DVD Review: Ouran romance picks up with Tamaki

It's not typical for a girl to be the center of attention with a bunch of guys in a romantic comedy without sparks flying. Thankfully, "Ouran High School Host Club" manages to make the girl the most likable ordinary girl I've ever seen in an anime.

As the female protagonist in "Ouran," Haruhi is the coolest ordinary girl, who helps all her guys out in unexpected ways in volume two.

The second DVD of "Ouran High School Host Club" picks up where the series left off, in the beach trip which followed their trip to the tropical resort. As usual, the men are entertaining the women. However, something changes the entire tone of the series in episode nine.

Two men try to sexually assault the Host Club's girls. Haruhi tries to stand up to them, but she gets thrown into the ocean. Thankfully, Tamaki saves her from drowning.

Still Tamaki is clearly worried about Haruhi's safety and argues that she shouldn't have stood up. He wants her to act more like a woman, but Haruhi is refuses, leading to an awkward dinner scene. Eventually, Haruhi starts to acknowledge that she really is a shy girl who could use her guy friends. And sure enough, Haruhi admits that she does have feelings for Tamaki.

I don't always like romantic comedies, because they're a little more conservative in tone. The female characters are a little excessively subservient to their boyfriends, to the point where I wish they would look for more fishies in the sea. But "Ouran High School Host Club" succeeds with a different message--that it's okay to be an ordinary girl. And even though the upper-class guys of Ouran Host Club are rich ladykillers, it helps to have an ordinary girl to distract them from their lavish lifestyle.

And there are lots of hilarious jokes about the rich folk. As in episode one, the Ouran Host Club is still extremely fascinated with the taste of powdered coffee. The Loubella Girls Academy also comes in a great episode, in which they try to attract Haruhi into their club with their hilarious dancing sequences and flashing neon signs. They also pull off some hilarious yuri (female homosexual love) sequences, in which one of them sports a fake moustache.

"Ouran High School Host Club" may be a ridiculous romantic comedy, but it surprised me with an ordinary female character supported by her rich boyfriends. Even though I still have a few misgivings about Haruhi's flat chest, she's definitely one of the best anime characters of recent years, making this one of the best anime romantic comedies of all time.

By the way, there's a great extra on this DVD. Funimation managed to squeeze in the English voice actors' outtakes in recording for Ouran High School Host Club. These are hilarious outtakes for every episode on this DVD.

Image courtesy of randomc.animeblogger.net

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