Irashaimasen! (Welcome!)
And the Japanese word of the day is... Bikgaku (Aesthetic, appearance) {Pronounced: Bee-gah-koo}
Today, the Home-schooled Otaku will be reviewing one of her favorite shoujou animes: Ouran High School Host Club.
So without any further ado...
Millennium Snow author, Hatori Bisco's high school romance/comedy Ouran Highs School Host Club (Ouran Koko Hostabu) first bloomed on the pages of Hakusensha's LaLa magazine in the September of 2002 and steamrolled its way through (with the elegance of a rose and the bang of a fire cracker) right up to the series' end in November of 2010. The 26 episode anime adaptation premiered in Japan on April 4, 2006 and ran until September 26 of the same year. Licensed in North America by FUNimation Entertainment, the first and second volumes of the anime were released on October 8, 2008 and January 6, 2009 respectively.
The series protagonist is Fujioka Haruhi, a pragmatic high-school first year who was accepted to Tokyo's prestigious (and vibrantly pink) Ouran Academy on a scholarship, and who hopes to become a lawyer after leaving school.
The series opens with Haruhi looking for nothing but a quiet place to study - as all three of the school's king-sized libraries are full of chattering rich kids, this is harder than it should be - and accidentally stumbling into the unused third music room. Haruhi doesn't know it yet, but this is where the members of the famous Ouran Host Club* (comprised only of the most charming boys the academy has to offer) hold their regular activities of entertaining the school's most bored and romantically starved young ladies by offering up tea, scones, and gilded flattery on a silver platter, free of charge. As Haruhi opens the door to a swirl of rose petals, the host club wonders for a second exactly what
Well . . . NONE. Haruhi wants nothing to do with it in fact. Not that Tamaki, the King of the Host Club, can hear the former's repeated stuttering protests (No! Really this is a big mistake!); Haruhi backs away, and a Renaissance vase worth 8 MILLION YEN* is broken in the process. Of course, Haruhi (who is not even able to afford a proper Ouran school uniform) can't really pay the hosts back. Well, not with money at least. Instead, Haruhi must join the club and learn to entertain the ladies until the hosts declare the debt repaid. To do this, Haruhi must get 100 girls to request him. This naturally calls for a makeover - after having trashed the outsized specs, loaned him a uniform, and made him presentable, the hosts declare Haruhi open for business. Sure he flounders a bit at first, but he soon finds that the key to making the girls happy is to be natural and polite. The guests just love to see that sweet and tragic look in his eye as they hear the story of how his mother died ten years ago, and they marvel as they learn what the life of a commoner is really like.
The hosts can't figure out just why Haruhi is such a natural.
What the hosts (And viewer) don't know is that the reason why Haruhi knows just what the girls like, is because Haruhi himself isn't a "he" at all. As the hosts gradually discover throughout the first episode, Haruhi is really a she. A she who doesn't really care whether she is regarded as a boy or a girl. In her opinion, the only thing that matters is that a person should be recognized more for who they are, rather than for what gender they are. Furthermore, Haruhi agrees to stay on at the host club, living her school life as a boy, until she repays her debt.
Now the host club must keep Haruhi's secret from their clients and the rest of the school, and Haruhi must learn to deal with the idiosyncrasies of being one of the Ouran Hosts. Oh and she also has to deal with the fact that Tamaki, the suave and spastic club president is falling in love with her and doesn't really get it.
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| The Ouran Host Club (Left to right): Ootori Kyoya (Back), Hitachiin Kaoru, Hitachiin Hikaru, Suou Tamaki, Fujioka Haruhi, Haninozuka "Honey" Mitsukuni, Morinozuka "Mori" Takashi |
First there's second year student, Suou Tamaki, the Host Club's King. His request rate is 70%. Tamaki charms the ladies with the kind of lines they pine for from their Prince Charming. Tamaki started the host club for one reason: to make girls happy. But any deserving person who walks into the third music room will receive the host clubs help (in some cases, whether they like it or not). Each episode features some ridiculous quest from the host club to help someone - from reuniting a young couple, to reforming the kind-hearted heir to a Yakuza syndicate, if Tamaki and his club can help (and even if they can't) they will.
Tamaki is one of the most contradictory characters in anime history. While he is smooth with the ladies, he can turn into a spaz in a trice. He is at once, egotistical and selfless. Vain, but virtuous, no part of his character his fake. While it seems impossible that he can actually mean what he says to his guests, he does. All of it. He is truly... indescribable.
Then there's Ootori Kyoya, the Host Club's scheming vice-president and treasurer. Kyoya keeps the host club afloat by using his shadowy charm to market picture books of the host club members in all their glory. He uses this revenue to balance the budget. Kyoya is the one voice of reason in the series - without him this show would be non-stop craziness. Fittingly referred to as the "Shadow King", Kyoya is the host clubs dark side. But though he says he doesn't do anything if doesn't benefit him, Haruhi can see that even Kyoya is not as heartless as he seems.
The first year Hitachiin Twins, Hikaru and Kaoru, intrigue their guests with their Forbidden Brotherly Love routine. Not only are they brothers, but they're also identical, which gets them extra drama points. They're niche is symmetry: to create a scene, appealing to their guests eyes. They offer the kind of live guilty pleasure the girls just can't get anywhere else.
Apart from their brotherly love act, the Hitachiins also fulfill the mischievous twins archetype and are constantly causing mayhem and speaking in unison. Tamaki frequently refers to the Hitachiins using terms like "those shady twins" and "doppelgangers".
Let's not forget third years Haninozuka "Honey" Mitsukuni and Morinozuka "Mori" Takashi. In spite of the fact that Honey-senpai is an eighteen-year-old prodigy from an old and respected family of martial artists, he is no more than 4 foot 9 inches tall, has blond hair and likes cake, bunnies and cute things. His voice also seems to have failed to break. With his pink stuffed bunny, Usa-chan, in tow Honey's cuteness makes the girls squeal with delight.
Tall, dark and silent Mori-senpai is Honey's cousin and best friend. A man of few words Mori is the oldest member of the club, outstripping Honey by only a few months. Mori's draw is his strong and silent disposition. (Unless of course he hasn't slept for a while at which point he becomes very talkative indeed*.) Honey and Mori are a package deal, since Honey seems to be Mori's first priority. This gives their combination depth . . . and a significant deal of moe*.
And the hosts aren't the only colorful characters you meet. In episode four of the anime we are introduced to Houshakuji Renge, the Host Club's manager. A rabid otaku, Renge's appearance was quite a nuisance at first, but the hosts later find that, as Renge spends most of her time reading manga and playing dating sims, her knowledge of what girls like makes her an invaluable asset.
There's also Nekozawa Umehito, the cloak-clad President of Ouran's Black Magic Club; Kasanoda Ritsu, a Yakuza Boss in the making with a kind-streak; Haruhi's father "Ranka", who works as a professional transvestite; and the villainous Zuka Club, a trio of oppressively flashy* students from St. Lobelia's Girls' Academy who hold a grudge against the entire male sex and try to ruffle the Host Club's feathers by attempting to Shanghai Haruhi.
While I wouldn't say that this is a good choice of anime to show to your parents (especially those of you who's parents are of pretty conservative mindsets), what with the twincest, and the cross-dressing, not to mention the scandalous Zuka Club, scratch the surface of the zaniness, and this show really does have a strong air of chivalry and wholeheartedness (Take an in-depth look at Tamaki to see what I'm getting at).
One thing that makes me incredibly happy is that the series is licensed in North America by FUNimation Entertainment. The acting and engineering for the series is simply phenomenal, and in my opinion, this is one of the very best English dubs of an anime I have ever heard - certainly in my top three. The ADR* Director for the series, Caitlin Glass (Winry, Fullmetal Alchemist) provides the voice of Haruhi, playing opposite the incomparable Vic Mignogna (Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist). The series also stars other such talented voices as Todd Haberkorn (Keroro, Sgt. Frog), Greg Ayers (Ganta, Deadman Wonderland), J. Michael Tatum (Sebastian, Black Butler), Travis Willingham (Col. Mustang, Fullmetal Alchemist), Luci Christian (Medusa, Soul Eater), Patrick Seitz (Germany, Hetalia), Christopher R. Sabat (Zoro, One Piece), and Monica Rial (Mayaya, Princess Jellyfish).
One thing about the voice work in Ouran High School Host Club that will impress those who, like me, cringe whenever we hear a Japanese name mispronounced, is that almost all of the names are pronounced properly. Yes. Even those tricky ones with "R"s in them. Although even Caitlin Glass didn't get the name "Arai" right. Can we please try to round off that "A" on the front so the name doesn't come out sounding like "Awry"?
I know the series has been our for a while now, but only just recently has a copy come into my ownership. Not only does owning the series on DVD give you access to six fantastic, funny, and insightful actor commentaries, but you also get two of the most hilarious reels of outtakes I've ever heard.
In short, rather than just watching the English Dub on your computer, or resorting to the Fan Subs, GO BUY THE SERIES, THE POWER OF COMEDY COMPELS YOU!! That and, if you really love the actors, they get paid when you actually buy the series.
Well, that's all for now. So, while the Ouran Host Club may not be waiting for you, The Home-schooled Otaku will! Omachishite arimasu! (See you then!)
Footnotes_____________________________________________________________
Host Clubs: Host clubs are common in Japan. They are mainly visited by the wives of Japanese businessmen while their husbands are away. The customers enjoy drinks, conversation and flirting. It doesn't sound reputable, but, like everything at Ouran, this isn't your average host club.
Commoners: Being rich, and oblivious to the less wealthy world outside their estates, Ouran students (including the host club) refer to normal, working class people as "commoners". When the Host Club sends Haruhi our on an errand run to buy more coffee, Haruhi purchases instant coffee, something the hosts thought of only as an urban legend. Since its such a novelty, the hosts become rather fond of this "Commoner's Coffee", and Kyoya, the host club vice-president and treasurer, has no problem with this, as this "instant coffee" is significantly easier on the budget than the whole-bean variety the club is used to.
The Broken Vase: The vase that Haruhi breaks is noted as being worth 8 million yen. In the United States that equals a whopping $89,711 (and 25 cents). Imagine yourself in Haruhi's position. Ouch.
Senpai: An honorific suffix used to refer to upperclassmen: those who are older or more skilled than the speaker, and whom the speaker respects.
A talkative Mori: This is never featured in the anime, though no doubt Mori's English voice actor, Travis Willingham, would have welcomed the change of pace. Mori's line count per episode averages in the single digits and saying little more than "yeah" for 26 episodes does tend to get boring.
Moe: Ah, moe! This is a tough term to pin down. It's difficult to explain, but one thing that can be said is that it refers to cuteness and passion. The term is alluded to numerous times in Ouran after the host club's lady manager, Houshakuji Renge (a rabid otaku) ignites the "flames of moe" by introducing the theme to the club's guests. Mori's devotion to Honey was the perfect example, and the pair became the Host Club's go-to combo for your moe fix.
The Zuka Club's Oppressive Flashiness: The Zuka Club (A.K.A. St. Lobelia's White Lily League) is introduced during an inter-school culture festival, where they perform for the students at Ouran. According to the club member's, their singing and acting is well received wherever they perform, but they seem oblivious to the fact that the good reception only ever comes from their own deluded fan-girls. Hardly surprising when it seems they only ever sing four syllables: Lo-bel-i-a.
ADR Director: ADR stand for Automatic Dialogue Replacement. Essentially this is the technical term for dubbing work. ADR directors oversee direction in voice acting and are sometimes referred to as "Voice Directors". Some companies (VIZ Media for example) will credit them as such, but FUNimation usually uses the technical term. This is called Professionalism.
