Story-9
The story is incredibly fresh and original. Featuring an androgynous main character, as well as an amazing supporting cast who the plot and storyline depend on greatly, it seems set up for the shenanigans everyone gets into. Ouran is an obvious play on other animes in the shoujo genre, but it's amazzing because of that fact; the characters aren't afraid to point out the absurdity of the episodes, with the main character (Haruhi) being well known for not understanding the other students. It's a reverse play on the stereotypical "notice me senpai" trope that is ever so common, and instead focuses on one more along the lines of "please stop noticing me senpai, I'm tired."
Art-8
The art style in this was simply gorgeous. While I'm not a fan of the typical shoujo genre, I can rewatch this anime while in the same level of awe as the first time I watched it. There are a lot of gags that blatantly point out situations, as well as imagery representing some of the many problems the characters go through. Emphasis on many.
Sound-9
While I don't remember much of the background music, aside from Tamaki's piano, the main theme is such a catchy and well written tune that it can get me singing every time I watch this.
Character-9
While the characters may seem to fit into the typical Shoujo stereotypes, this is completely intentional. In the first episode, they point out each character's most well-known and desired traits, and they constantly treat the genre as a joke.
I'm not going into depth to explain each character, but I will say this: each character has a designated trope they were designed to follow in, but each matures through the course of the show and proves that they are better than their one main strength.
Enjoyment-10
I enjoyed this so much, Ouran is incredibly hard to beat in this category. I binge watched the entire show in two days over a holiday, and after completing it, felt the need to watch it all over again. The characters and plot draw you in, and the one season leaves you wanting more (I recommend the manga as well, it was created before the anime and continues where the anime leaves off).
Overall-9
While not a perfect 10, Ouran was and probably is one of my favorite animes, even after years of others. As stated before, I honestly recommend this to anyone. If you are curious about whether or not you'll enjoy it, my one tip is to try an episode. Chances are, you'll love it.
