Vol. 11, Ouran High School Host Club

Bisco is still very good at romantic comedy in this manga. Things went as I thought (Tamaki and Haruhi getting together), but it happened in a surprising refreshingly funny way. Also, I think this volume is thicker than the other Host Club Volumes; I have more than half...so, I compared. There are peeks into all the main characters' futures (and some of the secondaries).

All the episodes in this volume, except for the last, follow the host club as they prepare for the school festival and the actual festival itself. (the festival is basically an open house for the students parents to come to) This volume gets deep into some of the reasons for why Kyoya and Tamaki are they way they are.
While we get to meet the twin's parents, and the father's of Tamaki and Kyoya. Hunny and Mori's parents never do make an appearance. And somehow Haruhi's father only has a one frame cameo at the end of the last chapter regarding this storyline.
Was kinda disappointed by the last two facts. I get a kick outta Haruhi's dad, and I really was interested to see if Bunny and Mori's parents act towards each other the way their sons do.
I found myself laughing at a lot of the one liners and the jokes through out the episodes (chapter's whatever)
However, The underlying stories of Kyoya and his place in his family, and of Tamaki and his missing mother and not so "great" grandmother...they were definitely revealing. If kind of sad and definitely more serious than previous volumes.
The art work was still amazing though, and I did enjoy the stories. I liked how the author could keep me laughing even when I wanted to reach in and flick Tamaki's grandmother upside her head.
Also getting to see Haruhi dressed as a girl is always interesting. She makes a cute boy and adorable girl, but I always wonder how the other girls in the school don't pick up on her being a girl. She doesn't always seem to try to hide the fact that hard!(although, the club does tell the girls that she isn't cross-dressing when she is dressed as a girl, instead they have her pretend to be her female cousin)
The final episode/chapter, was pure fun. I love it when they get started on commoner food, and watching the boys play at cooking. No seriousness, just laughs. Although the end was really sweet, of course the final panel ends with one last giggle. The little side notes by the author in the chapters really weren't as wordy as normal. But the editor's notes at the end still helped clue me in to a few points that I otherwise wouldn't have known.
Can't wait to see where the author goes in Volume 7!

Loving the cover art on this one! Also the Ouran Corps Host Rangers!!! Sooo funny!
The first chapter reveals a little more of Tamaki's background and how he meets Kyoya. The story itself was kinda slim, Haruhi needs to place first in class testing or she will lose her scholarship. But there were still some really funny parts, and the side story of Tamaki's missing things, plus the introduction of Ayame, a girl who is nicknamed Ms. Morse for her monotone way talking, kept my interest. (kinda figured Haruhi isn't gonna fail her exams, otherwise how would she pay back the host club?)
Chapters 18 through 20 follow Haruhi on her summer vacation. (of course the boys follow her too!) Thanks to an old friend from her past we get a little better view into the twins heads. Who would have thought that one of them is actually mature? (or at least maturer than the other!) They even are capable of caring about others besides themselves. Ok, well maybe only Haruhi, but still at least it expands their circle to three instead of two.
Finally the volume closes with the kids back in school in chapter 21. A sweet little side story, were the club becomes involved with helping a little girl connect with her big brother. Of course this is host club, so they aren't any ordinary siblings. The little girls brother is non other than Umehito Nekozawa, the president of the school's black magic club. But somehow she mistakes Tamaki for her brother...
The story was sweet, with just enough comedy to keep it light. Very cute.
Also another extra episode at the end. Mori's secret was ok, not as funny as some of the other episodes, but it still had it moments. (it's also a bonus and short, so I get that not that much is gonna be shoved into it.)
Still loving the authors little comments in the chapters, and the editor's notes. Love the extra sketches the author throws in.
While there were some parts that seemed pointless, I still really am enjoying this series as a whole. Can't wait to get to book 6!

Ouran High School is about to hold its first sports festival! Tamaki and Kyoya are on opposing teams, a highly unusual situation. Which one will prevail? And what effect will it have on their friendship. Kyoya is the strategist, while Tamaki operates on sheer emotion. Will Kyoya over think the situation, or has he pegged his friend perfectly? But what other forces are in play that might have a hand in what is happening?

Hikaru and Kaoru are also on opposite teams, which makes them uncomfortable with keeping secrets from one another. But there's more to their estrangement then that, if only they could put their finger on what that something is. Or is it someone?

By the time the first half of the festival is over, Tamaki's Red Team has proven itself to be its own worst enemy, and it seems that the White Team will handily take the day. Is there any way to turn things around?

When it comes down to the relay race, Tamaki and Kyoya make a private wager between themselves--if Tamaki wins, he gets a free year-round use of Kyoya's kotatsu passport, but if Kyoya emerges triumphant, then Tamaki has to greet customers the following week wearing only a fundoshi.

The Host Club is wearing kilts--all except Tamaki, who's in his fundoshi and complaining about it (although the customers certainly aren't). Haruhi buys him a superball to keep him occupied; it works a little too well, leading to the discovery of a mischievous tanuki whose behavior becomes a bit extreme.

The class trip is coming up, and the destination is France. Tamaki doesn't let on to the others, but he confides in Kyoya that he isn't going. Meanwhile, the twins are discovering new things about themselves.

In a bonus story, we get a look at Hunny's brother, Chika as he fights against his attraction to cute cuddly animals.

There's a lot going on in this volume, and we get some real indepth looks into the characters and their motivations, although Haruhi's appearances are rather minimal. It's more about the relationship between Tamaki and Kyoya, and Hikaru and Kaoru. The sports festival stories are enjoyable and fun. In one episode, Ranka and Misuzu and Mei make a brief appearance. I wish there'd been a host club in my high school. How much fun would that have been?

Another great volume of Host Club, can't wait to see more!

Volume 9 of Bisco Hatori's Ouran High School Host Club begins with an examination of the dichotomy that is Hikaru and Kaoru. The twins are a perplexing pair--torn between wanting to be seen as individuals and being seen as a whole. They manage to confuse most of the people around them with their attitude and they go out of their way to make fools of everyone by childishly switching places whenever it pleases them. They are easily bored and prone to tossing aside their latest toy or pursuit when it no longer holds their joint attention, people included. They believe that people only want to get close to them because of their family name. They haven't reckoned on Tamaki Suoh. When he asks them to join a club he wishes to start, they force him to play the "Which One is Hikaru" game for a month, sure he cannot succeed. They don't count on Tamaki's tenacity. Of course, the outcome is a foregone conclusion.

As the second story begins, the Host Club are playing pirates--buckling swashes and shivering timbers and slashing their way into their ladies' hearts! An unexpected visitor to the club, who is a newcomer to the school--a visiting princess from the kingdom of Monar--sets Tamaki into a tailspin that none can understand, although many try to psychoanalyze his reactions to the pampered, spoiled, selfish young woman. Does he know her? Does she remind him of someone? And why does he agree to her petulant demands? Including wanting to have one of the little people taste her food in case of poison! The others are determined to get to the bottom of his bizarre behavior--the sooner the better!

After the princess' departure, Tamaki takes to his bed with a cold, not appearing at school. Gadzooks! Tamaki sick? Unheard of! What's going on? The Host Club goes to see! They find him being spoiled by the staff at the manor, but there's evidence that Tamaki has been acting strangely lately, including questioning Mori as to whether he ever wishes to kiss Hunny. Truth be told, Tamaki has had ideas of kissing Haruhi. But he's her father! Wherein lies the conflict. This calls for some parental guidance, in the worst possible way. But will he receive it?

In the extra episode, Haruhi's hosting a yami-nabe party at her house. Literally it means dark pot. Guests bring different foods that aren't normally used in nabe and add them to the pot. Whatever you pick up with your chopsticks, you eat. When the members of the Host Club run out of their expensive additions, they persuade Haruhi to run to the store for more--at their expense, of course. She grumbles, but she acquiesces. Once she's out of the house, they are free to put their diabolically clever--and inherently ridiculous--scheme into effect, whereby they secretly replace every bit of the Fujioka's poor, cheap home with expensive duplicates of high quality. Will they succeed? And if they do, will anybody notice?

A bonus story after the Host Club episodes is called The Love Egoist in which a college student is warned not to take a certain path, but he ends up taking it anyway. Has he found the love of his life? Or will he lose her by going down his already chosen road?

On the cover of this volume we see Haruhi and Hunny is grass skirts--completely adorable! I loved all the stories, but especially those with Tamaki. Although the spoiled princess trope is a familiar one, this one serves a different purpose, and I have hopes of seeing a furtherance in the relationship between Tamaki and Haruhi. I've enjoyed getting to know the members of the Host Club and look forward to a lot more of their adventures. The fun never stops, and the writing maintains a high quality in each story. I hope it continues for a long time to come!

This is a great manga for adults and younger. Host Club is about a female scholarship student at an elite high school, who surely would have struggled fitting in at the school had she not broken an $80,000 vase in the Host Club's room. She is first mistaken as a male student, and it's funny to see as the other host club members gradually realize her correct gender in the first book. Of course, after they catch on, romances start to bloom through the duration of the series. Nothing is inappropriate, but the slight hints at romance (which our heroine is too slow to pick up on) leave you feeling somewhere between fuzzy and frustrated. This is a well-written manga, and was completed with #18. A great series to get hooked on and read in a week! There is also an anime that was created based on the books, but the books are infinitely more detailed and the plot is a bit different. Highly, highly recommended!

"The wealthy are blessed with idle hours... and six handsome, especially idle students have formed the host club to entertain females also burdened by a surfeit of leisure time."

Well, that's the basic description. But "Ouran High School Host Club Volume 1" 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. And that's just the first volume!

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 finds that the boys are even more active on the sidelines -- they deal with jealous female students who bully Haruhi, a pair of estranged engaged students who are about to be parted, and a mildly insane fangirl who has decided to mold them into her favorite sim game!

It usually takes a volume or two for manga series to really settle into their niche. But such is not the case with "Ouran High School Host Club Volume 1" -- it leaps headfirst into the story, and the rest of this book is spend happily bouncing around the insanity that surrounds the Host Club.

And Bisco Hatori slathers the story with slapstick, running jokes (the "twincest" theme that Hikaru and Kaoru play with), and constant over-the-top drama with lots of shouting. There's even a funny bonus chapter in which Hunny's bun-bun is accidentally splashed with tea, sending Tamaki and the twins into a frenzy as they try to avoid his wrath.

And the cast is pretty promising -- Haruhi is a down-to-earth, sensible teenager with a very androgynous appearance, while Tamaki is a delightfully manic, mildly narcissistic guy with a heart of gold. Mori and Hunny are a bit underdeveloped just yet, but the Machievellian "mom" Kyoya is hilarious, and the twins promise plenty of mayhem.

Bisco Hatori's "Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1" is a fresh, sunlit entrance into the world of Ouran Academy, and an unusually smooth start to a delightful manga series.

Some Like It Hot meets Twelfth Night meets high school? Haruhi has no intention of disguising her sex, she is simply looking for a quiet place to study, and the libraries are full as she stumbles into what she assumes to be an unused music room - and directly into the arms of the Ouran High School Host Club! This host club is comprised of six wealthy young men with too much time on their hands who cater to the female elements of the school in order to amuse themselves. They are outside of Haruhi's usual purview - being a scholarship student, she is not of their social class. Thus their unawareness of her actual gender, as they welcome her to the club, led by club president Tamaki. Haruhi is flustered at finding herself among these six lovelies and, in the course of flailing about, accidentally smashes a valuable vase into smithereens! Replacement cost - $80,000! Opportunity gained for Haruhi - priceless! Now the question is, will she appreciate it, and will they?

As payment for this costly trinket, Haruhi finds herself impressed into service at the Host Club as their dogsbody, and she becomes acquainted with each of the members: Tamaki is the president/king - arrogant, self-centered, incredibly vain and incredibly good looking; Kyoyo, the vice-president, is bespectacled and studious; Kaoru and Hikaru are twins and very devoted to one another; and Hunny and Mori complete the group - Hunny, although 18 looks like a young child, and is often treated as such, with his naps and his bun-bun, and Mori is his long time friend/companion of the heart. The spoiled rich boys seem fascinated by Haruhi's poverty, and in an act of kindness, Tamaki declares that Haruhi's debt to the club will be wave if "he" comes up with 100 customer requests (not yet realizing that Haruhi is indeed a she). To that end, Tamaki gives Haruhi instructions on such important techniques as looking up from below, and the elegant way to place a glass upon the table. They send Haruhi shopping, and are amazed that he brings back instant coffee! They have no experience with it, so everyone has to try it, naturally - to appreciate how poor people live. Which leads, naturally, to experimentation with ramen, which they refer to as prole noodles (and Tamaki becomes addicted to).

They shine and polish Haruhi and set her into position as a host - and the girls that frequent the club are drawn to her, unaware of her true gender, especially when she reveals her tragic story of her mother's death, and the way she knows her way around a kitchen. This includes one of Tamaki's regulars, Miss Miss Ayanokoji. But when mean things begin to happen to Haruhi, she has to wonder how benevolent that interest is. But perhaps it is a fortuitous thing, for it draws Haruhi closer to the members of the club, and the truth is finally revealed. Not that she lied about being a girl - they never asked, simply assumed otherwise. Once it is known, though, they agree to keep her secret, for the sake of the host club.

This is a delightful gender-bender romp which will satisfy both the shojo lover as well as the yaoi lover. Even before he realizes she is female, Tamaki is drawn to Haruhi, and it's obvious to me that they must become a couple at some point - if she can get past his massive ego. Hikaru and Kaoru are closer than mere brothers (shades of Fred and George Weasley!) and their remarks to one another are filled with a great deal of innuendo and insinuation. The child-like Hunny can be considered a filip of shota, at least he gives the semblance of such, because the actuality is that he is 18, despite his waif-like appearance and behavior, and he and Mori are obviously a couple. There is a lot of humor, as well as romantic potential in this manga. The mangaka jabs at the idle rich as they learn what life is like for the less privileged - there is a lot to be learned on both sides. I like the art a great deal (Tamaki is certainly easy on the eyes), and the writing is good. One of my favorite lines is this: December...when hints of holy night tinge the northern winds.

I know I am slow in getting to this manga, but I don't tend to read what is popular when it first becomes popular. That being said, I really liked this one, and can't wait to read more, then watch the anime. I highly recommend Ouran Host Club, it's a fun read, and well worth the while to get into the series.

Haruhi Fujoika is a scholarship winning student fresh at the private Ouran Institute. The institution is generally very selective about who they take on, ranking wealth and lineage above all else. It is this particular reason that Haruhi is approached by Tamaki Suoh, a second year student and president of an elite club, a host club, to be precise. What is the host club? Haruhi finds out that it is basically an club formed by handsome young men to entertain the wealthy and privileged young women at the school with nothing better to do, sort of like the geishas of old but more contemporary. On their first encounter Haruhi has the misfortune of breaking an $80,000 vase. To repay the debt Tamaki proclaims that she will work as one of the hosts... but the crux of the matter is that she must entertain the young ladies of the school and, until later in the first volume of the manga, no one quite realizes that Haruhi is NOT a handsome young man.

While her androgynous looks do confuse most of the Host club members, they still believe that her natural charm is an asset to the club. Tamaki decides that she must acquire at least 100 requests to stave of her debt, a number which he later changes to 1000...Tamaki is quite flighty like that, but things become even more interesting when Tamaki finds himself drawn to the boyish charms of the newest host club member, and she is quite repulsed by his narcissistic, pompous attitudes. One thing's for sure, the school is in for a shock if the truth of Haruhi's sex ever gets out.

Chock full of beautiful boys (or bois, if you want to talk about Haruhi) this shojo manga is sure to have mass appeal. Between the twins Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, adorable child-like Mitsukuni Haninozuka (Hunny), Hunny's near mute best friend Takashi Morinozuka, and the demure Vice President Kyoya Ohtori, there's bound to be someone to fulfill everyone's tastes... as evidenced by the number of requests for each of the men by young ladies in the manga. The art is also very well drawn, the dialogue flows well and does not seem to have any sketchiness that tends to surface with translated manga, and the storyline is just superb. I am already enthralled by the dynamics between Haruhi and Tamaki and I have only read one volume thus far. This is definitely worth keeping up with in the future, or starting...for any of you out there who have not read this yet, do. You won't be sorry.

When scholarship student Haruhi steps into the supposedly unused music room, hoping to get some studying done, she discovers the Ouran High School Host Club. The club entertains female students with teas, parties, conversation, and lots of drama. They also happen to think that Haruhi is a boy and, when she accidentally break an $80,000 vase, they demand that she repay them by working for the club.

I liked this manga, but it took me awhile to get into it. It's goofy, manic, and a little confusing, but I think that as the first volume goes on, the characters get nailed down and are a bit more defined. There's a great moment where a fangirl is "casting" each member of the club in their stereotype. Haruhi isn't quite what I expected... she's tough, capable of holding her own, and sees through a lot of the acts in the club. I'm not all that attached as of yet, but we'll see how I feel about the next volume.

Alright, I admit it. This was a much better ending than that of the anime. It gave me such warm fuzzies. I was giggling and grinning like a fool. It was still crazy and absolutely hilariously ridiculous...but it was perfect.

I admit, I had my hesitations when my friend first asked me to watch the anime version of Ouran High School Host Club--but after seeing just 10 minutes of it, I was hooked!
Next time I took a trip to the local bookstore, I grabbed the first two volumes of the manga, and eagerly devoured them in one sitting.

I'm not a serious manga/anime fan, but Ouran just might convince me otherwise It's absolutely hilarious--it makes me laugh every time I read it :). The plotlines are pleasantly silly, but there are a few serious moments--these are sometimes brought back to earth with a gag, but are still believable. The characters are all fantastic; so much so that I have a really hard time deciding who's my favorite, and the books are so dense that they last a long time, and can be re-read--and you'll always find one little gag that you missed, or something you didn't notice.
A couple of people have complained about the layouts and artwork, but I got used to these very quickly, and now actually prefer Hatori's artwork to the other styles I've seen.

Overall, a brilliant and thoroughly enjoyable series.

The poor scholorship student Fujioka Haruhi is forced to masquerade as a boy and work in the super rich school Ouran Academy's Host Club after breaking an 8,000,000 yen vase the club had been planning to sell later. Hilarity ensues...

When I came upon this, I almost skipped over it, but, on a whim I started watching the anime, and I was imediately hooked! I have watched and read both the anime and the manhwa innumerable times, and I still don't come close to tiring of it! All of the characters are so different and awkwardly thrust together, that in the end, it fits! I never thought it would be possible to make something like this work. This is the only manhwa/anime that I have always, never fail reccomended for anybody and everybody I know who has read this absolutely loved it!

I enjoyed this manga very much. I'm looking forward to the next volume. This one focuses on a scholarship student who breaks an $80000 vase belonging to the Host Club (sort of a highschool version of an escort service/dinner club for ladies...more about romance and manners than about anything really sexual). The club agrees to let her work off the debt by acting as one of the hosts of their club...the catch being that they think she is a he. Hijinx ensue. This volume is really about introducing the characters, from the narcissistic president (who has a crush on the female lead)to the oddly child-like Hunny. Host Club has a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor about class differences. It's refreshing to see that the protagonist scholarship student isn't ashamed of her status, she's very realistic about her economic level and even realizes that the other members of the club are the ones who are "quirky" due to their uber-rich lifestyles. BTW, this is NOT a Yaoi title (there are some minor hints of BL and even some jokes about it, but no real BL here).

As expected, Hatori Bisco-sensei delivers the good stuff! I love the humor--so many running jokes that just snowball as you go along. Lots of fun! Host Club definitely makes it on my top manga/manwa list, right up there with Fruit's Basket. Genius. The only con of the series is the timeline of release: what agony to wait half a year to read the next installation... I have to go back and reread the previous three or four manga before advancing to the new release each time they come out so I can make sure I'm following all the nuances (and running gags). Five stars sensei! Thank you for creating such an awesome story. Yay!

The ever scheming Kyoya and the consistently conceited Tamaki compete against each other, the twins are fighting over the same girl, Honey and Mori are consoling the twins, and Haruhi is (understandably) annoyed and confused by everything. Also, there is a sports festival, so of course there is a bread tasting contest, a candy art contest, obstacle courses that involve eating cake... (hmm, sounds more like a food festival). There's a treasure map. Someone wears a loincloth in public. There's also a tanuki, an animal which looks like a racoon, wrecking havoc. And yams. Lots and lots of yams.

First, the proper term is "reverse harem". Second, Haruhi ends up working for the Host Club as a host, because they think she's a guy. Wen they do find out that she's a girl, she still gets to work as a host. The entire series is a charming romantic comedy with some very touching moments.

After watching the anime version of this I just had to check out the manga. They follow very closely but the slight differences is what make them both worth watching/reading. This particular volume was very entertaining which I recommend to anyone who enjoys a lighthearted read and of course comedy.

Very great book! So much better than the TV series. This is a fun book about some rich kids and a scholarship girl who is mistaken for a boy. The book is full of small jokes and great art work. I really enjoyed it and have reread it at least 5 times.

Ouran high school host club is a weird manga. First of all it does a harem without overdoing it, secondly it can have a wide cast of characters formed on cliches seem unique, and lastly it is one of the few mangas that have made me laugh. It is hard to make me laugh, but Host club made me laugh constantly. Great for anyone!

Ouran High School Host Club...what can I say? It's a funny screwball comedy about a poor girl in a rich high school...where have I heard this plot before? Of course, manga is rife with stereotypes, so I'll excuse the unoriginality of the premise. Bisco Hatori does handle it in a competent way, anyhow.

The chapters for Host Club are episodic and self-contained, and the stories are generally written in a funny and amusing, if not slightly over-the-top and stereotypical way. Some of the stories are a little confusing and are resolved weakly, but again, who expects Shakespeare from a romantic comedy like Host Club? Despite all its flaws, the storywriting for Host Club is fun, energetic, and vibrant. It's a very good read indeed EXCEPT

The art. Oh, God, the art. Unfortunately, Bisco Hatori follows a rather disturbing recent trend in shoujo manga of masking weak and shaky lineart with masses, and masses, and MASSES of digitones. The effect is nice at first, but becomes grating upon the eyes and annoying. Rarely is background ever established--Hatori usually foresakes drawing backgrounds in exchange for putting in a bunch of pretty headache-inducing tone effects. Also, someone needs to teach Hatori about pacing and spacing--oftentimes, her panels are crowded with extraneous text and motion, and too much is going on at once. The writing for Host Club is alright, but the art completely detracts from any storytelling value. It HURTS.

That's not to say it's all bad--Hatori draws her characters pleasantly and the little architecture that you do see is drawn very beautifully.

In the end, Host Club isn't a manga that you should take seriously--it's funny and light-hearted and a little over-the-top but the subject matter is handled well. It would have gotten three stars--had it not been for the art.

EDIT: Too bad the store won't let me change the rating. Now that I think of it I think Host Club deserves 3 stars instead of 2. Oh well, too late for that.

Another wonderful volume of Ouran Highschool host Club! Full of fun that should never end. I could give you the synopsis but I'm sure by now you know it. This volume is a must read, especially for any OHSHC fan. Mind you people who have come directly over from the anime, it's better to start at the beginning rather than the middle as it is quite different.

Another wonderful volume of Ouran Highschool host Club! Full of fun that should never end. I could give you the synopsis but I'm sure by now you know it. This volume is a must read, especially for any OHSHC fan. Mind you people who have come directly over from the anime, it's better to start at the beginning rather than the middle as it is quite different.