Ouran High School Host Club: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]

Ouran High School Host Club: The Complete Series [Blu-ray] Review

"The Ouran host Club is where the school's handsomest boys with too much time on their hands entertain young ladies who also have way too much time on their hands."

Well, that's the basic description. But "Ouran High School Host Club: Complete Series" is so much more than just a slapsticky reverse-harem anime -- it's a charming little comedy series that's constantly awash in costumes, geekery, over-the-top schemes, and an adorable budding romance. Even in its more serious moments, it's utterly charming.

Haruhi Fujioka has just started on her scholarship at the elite Ouran Academy, and is looking for a quiet place to study... when she stumbles across the Host Club. The six wealthy boys there entertain girls with flirtation and elaborate costumes and decorations. The members: melodramatic and not-too-bright Tamaki, mischievous Hitachin twins Kaoru and Hikaru, cool-headed genius Kyoya, childlike Honey, and his silent stoic cousin Mori.

But when Haruhi accidentally breaks an antique vase, she finds herself drafted into the Host Club to pay off the debt... and only THEN does Tamaki find out she's a girl. But she continues working at the Host Club, and encounters some pretty bizarre adventures as she tries to navigate the world of the uber-wealthy. And when they aren't entertaining girls, the Host Club tries to help people with their fragmented relationships and troubles.

But just being rich doesn't keep the Host Club members from having their own troubles -- and as she gets to know them, Haruhi learns that the happy-go-lucky Tamaki has a tragic past that threatens to ruin his future. Will the little band of friends be able to help their "boss"?

It's hard to really summarize an anime like "Ouran High School Host Club" -- it's a big fluffy whirl of costumes, roses, over-the-top luxury, and lighthearted pokes at anime conventions ("Yay! There's debauchery here!"). It's just such a fun little show, and it's made even better because it's almost surreal at times -- Haruhi even notes, after an "Alice in Wonderland" dream, that she can't even tell when she's awake or asleep.

There's lots of funny goofy dialogue ("I never would have pegged the boss as an S&M pervert." "I told you! It wasn't like that at all!") and hilariously weird situations (the guys all dress up in over-the-top drag, causing Haruhi to roll around screaming with laughter). But there are some more touching moments as well, such as Tamaki comforting Haruhi when she's frightened by a thunderstorm, or the flashback episodes where we see how Tamaki befriended the icy Kyoya or the manipulative twins.

But the best part of the show is the characters -- Haruhi is a likably down-to-earth, sensible "commoner" who often seems weirded out by the antics of the megarich teens of Ouran. But she's slowly charmed by Tamaki, a sweet but not-very-bright young man who seems pretty confused about his romantic feelings. You end up liking Tamaki even better when you find out the truth about his family, and what a kind person he is.

And the rest of the cast is lots of fun as well: Hunny's cutesiness is a little annoying, but it's fun to see him kicking the collective backsides of a secret police force. Mori is cool (if underdeveloped), Kyoya is a delightful mix of insecurity and Machievellian scheming, and the twins are simply hilarious (especially since their "theme" is twincest).

"Ouran High School Host Club: The Complete Series" is a delightful, lovable anime series, and leaves you desperately wishing it would never end. Charming, fluffy and fun.

Ouran High School Host Club: The Complete Series [Blu-ray] Overview

Now available for the first time in blu-ray!

Ouran Academy: An institution of extravagance and prestige where learning is secondary to luxury. Haruhi began the year as an out of place scholarship student, but she's found new popularity as a member of the Host Club. Playing the part of a sensitive suitor and wooing the ladies of the school has become a full-time job. Of course, now that Tamaki and the other boys can no longer deny the charms of her girly side, life feels more like a storybook daydream.

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