Ouran High School Host Club

Ouran High School Host Club has been a favorite of mine for such a long time. This series is what got me into anime then to manga and actually led me to a bunch of my favorite music selections with Ouran as the AMV that I found on youtube-- with the help of my best friend, of course.

I loved the anime though it was far to short. Ouran is one of the most favored shoujo mangas out there and for good reason. It's fantastic. For those who love the anime or are in need of a cute romantic comedy, this is for you.

Haruhi Fujioka is a scholarship student at the renowned Ouran Academy. Ouran is a place where rich kids from rich families come to learn and socialize. The Host Club is where some of the richest and smartest kids come to entertain themselves because they "have too much time on their hands." The boys fawn over the girls and the girls love it. Haruhi stumbles into Music Room 3 where the Host Club meets and accidentally breaks a very expensive vase. In order to pay it back, Haruhi becomes the Hosts' "dog," running errands and whatnot, and quickly becomes a Host as well. What most don't know is that Haruhi is actually a girl. "How do you miss that?" Because she couldn't afford to buy the school uniform and got gum in her hair the night before--therefore cutting her hair herself and doing a horrendous job of it--she looked like a boy and everyone thought she was one. She didn't see the need to correct it, because a person is a person no matter their gender, and she rolled with it. The Host Club, of course, found out but let the girls who visit believe she was a boy so then Haruhi could pay back her debt.

The story goes on and, as any romantic comedy goes, some of the boys start falling in love with Haruhi. However because some of them are socially inept and others are idiots they don't realize it. Haruhi herself doesn't realize that she is falling in love with one of the boys. But they go on many adventures where they all grow, except for possibly two of them (maybe), and develop past themselves. I love the way they develop. They all grow in many ways, they all have their weaknesses, they all have their own personalities. It was a great feat, or so I think anyway, when I finally figured out which twin was which. I felt very happy with myself. They are so much fun.

I enjoyed the development with Tamaki's dad, as well as Kyoya's dad, and how they are portrayed here in the manga differently than in the anime. In the anime, Tamaki's dad is a doting father, who loves his son so much, whereas in the anime he seemed colder. Kyoya's dad isn't as lovey dovey as Tamaki's but he is very proud of Kyoya and all the work that Kyoya does do. He wouldn't actually slap Kyoya, because he's proud of him.

The artwork is really good and full of fun things. Beautiful artwork of places and cute moments. If you get iffy on the first few chapters, keep going. The artwork gets better and less rigid. It progresses  just like any writers, well, writing. They get better and by the second or third book, you won't be disappointed.

Ah, this story is amazing. Such fun and so lighthearted.

Part of the ending did remind me of Maid-Sama. Super rich boy who falls for a girl who is struggling to make ends meet. Parts of the stories were similar, maybe slightly cliched, but we're okay with it because the story is so much fun. I recommend both books, because they are great.

The anime is only about a forth of the manga series where you get the brief glimpse of the awesomeness that is Ouran High School Host Club. If you enjoy the anime, please read this one. If you cannot find a physical copy of the book there are manga reader apps, such as "My Shelf," to read it.

Read it. Enjoy it.