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5.0 out of 5 stars
The twins play detective, and the race for the Central Salon is on!, October 5, 2010
This review is from: Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 6 (Paperback)
Volume 6 of the Ouran High School Host Club begins with a plot, cloaked in secrecy and mystery!
The Host Club are playing a game together - it's called "Stinking Rich". Tamaki ends up a poor man, and Haruhi destitute, although she is unaware of what that entails. It is a penalty game, and as Kyoya is the winner, they must be his slave for two weeks! Meanwhile, Ouran High School is preparing for its school festival. The twins, for their class, are setting up a private detective agency, and they will provide clues for their customers to follow, not to mention that they are doing the costumes themselves. For prizes, of course.
In some ways the Ouran school festival is no different than others, with the students putting on shows to amuse their family and friends. But there is a difference. Namely, in the amount of money everyone is willing to spend to do so. Vast amounts, even. Ridiculous amounts. The merchants love it, of course, and they are having a field day. Placement during the festival is everything - the more centrally one is placed, the more attention one receives. Therefore the Central Salon is the most desireable place to be, and the most sought after. This year's race for the Central Salon includes the Host Club. But there is a problem. The Host Club has been receiving threatening letters made of cut out letters warning them to back out of the Salon Race or else. What are they to do? This calls for all the members of the Host Club to put on their thinking clubs and solve this puzzle, or face the consequences!
The Football Club is also in contention for the Central Salon. Their President, Kuze, has an orange fetish. And, interestingly, the threatening notes smell of oranges! Coincidence, or not? It turns out that Kuze and Kyoya are childhood friends. There appears to be a personal grudge here. Things just might get ugly.
Kyoya's sister has come to visit, as we get a glimpse into the Ohtori household. Kyoya is surprised to find out that his sister is in communication with Tamaki - together they are making a map of places for commoner's gourmet food. Although he is happy to see his sister, their father seems to be of the opinion she should be in her own household, not unexpectedly visiting with them. He has some very strange ideas, and doesn't seem too warm toward Kyoyo either.
The race for the Central Salon has come down to two contenders now - the Football Club, and the Host Club. The year before, the matter was settled over a chess game. This year's challenge won't be quite so cerebral - instead they are to compete in a cross-campus Ultra Race! Sounds very physical indeed! Things are getting very intense. Kyoya requests that Haruhi memorize the blueprints to the school! As she traverses the campus in order to do so, she sees an interesting sight - the Football Club President talking to one of the Student Council members - a female one at that. What is going on? She's the one that gave the Host Club a chance to withdraw from the race.
It is the day of the big race, and suddenly there are new entrants. Each group is given a prescribed route, at various points they will have questions to answer before they can proceed. All those who pass go on, the others are eliminiated. The final participants are given a set of clues for a hidden location where a crown will be hidden - he who gets the crown, gets the Central Salon. And they're off!
After the race comes the School Festival, and the school is busy with family and friends of the students. Famous people are everywhere. The twins' beautiful mother takes time to give Haruhi fashion tips. Hunny has brought some Venetian cakes - only $100 each! Haruhi is surprised to learn that Hunny and Mori have younger brothers. Tamaki's father and grandmother are there, but not his mother. She asks Tamaki, he replies that she is somewhere in France, a rather vague response. Tamaki happily greets his grandmother - but the woman disdains to have anything to do with him, pronouncing him filthy! The Host Club rallies around their leader, and entice him to begin the carriage rides. Haruhi later asks about the story behind her behavior, and she learns the details of Tamaki's birth.
The twins are bored, and that is never a good thing. But the Host Club are wise to their mock fights, and no longer believe in them. But a food fight which arises from their boredom has unexpected consequences, when the vice principal is inadvertently involved, and takes them to task. But talking to him has an unexpected result - they find themselves on a quest for a mysterious soup!
Another fabulous volume of Host Club! In this volume, we learn more about the backgrounds of some of the members of the Host Club. For instance - Tamaki lives in his father's second family mansion, and is not allowed into the first one. We discover why not. And we learn that Kyoya is the third son, and therefore has to try harder in order to get anywhere. The cuteness factor is "out of this world". And the relationship between Tamaki and Haruhi just keeps on getting better! The artwork, as always, is wonderful. There is a great picture at the beginning of chapter 23 picturing Tamaki as Sherlock Holmes, complete with meerschaum, and Haruhi as his fairy assistant, in a maid's outfit! I love this series, and could read it forever!
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