☆~Ouran Highschool Host Club RPG~☆

[Ouran Academy]

{{Ouran Academy Motto}: “Lineage counts first; wealth a close second.” This mantra permeates Ouran with students of stellar family backgrounds given entrance priority over those from families of lower social or economic status, regardless of academic ability. All students at the school, however, are expected to be academically proficient and possessing leadership potential. The school accepts international students who meet criteria and offers a full scholarship to one Japanese student each year (per grade level at the high school) who meets the cut score on a notoriously difficult entrance exam, guaranteeing that they will enter Class A upon admission, where they are expected to be Top of the Class each trimester in order to remain enrolled at Ouran.

{{Class Hierarchy}}: At Ouran Academy, students are separated into four classes based on their family's wealth, lineage, influence and their personal intelligence. Basically the Ouran Academy decides their student's classes into their family's pedigree and grades. For example, the Host Club members are all in the A class for their year group, where the students from highly privileged families are placed. The only exception is Haruhi, who gets a special privilege due to her scholarship status.

The order of classes are as followed:

'A' Class - The "Elite" or Honor Roll (Grade + Pedigree Rank 100%) 'B' Class (Grade + Pedigree Rank 70%) 'C' Class (Grade + Pedigree Rank 50%) 'D' Class - Mostly consists of children from Yakuza affiliated families (Grade + Pedigree Rank 20%)

{{School Subjects}}: As the series focuses more on the school's extra-curricular activities, the actual subjects taught at Ouran and the structure of the school day are not directly shown in the anime, nor are any teachers revealed; however, the manga directly reveals two specific classes offered at the academy: Phys Ed and Greek. Additionally, some of the subjects referenced in both media include French, German, Greek, Geography, English, Science, Physics, Chemistry, Math, Japanese History and Modern Literature.

{{Campus Architecture}}: Many of the buildings on school grounds were inspired by famous monuments which include Buckingham Palace, Place de la Concorde and St. Peter's Basilica. In addition, a large portion of the academy's architecture is reminiscent of mid-nineteenth century Paris, France (where the Houshakuji family lives). And it's no accident that most of Ouran's anime architecture is shaded pink with lavender overtones. Pink is the favored color of flirts and teases. The Ouran Host Club does nothing but and their guests, while intrigued, are basically naive and unaware of life's more mature physicality. Lavender is the milder version of purple which bespeaks sophistication and a focus on one's own advancement and, after all, those who attend Ouran Academy are all about moving up in the world.

{{School Uniforms}}: At Ouran Academy, student uniforms indicate grade level and school division: Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle or High School. The anime mimics both style and color from the manga. The dorama, on the other hand, re-envisions the uniforms. It has been speculated that this was due to legal issues arising from competition with another popular shoujo manga-adapted-to-drama called Hana-Kimi (manga) and Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (Ikemen Paradise), a story about a girl pretending to be a boy at an all-boys boarding school; however this has never been proven.

Kindergarten Manga/Anime: Male and female uniforms are identical, though boys wear shorts and girls wear skirts. The top is a short-sleeved, tailored white over-blouse with a salmon sailor-collar and a peach neckerchief. The boys wear salmon shorts and the girls, a salmon pleated skirt and white socks with salmon Mary Jane shoes.

Elementary School Manga/Anime: Boys wear a dark green uniform consisting of short trousers and a double-breasted jacket with lapels, under which is worn a short-sleeved, white shirt and black loosely-bowed tie.

Manga/Anime: Girls wear a two-tone uniform consisting of a pink pleated skirt (hem variable, as long as dress code is followed) with a long-sleeved, white pullover top with pink cuffs and pink bib collar that covers the shoulders front and back, red loosely-bowed tie, white tube socks and dark red Mary Jane shoes.

Middle School Manga/Anime: Boys wear straight black trousers and an ivory, concealed front-closure jacket, with a Nehru collar and dark gold braid; an Ouran Academy seal is sewn onto the left side.

Manga/Anime: Girls wear a brown and white dress with a darker brown loosely-bowed tie decorating the v-neckline (with modesty panel) rising into a nautical-style collar; the dropped waist sits over a pleated skirt which may be short, but not revealing, and black knee-high socks with black Mary Jane shoes.

High School

Boys wear straight black trousers and a pale blue blazer, under which is worn a long or short-sleeved white shirt and black Windsor-knotted silk tie, accented by a narrow purple band running vertically down its center length. An Ouran Academy seal is sewn onto the left breast. Black socks and loafers complete the uniform. Girls wear a yellow fitted-bodice dress with a pointed white collar and red loosely-bowed tie; Juliet sleeves ending in a white cuff; and a skirt that is typically calf-length and somewhat puffy (petticoats used to maintain a bell shape). White tights and black or red Mary Jane shoes complete the uniform.

Natural fabrics, such as wool, cotton and silk, have always been considered first-class. It may be speculated that uniforms vary their fabric with the change of seasons, while retaining their style (e.g. linen vs. wool for the Ouran blazer). One male uniform set costs ¥300,000 ($3,000USD) and is hand-altered by the school tailor. There is some leniency in the dress code. Nekozawa wears a black cloak over his uniform daily. Kasanoda is rarely seen with a tie and often wears his button-up shirt as outerwear. In Chapter 1, before Haruhi has a chance to purchase a uniform, she makes do with a dress shirt and sweater from home; and she dons the same outfit again in Chapter 76 of the manga after the Host Club is disbanded. Color analysis of the Manga/Anime uniforms reveals mindset. Preschool boys and girls wear the same colors - innocent white and peach as the power of red, toned down. Elementary boys are sprouting up in green self-reliance while the girls are blossom-pretty in pink, which seeks acceptance. Middle school ivory for boys suggests innocence moving towards the romantic attitude of brown, which flavors the girls' uniforms. In high school, the boys are true blue (at least for awhile in pastel) while the girls wear pale yellow, a color that suggests submissiveness in love, but also cheerfulness and fun. White and gold trim on everything indicates both purity and royalty. The colors used in the dorama reflect only the costume designer's and art director's specifications. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Music Room 3]

{{Appearance}}: The third music room is actually a suite comprised of three or four rooms within its substantial size. The walls of the music room are covered with marble-inlay panels of differing shapes and sizes. The ceiling is pink and white, and is adorned with bas-relief scrollwork. The double doors to the room are also colored light pink with golden doorpulls that coordinate with the various gold highlight patterns and decorations adorning the walls and ceiling. The main part of the salon is furnished with red upholstered chairs and couches of varying lengths, accompanied by wooden tables suitable for tea and/or coffee service. On each table sits a vase of red roses that are replaced daily. Quite often, the Host Club has a cosplay "theme" and the salon is altered to go along with it. The room also includes a state-of-the-art air-conditioning, ventilation and heating system, controlled by remote, which the Host Club adjusts to reflect their cosplay theme, as deemed necessary. This is best seen in the episode, Ep 02 - The Job of a High School Host!, when the central room is filled to capacity with jungle flora and fauna and the temperatures imitate those found on the island of Bali. The third music room is also shown to be multi-functional and quite mysterious. While It can hold many things (like Honey's napping bed) and is as high-end as all the other rooms in Ouran High School, it also sometimes procures a mysterious doorway that the Black Magic Club, and particularly Umehito Nekozawa, peeks through to scare Tamaki Suoh constantly.

{{Location}}: Ouran Academy's campus is presumed to be taken from the east looking westward. The manga states that Music Room 3 is at the "end of the Northern hallway, top floor of the South Wing." Judging from the views seen via the anime, the most likely location for the salon is indicated by the arrow at right. Since the fountain and pond into which Haruhi Fujioka's bookbag is dumped during Ep 01 - Starting Today, You Are a Host! is not visible anywhere in the image, it may assumed to be either a discontinuity or nestled to the right of the long hallway extending towards the main gate of the campus as estimated by the image of the pond showing a round-domed building in the background, the only one being the one designated in the image.

{{Background}}: Music Room 3 was originally a spare music room at Ouran Academy until Tamaki founded the Ouran Host Club with Kyoya Ootori. Further history regarding the room's use remains unknown. With that said, the instruments in the music room remain, though hidden behind draperies. Haruhi learns this fact in Ep 06 - The Grade School Host is the Naughty Type! when Tamaki reveals the grand piano behind a drapery and upon which he demonstrates for Shiro Takaoji his impeccable musicianship.

{{Themes}}: Throughout the series in both the anime and the manga, the Host Club regularly engages in cosplay, which is wearing costumes to resemble particular characters from well-known pop media sources. They also conduct events with "themes" and/or host events in which they wear special, or matching, garb. Some of these thematic events include:

1. A Southern-Country - This theme is seen in Ep 02 - The Job of a High School Host! and Chapter 02 of the manga. The Hosts wear Balinese royal garb and Music Room 3 is transformed into a lush, tropical jungle with the temperature of the room reflecting the humidity and heat of the island of such an area. Tamaki gets the idea from a travel brochure given to him by Kyoya.

1a. The Dance Party - While not a theme, per se, the Hosts appear in dressy outfits, including Haruhi who is later made to dress up "like a girl." The Dance Party occurs at the end of The Job of a High School Host!

2. Garden Tea Party - This theme is seen in Ep 03 - Beware the Physical Exam! and Chapter 04 of the manga. Tamaki, Kyoya and the twins appear as cafe waiters while Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka, Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninozuka and Haruhi wear yukata. The Host Club conducts their event in an outdoor garden.

3. Japanese Traditional - This theme is seen in Ep 04 - Attack of the Lady Manager! and Chapter 03 of the manga. The Hosts are dressed in kimono designed by the twins' fashion-designer mother, Yuzuha Hitachiin. The Music Room is adorned with traditional Japanese decorations.

4. An Arabian Palace - This theme is seen in Ep 06 - The Grade School Host is the Naughty Type! and Chapter 06 of the manga. The music room is turned into an Arabian palace with Tamaki dressed as an Arabian sheik while the rest of the Hosts dress as Arabian traders and warriors.

5. Brave Knights - This theme is shown in Ep 09 - A Challenge From Lobelia Girls' Academy! The Hosts wear colorful armor and [wikipedia.org/wiki/Musketeer musketeer] ensembles, but the room remains plain. Haruhi does not participate.

5a. The Hostess Club - This secondary theme is also seen in A Challenge from Lobelia Girls' Academy! Except for Mori who wears the garb of a cavalier, the other Hosts (minus Haruhi) are decked out in ball gowns and full makeup. In the manga, the twins and Honey are the only ones dressed as girls. Tamaki calls this "The Sweetie Campaign," designed to convince Haruhi to stay at Ouran Academy.

6. Law Enforcement - This theme is seen in Ep 11 - Big Brother is a Prince! The Hosts (minus Haruhi) wear uniforms from various police groups and ranks. The room lacks decoration except for what seems to be an interrogation set up, where Haruhi is cross-examined by Kyoya.

7. The Heian Era - This theme is shown in Ep 14 - Covering the Famous Host Club! The Hosts are dressed in garb from the Heian era. The event is held in an outdoor garden made to look as it might have appeared during said era.

8. Halloween Vampires - This theme is seen in Ep 21 - Until the Day It Becomes a Pumpkin! The Hosts (minus Haruhi and the Hitachiin twins) are dressed as elegant vampires and the music room features Halloween decor.

9. The Edo Era - This theme is seen in Ep 22 - Mori-senpai Has an Apprentice Candidate! The music room is decorated to look like the Ikedaya Inn, a famous place in samurai history. The Hosts wear matching samurai garb and forehead protectors, with Tamaki dressed as the leading shinsengumi warrior.

10. The Ouran Fair - This theme is seen in Ep 25 - The Host Club Declares Dissolution! The Hosts appear in two different formal outfits - the first being matching serving outfits with vests and bowties, the second being matching tuxedos with tailcoats. The event takes place in the Central Salon of Ouran Academy which is open to the general public during the Ouran Fair.

11. 18th-Century French Nobility - This theme is seen in Ep 26 - This is Our Ouran Fair! All the Hosts (minus Tamaki) appear as 18th century French nobility for the final day of the Ouran Fair. Haruhi is dressed in feminine garb. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Black Magic Club]

{{Background}}: The Nekozawa clan worships cat figures and supposedly has roots in the occult. However, Nekozawa and the other members seem to have very limited knowledge of such things. For example, all of Reiko's "curses" on Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninozuka are simple 'tween love spells, such as writing his name on a mirror with nail polish or tying two strands of their hair in a knot. The Hosts don't take the attempts seriously, but Reiko and Nekozawa are convinced they are dangerous curses that will steal Honey's "soul." A cat-shaped curse doll has been used to hex other students, as in Ep 05 - The Twins Fight! when Kaoru Hitachiin purchases one from Nekozawa in order to fake a curse on Hikaru Hitachiin. In Chapter 41, Reiko gives one to Ritsu Kasanoda when he does not provide information about her crush on Honey. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Lobelia Girls' Academy]

{{Lobelia Girls' Academy}}: Lobelia Girls' Academy is a private school for girls located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. It offers education from elementary school through junior college. The middle school and high school have dormitories to house students who do not live close enough to commute to school. The school's charter stresses charity and chastity as their virtues. Lobelia Girls' Academy is referred to as the rival school of Ouran Academy and its theatrical Zuka Club is seen as the equivalent of the Ouran High School Host Club, although its members see themselves as superior not only to the Host Club, but to men in general. This attitude, among other factors, contributes to the assumption that members of the Zuka Club (and many of the students at Lobelia) are lesbians. The Lobelia uniform is the same for all students of the school, regardless of grade level. It consists of a slim-waisted maroon jumper, topped by a 3/4 sleeved white-and-maroon nautical style blouse adorned by an elaborate ivory bow. The outifit is completed by ivory knee-socks and black pumps. The academy runs pre-school to high school classes. When the students are in middle-school to high-school, the student lives in a dormitory. The Lobelia Girls' Academy is known for its prestigious performing art programs which occasionally tour Japan performing live shows in concert. They also preform at Ouran Academy annually during the Cultural Arts Fair.

{{The White Lily League and Zuka Club}}: The White Lily League is an organization at Saint Lobelia Girls' Academy which offers social activities similar to those of the Ouran Host Club at Ouran Academy (without the cosplay and auctions). The Zuka Club is a subdivision within the League that performs plays and musicales for the student body. The President of both organizations is Benio "Benibara" Amakusa whose zealous followers call themselves the Lady Benibara fan club with the other officers are Chizuru "Suzuran" Maihara and Hinako "Hinagiku" Tsuwabuki.

{{Club Activities}}: The White Lily League's activities include a "Girls' Tea Party" where discussions are held about what it means to be a girl and to develop pride of gender (aka the Maiden Debate forum). All members are expected to attend the Zuka Club's performances where top members perform in musical revues.

{{Members}}: Benio "Benibara" Amakusa Chizuru "Suzuran" Maihara Hinako "Hinagiku" Tsuwabuki

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[Haruhi Fujioka]

{{Appearance}}: Before Haruhi attends Ouran Academy, she is described as an average girl as seen in flashbacks when she had long hair and wore a girl's uniform. However, upon enrolling at the prestigious school, her image changes drastically. When Haruhi is first introduced in the anime, she sports a nerdy, androgynous look that differs greatly from her middle-school appearance. Having gotten gum in her hair just before the school year begins, she cuts it short. Being unable to afford the expensive Ouran uniform, she wears shapeless, baggy clothing. With her messily-styled hairdo, large glasses (which once belonged to her grandfather) and masculine clothing, she is assumed to be a boy. Apart from the few times that she dons a wig during cosplay, Haruhi resembles a short boy with cropped brown hair. Her female clients often comment on her eyes, pointing they're feminine. Haruhi is sometimes likened to her deceased mother, Kotoko Fujioka. This resemblance is particularly notable when she dresses up as a female during some of the Host Club's schemes and events. Just before she leaves Japan to study in America, her biological gender is revealed as female in the manga, and though most students are initially disbelieving, they quickly accept and embrace the idea. Haruhi's appearance outside of school varies. She often wears simple tee-shirts and Bermuda shorts or a feminine dress coupled with jeans. Her father, Ryouji "Ranka" Fujioka, is persistent in his attempts to have Haruhi dress more in more feminine garb, but adores his daughter nonetheless. After Haruhi leaves for America, she grows her hair out until it reaches its original length, keeping it long throughout college. Haruhi's rose color in the Host Club is red. In Japanese culture, this signifies life and romance, an apt color for the heart and lifeblood of the series. In Western culture, the red rose is a symbol of beauty and perfection, which is how the Host Club boys view her. Throughout most of the world, the red rose symbolizes true romance and a loving heart.

{{Personality}}: Haruhi self-identifies as a biological female; however, she believes that gender is irrelevant in how a person is perceived or how their roles in society should be met, making her a non-conforming female. Her dressing as a boy and accompanying boyish behavior and speech at school is due to circumstances, versus gender dysphoria. She is blunt in her communication, seeing no point in being less than completely honest. Her insight into the motives of others' behavior is keen, though she is clueless about her own feelings, particularly when it comes to those of physical attraction or romance. Having been raised under less affluent circumstances than her classmates at Ouran Academy, she displays more practical and responsible qualities, and is not easily swayed by the Host Club's charms. Even when she first meets the boys, she only reacts nervously instead of becoming instantly infatuated like other girls. Haruhi also has a deeper voice than other female students, has short hair and dresses in an androgynous style most of the time; thus, she is not easily recognized as female. Although she may be unflappable under normal circumstances, she suffers from Brontophobia, which terrifies her to the point of paralysis. Apart from this, she tends to have a peaceful nature, refuses to shirk work and is crazy about gourmet food, especially ootoro, which is sometimes used as a bribe to involve her in the Host Club's crazier schemes. Without such bribery, however, Haruhi is described as "apathetic," especially when it comes to making decisions and, particularly, in regards to the Host Club itself. She is also rather oblivious when it comes to her own emotions, an example of this being her unawareness of her developing feelings for Tamaki Suoh over the course of the manga. Upon being designated a Host, she becomes an immediate hit with the guests due to her conversational skills and charming smiles, gaining her the title of the "Natural" type. Though often exasperated with her fellow club members, she cares deeply for them, in her own way. In return, the boys are quite protective of their "secret princess" and regard her with respect and affection in spite of any antics they may demonstrate. Haruhi is born under the star sign of Aquarius, the Water Bearer. The positive traits of this sign are honesty, curiosity, innovation and amiability; the negative traits being inconsistency, disinclination, detachment, inefficiency and deviation tendencies (as evidenced by her non-conformist beliefs about masculinity/femininity).

{{Family}}: The Fujioka Family includes: Haruhi, Ryouji and Kotoko (deceased). Ryouji and Kotoko meet when he is only 19 and she is several years older. Although Ryouji lacks a job, Kotoko doesn't care and they soon marry and have a child. However, when Haruhi is only five years old, Kotoko dies from an unspecified illness. Despite her death, Haruhi and Ryouji still value Kotoko in their lives and Haruhi still looks up to Kotoko as her role model in life. Ryouji is Haruhi's cross-dressing father who works as a professional entertainer and asks that the Hosts call him by his stage name, Ranka. He is a doting and over-energetic parent, which contrasts greatly with his daughter's dry and disinterested nature, but which is quite similar to Tamaki's emotional nature. Although the two love each other dearly, Haruhi tends not to openly express her feelings, while her father is quite the opposite. When he first meets Tamaki, Ryouji is less than impressed, but gradually comes to accept him. In later chapters, it is seen that he enjoys teasing the blond as evidenced in manga Volume 17's omake, where he and Yuzuru Suoh team up to prank Tamaki while he's visiting Ryouji to ask for his Haruhi's hand in marriage. Kotoko is Haruhi's deceased mother, who passed away when Haruhi was five years old from an unspecified illness. She does not appear in the manga and anime series apart from Haruhi's flashback in Ep 10 - A Day in the Life of the Fujioka Family! and photographs. Kotoko is often described by Ryouji as a beautiful and smart woman, as well as a great cook. She serves as Haruhi's role model as evidenced by Haruhi's decision to follow in her mother's footsteps and become an attorney-at-law. She is remembered as having lived to make her family happy and, due to this selfless behavior, Haruhi and Ryouji speak highly of her memory. She was known to be popular and well-known at her Law School and is revered as a former Zuka Club fan by Ryouji, who keeps a box of Kotoko's Zuka memorabilia in a closet. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Tamaki Suoh]

{{Appearance}}: Being a hafu (Japanese by his father and French by his mother), Tamaki has the pale-blond hair inherited from his mother. In the manga, it's mentioned to be a bit brownish. In the anime, his eye color is violet, but in the manga it’s blue. He is tall and slender in build. When not at school, he prefers to wear haute couture clothing. His good looks and charm often allow him to win over others and he is known by the rest of his club members as Tono (i.e. King/Boss), with a 70% request rate by the female guests. He enjoys cosplay and does so with the Club, often. He is able to cry without the use of eyedrops (which he claims to be the mark of a true Host) and his appearance is often compared to the president of the Black Magic Club, Umehito Nekozawa, whose natural features also include blond hair and blue eyes. Tamaki's rose color in the Host Club is white. In Japanese culture, this signifies innocence, which manifests itself in Tamaki's general naiveté. In Western culture, the white rose is symbolic of happiness in love. This is ironic insofar that, although he genuinely strives to provide his female customers with happiness in their love pursuits, he himself is unable to recognize his own love for Haruhi Fujioka until the near-finale of the manga and only marginally in the anime's final episode.

{{Personality}}: Tamaki is credited as the co-founder and president of the Host Club. Although his outward manner would be best described as flamboyant, egotistical and dramatic he is, in fact, a young man dedicated to his studies, his friends, and his duties as a host. He is considered the "Princely" type, entertaining his female clients with upper-class etiquette and shameless flattery. He views the club as his "family" with himself as the father, Kyoya Ootori as the mother, Haruhi Fujioka as the daughter, Hikaru Hitachiin and Kaoru Hitachiin as the sons, and Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninozuka and Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka as the neighbors. As the main comic relief character of the series, Tamaki is portrayed as outspoken and naive for his age. Throughout the anime and manga series, his facial expressions are the most exaggerated. While celebrating romance in general, he is quite blind to his own feelings of romantic love towards Haruhi, of which the other Hosts are completely aware. Of all the Hosts, Tamaki's "host" personality differs the most from his true personality insofar that he is both poised and charming as a Host, but often bumbling and attention-seeking outside of that milieu. His desire to please the Host Club's female guests, however, is genuine to the point that he denies to himself and everyone else his love for Haruhi in order to keep the Host Club up and running. Despite his childish attitude, he is highly intelligent, easily ranking second in Class 2-A, the top spot being held by his best friend and Host Club co-founder, Kyoya. It is also shown that he does not put much effort into his studies (e.g. watching TV in the middle of the night before a quiz), hinting that his academic standing may not originate from hard work but superior intelligence. Although there are instances where he demonstrates brilliant insights that surprise many, he still remains a goofball and a flirt most of the time. He is, at heart, a generous and kind person. Two examples of his kindness are when he helped a man find his daughter and he comforted Haruhi when he found that she was afraid of thunderstorms. Tamaki is born under the star sign of Aries, the Ram. The positive traits of this sign are adventurousness, courage, versatility, liveliness and passion; the negative traits being arrogance, stubbornness, impulsivity, a lack of discipline, a tendency towards being confrontational and a tendency to leave projects midway.

{{Family}}: Tamaki is the only child of Yuzuru Suoh, Chairperson of Ouran Academy's Board of Directors and Anne-Sophie de Grantaine, a kind-hearted Frenchwoman with whom Yuzuru falls in love during a business trip to Paris. Tamaki grows up in France, living with his mother in the de Grantaine mansion and known as René. Yuzuru visits regularly bringing books and DVDs in Japanese in order for Tamaki to become familiar with the language. Due to Tamaki's illegitimacy, Shizue Suoh, the matriarch of the Suoh family, arranges for René to live in Japan in the second mansion, offering Anne-Sophie financial security and health care in return for custody of the then fourteen-year old boy, who is known in Japan as Tamaki. Yuzuru is the patriarch of the Suoh family and the father of Tamaki. However, his power is limited by his mother's iron control over the Suoh holdings. Despite his status as Chairman, Yuzuru can do nothing to help his son reconcile with the stern old woman. It should be noted that Tamaki's father defied his mother only once, when he broke off his marriage with his mother's choice for his wife to be with Tamaki's mother. Later, in Volume 9 of the manga, it is revealed that Yuzuru knows where Anne-Sophie is located following her "disappearance," but keeps this to himself to allow Shizue time to reconcile with her grandson. At the conclusion of both the anime and the manga, it is shown that he wishes for his son to marry Haruhi, in opposition to Yoshio Ootori's desire for her to become Kyoya's bride. Although Tamaki's looks come from his mother, his charming nature is much like his father's. In his father's presence, however, Tamaki is quite serious, though the same cannot be said of the opposite. In fact, in the manga, Yuzuru is portrayed as someone who teases his son whenever the chance arises. Examples of this in the manga include sending his son "red herrings" in the middle of an investigation and telling tall tales about ninjas. Anne-Sophie is Tamaki's mother who voluntarily separates herself from her son and her beloved Yuzuru and she resides in France. She originally meets Yuzuru while he's in Paris on a business trip, falling in love with him and bearing him a son. However, when Tamaki is born, she and her son are forbidden by Shizue Suoh to return to Japan with Yuzuru. Instead, she raises Tamaki in France until he is fourteen, at which point Tamaki's grandmother offers Anne-Sophie financial security in return for relinquishing all control and visiting rights over her son to her. Anne-Sophie accepts this offer because she is ill and fears for her son's future, going into hiding after Tamaki's departure. In the manga, during a 2nd-year school trip to France, Kyoya finds her and discovers that she is living quite healthily and thinking of her son every day. Anne-Sophie suffers with lupus erythematosus. Eventually, mother and son are reunited in Japan and it is shown that the Suoh family establishes a friendly bond with Ryouji "Ranka" Fujioka in the manga. Shizue is the Suoh matriarch and controls all of the Suoh holdings, including their personal finances; she is also Tamaki's grandmother and Yuzuru's mother. When she is widowed at a rather young age, she forces Yuzuru into an arranged marriage and makes him the Suoh patriarch (in name only) in order to strengthen the Suoh Family's position in both social and business circles. Though it is unknown what she was like prior to this time, it seems that succeeding events caused her to become bitter and mean, and one of the only people that Honey hates. It's no secret that she resents both Anne-Sophie and Tamaki, often calling her grandson a "filthy child" and refusing to acknowledge either him or his mother. He is also forced to reside at the second estate, as Shizue does not want an illegitimate child in the same house as her. However, because of Tamaki's kindness and true desire to befriend and be close to his grandmother, her heart softens and she comes to love and acknowledge the boy. Over time, she also comes to accept Tamaki's mother because of the generous spirit Tamaki has demonstrated despite hardship. In the manga, it is through Haruhi and her friends' intervention and mediation that Shizue comes to terms with Anne-Sophie and Tamaki to the point that Shizue asks Tamaki to apologize to Anne-Sophie on her behalf, as well as insist that Tamaki see his mother off. Shizue remarks that she finds Haruhi an interesting girl and she supports Tamaki's decision to marry her. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Kyoya Ootori]

{{Appearance}}: Kyoya has short black hair that is carefully styled and brownish-grey eyes. He is tall, thin and wears slim, rimless glasses which flash whenever he is scheming, being smug or funny, angry or secretly frightened, though this trait is not limited to these emotions. He also has a habit of pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose or adjusting them somehow when seeking to clarify an idea. Like the other Hosts, he prefers designer wear with his fashion sense leaning towards a modern classic look interspersed with trendy items of clothing. He is always impeccably groomed, dressed appropriately for any occasion, and is naturally stylish and neat, though he appears rumpled and disheveled upon awakening in Ep 17 - Kyoya's Reluctant Day Out! when forced to join the other club members in order to tour a commoner mall. Kyoya's rose color in the Host Club is lavender. In Japanese culture, this signifies privilege and wealth, which Kyoya possesses. In Western culture, the purple rose is a symbol of enchantment and love at first sight. As the "Cool" type, Kyoya is exceedingly charming and it should be noted that Renge Houshakuji falls in love with his photograph before ever meeting him.

{{Personality}}: Kyoya is a calm and logical guy who has superior intelligence. He also can come across as rather detached, and sometimes threatening when need be. He is a diligent secretary for the club and tracks continuous data on the club's guests and fortunes through his netbook, tablet or notebook. He is very fond of his best friend, Tamaki Suoh, giving him free rein when it comes to implementing his ideas for the club. He gets along with Haruhi Fujioka and they often chat, both being level-headed people of equivalent intelligence and low emotionality. He is from the wealthy and influential Ootori family, which manages a health care zaibatsu. His family is extremely well-known in their chosen field and employs a private police force called The Black Onion Squad. Though equally qualified to become patriarch of the Ootori family, he feels overshadowed by his two older brothers, who are far more likely to inherit their family's mantle than he. However, despite the circumstances, he has confidence in his own abilities and finds the situation to be more of an interesting game than a roadblock. He prefers to sleep late, often due to business and schoolwork keeping him up until the wee hours. He also suffers from hypotension, which makes rising difficult. In Kyoya's Reluctant Day Out!, he chastises the other Hosts for waking him up because he himself did not fall asleep until 5 a.m. He is called the "Low Blood Pressure Lord" by his friends due to the murderous aura he emits whenever they wake him up loudly or prematurely and because of his generally bad mood in the morning. Kyoya's keen business acumen lends itself to handling all the financial and planning aspects of the Host Club, from managing budgets to selling off merchandise in order to keep the club solvent, while still funding Tamaki Suoh's extravagant schemes. His manner in dealing with clients is self-assured and charming, and he is said to be the "Cool" type. He uses his wiles as a Host to entertain guests while simultaneously earning the club money through events, online auctions of personal Host objects, fanzines and doujinshi. As a complete foil to Tamaki, even in appearance, he often realizes things Tamaki or the others are too naive to understand, keeping the information to himself for his own amusement or to watch things play out in order to determine how best to help the other members. He is the "Mommy" to Tamaki's "Daddy" position in the club, though he eschews the title in relation to Haruhi Fujioka in the anime; while in the manga, he sometimes uses the title to his advantage. He is very polite to people who are in power or related to it and claims he only helps people who can benefit him somehow. Haruhi finds this to be untrue when they spend time together at a mall. While there, Kyoya prevents a woman from being scammed and tells Haruhi that he did so because he knew she was the wife of a family business client due to a ring she wore. Haruhi disputes his being able to see the ring and chides that Kyoya is a lot like Tamaki - a good person who willingly helps others out of his own free will, but different in that he prefers to maintain an indifferent facade.

{{Star Sign Controversy}}: There has long been a controversy regarding under which "star sign" Kyoya was born. Early in the manga, Bisco Hatori lists Kyoya as a Scorpio, but later changes his birthday to November 22nd, thus changing his star sign. Yet, even there, fans debate whether he is a Scorpio or a Sagittarius. From an astrological standpoint, his birthday of November 22nd falls on the cusp of both Scorpio (the Scorpion) and Sagittarius (the Archer), thus giving him a combination of traits from either sign, although the Scorpion traits tend to be emphasized. Nonetheless, the positive traits of Scorpio are determination, fearlessness, poise, loyalty, ambition and intuition; the negative traits being jealousy, secretiveness, resentment and a controlling nature. The positive traits of Sagittarius are intellectual capacity, independence, wit and a healthy sense of competition; the negative traits being a tendency to be brutally honest and easily bored.

{{Family}}: Kyoya is the youngest of the Ootori siblings and the third son of Yoshio Ootori, the patriarch of the wealthy Ootori family. Although he is neither the heir apparent nor the next-in-line in regards to the family's succession, he has commented that attempting to become the heir apparent is "an exciting game," and that he plans to outshine his brothers when the moment is right. The Ootori family is well-known in the health care business, which follows the zaibatsu management model. Historical note: This form of corporate management has fallen out of favor in modern-day Japan, replaced by what is known as the keiretsu, or subsidiary management, which unifies related businesses without a single, all-encompassing controlling family or person. An example of a zaibatsu that has since become a keiretsu is the Mitsubishi Group. Yoshio is the patriarch of the Ootori family and Kyoya's father. Although his youngest son tries hard to please him, he acts in a callous and uncompromising manner towards him, even going as far as to slap his son in public when he learns of Kyoya's role as Director of the Host Club, which he deems frivolous. His need to control all aspects of his life extends to his four children, whose futures he maps out according to his own whims. The matter of Kyoya's future as the heir apparent is not established by Bisco Hatori, who felt it was always a future matter; however, it it implied to be a possibility in the manga. In the anime, Yoshio is both shocked and amused when he learns of Kyoya's involvement in preventing the hostile take-over of Ootori Medical by the Tonnerre family, and the subsequent and anonymous return of the company to him by someone with the initials K.O. (both Kyoya's initials and a play on the phrase "Knock-Out"). Yoshio also states, in the anime, that Haruhi would make a good wife for his son and that Tamaki is also a positive influence on Kyoya. It should be noted that he is the business partner of Renge's father. Kyoya's mother is only referred to in Chapter 48 of the manga when, during the sports tournament, Kyoya comments that both of his parents are at work and unable to attend. Note: While the anime suggests her presence in Kyoya's Reluctant Day Out!, the subbed version (and more reliable translation) makes it clear that the comments expressed regarding Kyoya are made by a guest. Yuuichi is Kyoya's eldest brother and only appears in the family portrait depicted in the anime, and occasionally in the manga. He is a graduate of Medical School and is already working with his father at the same hospital. Although his youngest brother sees him as the next patriarch of the Ootori family because of his first-born status, Kyoya is willing to challenge this assumption through his own efforts. Akito is the second son in the Ootori family and, like Yuuichi, only appears in the family portrait depicted in the anime; in the manga, however, he contributes significantly to its storyline. As an undergraduate of Medical School and aiming to achieve a Master's Degree in Business Administration after becoming a doctor to assist Yuuichi, it could be said that he has quite a lot of expertise; however, he lacks the amibition to compete against his elder brother. He also obsessively scrutinizes Kyoya's and his friends' lives whenever they set foot into the Ootori household. Fuyumi is the third (or conjectured fourth) of the four children in the Ootori family and the only daughter. In the anime, she appears in Ep 24 - And So Kyoya Met Him! during Kyoya's flashbacks regarding his early days with Tamaki and has been shown to genuinely care about her younger brother. Although she appears to be somewhat lacking in housework and organization, she seems to be a kind-hearted person who tries her best. In the manga, it is revealed that she is in an arranged marriage with a man of the surname Shidou, though they are happily in love. When she returns home for a short visit, her father scolds her, as if to say that her place is no longer in their house. In the manga, she and Tamaki are pursuing a tour of commoners' food together. There are the three men that act as Kyoya's personal guard, charged with safeguarding Kyoya's life when he is off-campus or off-estate. The first guard, Seizaburo Tachibana, is 39 years old and a serious-albeit-neurotic family man (having a wife and daughter), who collects Kyoya's discarded items, like the daily calendar Tamaki gave Kyoya as a gift. The second guard, Aijima, is 45 years old and is a calm man and a good cook, married to his expectant wife. The third guard, Hotta, is 35 years old and has no children. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Takahashi “Mori” Morinozuka]

{{Appearance}}: Mori is an imposing figure that is made all the more so by his wild appearance, possessing a very tall build and strong body, spiky black hair, dark grey eyes and a darker skin tone than the other Hosts. He is noted to wear the typical Ouran Academy blazer unbuttoned on most occasions, and is rarely ever seen without Honey walking by his side or perching on his shoulders. Mori's rose color in the Host Club is deep blue. In Japanese culture, blue signifies loyalty; Mori demonstrates this quality when it comes to Honey, his studies, and the Host Club. In Western culture, a truly blue rose does not occur naturally; however, in art, it signifies attainment of the impossible with a secondary meaning of prosperity. Mori's "unattainable" is Haruhi (though never directly stated) and an omake reveals that he does indeed live a prosperous life and continues to do so in the future.

{{Personality}}: In the anime and through most of the manga, Mori only speaks when something needs to be said, his intelligence and observant nature taking in much more than many of the people around him realize. This makes him a wise adviser to those who seek his counsel or need it subconsciously. In the manga, he speaks frequently, possibly because of the greater distance presented between himself and his best friend and cousin, Honey. His protective nature extends not only to Honey but to his friends and classmates, as well. He is extremely well-respected and well-liked by everyone who knows him; however, when tired, he can become talkative and somewhat flirtatious, which surprises those unaccustomed to this side of his personality. Mori is quite loyal and generous, especially in regards to Honey and the female host, Haruhi. This is demonstrated in his willingness to assist them in whatever they need without a second thought and without ever appearing subservient or uncertain of his individuality. In the anime episode Ep 22 - Mori-Senpai Has An Apprentice Candidate, 1st-year student Ritsu Kasanoda - the third generation heir of the Kasanoda-gumi (a yakuza gang), seeks Mori's advice on making friends because, despite his intimidating appearance, he appears to have many. In Chapter 51 of the manga, Hikaru Hitachiin is shown to stay the night at Mori's home. While there, Mori is shown to be rather blunt in addressing Hikaru's issues. Mori is born under the star sign of Taurus, the Bull. The positive traits of this sign are generosity, dependability, down to earth nature, patience, independence and persistence; while the negative traits are stubbornness, indolence, materialism, possessiveness and frugality.

{{Family}}: The Morinozuka family line extends into antiquity for as long as the Haninozuka family line and the families' histories are closely intertwined. Although the Morinozuka originally served as helpmates to the Haninozuka, marital ties and the subsequent blending of bloodlines have forged a unique tie with the Haninozuka. It is no secret that Honey and Mori are incredibly close; most scenes in which each appears are shared with the other. The two hosts are cousins by marriage and their families have a long-standing history. Mori is very protective of Honey and feels responsible for each thing that can (and does) go wrong for him. This can be seen when Honey gets a cavity in Ep 12 - Honey's Three Bitter Days! wherein the loli-boy gets a cavity and must give up sweets. Mori is very strict in limiting candy and cake, but feels that he is at fault for failing to remind Honey to brush his teeth, leading him to pick a fight with the loli-shota as a means of self-punishment. Mori's supportive nature of Honey is observed in subtle references and behaviors but is best seen during Ep 20 - The Door the Twins Opened! when Honey discovers that Tamaki Suoh has invited both he and Mori into the Host Club. He tells Mori that Tamaki says, "it's okay for me to like cute things" and "it's okay for me to like cake. I'm not sure what to do." When Mori replies, "Do whatever you want, Mitsukuni. It's no big deal", he shows that his loyalty lies not in family blood ties but with Honey, himself. Another telling moment occurs in the manga, just before graduation, when Mori challenges Honey to a duel so he can say what is on his mind without feeling guilty for criticizing his friend. Honey agrees knowing exactly why and what is at stake. Mori wins by catching Honey in mid-air and placing him out of bounds. After winning, he pulls out a list of things that Honey is required to do in college, one of which is to not bring Usa-chan along. While relationship sometimes appears to be master-servant in tone, it is truly balanced and even sibling-like with Mori behaving like an older brother. In Chapter 40 of the manga, Tamaki had inquired him on whether he ever felt like kissing Honey, due to his own conflicting feelings, to which he refused, but at the end of the chapter, it is revealed that he feels guilty, and he thinks about how maybe he should've lied and say that he does think about kissing Honey. Satoshi is a manga-only character and the younger brother of Mori. Satoshi is shown to idolize his brother, whom he calls Taka-kun; however, apart from the times when Takashi is tired and acts "refreshingly," he is radically different from his brooding sibling. Although Mori reciprocates the care that his younger brother shows him, he is not afraid to correct him when Satoshi acts rudely or misbehaves ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Hikaru Hitachiin]

{{Appearance}}: When not seen in the typical Ouran Academy uniform, Hikaru prefers to wear outlandish designer clothing, but still dresses a bit different than Kaoru. His short and somewhat-messy hair is depicted as auburn. At a point in the manga, he dyes his hair dark brown to differentiate himself from his twin, Kaoru. In the anime, he is shown to dye his hair pink in order to differentiate himself from his twin after a fight, and later alters it to powder blue to confuse the female customers in the Host Club (though Haruhi saw through their trickery). Hikaru tends to part his hair to the right, while Karou parts his to the left. Although they tell Tamaki that they switch it on a daily basis, the parting of their hair is generally consistent, unless they are deliberately attempting to confuse others. Both twins possess amber-colored eyes, a thin face and pale skin. In many cases, the older twin stands on the right side, which Hikaru does. Hikaru's rose color is light blue. In Japanese culture, blue signifies loyalty. Hikaru is incredibly loyal to Kaoru, even to his own detriment in terms of personal growth. In reality, the blue rose does not exist in nature; but in art signifies attainment of the impossible. Hikaru's love for Haruhi is never actualized; she is unattainable as is his complete individuation from Kaoru during the series. The pastel nature of the color reflects a less intense affect on the character, as in a child or adolescent.

{{Personality}}: Hikaru and his younger twin, Kaoru, are first introduced when Haruhi stumbles upon the Host Club. As the classmates of Haruhi, both Hitachiins are major rivals to Tamaki's romantic interest for the female Host, which causes a humorous amount of friction between the President and the twins. It has been shown that although their looks are identical, Hikaru's character differs greatly from that of Kaoru's, and he is more dependent on his brother than the reverse. The Hitachiin twins are categorized as the "Little Devil" types and as such, are perceived as mischievous troublemakers (though not malevolent). Their selling point in the Host Club is their "Forbidden Brotherly Love" package, which has them acting out twincestuous schticks for the entertainment of their female customers. A common game they love to play is the "Which One Is Hikaru? Game", which involves the twins disguising their hair with identical caps and then asking people to guess which one is Hikaru. Only Haruhi gets it correct, with logical reasons for her doing so. Her ability to see them as unique individuals is one of the reasons they both develop romantic feelings for her, which results in the twins taking her out on separate dates (though the anime only shows Hikaru's). Because of his immaturity in dealing with others, Hikaru is childishly over-possessive of each club member. An example of this occurs during Ep 16 - Operation Haruhi and Hikaru's First Date! wherein Hikaru becomes jealous of Haruhi's childhood friend, Arai. Haruhi slaps him when he becomes rude, and he runs away with Kaoru chasing after. Another example of this is in the manga, when Hikaru becomes annoyed at Haruhi's constant chatter about Tamaki and his family situation. He storms off yet again, with Kaoru following once more. In the end, it is Kaoru who helps Hikaru understand his romantic feelings for Haruhi despite his own. Hikaru is born under the star-sign of Gemini, the Twins. The positive traits of this sign are adaptability, versatility, enthusiasm, eloquence, wit and intellectualism; the negative traits being inconsistency, superficiality, indecisiveness, lack of focus and nervousness. There is speculation about whether Hikaru and Kaoru each possess all traits or if the traits are split between them to create a "good" twin and an "evil" twin.

{{Family}}: The Hitachiin family cannot be described as a cohesive family unit, as they do not spend much time together. Both Hikaru and Kaoru often mention that their parents work a lot and, as a result, cannot be there for them. This leads them to rely and depend only each other, hence their somewhat self-isolating tendencies. The younger of the twins and the more moderate of the two, Kaoru willingly helps Hikaru understand himself and others better. Although the two care for and respect Haruhi (as she was the first one to truly enter their world), they 'lose' her to Tamaki. Despite his frequent innuendos and teasing, Hikaru has been shown to be very protective of his younger twin. Before the Hitachiin twins joined the Host Club, both Hikaru and Kaoru are socially awkward and inseparable, but gradually, they begin to open up to people. Although their brotherly bond is strong in both the manga and anime series, both storylines end up with the twins seeking greater independence for themselves. Though Kaoru is the one to initiate their independence, it is Hikaru who validates their independence by dyeing his hair a darker shade of brown so people can easily tell them apart. Hikaru's mother, Yuzuha Hitachiin, is a famous fashion designer of her own company. Hikaru's savvy fashion sense, appearance and personality come from his mother (though he and Kaoru once jokingly mentioned that they fear for their future, due to their inherited shyness from their father). A running gag in the manga is the fact that Yuzuha constantly confuses them. Tired of correcting her, the twins allow her to call them by either name, even though it is later revealed that she actually can tell them apart, but pretends not to for her own amusement. Hikaru's father, whose name is unknown but who adopts his famous wife's surname, runs a computer software company. He appears to be a more down-to-earth person than his spouse and sons and is often hidden in the shadows, appearing invisible to everyone else around him (including his family); at one point, Haruhi even mistakes him for Yuzuha's escort. The Hitachiin patriarch is also noted to be one of the few people who can consistently tell the twins apart, even if their backs are turned to him. Although he does not show his emotions easily, it is evident that he cares much more for his children than he lets on and gives good advice when necessary. Kazuha is Hikaru's grandmother. She is known to be a free-spirit and well-known floral designer who decorates her hair peculiarly with flowers, earning the twins' ridicule. It is later revealed that the twins made up the hairstyle as a prank when they were toddlers. As children, Hikaru and his twin would draw their own floral designs, but upon learning that their grandmother wanted to use the designs on bath tissue, they decide that she is a witch who is incapable of being nice to others. However, eleven years later, she admits that she kept the drawing and that the twins have great talent. She is noted to travel frequently and rides a motorcycle. The little-seen younger sister of Hikaru, Ageha is a manga-only character. Although the twins dote on her and give her dresses and toys, she is unimpressed by them and frankly rejects their presents to their faces. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Kaoru Hitachiin]

{{Appearance}}: When not in uniform, Kaoru likes to wear somewhat outlandish designer clothing, but fortunately, almost always wears clothes of different style or different color than his twin, Hikaru. In the manga, he has short, somewhat messy auburn hair. Kaoru has also dyed his hair powder blue, and later pink, to confuse the Host Club and their guests, although Haruhi still manages to tell the Hitachiin twins apart. When facing them, Kaoru's parts his hair to the left side, while Hikaru's parts his to the right; when they stand together Kaoru is usually on the left with Hikaru on the right. Although they tell Tamaki that they switch it on a daily basis, the parting of their hair is generally consistent, unless they are deliberately attempting to confuse others. Both twins possess amber-colored eyes, a thin face and pale skin. After graduating and becoming a college student, Kaoru grows his hair longer than his twin, who maintains the same short hairstyle. Kaoru's rose color in the Host Club is orange. In Japanese culture, this signifies happiness, matching him quite well as his nature is more optimistic when compared to Hikaru's. In Western culture, an orange (or coral) rose is symbolic of romantic energy and enthusiasm; Kaoru displays this in his eagerness to devote himself to his brother, his friends and the Host Club's clients.

{{Personality}}: Kaoru Hitachiin is the younger of the Hitachiin identical twins. He and his older twin, Hikaru, are introduced when Haruhi stumbles upon the Host Club. Being in the same class as she is, they are rivals against Tamaki Suoh for Haruhi's romantic attention. Kaoru is just as playful as his identical brother, but is a more insightful and easy-going person. He is also the first of the two to understand that their co-dependence must end if they are to develop into separate and whole individuals. As members of the Host Club, Kaoru and Hikaru are the "Little Devil" types, as they are mischievous (though not malevolent) troublemakers. They are famous for their "Forbidden Brotherly Love" package, carrying out twin-cestuous schticks for the entertainment of their female customers. A favorite game of theirs is the "Which One Is Hikaru? Game," in which they cover their hair with matching caps and ask people to identify Hikaru. No one except for Haruhi has guessed correctly, with logical reasons for doing so. Due to this, and the fact that she sees them as unique individuals, both brothers develop romantic feelings for her. Though each brother takes her on a date, only Hikaru's is shown in Ep 16 - Operation Haruhi and Hikaru's First Date! Kaoru and Hikaru are both wealthy and playful; however, Kaoru is the calmer and more mature of the two. When apart from his elder brother, Kaoru becomes a pleasant person, acting in a selfless and serious manner, but when he is with his elder twin, he reverts to being a scamp-like individual. Although the twins have spent the majority of their lives interacting only with one another, Kaoru demonstrates an understanding about social interactions and innate self-control. Kaoru is born under the star-sign of Gemini, the Twins. The positive traits of this sign are adaptability, versatility, enthusiasm, eloquence, wit and intellectualism; the negative traits being inconsistency, superficiality, indecisiveness, lack of focus and nervousness. There is speculation about whether Hikaru and Kaoru each possess all traits or if the traits are split between them to create a "good" twin and an "evil" twin. Both of the twins refer to Tamaki as "Boss" in the English version and as "Sir" in the Japanese version.

{{Background}}: As children, Hikaru and Kaoru are inseparable and dislike everyone with the exception of their personal maid, whom they adore. The cunning woman promises to play the "Which One is Hikaru? Game" with them until she gets it right because the twin toddlers say they will give her the combination to a safe when she wins. During the night, the alarm sounds and the twins discover their playmate heading down a ladder with the family's riches. She has broken open their piggy bank to access the slip on which the combination is written and broken her promise to them, as well. Disappointed, they ask why. She replies that she simply can not tell them apart and perhaps no one ever will, insinuating that only people who can properly identify them as being trustworthy. This comment becomes a self-fulfilling mantra for them, keeping them isolated and stunted in social skills. Because of their long-standing co-dependency, the twins fail to develop social skills with others. During grade school, they refuse to interact with anyone unless they can tell the two apart; however, no one can. Their pain is kept inside, furthering their isolation and perverting their psyches until Tamaki Suoh invites them to join the Host Club. Though uninterested, they ask him to play their who-is-who game to amuse themselves. Tamaki accepts on the condition that if he wins, they must join his club. Though he initially loses and is ridiculed by the twins who have discovered that he is the illegitimate son of Ouran's Chairman of the Board, Tamaki continues until he gets it correct. His reasoning is intuition which they refute, but his persistence and his willingness to accept them as they are, their faults as well as their assets, impresses them as nothing had since the day their maid declared others' inability to tell them apart a measure of a person's worth, and they join the Host Club. Due to his constant monitoring of Hikaru's emotions, Kaoru becomes adept at figuring people out. An example of this occurs during Ep 15 - The Refreshing Battle in Kuriazawa!, when Hikaru becomes jealous of Haruhi's childhood friend, Arai, and lashes out at the unoffending male before fleeing. It is Kaoru who helps his brother understand his error and who apologizes to Arai (dressed as Hikaru) before explaining to the Hosts, in depth, what makes his brother so difficult. He is also the one who sets up Hikaru's date with Haruhi (despite his own budding feelings for her), as he understands his brother's underlying romantic feelings for Haruhi and believes that she can help him learn how to be more considerate of others.

{{Family}}: The Hitachiin family cannot be described as a cohesive family unit, as they do not spend much time together. Both Hikaru and Kaoru often mention that their parents work a lot and, as a result, cannot be there for them. This leads them to rely and depend only each other, hence their somewhat self-isolating tendencies. Hitachiin twins and the more outrageous of the two, Hikaru depends on Kaoru to help him understand himself and others better. Although both he and Kaoru truly care for and respect Haruhi (as she was the first one to truly enter their world), they "lose" her to Tamaki. Despite his frequent innuendos and teasing, Hikaru has been shown to be very protective of his younger brother. Hikaru is undoubtedly Kaoru's closest life-long friend and companion. Despite being the Identical Twins he is boisterous and somewhat selfish, to the point that he is extremely dependent on his brother to help him manage his feelings; thus, his social skills and emotional control remain undeveloped. In both the anime and the manga, they begin as two halves of a unified whole, symbolized by a plant with two entwined leaves hatching from one egg, but as the series continues, they develop their unique personalities and become individuals in their own right, symbolized by flowers of differing colors sprouting from their respective plants. Kaoru's mother, Yuzuha Hitachiin, is a famous fashion designer of her own company. Kaoru's savvy fashion sense, appearance and personality come from his mother (though he and Hikaru once jokingly mentioned that they fear for their future, due to their inherited shyness from their father). A running gag in the manga is the fact that Yuzuha constantly confuses them. Tired of correcting her, the twins allow her to call them by either name, even though it is later revealed that she actually can tell them apart, but pretends not to for her own amusement. Kaoru and Hikaru's father, whose name is unknown but who adopts his famous wife's surname, runs a computer software company. He appears to be a more down-to-earth person than his spouse and sons and is often hidden in the shadows, appearing invisible to everyone else around him (including his family); at one point, Haruhi even mistakes him for Yuzuha's escort. The Hitachiin patriarch is also noted to be one of the few people who can consistently tell the twins apart, even if their backs are turned to him. Although he does not show his emotions easily, it is evident that he cares much more for his children than he lets on and gives good advice when necessary. Kazuha Hitachiin is Kaoru and Hikaru's grandmother. She is known to be a free-spirit and well-known floral designer who decorates her hair peculiarly with flowers, earning the twins' ridicule. It is later revealed that the twins made up the hairstyle as a prank when they were toddlers. As children, Kaoru and his twin would draw their own floral designs, but upon learning that their grandmother wanted to use the designs on bath tissue, they decide that she is a witch who is incapable of being nice to others. However, eleven years later, she admits that she kept the drawing and that the twins have great talent. She is noted to travel frequently and rides a motorcycle. The little-seen younger sister of the twins, Ageha is a manga-only character. Although the twins dote on her and give her dresses and toys, she is unimpressed by them and frankly rejects their presents to their faces. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Mitsukuni “Honey” Haninozuka]

{{Appearance}}: Honey possesses a babyish face and is extremely short in height; his actual height being 148 cm (4'10") but growing to be 180 cm (5'11") in a 2011 omake in a dream of Haruhi's. His hair is short and honey-blond in color (as opposed to Tamaki, whose hair is pale blond). When not in Ouran's school uniform, he tends to dress simply in the anime but outrageously in the manga. He is typically seen with his cousin Mori or his stuffed bunny Usa-Chan (a.k.a. Bun-Bun) by his side, and whenever he speaks, flowers float around his head; the only exceptions being when he is angry, upset or confused. Honey's rose color in the Host Club is pink. In Japanese culture, this signifies joy and trustworthiness; Honey possesses both of these traits. In Western culture, the pink rose is a symbol of nurturing and affection; also traits which Honey demonstrates throughout the series.

{{Personality}}: Although Honey often appears dimwitted, he is actually highly intelligent and clever who is able to see that Tamaki Suoh, Hikaru Hitachiin and Kaoru Hitachiin all have feelings for Haruhi Fujioka. Despite his generally positive nature, he angers easily when awakened from slumber and since his blood-type is AB, most of the hosts believe that he has a split personality (i.e. Dark/Nice Honey). As the oldest person in the club, Honey refers to his fellow hosts using the "-chan" honorific. He also serves as a mentor for the other hosts, especially Kaoru, and is eager to help others find their identity, just as Tamaki helped him find the courage to be his own true self. However, he does not believe in babying people, even Mori, and typically does not offer his advice unless he is approached first. He is adoring of his stuffed bunny, Usa-chan, as it was made just for him by his late grandmother, and he harbors an insatiable appetite for sweets and cake, admitting that he eats three whole cakes for dessert every evening after dinner. Despite his childish hobbies, Honey is more mature than he seems. He has insight into the feelings of others, often able to predict when one person has feelings for another. He also has good advice for people. Examples of this are found in the manga as seen when he is confronted by Reiko Kanazuki, who has difficulty socializing and uses curses to express herself. Honey tells her that if she wants people to like her, she should approach them. He is also shown giving advice to Kaoru when Kaoru and Hikaru argue and when both express feelings for Haruhi. Honey is born under the star sign of Pisces, the Fishes. The positive traits of this sign are imagination, kindness, compassion, intuition, sensitivity and selflessness; the negative traits being escapism, idealism, a weak will, over-sensitivity, pessimism and indolence. Since he is born on the 29th of February, leap-day, Honey is considered a "leapling" and only celebrates his actual birthday once every four years, giving these qualities a lesser influence on his personality.

{{Family}}: The Haninozuka family have excelled in martial arts for generations, to the point that all family members are martial arts champions. Upon greeting, it is tradition for family members to fight as a reminder to keep their guard up. It should be noted that height is not significant in the Haninozuka Martial Arts, as it is mentioned that, "There are more small people in the [Haninozuka] family than not." Honey is said to be the best martial arts champion in Japan, his prowess such that he has been instructed to never go all-out in a public fight. The reason given by Tamaki in Ep 18 - Chika's "Down with Honey" Declaration! is that if he ever fought all-out, he would be viewed as a secret weapon and upset the United Nations, and they would take it out on all of Japan. Yasuchika Haninozuka, affectionately nicknamed "Chika" in the anime, is Honey's younger brother and appears to be his polar opposite. In contrast to his elder brother, he is taller and has great loathing for sweets, cute things, and his sibling's love for them. When Chika openly accuses his brother of being an alien who uses Usa-chan to communicate with a "mother ship," he explains that this accusation stems from the fact that Honey eats three cakes for dessert every night and holds a weekly eat-all-you-want midnight cakefest, which confounds his brother as Mitsukuni never seems to gain weight. Over time, Chika is revealed to actually care deeply for his elder brother and holds great respect for his martial arts skills, though he still remains frustrated by his brother's loli-shota tendencies. Mori and Honey are not only cousins, but best friends, whose close relationship is rivaled only by the Hitachiin twins. Honey is the only one who calls Mori by his first name instead of his nickname and vice versa. Many generations before marriage united their families, the Morinozuka household served the Haninozuka household; and so despite the marriage, the two continue to be a team. Mori is very protective of and loyal to Honey, and Honey genuinely likes and appreciates Mori; he can be seen riding on his shoulders frequently, interacting with him constantly, and even ruffling his hair once in a while. They depend on each other as brothers do, Mori serving as confidant and companion in place of Honey's natural brother who wants no part of him. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Usa-chan]

{{Appearance}}: Usa-chan (aka Ousi-chan or Bun-Bun) is a pink plush rabbit and one of Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninozuka's possessions. It was hand-made by Honey's deceased grandmother, and although it's just a toy, Honey cares for it as if it is alive, talking to it and having it join him for his regular cake indulgences. At times, the expression on its face changes to show emotion. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Ryoji “Ranka” Fujioka]

{{Appearance}}: Ryouji has long maroon hair and brown eyes. In flashbacks of ten years prior, Ryouji is shown with shorter hair and only masculine attire. At some point, he enters the entertainment industry and begins to cross-dress for work, then as an individual on occasion. When dressing in masculine mode, he typically wears bandanas, t-shirts and skinny jeans. When dressing in feminine mode, he styles his hair loosely swept to the left side and wears a typical female office worker's outfit.

{{Personality}}: Ryouji is seen as a kind, cheerful and loving young man. He shares these personality traits with Tamaki Suoh, as noted by the hosts, who believe this is the reason Haruhi Fujioka can tolerate Tamaki's antics so well. Despite his alternative life-style, Ryouji is depicted as having been a loving and caring husband to his deceased wife, Kotoko Fujioka; and a solicitous and doting father to his beloved daughter. Ryouji is also very caring of her, as seen in Ep 10 - A Day in the Life of the Fujioka Family! when Tamaki trips and falls on top of her and Ryouji easily pulls him off Haruhi, then slams him into the wall. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Renge Hoshakuji]

{{Appearance}}: Renge has mid-back length dark-blonde hair and dark-brown eyes. When she isn't cosplaying, she is usually seen in the Ouran girls' uniform and wearing a hair bow. A trait that Renge displays in both the anime and the manga is assuming the aspect of Medusa when angry, with her hair transforming into snakes. At such times, she can drive most of the other characters before her in a blind panic.

{{Personality}}: Renge is an intelligent and driven girl; she is also loud and outspoken. Her home is in Paris, France and her father, Reynard Houshakuji, does business with Yoshio Ootori. Upon seeing a photograph of the youngest Ootori son, Kyoya Ootori, she is smitten and insists that she must immediately leave for Japan to meet her future husband. Renge is a hardcore otaku, which results in her cosplaying frequently, examples of which may be seen in Ep 22 - Mori-senpai Has an Apprentice Candidate!, where she cosplays along with the Host Club as a samurai maiden and also in Ep 07 - Jungle Pool SOS!, when she cosplays as Quon Kisaragi from the anime Rahxephon. Renge has a rather strange and unique ability to appear from out of nowhere on a motorized platform that crackles with electricity as it rises while she laughs maniacally. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Benio “Benibara” Amakusa]

{{Appearance}}: Benio is a tall pale-skinned young woman with cropped brown hair that has bangs swept to the left, green eyes. Her face has a slightly masculine structure. She wears the standard Lobelia uniform, except when in costume or street-wear. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Hinako "Hinagiku" Tsuwabuki]

{{Appearance}}: Hinako is a pale-skinned girl with chin-length brown hair with some bounce to it and dark grey eyes. In her appearances in the anime and manga, she wears the typical Lobelia girls uniform; but often joins in wearing costumes for the different plays in which the club is involved.

{{Personality}}: As acknowledged by Chizuru "Suzuran" Maihara, Hinako seems to be a very intelligent girl who is the most energetic of the three girls. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Chizuru "Suzuran" Maihara]

{{Appearance}}: Chizuru is a pale-skinned young woman with wavy waist-length light-brown hair that has a single hair strand swept to the left and dark-brown eyes. She is most often seen wearing the standard Saint Lobelia Girls' Academy uniform, but often wears costumes relating to the club performances.

{{Personality}}: Outwardly, Chizuru is the most placid member of the ruling council, but sometimes makes things worse. She believes that all men are a lower form of life and finds the Ouran Host Club's reaction to her immunity to their charms amusing. Chizuru also willingly joins in trying to convinces Haruhi to attend Lobelia and the Zuka club and is upset when they are rejected. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Ritsu Kasanoda]

{{Appearance}}: Ritsu has shoulder-length red hair that is tied up in a half ponytail with a single hair strand hanging in the middle of her face and brown eyes. His hair color makes him easy to spot in a crowd.

{{Personality}}: True to the myth about red-heads, Ritsu is quick to anger, but is actually quite kind-hearted deep inside and somewhat lonely. He develops a crush on Haruhi Fujioka, although as a male or a female is questionable. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Éclair Tonnerre]

{{Appearance}}: Éclair is a slender, pale-skinned young woman with long chestnut-brown hair that is swept to the right side and vibrant blue eyes. She often carries a pair of opera glasses with purple lenses, which she uses when she wants to see someone more clearly who is far away or when she is speaking with someone nearby, using them as a physical barrier. She always wears "fancy" clothes, even in casual appearances, indicative of her noble birth.

{{Personality}}: Éclair is a mysterious and strange young woman whose actions are a facade. Her general demeanor is cold, haughty and manipulative. Her behavior is rude towards the Host Club as a lot, especially to Haruhi Fujioka of whom she is jealous. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Umehito Nekozawa]

{{Appearance}}: Beneath the black wig and hooded cape worn over his Ouran uniform, Nekozawa has a pleasing appearance -- neck-length pale blonde hair that has bangs swept to the left and blue eyes. When not wearing the dark garb, he actually resembles Tamaki Suoh, which is the primary reason Kirimi Nekozawa mistakes Tamaki for her big brother when the girl first encounters him. In the manga, it's seen that while at college, he adopts casual clothing but still wears a black hoodie on top of it and continues to cover his hair with a black wig and dark contacts that cover his blue eyes.

{{Personality}}: Even though Nekozawa first appears to be a strange and scary person obsessed with the occult and Black Magic, he is revealed to be a sweet guy who simply doesn't know how to interact properly with people. His devotion to his family (especially Kirimi Nekozawa) is seen when he submits to a transformation led by Renge Houshakuji, during which he displays intensity and purposefulness in challenging his photophobia to save Kirimi from a gigantic white cat who is approaching her in one of Ouran's gardens. When Tamaki Suoh comforts Kirimi at one point, Nekozawa seems jealous of their rapport. This spurs him to overcome his phobias and win her over. However, his photophobia makes him quite nervous when it comes to light of any kind. He is terrified of sunlight and usually starts panting and sweating before passing out when directly exposed to it. Despite all this, he is a fan of the Host Club. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ [Kirimi Nekozawa]

{{Appearance}}: Kirimi is a cute and short girl blonde hair that is styled into pigtails by pink ribbons with bangs going on either side and large blue eyes. She is often seen wearing a peach-pink and white school uniform and, sometimes, a pink nightdress.

{{Personality}}: Unwilling to be believe that the "cloaked monster" Kirimi is told is her brother, Umehito Nekozawa (commonly known as Nekozawa), she visits the Ouran campus from time to time to look for him. When she stumbles upon Music Room 3 and sees Tamaki Suoh and the Host Club, she mistakes him for her older brother. Tamaki, finding the Nekozawa siblings to be in quite a tragic situation, decides to help Nekozawa overcome his fear of light in order to be more like the "handsome princely" character Kirimi wishes her brother to be by enlisting the help of Renge Houshakuji. The training is only temporarily successful, allowing Nekozawa to run to his sister's aid when she is frightened by a cat that she encounters in the Ouran gardens in broad daylight. Because of his photophobia, however, he soon collapses; but Kirimi realizes that that the cloaked figure with a cat puppet on his hand is indeed her brother and loves him all the more for his willingness to tolerate that which hurts him to protect her. On a funnier note, at the end of Volume 08, it is shown that Kirimi has turned into a nearly identical darkness fanatic as Nakozawa where both of them sport dark cloaks and they have their features covered.