Dec 29, 2011

Anime Review: Ouran High School Host Club

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School
Episodes: 26
Aired: 2006
Producers: Bones, VAP, Nomad, FUNimation Entertainment

What do you get when you have a prestigious school, attended by a clique of super wealthy young sires, who met and fell in love with an impoverished young lady?

Hana Yori Dango, of course!

Eh, wait. My bad, you also get Ouran High School Host Club (OHSHC).

While it may not rival the classic, OHSHC does have its own charms.

Charm #1: Tamaki Suou.

He's the life of the Host Club - literally. Having young, suave men entertain and please young ladies with too much time on their hands is his pet project.

His character is also flamboyant - hardly the brooding, aloof leads that we usually see in romance animes. In fact, he tends to be quite silly and childish, which is the foundation of his charm.

Charm #2: Haruhi Fujioka

She stumbles onto the Host Club by accident and then gets into a real accident by stumbling and breaking an expensive vase in their club room.

Due to her tomboyish nature, short crop and nonchalant attitude towards dressing, she is initially mistaken as a guy, and is forced to repay the debt by becoming a Host Club member.

All too soon, the penny drops and, though her identity is exposed, the Host Club helps her keep it a secret.

Charm #3: Takashi Morinozuka, aka Mori

Suou always refers to Mori as the 'wild' type (each character is cast into a stereotype for their customers) but that is just wrong.

He's the strong and silent type, seen here carrying the lolita of the group, Honey sempai.

He usually only speaks when necessary, and responds to questions with monosyllabic answers.

Mori's family served Honey's family until a marriage two generations ago made them cousins. Even though the servant-master bond was technically broken, Mori still serves faithfully as Honey's guardian and best friend. Although, as the audience will find out, Honey is perfectly capable of taking care of himself, and any trash that stands in his way.

Their relationship borders on shounen ai. And certainly, Honey takes the most important place in Mori's heart, leaving no room for any girl.

So in 26 episodes, we see the silly antics the club gets into for their customers, and peek into the lives of each character - and find out why they are the way they are. The rich have their own troubles too!

During which time, Suou is slowly falling for Haruhi, although he does not realise it, being the dimwit that he is. The plot takes a turn when Suou is suddenly betrothed to a lady from a wealthy family. This twist only comes in during the last few episodes, and the storyline accelerates from there.

The ending, too, is reminisce of Hana Yori Dango, but far too rushed for my liking.

Rating: 6/10

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