is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirō Nakamichi. It focuses on a group of teenage girls and their efforts to set up a board game café. It was serialized in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Sunday from March 2013 to June 2021, with its chapters collected in nineteen tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation by Liden Films aired from October to December 2019.
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.
Characters
Miki is a shy girl with short blue hair and turquoise eyes. She does not believe she knows how to have fun and prefers to avoid crowds.
Aya is an exuberant new student with long light brown hair and brown eyes. She has a tendency to treat new acquaintances as old friends.
Midori is the class representative who is a stickler for rules. She has shoulder length dark brown hair and brown eyes. She works in a game shop in the entertainment district.
Takeru is a man of rough appearance, but amicable nature. He is the manager of the game shop where Midori works. He has tanned skin, always wears sunglasses, and is bald.
Emilia is a blonde German/Irish girl who moved from Hamburg to Japan with her father. She transfers to the school where Miki, Aya, and Midori go.
Shōta is a blond boy with brown eyes who is a classmate of Miki, Aya, and Midori's. Having known Midori since preschool, he has a crush on Aya and desires to get close to her.
Ryūji is a friend of Shōta's who is somewhat socially awkward and devoted to practicing kendo. He has a group of fangirls he actively tries to avoid.
Yūto is the student council president. Easy going and popular, he is good at identifying individuals' strengths and weaknesses. He states that he ran for student council to make people smile.
Ren is the student council vice president. She has short pink hair and pink eyes. She and Midori were a team in middle school, and she is determined to get Midori back into student council.
Hana is Aya's mild mannered older sister. She has long brown hair and brown eyes. Her best friend describes her as a magnet for weirdos.
Kyōko is Hana's best friend. She has blonde hair always pulled back in a short ponytail, green eyes, and is usually seen chewing on a stick. She has a threatening persona, but has a track record of defending the underdog.
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.
Volume list
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 Kōno, and Tomita performed the series' ending theme "On the Board".