Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1 by Bisco HatoriMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ouran High School Host Club, a manga in which I have watched the anime numerous times but not actually sat to read the source material of. I know, I know, there will be great shame upon my household for this. I know I set out to read at least 50 books this year, but I have a feeling the majority of these books will come in the form of manga as I am determined to read some more titles that I feel I'll enjoy. So, what can I say about this first volume of Ouran?
Bisco Hatori's art style is very beautiful, creating very elegant looking figures that can be turned into these comedic pieces without loosing any of that beauty - a real skill! While this does seem to be, at first glance, a reverse harem manga, our lead female Haruhi gives a personality that can reassure the reader that we will actually be in for an entertaining lead, with characters who are layered beyond the usual shojo cliches. Haruhi is a scholarship student at the Ouran Academy, a school that is primarily reserved for the extremely wealthy. She comes across the Host Club by sheer accident and it is another accident that leads to her working for them. Did I mention they initially think Haruhi is a boy?
While gender doesn't seem to be the main issue of this manga - it's set up to be a comedic romp - it is interesting to note that Haruhi's views on gender are often addressed, and from a GLBTQI+ standpoint, they come across as very accepting and open, a rarity in the shojo manga I have come across. (Which... isn't many, actually, so I'd like to know examples of others if they exist)
The hosts themselves are delightful romps, each filling their "role" within the club but already showing aspects of being people beyond the cliche. It'll be fun to follow this manga - 1 down, 17 more to go - and find out how they all develop.
Definitely one for people to pick up, and check out the anime too, it's really one of the best I've seen!
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