First Impressions / Ouran High School Host Club

Summary:
Waking up from a dream about his father and brothers, Kyoya finds himself in a strange place surrounded by crowds of people. He remembers the last thing he was doing was sleeping. No wait, he remembers Tamaki shouting something. One hour ago, Tamaki had been in his room, while he was sleeping, babbling about starting up a project where they go to understand commoner culture and Haruhi’s mentality. Of course it’s still early so Kyoya wakes up in a bad mood, furious that someone let them into his room. Right before he falls back asleep, he tells them just to go do what they want. Tamaki interprets that final line as permission from Kyoya to bring him along. And so, the group showed up at a commoner’s department store with Tamaki carrying a still-sleeping Kyoya on his back. Everyone had a different goal: the twins were excited about the mass produced clothing, Tamaki wanted to go to the pet shop, and Honey wanted to go to the rooftop for ice cream. Tamaki had noticed that there was an event happening on the rooftop, so the group proceeded towards there, not noticing that Tamaki dumped Kyoya on a bench.
Finally, the low blood pressure demon king woke up. Kyoya now remembers what happened and where he is. He knows it’s too far to walk home, so he reaches for his cell phone, but he soon realizes that he’s got neither that nor his wallet. What’s more, he’s now hungry. And so when a little boy bumps into him, Kyoya gives such an evil glare that it scares the kid off. Kyoya vows to himself that he’ll kill Tamaki and the others. Fortunately for him, a familiar face calls out to him – Haruhi. The first thing Kyoya asks her is how much money she’s carrying. The reason is because he’s hungry, so the two go to the nearby fast food restaurant even though Haruhi isn’t sure it’s suitable for him. Kyoya tells her that it can’t be helped because she has so little money on her. But he does also say that she should keep the receipt because Tamaki will pay her back 10 times over. As for food, Kyoya doesn’t care what she gets as long as she gets a lot of it. The girl working the counter falls in love with Kyoya’s beauty and tries to push a dessert and a shake, but Kyoya doesn’t want either and gives her an evil glare.
Haruhi is surprised when Kyoya starts eating in a rather hearty way rather than the elegant manner which she thought he’d eat. She thought he’d find the food unpalatable, but Kyoya isn’t about to complain when he’s being treated. And he doesn’t care about being elegant or vulgar when there’s no one around that he has to worry about. For Kyoya, everything is about merit and profit. When some girls ask if they can sit nearby and take a chair, Kyoya acts completely indifferent. Haruhi realizes that this is how Kyoya is when there’s no profit involved, very different from how he acts during Host Club business hours since there’s profit there. She thinks that he’s not like Tamaki, who is a natural host, and wonders why they get along so well. As if he were reading her mind, Kyoya repeats her thought, telling her that the answer is simple: it’s because there is profit. Kyoya admits that he doesn’t act for any other reasons; he’s an egoist. Haruhi thinks that Tamaki would cry if he heard that, but Kyoya disagrees because Tamaki knew from the very beginning. In fact, all the other members of the Host Club cooperate on this because there’s mutual profit to be had. He does realize though that there are some times when the idiot Tamaki’s actions aren’t motivated by profit.
After eating, the two wander around the department store because Kyoya wants to look around since he’s here anyway. He sees a stand selling Black Lipped Pearls from Ishigaki Island. Kyoya knows about them because he’s been educated on them. Haruhi feels bold enough to ask about the Ootori family since she feels unfair that he knows all about hers and she knows little about his. He thinks that that’s an interesting opinion in its own way. Haruhi knows that Kyoya has two brothers and wonders what type of people they are. Kyoya remembers how his father introduced his three sons at a party and how he had overheard a couple talking about how his eldest brother would undoubtedly succeed the family business. They had admired Kyoya the most, but spoke about how he couldn’t be the head of the family no matter how hard he worked. Kyoya tells Haruhi that his family is made up of excellent people and they can safely answer all of their father’s expectations. But more is also expected of the third son. Kyoya remembers his father telling him that he wouldn’t be satisfied with him just being the head of the class because his brothers had already achieved it. Haruhi thinks it must be hard on him, but Kyoya says that he doesn’t feel there’s any game more interesting than this.
The two then spot an old lady looking at expensive pottery at a merchant’s stand. Kyoya goes over and tells the woman that it’s fake, explaining that the gradation is off, the paint is a bit too pretty, and that part of the stamp at the bottom is different. He even offers to do a handwriting analysis. And since his family has connections with the Komatsu family that makes this pottery, Kyoya says that he can contact them right now. The merchant becomes scared and eventually gets led away by store employees. When Haruhi wonders if helping people is profitable for Kyoya too, he explains that the woman he helped is the chairwoman of a major electrical machinery manufacturer. Although this is the first time he’s met her, he knew who she was by the ring on her left hand. However, Haruhi realizes that from their angle earlier, it wasn’t possible to see the woman’s hand. Before she can mention it, Kyoya’s attention has been turned to a display of melon desserts. He wonders if people don’t find it odd that the melon stuff has no melon in it. Haruhi starts laughing at this, saying that it’s an interesting opinion in its own way; it’s like something Tamaki would say. Kyoya decides that this melon dessert would thus probably make Tamaki and the twins happy, so he buys it…after asking Haruhi for money.
During all this, the other Host Club members have been enjoying themselves on the roof; Tamaki even got himself a new dog. On the stage nearby, a live performance begins with a familiar laugh. The guys see Renge rise out of the stage and greet all the children. As part of the performance, she gets captured by a guy in a demon suit and calls for the Ouran Corps Host Ranger to save her. And indeed, the Host Black Ranger shows up. Seeing this reminds the other Host Club members of Kyoya and how they’ve forgotten him. Kyoya and Haruhi meanwhile have returned to where Tamaki dumped him earlier. Haruhi feels that Tamaki thinks that there’s profit in helping people. Kyoya says that Tamaki may be like that, but he’s different. Hearing this, Haruhi asks Kyoya what profit means to him. She says that to Tamaki, even useless things can be profitable, and in that sense, Kyoya is similar to Tamaki. Kyoya remembers all the times Tamaki has been so passionate about something, including how he had wanted to start the Host Club.
Interrupting his thoughts is an announcement on the store’s intercom system calling for a lost child. The intercom identifies this child as Ootori Kyoya, and says that his guardian Suou-sama is waiting at the second floor counter for him. Furthermore, the intercom lady describes Kyoya as being 180cm tall and wearing glasses. All the people around Kyoya recognize him as the person being described, and the entire debacle causes Kyoya to go back to wanting to kill Tamaki. He and Haruhi make their way to the second floor’s service counter where they find the other guys. Honey and the twins want to play together with Haruhi, but she’s ready to go home. Seeing Tamaki’s new dog jumping all over Tamaki, Kyoya asks Haruhi how this idiot is similar to him. Haruhi re-raises the topic of the elderly lady, wondering if Kyoya was lying earlier about seeing the ring because of the banner that was blocking their line of sight. She thinks that he was intentionally behaving like an egoist, but in reality isn’t really one; he just does it to make people feel uncomfortable. Kyoya smiles and says that that’s an interesting opinion in its own way.

Preview:

I wasn’t expecting much from this episode, so it turned out to be quite enjoyable. I didn’t think I’d laugh as much from this chapter, but I did, particularly at all of Haruhi’s expressions and Kyoya’s evil glares. And then there was the Renge part with the Ouran Corps Host Rangers, which is something featured in the manga and the drama CDs. It’s also one of those amusing extras I wouldn’t mind seeing more animated of (think of it, an entire episode of the guys running around as Host Rangers).
Kyoya might have helped that lady originally out of kindness and he might secretly have a soft spot, but overall I still think he’s calculating, particularly with his family succession to consider. I like how the “interesting opinion in its own way” line worked became a unifying theme of the episode. I seem to remember him saying that way back in episode eight too, after leaving the room where he almost forced himself onto Haruhi. Anyway, all this Kyoya character development seems like a good precursor to the school festival stuff that I hope they’ll eventually get to. As for next week, it’ll be the Honey and his brother episode (and Mori and his brother)!

35 Comments

  9. lol this ep seems funny………..next week brother vs brother lol cant wait to see hunny brother the battle begins lol……………………oh by the way i was wondering about MAI OTOME does anyone know the date THE OVAS are suppose to come out………its MAI OTOME ZWEI or something like that

    darkredeyes
    Reply

  17. I think this is one of the best epsds until now ! the last three ones where really nice and intersing more thn the ones before !! the series is getting better and better !!
    Kyoya never showed in such emotions lol !!

    the 18 epsod will be much better ! can’t wait to see it !

    4ran
    Reply

  18. I didn’t sense any romantic tension between Haruhi and Kyouya, thank God! At least we know HE won’t be falling in love with her (at least in the anime.) Let’s keep it at Tamaki and Hikaru, shall we?

    Candy
    Reply

  20. This……..somehow lowers my standards for Kyoya a little bit because now he just seems like a power-hungry jerk who thinks that money is everything. He’s still one of my favorite characters but I might look at him a little more clearly. As some of you have said, there were hints in the manga on this episode of the romantic tension between Haruhi and Kyoya but you say that there isn’t any in the anime episode. I have one question about that……………..WHY?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I LOVE Kyoya /Haruhi pairings! Why did they remove all the good stuff?!!!!!!!! DAMMIT!!!!!
    I bet they’re trying to lean towards either Haruhi/Hikaru or Haruhi/Tamaki.

    Katya
    Reply

  21. its probably tamaki/haruhi because in the last episode hikaru’s twin(i forget his name =P) said its too early for hikaru to fall in love… anyway looks like a good episode and funny

    coco
    Reply

  24. Actually this episode makes things more interesting. The part where Haruhi realizes that from the angle they were previously, Kyoua could not see the ring on the lady’s hand, therefore it shows that Kyoua is power hungry but he is also nice inside which he does not admit. This is probably one reason why he and Tamaki are good friends.

    Silver
    Reply

  27. lol. i finally watched it today. lmfo. Kyouya senpai was pissed… and it was kinda scary – – i mean never see him lyk dat be4 -0 -! oh.. and the hitachiin twins went too over joyed on the horse thingy – – lmfo. i loved their eyes when they were on the ride. and lastly how tamaki-senpai found kyouya senpai ….. by.. omg, it was hilaours. But in the ep 18, its somthing about honey senpai gona lose or somthing lyk dat. look forward to that =]

    Mitsukuni-chan
    Reply

  31. nope. no hikaru/haruhi
    no kyouya/haruhi
    haha those pairings do get me a bit annoyed =P
    she’s gotta be with tamaki in the end =)
    haha i adore him the most, he’s just such a wonderful character XD

    jenn
    Reply

  34. interesting how they put in the ranger thing. esp since the manga had the ranger chibis of the host club members. can’t remember who was black though.

    and cute to see the dog part; they scrapped it from the pensione episode.

    galen
    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *