Ouran High School Host Club 01 - First Look
Posted by Willuknight
Well I’ve just finished watching Host Club, and its surprising to say the least.
I downloaded it way back when it first was subbed, but I never really got around to watching it. From what I heard about it I was convinced that it was a shojou type anime with shounen ai overtones, and that I’d probably hate it on sight. However eventually I got around to reluctantly watching it (ran out of anything else to watch) and I felt compelled to write a ‘first look’ for it, partly to correct my mistaken impressions .
One of the first things you notice about this title is the gorgeous animation and art that oozes charm and beauty. The character designs are very appealing as well - I kept on thinking “aww that’s so cute” and then feeling vaguely irritated that I was admiring a male character. Aside from the characters and general scenes, there is some absolutely wonderfully detailed backgrounds, which in this episode mainly consisted of beautiful architecture throughout the classically styled old English school campus.
Certain comedy setups are hilarious and actually original (something which IMO is depressingly rare). The contrast between poverty and riches was handled majestically (which shows you that Hollywood producer’s scripts don’t have to feel as if one was prodding Barbie dolls with a stick around on camera) and the part about the instant coffee was a real ROFL event. Some of the visual queues for gags for pretty funny as well (like the arrow next to the vase, and the light bulbs). A special shout out goes out to the hilarious identical twins a great (if unintentional) comedy duo).
The sound track for this show is pretty good as well. The OP is alright, but I definitely noticed at least one piece of background music that was excellent. The ED is pretty good as well ^_^
The characters are pretty hilarious, but I felt a teensy bit uncomfortable throughout the episode. The subtle references of shounen ai (lets not forget the description of a young boy as being of loli-shota type) and the feeling that this was the anime version of queer eye for the straight guy. I will say however that I was looking for, and expecting such references (based on what I heard about the show) so my observations may be a tad paranoid. On another topic, the entire premise of a host club in high school, is very questionable.
The host club that this show revolves around, emulates the existence of host clubs in the real world. If you don’t know what the real host clubs are about, here’s a brief summary from what I’ve read about them. After work, some business-men (Salary-kun) visit ‘host clubs’ where attractive woman socialize with them and generally put them on pedestals. Usually sexual relations are not involved, though of course there are clubs that do both. On the surface it sounds rather innocent, though I still think its vaguely dodgy , especially setting one up at a high school.
Still, if you can overlook those things, or at least tolerate them, then the show is definitely enjoyable. The story, albeit strange, is original and the style in which things happen is rather amusing. I will say that a twist at the end negated a lot of the shounen ai overtones, so hopefully they’ll be less of a factor.
As soon as I get my internet sorted out next week, I’m downloading more of this series and I’m keen to see what develops. I do recommend this series, I suspect most females would enjoy it, but for the guys, if you can stand thinking that a male character is cute (which is going to happen at some point in watching this) and you’re interested in a romance (no, not shounen ai) / high school comedy, and you love great animation then how about downloading this and giving it a try? I just wish I had watched this sooner, and not scared my self off with the buzz that I had heard.
Categories: Ouran High School Host Club, Preview.
May 4th, 2006 at 3:21 am
I think Gaydar just broke down. There’s smoke coming out of it and all.
This show looks hilarious, though. ^^
May 4th, 2006 at 5:49 am
Ouran is brilliant. I hadn’t laughed so hard so many times while watching anime since FMP:Fumoffu. And the first episode is in my opinion the least funny of those that have been subbed so far. The screenshots might give a wrong impression - this is not shounen-ai or shoujo, so far it has been mainly comedy with some elements of the above mentioned genres. And it makes fun of the established anime cliches left, right and centre.
May 4th, 2006 at 7:15 am
Actually, Ouran High School Host Club IS a shoujo series, as it runs in LaLa which is a shoujo magazine, and also it is being published in the U.S. under Viz’s Shojo Beat Manga label.
But doinkies certainly thinks that even people who don’t like shoujo much can enjoy this series too. ^^
You are right in that it isn’t shounen-ai, though.
May 4th, 2006 at 8:11 am
hmm i’m leaning more towards the idea that this is hard out roses raging shoujo… not that thats a baaad thing, but i doubt it would have the universal apeal that something like azumanga has, or completely share the fanbase of Fumoffu.
oh and if i gave the impression it was shouneen ai, my mistake. i’m just saying i was *expecting* it to be shounen ai…
May 4th, 2006 at 11:36 am
Well, I didn’t mean that it isn’t shoujo in the sense that is not geared towards the female part of the audience, it’s just that it’s more of a comedy than anything else. I hope it stays that way.
May 4th, 2006 at 10:34 pm
Just a heads up.. but as shown by the end of ep 1.. ouran is more yuri and straight than shounen ai.. only real shounen ai is the twins.. lol
May 5th, 2006 at 7:32 am
Ouran is the best anime of the season, even Simoun is behind it. And Tamaki owns evreyone without even trying. He is so funny that it is plain strange. And I find it absolutely stunning how this show manages to laugh at all shoujo clishes and even laugh over itself. I am in love with it an don’t wait for the subs to enjoy it, but grab the raws as soon as they are out.
May 14th, 2006 at 10:53 am
uh what are you talkng about azumanga just has lame slapstick jokes (slayers next does slapstick comedy VERY well)not to mention it is unbelievably slow and silent most of the time… ouran high school is so much funnier
May 14th, 2006 at 10:59 pm
After the two shows we synchroed yesterday, I’m much more wary about watching this. >_
May 14th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
yeah, Princess Princess is so aweful it even contaminates good shows.
Laura> i regard Azumanga as the funnist anime known to man
August 16th, 2006 at 5:37 am
It’s seriously funny, I just want to take part in it! I sometimes think this is just too cool for anything! Me and my sister won’t shut up about it, and our nephew promises to watch it once he learns to read! I fell in love with honey and the twins right away, they captured my heart!
I can’t stop laughing when I watch it, it’s the best thing ever created for Japanese Anime!
September 27th, 2006 at 6:37 am
Hi, I’m french, so sorry if my grammar is very bad ^^”
I love shonen mangas and I don’t like shojo mangas, there are too many flowers in it, too love, and the girls are completely dumb, it’s always the same thing, and blablabla… One day, my friend told me to watch this anime “Ouran high school host club”, and I answered “Why not ?”.
So, I saw the first episode and… it was too hilarious, oh my God ! Of course, it’s dumb, but this is WHY it’s so hilarious, just watch the first episode and you will understand this. All guys are stereotypes (do this word exist in english ?), they know it, and they play with it.
So I like Host Club not because it’s a shojo, I like it because it’s really funny, even I saw all the episode in english T_T (I didn’t find episode with french subtitles, I think they don’t exist anymore).
So, forget your dislike for this type of anime, just see the 1st episode and have fun.
September 30th, 2006 at 4:58 am
The Ouran Host club is soooo awesome. I absolutely love it. I have wacthed only episodes 1-5, but it’s so great! Who could not help liking it! Jenna
November 28th, 2006 at 7:51 pm
The thing is… the little boy is actually the oldest kid in the group. The main char is actually a girl… I have NO clue about the twins though… they’re weird like that. And I’ve never seen he anime but I know at some point the tall blonde calls himself the girls dad and calls the guy with the glasses mom… too weird. It’s hilarious as a manga and i’m sure the anime is just as good!
February 6th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
i love this anime to DEATH!!!!!!!!!!!! love haruhi 4evah!!!!
February 22nd, 2007 at 1:02 am
dis anime rocks it rules like all of us looks like a bitch because of this anime
March 4th, 2007 at 10:17 am
nose nada de lo q hablan soy chilena y lo unico k entiendo por las imagenes es k opino lo mismo…
si es k disen k es una serie genial
good bye
March 14th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
esta serie es muy buena, mi personaje preferido es honey-sempai esmuy tierno sayonaraa
March 21st, 2007 at 11:22 am
me he visto esta serie monton de veces y se las recomiendo a todas tiene una trama muy original y en general la rafica es muy buena, la verda es que esta entre mis series favoritas
April 3rd, 2007 at 5:19 am
I love this show! I was sitting around on Youtube and decided to watch it, hearing about it from Shojo Beat. I didn’t expect it to be so funny! I like the show a bit more than the books, though. The story line is more detailed in the show, which makes it more appealing. Yes, the lightbulbs were genius, and the twins are the best.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:37 am
can you tell me where you first dowloaded it from? I just bought the dvds and they’re rubish as the subtitles make no sense. where did you get yours from as I watched them on youtube.com before they were removed and they made perfect sense.
April 26th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
i have watched all or ouran and read little of the manga and i am simply in love with it. you get to love its characters and their expressions. the characters are like so funny
April 28th, 2007 at 2:31 am
yo creo que tendrian que scar dos capitulos exstras para ver como sigue la historia no…… a i porcierto soi nueba en estoa ji ji
April 28th, 2007 at 2:40 am
tinna yo tambien lo e visto un monton de veces i no me canso te lo juura ademas estos dias que e estado de colonias lo e pasado fatal no e visto nada manga i te juro que estoi traumatiza jaja i una pregunta a todos a vosotras quien os gusta
May 25th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
uhmm…lucy…..you can go to crunchyroll.com so it will not be complicated…cause in youtube…you have it part 1 of 3 part2 of 3…but in crunchyroll you dont have to change it so that you can continue….ok??