Ouran Host Club 15

This volume finally gets down to the romance that Haruhi/Tamaki fans have been wanting. It's sweet and a little silly as befits the couple. Fans of the twins individuating will also be pleased with the funny love triangle competition that Hikaru and Tamaki are in, even though we all know who will win. Also, time seems to be moving forward in a big way- after several springs where time was ignored in the Ouran-verse, finally, the third years are graduating. Luckily, this gives us more scenes in which Hunny shows more personality than just CUTE! BUNNY! BUNNY! and Mori shows his emotions nonverbally, but loudly.

So this volume was worth it. I like the light touch of this series. Now, it is really difficult to create a comedy series that is long running and yet does not get old. Gags have a life time, and that lifetime is short. Filler episodes, such as the Alice in Wonderland chapter we saw much earlier in the series, are usually used to lengthen a series, but more than one filler story a volume is too much for me. Luckily, Hatori manages to put in enough plot teasers to keep me reading, and finally, some of these are starting to bear fruit.

I also like how the theme of the strong friendship within the club wasn't abandoned just because romantic love was revealed. I get the feeling that in the future, the host club members will continue to be friends, even as they pair off, even as they go to different majors in college, even as they become business partners or rivals, and that's a beautiful thing to express in manga.