Another Anime Love!

[jedishampoo]

I spent some time alone this weekend when sharpeslass went home for a couple of days, and watched the first part of Ouran High School Host Club that lexsara bought me for an early birthday present.

OMG, I LOVE IT SO MUCH! I got through eight episodes and sat on the couch kicking my feet like a teenager and giggling and squeeing in delight. This anime is so adorable!



Most of my anime/manga friends have probably already seen this, but it's about a super-rich high school where some of the best-looking boys have formed a "host club" for the school's ladies, a place where the girls can be served coffee and flirted with and squee at teh prettehness of the boys. I didn't think I'd like a high school series so much at this point in my life, but I do! The animation style is cute-- in fact, it translates to anime so well you'd think it was made for anime rather than manga first.

I think it's clever and self-conscious and it laughs at shoujo anime/manga while still BEING shoujo anime/manga. And there are arm-waves or ironic nods to class-consciousness, shounen-ai, transvestitism, lesbianism, incest and shota thrown in for good measure. And unlike Ranma 1/2, which is also a gender-bending high-school adventure that I adore, this one has a lot of character development-- the characters are growing and changing, even early on, and I find them utterly charming.

My favorite character by far is Tamaki (see icon). He's so selfless and selfish at the same time, arrogant and sensitive. And cuuuute! ::squeezes:: Anybody else watch this? What are your 'ships, just out of curiosity?

Confession: I watched an episode or so in sub but I must admit that I watched most of the episodes in dub. And I liked the dub. Unlike in Saiyuki Reload, the English-language voice actors seem to be actually acting rather than reading a script. I've definitely heard worse!



In other news, I want a cigarette. I just ate lunch. I started The Patch this morning but it wasn't until I finished eating that I really wanted that smoke. :( Better call mom!

Comments

[whymzycal.livejournal.com]

It's so awesome that you like it! I'm going to pretend that I didn't see that you like the dub.

Ouran is the one anime I use to convince all of my anti-anime friends that they DO actually like anime. And it's never once failed me.

[error256.livejournal.com]

Isn't it the one anime with a couple of yaoi'ish twins? I've seen a few episodes but never had time or patience to watch it completely. Maybe, I should consider watching it finally >.>

I chewed bubble gum when I wanted to smoke badly. It's not very healthy too but at least it kinda keeps the mouth busy

[winged-sandals.livejournal.com]

I love Ouran Host Club <3 I actually kind of liked the dub too, to be honest. (Except Grey Ayres. Greg Ayres is my mortal foe. He seems like a neat guy and he's a talented voice actor, but for some reason I just can't stand his voice. And he's in every single one of my favorite dubbed anime, no joke. IT'S LIKE HE FOLLOWS ME GAAAAH /tangent)

As for ships, I usually ship any combination of Tamaki, Kyouya, and/or Haruhi.

[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

I adore Ouran! It was one of the first animes I ever saw (the first was Princess Princess, which I will always love because you never forget your first) and it's just pure fun. I still crack up thinking about the "commoner" coffee episode. Hee! Poor Haruhi - must have been hard not to pour it in his lap. :-P

My friend S brought over the dubs. I was thrilled to hear Goku Greg doing one of the twins (gah - I can't remember which one! I'll guess and say Hikaru :-P [ETA - Damn, it's Kaoru! Oops! Sorry Greg!]) I'm not usually a big fan of dubs - I LOATHE the KKM dub voices, and I LOATHE the Reload guys who replaced the Gensomaden guys. The (original) Saiyuki dubs might actually be my favorite because the Ikkou voice actors are wonderful, and I especially love Ilyich Guardiola who voices Gojyo. My boy. Hee!) But I didn't mind the Ouran dubs. In fact, I kind of liked them, though I still prefer the Japanese voice actors overall.

As for favorite character, I love Mori and Kyoya, and the twins. And Haruhi is ♥. Tamaki tends to be a bit over the top for me, but he did grow on me. Honey is adorable, but sometimes a bit too cutesy, though I love how he climbs all over Mori. So cute! Hee! I don't really have any ships; I just enjoy watching it because it's such great fun.

I tried to read the manga, but it was so...cluttered, and I had a really hard time following it - and this was after I saw the anime! Maybe one day I'll give it another go, though I do hope they do a second anime series.

[missingkitsune.livejournal.com]

i just discovered this one myself. *squeee's with you* i have to admit i adore the twins. they're just so much fun.

i usually watch the dubs of most anime for one reason...i hate to have to take the time to read when i'm so involved in watching something. *is very lame that way*

[chomiji]

I just about never watch anime of anything, but I follow the manga of this with great devotion. One of the things like most about it is its complete acceptance of everybody, no matter what their quirk. I actually like Haruhi an awful lot - one of the few manga girls I really like - probably because her attitude toward clothes and feminine accoutrements is pretty close to mine (Revy of Black Lagoon is another manga girl I like for similar reasons). And I love Ranka (her father) and Mori.

I don't tend to ship much with this at all ... I think the fact that they seem so young to me is part of it. The manga is developing an interesting plotline about the twins that is giving them a lot more depth.

[clytemnaestra.livejournal.com]

ISN'T OURAN CUTE?! It makes you feel like you are 15 again, but in a good way!

Kyouya is my favorite, with his Death Note uber-plotting-notebook-of-doom and his oh-so-mysterious glasses glints. :D But Tamaki is absolutely adorable, and the two of them are hilarious as opposites that are perfectly matched. I totally don't ship them or anything, lol.

I couldn't get past the English-language opening theme that Funi did, it was just too...weird...like, why did they do that anyway? The voices seemed ok for the most part, but I'm not a fan of Vic Migno...however you spell his name. Also I'm a huge seiyuu nerd, and think that Miyano Mamoru's Tamaki was perfect. :D

Aaaaaand, stay strong! Good luck with quitting! We'll all be here to poke and prod you not to have that smoke, no matter how bad you want it!

[lexsara.livejournal.com]

I'm so going to have to come back and visit to try this out now! So glad you're enjoying it.

And just keep a lot of gum handy...fight that urge, I know you can do it! And if you need to call me just to have me talk you through a craving, I'm here! You can do this!

[minidrag33.livejournal.com]

I love OHSHC. I am way past any HS girl days. But gosh darn it is such a cute anime who can resist it? My favorite character is Kyoya. Dark hair, glasses and smart and maybe a little dangerous. Reminds me of Hakkai a little. If you liked the first half you will love the rest of the series. I LOVE the end. It is so wonderful :)

I have not watched the dubbed version except #1 that is free to view from the vendor website. I watched all of them with fansubbed version.

Honey cracks me up. Now I view him a bit differently because of what my husband said about the character. Honey is supposed to be 17 years old (not a child that is a genius). My husband pointed out to me while watching this that he thought Honey was crazy (like insane crazy). I am not sure if this is what the author had in mind but the more I thought about it Hubby may be correct. This is not necessarily true, just a possibility.

[hlynn.livejournal.com]

I love Ouran High School Host Club! And I actually like the dub, too. :) When you finish the anime, make sure to check out the manga too, since it's still ongoing.

My main pairing is Tamaki/Haruhi, although I feel bad for Hikaru because he likes her too, and logically he would be a better match because he wouldn't drive her up the wall. :)

[lysander-o.livejournal.com]

I just watched the first episode this eve... damn, can see a new addiction on the horizon! It was just lots of fun :) I'd seen the manga in shops but never got around to actually reading any. Thanks for the rec!

[caeseria.livejournal.com]

Sorry I'm capslocking this:

DAMN sharpeslass FOR MAKING ME WATCH THIS.

I just watched five episodes. Gah!!!!