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A second-year junior high school student, Misaki, has a crush on Mutou-kun from her class. However, the person he adores is the class idol, Kuririn. Despite this, Misaki doesn't have to feel downhearted. She might just have other options...!?
(Source: MangaArt)
Included one-shot:
Plus Minus Zero
Shiina Ayumi was one of my favorite shoujo manga authors in the past. It's sad that I don't see any new releases from her anymore, but at least I can re-read some of her manga and still enjoy it immensely. Dice is only 2 volumes long, short but sweet, making it a great quick read if you're looking for something to pick up.
- Story -
I didn’t expect much from a 2-volume manga story-wise. I thought it would be a cute fairytale romance that ends before it even starts. But I was pleasantly surprised. Dice tells its story at a good pace, avoiding repetition despite its brevity. Each chapter offers something engaging until the very end. While it follows the typical high school romance formula, it does so well. The ending was particularly satisfying, which is rare for such short series. Two volumes were just enough to wrap things up nicely.
- Art -
It’s Shiina Ayumi! Her style is instantly recognizable with large eyes and cute hairstyles. Although she sometimes struggles to make her characters look distinct between series, this is common among artists. Her style is plain yet extremely cute, and her female characters have a slight 'manly' charm. Sometimes her panels are quite empty, but this simplicity is also a strength compared to overdone tones and patterns that can overwhelm. Compared to her earlier works, Dice shows improved art while retaining her trademark style. For a shoujo manga reader, the art here is definitely not something to complain about. I’d pick up this series just based on the art alone.
- Character -
The main character, her love interest, the guy who likes her, and her friend who has feelings for someone... Dice makes its love triangle a bit confusing. In a 2-volume series, characters won’t be super fleshed out, but the four mains are introduced decently and stick around consistently. Their development can be a bit cheesy and forced at times, but the main character is strong, which is refreshing if you’re tired of whiny heroines in shoujo manga who can’t do anything on their own.
- Enjoyment -
As for whether you'll enjoy it, you get exactly what you should expect, which makes it great. It's a 2-volume shoujo series—expect cute art, romance, drama, and somewhat rushed plot development typical of short series. What might surprise you is a strong heroine, decent characters, and a satisfying ending (in my opinion).
- Overall -
I enjoyed this manga. It had wonderful art, a good set of characters, an admirable heroine, an engaging story that keeps you going through the two volumes, and a satisfying ending that won’t leave you hanging (though you might still want more if you liked it that much). You can’t complain when everything is done well, even if nothing is mind-blowingly fantastic.
If she wanted things to work out then just tell the dude the reason you want to sleep with him instead of making him feel like a piece of shit.
It's all fun and games till the dude gets depressed and does some crazy shit like try to try take his own life from the stress and heartache ...