this is a great anime/manga telling of a girl who is pretty much forced to join a host club to pay a debt off both funny and light its one for the girls! ( )

⭐ 3.5 rounded down.

In the beginning the translation drove me bonkers but it seemed to get better after a certain point.

The humour is right up my alley. Also the art really enhances the humour.

But even though I loved this as a teenager, now I find certain aspects a bit... uncomfortable. The gender stereotypes are addressed in a way that feels timeless but some things feel dated. ( )

I was super excited to read this one and I was not disappointed. I've watched the anime on Netflix multiple times but decided it was time to discover the origins. Loved it! The first book was a bunch of episodes in one. It took me a bit to get used to the complete opposite way of reading but once I did it was pretty easy. It didn't read super quickly as most graphic novels tend to in my opinion so it was nice to be able to savor it. I will definitely be continuing the series. ( )

I did not particularly like this. I am sure part of it may be that I am not the right demographic for this; the book is part of the Shojo Beat series, which is meant for teen girls. But for me, the main issue is that this light school comedy is a bit difficult to read and follow. The panels are extremely cluttered with text for one. Two, the plot is light, and to be honest, not handled the best way. The premise is a girl on scholarship in a very high fancy high school. She has to work a debt for a school club made up of the richest kids in the school. The club members basically amuse themselves at her expense, by the way, mistaking her initially for a boy. Now, the mistaken identity thing is fairly common plot element in this type of manga. But I think this particular series tries to jam a bit too much in. Add to it that, to be honest, the pace is not really that great either. While I can see the appeal factors, this is not a series I would continue reading. I found it a bit boring after a while. ( )

One of the funniest things, manga or book, that I've ever read, this series is a classic of light-hearted fun mixed with character development and touching truth.

Haruhi is a smart, snarky, quiet girl moving under the radar at the prestigious Ouran Academy. Compared to the rest of the school's wealthy students, she's a nobody, so she devotes herself to studying, often dressing as a boy to avoid further notice.

But Haruhi's whole life gets thrown a loop the day she goes looking for a quiet place to study...and instead walks into the Host Club, an eccentric and charismatic group of good-looking guys dedicated to entertaining females. Haruhi wants nothing to do with them, but as fate would have it, one series of unlucky happenings later, Haruhi gets roped into service as a host. The only problem is that the club members, at least at first, believe Haruhi is a boy.

So begins a wild, hilarious, oddly warm tale, as Haruhi slowly develops an involuntary affection for the crazy Host Club. Sweet and childlike Honey, with a sweet tooth and mad karate skills; Mori, Honey's loyal bodyguard and the club stoic; calm and sharp-minded Kyoya, the club's overseer and vice president; irrepressible and sly twins Hikaru and Kaoru; and the club's handsome, manic, and hilarious president Tamaki. They all have something to teach Haruhi in their odd ways, and she in turn will touch each of their lives in ways none of them could have imagined.

One of my favorite mangas ever, the characters and the humor make it. But there's real substance sometimes, which makes it even better. But ultimately it's the story of a girl who discovers a place she fits in...in the place she least expects. ( )