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Ouran High School Host Club

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"Ouran" redirects here. Not to be confused with Oran or Oiran.

Ouran High School Host Club
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Haruhi Fujioka (left) and Tamaki Suoh (right)
桜蘭高校ホスト部
(Ōran Kōkō Hosuto Kurabu)
Genre
Manga
Written byBisco Hatori
Published byHakusensha
English publisher
MagazineLaLa
DemographicShōjo
Original runSeptember 2002 – November 2010
Volumes18 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byTakuya Igarashi
Produced byToshio Nakatani
Manabu Tamura
Masahiko Minami
Masahiro Yamashita
Written byYōji Enokido
Music byYoshihisa Hirano
StudioBones
Licensed byCrunchyroll[a]
Original networkNippon TV
Original run April 5, 2006 – September 26, 2006
Episodes26 (List of episodes)
Television drama
Produced byChoru Han
Yasuhito Tachibana
Written byIkeda Natsuko
Music byKyo Nakanishi
Original networkTBS
Original run July 22, 2011 – September 30, 2011
Episodes11
Live-action film
icon Anime and manga portal

Ouran High School Host Club (Japanese: 桜蘭高校ホスト部, Hepburn: Ōran Kōkō Hosuto Kurabu) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Bisco Hatori. It was serialized in Hakusensha's LaLa magazine between the September 2002 and November 2010 issues. The series follows Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at Ouran Academy, and the other members of the popular host club. The romantic comedy focuses on the relationships within and outside the Club.

The manga has been adapted into a series of audio dramas, an animated television series directed by Takuya Igarashi and produced by Bones, a Japanese television drama series, a 2012 live-action film adaptation, and a visual novel by Idea Factory. Two musical adaptations opened in 2022, with the final one scheduled for 2023.

By December 2011, Ouran High School Host Club had over 13 million copies in circulation.

Plot

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See also: List of Ouran High School Host Club characters

The comedic series revolves around the escapades of Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at the prestigious Ouran Academy, an elite private school for rich kids located in Bunkyo, Tokyo. Looking for a quiet place to study, Haruhi stumbles upon the otherwise-abandoned Third Music Room, a place where the Host Club, a group of six male students, gathers to entertain female "clients" with food and themed parties. During their initial encounter, Haruhi accidentally destroys an antique vase valued at ¥8,000,000 (around US$60,000) and must work off the debt as the club's errand boy. Her short hair, slouching attire, and gender-ambiguous face cause her to be mistaken by the Hosts for a male student. They eventually realize her actual gender, but not before learning what a "natural" she is at hosting and promoting her to a member of the Host Club; so that she may work off her debt by procuring a certain number of clients by the time she graduates.

Media

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Manga

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Main article: List of Ouran High School Host Club chapters

The Ouran High School Host Club manga series was serialized between the September 2002 and November 2010 issues of LaLa magazine.[3] The individual chapters were collected in eighteen tankōbon volumes between August 5, 2003 and April 5, 2011.[4][5]

Hakusensha released a fanbook for the series on August 4, 2009 titled Ōran Kōkō Hosuto Kurabu Fanbukku: Uki Doki Kōryaku Daisakusen (桜蘭高校ホスト部(クラブ)ファンブック～うきドキ☆攻略大作戦～).[6]

The series is licensed in English North America by Viz Media under its Shojo Beat imprint,[7] and in Indonesia in the monthly manga magazine Hanalala. It is published in Singapore (in both simplified Chinese and English) by Chuang Yi, and in Poland by JPF.[8]

Anime

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Main article: List of Ouran High School Host Club episodes

A 26-episode anime television series aired between April 5 and September 26, 2006 on NTV, adapting the first eight volumes of the manga.[9] The series was produced by Nippon Television, VAP, Bones and Hakusensha. It was directed by Takuya Igarashi, with Yōji Enokido handling series composition and writing the scripts, Kumiko Takahashi designing the characters and Yoshihisa Hirano composing the music. It features a different cast from the audio dramas, with Maaya Sakamoto as Haruhi Fujioka and Mamoru Miyano as Tamaki Suoh.

The series is licensed for distribution in North America by Funimation Entertainment. Caitlin Glass was the ADR director of the series, as well as voicing Haruhi. The first anime DVD set containing the first thirteen episodes was released on October 28, 2008 in North America.[10] The second volume containing the last thirteen episodes was released on January 6, 2009. On April 27, 2009, the series made its North American television debut on the Funimation Channel.[11] The series is also available for digital streaming on the Funimation app, but was moved over to the Crunchyroll streaming service in 2022 after the latter was acquired a year prior by Sony Pictures Television, Funimation's parent company who acquired in 2018.[12] On September 1, 2022, Netflix began streaming the series in 190 countries.[13]

Music and audio CDs

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Three drama CDs were released in 2003, as well as two tracks included in LaLa magazine's 28th and 29th anniversary CDs. Three soundtracks were released by Video and Audio Project for the Ouran High School Host Club anime adaptation. The first, Ouran High School Host Club Soundtrack & Character Song Collection (Part 1), was released in Japan on July 26, 2006, and contained twenty tracks, including the anime opening theme song. The second, Ouran High School Host Club Soundtrack & Character Song Collection 2, included an additional nineteen tracks and was released on August 23, 2006. On September 20, 2007, a third soundtrack, the Ouran High School Host Club Soundtrack & Character Song Collection Special Edition was released containing eight songs from the previous two tracks, with four additional songs.

Visual novel

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The Ouran Host Club visual novel was released for PlayStation 2 on April 19, 2007 by Idea Factory.[14] Based on the television series, the player makes decisions as Haruhi that affect the other hosts' feelings toward her. The game features Jean-Pierre Léo, a longtime French friend of Tamaki, and Sayuri Himemiya, a childhood friend of Haruhi, designed by the series creator. There are two other original characters. The game has been released exclusively in Japan. A Nintendo DS port of the game, updated with a fully voiced cast and new character-specific scenarios, was released on March 19, 2009.[15]

Live-action TV series and film

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Main article: Ouran High School Host Club (film)

A live-action TV series of Ouran began airing in Japan on TBS on July 22, 2011. The live-action adaption features Yusuke Yamamoto as Tamaki Suou and Haruna Kawaguchi as Haruhi Fujioka.[16]

A live-action film of Ouran was announced during a fan meeting on August 25, 2011 and continues off from the conclusion of the television series. All actors of the live-action television series reprised their roles. The film was released on March 17, 2012.[17][18] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on October 10, 2012.

The series had a spin-off named Ouran High School Host Club: Haruhi no Happy Birthday Daisakusen with the same cast that was originally broadcast on January 6, 2012, by LISMO drama, a mobile drama provided by au. This LISMO drama tells an original story worked on by the author of the manga. The drama revolves around the host club members becoming flustered upon learning that it is Haruhi's birthday. Through their misunderstandings about celebrating her birthday, the members make Haruhi angry. Kawaguchi, who plays Haruhi Fujioka, commented, "You will see an explosion of this well-known bright and silly character! It was fun playing the role, and all the host club members enjoyed the filming." Each episode is approximately five minutes long, and there are four episodes.[19]

Stage musical

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A stage musical adaptation was announced in June 2021. Directed by Chobi Natsuki, with Muck Akazawa as screenwriter and music by Yu, it opened at the Tennozu Galaxy Theater, Tokyo, and Mielparque Hall Osaka in January 2022.[20][21] A second adaptation titled Kageki Ouran High School Host Club ƒ, which was directed by Kazuhito Yoneyama, ran at the Tennozu Galaxy Theater and Sankei Hall Breeze, Osaka, in December 2022.[22][21] In April 2023, the third and final performance, Kageki Ouran High School Host Club Fine, was announced for a December run in Tokyo, with returning casts from the previous musical.[21]

Reception

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By December 2011, the series had over 13 million copies in circulation.[23] The series is a parody of otaku culture, especially cross-dressing. The club often dresses up in dazzling costumes, and Renge Hōshakuji is also identified as an otaku.[24] Rose Bridges, writing for Anime News Network, regards Ouran as being the first example of a "fujoshi comedy" genre—loosely defined as humorous anime with predominantly male casts that cater to shipping-obsessed fangirls.[1]

The manga artist of the series Bisco Hatori appeared at Anime Expo 2019 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles. During several interviews and panels, she indicated that she would welcome another project concerning the characters and topics covered in Ouran but could not produce an anime and advised fans to continue petitioning the studio.[25] When asked about the Boy Love suggested in the series, she stated that Ouran has always been meant to be a parody of yaoi manga. As for Haruhi being a female, it was revealed that the character was originally meant to be a boy, but one of her editors suggested a gender swap. Thus, Hatori invented a female character that "doesn't need to dress up like a boy other than the fact that those are the clothing she wears and likes" without subtext. She expressed that she is not hung up on genre parameters or gender orientation because every person should be proud of being unique while remaining true to themselves. In summation, Hatori stressed Ouran being a story about family and friendship, without any intention of being a pioneer of "fujoshi comedy," though admits that it happened just the same.[25]

In recent years, reviews of the series have been more critical of how Ouran High School Host Club represents aspects of the LGBTQ+ community. This includes debates about how the language used in the series has shifted in meaning over time, with terms in both Japanese and English-language version of the anime such as "tranny" being used to describe Haruhi's crossdressing father Ryoji "Ranka" Fujioka, which is considered as more of a slur today than it did when the series debuted. Criticism is also directed at the characters from the rival Zuka Club who have been described as fitting the stereotype of the "predatory lesbian" and being depicted as fascistic.[26][27]

Notes

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  1. ^ In North America through Crunchyroll (formerly known as Funimation) and in Australia through Madman Anime.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Bridges, Rose (September 2, 2015). "The Secret Revolution of Ouran High School Host Club". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 3, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  2. ^ "The Official Website for Ouran High School Host Club". Viz Media. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  3. ^ Loo, Egan (August 23, 2010). "Ouran High School Host Club Manga to End in September". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  4. ^ "桜蘭高校ホスト部(クラブ) 1" (in Japanese). Hakusensha. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  5. ^ "桜蘭高校ホスト部(クラブ) 18" (in Japanese). Hakusensha. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  6. ^ "桜蘭高校ホスト部(クラブ)ファンブック～うきドキ☆攻略大作戦～" (in Japanese). Hakusensha. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  7. ^ "Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori". Viz Media. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  8. ^ Salva (October 2, 2007). "Ouran High School Host Club". Tanuki.pl (in Polish). 845. Małgorzata Kaczarowska. ISSN 1898-8296. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  9. ^ 桜蘭高校ホスト部 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan). Retrieved February 4, 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ "Ouran English anime official website". Funimation Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "Funimation Week 18 of 2009". Funimation Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 20, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  12. ^ "UPDATE: Funimation Titles Now Available on Crunchyroll (5/31)". Crunchyroll. March 1, 2022. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  13. ^ Hazra, Adriana (August 29, 2022). "Netflix to Add 13 Anime Titles in Nippon TV Deal". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 29, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  14. ^ 桜蘭高校ホスト部(通常版) (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Archived from the original on April 3, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  15. ^ "桜蘭高校ホスト部DS(限定版)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Archived from the original on April 3, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  16. ^ Loo, Egan (May 19, 2011). "Ouran High School Host Club Gets Live-Action Show". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  17. ^ 川口春奈、初主演ドラマ『桜蘭高校ホスト部』映画化決定 来年3月公開 (in Japanese). Oricon. August 24, 2011. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  18. ^ Loo, Egan (August 25, 2011). "Ouran High School Host Club Manga Gets Live-Action Film". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  19. ^ "Spin-off drama of "Ouran High School Host Club" to begin distributing as LISMO drama". Tokyohive. December 24, 2011. Archived from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  20. ^ Mateo, Alex (June 18, 2021). "Ouran High School Host Club Manga Gets Its 1st Stage Musical". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  21. ^ a b c Mateo, Alex (April 7, 2023). "Ouran High School Host Club Series Gets 3rd Stage Musical". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  22. ^ Mateo, Alex (July 21, 2022). "Ouran High School Host Club's 2nd Stage Musical Reveals December Opening, Cast Visuals". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  23. ^ "劇場公開も決まった『桜蘭高校ホスト部』のスピンオフドラマが登場". My Navi News (in Japanese). December 23, 2011. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  24. ^ Darlington, Tania. "The Queering of Haruhi Fujioka: Cross-Dressing, Camp and Commoner Culture in Ouran High School Host Club". University of Florida. Archived from the original on June 4, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  25. ^ a b Ortiz, Alfonso "Fonzy" (July 17, 2019). "Bisco Hatori at Anime Expo 2019". Honey's Anime. qdopp, Inc. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  26. ^ Schmidt, Kat (September 23, 2023). "The Queer Representation Shift in Ouran High School Host Club". Anime Herald. Archived from the original on June 19, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  27. ^ "Ouran High School Host Club Has Outlived Its Controversies & Holds Up as a Shojo Classic". Comic Book Resources. January 20, 2023. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
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