Let me just start by saying this anime is like the complete opposite of anything I ever watch. I just couldn't decide on something to watch and while I love dark and serious shows that make me think a lot, I wanted a tiny break from that, so I chose this.
The whole thing is about a commoner honor student girl, Haruhi, that gets accepted into this private academy for rich people. She walks into the Host Club room by accident and ends up breaking an expensive vase. Since she can't actually pay them back with money, and they think she is a boy because of her hair and clothes, she is forced to join the club.
At first she is just an erand boy. Then the leader of the club decides to make her a host. On the upside, they give her a free school uniform since she couldn't afford one. She ends up entertaining ladies as a host.
She wasn't trying to change her gender or anything, although her father is a tranny. Before the start of school she had gum stuck in her hair and had to cut it short. She didn't dress really girly at school and was rather flat, so no one knew she was a girl.
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An incident at the host club results in Haruhi getting wet. The boys give her a spare uniform, but the only one they have is a girls uniform. While she is changing, one of the other members walks in and sees that she is not a boy. She doesn't really care whether people think she is a boy or a girl though, but chooses to stay a boy so she can pay off her debt faster.
Two other members of the club, Hikaru and Kaoru, are twins. They are super close and together all the time. They can be trouble. Their angle with the ladies is basically their closeness and like a forbidden love or something. Both of them like Haruhi a lot.
Hikaru and Haruhi actually go on a date, though it turns out rather badly due to Hikaru being jealous of one of her old friends.
Tamaki is the president of the club and rather impulsive. Whether he loves Haruhi in a fatherly/brotherly way or in a I want to date you way, I'm unsure. He refers to himself as Haruhis father a lot though and is always trying to protect her. His angle with ladies is basically being a charming prince.
Kyoya is the vice president and he manages money. He also seems to know everything about everyone. He is caught up in his own issues though. He wants to take over his fathers company but he is the third son. His family has hospitals and health resorts and such. With the ladies he is the "cool type", but I never really noticed much about him.
Hunni and Mori are almost always together. Mori watches out for Hunni. Both are excellent martial artists. Supposedly they are good enough to train soldiers. Yeah, that little blonde kid is a weapon of mass destruction. Mori is the "strong and silent type". He doesn't say much, but the way he cares for Hunni and his own good looks are enough to win over the ladies. Hunni is the "loli-shounen" type. He basically attracts the ladies with his childish ways and cuteness. He is actually 17 I think.
One thing I do like about this anime is the clashing of very separate social classes. It's presented in a comical way, but it does show the differences and how each reacts to the others environment to some extent.
The rich boys are generally clueless about the life of a "commoner". They send Haruhi out to get some things. Of course, she goes to a normal store and buys normal things, including instant coffee. The club has never heard of such a thing and make a big deal out of it. They have her make some for them to try. It becomes the official drink of the club. Oh my gosh. Instant coffee, just put some powder in a cup and add water. This is impressive to these rich boys.
They often try to keep from insulting Haruhi, but they don't always do a good job at it. They go to her apartment and at first think the whole building is Haruhis. Apparently only Kyoya is aware of the existence of apartments. Tamaki finds it isn't as bad as he feared, but it's still a tight squeeze. Tamaki freaks out afraid to embarrass Haruhi and tells them not to say anything. He continues on with trying not to ask for things she may not have and all sorts of things. Of course he is totally overreacting. He is really just unsure of Haruhis situation. Of course, he never thought that a bunch of rich boys in a fancy car showing up in her commoner neighborhood might be embarrassing to her.
Later they also find her on summer vacation where she is helping out and a bed and breakfast. This is the problem with having rich friends who can just hop on their helicopter and fly to wherever you are. They try to help out too, of course none of them have had a job before. Amazingly enough, they all manage to help a tiny bit. Of course, Tamaki failed at fixing a fence and the only thing he did was play piano for the guest. Guess you can't ask for but so much.
The group also learns how to play commoner games, goes to a commoner supermarket, and an expo. Apparently one thing Kyoya doesn't know is how to order at a fast food place. The twins decide that mass produced suits is something to go crazy over.
On the reverse side, Haruhi experiences rich people things. I was kinda disappointed that none of the boys ever had her over to their house though. That could have been a lot of fun. Still, the school is plenty of strangeness for her.
Yearly physicals are nothing like what she is used to and neither is a fair. Desks are far nicer and cafeteria lunches look like they came from a five star restaurant, not that she can afford it.
She gets to go on vacation with the guys too. Apparently it's not easy to get a passport, or at least not in Japan, so she doesn't have one. It doesn't matter though since the boys have plenty of private places in Japan. They go to a water resort belonging to Kyoyas family before it opens, and a private beach.
Whether comical or serious, I always find this theme of different social classes interacting with each others world an interesting one.
I think of an old friend I had at dance when she decided to intern there. Her family wasn't super rich, but they had a maid and she like never wore the same outfit twice so it was rich enough. I was shocked when she asked me how to clean a bathroom and sweep a floor. Like what on earth. We were high school seniors and she had never swept a floor or cleaned a bathroom!!?? The differences are just fascinating to me.
Anyway, that was one thing I did like about the anime. The pointless nonsense I suppose goes with the territory of it being a comedy with a bunch of super rich people. I guess I didn't find a whole lot of it funny, but it was interesting and it didn't send my mind off in a thousand directions.
I can't say I really liked the anime. I probably won't ever watch it again. About half way through I was kind of wishing it would be over, but I didn't want to just not finish it after watching so much of it already.
I did enjoy the last episode though, and not just because it was over. The last episode was a bit more serious, even a tad bit sad at points. Overall though, I say the ending was well done. It may not have been the best anime, but it had a good ending.
I'm not going to rate this anime though. I don't really care for this type of anime so any rating I gave would be brought down just for that fact. I think it says enough that I could actually bare to watch the whole anime and didn't feel like I had been tortured half to death. It was kinda good.
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