Ouran High School Host Club is an anime series revolving around a group of male high school students that formed a “host club” to entertain and charm women they refer to as “guests”. Called a “reverse harem” by one of the toddler characters in one episode, the series follows the misadventures of these characters as they adopt a male-presenting girl into the club. Silly, comedic, and super self-aware of itself as an ongoing series that relies on cliches while pointing them out at every term, this (debatably) subversive anime is coded queer. And the way it makes fun of rich people is kinda hilarious.
So if you were like me in college, you watched every episode of Ouran High School Host Club a few years back when they had the entire season on Youtube. It’s also the kind of ridiculously campy and over the top universe you’d love to live in. Here are my reasons!
Fancy Living
I’d be a liar to say that I wouldn’t like to live the high life for a few lifetimes days–to see what life is like from the top of the economic elevator. Of course, I’m only talking about for the more frivolous aspects and having other folks worry about the things I don’t want to. Jus’ sayin’. Swerve with all the responsibility of having to run multiple multinational Fortune 500s and whatnot. Thank goodness the show never ruins the “rich people being rich” mood by showing us the characters doinghomework or anything else that actually requires responsibility and isn’t related to the Host Club. So I want all that, and the fancy tuna that comes with being rich.
Anime Tropes
As I said earlier, this show makes a lot of fun of the anime/manga genre and if you’re knowledgeable about characterization in that genre (or any type of animation/media product honestly), you’ll get a huge laugh at how stuff is subverted and played straight for laughs. And whether you want to be a host or be seduced by one, there’s someone for everyone!
The Prince
This role is taken by Tamaki and he presides over the club as Daddy. At first glance, he is the noble prince–upstanding, regal, and kind in a polite manner. But just under the surface is a wild guy driven by emotion that completely turns his royal characterization on its head.
The Cuties
Boy Lolita
The obvious one here is Honey, who plays the role of the “boy-lolita”, or innocent, cutesy youngster (despite being older than most of the cast). He is much more powerful than he lets on, but his love of cakes and sweets and cute things masks that scary interior.
The Natural/Bookworm
The male-presenting female protagonist might be among the few who actually plays their characterization straight (no pun). Haruhi is level-headed and astutue, often a slave to the antics of her boisterous co-members and often finds herself face-palming and sighing at just how out of touch everyone around her is. She’s a cutie because whether or not she chooses to go along with the craziness, react against it, or act in accordance, she’s adorable doing it. Not to mention she’s the romantic interest to many of the guys around her.
The Stoics
The “Actual” Stoic
Mori is the tall and handsome gentle giant (the fold to the cutie Honey who he’s always around). He’s muscular, strong and decisive and has the kind of reassuring effect that many of the shy guests that come into the club appreciate. He also has the “watch me take my shirt off and not even care” charm we see in one episode, but frog + teacup.
The Cool One
We all know the cool one who doesn’t waste words and who doesn’t let much get past them. In this case, it’s Kyouya. He’s a mix between heartless tax collecter, shrewd businessman, and puppetmaster, prompting his friends to give him the nickname “Shadow King”. They’re also (rightfully) a little afraid of him.
The Mischevious Guys
The Hitachiin twins take the cake with this one. Named Hikaru and Kauro, these redheads are almost the devil incarnate with their wily pranks and sharp words. But like everyone else in this show, their demeanor hides a complex past that shapes who they are and how they present themselves to the world. While in the Host Club, they walk the line of taboo, showing a brotherly affection that straddles the line of implied twincest to (somehow) make their female guests’ imaginations run wild.
Elite High School Experience
This may as well go back to the first reason of wanting to be filthy rich observe the lives of the wealthy from the inside, but I would specifically love to have gone to a high school where the school lunch made the Ritz Carlton’s food look like dog food.
I would love to have gone to a high school that had not only musical instruments, but state of the art music rooms with spacious halls. A school whose administration understood when you simply had to leave school to Fiji for a while. A school where everything stopped because you and your friends had to have a misadventure.
Of course, I’m sure actual elite high schools are different (minus the Fiji and instument bit), but in the Ouran universe, the sky is the limit.
Conclusion
So do you love Ouran? DO YOU LOVE IT?! Leave us a comment telling us about your favorite character or episode! Also, do you think it’s a good show or a disgrace to its genre and a mark upon the world of animation that would take centuries after an apocalypse to scrub off?