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One of the things I was looking forward to about Dragon Con this year was the premier of the Ouran High School Host Club English dub. Being a fan of the show I was kinda scared that there would be something off about the English version, that I might not be able to get used to the English cast. I was afraid this would be a repeat of the Lucky Star dub.

I’m glad to say that my experiance with Oruran was nothing but plesant. The translation of Ouran High even extends to the opening and closing theme songs. Don’t worry though, because the songs match well enough that I wasn’t even aware that the opening was in English for the first several seconds. They may not be the songs Ouran fans are used to, but from what I could hear they seemed to fit very well.

A Closer Look

Haruhi

Haruhi is played by Caitlin Glass, who also directs the English dub. I was kind of worried that the dub would change this character. Haruhi’s voice is a big part of her personality, or charming lack thereof. She couldn’t have a girly voice and be mistaken for a guy so thoroughly. I have to say that if the first couple of episodes are any indication of the quality of the dub, then I’m very happy she is involved with Ouran. It only took a few lines for me to get used to her as Haruhi. Haruhi’s voice fits.

The Twins

Each of the twins has his own voice, Greg Ayres as Kaoru and Todd Haberkorn as Hikaru (I think). For some reason I was expecting one actor to handle both parts. They don’t sound alike speaking separatly, but the lines that are done in unison are handled vey well. The actors voices compliment each other.

I’m looking forward to the episodes that showcase the twins’ different personalities.

Honey Sempai

Luci Christian has this character nailed. Cute and energetic with a deep love for his friends and sweets. It would be easy for Honey Sempai to be irritating. A little too much energy and he could go from cute to anoying very quickly. Much like Haruhi, this voice just fits.

Tamaki

Tamaki is probably the most important character in the anime. Yes, even more than Haruhi. Tamaki holds everything together, without him there wouldn’t be a story. I would imagine he’s also the most difficult to find a voice for. His mood swings are incredible. He can go from curious to depressed to happy in the blink of an eye. That’s why I was glad to hear that Vic Mignogna got the part. I was even happier when I saw his performance. Tamaki is in good hands.
(But he looks more like Honey Sempai than Tamaki in his Ouran High Jacket)

Bottom Line

If the rest of the anime is as well done as the first 2 episodes then Ouran High School Host Club will be one of the shows we use as an example of how an English dub should be done. It’s that good.

DVD Info

According to Vic, who hosted the screening, the Ouran High DVDs are going to contain commentary from the VAs. That’s pretty cool, I’d like to hear what they think of the show and the characters they’re playing.

The initial release won’t contain 3, 4 or even 6 episodes. When Ouran comes out in October a whopping 13 episodes will be available. Yes, thirteen episodes.

Anime, Reviews, Anime Review, Ouran High School Host Club, Shojo, Pretty Boys, Reverse Harem, Parody, Comedy, High School, English, Dub, Caitlin Glass, Haruhi Fujioka, Vic Mignogna, Tamaki Suou, Greg Ayres, Kaoru Hitachiin, Luci Christian, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, Honey Sempai, Todd Haberkorn, Hikaru Hitachiin