Ouran Rocks!

[dangermousie]

Thank you, fireball_says and redrogue9! I watched the first ep of Ouran High School Host Club and OMG. Instant love. It is utterly hilarious. It involves a girl who gets drafted into being a host in a host club run by a bunch of guys at her school who make $$$$ off the bored rich girls by being hosts. The guys don't know she is a girl at first (it makes sense in context) and she ends up being quite popular as that very feminine guy. Think Victor/Victoria.

I actually recommend checking the eps out (there is a bunch on youtube) even if you've never watched anime in your entire life because I spent the first ep cracking up at all the fangirl stereotypes that the clever boys who run the Host Club exploit. It's like a parody of bad fanfic and teen girl (or other girl) fantasies. There is Tamaki who puts on a manner which is basically like the lust object of every badly written Mary Sue fanfic: all about the girl and sappiness and...you know. You've seen those dreadful 'Legolas falls in love with girl from earth' fics.

There is the little kid who all the girls run around screaming 'kawaii!!!' around. There is a taciturn one and the studious one. And there are twins who target the people who like things like Wincest, with their put-on 'OMG we are twins but we are not-so-secretly in wuv' thing. It's priceless.

Also, I think I might adore Tamaki who, outside the hosting thing, is a rich, sweet, not overly bright blonde. He also seems to be the only one who figures out she is a girl the last (the rest of them got it fairly quickly). And I love the heroine who is cool and matter of fact and thinks all those rich people are odd but whatever... I know she and Tamaki hook up and I can't wait.

Here's the first ep.
First Ep, Part I
First Ep, Part II
First Ep, Part III

Comments

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

I actually read the manga (the anime is pretty faithful to it) and it's just as hilarious. The funniest part is that the mangaka has completely hit the nail on the head about fangirls. I think the one that cracks me up the most is Kaoru and Hikaru's twincest card that they always play.

Yet under it, the guys all have their own sets of issues. Kaoru and Hikaru are so codependent because they don't HAVE anyone else and are really pretty anti-social. They're the only friends they have until the host club comes along, and that partially explains why they're attached at the hip.

Tamaki has his own problems. I personally love him dearly. He's one of my favorite manga characters (which explains the mood theme). There really isn't a mean bone in the kid's body, and while he's a brat and a drama queen and a bit dim from time to time, he's also generous to a fault and completely emotionally open. It's no wonder the rest of the club tries to protect him to a degree. And money doesn't solve everything, as Tamaki has a fairly unpleasant upbringing, his mother, who he adored, walking out on him, and his grandmother refusing to let him speak of "that common woman" ever again. It's heartbreaking seeing him with his grandmother since he's so openly sweet and Tamaki-like and she's so cold to him. Tamaki desperately needs looking after and Haruhi's the best equipt to do that, mainly because Tamaki is a LOT like her transvestite father in personality.

Not a big Kyoya fan, as he's a bit Machiavellian and very harsh to Tamaki on occassion. Hunny's too saccharine for me. I do like Mori though, who's only involved in all this because Hunny is.

I also still think you'd like HanaKimi.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think the one that cracks me up the most is Kaoru and Hikaru's twincest card that they always play.


Oh, I know. The first time I saw the fangirls go 'brotherly love' I laughed so hard I almost choked. This would have been funny in any event, but with my recent discovery of Supernatural, it was to die for.

There really isn't a mean bone in the kid's body, and while he's a brat and a drama queen and a bit dim from time to time, he's also generous to a fault and completely emotionally open.

I think I realized I was really going to love him when he helped Haruhi look for her wallet in the pond. He didn't make a fuss or anything, and he didn't even know she was a girl at the time, he just matter-of-factly looked for it for her. His drama queen tendencies make me ROFL (though maybe, since you indicate he has an unpleasant upbringing, it's partially a result of that and a means for attention, no idea). He is just basically very sweet.

Tamaki is a LOT like her transvestite father in personality

Haruhi's Dad is a transvestite??? That would explain her flexibility about genders.

Ooooh, and issues for characters? A dollop of issues is always a good thing.

I also still think you'd like HanaKimi.

I did look at it in the store and it looked very good. I think I'll get to it fairly soon.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

The thing with Tamaki is that while he's naive and slow to catch on, he isn't actually stupid. He's at the top of the prep school class and not only that, he's really pretty quick when it comes to picking up on people's emotions, especially Haruhi's.

And he's a gentleman. I think that's the only word for it. He honestly does believe in chivalry. A lot of the way he treats the girls really isn't an act. He likes pleasing people.

Haruhi's Dad is a transvestite???

Yup. And very hot when not dressed up as a woman. He was also very in love with Haruhi's mother and he really is a good dad. He worries about her and feels bad that she's had to take so much responsibility after her mother's death, but he needs looking after himself, a lot like Tamaki. He's also quite savvy as he picks up that Tamaki likes Haruhi even though Tamaki doesn't KNOW he likes Haruhi. He also makes the cryptic comment that even though he'd be loathe to ever give up Haruhi, he might make an exception if it were Tamaki who was asking. I think he realizes that Tamaki IS a gentleman and would take as good a care of Haruhi as humanly possible.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Tamaki IS a gentleman and would take as good a care of Haruhi as humanly possible.

And he is so cluelessly sweet on her, it's adorable. I love his fantacizing about her in girl clothes doing the whole 'I love you, protect me' stuff. It's adorkable and nothing like reality. And then of course doing the whole meta thing that I love in anime and announcing 'this is a comedy romance anime and Haruhi and I are main characters.' Heeeee. I get the sense that at least so far, Haruhi is more bemused by him than anything...

[autumnflame.livejournal.com]

doing the whole meta thing that I love in anime and announcing 'this is a comedy romance anime and Haruhi and I are main characters.'

I love how he refers to the Hiitachins when he does that. XD Though I don't remember if it's in the second episode or later--i think it comes later.

I get the sense that at least so far, Haruhi is more bemused by him than anything...

That's been pretty much it so far, as far as I can tell--she's shown more actual attraction to Mori (!) than anyone else, in terms of visible signs. Then again, Tamaki is so effusive that it seems like the only thing you /can/ do when faced with him is to be bemused... Though there's some really sweet moments in episode 9. And some sweet moments between her and the twins, too.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I saw the ep with the physical exam (where Haruhi has to hide her gender) and I am totally a goner for this. It's fluffy in all the right ways and funny and just freaking adorable. Also, how much do I adore Tamaki? Thiiiiiiiis much. When he tries to pretend to be Haruhi, black wig and all, even though he looks nothing like her and is a foot taller, because the twins trick him that this is the plan? ROFL. He is so clueless. But yes, Tamaki=love, and not just because he gave Haruhi his shirt. I love him being so nice to that small clinic doctor. It's really rare (at least in my experience) to have a main character whose barometer is so steadfastly set at 'decent.' Of course, since the guy is looking for his daught, and crumpeteer told me about Tamaki's background, I think that must have played into his family stuff somehow. And he is so crazy for Haruhi in an untterly unselfconscious way, it's beyond adorable. I really hope she eventually reciprocates.

[autumnflame.livejournal.com]

OURAN.

(No, I have nothing of use to contribute, except OURAN. *love*) I don't think there's a single episode that hasn't made me crack up, and occasionally sniffle.

Wait 'til you see Haruhi's father. ~_~

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Where did you get the icon? Because I want one! Eeeee!

I just watched the second ep where Haruhi accidentally gave her first kiss to a girl (heeee) and Tamaki is freaking in the background and Haruhi is all matter of fact and ROFL ROFL ROFL.

[autumnflame.livejournal.com]

I got a bunch from, let's see, sa_kanya, ushitora_icons, kagome_taisho and orca_pixels; the one above is from sxylilwitch.

Haruhi is so deadpan and matter-of fact, it's a perfect contrast to all the rest of the club. X) Well, except for Kyouya, who's sort of like that--only more scheming and twisty to her straightforwardness. (♥)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_kirsty/]

Hi! Someone linked to one of your posts about the Veronica Mars episodes you've been rewatching, and I enjoyed reading them so much that I read your posts about the psychology of the Winchester family too, and they piqued my curiosity -- so I've been checking out Supernatural... and I thought I'd let you know I was adding you to the old flist. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'll friend you back!

[redrogue9.livejournal.com]

OURAN!!!! You can add me to the list of people that love and adore Tamaki. crumpeteer described him best above, seriously.

Re: Your previous post.

I watch GetBackers and read the manga but I've not finished it. I can't seem to find time to finish it. Though your posts gets me to watch at least one episode afterwards. I'm on ep 10. You're also starting Gungrave, another anime that I love. Gritty, dark and gorgeous. Gaah. Anyways. Can't wait to read more of your thoughts as you move along these animes.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know. Tamaki is definitely love. Thank you for the links, btw!

I am waiting on Gungrave till the weekend, as not only does Mr. Mousie want to watch it as well (that's part of the reason it's taking me a bit to get through GB) but I have a feeling I'll want to watch it in a fell swoop.

Re: GB. It gets a lot more arc-y later on.

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

DAMN YOU, DM! Ouran High School Host Club is SO flipping awesome!! Now I'll have to get it too!!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Did you see/read it before? Or was it my link on youtube? Because if it's the former, I am not responsible and if it's the latter, I accept compliments every thursday between 2 and 5.

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

It was all the YouTube links, so prepare for my compliments ;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Heeee. It gets better. And funnier. And fluffier and more adorable. I think Tamaki just might be my new anime husband.