Ranked #19

Ouran High School Host Club

Character(s) & Their Development
Every character is based with a sterotype near the beginning of the series. The real question though is if the characters actually grow out of their set roles. After watching the whole series that's both a yes and a no. It all comes down to the fact that the manga is still going and the characters are still maturing in that format; thus, they can only grow so far in the anime without making it a new story entirely. Sure, they stay towards their first impressions but, there are a handful of episodes that explain each Host Club member and their reasoning behind attitude, outlook, and for joining the club in the first place.

A keen example is Tamaki and his feelings for Haruhi. In the beginning, he takes on a father role towards her and the audience is made to believe that this is only part of his nature; however, the viewers should realize that this is because of the feelings he holds for her. Even Tamaki doesn't understand it and in episode twenty-three is forced to question it. He probably can't comprehend his feelings in the end, but he seems to establish some understanding towards Haruhi. Really, characters do grow but they tend to have done a lot of growing before the show was established, and quite a few past experiences are explained through-out the episodes. Either way, the audience is given the chance to fall in love with the characters before they begin to change, which adds a nice and smooth transition.

Animation
I've found people complain at the lack of the details made towards the characters themselves. Then again, how much detail do you want on a character that's about to turn chibi on your ass? Seriously, the animators did a wonderful job at finding a keen balance between common and glorious so that when a touching moment is needed, the characters have that necessary lovely animation & while during the hyper-active moments, the characters are bouncy and have a jelly-like movement.

One thing that caught my attention after reviewing certain episodes was how detailed the background could be. I hadn't noticed it on the first run through due to how into the show I was; however, if you pay attention, you really notice how wealthy the animators attempted to make the school look. Look at the ceilings and the inscriptions into it, that's pretty damn detailed to me.

Music
I was iffy about the music in the beginning. Once I heard the first line of the opening, Sakura Kiss, I felt the catchiness; however, after listening to the whole thing I wasn't direly impressed. The ending song, Shissou, I didn't like at all. It just sounded like normal Japanese rock. I was disappointed even more when I found LAST ALLIANCE was the band who preformed it because they could have done a lot better.

Regardless, I gave the music a chance and got a copy of the available soundtracks. While watching the show I found the melody coordinated with many places perfectly, surely in the Ouran world the music full of rich violins, playful piano, and elegant harp was a match made in heaven. In it’s own way everything works... but that ending song.

Dubbing/Subbing
Since there is no dubbing released, I can't comment on that; however, the subtitles by Lunar Anime provided on their fansub were wonderfully done. Generally, I don't like to comment on subtitles because what's there to say, but what I liked was how many notes were provided to get said joke. It was also produced very nicely for the English audience.

Overall
Simply, Ouran High School Host Club is just a fun old time. It's got the wackiness to pull you into a fit of giggles, but at the same time enough character development to move along with a pretty random plot. I was going to skip this series entirely because I tend to avoid popular shows now-a-days; however, in the end I'm glad I didn't. This was certainly worth my time and I guarantee it's worth yours, too. It's hard to find a character or a part that you plainly didn't like. So, unless you're extremely nit-picky, then there shouldn't be a problem to enjoy this anime.

There are lots of laughs and pretty boys waiting for you at the Host Club so what are you reading this review for? read more

Looking for a show to laugh your ass off? Look no further, Ouran High School Host Club will not fall short in that aspect.

All the characters are uniquely lovable. Each person has their own specific traits, and without a doubt, their own problems they need to overcome. Everyone has their favorites too, so within a few episodes you'll be rooting for one person to get with the other, no doubt.

Character development and the enjoyment level were the biggest pluses for Ouran. It keeps you entertained nearly the whole way through (except for one or two episodes around 19 or so).

Only weakness I found was the sound. I didn't particularly care for either the opening or the ending (though the opening wasn't all that bad I guess).

So, in conclusion, it's almost impossible to not enjoy this show. The ending is great and the lead up to it is very well done. Want to feel good and laugh at the same time, check Ouran out. read more

Ouran High School is one of the best reverse harem anime series I have watched. The first episode really made an impact. It did not start as to be draggy but rather it easily showed the main idea of the story which started when they have discovered that Haruhi is a girl. The story was quite shallow at first which was just showing the different themes of the club and how they entertained the guests but when you continue with the later part of the series, you'll realize that behind all the smiles of the characters, there is a bitter past. The flow of the story is also good. It starts with the story of a certain character, followed by an episode just for enjoyment, them the story of a certain character and so on which promoted the balanced flow of the story.

The art of this anime is great since they can convene the different effects for a specific situation correctly. The type of animation used was the traditional type of animation (not the 3D or any modern form of animation) which for me, was better since the traditional type of animation was a type wherein the viewers can interpret more using their own imaginations.

The opening song Sakura Kiss (which became my favorite) sung by Chieko Kawabe was really fitting for the series since it was lively and the lyrics can really relate to the main character which was Haruhi Fujioka. The ending song Shissou sung by Last Alliance was great in which it blended with the appeal of the club.

I like the way they treat each other. They treat each other as close friends not some enemy that is to be competed financially or in other aspects (which was the opposite of what their parents really want). Each of the character's qualities complimented the others that's why their host club was in harmony. Other characters are also shown who were either supporting or testing the strength of the bond between the host club members.

While watching this anime, I might have looked like i was crazy or something coz i kept on laughing out loud everytime there is something really really funny like the thing that happened during their host club ball and the ever-changing characteristic of Tamaki Suou. The "punch lines" and "Labels" also help a lot in expressing the humor of the series like in the part of Kyouya who just recently woke up from bed was placed title as a "Low Blood Pressure Evil Lord" and Haruhi was labeled "Studious Commoner" and the host club's "DOG" at the very start of the series.

If you want a lot of laughs mixed with a mixture of romance and a little bit of sadness, or liked boys that are classified as the prince-type, loli-shota type, cool type, devil type or a natural rookie type, then you should watch this anime coz you'll really enjoy this movie and at the same time understand and appreciate the series as a whole. It's really great! ^_^ read more

Edit: March 28, 2008
Added: coding; better thoughts and explaining

Edited after I saw that 49 out 53 people found it helpful. That means 4 people didn't.

Please send me a PM saying "Ouran High Review" with your thoughts about this if you consider this as 'Not Helpful'. Thank'ee!


- Review at this point is based on 3 complete rewatches.

Alrighty, here we go.

Story:

Bisco Hatori has made a comic world of the rich, in which our heroine, Haruhi, is suddenly tossed into a group of five devilishly handsome, but bored, men.

This will be short, but simple: Completely original. I don't consider this a knock-off (or rip-off, if you want) or any other series.

Art:

The art is simple, but not as simple as older animes (take Dragonball Z and Pokemon as examples to compare). It gets the point across, and it gives you enough details of the characters and objects around them. Also, it gives you a really good idea of what the character is feeling (ex. Tamaki's 'Moments of Woe').

Sound:

General Sound Effects:
The effects were pretty good. The only way I would give it anything an 8 or lower would be if you see a cup fall, but hear an earthquake instead. I'll admit, the sound effects weren't something to be amazed about, but pretty standard.
- 9/10

Songs:
The two theme songs are the same through the show, and the ending song appears many times in the show. They're good genres for today's anime viewers, and stick to the story of the show. Isn't too slow or too heavey metal, but more of a rock/j-pop.

Opening: 9/10 Cute; starts off the show nicely
Ending: 9/10 Great song; leaves you watching the credits everytime

Overall: 9.3/10

Character:

Haruhi, I have to say, gets a 10/10. She, along with Tamaki, Kyouya, and Hunny, are the most original characters in the series. Some characters, like the devil twins (Hikaru and Kaoru) and Mori, aren't all that original. Sure, they have their 'things' that only they can do, but personality-wise, not really.

On character development, Hikaru and Kaoru win. Hikaru, the more evil-yet-playful one of the two, changings the way he sees people and things to a good way.
Tamaki takes the cake on hyper characters. Though he's very stuck-up at times, he slowly begins to open up and show his true kindness more.


Enjoyment:

If you bothered reading (or at least skimming), than you would've noticed that I said that this review is based on 3 rewatches. If I didn't like the series, I wouldn't have done that, would I?
The storyline never just gets suck on one part, changing gags almost every episode. There's probably one or two sets of episodes where the storyline is a continuation.


Overall:

I give this anime a 9 out of 10, overall. The characters and storyline make this anime so great, you'll just have to rewatch it when you're through.

If you're one for comedy and romance, this is the anime for you.
~ Tia read more

I had heard about Ouran High School Host Club, I'm guess around last summer. A friend of mine was rabid about it, however, for some reason or another, I didn't read the manga... Later that summer my other friend also went rabid for it, and again I ignored it.... It wasn't until I read Kanashimi's review for it when I decided to watch the seemingly popular show.

The story is basically about a student by the name of Haruhi Fujioka who gets into a prestigious school for rich kids, and how she stumbles in on the school's "Host Club" and ends up having to become a host (and cross-dress) to repay the club for breaking the vase. After this the anime's story line follows the activities of the club and it's members.

Story -

I can't really think of any really good words for Ouran's story. However, I found that the first episode had managed to suck me in and I was watching it like a rabid crazy person, just to see what would happen to the characters. Some of the episodes, especially episodes six and thirteen, seemed rather... unimportant, and while I did enjoy them I was ready to go on to the next episode. Also, I found myself slightly unsatisfied with the end, after all when you end something you like a lot, you're going to want more of it right?

Score: 8

Animation -

Ouran High School Host Club has got some nice animation, and while it's rare for me to say that any anime has bad animation, I have to say Ouran's was... okay, you get what I mean. During the first episode when Haruhi was changing, and I saw her reflection in the background, for some reason I was amazed, maybe it was because it was there, or something else, however, it was... yeah. The animation also seemed akin to that of Fruits Basket, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed this, however, at times because of this, my mind referred Hunny to Momiji...

Score: 9

Sound -

I liked the background music... I'm not entirely sure why, but I found it very fitting to the show... The opening theme, "Sakura Kiss" is pretty catchy, and while I do like the song, after episode seven or so, I started to skip listening to it, as for the ending song, I can't say that I know what it's called, seeing as the only times I have even bothered to listen to it were when the song was present during the episodes, but it's not really because I don't like it, it's just a habit.

The voice acting... Woah.. What can I say? Since Ouran hasn't been dubbed yet (and why not? Someone please licsense it?), I had to watch it subbed, which is not really something I like to do, however, I really like the Japanese voice acting for Ouran. Haruhi sounded convincingly like a young boy, and all the other voices suited their characters well.

Score: 9


Characters -

Ah. The characters... Well, I found all the main characters likable, and they all managed to leave very distinct impressions of who they were in my mind. Their actions, Tamaki especially, are very fun to watch, and some of them are very easy to picture in my mind, while I know that I haven't gotten them all covered... It is hard to tell if certain characters actually grow and change a bit, which is why I wish it was longer, however, I suppose that it's more realistic that way, since people don't change that fast.

Score: 10


Overall -

I really liked Ouran High School Host Club a lot, so much that it was able to tie itself with my previous number one title, Black Cat, and that I started to look for the manga. I do wish that the series was longer, so I could enjoy the host club more, however it'll be a miracle if there is another season. And if you're wondering, if this does get liscensed soon, and I hope it does, I will be buying it.. Though that fact is a bit irrelevant.


Yay!: The characters are amazing! Diverse and... amazing. Renge, who I didn't like in the beginning also started to grow on me.

Nay~: Well, I'd say the plot suffered the most, seeing as I wanted more, and well... yeah. It needed more of the host club, and not the one act characters.

Score: 9 kitties outta 10. read more

Title: Ouran High School Host Club

Manga, Anime: Ouran High School Host Club was originally a manga created by Bisco Hatori that began running in Hakusensha's LaLa magazine on August 5th, 2003, and is still ongoing. It has been licensed Stateside by Viz Media, and the releases are up to the 10th volume Stateside as of February 5th, 2008, while it currently stands at 12 collected volumes in Japan.

Ouran High School Host Club is a twenty-six episode series that was produced by Studio Bones (famous for their work on Darker than BLACK and Fullmetal Alchemist) and directed by Takuya Igarashi (famous for his work on random episodes of Sailor Moon and Darker than Black). It ran on Japanese television from April 4th to September 26th, 2006. It has been licensed Stateside by Funimation, though it has yet to actually give a release date.

Story: Haruhi Fujioka is a scholarship student attending the ultra-wealthy Ouran Academy, so poor that she can't even afford the uniform. One day, as she's trying to find a quiet place to study, she comes across the Third Music Room and the Ouran High School Host Club (if you don't know what a host club is, it's basically a bunch of guys flirting with women for profit). As she's trying to leave, she breaks a vase worth about $80,000, and is soon employed doing menial tasks to pay off her debt. Unfortunately, her short hair cut, outfit, and large glasses make her look like a guy, and they soon promote her to host after they figure out she has a lot of potential. She's a big hit, and even after they finally figure out that she's a girl, they have her stay on and conceal her gender, as she's such a hit, and she can repay her debt faster that way. Most of the series focuses on the customers and the members of the Host Club.

Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that this were a screwball romantic comedy, this would be a fairly standard customer/problem of the week series. However, it's because the series does not hesitate to turn its fairly sarcastic sense of humor back on itself that it succeeds so well. Ouran openly makes fun of several genre tropes of shoujo, and by openly having characters point them out, and breaking the fourth wall while they're at it, manages to create amazing moments of meta (self-referential moments, for those of you not famliar with fandom terms). It also has several good running gags that manage not to get old.

Add to this the fact that every character in the Club gets some kind of development and background (though I do have issue with where this falls, but see Length for more about that), as do minor recurring characters, and you've got a fairly solid show. It's not anything that's ZOMG SPEKTAKULAR, but it's still a pretty good show.

Art: I really like how Bones did this series. The lines that are used in the show are a bit thicker than the lines in most anime, which just makes the characters stand out that much more, and are especially effective when they use SD for humor moments. You can barely tell when CG's used, and the 2D animation itself is very fluid. The colors in general are very vibrant, and I actually found myself wondering how they got some of the exact colors that they did (especially Eclair's eyes), because they were absolutely beautiful.

Also, a fact that particularly endears this series to my heart is that they had the guy who did the series composition and scripts for Revolutionary Girl Utena doing the same for this (Yoji Enokido), which means that we got a lot of Utena-esque imagery, in how there's lots and lots of symbolism using mundane objects. (The only reason I really noticed this was because I'm watching Utena with my school's anime club at the moment, and I saw a lot of similarities.)

Music: The background music for this series is extremely exaggerated and over the top, which isn't that much different from how the entire series is. I don't know how it would stand on its own, but in context with the scenes that it's used in, it's a perfect combination.

The OP and the ED are a special case. They're the stereotypical female JPop upbeat number and a rousing rock number, respectively, and, in any other series, would not impress me that much. They do here, though. And I don't know WHY.

Seiyuu: Maaya Sakamoto (famous for her roles as Aeris Gainsborough in FFVII: Advent Children and Hitomi in Escaflowne) plays Haurhi, and Takehito Koyasu (famous for his roles as Touga in Revolutionary Girl Utena and Hotohori in Fushigi Yuugi) makes an appearance here and there as her father. Otherwise, all the seiyuu managed to capture their characters' qualities perfectly.

Length: The only problem I have with this series is where they placed background information and character development. The former came after the latter, and, overall, it probably would have made a lot more sense to reverse the order, and maybe place it more towards the earlier end of the series more than the latter half.

Overall, though, twenty-six episodes was a solid decision. I think they could've trimmed a few episodes off, but overall, the length was pretty solid.

Overall: A screwball romantic comedy that's not afraid to have moments of meta and make fun of itself and its tropes, with excellent seiyuu, art and imagery, and music that fits the moments perfectly. Could have lost a few episodes and rearranged the order a bit, but hey, it's still pretty good.

Story: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Music: 8/10
Seiyuu: 9/10
Length: 8/10

Overall: 43/50; 86% (B ) read more

I really enjoyed this anime. More so than a lot of of other stories, it was witty and clever and just that amusing. It's one of those animes where *everything* is pointed in the same direction; it's cohesive and put together like a Swiss watch.

On an each-episode basis, the story may not be so great... it's a little erratic. Some episodes are better than others and I definitely have my favorites and have ones I'll probably always skip over. But the whole arc of the story from first episode to last? Terrific! And the good parts are so good that it's easy to tolerate the less-good. ;)

The characters, despite their flaws, are endearing and incredibly charming (well, with the exception of a few). You start out with these cutout sterotypes and during the course of the season, each one of them becomes more and more three dimensional.; it's almost like getting to know a person. You get past their "type" and into who they are and why and how and their individual strengths and weaknesses... it says a lot about judging a book by its cover. And that sort of thing sounds like it would be trite and cheesy, I know. The amazing thing is that it isn't... or even when it is, it's still so charming that it's nice to see.

The art and music are lavish and rich and perfect for the tone of the show. Sometimes their faces aren't so detailed or distinguishable, but I think it goes hand in hand with the basic premise that there's more going on than just how they look. Their wealth, which plays a huge part in Haruhi's (the leading female role) interaction with the host club, is almost like another member of the cast -- marble molding, the reflection of a room on the face of the clock, the immense sprawl of the campus, the rooms, of everything. I like the bubbly, perky opening and I think it fits the playful tone of the story very, very well.

I don't know if you can tell, but I ***love*** this show. I love it when Tamaki's naivete (and I always giggle when he sulks in the corner); I love the nurturing/suffocating bond of the twins; and I love how unflappable and "normal" Haruhi is.

The only thing is... I don't really know what it means to "grow mushrooms in someone else's storage room"? Any hints? =) read more

A story based on Bishounen boys in High School and a girl who has no qualms about being either a girl or boy. Haha.. One of the best animes watched after Yamato Nadeshiko Shinchi Henge (which is still not finished yet.. haha.. Still waiting for epi 25).

The plot is very simple but as the story unfolds, we are able to see life in and beyond high school and how these 5 Bishounen boys and 1 indifferent girl cope with their troubles / misgivings.

Well, the ending did indicate a hint of something, but since the story stops only at 26, we won't noe if that something will develop into something more.. Haha.. I'm currently reading the manga.. We'll see if that particular something develops in the manga itself (wich I hope so.. hehe..).

To those who hae doubts watching this anime, you might wanna try watching an epi or two before deciding to slash it totally from your list.. I was doubtful at firts.. but I read the manga, got hooked to the storyline and went online to download the anime..

For those who are going to watch.. ENJOY!!!! read more

Story :9: This anime is adapted from the manga series by Bisco Hatori and tells the story of a poor girl that was excepted in to a very rich high school. She finds herself in debt for 8,000,000 yen and is forced to become the schools Host Club's dog until she pays it back. The story is wonderfully rounded with mostly comedy and romance but it throws some drama in at the appropriate moments. It kept me coming back for more and more and in the end it left me wanting. I only gave it a nine because of some small missing people or story lines from the manga that I really enjoyed.

Art :10: The art in Ouran is amazing. Not necessarily the animation itself, but the storyboard was done beautifully. It had a flavour all its own that sets it apart from the manga and from other animes in it's genre. The use of the cut away scenes to express what the characters are feeling adds so much to the storyline by giving this wonderful "oh I get it" factor when the story is completely finished. Definitely a 10!

Sound :10: I am not really sure how I should rate the sound. But I thought that the voice actors did a wonderful job and that the music was appropriate and at times really lovely.

Character :10: The one thing that I really enjoyed about this show was the character development. The way you could follow the growth of the main characters and understand why they were who they were was just awesome. The back stories were marvelously included in stages so you always knew what you needed to know about the people involved. I was very surprised that I could learn so much about them in just 26 episodes.

Enjoyment :10: If you haven't figured it out by now, I really enjoyed watching this show. Not only the first time, but every time I have re watched it or showed it to friends, the enjoyment not only stays but adjust in an awesome way when you notice things you did not before.

Overall :10: This show as a whole definitely gets a 10 from me. But don't just take my word for it, go, watch it now. read more

I was skeptical at first, but when I started watching it, theres no stopping.

I'm not really into those silly comedies, BUT Ouran High School Host Club is not just any comedy, it has a whole lot of heart in it that distinguishes from the lot and keeps you wanting to watch Tamaki, Haruhi, Honey, Mori, Hikaru, Kaouru and the oh soo sexy Kyouya episode after episode. It was really sad it ended, but it looks like there would be a second season. This shows deserves a second season!

I sooo love this show. ;)

The characters are so diverse yet so tightly knit together that you can't help but love them. Haruhi (the female protagonist) is not the usual silly bordering to stupid female character, its really refreshing to see that kind of composed character in a female lead. I looovvee her.

The boys... oohh I love the boys! I can't even choose who I wanted to be with Haruhi. One episode I wanted it to be Hikaru, then one time I'm leaning towards Tamaki, and then unexpectedly I wanted it to be Kyouya!

This is really one of the most if not the most enjoyable anime I have seen to date.

You should see this ;) read more