SO. I HEARD YOU LIKED CHARACTER INFORMATION.
APPLICATION for sirenspull!
Character Information
General
Canon Source: Ouran High School Host Club!
Canon Format: Manga (& anime, but I will be playing manga!Tamaki~)
Character's Name: Tamaki Suou
Character's Age: 18
What form will your character's NV take? Just your typical cell phone, covered with stickers and a tons of cheerful cute dangly charms of course!
Abilities
Character's Canon Abilities: None (outside of quickly-devised harebrained schemes, concert pianist skills, buckets of charisma, rarely used intelligence, and the ability to sparkle/pull roses out of midair!)
Conditional: If your character has no superhuman canon abilities, what dormant ability will you give them? You know how some people have everything going for them--good looks, personality, money, fame, power, etcetera? It’s like they live a charmed existence, amirite. Well, a “charmed existence” is exactly what Tamaki’s going to get! He’s going to be the luckiest guy in all of Siren’s Port. Things will just fall into place for him, like they do cannonly--but here, that luck will defy all odds! It will be easy for him to find a cushy great job, easy for him to get a new apartment, easy for him to make friends--life will be very great and easy! And it will manifest itself in ridiculous ways--does it look like rain? Well, good thing Tamaki just planted a garden and boy could it use watering! Is that a rouge tiger prowling the streets? Suddenly the sound of Tamaki’s voice will soothe the savage beast!
The only stipulation? His luck will be entirely useless as soon as the sun goes down. The minute it gets dark, the minute the sirens go off, Tamaki will be singularly UNLUCKY. Suddenly everything will be working against him. The forces of darkness will tail his every movement. He will trip over things when there’s nothing to trip over. His commoner’s ramen will suddenly have become high-end noodles! IS IT A CURSE? He’ll think so, certainly! This… likely won’t effect him too much, as he’s an early sleeper/early riser, but should Tamaki find himself out after dark, he will be very sorry.
Weapons: THE POWER OF LOVE none!
History/Personality/Plans/etc.
Character History: Here, have the general wiki page to start with, followed by Tamaki’s wiki pgae~
Tamaki was born in France, the son of wealthy Japanese businessman Suou Yuzuru and his mistress, Anne Sophie Grantaine. As an illegitimate son, Tamaki lived in relative luxury in France with his mother. His father visited this second family as often he could, but Tamaki’s maternal grandmother disapproved of these meetings and discouraged him from visiting at every opportunity.
Anne Sophie was very sick through much of Tamaki’s young life with a potentially terminal disease (in chapter 77, Kyouya finds out that she has a type of systemic lupus erythematosus). At first, Tamaki was naturally quite troubled and depressed by his mother’s condition. His life was bright only when she was happy, and when his father would visit. Gradually, though, he began to realize that he could make his mother happy, and he began to play the piano for her, tell her jokes and stories, anything that would make her feel better. This is where his intense charm/need to make friends happy originated.
When Tamaki was about fourteen, several big things happened that significantly altered his life, one as a direct result of the other. The Grantaine family business has been having trouble for some time, but they suddenly found themselves in a great deal of financial trouble and mired in debt. At the same time, Anne Sophie’s conditioned worsened. The family was nearly unable to pay for her medical treatment. Simultaneous to all of this, in Japan, Tamaki’s maternal grandmother began to see need for an heir to the family business. Yuzuru Suou convinced his mother to allow Tamaki the opportunity, and she agreed, under one condition: Tamaki was to move to Japan, and never see his mother again. As an added incentive, she agreed to finance Anne Sophie’s medical bills. Tamaki agrees for the sake of his mother, and because he wants to have the family together, and Anne Sophie goes into hiding after Tamaki’s departure.
Tamaki comes to Japan full of excitement--excitement at the prospect of getting to know his grandmother, excited to live in Japan (a magical and mystical realm, if his father is to believed), excited to try new things and meet new people. He is sent to live in the second mansion, separate from the rest of the Suou clan, but that does not get him down. He eagerly embraces life at the mansion, greeting his servants familiarly, and just generally bounding around like a little kid. When he begins school at Ouran, he strikes up a friendship with Kyouya. At first, their relationship is one-sided--Kyouya only puts up with Tamaki to maintain a good relationship between the Ootori and Suou family. But eventually, Tamaki worms his way under Kyouya’s skin in true Tamaki style, and they become genuine friends.
At fifteen, Tamaki comes up with the idea of the Host Club. He earnestly solicits membership from students that he finds likely--Hitachiin Hikaru and Kaoru, Haninozuka Misukuni (later known as “Huni”), Morinozuka “Mori” Takashi--and of course, Kyouya. Each of them is disengaged from life in some way. Huni is a fierce martial artist who denies himself the pleasure of eating sweets--Hikaru and Kaoru are interested only in one another, and are cruel to anyone who tries to get to know them--but one by one, Tamaki changes their minds, and gets them to agree to join his club.
The Host Club is made up exclusively of high-ranking students. At Ouran, class is determined by lineage and intelligence, “A” being the highest and “D” being the lowest. The club’s function is simple: make girls happy. Customers are given the opportunity to request the host that will entertain them, playing to their specific interests. The hosts are separated into typical shojo “types”, in a sort of parody of shojo manga characters--Stoic, Silent, Devil, Loli Shota, and Prince. Tamaki is the president and the idea generator, while Kyouya, as vice president, is the real brains of the outfit and manages all events. And the events are usually elaborate. Some days, you might come into the Third Music Room and find everything normal, with just pleasant conversation and tea service. Other days, however, you might come in and find a theme is in place, and the whole room has been elaborately converted to reflect this: anything from a tropical paradise to a pirate theme is go! The hosts dress in costumes and adopt characteristics of whatever the theme is for the week. This is supposed to keep things interesting, and again, plays to the preferences and interests of the customers.
Fast-forward to Tamaki’s second year of high school. A scholarship student, Fujioka Haruhi, begins school at Ouran. She is brilliant, but not very wealthy, and while she maintains good marks, she does not associate with her classmates. Her appearance is sloppy and shoddy--she wears her father’s old glasses and sweaters, her hair is short and blunt and messy--and she doesn’t fit in with the rich kids she suddenly finds herself surrounded with. Seeking a quiet place to study, she ducks into the Third Music Room--and stumbles upon the Host Club.
Freaked out by their sparkles and sweet nothings, Haruhi stumbles away from them, inadvertently knocking over an extremely expensive vase that was to be featured in a school auction. As a result, she is forced to work for the Host Club to pay off the debt. She starts off as an errand boy, running around fetching things for them, but soon Tamaki takes notice of her and her exotic commoner status. He becomes interested in her, and they give her a make over in order to make her more interesting and appealing, figuring that she will be able to work off her debt faster if she is working as a host. Oh, yeah, that’s right--they think she’s a boy. They give her boy’s clothes, a boy’s haircut, and treat her like a boy. Haruhi doesn’t argue with this--later she says it would have been too troublesome--but slowly, the hosts come to recognize her for what she is. Tamaki is, of course, last, but it’s too late now. Haruhi begins work as a host, and life is changed forever~
Point in Canon: I’m going to bring an early manga!Tamaki to Siren’s Port, from right after chapter 36, which is the conclusion of the “Bossa Nova” problem arch. He’s only just starting to become conscious of his “real” feelings for Haruhi at this point, though he still misconstrues them as fatherly affection, and still refers to the Club as a family :3
Character Personality:
At first take, you might think Tamaki to be a total ladykiller, a charmer, a bona fide ladies’ man . BUT THAT IMPRESSION WON’T LAST LONG. Sure, he’s got oodles of natural charm, and he loves nothing more then sweet-talking a couplea dozen princesses, but Tamaki’s antics and over-the-top behavior lend him more to the role of a comic character. His host persona is very smooth and eloquent, and he does have that side to him--but when he’s around Haruhi and his friends, he shows himself for what he really is--sweet, naive, ridiculous, silly, and melodramatic.
As the founder of the Host Club, Tamaki is very outgoing and gregarious. He loves making friends and he loves helping people. When recruiting for the Club, Tamaki seemed to almost deliberately seek out lonely people and bring them together to act as one big happy family. His friends have an easy time messing with his emotions--he’s easily discouraged, easily angered, easily encouraged, and so much fun to tease. Even his Dad gets in on the Tamaki-baiting action, inventing crazy stories and presenting them as sound fact to his impressionable son.
Tamaki has a huuuuuuge ego and likes to be told how great he is--but he’s not selfish! He will gladly tell you how great YOU are in return! He’s very conscious and proud of his good looks, and asserts himself to be the most handsome of all the hosts. And he’s got a 70% request rate, so he must be right in some capacity! He gets friendly with anyone who compliments him, but a single insult can send him reeling straight for the Dark Pouting Corner, where he will sulk and talk softly until someone makes efforts to comfort him. Really, he’s like a big stupid kid most of the time. He likes playing children’s games--Red Light Green Light, Kick the Can--and he has a teddy bear (Kuma-chan or “Beary”) that he is frequently seen with. He can be very competitive--he recurrently vies with the demon twins for Haruhi’s affection and attention, and accepts/makes challenges to various other clubs and organizations that the Host Club must then scramble to answer. Really though, all he wants is friends friends friends. Even his enemies can become his friends at the drop of a hat. He’s always nice to people, and if he calls you a commoner, it’s not an insult--he LOVES commoners. He’s obsessed with the “commoner culture”--simple everyday things that you and I would take for granted. Commoner’s coffee (instant coffee), commoner’s ramen, commoner’s candy, commoner television--he loves it all. He once organized a very impassioned trip to a shopping mall so everyone could experience the delights of the commoner’s life~ And he loves the Japanese culture as well. Since his dad was always telling him these fantastic stories about Japanese home life, Tamaki arrived in Japan with his eyes full of stars, expecting lots of super traditional funtimes. He loves traditional things and going to touristy locations, much to the chagrin of his clubmates (especially Kyouya).
Tamaki can be seriously dramatic--flashes of lightning and thunder, collapsing spells, pouting in corners, impassioned shouting and pointing. He can be given to fits of SRS RAGE that is just so ridiculous, but that he takes so seriously. He has very extreme emotions most of the time--either he is VERY HAPPY or VERY SAD or VERY ANGRY. He’s also ditzy and hurdur a little stupid at times, especially when it comes to really obvious things (for instance, he was the last one in the club to realize that Haruhi was a girl!). But he has a very genuine spirit beneath all of that ridiculousness. He will never refuse to help someone who needs it, even if they have bad intentions toward him. He defends his friends at all cost. And when you really need him to be serious, he will be serious. He’s come to Haruhi’s rescue a few times (the man once jumped off a cliff for her for God’s sake), and scolds her when she puts herself in unnecessary danger. He can also be calm and sweet when the occasion calls for it--when Haruhi is frightened during a thunderstorm, he comforts her.
Tamaki uses transference to make up for his poor familial situation. He equates clubs with families--not just the Host Club, but all clubs--and he adamantly believes in and supports their success. He once assisted the nefarious Newspaper Club because he felt sorry that their “family” would be forced to separate. He assigns family characters to each of the Host Club members, with Haruhi acting as his beloved daughter. The others recognize this as extreme displacement--if Haruhi is his “daughter”, then Tamaki can feel affection toward her. He can be upset when a boy tries to get her attention. He can be devoted to her and fantasize about spending time with her (though his fantasies are often more romantic and related to her adoring him in some wife-like manner). As the story progresses, he begins to realize his true feelings for her, and works to suppress them in order to keep the Club intact. He’s very dense when it comes to his personal feelings, but he’s quick to recognize love in others. And if you’re pining for someone, Tamaki will step in and help you! He’s just…completely unable to help himself.
Despite his idiocy, Tamaki is actually really smart! He’s second in class rankings, below only the genius hard working Kyouya, and he doesn’t even really have to do much work. He hardly studies, so he’s apparently some kind of idiot savant. As the manga progresses, Tamaki begins to take work more seriously. He starts attending meetings at his father’s company and is well on his way to becoming a srs bsns man, postponing club activities in favor of his work. This is all in an effort to get his grandmother to recognize him, of course, but his drive is impressive. He’s very refined and has great manners (when he wants to), and uses his charm and etiquette to put others at ease. OH and he’s also very skilled at playing the piano. He’ll gladly entertain you or soothe you with lovely music~
Tamaki’s compliments to the ~ladies~ are all genuine and heartfelt, even though they come off as uber grandiose. But there’s not a mean lying bone in his whole lanky body. He’s always forgiving and kind to a fault--even when his grandmother is borderline verbally abusing him, he is gracious to her and treats her with nothing but genuine love and affection. It seems impossible at first--I mean, really, she tells him that he’s not allowed to touch her because he’s DIRTY, and he just smiles! But that’s just how Tamaki is. He has no ill will toward her because she is his grandmother. What he really wants is for his family to be united: his dad, his mom, his grandmother, and him, all gathered around a koatsu in the winter, playing games and giggling. It’s ridiculous and sweet at the same time, which also serves as a good summary for his character: ridiculous and sweet.
Character Plans:
I have lots of ideas for little ole Tamaki in Siren’s Port! Initially, he is going to be so effing pumped to be among commoners! This will be like an immersion program/dream come true for him. He will enjoy living in the starter apartments for a few weeks, but eventually the overall gross crassness of the place will bother him, & he will quickly head uptown somewhere for fancier digs. I can see him getting a job as a model, since he’s always talked about earning a living with his lovely body (orz innuendo) as a possibility. And the money from that will keep him able to live his casually extravagant lifestyle! He might try and be a Greeter on the side, since he won’t be able to help himself, and he doesn’t need much sleep. And he will be thrilled to be able to help commoners with their commoner problems. I can see him donating large amounts of money/stuff to others less fortunate than him, and just being generally idiotic meddlesome helpful to anyone who needs it! I don’t think he will start any Host Clubs or anything, though he will talk fondly of it, and he will occasionally miss the hell out of all his little darlings at home (esp. lovely daughter Haruhi waaaa). But he will not emo for long because that is not what KINGS DO.
Appearance/PB: Isn’t he loverly~?
Writing Samples
First Person Sample
[The video feed begins with an extreme close-up of Tamaki’s face, and wow it is HAPPY TO SEE YOU!]
ATTENTION, LOYAL SUBJECTS, YOUR KING HAS ARRIVED FOR THE DAY!
….Hm! [looks around--double takes; looks around again--double takes again; looks around for a third time and finally puts his hand to his chin, striking a Thinking Pose.] HMMM. I do not recall authorizing any Derelict Baseball Diamond Days for the Host Club! According to my calendar, our next extravagant event was Pirate Day. In fact--no--I KNOW that I would never have authorized such an event as this, because there would be nothing for the patrons to enjoy--especially in this dismal weather! [thinking thinking thinking] ….Unless--unless of course I was thinking that, without the hindrance of furniture or other knick-knacks, the young princesses would be further allowed to feast upon the beauty of the Host Club--a diamonds-in-the-rough effect! …Yes!
YES! This is a brilliant plan! I am so glad that I thought of it, forgot about it, and promptly rediscovered it! Truly, I am King of the Hosts for a good reason!
OH LOYAL SUBJECTS! COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE! DADDY’S HOME! MOTHER, WHERE HAVE YOU HIDDEN THE SNACKS; EVEN IF WE ARE DERILICTLY PLEASING OUR YOUNG PRINCESSES, THEY STILL REQUIRE TREATS!
…. [glares, stomps his foot] LOYAL SUBJECTS! ANSWER YOUR KING, I COMMAND YOU!
Third Person Sample
Today was the day.
Tamaki leaped out of bed and threw open the curtains, silhouetted by the streaming sunlight. He stood in front of the window for a few dramatic minutes, taking in the sights before him and drawing deep cleansing breaths into his lungs. Today was the day, and what a day it would be!
Everything would be perfect. He would finally eat lunch at Haruhi’s side--ALONE. A true Daddy-Daughter date, just him and her in familial bliss, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. He had worked it all out perfectly, planning for weeks, and then handed over his wishes to Kyouya to see that they would happen properly. Linen tablecloths, fatty tuna, candlelight, a quiet violin playing the sweetest of tunes--nothing could dissuade him.
The twins would try, certainly. They were always trying to undermine his fantastic relationship with Haruhi. But they would be unable to do so today! Tamaki had even planned for that eventuality! He had commissioned another student to dress badly and present himself in the corridor right before the lunch hour. No--not to just dress badly, that would be too simple. He would be there to present an overall bad character. Hair poorly trimmed in an unflattering bowl cut! Baggy threadbare sweater! Plaid pants clashing unflatteringly with a checked bowtie! AN OVERBITE! A UNIBROW! The twins would be unable to resist--they would rush to tease this person, and Tamaki would sweep Haruhi into his arms and bear her off to the lunch room.
She would be enchanted--oh, she would be nearly faint. His hands shook a little just thinking about it. Haruhi’s face, soft in the light from the candles, turned up toward his, her lips parted just a little, the hint of a blush just touching her smooth cheeks. And her voice, breathy in the feminity that he knew was somewhere below her hard commoner’s exterior--so soft, so gentle. “Tamaki,” she would say. He would no longer be sempai to her; her eyes would be open and she would see him for who he was, she would finally realize how much they meant to each other. He would smile in answer and lean toward her, place his hand in her small and delicate palm. “Tamaki, I am so glad--”
Was it really 6:15 already? Tamaki stared at his watch. He had been standing in front of the window for a half-hour, lost in the world of his daydream. There was no time to be wasted! The faster he acted, the sooner he got to school--and the sooner he got to school, the sooner his Daddy-Daughter date would become a reality.
And oh! What a reality it would be! He could just picture it--flower blossoms falling gently outside of the window, pale pink snow, soft and lovely. The light would be dim, the candles flickering over the feast spread before them. And Haruhi’s hand, clasped in his, and her face, so perfect and lovely. Her hair would be long again, trailing over her shoulder, silky and dark, and she would be wearing a skirt--no! She would be wearing a dress, something airy and lacy, and she would cut a pale and feminine against his inherit manliness. She would look so lovely, and he would look so handsome--the perfect couple! He would touch his hand to her cheek, and her blush would deepen, and she would lean toward him, safe, protected, loving--above all else, loving--and--
6:30? Fifteen minutes had passed already! Tamaki threw himself toward his closet and dragged out his school uniform. He had gotten distracted again! At this rate, he would not have time to practice his new piano etude, work on his deep manly laughs in preparation for Pirate Day, or even eat breakfast before school! He rushed out of the room and swept down the stairs, taking
them two at a time, his heart light. None of that mattered! Today was the day!
__________________________________________________
APPLICATION for Kannagara!
PLAYER INFO
Name/Nickname: Cee!
Age: twenty threeee (on the very brink of twenty four oh god)
Journal: wer3wolph
AIM/MSN/IM: twotimesafew on AIM
Email: twotimesfew at gmail dot com
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Suou Tamaki
Canon: Ouran High School Host Club (manga)
Point taken from canon: I would like to bring an early manga Tamaki--post chapter 36. This is immediately following the "Bossa Nova" problem arc, so Tamaki is aware of his feelings for Haruhi (though he still misconstrues them as father affection), and he still refers to the Host Club as a family.
Age: seventeen!
Gender: Male
Preferred Village: Anything that isn't too rustic! Tamaki doesn't have the best survival skills, so he would do better in a more civilized/populated area.
Appearance: Tamaki is tall, blond, and incredibly, effortlessly good looking. That's no exaggeration. He could easily become a model if he really wanted to. He's got a typical teenage boy body, with some slight definition to his muscle structure--nothing big or bulgy, just lithe and maybe more on the skinny side than anything else. He's completely aware of his good looks, to the point that he occasionally boasts about them. And he has these enormous purple eyes that can swim with tears one second and be all shiny and happy in the next--and if you aren't careful, he'll fix you with his puppy dog eyes, and you'll just melt. He's prone to dramatics--striking poses, flopping around on the floor, crouching in corners when depressed--and he's rather affectionate. He puts his arm around people's shoulders, sits close to them, gives out fond embraces---all that jazz. He's usually dressed in his Ouran school uniform (blue blazer, black tie, white shirt, black pants), but when not in school, he dresses casually but still appears well-turned out--designer clothes that fit him well and compliment everything about him.
Background:
The Ouran wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouran_High_School_Host_Club
Tamaki's wiki: http://ouran.wikia.com/wiki/Tamaki_Suoh
Tamaki was born in France, the son of wealthy Japanese businessman Suou Yuzuru and his mistress, Anne Sophie Grantaine. As an illegitimate son, Tamaki lived in relative luxury in France with his mother. His father visited this second family as often he could, but Tamaki’s paternal grandmother disapproved of these meetings and discouraged him from visiting at every opportunity.
Anne Sophie was very sick through much of Tamaki’s young life with a potentially terminal disease (in chapter 77, Kyouya finds out that she has a type of systemic lupus erythematosus). At first, Tamaki was naturally quite troubled and depressed by his mother’s condition. His life was bright only when she was happy, and when his father would visit. Gradually, though, he began to realize that he could make his mother happy, and he began to play the piano for her, tell her jokes and stories, anything that would make her feel better. This is where his intense charm/need to make friends happy originated.
When Tamaki was about fourteen, several big things happened that significantly altered his life, one as a direct result of the other. The Grantaine family business has been having trouble for some time, but they suddenly found themselves in a great deal of financial trouble and mired in debt. At the same time, Anne Sophie’s conditioned worsened. The family was nearly unable to pay for her medical treatment. Simultaneous to all of this, in Japan, Tamaki’s paternal grandmother began to see need for an heir to the family business. Yuzuru Suou convinced his mother to allow Tamaki the opportunity, and she agreed, under one condition: Tamaki was to move to Japan, and never see his mother again. As an added incentive, she agreed to finance Anne Sophie’s medical bills. Tamaki agrees for the sake of his mother, and because he wants to have the family together, and Anne Sophie goes into hiding after Tamaki’s departure.
Tamaki comes to Japan full of excitement--excitement at the prospect of getting to know his grandmother, excited to live in Japan (a magical and mystical realm, if his father is to believed), excited to try new things and meet new people. He is sent to live in the second mansion, separate from the rest of the Suou clan, but that does not get him down. He eagerly embraces life at the mansion, greeting his servants familiarly, and just generally bounding around like a little kid. When he begins school at Ouran, he strikes up a friendship with Kyouya. At first, their relationship is one-sided--Kyouya only puts up with Tamaki to maintain a good relationship between the Ootori and Suou family. But eventually, Tamaki worms his way under Kyouya’s skin in true Tamaki style, and they become genuine friends.
At fifteen, Tamaki comes up with the idea of the Host Club. He earnestly solicits membership from students that he finds likely--Hitachiin Hikaru and Kaoru, Haninozuka Misukuni (later known as “Huni”), Morinozuka “Mori” Takashi--and of course, Kyouya. Each of them is disengaged from life in some way. Huni is a fierce martial artist who denies himself the pleasure of eating sweets--Hikaru and Kaoru are interested only in one another, and are cruel to anyone who tries to get to know them--but one by one, Tamaki changes their minds, and gets them to agree to join his club.
The Host Club is made up exclusively of high-ranking students. At Ouran, class is determined by lineage and intelligence, “A” being the highest and “D” being the lowest. The club’s function is simple: make girls happy. Customers are given the opportunity to request the host that will entertain them, playing to their specific interests. The hosts are separated into typical shojo “types”, in a sort of parody of shojo manga characters--Stoic, Silent, Devil, Loli Shota, and Prince. Tamaki is the president and the idea generator, while Kyouya, as vice president, is the real brains of the outfit and manages all events. And the events are usually elaborate. Some days, you might come into the Third Music Room and find everything normal, with just pleasant conversation and tea service. Other days, however, you might come in and find a theme is in place, and the whole room has been elaborately converted to reflect this: anything from a tropical paradise to a pirate theme is go! The hosts dress in costumes and adopt characteristics of whatever the theme is for the week. This is supposed to keep things interesting, and again, plays to the preferences and interests of the customers.
Fast-forward to Tamaki’s second year of high school. A scholarship student, Fujioka Haruhi, begins school at Ouran. She is brilliant, but not very wealthy, and while she maintains good marks, she does not associate with her classmates. Her appearance is sloppy and shoddy--she wears her father’s old glasses and sweaters, her hair is short and blunt and messy--and she doesn’t fit in with the rich kids she suddenly finds herself surrounded with. Seeking a quiet place to study, she ducks into the Third Music Room--and stumbles upon the Host Club.
Freaked out by their sparkles and sweet nothings, Haruhi stumbles away from them, inadvertently knocking over an extremely expensive vase that was to be featured in a school auction. As a result, she is forced to work for the Host Club to pay off the debt. She starts off as an errand boy, running around fetching things for them, but soon Tamaki takes notice of her and her exotic commoner status. He becomes interested in her, and they give her a make over in order to make her more interesting and appealing, figuring that she will be able to work off her debt faster if she is working as a host. Oh, yeah, that’s right--they think she’s a boy. They give her boy’s clothes, a boy’s haircut, and treat her like a boy. Haruhi doesn’t argue with this--later she says it would have been too troublesome--but slowly, the hosts come to recognize her for what she is. Tamaki is, of course, last, but it’s too late now. Haruhi begins work as a host, and life is changed forever~
Personality:
At first take, you might think Tamaki to be a total ladykiller, a charmer, a bona fide ladies’ man . BUT THAT IMPRESSION WON’T LAST LONG. Sure, he’s got oodles of natural charm, and he loves nothing more then sweet-talking a couplea dozen princesses, but Tamaki’s antics and over-the-top behavior lend him more to the role of a comic character. His host persona is very smooth and eloquent, and he does have that side to him--but when he’s around Haruhi and his friends, he shows himself for what he really is--sweet, naive, ridiculous, silly, and melodramatic.
As the founder of the Host Club, Tamaki is very outgoing and gregarious. He loves making friends and he loves helping people. When recruiting for the Club, Tamaki seemed to almost deliberately seek out lonely people and bring them together to act as one big happy family. His friends have an easy time messing with his emotions--he’s easily discouraged, easily angered, easily encouraged, and so much fun to tease. Even his Dad gets in on the Tamaki-baiting action, inventing crazy stories and presenting them as sound fact to his impressionable son.
Tamaki has a huuuuuuge ego and likes to be told how great he is--but he’s not selfish! He will gladly tell you how great YOU are in return! He’s very conscious and proud of his good looks, and asserts himself to be the most handsome of all the hosts. And he’s got a 70% request rate, so he must be right in some capacity! He gets friendly with anyone who compliments him, but a single insult can send him reeling straight for the Dark Pouting Corner, where he will sulk and talk softly until someone makes efforts to comfort him. Really, he’s like a big stupid kid most of the time. He likes playing children’s games--Red Light Green Light, Kick the Can--and he has a teddy bear (Kuma-chan or “Beary”) that he is frequently seen with. He can be very competitive--he recurrently vies with the demon twins for Haruhi’s affection and attention, and accepts/makes challenges to various other clubs and organizations that the Host Club must then scramble to answer. Really though, all he wants is friends friends friends. Even his enemies can become his friends at the drop of a hat. He’s always nice to people, and if he calls you a commoner, it’s not an insult--he LOVES commoners. He’s obsessed with the “commoner culture”--simple everyday things that you and I would take for granted. Commoner’s coffee (instant coffee), commoner’s ramen, commoner’s candy, commoner television--he loves it all. He once organized a very impassioned trip to a shopping mall so everyone could experience the delights of the commoner’s life~ And he loves the Japanese culture as well. Since his dad was always telling him these fantastic stories about Japanese home life, Tamaki arrived in Japan with his eyes full of stars, expecting lots of super traditional funtimes (and ninjas!). He loves traditional things and going to touristy locations, much to the chagrin of his clubmates (especially Kyouya).
Tamaki can be seriously dramatic--flashes of lightning and thunder, collapsing spells, pouting in corners, impassioned shouting and pointing. He can be given to fits of SRS RAGE that is just so ridiculous, but that he takes so seriously. He has very extreme emotions most of the time--either he is VERY HAPPY or VERY SAD or VERY ANGRY. He’s also ditzy and hurdur a little stupid at times, especially when it comes to really obvious things (for instance, he was the last one in the club to realize that Haruhi was a girl!). But he has a very genuine spirit beneath all of that ridiculousness. He will never refuse to help someone who needs it, even if they have bad intentions toward him. He defends his friends at all cost. And when you really need him to be serious, he will be serious. He’s come to Haruhi’s rescue a few times (the man once jumped off a cliff for her for God’s sake), and scolds her when she puts herself in unnecessary danger. He can also be calm and sweet when the occasion calls for it--when Haruhi is frightened during a thunderstorm, he comforts her.
Tamaki uses transference to make up for his poor familial situation. He equates clubs with families--not just the Host Club, but all clubs--and he adamantly believes in and supports their success. He once assisted the nefarious Newspaper Club because he felt sorry that their “family” would be forced to separate. He assigns family characters to each of the Host Club members, with Haruhi acting as his beloved daughter. The others recognize this as extreme displacement--if Haruhi is his “daughter”, then Tamaki can feel affection toward her. He can be upset when a boy tries to get her attention. He can be devoted to her and fantasize about spending time with her (though his fantasies are often more romantic and related to her adoring him in some wife-like manner). As the story progresses, he begins to realize his true feelings for her, and works to suppress them in order to keep the Club intact. He’s very dense when it comes to his personal feelings, but he’s quick to recognize love in others. And if you’re pining for someone, Tamaki will step in and help you! He’s just…completely unable to help himself.
Despite his idiocy, Tamaki is actually really smart! He’s second in class rankings, below only the genius hard working Kyouya, and he doesn’t even really have to do much work. He hardly studies, so he’s apparently some kind of idiot savant. As the manga progresses, Tamaki begins to take work more seriously. He starts attending meetings at his father’s company and is well on his way to becoming a srs bsns man, postponing club activities in favor of his work. This is all in an effort to get his grandmother to recognize him, of course, but his drive is impressive. He’s very refined and has great manners (when he wants to), and uses his charm and etiquette to put others at ease. OH and he’s also very skilled at playing the piano. He’ll gladly entertain you or soothe you with lovely music~
Tamaki’s compliments to the ~ladies~ are all genuine and heartfelt, even though they come off as uber grandiose. But there’s not a mean lying bone in his whole lanky body. He’s always forgiving and kind to a fault--even when his grandmother is borderline verbally abusing him, he is gracious to her and treats her with nothing but genuine love and affection. It seems impossible at first--I mean, really, she tells him that he’s not allowed to touch her because he’s DIRTY, and he just smiles! But that’s just how Tamaki is. He has no ill will toward her because she is his grandmother. What he really wants is for his family to be united: his dad, his mom, his grandmother, and him, all gathered around a koatsu in the winter, playing games and giggling. It’s ridiculous and sweet at the same time, which also serves as a good summary for his character: ridiculous and sweet.
Abilities/Strengths: THE POWER OF LOVE. Tamaki has a great capacity for sustaining the worst of verbal abuses, simply because he doesn't pay them any mind. It's debatable--does he understand what people are saying to him and just ignore it, or does he not get it at all? Either way, though, Tamaki is never seen as down or depressed for very long. The things that do dispirit him are difficult to tack down, and they don't cause him grief for very long. He is one of the most positive people, ever. He constantly looks for the good in others, and he has a strong belief in the base goodness of the human race. People who are considered scary or bad--to Tamaki, they are often just misunderstood, and need to be helped so their true selves can shine. This power of positive thinking allows him to get through potentially tense or sa dsituations without very much difficulty. He's also able to see other people's problems pretty clearly. Though he can be a bit of a dunce and a bit ridiculous, Tamaki's heart is in the right place. And below all of that blustering and self confidence, he's incredibly sympathetic and understanding. He makes great sacrifices in order to ensure the happiness of others, and he usually knows what to say, when the time is right. He's also surprisingly intelligent--he was the top of his class at Ouran, second only to class genius Kyouya. He's sort of an idiot savant, though--he doesn't ever seem to study or give much thought to schoolwork.
Weaknesses: Tamaki is incredibly, incredibly oblivious to his own feelings. Where he can be incredibly perceptive about the emotions and emotional needs of others, he neglects his own mind--possibly because he doesn't understand it. When dealing with his feelings towards Haruhi, Tamaki has absolutely no clue that he feels any ounce of romance towards her. He defends his interest in her as strictly paternal, because of his personal insecurities. In fact, Tamaki pushes away his personal feelings in everything. He doesn't deal with his own emotions--they're too confusing--and he doesn't want anyone else to deal with them, either. Solving the problems of others is much simpler. He's also rather dense, in all matters. It's pretty easy to fool or trick him, and he has a tendency to believe anything anyone tells him. Furthermore, he's entirely too trusting. He's determined to see the good in everyone--no matter who they are or what they've done, to him or to anyone else. It's just not in his nature to behave cruelly towards any single person, but this can certainly get him into trouble.
Defining Quote(s):
"Handsome men can't be hurt by water!"
"When you're in front of me, my heart beats so quickly as if I am a youth tasting love for the first time. You are the beautiful mermaid who sheds lights to the sea of loneliness! The sinful goddess who taught me about the forbidden fruit...!"
"It's bad. The twins will end up winning. But I have to win. I have to deepen my relationship with Haruhi... To be officially listed on Haruhi's friends list!"
"Everyone looks so cute today!"
Other: Nothing, except that he just can't wait to start being generally idiotic meddlesome helpful to anyone who needs it! Get excited, Kannagara!