a few times. It's literally enough to put you to sleep. No worries though you'll never notice if you miss an episode or two.

Next up is the dialog. It's awful the tone is just incredibly flat. It's like listening to crazy people trying to act happy. Even the nominally depressed and insecure character can't manage to convey despair or melancholy, she just comes across as limited and boring.

Third there is the subject of the dialog. The series has this incredibly annoying way of having the characters describe what the animators have drawn and animated in front of you. YOU CAN SEE IT !!! there's no need for the characters to ramble on endlessly about it. It also undercuts anything that might be conveyed by animation. A touch of the hand or a smile does not need to be elaborated.

Lastly there's lots of continuity/plot holes in the story. Just as an example Emmy's father runs a gaming cafe, but there's a point in the story where she mentions her family may have to move to Germany because of his job. WUT ??

There were a couple of ways Dice Club could have redeemed itself. There was the gaming angle. It's a big topic with plenty of room to explore. It's just handled really poorly. The games are meant to be keystones to emotional growth or character connection but it fails. The messages are conveyed by the show talking about them instead of bringing the viewer into the game. You get stupid lines like "The game is called Blockus, but the best strategy for victory is not to block players but let them in". That line is given by a guy who might as well be standing at parade rest. Just a complete disappointment.

Borrowing a game term, the show's last lifeline was the romance element. Best I can say is MEH didn't care. How can you, when you have characters you can't connect with, dialog and pacing that's uninteresting, and a plot that doesn't hang together.

To stick with how Dice Club did things: Final Verdict: Thumbs down, uninteresting, waste of time, The only winning move is not to play.

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Story:
I missed some parts in it. There was this feeling like something more should be made of it but then the Anime was over. It still got a 9 from me, because it was still a little but nice story and I loved the concept a lot.

Art:
I have nothing to complain about it but it also wasn't outstanding or something special. It was nice, but that's all. (Not that that's a bad thing)

Sound:
It was ok.

Character:
I loved most of the characters but the most of them weren't unique. You saw the same type of this character allready in other Animes. And I would have liked to see more development in some people in the Anime. But I really liked the main character.

Enjoyment:
It is an Anime about games, so it's clear, that the characters would play some games. But it was really cool, as they played a game, I had in my room and loved to play it myself.
At first I was afraid that it could be boring if they play a game and I would just watch them playing it, but it was much more interesting to watch them play as I thought it would be.

I can recommend this Anime for people, who like boardgames and also for people who are searching for an Anime that has not much plot twist but a nice story and a nice atmosphere.

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First and foremost, this is a typical "cute girls doing cute things" slice of life anime. While it's not an absolute CGDCT series due to a few male supporting characters in the cast, the vast majority of the series revolves around three and later on, four cute schoolgirl characters.

In my opinion, the main character's moe factor is off the scales. She is initially shy and a loner until she makes friends through the playing of German board games.

Each episode, they play a different board game and the rules of the game are explained before they play so you can follow along.

There's not much of a plot or character development other than the MC's overcoming of shyness.

The art is very colorful and well done.

All in all, this is a pretty heartwarming series and checks all the boxes on what you've come to expect from a typical CGDCT series. It's not a K-ON!, but if you're a fan of this slice of life sub-genre, you'll likely enjoy it. If you're not really a fan the sub-genre, then I would pass on this one since you'll likely not appreciate this series.

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Asobi Asobase's more tame Board Game variant.

Houkago Saikoro Club is by the by a very wholesome anime about an afterschool board game club, wherein Miki Takekasa voiced by Saki Miyashita being extremely shy and anti-social due to a childhood trauma keeps to herself, until Aya Takayashiki voiced bu Marika Kouno sweeps her away as she befriends Midori Oono voiced by Miyu Tomita the class rep of their class and works at a board game shop. With these three they inadvertently play games after school and deepens friendship with board games.

Houkago Saikoro Club does two things, character growth and board games. So first let's talk about the characters.

Well with the core cast, Midori Oono is the stern but holds-no bar when coming to games even with newbies, her passion and dream is to become a board game designer. Miki has the typical shy girl mannerisms, however she at the start wants to be kept to herself, but once Aya comes into play and plays in the board game club, she naturally finds through board games that having friends is fine, she a bit different in which is doesn't want to stand out because she's soo shy, she wanted to be kept alone but she just naturally finds herself opening up and not "wanting to stand out", quite different for a shy girl archetype. Aya is the typical genki girl AND..though she picks up board games off the bat, she's quite bad in board games as a result...she does get an episode to herself concerning her father but LA sees her as the least developed of the core cast.

There are other supporting characters like the owner of the board game shop Takeru Kinjou voiced by Takaya Kuroda, Miki and Aya latter gets love interests that of Ryuuhi Yoshioka voiced by Shun Horie and Shouta Tanoue voiced by Kouhei Amasaki to Miki and Aya respectively while the next person inadvertently becomes one for yuri undertone for Midori that of Emilia voiced by M.A.O who later joins the club and is the typical "foreigner" archetype who takes a liking to Midori, only makes sense as they both have the same dream with games. Ohh and there's something about the vice president turned president of the student council who wants Midori to help her and she also is vehemently against the notion of games in general thus becomes an obstacle fo the club early on (she latter becomes tsundere about it due to the actual president of the student council comes in).

On the board game side of things, we get a bit of a tutorial of games in each episode and sometimes the games have a certain plot point concerning a character, mainly Miki and Midori to develop them. The board games shown are REAL by the way so this anime is even an advertisement for some really niche board games that are not Monopoly and the like. For that, Houkago Saikoro Club intertwining board games with it's characters is actually quite well done, wholesome, yes, but almost cheesy sometimes, but mostly wholesome.

Yes the narrative focus of the anime is towards Miki as her opening up through games, but the focus changes as Midori gets into the limelight and her wanting to achieve her dream in getting a game published but this anime does one good thing and that's synergizing it's character development with board games, weird thing to say but it's what levitates the cheesiness of some of the episodes' as all three soon to be four core cast to develop with the games they play, Miki with gaining friends, Aya and Emilia for having fun and Midori making games.

The animation done by LIDENFILMS is mostly decent from the crisp character designs to even some of the alternative style in animation when tutorials in some of the games comes into play. But other than that, the animation done by LIDENFILMS was decent to a bit above average in all cases.

The voice cast is pretty decent and moe to be expected from a "cute girls doing cute things" anime. Saki Miyashita as Miki has a monotoned but moe cadence in voicing the shy loner type to the expositionary Miyu Tomita as Midori whilst Marika Kouno is the genki Aya and finally the funny foreigner but not M.A.O as Emilia. For the most part the core voice cast was moe yet decent let alone not grating as you'd expect either. MVP?....do you even need to ask?, Miyu Tomita as Midori.

Houkago Saikoro Club does have a few flaws LA can note from all this though, like LA mentioned before the wholesomeness does sometimes lead into cheesiness at times with the dialogue as genuine as it does get, Aya is the least developed out of the core three and she just sticks to "rich aloof genki girl" archetype but other than that, Houkago Saikoro Club's flaws aren't that bad and you know what your getting yourself into so this anime can't even dupe you even if it wanted to.

Houkago Saikoro Club is just the wholesomeness anime of Fall 2019 all things considered, from how the characters interact and play the games and makes us the audience get into it at some points, the characters are well developed and sometimes the games are intertwined and develop characters, sure the anime does have some flaws, as the wholesomeness can sometime veer into cheesiness, Aya ALWAYS loses let alone her characterization is the least developed but LA still enjoyed watching Houkago Saikoro Club with all it's flaws and all but the one thing this anime is is...it's wholesome.

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When you have an anime about a club or sport, there are in general, two ways to go about it. Have it be focused on the sport in terms of competitiveness (Ex: kuroko no Basket) or have it be about more of the character interaction and in a club/sports environment (asobi asobase, Sket Dance, etc etc).
This anime obviously takes the latter route. However, it stands to my attention that this show has absolutely no good character development, personalities, and to pair it off, pretty terrible dialogue and story arcs.
It takes a lot of basic and archetypal characters, and does not do a lot with them. They almost always behave very predictably and their dialogue options are not varied. They try to compensate, or perhaps mask their lack of any substance by adding new characters and different board games each episode to try making the anime interesting.
It doesn't work. It's fine to also just focus on the board games themselves. But honestly, the board games are visually very lame in the anime medium. I'm sure that the original manga was much more interesting to look at compared to the lame anime depictions of the board games.
And also, another note: when I think of board games, I think of immersive fantasies such as Warhammer, Dnd, etc, where you use imagination and each game is different because of the different players playing it, making it an overall great experience. This could have been done in this anime, where character interaction is focused upon. Why not have them play on something like Dnd, where a lot of the game depends on the characters themselves? Wouldn't this be a very fun experience? Maybe have a few different campaigns throughout the season. This way, you would be able to develop characters more, while having the board game actually being relevant. You could also just animate the characters inside the board game setting, thus utilizing the anime medium. But even if this anime did not want to go in that direction, because apparently it loves playing European titles, that is ok as well. Why not depict those board games in the board game setting? Anime is a great medium because it allows people to be creative with their depictions. Something as mundane as moving a piece on a board could be depicted on the screen as the player actually moving in the board game. You know, simple stuff.
Overall, just a very bland cash grab. It's just got no redeemable or unique traits at all. With everything on par or sub-par, you get something unmemorable and overall unwatchable. Poor character development and interaction stints this show along with its terrible use of the anime medium, as well as its uninspired story arcs.

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if only there's more execution in the story I would give this 9-8

Let's make it simple.
This Anime gave me a slight interest in Tabletop games. I like how they briefly explain every game they play, and yes the games they played are real. so you could actually play it with your friend (in real life, if you have any)

but it isn't only about school girls playing tabletop games. I really love how they put a splash of romance, flashback, a blonde foreigner (like always), and anxiety~

it's like when the first time you cook, you just put and mixed everything up. And it didn't turn out nicely. Its looks good for sure but the taste isn't promising :')
probably you still ate it because you proud of it even it was a fail :D

Should I watch this anime?
-it's not a must. but if you run out of a plan to watch anime, this Anime would do.

Is it worth watching?
-definitely yes. even it's a bit plain. but you still able to taste the sweet and sour in it XD

Why does your score is not promising?
-like I'd said before "if only there's more execution in the story". it's like whole milk. some do like it some don't. but once in a while you probably would like to have some~

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