The comedic series revolves around the escapades of Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at the prestigious Ouran Academy, an elite private school for rich kids located in Bunkyo, Tokyo.

During their initial encounter, Haruhi accidentally destroys an antique vase valued at ¥8,000,000 (around US$60,000) and must work off the debt as the club's errand boy.

The Ouran High School Host Club manga series was serialized between the September 2002 and November 2010 issues of LaLa magazine.

[4][5] Hakusensha released a fanbook for the series on August 4, 2009 titled Ōran Kōkō Hosuto Kurabu Fanbukku: Uki Doki Kōryaku Daisakusen (桜蘭高校ホスト部(クラブ)ファンブック～うきドキ☆攻略大作戦～).

[6] The series is licensed in English North America by Viz Media under its Shojo Beat imprint,[7] and in Indonesia in the monthly manga magazine Hanalala.

It was directed by Takuya Igarashi, with Yōji Enokido handling series composition and writing the scripts, Kumiko Takahashi designing the characters and Yoshihisa Hirano composing the music.

The second, Ouran High School Host Club Soundtrack & Character Song Collection 2, included an additional nineteen tracks and was released on August 23, 2006.

Directed by Chobi Natsuki, with Muck Akazawa as screenwriter and music by Yu, it opened at the Tennozu Galaxy Theater, Tokyo, and Mielparque Hall Osaka in January 2022.

[20][21] A second adaptation titled Kageki Ouran High School Host Club ƒ, which was directed by Kazuhito Yoneyama, ran at the Tennozu Galaxy Theater and Sankei Hall Breeze, Osaka, in December 2022.

[22][21] In April 2023, the third and final performance, Kageki Ouran High School Host Club Fine, was announced for a December run in Tokyo, with returning casts from the previous musical.

During several interviews and panels, she indicated that she would welcome another project concerning the characters and topics covered in Ouran but could not produce an anime and advised fans to continue petitioning the studio.

In summation, Hatori stressed Ouran being a story about family and friendship, without any intention of being a pioneer of "fujoshi comedy," though admits that it happened just the same.

[25] In recent years, reviews of the series have been more critical of how Ouran High School Host Club represents aspects of the LGBTQ+ community.

Criticism is also directed at the characters from the rival Zuka Club who have been described as fitting the stereotype of the "predatory lesbian" and being depicted as fascistic.