Ouran High School Host Club, ep. 22-26

[oyceter]

Woe! It's over!

Well, it was immensely fun while it lasted.

I was happy when Mori got his own episode, even though it ended up being more on Kasanoda than on Mori. Also, I giggled pretty much every time someone called Kasanoda "Bossa Nova-san" or "Casanova-san." Bonus giggling for Casanova. Also, I got totally weirded out because Kasanoda looks vaguely like Gojyo from certain angles, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why Gojyo would show up at a rich high school.

On a completely shallow note, I nearly died when everyone appeared in samurai outfits, and I may have fallen off the couch at Renge's explanation of why women like the bakumatsu period and the Shinsengumi! Because yes! That is the whole reason I started studying Japanese history! Ahhhh, the joys of learning about Meiji Japan from Kenshin....

I didn't like the episode on Tamaki realizing (or more, not realizing) that he likes Haruhi as much. Mostly that's because I didn't want to play the whole musical chairs game with who gets to end up with Haruhi. Thankfully, the show ends with no one really paired up.

I adored the Kyouya episode, and now I take back what I said about Kyouya not really fitting the cool type. I'm still not sure if he fits it, but he has earned massive amounts of squee from me. Also, now I completely understand why people ship Kyouya and Tamaki.

And... wah! The last two episodes! They're so serious for this goofy, fun series, and yet... it so perfectly describes why I love the series and the host club. I wanted to hug Tamaki and Kyouya and shield them from their evil and/or demanding parents. I could have done without the French girl though. I was also going to say that I really liked that Tamaki ended up in the damsel in distress role, while Haruhi literally picks up the reins to go and save him, but then, you sort of have him saving her at the end as well.

Still, the episodes really get that Tamaki is the heart of the host club, and I loved the moment when Haruhi told him that everyone loves the host club and loves being in it, even her.

Comments

[greenapple2004.livejournal.com]

Dude. So much love for Kyouya. :-) I'm a sucker for the megane-cool-type to begin with, but his slow process of gaining a real personality, and the hilarity of his backstory ep just blew me away. That's really what sold me on Tamaki's voice actor, too--his ability to go from flamboyant to serious to giggly (to Yagami Light) at the drop of a hat makes me go *squeeee*!!! Like, a lot.

Kyoooya! Mon ami! Yahoo!! :-D

[octopedingenue]

Tamaki leaping into the air squealing "Mon ami!" will never not be funny.

[rilina.livejournal.com]

I may have fallen off the couch at Renge's explanation of why women like the bakumatsu period and the Shinsengumi!
YES. I couldn't believe when Renge explained exactly what I was thinking right then.

I was totally amused by the Mori episode; wasn't there actually a comment about how it was "the Mori episode" because he hadn't got one? The whole can kicking thing had me in hysterics. And the Kyouya episode was awesome; I loved the whole bit with the painting. And the spectacle of Kyouya trying to deal with Tamaki.

I liked the ending simply because I felt like the show had to end with a threat to the host club of that sort; while Tamaki's saving of Haruhi could have been obnoxious, it wasn't here because they really saved each other.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Haruhi should get to keep them all as her harem. They should Amuse each other when she is busy. Because they're all SO CUTE.

[ahem]

[oyceter]

I know; I'm so a sucker for the megane type! But I didn't like Kyouya that much to begin with, just because it seemed like most of what he did was the budget. But then... his friendship with Tamaki! Mon ami!

[oyceter]

OMG yes. I was dying every time he did that.

[oyceter]

I was totally amused by the Mori episode; wasn't there actually a comment about how it was "the Mori episode" because he hadn't got one?

Yes! There totally was! I was so amused by that as well! And I was amused by Mori's actual expressions, along with the explanation of why Mori and Honey work together. And Mori's expressions when Honey accused him of using Honey!

I really did like the ending, though I was so sad when I read the episode titles, because I thought they might actually end with the dissolution of the club.

[oyceter]

Hee! Yes!

[octopedingenue]

My FAVORITE BIT EVAR, I don't know why, is at the very end of that when Kyouya and Tamaki are in Kyouya's house again and Tamaki is like hey hey guess what I've got this great idea for a club omg! and Kyouya's all, whatever, moron, and kicks him, and Tamaki just rolls around giggling while he's being kicked, and then he goes talking while Kyouya listens with good-natured long-suffering. This just KILLS ME for some reason. The kicking has become kicking of love! And Tamaki has Tohru heart-reading powers and knows that Kyouya kicks him with love, and he totally embraces it for the friendly affection it is!

I am in love with the little subtle touches this over-the-top series has, and/or maybe I am a little too in love with shonen I-assault-you-for-love tropes.

[oyceter]

Totally OT: Your icon! It rocks! Poor Havoc, fooled by the promise of Armstrong's sister.

Eeee! I missed the kickage of love, probably because I was focusing on Kyouya's painting. I love that painting bit so much!

Also, Kyouya has apparently joined the "I call you baka because I love you" club.

The one thing I'm sad about is that we never get to see Tamaki make those puppy-dog eyes at Kyouya in this ep. But secretly, you know he does.

[greenapple2004.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, that giggle is indescribably awesome. :-) I love Tamaki so much!!

[greenapple2004.livejournal.com]

The whole thing with the namahage cracked me up, too. I learned about namahage in a religion class in college, and they show up in weird anime & manga references (Antique Bakery! Twice in Ouran!), which makes me feel really smart. And Tamaki dancing around with a Shisha Lion on his head, going "Namahage, namahage!!" had me on the floor laughing.

[oyceter]

Oh yeah! That was so funny! Particularly Tamaki's completely puzzled expression as to why everything he wanted to see wasn't in Kyoto.

[littlebutfierce]

OMG OMG OMG. I've been watching this for the first time, & when you said you were selling the DVDs I wondered if maybe the show ended up being failtastic, but then I saw you listed it as one of your favorites for the year. And so we just finished the series tonight & I've been able to read your posts & can now comment... four years later, ahaha.

This show is so Fruits Basket! Hikaru is TOTALLY Kyo being all gruff & not knowing how to read or relate to Tohru Haruhi. And how Haruhi ends up being this catalyst for everyone, & the whole thing about people saving each other (mutually: like Haruhi saving Tamaki saving Haruhi, & Tamaki saving the twins [& the other host club members, too] from isolation & then them always looking out for him--the newspaper editor episode, omg) & & & AUGH. Love love love.

I... am choosing to believe that the literal feminazis that the Lobelia girls turn into is mocking the stereotype of feminism & not feminism itself. I have to say Lobelia kind of got on my nerves sometimes, although they totally cracked me up too.

And my favorite thing, I think, is how Haruhi is not really bothered about gender: she dresses like a guy at school & people think she's a guy, & then on the weekend she wears 'girly' clothes & nobody cares, & then the day she's kidnapped by Lobelia she's wearing more genderneutral/'male' weekend casual wear, & she just doesn't seem to care either way. I love that so much (it's the sort of thing that is on my brain lately so I am so happy to see it represented in anime). (so I was kind of bummed to see her super girled-out in the last ep, & though it was awesome to see her rip off the wig & some of her outfit, the bridal overtones w/her & Tamaki at the end, her still in the dress, made me grumpy.)

One of the most awesome moments for me was the one where Haruhi was working at a B&B & they had the contest to see who could be more "refreshing"... Mori's caption about how he's randomly chopping wood for some reason, bwahahaha!

Now I am going to see who else I know wrote about this show years ago so I can comment on their posts too, ha ha...

[oyceter]

Bwahaha! Awwww! Yes, I love this series! I sold the DVDs of the first half not because I dislike it, but because I got the entire set on sale, ahahaha.

Oh! I do not remember if you read manga too, but there is even more character development (esp. of the twins) in the manga! Some of it is a little too guy-angst for me, but I love Haruhi still so much. The beginning has terrible, terrible paneling, but... more of the characters later on! An absolutely hilarious sports festival!

rilina's the one who sicced the show on me, so she probably has some posts about it too.

[littlebutfierce]

I read manga sort of haphazardly but I am starting to read it more since most anime I love is so short... so I will keep that in mind, yay!

Also I forgot to say that I actually really liked the random Alice in Wonderland ep, because: Cheshire Catboys. I mock shoujo tropes while also being totally felled by them, ha!

(Like I love sports festival storylines, so that is more incentive to read the manga. Maybe there is also the requisite hot springs trip?!?)

[oyceter]

I can't believe I don't remember if there's a hot springs trip! (Also, I can't believe I watched this four years ago.. it doesn't feel that long ago.)

The sports festival storyline in the manga has the bonus of being a "commoner" sports festival as reimagined by Tamaki. Hilariy ensues! And Haruhi rolls her eyes a lot.

[littlebutfierce]

The sports festival storyline in the manga has the bonus of being a "commoner" sports festival as reimagined by Tamaki.

OH MAN AMAZING. I must read it!!