Haruhi Fujioka
| Haruhi Fujioka | |
|---|---|
| Ouran High School Host Club character | |
| File:Haruhi Fujioka.jpg Haruhi, in her male school uniform | |
| First appearance | Ouran High School Host Club, Chapter 1 |
| Created by | Bisco Hatori |
| Portrayed by | Haruna Kawaguchi[1][2] Yuka Yamauchi (musical) |
| Voiced by | Japanese: Aya Hisakawa (2003) Maaya Sakamoto (2006–present)[3] English: Caitlin Glass[4] |
| In-universe information | |
| Relatives | Ranka Fujioka (father) Kotoko Fujioka (mother) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
Haruhi Fujioka (藤岡 ハルヒ, Fujioka Haruhi) is a fictional character and the main protagonist from the manga and anime television series, Ouran High School Host Club, created by Bisco Hatori. In the manga and its adaptations, Haruhi takes on the role of a male host playing a comical tsukkomi, despite being of female sex, by keeping her gender as female a secret from the host club's clients. While her fellow, all-male Host Club members know the truth, the club's clients do not and mistakenly believe Haruhi to be a male, thus providing the basis for much of the gender-swapping satire embedded in the comedy. The character self-identifies as female, while downplaying gender roles to comic effect throughout the series. As explanation, she tells the others that "it's more important for a person to be recognized for who they are rather than what sex they are".[5] This attitude is reflected in comments made by mangaka Hatori Bisco at a 2019 convention. Haruhi's character was positively received, both because of her down-to-earth personality and disregard for gender roles in society.
Appearance
Development
Haruna Kawaguchi was sixteen years old when she portrayed Haruhi in her first feature-length film.[6] Yuka Yamauchi portrays the character in the musical adaptations.[7][8] Caitlin Glass, the English-voice actress of Haruhi, has noted that the character is both among her most challenging and her favorite roles. In an interview with Swerve, she described how difficult it was to "believably [be] a boy [while] still appealing even to a male audience." Taking the dual role of director and lead character, Glass said she felt like she had "something to prove" and, initially, she was under great pressure.[9]
Reception
Ramsey Isler of IGN listed Haruhi among his 25 "greatest anime characters." Stating that while the reverse harem genre of anime had been "done to death" by the time the Ouran High School Host Club anime was released, Haruhi's character went against the established tropes of the genre. Described as "super tomboyish, demure, and not at all moe," Haruhi is considered a good contrast to the eccentric cast of rich boys.[10] In an anime review, IGN's D.F. Smith praised both Caitlin Glass and Maaya Sakamoto for their performance as Haruhi in their respective languages, reporting that it is a "tricky role".[11] Sakamoto was nominated for a Seiyu Award in 2007 for her portrayal of Haruhi.[12] Rose Bridges of Anime News Network lauded Haruhi as one of the "freshest elements" of the anime. Comparing Haruhi to Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket and Tsukushi Makino from Boys Over Flowers because of her strong sense of empathy and her "take-no-crap" attitude respectively, Bridges praised the character for her intelligence, ability to speak her mind and her "blasé approach to gender roles."[13]
References
- ↑ Komatsu, Mikikazu (October 10, 2015). "Yumio Kobayashi's "Nigakute Amai" Comedy Manga Gets Live-Action Film Adaptation". Crunchyroll. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ↑ "One Direction: Song Used For Japanese Movie 'Say I Love You!". KDrama Stars. June 24, 2014.
- ↑ "Ouran High School Host Club". Ryu. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ↑ Loo, Egan (July 4, 2008). "Funimation Announces Ouran High School Host Club Cast". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ↑ Bisco, Hatori (August 2003). Ouran High School Host Club 1. Hakusensha's Hana to Yume comics. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ↑ Loo, Egan (August 25, 2011). "Ouran High School Host Club Manga Gets Live-Action Film". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ↑ Mateo, Alex (September 22, 2021). "Ouran High School Host Club Stage Musical Unveils Visual, More Cast, January Debut". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
- ↑ Mateo, Alex (April 7, 2023). "Ouran High School Host Club Series Gets 3rd Stage Musical". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ↑ Regina, Steven. "No Glass Ceiling". The Swerve Magazine. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014.
- ↑ Ramsey Isler (February 4, 2014). "Top 25 greatest anime characters". IGN. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ↑ D.F. Smith (October 2, 2007). "IGN: Ouran High School Host Club Season 1 - Part 1 Review". IGN. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ↑ 各部門ランキング 中間発表 (in Japanese). Seiyu Awards. Archived from the original on January 16, 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ Bridges, Rose (September 2, 2015). "The Secret Revolution of Ouran High School Host Club". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 8, 2023.