Ouran High School Host Club Box Set (Vol. 1-18)

The series: If you have only seen the anime series, then there is a lot more to discover in the manga world, as the anime only covers the first six or seven books. Ouran High School Host Club is one of those memorable shoujo series that you pick up year after year to read and re-read. The characters are amazingly adorable, from the Host Club members and our atypical protagonist, Haruhi, to classmates, and non-school related characters like Haruhi's eccentric papa. I devoured the first half of this series easily - it is rife with shoujo and school tropes, like love triangles, sports events, and group outings, but somehow Hatori made this series unique in just how *CRAZY* the plots can get and how lovable all of the characters are. Going back to Haruhi, I think she made this series superior to some of the other shoujo series out there because she was so different - a bit hard to read and not the traditional always-sweet or hot-headed-with-a-heart-of-gold female character, but sympathetic regardless. As for the latter half, I did not quite like it as much as the beginning, because as the characters engage in more difficult issues, you lose some of that lighthearted brevity, which is realistic, but not as fun as crazy shenanigans. Still, Hatori does a great job in developing her characters' maturity and engaging the readers fully in relevant school issues, like parent-child problems and the sadness of graduating and forever changing your relationships with your school friends. And even though Haruhi and Tamaki's romance is one of the center plots, Hatori maintains a strong connection to all of the Host Club characters and focuses on the Club as a whole. The box set: If you're looking to own the series and have five or fewer books, the box set is definitely the way to go. I received all 18 books in new condition, with three of them having those annoying small tears in the spine (that bug the heck out of me but are ultimately cosmetic) along with the cute, exclusive notepad. The set opens up at the top, secured by velcro on each side, and folds down to reveal a mini bookshelf with all 18 novels and the notepad. There is also a plastic handle at the top that you can use to carry the set. Overall, the cardboard housing seems pretty secure and can be helpful in freeing up shelf space.

This box set arrived in perfect condition AND A WEEK EARLY!! I bought the 'Death Note' box Set with this one and I must say I am ecstatic with the condition and delivery rate. This is, by far my best experience with an Amazon order! I completely recomend this to any Ouran High fan out there! Definitely worth it!!

I can honestly say this is one of my best purchases ever! I absolutely loved this series and actually having it in my hands is amazing. If you want the whole series in outstanding condition and for a great price, (you're basically only paying for almost 8 out of 18 volumes. That's means you're getting 10 for free!) you're looking in the right place. Also if you've only watched the anime you are missing out!

Okay, so I watched to anime of this series when I was in like 6th grade and I've been wanting this box set since then. So I bought this a day after I turned 14. I do not regret spending half of my birthday money on this at all! It's all fun and games like the show at first but then when you get to volume 13 it starts to get serious and it's so good. If you generally like romantic/comedy series that get serious towards the end then you'll love Ouran High School Host Club. The box set arrived at my house on time and the box that had all the books was in perfect shape(I live in the USA so that might be why)and the note pad that comes with it is adorable. Also it's 18 books for 80 dollars which means each book is around 4 dollars rather than paying 10 dollars for each book separately. 10/10 would recommend

I loved the anime, and decided I needed to own the manga - and it turned out to be a good decision! I went in knowing that it was probably written for an audience aged 25 and younger (so... younger than I am!), but even so, the story is really enjoyable and highly addictive. Surprisingly, some parts were even so hilarious I actually laughed out loud. I know I am going to re-read this several times. One gripe I have is that I wish the story explored a bit more about gender and expression of sexuality, but this started in 2002, so of course that aspect now in 2019 feels as outdated as the hosts' flip phones. On that note, the translation does use the word "tranny" in a couple of places, which is just. so. unfortunate, because based on the context, the word should have just been "drag". Sigh. As for the artwork, Bisco Hatori's art is a perfect match for this story, equally stylish, fun, and girly. In the little anecdotes that she includes about the process of making this manga, she says her initial idea of showing the hosts in various traditional outfits from around the world (e.g. Scottish kilts) started to become a lot of work as the volumes piled on. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Bisco-san, for grinding through it because it really adds to the story and to the decadence of host club, and it just looks beautiful. If you've seen other box sets from Viz, this is their typical box format with a sturdy handle on the top and side-opening that closes with Velcro. It's great to have the books organized, but unfortunately is hard to ship safely. Mine ended up with a dinged corner. That said, the illustration included on the box is gorgeous. They picked the perfect one where everyone's outfit a different black & white pattern (like polka dots, stars, etc.). It looks so good with the pink.