Ouran High School Host Club 11
Posted: November 20, 2008 Filed under: Ouran High School Host Club 2 Comments »Wow, it’s been forever since I’ve read this series. I think we’re pretty much caught up with Japan, and this series seems to come out slowly there, too. It’s kind of a bummer, because like I said I’m pretty well into it and would like for more than one volume a year to come out.
I was worried with the huge gap between releases, it would be hard to maintain my enthusiasm for the characters, especially since the plot this time around was a bit of a nonsequitor about an all-school sporting event. I wound up really getting into it, though, and the eventual result was absolutely to die for. Kyoya gets kind of a bum rap in the story… or maybe not so much a bum rap as he is looked upon unkindly. This story humanizes him, and of course Tamaki is at the head of the whole thing. I love that guy.
Tamaki still really makes the series for me. I’m not sure how I can like one fictional character so much, but he seems to do absolutely everything right. Plus he’s got a tragic backstory, which starts to come into play again towards the end of the volume. Despite the fact he’s portrayed as this sort of big dope that doesn’t know his own feelings, he seems to know exactly what it is that everyone else needs to feel good about themselves. For this reason, I find it hard to believe he’s totally oblivious about Hikaru and Kaoru… or Haruhi, for that matter. But what fun would it be if he wasn’t? I like him just the way he is.
The last part of the volume starts going into the school trip to France Kyoya and Tamaki’s class is taking, and then follows up with Hikaru and Kaoru having some very serious conversations about Haruhi. The volume ends on kind of a bad note… and again, I’m dying for more. It’s good that even with the huge gaps, the series can be so addictive. This is still hanging around at the top of my shoujo list… while it’s not the absolute best, it comes pretty close.
I’m with you on the Tamaki love. I can’t quite pin down why I adore him so much, either, but I do love him. Probably because despite everything he’s been through, and some of his silly ways, he’s so fundamentally good and kind.
Yes. Every time he does a good deed, and even if I know they’re coming (even though I wasn’t looking forward to this competition, I knew something good would come of it), it still makes me squirm a little bit for how well it’s written.