It’s that time of year again where we look back at the previous year of anime and reflect on 12 powerful moments–great or terrible, that’s up to the rememberer.
This year, I start with After School Dice Club, a choice I’m sure will surprise many of you. It is neither extraordinary nor ill-written. Some might even describe it as forgettable fluff. Yet the moment this show was announced and the first game made its appearance, I knew I had to watch it.
The past couple of years for me in particular have been filled with more board game nights than the entirety of my childhood and college years added together. What started as a couple of get togethers with some friends turned into a weekly board game night, dinner included. This anime reminds me of the simple fun involved with each game, the nervousness and excitement of trying a new one, and the rivalries and bonds that form with your fellow players.
Watching how Miki and Midori have grown stronger through seemingly trivial games further underlines just how important it is for people of all ages to play, be it a board game or some other semblance of play. I give major props to this show for its advertisement of real games you can go out and discover for yourself. I find the explanations and strategies intriguing and have already added quite a few to my list of future possibilities. The show doesn’t need any flashy magic attacks nor overly unique character designs to attract my attention; the shared games are interesting enough on their own in addition to the thoughtfully written characters who we accompany.
Watch After School Dice Club on Funimation, Hulu, and Prime Video.
Anime B&B 
“Some might even describe it as forgettable fluff.”
I’ve never quite seen how forgettable fluff got to be a pejorative. Nothing wrong with enjoying a bit of cotton candy… and many seasons I’ve saved episodes of that season’s cotton candy to watch after watching an episode of that season’s heavy. (Or sometimes before in order to calm and center…)
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I think it perhaps come from the sheer amount of seemingly similar fluff that makes the description negative. There are a lot of shows with βcuteβ as the modifier: cute girls doing cute things, cute boys doing cute things, cute slice of life, cute sports, and it can be easy to dismiss what looks to be similar as just more of the same. I like cotton candy on the rare occasion myself π Itβs just knowing which ones are worth my attention and saving for mixing in with the heavier shows.
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