Ranked #61

Ouran Koukou Host Club (Manga)

The only reason the Ouran anime is worth a watch is because it sets the stage for the manga. Yes, this series has to be the best I've EVER seen. The whole thing has a perfect layout, which gives us our fair share of both drama and comedy relief. It's fantastic.

The story is a 9. Because there are so many main characters, all introduced at around the same time, the beginning takes a bit of time to get into. It is full of filler chapters that set the stage for what's to come. You see, in these introductory chapters, you learn a little bit about every single character - what they say, how the act, their relationships with one another... It is perfectly laid out with a great balance of the 7 main characters. The story starts to pick up the pace at around chapter 40 - At this point, you know everyone well, do not get confused with the names, and maybe even have your favorites. Complicated stories begin to spread out before the host club, and while some try to solve their problems, others are devoted to ignoring them. Each character is different from the last, meaning that they all need each other's help. The story will most definitely make you cry around these chapters... After the twins fight, the trip to France, the Ski Trip, when Haruhi gets sick, when foreign exchange students walze in... It gets to be an emotional roller coaster, perfect for any story. Do not let the shoujo category alarm you. This isn't your regular romantic comedy. It is much, MUCH more than the usual girl meets boy, girl loves boy, boy has dark past, girl fixes everything, the end. You will be kicking yourself if you miss out on this.

The art is outstanding. While some pictures are so cute you find yourself giggling, others are so touching you find yourself tearing. Also, this manga has one thing that MANY lack: Clarity. You can ALWAYS tell who's talking, and you're never left with "...What?" being the only thought in your head. The usage of space in here is outstanding, and I have never found myself less confused after reading an manga.

Ouran has seven main characters - ALL with incredible development. They are wonderfully huggable from the very beginning, and no matter what kind of character you prefer, you'll find him/her in here. Do you like the strong silent type? You've got Mori. The cute, childlike type? Hunny. The dangerous type? Kyouya. The excessivly silly/stupid character? Tamaki. The pranksters that make a joke out of everything? Hikaru and Kaoru. Maybe you're into the characters with dark pasts? All seven cover this. The ones with bad attitudes? The twins, again. Delightfully dense characters? All of them, except for Hunny and Mori. See what i mean? And if you're missing something in there, you've always got the supporting cast to back you up. The families of the host club, the obsessive Renge, the slightly mean Mei, the Lobelia group, Casanova, the class rep... there's someone for everyone! Also, Haruhi, the heroine, has a really REALLY different attitude compared to the girls in other shoujo mangas. She doesn't have a "change the world" attitude, or "I wish I had a boyfriend" attitude, or "little miss sunshine" attitude... she has the more original "what the f*ck" attitude. She doesn't CARE. Which makes her adorable. Now, all characters have their own personalities, but the amazing part is, they all develop. Not for the worse, either. They keep their original charm while still becoming better people. They're wonderful.

Certain chapters will have you laughing out loud, others will have you crying your eyes out. All of them will have you begging for more, because there is no manga like THIS manga. The comedy, the romance, the drama, the development, the twists, the art, the plot, the beauty, he simplicity, the clarity, the EVERYTHING! It will all have you wanting more more goddamn MORE Ouran High School Host Club. This is the ONLY manga I have ever stalked, constantly checking MangaFox for updates, forums for cool topics, LiveJournal for icons, deviantART for fanart, YouTube for mmv's...

You can't go wrong with this manga. Read it, read it, read it. It will have you contemplating issues that you will need in your life.Stuff like...

How much are you willing to give to a brother? To a friend? To a lover?

What sacrifices are worth making?

and of course...

Can anything really last forever? read more

I would really recommend this manga to anyone who loved the anime. The anime is a great adaption and tells the story almost exactly as it was in the manga, however it's not as progressive. Nothing much happens in the anime but once you get to around chapter 40 then it will really pick up the pace.

Also, guys, don't be afraid to pick up this manga and don't be deterred by the shojo tag. The story behind it is quite good too.

{Story}
Why did I give the story a 9? Because it can be slow at times. Some pieces will drag a tiny bit while others you are turning the page constantly. It takes a lot of time to pick up too but once you get there, you will really be thankful for reading that far.

{Art}
Simple and cute. Beyond expectations for a shojo tag. It also can have quite a wide variety because in some parts there are chibis while others can be very detailed and wonderful drawings. Sometimes I just had to hold my breath and point because of all the wonderful drawings.

{Character}
The main aspect in this manga. The characters are the most well developed characters I have seen anywhere. Each character has a story to tell and a past to recreate as well as a personality that reflects there past.

{Enjoyment}
It was perfect! It can be dark, light, tragic and happy. read more

Even though Ouran is definitely in my top 10 favorite manga, I'm going to be as honest as I can here. When I'm reading it, I notice a few mistakes or at least some things that could be improved but I still find it an enjoyable manga nontheless. There is a slight spoiler alert. Hopefully, you'll forget before you start the manga. Anyway, let's begin!

Overall Grade: 9/10 (actual: 8.5/10)

Story: 7/10

In the...let's say at least first 9 volumes of the series there's basically no substantial plot other than "a commoner girl attends a school for rich people and breaks a very expensive vase that belonged to group of handsome and rich young men; so she has to work off her debt by becoming a host and goes through tons of silly adventures with said group of handsome and rich young men." It's pretty much an episodic-type manga. It's not neccesarily a bad thing as many people enjoy manga like that, but judging from Bisco Hatori's comments she makes on the side, I get the feeling that she got too carried away with the arcs and forgot that this is a romance story here.

Also she attempted to write each chapter and volume to correspond with the seasons she was scheduled to release them in, thus making the characters not age or graduate several times. Sure, this is a popular thing to do in the States (I swear, I've seen at least a dozen South Park Christmas specials and they were like 8 years old each time) but it seemed like it was more of a cop-out than a literary tactic, if you ask me. Hate to spoil, but nearing the last several volumes, she actually started to focus on her intended story.

Art: 8/10

As I was reading each volume, I noticed a significant improvement in the character design. I mean, it was pretty obvious that she was an amateur in the beginning. The artwork didn't really cut it for me as I watched the anime before I read the manga. It looked very sloppy. However, at about mid-series, I think she reached the peak of her improvement and even then started to climb as a better artist. I really started to enjoy the artwork and even the male cast became more handsome and resemble the anime a bit more.

Character: 9/10

The characterization is what I love most about this series. With Ouran, you get your common shoujo male and female archetypes: the clueless female lead, her friend who helps her in the ways of romance, the prince, the megane, the shota, the stoic, the twins, and even the bad boy. BUT what makes them different is that they have this comedic and almost ironic twist about them. The clueless female lead doesn't have this "I'M GONNA DO MY BEST!!!1" attitude (it's more like "do I have to...?") and didn't come to high school in the hopes she'll get a boyfriend by the end of the year, instead she actually wants to study to become a lawyer. The prince isn't so princely in that he's pretty much a hapless idiot and the token funny character of the series. The megane, even though putting off the regular megane aura, might even have a sense of compassion and consideration for others. The shota is actually the oldest character in the series and the stoic.... well the only thing I could think of is that he barely talks ^^; The twins give off the incestually gay vibe (and turning on fangirls everywhere). The bad boy isn't even bad at all! He's actually super nice.

Another thing that's good about the characterization that I love is that we really get to learn and even delve into the pasts of each character. You can totally see why they act the way they do.

Enjoyment: 9/10

Even though the story is sub-par and the art lacks in the beginning, I can't deny that I love the series.I literally lol at some parts and cry at others. I've gotten fairly attatched to the characters that I hate to see them hurt and I enjoy following their stories.

SPECIAL NOTE:

If you just finished the anime and decided to read the manga from where it left off, DON'T. The anime ends at the first chapter of volume 9, BUT the anime mixes up chapters, skips other chapters, leaves out characters, and has a made-up ending. In other words, read from the beginning of the manga series. I don't care that you're lazy. Just do it.

Questions, comments? Feel free to drop by :D read more

"To make a friend's wish come true, we would do nothing less...
And from the bottom of our hearts, we prayed for nothing more."
- from the most tear-jerking pages of Ouran

Anyways, onto the actual review.

Story (8/10)

Ouran High School Host Club is about a normal girl, Fujioka Haruhi, who is admitted to a school (primarily for children of the upper class) on a special scholarship for being an excellent student. While looking for a place to study, she accidentally stumbles upon the Host Club (which is composed of six hot guys of the highest pedigree who cater to girls that have too much time on their hands) and is mistaken for a guy herself because of her shabby dress. When she accidentally breaks an expensive vase belonging to the Host Club, she is forced to work for the Host Club for the rest of her time in high school to pay off her debt.

In most shoujo romantic comedies, slowly but surely, all the guys fall in love with her and she picks the most unlikely one and they live happily ever after. The end.

Well, this isn't exactly the case with Ouran, mostly because our main character isn't looking for the guy of her dreams; she enrolled in Ouran because she wanted to become a lawyer. So, even though she's surrounded by a variety of guys and given the luxury to pick and choose, she doesn't give a damn about them. Frankly, she just wishes they'd all go away so she could study in quiet. And so, Haruhi's life at Ouran begins.

The Host Club's philosophy is to use everyone's unique talents to attract girls who all have their own preferences. There's Tamaki, the princely type, Kyouya, the cool type, Hikaru and Kaoru, the devilish type, Honey, the cute type, Mori, the silent type, and now Haruhi (actually a girl), the natural.

Now I'll have to admit, the manga has a lot of filler content (especially at the beginning where you're still being introduced to the characters), but once you get to know the characters well, you start to realize that the main characters are all very abnormal - as in, all their personalities are ridiculously warped and unrealistic in some way. Why? Well, the brilliance of this manga lies in the journey that the author takes you on to find out.

Art (8/10)

I've got nothing special to say about the art. Bisco Hatori's style isn't very unique, nor is it totally amazing. I will say that the art significantly improves throughout the manga, and by the end, you could almost say that it is noteworthy, but overall, I wouldn't say the art is a main selling point for this manga.

Character (10/10)

If I could, I would rate this section a 13/10. The characters are very likeable, but most importantly, they are portrayed brilliantly. There is a diverse range of personalities and any reader will easily find one to his/her liking. However, the best things about the characters are, without a doubt, their backstories. In this manga, there's always more than meets the eye. Like I said earlier, as you start reading, you'll find that all of members of the Host Club (well maybe except Mori) have ridiculously warped and unrealistic personalities, but if you think about it, what could six hot guys from rich families possibly worry about?

You have Tamaki Suoh, a charming guy with a flamboyant personality who simply strikes you as shallow and annoying, and then you have his unlikely best friend, Kyouya Ootori, a cold and calculating genius who puts on a mask of perfection to hide his insecurities. You are also introduced to the twins, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, the sons of a famous fashion designer who love to play pranks on everyone. And of course, there's got to be that really cute 12th grader, Mitsukuni Haninozuka (a.k.a. Honey), who is addicted to sweets of all kinds and also a karate master despite his small stature, and his strong and silent sidekick, Takashi Morinozuka (a.k.a. Mori), who is ironically three times taller than him.

As you find out more about them and how they became the person they are today, I will guarantee you: you will gasp, you will sympathize; you may even cry. Don't even give me the excuse of "I have seen the anime so I know about all this already" because the anime doesn't even begin to touch upon their heart-wrenching stories. Just read it and you will know what I mean.

Enjoyment (10/10)

If you're worrying about not being able to get through the fillers to enjoy the main story, don't. That narcisstic, obnoxious, self-indulgent idiot Tamaki will come to the rescue. His actions are always hilarious to look at and his comments are always ridiculously stupid. He's the comic relief of the manga, but by the same token, he's also the source of much of the story's angst.

If you're not a fan of his, then there's always the rest of the Host Club: when their diverse personalities interact, something's bound to go wrong. Or, there's Haruhi, who's always being made fun of because she doesn't know the customs of rich kids. All in all, the manga was very enjoyable.

Overall (10/10)

Overall, this is a wonderful piece. The ending was ridiculous though, but I suppose it is quite fitting of the Host Club, whose members have always been...well...ridiculous. read more

It's been a month since the manga concluded and I'm still a little speechless. Bear with me while I piece together what exactly makes this manga so charming.

So - I'm a long-term fan of the anime; I've seen it several times since it first aired and it's safe to say I also consider that a 10/10. But the anime is, in comparison, a mere introduction.

Let's consider the plot. Girl meets Host Club and is mistaken for a boy. Girl forced to join the Host Club and cross-dress as a boy. Girl completes Host Club. It's eccentric and bizarre and it really shouldn't work--but it just does.

The plot initially follows an arc system, wherein the Host Club venture to save the happiness of some poor soul. It could get tiresome, even irritating, but through each arc the characters are continuously forced to face one another and that's what makes this manga so absorbing.

The second half of the manga moves on from this formulaic system (from about chapter 40, est.) and the members of the Host Club must strive to realise their own happiness in order to save their "family". For instance, the twins who are, in essence, a walking contradiction must learn independence without sacrifice and Tamaki must realise his own goals in terms of his place in the Suou household. It's a mess of misunderstandings (but not the same cliché shoujo malarkey, don't worry!) and choices and it's chaotic but it remains true to its origins all the same.

It's true the art develops as the mangaka grows comfortable with the characters and their setting, but I loved it from start to finish. It's gorgeous.

Characters in character-driven stories need to be brilliant and, in this regard, the mangaka does not fail. From Tamaki, the charming but stupid prince, to Kyouya, his manipulative and evil genius-type best friend, all the characters have detailed backgrounds and personal struggles. The Host Club actually takes all the typical shoujo stereotypes and actually sets them loose by setting them up against one another - and with hilarious results. I personally find character-driven stories boring and unfulfilling, but OHSHC kept surprising me over and over. The characterisations are flawless - FLAWLESS - and it helps that the humour used is right up my street.

There are times, as with all long-running anime and manga, that things feel a little tiresome - perhaps even overused. With over 80 chapters, OHSHC is sometimes going to falter - it's inevitable, after all - but stay faithful and you will be in for an incredible story with insensible, inspiring characters.

Overall, I consider this manga to be unmissable. I don't think I'm ever going to come across such a likeable, well-meaning bunch of idiots or - in the case of the twins and Kyouya - such complicated, selfish overlords who really are quite soft at heart. PS: Haruhi in love is the cutest girl in love ever. Even if you didn't like her before - I certainly wasn't her fan - her character development is perhaps the most important albeit subtle. read more

This manga is adorable =D It goes beyond my expectations and is still a joy to read.

I loved the anime more, but the manga is more in depth. The art for the anime seemed more furnished while the manga's seemed rough-draft. Even so, both anime and manga are enjoyable whether you like to read the manga or watch the anime.

This anime/manga really exceeds in the categories of Romance and Comedy. I love it even more because the characters are so well developed through the course of the manga. The storyline really lets their personalities shine. What makes it even better is the storyline is so simple and silly it fits perfectly with how the anime/manga is portrayed. xD

I admit, the relationships seem to go pretty slow for me, but this is a manga that I wait anxiously for the next chapter to come out. This is the one and only manga I tend to stalk ever so often. =] read more

I think the manga is pretty good! The art is nice, and the guys are drawn outstandingly! The character developement is also very nice! It's funny, and romantic, so I'm getting a whole lot of enjoyment out of it! To sum it up, this story is very good and I will be sad once it's over.

So this is one of my favorite mangas of all time...

It was one of the first that I was motivated to keep reading steadily, and I got very excited every time I heard a saw that a new chapter had been translated.

The general story has a very typical shoujo reverse harem feel to it. The protagonist, Haruhi's mother passed away some years ago and she's having trouble fitting in to her new school which is made up of very elite rich kids. When she's looking for a quiet place to study she suddenly runs into the Ouran High School Host Club and finds herself joining. Of course, almost everyone thinks she's a guy...

The art is quite cute, and for fans of the anime there are tons of comedic moments that were passed over, also the manga continues way past the ending of the anime as well.

In my opinion this manga is funny, the character development actually progresses. Though the romance aspects are a bit slow for anyone who prefers otherwise... read more

Ouran High School Host Club may seem like your typical love story. Numerous boys fall in love with single girl. It IS something like that, and at the same time, something much more.
Hatori Bisco is really creative with the making of each character-- each one has his own unique and special trait, like the idea of "brotherly love", or Kyouya being a person who takes benefit in every action, or Hunny-senpai being the lover of all things cute, but in truth a master martial artist, Mori-senpai, the man of few words, the narcissistic Tamaki cowering in a corner--- most of all, however, the fact that Haruhi is overflowing with pheromones, and appeals more to people of the same gender.
I also saw Hatori's idea that she made Hunny's birthday fall on February the 29th, so he ages only once in four years.
There are lots of characters in the manga, that makes it hard to keep up, but still all of them are interesting. I actually feel a kind of excitement whenever there is an additional character to the series, because it makes me wonder what kind of person HE/SHE might turn out to be. I was actually surprised by all of the lavishness the students of Ouran are used to, and it interested me to see how flamboyant they could get.
It doesn't lack in anything really; romance, comedy, and gender-bender, even medical aspects, fantasy (alice in wonderland chapter) or even action, thanks to Mori/ Haninozuka. Every chapter thrills me to read on, and I can't wait for the realease of 81. read more

Story: 6
As most people say, the story is slow. I personally like manga better than anime, but Ouran it applied in reverse. The anime is a little better than the manga, because it somehow gets to the point quickly unlike in the manga.

Art: 6
Not something I expected after watching the anime. The art is different, and at first glance, you wouldn't have thought it's Ouran.

Character: 7
Generally, people would give thumbs up for the characters. But I won't. Personally, the only person I liked is Haruhi, because I think she's the only one I'd call decent. Others are somewhat...abnormal.

Enjoyment: 4
Not much enjoyment for me at all. Because I don;t like something that beats around the bush. The comedy was all right, but for me it stops to the comedy. Totally pointless.

Overall: 6
At least.

If you'd like to try Ouran, go and watch the anime. The manga is not recommended unless you really are bored and can't find anything more worth reading. read more