Changes: Ouran Academy

Revision as of 18:44, 3 February 2014

"Only those with excellent social standing and those from filthy rich families are lucky enough to spend their time here at the elite private school -- Ouran Academy."

―Tamaki Suoh

Ouran Academy (also known as Ouran Elite Private Academy) is a prestigious private school located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. The school is attended primarily by children of the rich and famous (e.g. children of celebrities, business magnates, politicians, etc.). Haruhi Fujioka is the only student from a middle-class family which, to students accustomed to wealth, makes her seem poor in comparison. Ouran Academy houses five different divisions: Preschool, Elementary School, Middle School, High School and College/University. Although these four divisions are all located on the same campus and students are free to move about, they tend to remain near the area of their classes.

Ouran Academy is also widely known by its students as being the home of the Ouran High School Host Club, an enormously popular and influential club located in Music Room #3 of the High School building.

Ouran Academy Motto

OuranAcademyEmblem — The *Ouran Academy* uniform crest.

"Lineage counts first; wealth a close second."

―Ouran Academy's Motto

This mantra permeates Ouran with students of stellar family history and/or backgrounds given entrance priority over those from families of lower social or economic status, regardless of academic ability. All students at the school, however, are expected to be academically proficient and possessing leadership potential. The school accepts international students who meet criteria and offers a full scholarship to one Japanese student each year (per grade level at the high school) who meets the cut score on a notoriously difficult entrance exam, guaranteeing that they will enter Class A upon admission, where they are expected to be Top of the Class each trimester in order to remain enrolled at Ouran.

Campus Architecture

Many of the buildings on school grounds were inspired by famous monuments which include Buckingham Palace, Place de la Concorde and St. Peter's Basilica. In addition, a large portion of the academy's architecture is reminiscent of mid-nineteenth century Paris, France (where the Houshakuji family lives). And it's no accident that most of Ouran's anime architecture is shaded pink with lavender overtones. Pink is the favored color of flirts and teases. The Ouran Host Club does nothing but and their guests, while intrigued, are basically naive and unaware of life's more mature physicality. Lavender is the milder version of purple which bespeaks sophistication and a focus on one's own advancement and, after all, those who attend Ouran Academy are all about moving up in the world.

School Uniforms

At Ouran Academy, student uniforms indicate grade level and school division: Presechool, Elementary, Middle or High School. The Anime mimics both style and color from the Manga. The Drama, however, re-envisions the uniforms. It has been speculated that this was due to the "look" of the Drama being too similar to another shojo drama which ran concurrently called, "HineKane," which is about a girl pretending to be a boy at an all-boys school. The motivation behind the design changes, however, have never been validated.

Preschool

Manga/Anime: Male and female uniforms are identical for preschoolers, though boys wear shorts and girls wear skirts. The top is a short-sleeved, tailored white over-blouse with a salmon sailor-collar and a peach neckerchief. The boys wear salmon shorts and the girls, a salmon pleated skirt.
Unknown

Elementary School

Manga/Anime: Boys wear a dark green uniform consisting of short trousers and a double-breasted jacket with lapels, under which is worn a short-sleeved, white shirt and black loosely-bowed tie.

Manga/Anime: Girls wear a two-tone uniform consisting of a pink pleated skirt (hem variable, as long as dress code is followed) with a long-sleeved, white pullover top with pink cuffs and pink bib collar that covers the shoulders front and back, and a red loosely-bowed tie.
Drama: Girls wear a tan, double-breasted blazer with the Ouran crest sewn onto the right side, a white self-bowed blouse, dark plaid pleated skirt, black knee-his and black shoes. The boys' uniform is unknown.

Middle School

Manga/Anime: Boys wear straight black trousers and an ivory, concealed front-closure jacket, with a nehru collar and dark gold braid; an Ouran Academy seal is sewn onto the left side.
Manga/Anime: Girls wear a brown and white dress with a darker brown loosely-bowed tie decorating the v-neckline with modesty panel, which rises into a nautical-style collar; the dropped waist sits over a pleated skirt which may be short, but not revealing.

Drama: Boys wear straight gray plaid trousers and a black, concealed front-closure jacket, with a nehru collar and white braid; an Ouran Academy seal is sewn onto the left side. Girls wear a black pleated skirt, white v-neck blouse with an attached self-tie bow, black knee his and black flats.

High School

Boys wear straight black trousers and a pale blue blazer, under which is worn a long or short-sleeved white shirt and black Windsor-knotted silk tie, accented by a narrow purple band running vertically down its center length. An Ouran Academy seal is sewn onto the left breast. Black socks are shoes complete the uniform.

Girls wear a yellow fitted-bodice dress with a pointed white collar and red loosely-bowed tie; high-cut bishop sleeves ending in a white cuff; and a skirt that is typically calf-length and somewhat puffy (crinolines used to maintain a bell shape). White tights and black or red shoes complete the uniform.
Boys wear straight Black Watch plaid trousers and a black blazer with white edging, under which is worn a long or short-sleeved white shirt and the standard Ouran necktie. Girls wear the familiar yellow dress which has long and slim, narrow sleeves. Black tights and black shoes complete the uniform.

Natural fabrics, such as wool, cotton and silk, have always been considered first-class. It may be speculated that uniforms vary their fabric with the change of seasons, while retaining their style (e.g. linen vs. wool for the Ouran blazer).

There is some leniency in the dress code. Nekozawa wears a black cloak over his uniform daily. Kasanoda is rarely seen with a tie and often wears his button-up shirt as outerwear. In Chapter 1, before Haruhi has a chance to purchase a uniform, she makes do with a dress shirt and sweater from home; and she dons the same outfit again in Chapter 76 of the manga after the Host Club is disbanded.

Color analysis of the Manga/Anime uniforms reveals mindset. Preschool boys and girls wear the same colors - innocent white and peach as the power of red, toned down. Elementary boys are sprouting up in green self-reliance while the girls are blossom-pretty in pink, which seeks acceptance. Middle school ivory for boys suggests innocence moving towards the romantic attitude of brown, which flavors the girls' uniforms. In high school, the boys are true blue (at least for awhile in pastel) while the girls wear pale yellow, a color that suggests submisiveness in love, but also cheerfulness and fun. White and gold trim on everything indicates both purity and royalty. The colors used in the drama reflect only the costume designer's and art director's specifications.

Class Hierarchy

At Ouran Academy, students are separated into four classes based on their family's wealth, lineage, influence and their personal intelligence. Basically the Ouran Academy decides their student's classes into their family's pedigree and grades. For example, the Host Club members are all in the A class for their year group, where the students from highly privileged families are placed. The only exception is Haruhi, who gets a special privilege due to her scholarship status.

The order of classes are as followed:

'A' Class - The "Elite" or Honor Role (Grade + Pedigree Rank 100%)

'B' Class (Grade + Pedigree Rank 70%)

'C' Class (Grade + Pedigree Rank 50%)

'D' Class - Mostly consists of children from Yakuza affiliated families (Grade + Pedigree Rank 20%)

School Subjects

As the series focuses more on the school clubs, the actual classes taught at school and the structure of the school day are not directly shown in the anime, nor are any teachers revealed; however, the manga directly reveals two specific classes offered at the academy: physical education and Greek. Additionally, some of the subjects referenced in both media include French, German, Greek, English, Japanese History and Modern Literature.

Cuisine

Edibles are not central to the plot of Ouran High School Host Club, but help to create ambience, often serving as props that prime the physical senses of the viewer for romance. "There is a very close relationship between love, sex and food. It's hard to feel romantic if you're starving. The human need for food and sex are basic, part of the foundation of our nature, which makes it sensible that they are so closely knit together," says Dr. Maryanne Fisher. When you eat, you're using many of the same senses and inducing bodily reactions similar (though not exact) to those evoked during sex. Plus, as with everything else set in Ouran's universe, depictions demonstrate accuracy and attention to detail.

Trivia

In Greek, the word "ouranos" means "heaven."
In historical Japan, an oiran was a courtesan to nobility, celebrated and revered because of their charm, intelligence and beauty.

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 ==School Uniforms==
-At Ouran Academy, student uniforms indicate grade level and school division: Presechool, Elementary, Middle or High School.
+At Ouran Academy, student uniforms indicate grade level and school division: Presechool, Elementary, Middle or High School.  The Anime mimics both style and color from the Manga. The Drama, however, re-envisions the uniforms.  It has been speculated that this was due to the "look" of the Drama being too similar to another shojo drama which ran concurrently called, "HineKane," which is about a girl pretending to be a boy at an all-boys school.  The motivation behind the design changes, however, have never been validated.
 ===Preschool===
-*Male and female uniforms are identical for preschoolers, the only variation being that boys wear shorts instead of skirts.  The top is a short-sleeved, tailored white blouse with a salmon sailor-collar and a peach neckerchief.  The boys wear salmon shorts and the girls, a salmon pleated skirt.
+*Manga/Anime: Male and female uniforms are identical for preschoolers, though boys wear shorts and girls wear skirts.  The top is a short-sleeved, tailored white over-blouse with a salmon sailor-collar and a peach neckerchief.  The boys wear salmon shorts and the girls, a salmon pleated skirt.
+*Unknown
 ===Elementary School===
-* Boys wear a dark green uniform consisting of short trousers and a double-breasted jacket with lapels, under which is worn a short-sleeved, white shirt and black loosely-bowed tie.
+* Manga/Anime: Boys wear a dark green uniform consisting of short trousers and a double-breasted jacket with lapels, under which is worn a short-sleeved, white shirt and black loosely-bowed tie.
-* Girls wear a two-tone uniform consisting of a pink pleated skirt (hem variable, as long as dress code is followed) with a long-sleeved, white pullover top with pink cuffs and pink bib collar that covers the shoulders front and back, and a red loosely-bowed tie.
+* Manga/Anime: Girls wear a two-tone uniform consisting of a pink pleated skirt (hem variable, as long as dress code is followed) with a long-sleeved, white pullover top with pink cuffs and pink bib collar that covers the shoulders front and back, and a red loosely-bowed tie.
+* Drama: Girls wear a tan, double-breasted blazer with the Ouran crest sewn onto the right side, a white self-bowed blouse, dark plaid pleated skirt, black knee-his and black shoes.  The boys' uniform is unknown.
 ===Middle School===
-* Boys wear straight black trousers and an ivory, concealed front-closure jacket, with a nehru collar and dark gold braid; an Ouran Academy seal is sewn onto the left breast.
+* Manga/Anime: Boys wear straight black trousers and an ivory, concealed front-closure jacket, with a nehru collar and dark gold braid; an Ouran Academy seal is sewn onto the left side.
+* Manga/Anime: Girls wear a brown and white dress with a darker brown loosely-bowed tie decorating the v-neckline with modesty panel, which rises into a nautical-style collar; the dropped waist sits over a pleated skirt which may be short, but not revealing.
+* Drama:  Boys wear straight gray plaid trousers and a black, concealed front-closure jacket, with a nehru collar and white braid; an Ouran Academy seal is sewn onto the left side.  Girls wear a black pleated skirt, white v-neck blouse with an attached self-tie bow, black knee his and black flats.
-* Girls wear a brown and white dress with a darker brown loosely-bowed tie decorating the v-neckline with modesty panel, which rises into a nautical-style collar; the dropped waist sits over a pleated skirt which may be short, but not revealing.
 === High School===
-*Boys wear straight black trousers and a pale blue blazer, under which is worn a long or short-sleeved white shirt and black Windsor-knotted silk tie, accented by a narrow purple band running vertically down its center length.  An Ouran Academy seal is sewn onto the left breast.
+*Boys wear straight black trousers and a pale blue blazer, under which is worn a long or short-sleeved white shirt and black Windsor-knotted silk tie, accented by a narrow purple band running vertically down its center length.  An Ouran Academy seal is sewn onto the left breast.  Black socks are shoes complete the uniform.
-*Girls wear a yellow fitted-bodice dress with a pointed white collar and red loosely-bowed tie; high-cut bishop sleeves ending in a white cuff; and a skirt that is typically calf-length and somewhat puffy (crinolines used to maintain a bell shape).
+*Girls wear a yellow fitted-bodice dress with a pointed white collar and red loosely-bowed tie; high-cut bishop sleeves ending in a white cuff; and a skirt that is typically calf-length and somewhat puffy (crinolines used to maintain a bell shape).  White tights and black or red shoes complete the uniform.
+*Boys wear straight Black Watch plaid trousers and a black blazer with white edging, under which is worn a long or short-sleeved white shirt and the standard Ouran necktie.  Girls wear the familiar yellow dress which has long and slim, narrow sleeves.  Black tights and black shoes complete the uniform.
-For uniforms without long trousers, white knee socks are worn; black trouser socks for the others; white tights for high school girls.  In the anime, black loafers are worn by boys and brown, black or red Maryjanes are worn by girls.  Natural fabrics, such as wool, cotton and silk, have always been considered first-class.  It may be speculated that uniforms vary their fabric with the change of seasons, while retaining their style (e.g. linen vs. wool for the Ouran blazer).
+Natural fabrics, such as wool, cotton and silk, have always been considered first-class.  It may be speculated that uniforms vary their fabric with the change of seasons, while retaining their style (e.g. linen vs. wool for the Ouran blazer).
 There is some leniency in the dress code. [[Nekozawa Umehito|Nekozawa]] wears a black cloak over his uniform daily. [[Ritsu Kasanoda|Kasanoda]] is rarely seen with a tie and often wears his button-up shirt as outerwear. In [[Chapter 1]], before [[Haruhi Fujioka|Haruhi]] has a chance to purchase a uniform, she makes do with a dress shirt and sweater from home; and she dons the same outfit again in [[Chapter 76]] of the manga after the Host Club is disbanded.
-Color analysis of the anime uniforms reveals mindset.  Preschool boys and girls wear the same colors - innocent white and peach as the power of red, toned down.  Elementary boys are sprouting up in green self-reliance while the girls are blossom-pretty in pink, which seeks acceptance.  Middle school ivory for boys suggests innocence moving towards the romantic attitude of brown, which flavors the girls' uniforms.  In high school, the boys are true blue (at least for awhile in pastel) while the girls wear pale yellow, a color that suggests submisiveness in love, but also cheerfulness and fun.  White and gold trim on everything indicates both purity and royalty.
+Color analysis of the Manga/Anime uniforms reveals mindset.  Preschool boys and girls wear the same colors - innocent white and peach as the power of red, toned down.  Elementary boys are sprouting up in green self-reliance while the girls are blossom-pretty in pink, which seeks acceptance.  Middle school ivory for boys suggests innocence moving towards the romantic attitude of brown, which flavors the girls' uniforms.  In high school, the boys are true blue (at least for awhile in pastel) while the girls wear pale yellow, a color that suggests submisiveness in love, but also cheerfulness and fun.  White and gold trim on everything indicates both purity and royalty.  The colors used in the drama reflect only the costume designer's and art director's specifications.
 {{clr}}