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.
