DVD Review - Romancing at Ouran High School

I shouldn't like "Ouran High School Host Club" that much. I doesn't have a serious overarching plot, and it is almost too whimsical for its own good. However, those are the same reasons why I like Ouran so much.

The anime features so many silly parodies of male love and bisexual gender-bending anime, making it one of my absolute favorites.

The plot is very simple. Haruhi Fujioka, a poor student at the rich upper-class Ouran High School, is really anti-social. One day, he wanders aimlessly into Music Room B-3, home of the Ouran High School Host Club. In this club, the male members entertain female guests with all the romantic flirting and tea they could possibly get.

How does Haruhi get into this club? Well, on his first meeting with them, he just happens to accidentally break an expensive vase which costs 50,000 yen, or about $500. To pay back his debts, he has to become a member and entertain the female guests.

It doesn't seem like much of a concept at first, until we learn that each member has his own method of flirtation. Tamaki Suou, the president of the club, is the most attractive and passionate of the members. Kyoya, the vice president, is the cool and collected businessman of the club, always finding merchandise to sell to the female guests. Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin are the two twins who attract women through their yaoi (male homosexual) romantic relationship with each other. Mitsukani Haninozuka, or Honey-senpai, is the cute boy who attracts them with...um...his cuteness. And Takashi Morinozuka always tags along with Honey as the quiet but protective cousin of Honey.

But Haruhi is pretty much the star of the show. He is labelled the natural rookie, for his androgynous gender attributes. Actually, Haruhi is not exactly a male, as revealed in episode one. However, she can dress up as a male and possess the best qualities of male and female characters. Haruhi is the one who helps her fellow members out the most, whenever they're feeling down. She's also the most emotionally sensitive member, she can tell the difference between the Hitachiin twins and she has a love for tuna.

Perhaps this is the least serious shojo anime I have ever seen, but because of this, "Ouran High School Host Club" is one of the best. Even when the plot is serious, Haruhi and the gang are so fun. In episode four, the Hitachiin twins argue against each other, over which one is the better one. Whenever they fight, they throw nearly everything in the room at each other in a comical sequence, even throwing Honey-senpai and Takashi across the room.

This series also has a laugh-out-loud episode, in which Haruhi has to go through a physical examination at the high school. Tamaki is most concerned, because if the school finds out Haruhi is a girl, then she cannot remain in the club. He's a little protective of her, and evens goes to such great lengths as to disguise himself as Haruhi for the exam.

This is the most fun I've had watching an anime in a while. It's great to watch an anime which doesn't involve serious social issues and violent battles. Who knows--it might be the best of the year.

Image courtesy of beconfused.com