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Ouran High School Host Club:-

There is a risk associated with watching sampler DVDs. Let me explain ...

A friend at Madman has sent me some sampler DVDs. You know the ones: they have one complete episode from a number of different series, which allows you to get a sense of what a series is like. A great idea, but, there can be problems, such as with this episode of OHSHC.

I'm hoping that the episode I watched is not the first one. The title is "The Sun, The Sea and the Host Club." If anyone knows, please get in touch. If this is the first episode, then the writers and the director should be shot, immediately. If it's not the first, then my unsolicited advice to the good folks at Madman/Funtastic is to please only show the first episode in their sampler discs. Watching an episode which might be halfway through a series as your introduction to the show can, and probably will, cause grave mental confusion (which won't help sales)!

I knew nothing at all about OHSHC before I saw this episode. Here, for what it's worth, is a brief story synopsis of this episode:

Haruhi, a "flat-chested" girl dressed in a boy's school uniform, goes to a privately owned beach in Okinawa (owned by one of the boy's parents). Girls appear at the beach, who seem to be clients of the boys in some way. All the girls and boys love Haruhi, who doesn't get dressed in her specially-chosen bikini (to hide her lack of lumpy bits) for reasons which are not obvious. Tamaki, one of the boys, seems to have an especially serious crush on Haruhi. The boys want to find out what Haruhi is scared of, which is followed by various unsuccessful attempts to get Haruhi to scream. Crustaceans are shipped in by the privately-owned army of the owner of the beach, leading Haruhi to get excited about the fabulous meal they will all be having that night. Two young toughs appear, thinking Haruhi a boy, and proceed to throw our heroine off a cliff into the ocean, where she is rescued by Tamaki. The lad is furious at Haruhi for getting herself into that situation, which results in a spat between the two of them.

Haruhi eats too much crab at dinner, then excuses herself to throw up in someone's toilet. Turns out it's the bathroom of Kyoya, the son of the super-rich parents who own the resort where they are staying. Kyoya then threatens to rape the heroine, who realizes that the rich geek is only doing this to make a point about Haruhi being responsible for her actions. Tamaki enters to find Haruhi on the bed and Kyoya with his shirt off! Shortly afterwards, a thunderstorn hits, which it turns out, does indeed scare Haruhi a lot. Tamaki comforts her in the closet, they embrace, at which point all the other characters enter the room and accuse Tamaki of being into S&M. The episode finishes with Haruhi thinking that Tamaki is a pervert - the end.

Now, I ask you, if you were confronted with a storyline like that, with no background on any of the characters, what would you have made of it all? The first time I watched it - I've watched it twice now - I stared at the end credits and had a serious WTF moment. If that was indeed the opening episode, then I want to know what drugs the film makers are on, and I want some.

After having done some research, I now know what the basic story is (you will find this for yourself by searching the series on this site, especially the manga). It sort of makes sense now. I still think it was a mistake for Funtastic to release this episode on the sampler, though.

The style is very "cartoony". A general flatness to the colours, with little texture. Lots of big "takes", with characters overreacting in various ways which is funny. Think of this as a sort of cross between Revolutionary Girl Utena and Excel Saga. The general mood is zany, with some serious moments thrown in. There's a lot of emo, but it's handled in a fun way which will make only the most butch blokes want to throw up.

For me, the two interesting moments came towards the end of the episode: the "rape" scene and the scene with Haruhi in the closet, scared by the thunderstorm. Both these moments had some profound insights concerning the heroine. In the rape scene, Haruhi knew that Kyoya wasn't serious. He was doing this to make her aware of her actions, which will result in consequences. The idea that a teenage girl, having been thrown onto a bed by a half-naked man who is much taller and stronger than her, would have the presence of mind to calmly deconstruct his motives beggars belief. She would either scream, knee him in the balls, or say "get on with it then." That she could pinpoint his motives with such clinical and rational objectivity would make her the envy of every German geneticist.

The second moment, in the closet, is much more satisfying. After having given the impression of being impervious to human emotion during most of the episode, Haruhi breaks down and hides in a closet when the thunder strikes. Tamaki realizes that Haruhi has had to grow up without relying on anyone, which explains her steely composure. He opens the door and tells Haruhi that she will never be alone again, at which point Haruhi throws herself into his arms.

This sounds all rather serious and D&M, and it is. There is not a hint of zaniness anywhere. This is one person gaining some real insight into another person. I found it very touching. But, as if to stop things getting too serious, the next scene shows the door being opened and Tamaki being accused of being a pervert.

So what is this series? Is it just zaniness with the occasional serious bit thrown in? Will it get more serious over time? I have no idea, but I would be prepared to watch another few episodes to find out.