Thanks to a Zavvi one-day deal I finally got my hands on this anime gem, surprisingly I never managed to watch it before (as it's usually one of the first shows a lot of newcomers take a look at first).
Ouran High School Host Club (Ouran Koukou Host Club) is a 2006 anime series based on a manga of the same name written & drawn by Bisco Hatori. The anime was adapted by studio Bones. This show is among one of the classic gems in anime history and also a gateway title. The English release was actually in danger until Funimation re-branded their marketing and as such became a huge seller.
The Blu-ray itself was among one of the first for Funimation to use their in-house upscaling so this is another Standard Definition Remaster, like Claymore, Samurai Champloo and Spice & Wolf Season 1. Over here in the UK the show was originally under Manga Entertainment as a sub-license from Funimation and while it sold very well the actual authoring was a jumbled mess. Now that Funimation and Manga no longer work together the title expired and was then rescued by Anime Limited. Like Eden of the East, the distributor gave the title a collector's edition treatment which sparked some controversy among the community (due to the CEs having a large SRP which barely gets discounted and how the US release was cheap to acquire). There will not be a DVD release for this title for those wondering.
The Anime Limited Collector's Edition set includes all 26 episodes across 3 Blu-ray discs using the Funimation master. The audio options include both the well-known English dub as well as the original Japanese with English subtitles. Subtitles are unlockable and the regions are both A & B compatible. All of the on-disc extras from the previous English releases are included with this set so nothing is missing. While Funimation released the series with a digipack first, the UK one uses different artwork and includes an exclusive 32-page booklet and 2 sheets of stickers.
Blu-ray Specs:
Languages: Japanese, English
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 2.0 [Japanese, English]
Video: 1080p SD Remaster 4:3
Region: A B
Subtitles: English [Japanese language & On-screen]
Subtitles Locked: No
Discs: 3
Plot Synopsis (via Anime Limited):
Ouran Academy: An institution of extravagance and prestige where learning comes secondary to luxury. Only those of the highest pedigrees and the wealthiest families are lucky enough to attend, and the truly elite are the members of the Ouran Host Club. A group of the handsomest boys on campus with far too much time on their hands, the Host Club dedicates every afternoon to entertaining the lovely young ladies. Just think of is as the academys elegant playground for the super-rich and beautiful
But for studious Haruhi Fujioka, education is a privilege that must be earned, being on scholarship and out of place among the moneyed. That is until the day Haruhi stumbles upon the Host Club, a stumble which leaves the freshman indebted for millions of yen. And the only way to pay for the damages? Well, Haruhi will work as a Host. Theres only one problem: Haru-he is actually a Haru-she!
On-Disc Extra Content:
Actor & Staff Commentaries
Ouran High School Host Club Manga Pages Presented by Viz Media
Outtakes Parts 1 & 2
Textless Songs
Trailers
Collector's Edition Extras:
Chipboard Artbox - Clean Art (+Title on Spine), Info sheet for specs, Digipack for Discs
32-page Booklet
2 Sheets of Stickers
Ouran High School Host Club is available on Blu-ray only from Anime Limited.
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