Ouran High School Host Club
*The following article may contain information that some may think of as spoilers.*
Original Run: April 06, 2006 – September 26, 2006
Number of Episodes: 26
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Reverse Harem, Comedy
Also referred to as: OHSHC
For many people, such as myself, OHSHC was one of the first, if not their very first, anime that they watched. It has many classic anime themes, as well as attractive guys, comedic moments, and touches of romance.
Series Synopsis
The show follows a girl named Haruhi who gets into a prestigious high school, mentioned as the school for the “rich and beautiful.” On one of her first days, she stumbles across this group of handsome boys who refer to themselves as a Host Club. From there, she winds up in a bit of trouble and she joins the guys in their daily shenanigans. From visiting a tropical paradise to meeting the Lobelia Girls’ academy, it is never a slow day for Haruhi and the Host Club.
Throughout, you get to follow her interactions with each of the boys and learn about what trope each boy falls into. In the first episode, their king, also known as the Host Club President Tamaki, actually describes each boy’s personality, explaining why they are in the Host Club. They follow popular tropes such as the boy-lolita, dark and mysterious, and the princely type. So, almost every girl can find a man she is attracted to.
Surpassing Its’ Time
This show made leaps and bounds between gender fluidity, nomenclature usage, and just overall themes that weren’t apparent when it was released. Haruhi doesn’t mind being referred to as a guy or a girl because she’s just comfortable with people seeing her as who she is as a person. Secondly, her father is a transvestite, and she, as well as her late mom, were okay with that. Lastly, another aspect we get to see are moments where their flirtatious sides may go a little over the top, lusting over the only girl they truly care for, platonically or romantically.
Favorite Aspects
A lot of my favorite moments in this show are the ones with Haruhi and Hitachiin brothers. They are the twins of the group, who tend to test the bounds of incest and having girls dream of being with two males. They bring the flirtatious scenes, as well as great comedy. It became apparent that I would always be waiting for episodes with them.
Damsel in distress, another theme I am very fond of. Any time that Haruhi was in ‘danger’ or in need of ‘saving’ my heart would skip a beat when the guys would come in and save her. You would get to see their strong masculine sides (for once). Haruhi wasn’t the typical damsel in distress, as in, she was never really an air head. Yes, she would not always understand when she was being hit-on by boys, but she was very confident and does stand up for herself.
Would Recommend
If you are looking for a show that brings comedy, romance, and reverse harem together, this is the perfect mixture for you. But keep in mind, this show definitely does not fully follow the manga. The manga began in 2002, and did not release the final volume until 2010! As us fans wait for season two, we are slowly starting to wish for a reboot.
“A person can change, at the moment when the person wishes to change.”
–Haruhi Fujioka (Ouran High School Host Club)
Ouran High School Host Club is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
