Arata: The Legend (manga)--First Impressions

Arata The Legend (Manga) First Impressions

Writer and Illustrator: Yuu Watase

Translator: JN Productions

Publisher. Shogakukan, Inc. 2009

Rating: Teen, and found in the middle school section of my local library...SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARIES!

Get ready for an time-travelling, inter-planatary,
body-switching, demon sword wielding,
gender -ending, high-school dramady!

I’m about to ruin this book for you. Fair warning. 

Arata is the last descendant of the Hime clan, and every 30 years a female of the Hime clan must be enthroned as princess of the realm through a “sacred ritual." These princesses are possessed by something called Amatsuriki Power, which controls the Haygami (gods of their world who embody demonic swords).  Arata’s grandmother claimed Arata as a girl because all male Hime children are put to death by royal decree, and I guess no one notices that he's a boy (because clearly he IS a boy, and everyone knows it).  Due to this intentional switcharoo, Arata is forced to act as a girl, and is called to become princess. Arata attends the ritual and his disguise is paying off until the former princess is assassinated by a group bent on revolution. They blame the murder on Arata, whose gender is exposed during the melee (his shirt is cut away to reveal a lack of girl parts).

Meanwhile in futuretimes (like now here on earth times), a Japanese high school student who is also named Arata is finding it hard to cope with his new school. He switched schools because he was so relentlessly bullied at the last school (oddly, he is bullied because he is handsome, smart and good at sports), and suddenly his chief tormentor arrives out of the blue to make him miserable. Luckily (?) he gets sucked into Arata #1’s world and is mistaken for him (although they look nothing alike). And it turns out that the spirits of the Haygami choose Arata #2 as their warrior.

Do they look alike? Of course! They're identical!
Who wouldn't confuse Arata #1 with Arata #2?

Meanwhile in futuretimes again, Arata #1 winds up in Arata #2’s world. They communicate through a portal powered by some necklace thingie and Arata #1 refuses to switch back because he believes that Arata #2 can defeat the baddies and save the world.

Meanwhile in backtimes, Arata #2 fights a lot of people and the half-dead princess asks him to rule in her place and find her. Arata #1 doesn’t pop back up again for the rest of the issue, so who knows what kind of crap he's made out of Arata #2's life?

You get it, Dear Readers, this is a silly manga that does not seem to accept its own silliness. I'd like to tell this manga to just be itself, and stop with the serious scenes, because really...a time-travelling, inter-planatary, body-switching, demon sword wielding, gender -ending, high-school story should be a comedy (let's leave the drama to the dramas, okay?). 

One thing I did appreciate about this manga, is the discussion of belief in oneself and others. Neither Arata wants to let anyone down; both are powered by trying to live up to the beliefs others place in them. This is a rather noble little series, and provides some nice messages to its intended young adult audience about confidence, persistence, honor, friendship and kindness.  

Because I am not the intended audience here I might not continue the series, but do want to point out some of the good things. It is well written and well translated. The illustrations are very nice, but a little busy at times. The story itself is unique enough and compelling enough to have kept me reading to the end of the issue (which is a step in the right direction). The bad things have more to do with a lack of development of the side-characters…they seem to be less characters than standard types of characters. That isn’t always a bad thing, and it may be more symptomatic of a simplification of character based on audience, but the series is going to have to complicate them just a bit even for teens, I think. Otherwise, people may have a difficult time relating to them. I know I did.

I would classify this as a sort of beginner’s manga. If this were the first manga I had ever picked up I would be interested, but being an old salty lady who reads a ton, it seems a little flat and a little predictable (oh, when  a time-travelling, inter-planatary, body-switching, demon sword wielding, gender -bending, high-school  dramadies become predictable there is a problem).  It isn’t stellar, but it is readable, and the teen girls will think Arata #2 is super-cute. So, there’s that. 

Questions this manga inspired:

1. Why do all hot bad guys with swords lick the edges of their swords? Is that like a sexual thing? Oh, I’m dangerous and sexy, watch me seduce this hunk of metal!

2. Who knew melee was spelled like that? Not me.

3. Did I just pick up this manga because of the title? My housemate’s middle name is Arata.  

4. Why did I keep thinking that Justin Bieber should play Arata#2 in a live-action version of this?

So-Good Sunday! Cosplay at the New York Comicon

Check out Senen Llanos' fantastic portraiture of cosplayers at this years New York Comicon.

http://www.senencito.com/my-blog/2011/10/15/faces-of-new-york-comic-con-2011-saturday.html

Some impressively made and worn costumes from the worlds of comics, anime, manga, video games, film and pop culture.

One of my favorites:

Ciel Phantomhive...nice!

Ciel wasn't the only Black Butler character in the portraits; scroll through to see a very impressive Sebastian. Also worthy of note: an awesome Alucard from Van Helsing.

These folks may have spent $1000 worth of time (and maybe even a lot of cash) on their cosplay gear, but I still respect their singular efforts to impress. Much more impressive to me than that ready-to-wear Akira  jacket. These are some talented fans!

And Llanos is one talented photographer as well. I love how he isolated the images from the busy backgrounds of the convention floors in order to highlight the characters, and the people who play them.

Ta-Ta Tuesday--Mayo Chiki! (Anime--Ongoing Series)

Mayo Chiki!

I surprised myself by actually semi-enjoying the semi-adorable, Koo-koo perversions of Mayo Chiki!. This ongoing series (I watched up to episode 8--the next episode airs in Japan on September 2nd) is a gender-bending high-school comedy that's 90% insanely hyperactive schoolgirls in ridiculously short school girl uniforms. Those uniforms alone earn Ta-Ta Tuesday acknowledgement!

The title of the show Mayo Chiki! is a shortened version of the phrase "Mayoeru Shitsuji to Chikin na Ore to" which translates to "The Wavering Butler and Myself the Chicken." That's a fairly descriptive title. The main character of the series is Sakamachi Kinjirō (see the Chikin in his full name?) a very forthright, although slightly "wimpy," young man plagued by a a violence-loving younger sister, an absent mother who is a professional wrestler, rumors of his homosexuality and an allergic reaction towards women the series calls "gynophobia" (when a woman touches him his nose bleeds).

Jiro believes that his nose bleeds because he's associated women with violence
and his body has decided that if he bleeds then people will stop hurting him.
That is immensely sad. Someone should call Child Services.

Our poor Jiro-kun attends a school that is full of scantily dressed girls. In fact, there seem to be only two (well, three if you count one cross-dressing butler) male students...why this is is never addressed, so I assume we should just accept it as fact? As a result, Jiro is always on guard against nosebleeds and avoids contact with his female classmates, which is what leads those around him to believe that he is homosexual. The series itself (based on a series of light novels and a manga adaptation) begins when Jiro accidentally discovers that the most popular boy in the school, Subaru Konoe, is not in fact a boy, but a girl. Subaru attends school as a student, but also serves as the attentive butler to the wealthy and cruel (almost to the point of being sadistic) Kanade Suzutsuki, daughter of the school principal.

Why doesn't every anime series start with an accidental beaver flashing in the boy's bathroom? I suppose that's a question left to the great philosophers of our times.


My junk! You saw my girl junk!



A fight ensues as a result of Jiro discovering Subaru's secret. And Jiro, used to being beaten to a semi-pulp daily by his sister, proves himself tougher than he looks (he doesn't actually hit back, but he can take a punch). He is knocked out and wakes up chained to a bed in the school's infirmary by Kanade. She reveals the reasons Subaru must hide her gender and blackmails Jiro into keeping that secret. Kanade is a bored rich kid, though, and she cannot leave well enough alone. She is constantly conniving to make Jiro and Subaru's lives more complicated. As a result of their being thrust together, rumors begin to fly that Jiro and Subaru are dating (they really DO like one another...that's the cute bit). Later, in typical (goofy-as-shit) anime-style, Subaru's fan clubs get into the fray.

Yeah, I don't even know if any of what I just wrote makes sense, because I'm not sure if ANY of the series makes a whole lot of sense. It's goofy beyond belief and pervy as all get out, but also, admittedly, a little cute. There's just enough cuteness and sincerity to mellow out the annoyance the goofiness creates. Then again, I might not be the target audience. And this supposition raises one of the most important questions I feel that can be asked about this series (other than the one about beaver flashing)--WHO THE HELL IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

At first I thought, "Oh, it must be girls." The girls are the aggressors in the series in a few ways. They physically dominate poor Jiro, but they're also, especially in regards to Kanade, sexually aggressive. This at first led me to believe that this was a sort of backwardsly empowering bit of weird intended for high-school girls. It's certainly "cutesy" enough to warrant that audience. However, the anime also tends to use ANY excuse to get the characters naked. ANY excuse. Some of it bizarrely unreasonable. It's titty-city up in this series. There are BOOBS EVERYWHERE!

Another scene with Jiro blushing because someone has thrust
boobs in his face.

I have no idea who the target audience! None! All I can say is that they're a little pervy and enjoy watching girls mentally and physically torture, while both emasculating and TITalizing a high-school boy.



As the leader of one of the warring Subaru fan clubs I am in favor
of Jiro and Subaru's illicit love. I also have very ample ta-tas!

If I were to sum up this anime in one sentence it would have to be "GIRLS ARE SCARY!" I don't know what to make of it. I just don't. I know that it's popular. I know that audiences (whoever they may be) think it's cute and sweet. I know that it has elements I normally like in an anime: gender confusion (done much more successfully in other series like Ouran High School Host Club and Hana Kimi), a sincere main character who seems caring and loving despite their personal battles, and some funny-sweet moments. But it's just so...


TITTIES!



I'm not sure if I'll be continuing on with this series. It's cute. It's silly. It isn't complex or thought-provoking. It doesn't seem to have a lot riding on the plot. I keep finding myself asking "Who cares?" There's a little angst, alot of "will they/won't they" and some sweet moments, but I don't know that I care enough to slog through the rest of the pastel goofiness and random excuses for nudity. So, to sum up, I'll give it a solid MEH. If you're a fan of random boobies, then by all means go for it, see if it works for you. If you can handle the sort of silliness this anime entails, then this might be right up your alley. It's a so-so for me. I don't feel like I wasted my time watching it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to chase down new episodes. And I don't think I'll rush out to find the novels and manga this is based on. 

Eerie Queerie--Manga

Okay, again, I feel bad reviewing an older manga with limited availability, but Eerie Queerie! is worth discussing, at least a little bit. This four-volume series by Shuri Shiozu was an early addition to my manga collection (I have a lot of manga...a bookshelf of manga), and it remains one of my favorites. Not because it is exceptionally complex (it isn't), not because it is well illustrated (it isn't), not because it is angst filled and character driven (it isn't...not really), not because there are possessed masks housing goat-demons who try to seduce high-school mediums, or embittered ghostly servants forced into cat cos-play by perverted bisexual priests, or cross-dressing shrine "maidens" who woo lost-loves with funny faced frogs. Ah, I'm such a liar, it's totally those last three things.

Eerie Queerie! is adorable and ridiculous. I wind up "ooh"-ing and giggling aloud every time I read it. It's just so...cute? Certainly the main character, Mitsuo Shiozu (same last name as the author...on purpose!), a high-schooler who can see the dead and is extremely susceptible to possession, is a goofy, giggly teen with a heart of gold and a deep connection to his few friends. He has spent a lonely life, but due to some unforeseeable hijinks involving a dead school girl, he forges a close friendship with (super hot) Hasunuma who is interested in folklore and the occult. His first, best and most-devoted friend, Hasunuma, obviously has strong feelings for Mitsuo that go beyond friendship and a willingness to protect innocent Mitsuo from the world. However, confused Mitsuo fails to make the connections between Hasunuma's feelings and their affectionate interactions...Mitsuo realizes his own feelings of love towards Hasunuma later, and is appalled that HE might be taking advantage of his "innocent" friend (Hasunuma uses every ploy in the book to get Mitsuo closer to him, or lay "claim" to him in front of rivals). As a reader I cannot help but laugh and laugh at Mitsuo's confusion and the entire comedy of errors that is Eerie Queerie!.

Here is a typical Hasunuma move (with a typical Mitsuo response):



Hasunuma is kissing Mitsuo as he leaves to go on a school scavenger hunt. Mitsuo is at first alarmed by Hasunuma's overtly affectionate ways, but Hasunuma tells him that "that's just what friends do." Mitsuo, having no experience with friends (and secretly desiring all that yummy affection) is reassured and begins to accept the "normalcy" of Hasunuma's touchy-feely-ness. Ichi, the third man in their group, is constantly bothered by Hasunuma's advances on Mitsuo...he thinks Hasunuma is taking advantage of Mitsuo's ignorance and naivete...Ichi is right--he is.  


Hasunuma is my favorite character in this series. His devotion to Mitsuo, his playfulness (despite the serious nature of his feelings), his sweetness, his sacrifices and his infinite patience make him a little swoonworthy. Everytime I reread E Q! I find myself rooting for Hasunuma (he's the biggest flirt in the world), and rolling my eyes at the baffled reactions of Mitsuo. Hasunuma is not the lead in the story, but he is the romantic lead...it makes for an odd and compelling will they/won't they situation (actually more of a will Mitsuo realize/won't he realize) which all works out happily (and goofily) in the end.

Eerie Queerie! isn't deep and profound. It isn't soul-shattering. It isn't much more than a ridiculously amusing supernatural comedy, but it is really, really cute without being annoying or precious. Ultimately, it is worth a read, especially if you like aggressively perverted Shinto priests...and it turns out I do.

Note: the rating on E Q! is 16+, but there is NO graphic sex in this. There are sexual situations and a crazy amount of innuendo, but no actual sex. As far as yaoi goes, it is pretty tame, and sweet without being smutty. The only risky character is the Shinto priest who does get a little "handsy" at times. I would say that this might be more of a PG-13 series than a restricted one, but that's just liberal ol'me.

Day 20 - Favorite Dubbed Anime: Dubbed, who cares, Subbed: Gravitation (Remix: Hong Kong Rip-off)

I listen to a lot of dubbed anime, so I am going to modify this catagory so that I might talk a bit about bad subtitles. Bad subtitles are...bad. But, they are also really, really funny.

When I bought my copy of Gravitation, I got it for the cheaps. Little did I know that there was a reason for the bargain basement price of my copy of the series. I may, or may not, have accidentally purchased (no one sue me for this) a Hong Kong rip-off of the series. I was not aware of this until I watched it. I knew the series pretty well at this point, because Ms. Shakespeare and I had watched it together on several occasions. My copy was not like her copy. Her copy had...um...what's the opposite of word vomit?

For example:

This screen capture should read, "You want a reason, maybe you're a lousy lay?"

It does not say this. It just says "Poor Sex Skill." Hahaha.









How about exhibit B?

In this scene Eri Yuki (whom my version insists on calling Kwan) is trying to talk seriously about breaking up to a traumatized Shuichi (whom my version insists on calling either Showe or Showende) who has decided to renounce his masculinity (he is dressed in his sister's school uniform) in order to help Yuki save face. Shuichi says something along the lines of, "You're leaving me because I'm a man. I thought you'd like this look better." Yuki is saying something like, "How you're dressed isn't really helping your case." But it came out really weird. Poor Shuichi, he actually cross-dresses a few times in the series.


One last one:

Tohma (whom my version insists on calling like 8 things...seriously, it's like they forgot what they named him) is lurking in the room and catches Shuichi kissing Yuki (see the Kwan there?) goodbye on the ear. Yuki gets a little flustered, so Tohma (whom my version believes is a "she," although I assure you he is not) says something like "Oh, Yuki, I didn't know you had an ear fetish." I suppose that could  be a "problem," but I think it is more likely just a super bad translation.


Ms. Shakespeare couldn't even watch this version with me. She made me turn it off. I think it's hilarious. So, it gets my vote for best subtitles, on account of the amount of amusement it provides me. Not because they're good. Because they really, really aren't.

I, My, Me: Strawberry Eggs (anime)

Hibiki Amawa is a recent college graduate who has taken up residency in a boarding house owned by aggressive, gun-toting land-lady Lulu Sanjo. He is looking for a job as a Physical Education Teacher and is living off of his meager savings, but eventually his savings run out. Nearby Seito Sannomiya Private Co-Ed School is hiring a Phys Ed. teacher, but despite Amawa’s excellent credentials refuses to hire ANY male faculty, claiming that men do not have the instincts to care for and instruct children. Still desperate for a position, Amawa disguises himself as a woman and is hired on immediately. The series is, for the most part, a standard and expected gender-switcheroo comedy, full of close-calls, odd crushes, and goofy disasters. Thematic issues with gender and sexuality do play out in some interesting, albeit mostly predictable, ways, but it is ultimately the sweetness of the show that kept me watching. The characters genuinely care for one another, and want to see each other succeed. With great episode titles like “Forbidden Eyeliner,” and very tender moments between friends and classmates, the series is worth watching.

There is, however, something in this anime that makes me slightly uncomfortable, to say the least. Amawa throughout the series develops strong feelings for awkward, immature, and naive student, Fuko Kuzuha (and vice-versa). Amawa is approximately 20 years old, and Kuzuha is 15. Their age difference is disturbing given the current conditions of their relationship (teacher/student…and erroneously same-sex?), but the age difference wouldn’t cause much uproar later in life. This isn’t a case of pedophilia really, because the closeness of their ages seems to thwart that interpretation, however the age issue is still too great to be deemed socially acceptable. And, in defense of the main character, he/she recognizes the problems with succumbing to a more physical relationship (and is adequately disturbed by his love for Kuzuha), and the series ends with a declaration of love, a reveal of identity, and promise from Amawa to return once Kuzuha reaches maturity. Despite the obvious problems with the relationship, and sexual tension, between these two characters, there is something sweetly innocent about their affection for one another.

So, to sum up: I, My, Me, Strawberry Eggs has a stupid title and contains at least one potentially skeevworthy relationship, but somehow manages to remain funny, sweet, a little sad and completely watchable.

Monster (anime)

“Once upon a time, in a land far away lived a nameless monster. He was dying for a name.”


Monster is a long running anime based on the graphic novels of Naoiki Urusawa. This extremely elaborate drama/thriller is set in Germany and the former republic of Czecheslovakia. It’s part fairy-tale (ala Grimm Brothers rather than Disney) and part gritty crime story. The story follows Dr. Tenma, a brilliant neural surgeon mistakenly framed for multiple murders after saving the life of a young boy, Johan Liebert. Johan, and his twin sister Anna, are the only survivors of the violent murder of their adopted parents. From the first episode viewers realize that there is something inhuman about the young boy, despite his charisma. Tenma, falsely accused and on the run from several groups of people interested in catching him, takes to the road to both clear his name, and discover the truth. (Image by Angel Zakuro.)

What follows is a complex, multi-character story which spans decades. A large part of the series deals with the internal battles each character faces regarding regret, responsibility and redemption. Later discussions of belief and faith in oneself are complex and interesting. Identity is a central issue as well. Johan, with his incredible ability to influence others, is a compelling villain with charm and beauty. He becomes symbolic of the darkness possible in each person, and is molded by the Eastern Bloc Government from youth to be a perfect leader and brilliant strategist. His sister Anna and Dr. Tenma, are his counter, and embody love and forgiveness.

It really is a fantastically complex (albeit sometimes slow-moving) anime. But, I’m still wondering WHY this is animated. The animation is beautiful, and the architecture and scenery is amazingly rendered, but there isn’t any apparent reason why this story needs to take anime form, or graphic novel form. There are no special effects, transformations or dream sequences…nothing that couldn’t be done live-action at all. Despite the strange decision to animate at all, this is a really complex and intelligent series. I am awaiting the next season and the conclusion to this epic.

OURAN update

Now, I know Ms. Shakespeare doesn't follow the manga of Ouran High School Host Club, but I do...and I have to admit my smitten-kitten-osity. The lastest issues of Ouran and the latest (hush-hush) fanslations of the newest chapters from the Japanese Magazine LaLa are heartnumbingly fabulous. The love and family conundrum is being brought to a head, and the characters keep getting more and more interesting. For chapters through 78, go visit SpectrumNexus, or wait (more patiently than I can) for the US releases. I am doing both. I read chapters as fast as I can, but I go out an purchase the manga as well.

Nothing makes me feel half my age half as fast as Ouran.

Un-squeee-lievable! Ouran High School Host Club (Anime)

Kiss, Kiss Fall in Love...Squee, squee squee...

I'm re-watching Ouran High School Host Club, for the first time since it came out in Japan. I guess that was like three years or so ago, when I lived in Michigan and M lived there, too. Every week she would come over, and we would gather around my stolen internet and watch fresh fan subs. We were so rabid for this show that we would sometimes watch it in Japanese and then find some blog or another with breakdowns and screencaps. We would both freak out if our favorite fansubbers were quiet for a while. We could not live without the antics of Tamaki, Haruhi and the rest of the club. From episode ichiban, I put this in the best of the best anime catagory. It is a great, thoughtful comedy with some sad moments peppered in.

So, why am I writing about it now? Hrm. Well, I haven't updated in a while! And, I've been rewatching the show, this time, in Japanese without subtitles, and I'm catching a lot! That's not to say I know much at all. But, there are times when I'm kind of dinking around with something else and this is on in the background and I realize, Oh, I just understood that whole conversation.

The show has a ton of words and phrases that any beginning Japanese student can pick up on pretty easily. So, I'm reccomending it for the learners in our audience (of one or two...it's lonely here at Squeefinity!).

Seriously, though, this is a great story and full, full, full of laughs. With so many cute bishounen it's made for fangirls. But, hah, it is a show that KNOWS it is made for fangirls, and it takes every opportunity to break down that wall. Large portions of episodes are devoted to showing how stereotypes feed fantasy. The boys know their roles and they play them well.

Yet, the show itself is unique and lovely.

I know I'm not really sharing any details here. I think because it's just better watched. JUST WATCH IT.

M. I think, loves the Manga. I'm not such a fan. I think it's too hyper, and goes on for too long, but I'm sure she can speak to that.

Enjoy.

Proposal--Ouran v. Ouran : Anime v. Manga

Ouran High School Host Club is not only adorable, more complicated than one might expect (it hits on some very profound psychological and emotional issues in very subtle ways), and worthy of watching/reading, it's also very dear to my heart in a very specific way. Ms. Shakespeare and I bonded over the anime of Ouran High School Host Club; as soon as the fanslation of Ouran hit Youtube one of us would call...our voices full of squee! It was usually a Thursday afternoon, when the dedicated fansubbers of the world appeased our growing desire for the SNAFUs of Ouran High School's wealthy harem of charming young men (and one girl in disguise). I have never seen such dedication and speed in translation; Ouran ran very late on Tuesday nights in Japan, and by Thursday (with some exceptions) we would usually have a fresh episode to watch...just a few days after our squee-filled Japanese peers. When Ouran went live we ran home after school/work met at Ms. Shakespeare's house and huddled around the small, laptop monitor...nearly bouncing out of our chairs at the kitchen table. We chain smoked (something we have both ceased to do), drank diet sodas, and paused often to comment on what was happening on the screen, as the sun went down over our oddly eclectic Michigan neighborhood. When Ouran ended, we cried (we cry a lot), and squeed (we squee a lot) and praised Bisco Hatori for her utter cuteness while lamenting that this was the end of our love affair with the characters who populated the 3rd Music room of Ouran High School.

Ouran was our obession for twenty-six episodes. When the series ended, I started in on the manga, ongoing in Japan and in it's 11th issue in the U.S. I'm a big fan of both versions of the story (and they are very different), but I'm focused more on the manga version right now, because it allows me a little more time and depth with the characters I love. Ms. Shakespeare is a big fan of the anime version, because it has a very tight and effective story arc and seems very self-contained.

I propose a debate...Ouran v. Ouran, Anime v. Manga! But first, an overview:

The series (summary from For Richer or Poorer (FROP)," an Ouran Fanclub Website, courtesy of VIS):
In this screwball romantic comedy, a poor girl at a rich kids' school ends up working for the school's swankiest club—and gets mistaken for a boy!
One day, Haruhi, a scholarship student at exclusive Ouran High School, breaks an $80,000 vase that belongs to the "Host Club," a mysterious campus group consisting of six super-rich (and gorgeous) guys. To pay back the damages, she is forced to work for the club, and it's there that she discovers just how wealthy the boys are and how different they are from everybody else.

Essentially, the series is a gender bender/male harem situation...the main characters each represent some anime/manga-typical "type" of swoonworthy fella.

---

Main Characters:
Tamaki Suoh--The "king" of the host club, an over-the-top, half-French, prince character with a fragile heart of gold, who despite his intelligence and grace is actually much more of a goofball and klutz than he is debonaire.
Kyoya Ootori--The "shadow king" (or "mother") of the host club, a caluclating, determined high school student from a very wealthy and powerful family. Despite his forbidding air, he has a tender side.
Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin--Twin trouble makers who use their bond with one another to their advantage in order to keep their distance from other people. They see other people as "toys" and certainly tease, taunt and create mayhem, but secretly they harbor deep feelings for their friends and not just each other.
Mitsukuni Haninozuka, "Hunni"--a high-school senior whose outward cuteness ("a loli-shota") hides brains, martial arts skills, and the fact that he's actually the oldest of all of the host club members. He shares a bond with his cousin, and best friend, Takashi Morinozuka.
Takashi Morinozuka, "Mori"--the strong, silent type. He is quick to defend his friends, is very thoughtful and very emotional despite his tough outward appearance and constant silence.
Haruhi Fujioka--The bluntly honest hero/heroine of the group. She attends Ouran on scholarship, is the top of her freshman class, and is brutally oblivious to things a "normal" girl might desire or notice. She is stubborn, androgynous, practical and independant...and she's hiding the fact that she's a girl.

---

So, what makes this story different or interesting, it's the characters, nothing more. There are no evil aliens to defeat, there are no psychic powers, no real love story to speak of (until perhaps the later chapters of the manga)...it's a story about teenagers with obstacles, despite the opportunities their wealth, intelligence and familial power affords them. For some of these characters the obstacles are emotional; for others they are circumstantial, based on family, status, goals, and/or desires. Oddly, although this manga/anime is about a group of friends, what it discusses the most is an idea of family. Other big themes in the series center around individuality, loss, and success. The themes themselves are addressed honestly, and realistically, despite the fantasy world of wealth and priveledge in both verisons of the story.

There are some differences though between the two mediums of Ouran...and if I can get Ms. Shakespeare to agree to a debate, I'd be most pleased.