Ouran High School Host Club

Ouran High School Host Club (2011)

Counrty: Japan
Format: drama in 11 episodes
Genre: comedy, school, romance
Cast: Yamamoto Yusuke, Kawauchi Haruna, Daito Shunsuke, Chiba Yudai, Nakamura Masaya, Takagi Shinpei, Takagi Manpei, Ryusei Ryo,
Synopsis: Ouran High School is private school for sons and daughters of wealthy and prestigious families. But Fujioka Haruhi is not like others - she is from commoner family who entered the school with scholarship. One day when she is trying to find a quiet place to learn she stumbles on Ouran High School Host Club. Due to several misunderstandings and shock she accidentally breaks a vase worth 8 million yen. Even though Haruhi is a girl, she looks really boyish and is made to become a member of host club to repay her debt.
Rating: 5/5
I was stunned by the fact how similar the live-action was to anime. They had done some changes in details, left out some side-characters and put one or two anime episodes together, but the similarity stayed amazing. Since the cast was first introduced, I never had any doubts in them. I do not know why, but I believed that they will be able to do it well.

Kawaguchi Haruna played the part of Haruhi. I have seen her before in "Yankee-kun to Megane-chan" live-action, so I knew that one way or another she will pull it off, but I was amazed how well she did it. I was a bit concerned about her appearance as she had to be cute girl Haruhi, 1st day catastrophe and ikemen host. I have heard some people say "Why she did not cut her hair? Why is she wearing a wig? etc". ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY MAKE GIRL CUT HER HAIR WHEN SHE DOES NOT WANT IT! Even if she is an actress, because maybe she had some other contracts that did not allow to cut her hair, like other movie, endorsement, modelling what ever, there are so many reasons to give what we might not know. I think that if the job can be done with wig too, then why not? Sure, it does look fake, but at least it is done. I was not bothered by it, because as well we could be angry at actors make-up.

I think the most difficult part to act was Tamaki, because he is kinda baka delusional narcissistic character, but I just say WOW to Yamamoto Yusuke. I feel that he made a great job showing out what kind of character Tamaki is. I literally had a dream about him last night, so that in the morning Tamaki's remarks and "Haruhiiii~!" were echoing in my head. Even though, Yamamoto Yusuke does not have that one ikemen-factor as some say, I find him extremely handsome and when he was making some Tamaki's flirting action into camera.. well, I was close to heart failure. I am happy that he got the part, because he does not have many lead-roles or super funny characters.
 I was most amazed by Kyouya's character. He was acted by Daito Shunsuke, even though he has

been some side-characters in dramas I have seen before, it is the first time I am able to actually look at him. In anime and manga, Kyouya was not my favorite character, but I fell for him in drama. Daito Shunsuke plays him so well and he looks extremely hot in every outfit. He basically became my number one in drama, which made me sad that his background story was least mentioned. I also find it unexpected that they added Kyouya's feelings to Haruhi for one episode, because from anime it looked like he had the least interest in Haruhi, but throwing this line in just for one episode seemed a bit weird.

One of the most-known fictional twins are of course Hikaru and Kaoru. I felt pity for them, because I can understand them as I have a twin too, whose appearance is rather similar to mine. Nothing is more disrespectful and hurtful than saying "It does not matter which one is which" to twins, because as it is shown in drama too - twins might look similar and might have similar interests, but they are still two different person. Hikaru and Kaoru both are really devilish and most of the time they have really evil thoughts, but Kaoru is a bit more tolerant. Hikaru tends to over-react or think a bit more about himself and Kaoru than about other people. Takagi twins were amazing in their roles and as much as I have seen/heard they have become many viewers favorites.
The last pair to talk about are Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai. Chiba Yudai plays the part of Honey-senpai. As in anime and manga Honey-senpai is shorter than Haruhi, then it was really difficult for

Chiba Yudai, because he is taller than Kawaguchi Haruna. To make him look a shorter he and Haruhi are rarely beside each other and they used a child-actor to make Honey-senpai able to jump on someone, especially on Haruhi. I do find Chiba Yudai as cute as Honey-senpai from anime/manga and the moment when they show "black Honey" was too much for me to handle. That scene showed perfectly that Chiba Yudai is able to act different roles too - "OHSHC" was pretty much his debut. Mori-senpai is acted by Nakamura Masaya. He was just as Mori-senpai is - quiet, quiet and quiet.

Some say that live-action was a bit too much, over-exaggerated, or some characters are too annoying, but for me "Ouran High School Host Club" is it all - it can be viewed as a parody of otaku-culture and I love parodies. Yeah, for anime-fans anime-characters are cuter to watch, but please understand that there are so many things that you can draw but you cannot make it in real life! That's why I was so happy how they had added anime-characteristics into it. Slap stick comedy or not it was funny for me. I have read how some people hate actor-choices and etc, but you do not have to like everything, as long as there is one person that really likes the outcome then I believe that it is well done. Compared to some other live-action, then I say that it is amazing and at least you cannot get a cancer from it.

Ouran High School Host Club ~The movie~ (2012)

Country: Japan
Format: Movie
Genre: comedy, school, romance
Cast: Yamamoto Yusuke, Kawaguchi Haruna, Daito Shunsuke, Chiba Yudai, Nakamura Masaya, Takagi Shinpei, Takagi Manpei, Ryusei Ryo, Mariko Shinoda, Nickhun, Ishikawa Tomohiro,
Synopsis: The adventures of Ouran High School Host Club continue as they have their annual Ouran High School battle between clubs. The situation gets more difficult when there comes a new transfer student Michelle, who takes a great interest in Tamaki.
Rating: 5/5
I watched it at cinema! My country had one anime festival and they showed 2 movies too, but I was unable to watch the other movie.

I was a bit disappointed in the movie, because it was divided into two themes - Michelle's and her brother's relationship and second part was others. I hoped to see more of host club doings, especially TamakixHaruhi things, because in movie Tamaki questions why he has such an urge to kiss Haruhi even though she is his "daughter". Oh, Tamaki and his family ranks. Also under "other things" they will continue to discuss Hikaru's feelings.I have not finished reading manga yet, but as I have heard then Michelle's character and storyline are totally new. Manga contains so many different stories, that's why I do not understand why they had to add new things. Michelle is rather similar to Eclair Tonnerre character in anime/manga. Michelle is played by Shinoda Mariko. An AKB member who actually can act. I really want to see her in "Taisetsu na Koto wa Subete Kimi ga Oshiete Kureta". She has that image that she can act great as portraying bitches, even though I believe that she will be great in cute-girl roles too.
"Ouran High School Host Club Movie" was a Japanese movie-business debut for Nickhun from Korean band 2PM. He plays the part of Lawrence, Michelle's big brother. At first I thought that his English was over-dubbed, but after getting to know Nickhun's past, then "WOWW" I would listen to his English everyday, but only after he has put more emotions into his acting.
Weird English lines and Mariko's accent made movie look a bit ridiculous as Michelle and Lawrence had grown up with English, but Michelle was more fluent in Japanese. Their whole story was a bit out of movie and made it too melodramatic. Other than that it is still full of Ouran wackiness and is super funny. It has been a while since I have heard the whole cinema laughing out loud because of the movie (mostly people just sit and watch without making much noise). I would have wanted to see even more, because it looked just like another episode, which is a bit longer than others.

Nobuta wo Produce (2005)

Country: Japan
Genre: school life, comedy
Format: drama 10 episodes
Cast: Yamashita Tomohisa, Kamenashi Kazuya, Horikita Maki, Toda Erika, Nakajima Yuto, Wakaba Ryuya, Okada Yoshinori, Natsuki Mari, Daito Shunsuke,
Synopsis: Kiritani Shuuji (played by Kamenashi Kazuya) is a popular guy, who wants to appeal to everybody, except Kusano Akira (Yamashita Tomohisa), who Shuuji finds REALLY annoying. There comes a new student into their class - Kotani Nobuko - a girl without selfconfidence. Shuuji and Akira find that they may use their youth to make Nobuko into school´s most popular girl.  
Rating: 5/5

AMAZING!!!! XD THE BEST SCHOOL DRAMA and one of the most famous dramas of all. Many now-addicts have started their drama-addiction exactly with this amazing piece of art! And I consider myself as one of them. I remember clearly how I found it and I must admit that I just read the synopsis and saw Yamashita Tomohisa's and Kamenashi Kazuya's pictures and I was already in love with it. Also this drama led me to Johnny's, who now are a big part of my life (do not say I should get a life! I have totally normal social life!!!).
 Yamashita Tomohisa´s acting is soooooo great - his face expressions and the way he plays Akira are over the top. I know many, who say that he is annoying, but please, people, make a distinction between the actor and the character!Akira is childish, eccentric and has a weird accent, but he is also strong (veery strong - no wonder Yamashita Tomohisa got role as Joe in "Ashita to Joe"), competitive and cuuuuute!

I loved the scenes where Akira showed his manly side, it was like "WOOOOW" O.o (hot!)  Many Yamashita Tomohisa's fans' call the "Nobuta wo Produce" time as "The Akira-period" in Yamashita Tomohisa's life xD For me Akira is definitely the best characther he has ever played. (I think I said the same thing in "Buzzer beat" review about Naoki, but Naoki is like the hottest characther, but Akira is the best in every way) .
Disturbing was that Kamenashi Kazuya was so skinny (Thank god, he has some meat on the bones now.  Otherwise his acting was great too, but I was kinds annoyed by Shuuji's characther. He was faking and cared about his popularity, but not about the people around him. His popularity really shrunk down in the end xD Beside Kamenashi Kazuya talked the same way as in "Tatta hitotsu no koi" and it was really tiring as it is so monotone and sleepy. And Shuuji was put in the place of God, who is superior -.- But I loved him after his popularity had plummeted xD he was much more human then.

Horikita Maki did not have many lines as Nobuta, but she was the best! She gave you the real Nobuta like!! amazing! But I do not understand how Nobuta was able to get into this kind of situation for just that little thing in past. Childhood trauma? abusing, DV and stuff like these leave horrible marks in future, but not misunderstanding some things.. It looked like Nobuta is reaaaally shy, but she had so many times where she was so confident in herself that I almost fell from the chair!
One really important person was the vice-president. She said the things that have a deeper meaning and make people think again about things. I found all other teachers weak and stupid. They must give students the security in school. The school-bullying is a serious problem and teachers should do more about it! It is horrible when you are bullied while there are so many people around you and still no-body helps. (Let's make a world a better place and stand for each other!).
And lastly Toda Erika in role of Mariko. She is soo pretty and her obentos seemed sooo tasteful :P. other stuff under the spoiler review. Sorry

The little things of drama. After watching this you will know exactly how to make "Kon-kon", "Nobuta power", "Akira shock", "Bye-cyclie! -bye-bye-cyclie" and  Kame's kawaii-popular-mode. There are sooo many funny scenes which mostly are lip-ads. It teaches you to end your Japanese date perfectly. Girls just must say: "Kyou wa tanoshi kata desu!" ("It was great today/ I had a great time/ etc. you get the point of it, ne?). I loved the reason why Shuuji's dad married with Shuuji's mom, even though she was mostly abroad. To marry just because then you will have the chance to meet her at least once a year, but otherwise he would not had seen her even for that one time. Sooo cute!!! (all those people who are in this kind of situation and are thinking about a divorce and people who whine that their lovers are not spending enough time with them, should put that by ear!). Further more, Shuuji's mother's name was Kiritani Nobuko, what (dadadaaa)is the same as Nobuta's! The reason why Shuuji's dad screams "NOBU-DA!", was that it was a shortening of "Nobuko darling". Kawaii desu ne? Also you see that one Nobuta gym t-shirt ends up in Africa. Hint-hint Shuuji's mother was social worker in Africa for some time :P (It actually was not mentioned in drama, but I just made my own conclusions)

In the episode of school festival watch for the second, when Shuuji screams "I AM NOT KAMENASHI KAZUYA!". It made me like, "yeah, right you're not!" xD It is tooo funny xD Many of you might not get the November 4th thing in episode 4 - you must know some things about Japanese languaege. If you write 114 (11 = November, 4= the date), then 11 looks like ii-s (same way pronounced "ii") and 4 in Japanese is "yo", which gives you "ii yo" (means something like "great", that's why it is called a great day). Watch out for the ending piggy song "Seishun amigo" by Shuuji to Akira (At first I did not get the point, but it is so adorable and stupid xD) aaa! the song Yamashita Tomohisa is singing in episode 7 is "Oyome ni oide" by Fukuyama Masaharu (Only that Yamashita Tomohisa sings it in slow-version). Also my friend said that in some episodes you can see people dancing far Shuuji&Akira "Seishun Amigo" dance, but I have not seen it myself (so going to look at it xD)

The cute side-characters were James and Shiitaka. I liked James, because he was only half-Japanese and made drama more international-level xD and Shiitaka.. he was just sooo stylish, cute and hot. I so want that Wakaba Ryuya could get his big time! (He actually has acted in many famous things like "GANTZ", "Gokusen 3" and he also acted in "My boss, my hero" and "Sensei wa Erai", which both I have seen, but I cannot remember him at all! :S I think he has not have any lead-roles at all. Okey, he was a lead in "4TEEN", but year then was 2004)
I saw a dream of "Nobuta wo produce" after rewatching it and I woke up with nose-bleed O.o....

SPOILER review: I thought for a long time that Mariko is the bitchest person of all, but she turned out to be the best one. But it was so horrible what Shuuji made to her!!! :S Girl's heart is very fragile and it hurts much, when a guy you like says it is all a lie. I liked her especially in the end, I loved that she became Nobuta's friend,but the real end... that was just O.o weird.. Shuuji and Akira just left her, I know it was her wish and blablablaa, but still! It was a bit... gay-ish (btw. I love gays, so I am not so homofob!) Two guys playing in the sea..?
I cannot understand how people always fell in love with wrong people??!! Nobuta broke even my heart when she choose Shuuji over Akira. Akira was always by her side, but still she started to love the "popular guy who everyone likes" -.- NANDE?? :S it is too sad... I wonder if they were going to ever meet again. I so hope they were xD
I still believe that it might have worked out between Nobuta and Shiitaka.. I would have not mind that in this way xD
and a special thing... AOI IS A CRAZY BITCH!!!!