Ouran High School Host Club, Volume 14 Review

Ouran High School Host Club, Volume 14  

Author: Bisco Hatori

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: July 6, 2010

Format/Genre/Length: Manga/Shonen/192 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Teen

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

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Once Hikaru confesses his feelings to Haruhi during the class trip, he tells her to take her time and bolts from her presence. Tamaki shows up unexpectedly, concerned for his welfare, and Hikaru informs him of what he has done, adding may the best man win. Everyone is invited to the Hitachin family manor for an end of the year party. Will things come to a head there?

Synopsis:

Haruhi comes to the party with Mei. She is still amazed at Hikaru’s confession, particularly that she never saw it coming. A disgusted Mei tells her to shut up, she finds her “cheesey blushing maiden in love” line annoying. Mei tells her that Hikaru is waiting for Haruhi on the balcony. Time to give him her response.

When Hikaru confronts Tamaki with the result of his talk with Haruhi, he assures him that he hasn’t given up. Meanwhile, Tamaki is wrestling with his own demons, caught between his misguided sense of family and his feelings for Haruhi.

Tamaki’s family life has never been easy, born as he was on the wrong side of the blanket, an error that was no fault of his but which has haunted him all his life. His paternal grandmother has never accepted him, nor permitted him to step inside the main Suoh mansion, relegating him to the second mansion. And yet Tamaki remains a very sweet, very caring young man.

He agrees to make a New Year’s shrine visit with the other members of the Host Club  The twins challenge Tamaki and the others to a bet—whoever finds the items that Haruhi likes best from the nearby knick-knack shops win. The time limit is one hour, the dollar amount no more than $10, a budget appropriate for commoners. As Haruhi approaches, the members all scatter, intent on winning the bet.

Tamaki gives Haruhi his gift, and she cherishes it, but he manages to insert his foot into his mouth, and Haruhi is miffed.  She walks away from him in a huff. Seeing someone she thinks she knows, she starts to hail the person, when she finds herself unexpectedly kidnapped.

When Tamaki finds his gift to her lying on the ground, he instantly deduces that Haruhi has been kidnapped. But no one believes him! Can he save Haruhi?

For the first event of the New Year, the Host Club is holding court outdoors, in fine equestrian style. The only member of the club who has no experience with horses and riding is Haruhi .A freak accident lands Tamaki in the hospital. Upon his release, he becomes the object of Miss Kanoya’s attention, feeling guilty for having brought about the accident. She is most attentive to him, in very feminine ways, and Haruhi realizes with a start that Miss Kanoya is everything she is not. And she has Tamaki’s attention.

In an extra episode, we see what Mori does on his day off.

Commentary:

The plot is certainly thickening, and we’re finally getting to the heart of the matter. We’ve definitely come a long way since the series began, and the characters have grown and matured along the way. Haruhi is becoming more and more aware of herself as a woman, and as a maturing adult, the object of interest of young men. The rivalry between Hikaru and Tamaki over Haruhi seems rather one-sided, except to Tamaki, who’s still struggling with his own emerging maturity. It’s easier for us, the readers, to see which way the wind blows. Only a few episodes left for Haruhi and Tamaki to figure things out.

Another great volume of Ouran High School Host Club. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next one.