document_title: Smokey and the Bandit II

question_text: where was smokey and the bandit 2 filmed

text: Smokey and the Bandit II

text: Plot[edit]

text: Big Enos Burdette (Pat McCormick) is running for Governor of Texas against another candidate, John Coen (David Huddleston). After a figurative and literal "mudslinging," both are confronted by the outgoing governor (John Anderson) and given a thorough tongue-lashing. Burdette overhears the governor yelling at an assistant to take responsibility for transporting a crate of unknown content from Miami to the Republican Party convention in Dallas. Burdette schemes to deliver the crate to the convention. He enlists Bandit (Burt Reynolds) and Cledus (Jerry Reed) to carry out the task.

text: Cledus attempts to convince the Bandit to "do it one last time." Unfortunately, in the time since their previous challenge, the Bandit has split from his love interest Carrie, a.k.a. "Frog" (Sally Field), and become an alcoholic. The Bandit is said to be "the only man in the world to drink up a Trans Am." Cledus seeks the help of Frog to encourage the Bandit to sober up, since Big Enos has raised the stakes to $400,000. Frog abandons her second attempt at marrying Buford T. Justice's (Jackie Gleason) son Junior (Mike Henry). She is initially persuaded more by the money than her love for Bandit. She buys him a 1980 Pontiac Trans Am named "Son of Trigger," powered by the Pontiac 301 Turbo, by trading in Junior's car.

text: A race ensues as the trio once again tries to outrun and outwit Justice and Junior. Their cargo is in quarantine for three weeks, and they need to get it to Dallas in three days. When they steal it, the mysterious cargo turns out to be an elephant (mascot of the Republican Party), whom they name Charlotte after Snowman says she reminded him of his Aunt Charlotte and smelled like her, too. When Cledus opens the crate, Charlotte nearly tramples Frog. The Bandit saves the day by doing a backflip onto the elephant's back and riding her out of the quarantine shed. Noticing a splinter stuck in her foot, the Bandit removes it, and the elephant takes a shine to him. Cledus fears Charlotte is in poor health. They meet an Italian gynecologist (Dom DeLuise) at a gas station. The doctor refuses to help, but sees his ambulance driver speed away, leaving him stranded. After the Bandit and Cledus bribe him, he agrees to ride in the truck with the elephant. Charlotte is discovered to be pregnant.

text: As they try to make Burdette's deadline, the doctor pleads with the Bandit for some time off so Charlotte can rest off. He reluctantly gives in twice, Frog citing Bandit's desire to regain his lost fame of the past. At a restaurant, she sees him scribbling on a napkin a picture of Charlotte cradled by suspended netting to keep her off of her feet. She becomes furious and leaves. The Bandit follows and Frog says when he likes himself again, she would consider seeing him again.

text: Bandit makes his drawing a reality, in a near drunken stupor. The doctor agrees the idea will work. In pursuit, Justice enlists the help of his brothers, Reginald Van Justice (a Mountie loosely based on Gleason's earlier "Reginald Van Gleason" character) from Quebec, and Gaylord Justice (an effeminate cop from another part of Texas), with both played by Gleason in a triple role. Justice lures the Bandit into a valley, with a line of Mounties (in red police cars) on one hillside, Texas Rangers, in white cars, on the other. Bandit orders Cledus to continue delivering Charlotte to Dallas. Cledus returns with a convoy of trucks to help destroy all of the police cars. After the mass destruction, only Buford, Gaylord, and Reginald come out relatively unscathed. Bandit and Cledus escape by driving across a bridge of tractor trailers. As the Justices follow, a trailer pulls out, resulting in their cars being destroyed. Buford's car is still operable, though folded in the middle and missing its doors and roof. Justice and Junior drive off the road, hitting an embankment, throwing Junior into a pond. When asked what he was thinking about, Buford simply says, "Retiring."

text: Bandit informs Frog he likes himself again, and that he does not want to spend the rest of his life without her. When she asks about Burdette's bet, he says they could still get the elephant to Dallas safely (though late). He shows her Charlotte and her baby in circus-like chariots. Frog is overjoyed. Bandit asks Charlotte if it is fine to marry Frog, to which Charlotte responds loudly. They drive away with Charlotte and her baby in tow, with Buford pursuing them in a bus.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Actor
Role

Burt Reynolds
Bo Darville ("Bandit")

Jackie Gleason
Sheriff Buford T. Justice / Gaylord Justice / Reginald Van Justice

Jerry Reed
Cledus "Snowman" Snow

Dom DeLuise
Dr. Frederico "Doc" Carlucci

Sally Field
Carrie ("Frog")

Paul Williams
Little Enos Burdette

Pat McCormick
Big Enos Burdette

David Huddleston
John Coen

Mike Henry
Junior Justice

John Anderson
Governor

Brenda Lee
Nice Lady

Phil Balsley
Himself (a member of The Statler Brothers)

Lew DeWitt
Himself (a member of The Statler Brothers)

Don Reid
Himself (a member of The Statler Brothers)

Harold Reid
Himself (a member of The Statler Brothers)

Joe Greene
Himself (as "Mean Joe" Greene)

Mel Tillis
Fairground Owner

Joe Klecko
Himself

Don Williams
Himself

Terry Bradshaw
Himself

Jeffrey Bryan King
Football Player

Nancy Lenehan
Ramona

John Megna
P.T.

Dudley Remus
Everglades Gas Station Attendant

Jerry Lester
Warehouse Guard

Hal Carter
Gas Station Attendant

Rick Allen
Safari Park Attendant

Chuck Yeager
Party Guest

Patrick Moody
Ambulance Driver

John Robert Nicholson
Patient

Anthony T. Townes
As Himself

Ritchey Brown
Young Man

Nancy Lee Johnson
Young Girl

Gayle Davis
Older Girl

James L. Buchanan II
Preacher

1980 Trans Am
Son of Trigger

text: Jackie Gleason played Sheriff Buford T. Justice, Gaylord Justice and Reginald Van Justice. For his roles as Sheriff Buford T. Justice and Reginald Van Justice he is credited as Mr. Jackie Gleason, but for his role as Gaylord he is credited as Ms. Jackie Gleason.

text: Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise would star together again in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The Cannonball Run, Cannonball Run II, and (in voice only) Don Bluth's All Dogs Go to Heaven. As he did in the first movie, Reynolds breaks the fourth wall after being reunited with Frog, by addressing the camera and saying, "She still loves me."

text: Production notes[edit]

text: Many of the movie's scenes take place in northern Palm Beach County, especially at Burt Reynolds' ranch in Jupiter, Florida.

text: Although the Bandit again sticks to a Pontiac Trans Am, this time a 1980 Turbo model with 5 color decals unlike 1981's single color decals, Snowman switches to a 1980 GMC General, silver with blue trim with the same mural on the trailer as on the original film. This "new rig" suggests that the pair were successful in the "double or nothing" wager offered by the Burdettes at the end of the first film where they were persuaded to drive from Atlanta to Boston and back in 18 hours to buy clam chowder.

text: A world-record automobile jump was captured on film during the "roundup sequence", when stuntman Buddy Joe Hooker jumped a 1974 Dodge Monaco over 150 feet. Hooker suffered compressed vertebra as a result of a hard landing.

text: The roundup sequence in the desert shows many new Pontiac Le Mans sedans decorated as police cars being destroyed. The cars were originally ordered by a car rental agency in Phoenix, who refused delivery when they discovered the cars were not equipped with air conditioning. Pontiac took the cars back and eventually gave them to the producers to be used in the film.

text: Smokey and the Bandit II was filmed at the same time as The Cannonball Run, in which Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise also starred. Football player Joe Klecko appears in both films.

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
Smokey and the Bandit II
(Original Soundtrack)

Soundtrack album by various artists

Released
1980

Genre
Soundtrack

Length
31:59

Label
MCA Records

Producer
Jerry Kennedy
Snuff Garrett

text: Smokey and the Bandit II soundtrack album was released on vinyl, cassette tape and 8-track tape by MCA Records in 1980.

text: Side 1:

text:
"Texas Bound and Flyin'" – Jerry Reed (2:18)
"Charlotte's Web" - The Statler Brothers (2:55)
"To Be Your Man" - Don Williams (3:53)
"Ride Concrete Cowboy, Ride" – Roy Rogers and Sons of the Pioneers (2:55)
"Deliverance of the Wildwood Flower" – The Bandit Band (1:54)
"Pecos Promenade" – Tanya Tucker and Glen Campbell (2:27)

tag: ol

text: Side 2:

text:
"Here's Lookin' at You" – Mel Tillis (3:14)
"Do You Know You Are My Sunshine" – The Statler Brothers (2:12)
"Again and Again" – Brenda Lee (2:39)
"Let's Do Something Cheap and Superficial" – Burt Reynolds (2:20)
"Tulsa Time" – Don Williams (3:10)
"Pickin' Lone Star Style – The Bandit Band (2:02)

text: Reception[edit]

text: The film received negative reviews from critics who felt that the original was better. It received an approval rating of 20% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 5 reviews.[3] Roger Ebert gave it a 1 out of 4 stars and stated that there was "[in 1980] no need for this movie. That's true of most sequels, but it's especially true of 'Smokey and the Bandit II,' which is basically just the original movie done again, not as well ... how can I say it's lazy when it has 50 trucks doing stunts in it? Because it takes a lot less thought to fill up a movie with stunts than to create a comedy that's genuinely funny."[4]

text: Burt Reynolds himself did not enjoy working on the movie at all, feeling that it was an unnecessary sequel put together by Universal purely for money making reasons rather than to try making a good picture.[5]

text: It was the eighth most popular 1980 film at the United States and Canada box office earning $66,132,626.[2] This box office income inspired a third film where Reynolds appeared only in a cameo appearance before the end credits, Field had no involvement whatsoever, and Gleason practically filled the film.


document_title: List of Ouran High School Host Club characters

question_text: who plays the twins in ouran highschool host club

question_tokens: who plays the twins in ouran highschool host club

root

text: List of Ouran High School Host Club characters

text: Background[edit]

text: The plot centers on the adventures of Haruhi Fujioka, a student of middle class means who earns entrance to Ouran Academy, an exclusive and prestigious high school attended by pupils from aristocratic or wealthy families. Haruhi is mistaken to be a boy due to her androgynous name, baggy clothing and cropped hair. In her search for a quiet place to study, she enters the Third Music Room where she encounters the members of the student-run host club where beautiful, charismatic male students entertain female students. In their initial encounter, she accidentally breaks a priceless Renaissance vase and is forced into servitude to the club in order to repay her debt.

tag: p

text: The Host Club itself is co-founded by Tamaki Suoh, son of the school's chairman, and his best friend, Kyoya Ootori, son of one of Japan's wealthiest and most elite families. Suoh hand picks the members with variety of appeal in mind for their potential customers. Each club member plays a specific role as a bishōnen stereotype: Tamaki Suoh is the princely type; Kyoya is the cool type; Mori is the strong silent type; Honey is the cute type; Hikaru and Kaoru are the little devil type; and Haruhi is the natural type (once promoted to hosthood). In addition to the club members, the storyline features customers and associates, as well as family members, schoolmates, rivals and other characters that come and go.

text: Host Club members[edit]

text: Haruhi Fujioka[edit]

text: Haruhi Fujioka (藤岡 ハルヒ, Fujioka Haruhi) is the main character of the series. Her birthdate is February 4.[2] She is 15 years old at the start of the anime. Upon discovering her female gender, Tamaki insists that they keep it their secret which becomes the basis of the gender-bender humor throughout the series. Haruhi, herself, is portrayed as identifying as a biological female but firmly believing that a person's true identity comes from within. And while she marries Tamaki in the manga, her feelings about gender in both the anime and the manga are left deliberately ambiguous.

text: Haruhi is dedicated to her studies and aspires to enter law school to emulate her deceased mother. Her father works odd jobs to support their middle class lifestyle and enjoys cross-dressing which Haruhi fully accepts. She is practical and honest to a fault, but also caring and insightful. While she often finds the antics of the Host Club annoying, she appreciates their protectiveness of her and their genuine desire to "make every girl happy." The series shows how Haruhi interacts with each of the hosts in different ways and how her relationships with them evolve over time. While apathetic towards events, she is astute in gauging other people's motives. Throughout the anime, Haruhi remains friendly towards all the hosts, despite several of them stating romantic feelings towards her.

text: The manga storyline goes far beyond the 26 episodes of the anime and shows the deepening relationship between Haruhi and Tamaki. There, Haruhi's determination to pursue her education is paramount and she initially denies her budding feelings for Tamaki. Through continued shared life events which include dissolution of the club due to the Suoh matriarch's orders, Tamaki's reunion with his mother and Haruhi going to the U.S. to study, the two become a couple. In the omake that follow the conclusion of the manga, Haruhi still cannot commit fully to the relationship because of their ages, but eventually they marry, as seen in an omake set two years after the close of the manga. They are the first of the Host Club members to have children.[3][4]

text:
Voiced by: Maaya Sakamoto (Japanese anime and later drama CDs),[5] Aya Hisakawa (early drama CDs), Caitlin Glass (English)[6]
Portrayed by: Haruna Kawaguchi

text: Tamaki Suoh[edit]

text: Tamaki Suoh (須王 環, Suō Tamaki), whose full name is René Tamaki Richard de Grantaine (ルネ・環・リシャール・ド・グランテーヌ, Rene Tamaki Rishāru do Gurantēnu),[7] is a second-year student at Ouran Academy, a co-founder and the president of the Host Club. His birth date is April 8 (Buddha's birthday),[2] and he is 16 years old at the beginning of the anime.[8] Flamboyant and narcissistic, he is dedicated to his duties as a host. He is the princely type, entertaining customers with upper-class etiquette and shameless flattery. Tamaki is partial to classic piano music and plays exceedingly well. He refers to his club as his "family," with himself as the father figure; Kyoya, the mother; Haruhi, the daughter; Hikaru and Kaoru, the brothers; and Mori and Honey, the uncles.

text: Tamaki is the main comic relief character of the series. He is outspoken and naïve for his age, viewing himself as an obsessive father figure to Haruhi when he is really in love with her despite his flirtatious ways with the female students who visit Music Room 3. The other hosts clearly see Tamaki's oblivious nature when it comes to his feelings for the girl and although Tamaki is perceptive regarding the feelings of others, which Hikaru and Kaoru both note, he is dense about his own. He admires Haruhi's personality and doesn't understand his jealousy when other boys express interest in her. Whenever he is teased by Haruhi he tends to sit in a fetal position in a secluded corner or grow mushrooms in a dark closet.

text: Tamaki is a hāfu (half-blooded Japanese), living under the custody of his father, the wealthy chairman of Ouran Elite Academy. He is separated from his ailing French mother because of a deal she made with Shizue, his cold-hearted paternal grandmother. He lives at the Suoh family's second mansion while his father stays at the main mansion with his grandmother. Eventually, he is accepted into the main residence where she makes his life sour by "pulling him back to reality." Still, he manages to win her approval with his music and kindness, and the two grow close. Because of this, she eventually allows him to reunite briefly with his mother.

text: At a certain point in the manga, Tamaki realizes that he loves Haruhi as a woman and not as a daughter, yet fails to act upon his feelings due to his own divided family, fearing that something similar will happen to the Host Club should he ever pursue Haruhi romantically. Thanks to his friends' efforts, however, he accepts that doing so will not hurt the club. Even then, he cannot find the courage to confess to her, frightened that she doesn't return his feelings. Then, upon hearing Haruhi's confession, he admits his feelings and the two become a couple. Towards the end of the manga, he surprises Haruhi by going with her to the United States. The two move into a dorm building together, followed by the rest of the Host Club members, much to the couple's surprise.

text: Chapters released after the conclusion the series shows Tamaki contemplating marriage with Haruhi eight months after their move to Boston, which is realized two years later. He and Haruhi are the first of the Host Club members to have children. In addition, Tamaki is confirmed as the heir of the Suoh family, which requires him to travel abroad frequently, as stated when Haruhi mentions in passing during her conversation with Mei at Ouran University that she has not seen Tamaki for several weeks.

text: His family name is romanized by VIZ Media as Suoh[9] and by Chuang Yi, Funimation[10] and Nippon Television's Japanese-language website as Suou.[11]

text:
Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (anime and later drama CDs),[5] Hikaru Midorikawa (early drama CDs), Vic Mignogna (English)[6]
Portrayed by: Yusuke Yamamoto

text: Kyoya Ootori[edit]

text: Kyoya Ootori (鳳 鏡夜, Ōtori Kyōya) is an attractive, calculating second-year student at Ouran Academy and vice-president of the Host Club.[12] He was born on November 22 (Good Wife Day)[2] and is 17 years old at the beginning of the series.[8]

text: Kyoya is best friends with Tamaki, despite their completely different demeanors. Kyoya is secretive and highly intelligent, as his ability to calculate the financial and social benefits that result from the Host Club's adventures demonstrates. He is a realistic and pragmatic person, making him a competent and accurate Club secretary and accountant. Despite his occasionally antagonistic traits, the Host Club would not have been successful without Kyoya's resourcefulness. Although he is rarely seen entertaining guests of the Host Club, preferring to taking notes on meeting events, he has his admirers and is considered the cool type.[12]

text: Kyoya lives with his father, a wealthy and powerful zaibatsu owner who specializes in hospital management. He has two older brothers that he has been told he must surpass to become his father's successor and a married sister who cares deeply for him. Despite his detached exterior, Kyoya (like all the Hosts) is concerned about others, though it is often demonstrated in ways contrary and atypical. For example, when the Club goes to the beach and Haruhi confronts two thugs and is tossed asea, Kyoya later threatens Haruhi to show her why the other members of the Host Club were worried about her safety. Another example is when he and Haruhi are shopping together at a mall and he points out the false nature of an antique to an old woman who was about to buy it. Haruhi is able to see through his mask and thereafter, better understands his nature. In volume 16, his actions help Tamaki strengthen his relationship with his grandmother.

text: In chapter 83 (the final chapter), while Haruhi and Tamaki are dancing, Honey implies that Kyoya also has feelings for Haruhi. Kyoya denies it, but then says that he would not pursue her, partly because she would not benefit the Otori family, but mainly because he treasures his friendship with Tamaki too much to betray him.

text: Kyoya, unlike the rest of the host club, stays in the United States after their year in Boston; in the July and August 2011 special chapters, he makes only a cameo appearance in the August 2011 chapter (and is only mentioned in the July 2011 special chapter) because of his university studies there. In the Volume 18 glimpse into the future for Kyoya, Hatori declined to confirm whether he was named heir to the zaibatsu or not. As for his romantic future, Hatori wrote that she saw him marrying a woman that would bring merit to the Ootori family, although she did not completely discount the possibility that love would be involved in said choice. It is also mentioned that he owns a cat named Noel, which is very attached to him.

text: It is implied that his friendship with Tamaki fades a bit over time because of the distance; while Mori is the first to congratulate Tamaki and Haruhi when they have their first child and visits them often (as noted in his glimpse into the future), Kyoya's contact with Tamaki, as noted in his Volume 18 extra, seems to be limited to photographs of Noel sent via text. In the July 2011 and August 2011 special chapters, however, the hosts are shown to miss Kyoya quite a bit, to the point that they convince themselves that the lookalike ghost of an Otori ancestor is actually Kyoya's "living ghost" in the August 2011 special chapter; Tamaki also makes the effort to meet up with him when he is visiting the United States in the July 2011 special chapter.

text: Kyoya is irritable and slow to wake up in the morning, which is attributed to low blood pressure. He carries a variety of memo-keeping devices with him at all times (e.g. a black notebook, a clipboard, a pocket-folio with tablet, or an era-appropriate book when in period costume) and it is a long-running joke that it is unknown what he writes in any of them. In almost everything he does, he gets something out of it. According to the author, if Hatori Bisco had allotted forty pages for the first chapter of the manga instead of fifty, she would have cut Kyoya from the cast, but is glad this did not happen as "since the rest of the members are the way they are, he is invaluable for maintaining order and offering explanations."[13] Bisco named him after the fact he wears glasses by taking the last syllable of gankyō, meaning a pair of glasses.[14]

text: Viz Media romanized his name as Kyoya Otori,[15] Chuang Yi as Kyoya Otori, FUNimation as Kyoya Otori,[16] and Nippon Television's Japanese-language website as Kyoya Ootori.[11]

text:
Voiced by: Masaya Matsukaze (anime),[5] Junichi Suwabe (drama CDs), J. Michael Tatum (English)[6]
Portrayed by: Shunsuke Daito

text: Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin[edit]

text: The twins, Hikaru Hitachiin (常陸院 光, Hitachiin Hikaru) and Kaoru Hitachiin (常陸院 馨, Hitachiin Kaoru), are depicted as mischievous, devious, and otherwise childish young men who toy with people, including their schoolmates. Their birth date is June 9, a date chosen by the manga artist to show that they are alike yet different,[7] and they are 15 years old at the beginning of the series.[8]

text: When Hikaru and Kaoru are young, they are fond of a particular maid. One night, they discover her trying to steal from their mansion and offer her a deal. She must guess who is who in exchange for the combination to the family safe. When she can't win the game, they hide the slip of paper with the combination in their piggy bank. The maid, however, breaks their trust along with the bank, taking the combination and the family jewels while they're asleep. They awaken to find her escaping down a rope ladder along the side of the house and when they ask her why she broke her promise to them, she says it's because no one will ever be able to tell them apart. From that point on, they deceive others in varied ways and expect to be deceived in return. Before joining the Host club, Kaoru and Hikaru trust only one another, seeking no other friends. In the "Which one is Hikaru Game?" they admit that sometimes they want to be told apart and sometimes they don't. Their personalities have been shown to be quite different, Kaoru being the more sensible twin.

text: During their second year of middle school, they meet Tamaki Suoh who invites them to join the newly formed Host Club. The twins agree to join only if Tamaki can guess which twin is which. Tamaki fails many times, but eventually guesses correctly, forcing the twins to join if only out of curiosity about this strange boy. The club opens them up to new experiences, including the development of a deep bond with Tamaki. Describing the world as "us" and "them," the twins general distrust of others and the world in general is further dissolved when Haruhi joins the club and with her unique ability to tell the twins apart immediately and always, she helps them become more independent of each other and more trusting of others.

text: The Hitachiin twins use an act of "forbidden brotherly love" as their main draw in the Host Club. They are both considered mischievous although they have their differences: Kaoru is nicer, more mature and considerate of others, while Hikaru is more immature though he is the older twin. Their different personalities are best shown when they are separated, and they also speak a little differently. Hikaru has a deeper voice and tends to speak first, while Kaoru has a higher voice and tends to speak second. There are several ways how to tell the twins apart: Hikaru's hair is parted to the right side and Kaoru's hair parts to the left; Hikaru tends to stand on the right and Kaoru on the left. Both have a crush on Haruhi in the manga, and are quite protective of her. Kaoru confesses to Haruhi but soon adds that Hikaru is more important to him, putting his own feelings aside to support Hikaru's feelings for her. Hikaru's feelings for her are quite strong but he only realizes it later. In the anime, however, it was only implied that Hikaru had a crush on Haruhi. However, in the anime, Kaoru was the one who asked Haruhi out on a date, then faked a cold so Hikaru could go in his place so Hikaru and Haruhi could bond further.

text: The twins live with their mother, Yuzuha, a fashion designer, and their considerably meek father, a computer software designer, until the final manga chapter in which they and the other Host Club members move to America to study with Haruhi.

text: In the volume 18 extras, they are shown at college age with their younger sister, Ageha, who is born after the end of the series. She likes butterflies and flowers but has a personality much like her older brothers. She is attached to Tamaki, referring to him as "milord" or "boss," just like Hikaru and Kaoru. The twins dote on her. The twins attend a college or university that is not Ouran University, since Ouran does not have a fine arts faculty.

text:
Hikaru voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura (Japanese anime and later drama CDs),[5] Soichiro Hoshi (early drama CDs), Todd Haberkorn (English)[6]
Kaoru voiced by: Yoshinori Fujita (Japanese anime and later drama CDs),[5] Kenichi Suzumura (early drama CDs), Greg Ayres (English)[6]
Portrayed by: Shinpei Takagi (Hikaru), Manpei Takagi (Kaoru)

text: Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninozuka[edit]

text: Mitsukuni Haninozuka's (埴之塚 光邦, Haninozuka Mitsukuni) birth date is February 29 and he is 17 years old at the beginning of the series. The author has joked saying he only ages every four years because his birthday only comes on leap years.[7]

text: Honey is depicted as a childish and desserts-loving boy who is much older than his elementary school appearance indicates. He is also an expert martial artist from a famous martial arts family. When Haruhi is warned about his legendary skills, the point is illustrated in the anime by a mushroom cloud erupting where a city once stood. In the anime, there is a scene which shows Honey's true strength and it is said that Japan's Defense Minister has requested he never reveal his full potential, for fear that other nations might suspect that Japan holds a weapon of mass destruction, causing them to fire missiles upon that nation. Honey is often seen around his cousin Mori, with whom he is very close. He lives with his father, the owner of a famous dojo; and his little brother Yasuchika, with whom he is often at odds.

text: Honey is very fond of eating sweets and stuffed animals. He always carries around his favorite plush bunny named Usa-chan, an abbreviation of usagi, which means rabbit (also called Bun-Bun in the manga). He once tried to hide his true nature by acting like a "real man," but after Tamaki convinced him that true courage meant being exactly who you are, he stopped pretending. Together with Mori, he joined the Host Club, attracting customers with his shotacon cuteness. It's possible that his romanized nickname, Honey, is an adaptation of his first name, Mitsukuni (光邦), as mitsu can mean honey (蜜). It could also be an abbreviation of his family name, Haninozuka. He is referred to almost exclusively by this nickname, Mori being the only one who fully calls him by his given name. He is also known as Hunny in the manga or Hani. He often refers to his kohais with the -chan honorific (e.g. "Haru-chan" and "Tama-chan").

text: In Chapter 72 of the manga, he graduates from Ouran, but says he will return to the Host Club every so often, as does Mori. They often return for visits and for a picnic planned by Haruhi. Mori and he also fetch Tamaki for the reunion plan with his mother. In Volume 18 of the manga, he is seen dating and marrying Reiko Kanazuki, and is the first of the Host Club members to marry. Their marriage is confirmed in the August 2011 omake, set two years after Chapter 83. In the July 2011 omake, it is confirmed that he is a third-year engineering student at Ouran University.

text: Honey, like Kyoya, has a difficult time waking up. Despite his cute nature, he wakes up in the same manner as Kyoya, though he is much quicker when dealing with the person that wakes him up, as seen in the example of the U.S. platoon soldier who did so when the Haninozuka family visited America. He was originally intended to have an extreme dual personality; however, the "crouching in the corner, depressed" stance was reassigned from him to Tamaki.[citation needed]

text:
Voiced by: Ayaka Saitō (anime and later drama CDs),[5] Ikue Ōtani (early drama CDs), Luci Christian (English)[6]
Portrayed by: Yudai Chiba

text: Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka[edit]

text: Takashi Morinozuka (銛之塚 崇, Morinozuka Takashi), usually called Mori (モリ), is a third year student at Ouran Academy. His birth date is May 5, Children's/Boys' Day and he is 17 years old at the beginning of the series.[8] The manga artist felt Children's Day to be a bit of a mismatch, but she later found Boys' Day to be quite fitting.[17]

text: Mori is depicted as tall, quiet and somewhat intimidating, but very protective of his cousin Honey, whom he fully calls by his first name, Mitsukuni. This is seen in the anime and manga when Honey has a toothache (anime: episode 12, manga: chapter 14). Mori blames himself for failing to remind Honey to brush his teeth after eating and restricts his cousin from eating sweets until he has a filling done. Honey judo-throws Mori to the floor in a fit of anger, but they soon make amends. It is learned that the Morinozuka family has protected and served the Haninozuka family for many generations but were joined by marriage two generations back, thus breaking the master-servant tradition. Nevertheless, Mori still faithfully protects Honey and is always by his side, attending to his wishes and watching out for him. His protective personality extends to his classmates and the Host Club members, earning him a high level of respect. He is also protective of Haruhi, as shown in episode 7, of whom he thinks in a very kind, brotherly way. As a host, he is considered the wild type (changed into the strong, silent type in the anime's English dub) and normally does not try to woo girls. The girls like how he cares for Honey and shyer customers are attracted to his tall physique and taciturn personality. In the manga, he has an outgoing little brother, Satoshi Morinozuka, who does not appear in the anime.

text: Mori's hobbies include kendo, of which he is the national champion. In the manga, he becomes uncharacteristically talkative and flirtatious when tired.[18] In the later chapters, he raises a chick who he names Piyo and takes in a stray tanuki, who he names Pome. He is also depicted as having a natural ability to tame animals, as shown in a few later chapters in which he easily tames two Doberman guard dogs at the Suoh residence and is able to summon a flock of doves in the amusement park.

text: In chapter 72, he graduates from Ouran, deciding to study Theory and Philosophy of Law (or Jurisprudence). Although he is leaving for the university section, Honey and Mori state that they will visit the Host Club often. He continues to maintain a close relationship with the Host Club members even in the future, especially with Tamaki and Haruhi, being the first to congratulate them when they have children and visits often. The author states that despite having the quality of an old-fashioned, cool-looking Japanese man, Mori is very loving and devoted to his future wife and children.

text:
Voiced by: Daisuke Kirii (Japanese anime and later drama CDs),[5] Kenjirō Tsuda (early drama CDs), Travis Willingham (English)[6]
Portrayed by: Masaya Nakamura

text: Supporting characters[edit]

text: Host Club associates and customers[edit]

text: Renge Houshakuji[edit]

text: Renge Houshakuji (宝積寺 れんげ, Hōshakuji Renge) is the Host Club's self-proclaimed manager who tends to be incredibly loud and outspoken. She lives in France before attending Ouran and comes to the Host Club stating that she is Kyoya's fiancée despite never having met him in person. Her fascination with Kyoya originates from her obsession with a dating-sim game whose lead character, Ichigo Miyabi, resembles Kyoya. Tamaki initially hopes Renge will become a feminizing influence on Haruhi, but regrets his choice when Renge develops a crush on her, believing Haruhi to be a boy. Renge's expertise with dating sims makes her keenly aware of the tropes and conventions of shojou manga, which Tamaki eventually sees as useful to the Host Club; ergo, he makes her self-proclamation as their manager a genuine position. As such, Renge proves her worth on several occasions with her ability to predict what will win the greatest approval of the Host Club's customers based on her extensive knowledge on subjects connected to the concept of moe. Kyoya compliments her on several occasions and she is shown to be savvy in the area of media production and broadcasting.

text: Renge is also shown to have talents outside of the Host Club: in the anime she is shown hosting a sentai show for school children and she is involved in producing the Moe Moe Ouran Journal (萌え萌え桜蘭日記, Moe Moe Ōran Nikki), a school magazine containing all things related to moe at Ouran Academy. Her catch phrase, "I could eat three bowls of rice", is a reference to the anime Green Green. In the manga Renge mostly disappears after her initial appearance in chapter 3, making only cameo appearances in subsequent chapters. Hatori mentioned that Renge was going to be a recurring character, but it never happened.[citation needed] Her comment probably led to Renge's numerous anime appearances in situations that originally included Tamaki in the manga, like the coaching of Shiro and Nekozawa. In volume 9, her appearances were significantly increased and she appears in the later chapters to help the club. In the July 2011 special chapter, she is seen as a first-year business student at Ouran University, speculating on Mei's and Kasanoda's possible romantic relationship in dramatic terms.

text: A trait that Renge displays in both the anime and manga is that, when she becomes extremely angry, she assumes a Medusa-like look, with her hair transforming into snakes. At such times, she can drive most of the other characters before her to blind panic. Her primary running gag in the anime is her dramatic entrance, in which she rises from beneath the floor on a motorized rig (which has miraculously been installed wherever the host club happen to be), accompanied by dramatic music from "Swan Lake". She is presented as an undersocialized otaku.[19]

text:
Voiced by: Kozue Yoshizumi[5] (Japanese); Monica Rial (English)
Portrayed by: Tao Tsuchiya

text: Umehito Nekozawa[edit]

text: Umehito Nekozawa (猫澤 梅人, Nekozawa Umehito) is depicted as a hooded individual who holds a cat puppet named Belzeneff (also spelled Beelzenef or Bereznoff). Umehito has photophobia, which causes him to collapse and, according to him, die when under any kind of direct light; he tends to refer to anyone who drags him into lights as "murderers". As the Black Magic Club's President, he tries to get people to join his club, though not too successfully. Anyone who joins gets a free Belzeneff doll. Besides his own puppet, Umehito also has a wooden voodoo doll version of it. Nekozawa claims that if the name of a hated person is written on the back of the doll, that person will be showered with misfortunes. Tamaki, especially, is superstitious about Nekozawa's curses, having "experienced" them first-hand. In the anime, Umehito usually speaks to the host club through an ornate, candlelit black door, which seems to only be present when Umehito is.

text: Umehito is very handsome under his hood. He has bright blue eyes and wears a black – dark green in the anime – wig over his naturally blond hair to keep his hair from exposure to the light. He has a child sister named Kirimi who is afraid of the dark and is under the impression that he is a monster due to his dark clothing. As a result, the two siblings are unable to be around one another until Tamaki and the Host Club get involved and prompt Umehito to adjust to light and display his more heroic and princely side. In the end, it is Umehito's love and desire to protect his little sister that endears him to her, as he braves daylight to save Kirimi. He collapses right after exposing himself to sunshine, but Kirimi finds him a place in her heart for his willingness to brave that which he loathes so much to protect her. At the end of volume 8 of the manga, it is shown that Kirimi has turned into a nearly identical darkness fanatic. Both sport dark cloaks and have their features covered, but Kirimi carries a giant plush kitty instead of a Beelzeneff puppet. Despite the Host Club's efforts to help him brave the sun, he is still just as obsessed with his occult passions. In the Halloween episode, he appears before Tamaki from a coffin and offers his services to help scare the student body.

text: In Volume 3 of the manga, the Host Club stay at Umehito's private beach and mansion, not Kyoya's, although Umehito does not attend dinner because Haruhi switched the lights on and caused him to go into shock. The Host Club – Mori, Honey, the twins, and Haruhi –also see Umehito without his cloak and wig for the first time as he comes out to see what is wrong when Haruhi is taken to the bathroom. It is unclear if he realizes that Haruhi is a girl. It is possible he knows her secret and does not care, as she spent the whole vacation in a dress instead of her typical boyish clothes.

text: In the volume 18 extras, he is seen as a college student, hugging Kirimi, an elementary school student; she is attempting to put his wig on his head, and Hatori noted that they still got along very well. He is also seen briefly in the August 2011 special chapter, terrifying Tamaki with spooky stories.

text: The Nekozawa family traces their heritage to the Tokarev Dynasty in Russia, suggesting that Nekozawa family may work with gun manufacturing companies (a firearm appears in the manga, and as a symbol in the anime).

text:
Voiced by: Yuji Ueda[5] (Japanese); Patrick Seitz[6] (English)
Portrayed by: Ryo Ryusei

text: Ritsu Kasanoda[edit]

text: Ritsu Kasanoda (笠野田 律, Kasanoda Ritsu) is the successor to the third generation master of the Kasanoda-gumi, the most powerful yakuza group in Kantō, Japan. Since Kasanoda's features have been intimidating since birth, his father claims he has the right face to become the most frightening yakuza boss in history and raises him to be the next leader. He is trained to appear tough and unapproachable so most see him as a very intimidating person and he has few friends. Kasanoda therefore initially does not talk much, though he can be angered easily. He is most well known for his long red hair and frightening face. Despite his outward appearance and upbringing, however, he tends to be a kind person who enjoys helping others. His classmates have nicknamed him as the feared "human blizzard". Haruhi calls him "Casanova", while Tamaki and the Hitachiin twins call him "Bossa Nova".

text: Kasanoda initially seeks to apprentice under Morinozuka, hoping to become as respected and admired as he. He suffers humiliation at the hands of the Host Club members out of a desire to learn how to make friends and be able to have fun with people. Later experiences concerning a member of his household named Tetsuya show him that there are already people at his home who know his good side; they do not mention it because they know he is not only kind-hearted, but also shy and easily embarrassed.

text: Due to Kasanoda habit of not knocking before entering a room, he becomes the first person at Ouran High outside the Host Club to discover that Haruhi is a girl. He had a confused crush on her prior to learning she is a girl and consequently falls in love with Haruhi and attends the Host Club as a customer. When he tries to admit his feelings to Haruhi, he is rejected with no ill intent, as she considers him an understanding friend (due to Kasanoda saying she could be at ease because he had come to see her so Haruhi could talk to someone who knew her secret). Since Kyoya tells Kasanoda that Haruhi must appear to be male for "special reasons", he resolves to not cause her any trouble by publicly stating they will be "friends" forever so she will not have to worry about being thought odd by associating romantically with him. Kasanoda does not realize that the special reasons consist of Haruhi's debt to the club.

text: Ever since that incident, though, his desire to have friends is fulfilled when everyone in the Host Club, hosts and customers, agree to become his friends. He joins the Gardening Society of the school and on multiple occasions gifts Haruhi with food he has grown. In episode 25 of the anime he is seen surrounded by female students, apparently embarrassed but not angry. He appears in numerous chapters helping the Host Club. In chapter 80 of the manga, Kyoya used both the police and Kasanoda's clan to secure a route to the airport so that Tamaki could arrive on time to meet his mother.

text: In the volume 18 extras, Kasanoda is shown at the beginning of his romantic relationship with Mei Yasumura, who is informing him (to his astonishment) that Haruhi is pregnant, and commanding him to knit something for the baby; his friend Tetsuya Sendo can be seen in the background, cheering him on and voicing his approval of Mei.

text: A special chapter released in July 2011 in Lala revealed how he met Mei: when he is a first-year undergraduate business student at Ouran University, the twins send Kasanoda to Mei as a replacement model for her fashion show (they were originally the ones who were going to model). They eventually becomes friends, despite his being initially intimidated by her brashness and argumentative nature (he himself comments that she seems more like a yakuza than he does, at least in her use of profanity), what he sees as her excessive amounts of makeup, and her style of dressing. She even encourages him at one point to make a move on Haruhi (whom she knows he still has a crush on) while Tamaki is in the United States by showing her his carpentry skills; her reason for doing so is that she feels that he should learn to be confident in himself and what he does. It is the fact that she needs him and needs his help, however, that eventually appeals to him the most, although no romantic relationship is formed at the time. It is implied that it takes a few years for them to finally date, since their entry-level occupations (Mei is a rookie designer, Kasanoda a florist), rather than their student statuses, are listed in the volume 18 extra about their futures. In the volume 18 extra, it is also noted that Kasanoda eventually becomes the manager of a flower shop and the head of the Kasanoda-gumi.

text: Voiced by: Wataru Hatano[5] (Japanese); Christopher Sabat and Colleen Clinkenbeard (Young Kasonoda)[6] (English)

text: Ayanokoji[edit]

text: Ayanokoji (綾小路, Ayanokōji) is a student of Class 3-A (and thus Honey and Mori's classmate) who only appears as a minor antagonist in the first chapter of the series. Haughty and narcissist, she is a regular at the Host Club and enjoys getting the attention of all six boys. This is cut short, however, when Haruhi, as the newest seventh member, becomes the center of attention, even before her revelation as a girl. Ayanokoji degrades Haruhi and throws away her book bag that had her wallet in it, which ends up in the fountain in front of the academy. When the Host Club boys learn about this, all six of them ban her from ever stepping inside the Host Club for having insulted one of their own, causing her to run away.

text: In the live-action TV adaptation, instead of running away dishonorably after her plan is discovered, Ayanokoji is touched by Haruhi's decision to forgive her enough for her to donate food for the Host Club, and the Club boys likewise allow her to keep receiving their services. She also appears in the last episode to help lift the mood for the Club's second anniversary and convince Shizue Suou that the Club is not a mere "playground".

text:
Voiced by: Michiko Neya (Japanese); Leah Clark (English)
Portrayed by: Ai Okawa

text: Kanako Kasugazaki[edit]

text: Kanako Kasugazaki (春日崎 奏子, Kasugazaki Kanako) is the subject of help for the Host Club in episode 2 of the anime. Initially, Kanako was well known for host hopping (changing hosts very often, the usual practice being for a girl to designate a permanent host), but she only did this to spite her fiancé, Tohru Suzushima, into paying attention to her. She was unsuccessful until Tamaki learns of their situation and decides to help. She makes a cameo appearance in episode 13 as the dodo from Alice in Wonderland and is seen waiting for her lost love to come back. In the anime, she is the first person Haruhi ever kisses, by accident, during a ball organized by the Host Club where they executed Tamaki's plan to bring Kanako and Tohru together. She appears in later chapters stating that Tohru is working hard in England and wishing to help Tamaki.

text: Voiced by: Natsuko Kuwatani[5] (Japanese); Laura Bailey (English)

text: Shirō Takaoji[edit]

text: Shirō Takaoji (鷹凰子嗣郎, Takaoji Shirō) is the subject of help for the Host Club in episode 6 of the anime. He is a painfully honest person, first pointing out that one of Tamaki's clients looks like a carp (her lips are thick), next stating that the twins are homosexual literally to one another (that Hikaru is homosexual towards Kaoru and that Kaoru is homosexual towards Hikaru), and finally that Haruhi is a cross-dresser. He is in love with a girl in his grade who is moving away and asks to be taught how to make women happy; in his music class, he is supposed to play a duet with the girl he likes, but prefers to just hear her play. Tamaki teaches him the song so they can play together and the young lovebirds end up corresponding through mail. In the manga, he is later "loaned" to Kasanoda in an attempt to make him cuter. He made a cameo appearance in episode 13 as a mouse and appears in the later chapters of the manga complaining that Tamaki had yet to take him to an amusement park. In the anime, at the end of episode 6, Shirō's pose is a nod to his voice actor's more famous role as the titular character in Naruto.

text: Voiced by: Junko Takeuchi[5] (Japanese); Brina Palencia (English)

text: Ayame Jōnōchi[edit]

text: Ayame Jōnōchi (城之内綾女, Jōnōchi Ayame) is Kyōya's and Tamaki's classmate and the class vice-chairman of 2-A. Ayame becomes Haruhi's tutor when Haruhi fails to rank at the top of her grade. Despite hating Tamaki for his eccentricities and the fact that he is always second in class (Ayame being consistently third after Tamaki comes to Ouran), she has a crush on the Host Club President. Initially, she permed her hair straight, but after Tamaki's advice, she reverted to her natural wavy hairstyle and became a regular at the Host Club. She is known for her ability to speak for a long time in a single breath; as such, her nickname among the club members is "Morse Code Lady". In the anime, her appearances are limited to a cameo in episode 24, when Tamaki introduces himself to her. In the live action series, in place of Kanako, she is the girl who receives a kiss from Haruhi at the ball.

text: Portrayed by: Aoi Nakabeppu

text: Michelle[edit]

text: Michelle (ミシェル, Misheru), the princess of a fictional European country of Monaru, gives an official visit to Ouran Academy in place of her older brother, Laurence. Tamaki is willing to serve her lavishly, in part due to her supposed resemblance to his own mother. Michelle, who is spoiled, exploits this and orders him and the rest of the Host Club to treat and respect her with various gifts and other amenities. Eventually, it is revealed that she did not come to Japan due to an official visit; instead, she is running away from home in protest of her brother neglecting to care her as a sister due to his busy schedule in running the country. Tamaki, who already knew this from the start, advises her that she should understand her brother's situation and not be a selfish individual. When Laurence comes to convince Michelle to come back, she realizes that he does care for her and returns to Monaru.

text: Michelle's story arc from the manga is the focal point of the series' 2012 live-action film. She also becomes more sympathetic in that her reasons for coming to Japan is not just to attract attention from her brother, but also to raise the prestige of the Monaru family (which in the film is based in Singapore, instead of Europe), who has fallen on hard times, by creating a partnership with the Suou family.

text: Portrayed by: Mariko Shinoda

text: Reiko Kanazuki[edit]

text: Reiko Kanazuki (伽名月 麗子, Kanazuki Reiko) is a student of Class 1-D and the only female member of the Black Magic Club, headed by Nekozawa. She has no friends apart from her fellow members of the Black Magic Club and is very quiet and discreet. She claims to have practiced many curses including one that is supposedly able to make someone fall in love with another. As she gets to know the Host Club members better, Reiko begins to romantically attach herself with Honey, who is two years her senior. She is also one of the Host Club associates who help Tamaki to reunite in time with his mother, Anne-Sophie, by convincing Tamaki's father, Yuzuru, to agree on Nekozawa's plan in faking a stomachache to stall Anne-Sophie from boarding the plane. Chapters published post-epilogue show that Reiko does indeed marry Honey in the future.

text: In the live-action TV adaptation, Reiko's portrayal is a composite of her original role in the manga as well as the Nekozawa's family maid who personally cares for Umehito's little sister, Kirimi.

text: Portrayed by: Hana Sugisaki

text: Megumi Kanoya[edit]

text: Megumi Kanoya (鹿谷 愛, Kanoya Megumi) is a girl who transfers from Aoizuka School in Kobe to Ouran Academy around the time of New Year. She is estranged from her father, who owns restaurants in the Kansai region. Megumi crosses paths with the Host Club during a horse riding event in which Megumi would have been hit by a wild horse had Tamaki not help her. The event apparently makes the two grow closer and Megumi becomes a sort of a love rival to Haruhi. This is not helped by the fact that Tamaki, who has grown depressed after he nearly lost Haruhi in a kidnapping, gradually drifts apart from the rest of the Host Club in favor of Megumi and even tells Haruhi that they do not seem to have anything in common, while he and Megumi do. Haruhi and the Host Club organize an event for the two to measure their relationship. In the end they conclude that Tamaki is just masking his true self, with Haruhi scolding Tamaki to stop doing it since he would destroy himself if he does so. Tamaki then reveals that he is never attracted to Megumi at all and was just searching for a temporary solace, while Megumi admits to Haruhi that she also did the same to escape from her familial problems, which are quickly resolved when Megumi is called back to reconcile by her father. However, Haruhi tells Megumi that the latter did fall in love genuinely with Tamaki for a while and that it made her jealous.

text: Zuka Club members[edit]

text: Benio Amakusa[edit]

text: Benio Amakusa (天草紅緒, Amakusa Benio) is the President of the Zuka Club. She is nicknamed "Benibara-sama" at St. Lobelia's Girl Academy and is the most popular of the Zuka Club's ruling council. Benio is also known as "The Lady of the Crimson Rose", and was the anime's first openly homosexual female to be introduced. She is one of few people who have recognised Haruhi's gender upon meeting her. A "Benibara-sama's guardian club" was founded at St. Lobelia's just to make sure she does not get mobbed when walking down the school aisles. She has a large fan club devoted to her, as she flirts with girls with the same ease as Tamaki, with whom she shares personality traits such as over-confidence and a melodramatic nature. On one occasion, Benio claims that she is following in the footsteps of her mother, who was supposedly president of the Zuka Club in her day. This may have been nothing more than a lie, as her intentions were to lay down a ploy to steal Haruhi's first kiss in front of Tamaki as revenge for having defied the Zuka Club. In the manga, it was a ruse to show the foolishness of men. She refers to herself with the Japanese first-person pronoun boku, which is used predominantly by males, although in increasing usage by females.

text: Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (Japanese); Callie McHalen (English)

text: Chizuru Maihara[edit]

text: Chizuru Maihara (舞原千鶴, Maihara Chizuru), also known as "The Lady of the Lily", is the Vice-President of the Zuka Club. She appears to be the most placid member of the club's ruling council, but she never objects to any of the club's plans, rather assisting and making things worse. Chizuru believes that all men are a lower form of life and finds the Host Club's bewilderment at her immunity to their charms amusing.

text: Voiced by: Miho Yamada (Japanese); Jamie Marchi[6] (English)

text: Hinako Tsuwabuki[edit]

text: Youngest member of the Zuka Club's leading council, Hinako Tsuwabuki (石蕗雛子, Tsuwabuki Hinako), also known as "The Lady of the Daisy", is in her first year of high school at Lobelia Girls' Academy. She is the most energetic of the three girls and, as acknowledged by Chizuru, seems to be very intelligent. Her club tends to bother Haruhi, thinking that she should not wear a boy's uniform and insisting that Haruhi should join the Zuka Club.

text: Voiced by: Yuko Sasamoto[5] (Japanese); Brittney Karbowski[6] (English)

text: Recurring characters[edit]

text: "Ranka" Fujioka[edit]

text: Ryōuji Fujioka (藤岡 涼二, Fujioka Ryōji), Haruhi's father, works at a cross-dressing bar (okama) under the name Ranka (蘭花). He considers himself to be bisexual, although after his wife's death he said he could never love another woman. In the American dub, his sexual orientation is never stated, but he says that Haruhi's mother did not care that he was a cross-dresser and she was the only one that mattered. In contrast to Haruhi's practicality and lack of interest in material things, he is bad with money and buys girly clothing for Haruhi hoping she will dress more cutely. He repacks her suitcase for an overnight trip in episode 8 of the anime, replacing the clothes she had packed with a dress.

text: Haruhi's stubborn self-reliance causes her father to worry about her a lot; he would like to be more involved in her life and do more for her, but she rarely lets him. However, the two have a loving relationship. While her father would like to be able to take care of Haruhi, it seems that she often has to take care of him instead, as shown in a flashback in which a very young Haruhi refuses to allow him to go to parents' day at her school because she wants him to stay home and rest.

text: There is a marked similarity between Haruhi's father and Tamaki, upon which several other members of the Host Club have commented. Because of this, and as a result of Tamaki's romantic affection for Haruhi, Ryōuji has stated that he considers Tamaki an enemy, and seems to take amusement in picking on him. In the volume 18 extra pertaining to his future and that of Tamaki's parents, he is seen about to dump a vat of water on Tamaki's head, having been informed by Anne-Sophie that Tamaki was planning to ask for his permission to marry Haruhi. Hatori also noted in the extra that Ryōuji and Tamaki's parents got along very well; she meant to include their relationship in one of the Boston chapters, but the short comic included in the extra seems to take place between the events of the July and August 2011 Lala special chapters, since Haruhi and Tamaki are not engaged in the July 2011 special.

text: In one of the later extra chapters of the manga, it is shown that Ryōji was very protective of his wife before they started dating, to the point that he quit his job at that time to make sure she was always safe, and he found her to be a very "cool" person. He is described by some of the characters in the anime and manga as prettier than Haruhi, even when she is wearing a dress.

text:
Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu[5] (Japanese); Mike McFarland[6] (English)
Portrayed by: Shigeyuki Totsugi

text: Kotoko Fujioka[edit]

text: Kotoko Fujioka (藤岡 琴子, Fujioka Kotoko) was Haruhi's mother, who died when her daughter was still very young. Haruhi remarks in the first episode that it has been ten years since her mother died, which makes her about five years old at that time. She was an attorney at law; Haruhi takes after her in some ways and she remains Haruhi's role-model. If the way in which Haruhi recalls her in her memories and dreams is accurate, she was a dedicated and loving mother who wished the best for her family. One can assume she was also open-minded to live with and love her husband, "Ranka", not only because of his sexuality but also for the fact he is six years younger than she is. He states that Kotoko was both beautiful and intelligent and reveals that she was a closet fan of the St. Lobelia's Zuka Club of her day. In later chapters, it is shown that she was popular at her law school and, in a recent omake, that she found Ryoji to be strange and annoying, but all the same liked him from the first moment they met. She is really vulnerable towards cute things, which is one of the reasons she became strongly attracted to Ryoji (who was a beautiful man and very caring towards her during their courtship) despite knowing the nature of his sexuality. From the omake, it can also be noted interestingly that, certain parts or exchanges between Ryoji and Kotoko during their courtship somehow resembles what of their future daughter and son-in-law, Haruhi and Tamaki.

text:
Voiced by: Mika Doi[5] (Japanese); Jennifer Seman (English)
Portrayed by: Ami Suzuki

text: Yuzuru Suoh[edit]

text: Yuzuru Suoh (須王 譲, Suō Yuzuru) is the patriarch of the Suoh family and chairman of Ouran Academy. He is the 48-year-old father of Tamaki and his hobbies are golf, theater, and teasing his son. Despite knowing of his mother, Shizue's loathing of Tamaki, he can do little to help the situation. He does rebel against his mother's wishes several times though, first when he divorced the woman his mother had chosen for him in favor of retaining his relationship with Tamaki's mother, Anne-Sophie, and also when he and Kyoya's father, Yoshio, fire Shizue from her position as head of the Suoh family, which sends her into a depression. Yuzuru shares some of his son's characteristics, including an eccentric way of thinking, playfulness, penchant for concocting bizarre plans that actually work, and tendecy to sit in a corner whenever he is kicked out or made fun of. He is very much interested in his son's activities and becomes sad when Tamaki does not want to go along with it. What the father had in mind was to have Tamaki surpass him in terms of capabilities, so that he may inherit the Suoh empire and force his grandmother to accept his mother.

text: At the end of the series, after her son manages to reunite with his mother after years, Yuzuru meets with Shizue at the Suoh mansion, the two beginning to mend their broken relationship. He agrees to his mother's comments of Haruhi being a wonderful girl after she surprises them by criticizing their lack of communication with each other. In the volume 18 extras, he is seen in one extra sitting around a kotatsu with Tamaki, Anne-Sophie and Shizue, discussing getting a kotatsu large enough to accommodate Haruhi and Ryoji, while another extra has him discussing Tamaki and Haruhi's forthcoming marriage with Anne-Sophie, Ryoji, and Shizue.

text: In the anime, Yuzuru's personality is quite different, since his true personality had not been revealed at the time the anime aired. He is cold and mean to Tamaki and does not seem to accept him being a student at the school. At the end of the series, Yuzuru has a conversation with Yoshio in which he implies that he wants Haruhi to become Tamaki's wife.

text:
Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue[5] (Japanese); John Swasey (English)
Portrayed by: Takeshi Masu

text: Anne-Sophie de Grantaine[edit]

text: Anne-Sophie de Grantaine (アンヌ＝ソフィー・ド・グランテーヌ, Anne-Sofī do Gurantēnu) is Tamaki's mother. She has blonde hair and violet eyes, traits that her son inherited, and has fondness for many things that Tamaki also has, including piano and an obsession with kotatsu. Anne-Sophie was born in France and met Yuzuru Suoh, Tamaki's father, in Paris while he was on a business trip. The two fell in love and she became his mistress. When Tamaki was born she was forbidden by Yuzuru's mother to return to Japan with him. Anne-Sophie raised Tamaki in France until he was fourteen, about three years before the start of the series. Anne-Sophie is often very sick. At the time, Yuzuru's mother was worried that the Suoh family would be without an heir and offered Anne-Sophie money in exchange for allowing Tamaki to live in Japan, never to see his mother again. Faced with the failure and debt of her family's business, Anne-Sophie tearfully accepted, going into hiding after Tamaki's departure. No one knows where she is, though Yuzuru has some idea. During the second year school trip to France, Kyoya finds her and discovers that she is living quite healthily, thinking of her son every day. In chapter 77, they find out that Anne-Sophie suffers from systemic lupus erythematosus.

text: She is finally reunited with Tamaki thanks to his friends who helped him get to the airport in time for her departure after a brief visit to Japan. Although she returns to France, she is no longer forbidden from seeing Tamaki. In the volume 18 extras, she is apparently living in Japan, with Tamaki managing to get her and his father and grandmother to sit in a kotatsu as he has dreamed since he was young. She is also later seen with her husband, mother-in-law, and Haruhi's father, Ryoji, discussing about Tamaki and Haruhi's impending marriage.

text: In the anime, Anne-Sophie's situation is somewhat different. She works as the housekeeper of the Tonerre family and knows the young heiress, Éclair. She tells young Éclair a lot about Tamaki, which makes the heiress curious about what kind of person he could be; and thus she goes to Japan to visit him and tells him that if he marries her, she will make sure he is reunited with Anne-Sophie. In the end, the engagement is broken off and Éclair deems Tamaki a fool, though she still plans for him to reunite with his mother.

text: Portrayed by: Naomi Zaizen

text: Shizue Suoh[edit]

text: Shizue Suoh (須王 静江, Suō Shizue) is Yuzuru's mother and Tamaki's grandmother who acts as the matriarch and head of the Suoh family. Introduced in the series as the main antagonist, she is responsible for bringing Tamaki to Japan and forbidding him from ever seeing his mother again. She is hateful and mean, being one of the only people Honey hates. She strongly dislikes Tamaki for being the child of her son's mistress and refers to him as a "filthy child". Strict and old fashioned, she puts the Suoh business before everything else. Throughout the series, Shizue also shows she has plans for Tamaki and the Host Club. Thanks to the Suoh's lawyer, Kousaka, Shizue finally allows Tamaki to enter the main residence, though she still does not acknowledge him. Once he is there, she tells him of how he has messed up Haruhi Fujioka's life by making her hide her gender and deceive the whole school. She also forbids him from participating in Host Club activities, an order which Tamaki obeys.

text: As she starts living in the same residence as her grandson, Shizue is slowly charmed by his extravagant, yet kind self. Yuzuru orders her retirement after his and Yoshio Ootori's companies discover a medicine for Tamaki's mother, which causes her to seclude herself inside her room. Falling into depression, it is Tamaki who helps her regain her spirit by playing the piano for her, leading to the discovery that they have a lot in common, such as the same interests in movies and TV series. After witnessing how far the Host Club goes to make Tamaki see his mother before she leaves, Shizue lets him go as long as he will come back to play the piano for her. After this, she also allows him to return to the Host Club and eventually accepts Tamaki's relationship with Haruhi. This is exemplified in chapter 82 when she forcefully has him dressed in her late-husband's kimono, his "most formal attire", before Tamaki goes on a date with Haruhi.

text:
Voiced by: Hisako Kyōda (Japanese); Judy Keith (English)
Portrayed by: Kyoko Enami

text: Yoshio Ootori[edit]

text: Yoshio Ootori (鳳 敬雄, Ōtori Yoshio), Kyoya's father, is the patriarch of the Ootori family. Yoshio is portrayed as a cold, calculating father. Kyōya tries hard to please him to become heir of the family, despite the fact that his father apparently shows no understanding for his children and has planned out the lives of his sons as his successors already. In the manga, he acknowledges Kyoya as a possible successor despite being the third son. In the anime, he states he has already decided Kyoya would inherit Ootori Medical from him (in the manga, he states it is a possibility), only to have his third son buy it and return it to his control without ever revealing his identity. He also wants Haruhi to become Kyoya's wife, although in the manga, they never cross paths with each other.

text:
Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki[5] (Japanese); Kent Williams (English)
Portrayed by: Akihiro Shimizu

text: Fuyumi Shido[edit]

text: Fuyumi Shidou (矢道 芙裕美, Shidō Fuyumi), maiden name Fuyumi Ootori (鳳 芙裕美, Ōtori Fuyumi) is Kyoya's older sister. She clearly cares for her younger brother and tries to help him in life. She is somewhat lacking in the areas of housework and organization as any time she tries to help Kyoya packing clothes they end up all over the place literally, but appears to be a kind-hearted person. The manga reveals that she is married, but returned home once in a while. She, like Tamaki, also has a thing for "commoner's food".

text: Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue[5] (Japanese); Christine Auten (English)

text: Misuzu Sonoda[edit]

text: Misuzu Sonoda (園田 美鈴, Sonoda Misuzu) is Ranka's colleague at the cross dressing bar. He runs a pension in Karuizawa, Nagano, where Haruhi works during summer vacation. He holds a contest among the hosts over who will be the most refreshing and able to stay at the pension; he is swayed by Kaoru and Hikaru after a display of "brotherly love" earns them "100 refreshing points". His real name is Isao (功). He was formerly a banker and has a love for making frilly Lolita-type clothing.

text: Voiced by: Yūichi Nagashima[5] (Japanese); Sonny Strait (English)

text: Mei Yasumura[edit]

text: Mei Yasumura (安村 メイ, Yasumura Mei) is Misuzu Sonoda's ganguro daughter. She only appears in the manga. Mei hates her father for being a cross-dresser, as it was the reason her parents divorced and left her without a proper father figure for most of her childhood. Yasumura is her stepfather's surname, since Mei's custody was given to her mother after the divorce. Misuzu gets the Fujiokas to keep an eye on his daughter for a while, as she keeps running away from him and refuses to stay at his house. During her stay at the Fujiokas, Haruhi secretly prepares meals for Mei using Misuzu's recipes, such as jam and demiglace sauce, which Tamaki obtains from Misuzu by working part-time at the pension. Mei eventually sees through Tamaki's plan and reconciles with Misuzu by requesting some more of his cooking.

text: One of Mei's favourite hobbies is creating her own fashions and she loves seeing her clothes on other girls. Mei is so dedicated to this hobby that she is willing to wake up early in the morning to sew a new dress and sometimes gets so carried away that her homework is neglected. When she discovers that the mother of Hikaru and Kaoru is the famous designer Yuzuha Hitachiin, Mei persuades Haruhi to accept an invite to the twins' mansion so Mei can meet her idol in person. Yuzuha lives up to Mei's expectations and together they try to photograph Haruhi wearing cute outfits designed by Yuzuha.

text: From the moment she saw Tamaki, Mei develops a crush on him and enlists Haruhi's reluctant help to attract his attention. She moves out of it, however, when she suspects that Tamaki might be in love with Haruhi and vice versa, and she is the first to notice Haruhi's feelings towards Tamaki. As they become better friends, Mei provides Haruhi with love advice, using a girls' magazine to help Haruhi understand her relationship with Tamaki; her assistance gives Tamaki an advantage over Hikaru in confessing his feelings to Haruhi.

text: In the chapters published post-epilogue, Mei begins to pursue a relationship with Kasanoda since their first meeting at a fashion show, in which the Hitachiin twins send Kasanoda as a replacement model for her. When she realizes that Kasanoda still has a crush on Haruhi, Mei advises him to grow closer with her by showing her his carpentry skills, but this ends up making the two attracted to each other instead.

text: Yasuchika Haninozuka[edit]

text: Yasuchika Haninozuka (埴之塚 靖睦, Haninozuka Yasuchika) is Mitsukuni "Honey"'s younger brother, whom Honey calls "Chika-chan". He often feels overshadowed by his older brother and has grown a lasting resentment towards him for enjoying things that are cute and dropping out as the Karate Club's President. He is also very astonished by the amount of cake he eats in one night and how quickly he does so. Yasuchika's greatest ambition is to one day finally defeat his brother in combat, but in the end Honey easily defeats him, choosing the things he loves most over his brother's feelings, much to Mori's surprise.

text: Yasuchika's best friend is Satoshi Morinozuka, the younger brother of Mori, who also attends Ouran Middle School like himself. Both seem to be polar opposites of their older brothers, however, it is shown that underneath Yasuchika's attitude, he is much like Honey, crying easily and collecting cute stuffed toy chicks and chick photo books. In the chapters published post-epilogue, it is revealed that both Yasuchika and Satoshi attend Ouran Academy upon graduation, following their brothers' footsteps, and Yasuchika is lured by Satoshi to participate in the reformed Host Club, now Animal Husbandry Club, by promising him stuffed toys.

text: Voiced by: Kei Watanabe (Japanese); Aaron Dismuke (English)

text: Satoshi Morinozuka[edit]

text: Satoshi Morinozuka (銛之塚 悟, Morinozuka Satoshi) is Takashi "Mori"'s younger brother. He is the captain of the Kendo Club and member of the Karate Club.[citation needed] He attends Ouran Middle School along with Yasuchika. Compared to Mori, Satoshi is talkative and cheerful. He takes his role as a Morinozuka seriously, going so far as to hit Yasuchika with a kendo stick when he is being rude. During one of his visits to the Host Club, the twins add Tabasco sauce to Satoshi's tea, which he then declares is delicious, leaving other characters to doubt that he has any taste buds. In contrast to Yasuchika's disdain for Honey, Satoshi adores his Mori and converts any criticism of Mori into something reasonably positive. He does not appear in the anime and has only appeared briefly in one of the later chapters of the manga.

text: In the volume 18 extras, it is revealed that Satoshi attempts to keep the Host Club going during the Hosts' year in Boston, in order to preserve his brother's and Tamaki's legacy; in order to lure Yasuchika into helping him by promising toys. However, he then adds animals, and the Host Club morphs into an Animal Husbandry Club.

text: Yuzuha Hitachiin[edit]

text: Yuzuha Hitachiin (常陸院 柚葉, Hitachiin Yuzuha) is Hikaru and Kaoru's mother. Hitachiin is her maiden name; she does not change her surname as the Hitachiin carries a higher prestige than that of her husband, Hayato's (隼). She is a fashion designer who is famous throughout the world. Her sons' mischievous attitude seem to have been inherited from her, in contrast to Hayato's reserved and quiet personality. She eventually employs Mei Yasumura as an assistant fashion designer, the latter of whom is a big fan of her and shares a common fashion sense with her. Post-epilogue, Yuzuha is revealed to have given birth to a third child: a daughter named Ageha.

text: Kirimi Nekozawa[edit]

text: Kirimi Nekozawa (猫澤 霧美, Nekozawa Kirimi) is Umehito's little sister. She is 3 years old and has light blonde hair and blue eyes like her brother. As with the rest of the Nekozawa, Kirimi is descended from the Tokarev dynasty line in Russia, but unlike her brother, she does not inherit their family curse, that is, extreme sensitivity to light. She does, however, have fears of darkness and cats, both exact opposites of Umehito, which is troubling since the Nekozawa naturally attracts cats. Kirimi has never met Umehito due to her fear of darkness and his fear of light and only knows about his existence through stories told by her servants as well as a single portrait in her family mansion that depicts him in a knightly manner. Because of this, she mistakenly assumes Tamaki, who also has blonde hair, as her brother, and he decides to play along with it until Umehito is ready to meet her. Kirimi's servants apparently teach her beyond what is acceptable for her age, with her knowing such terms as harem and debauchery because of her love of shōjo manga.

text: Because Kirimi cannot face her fear of darkness, the Host Club members have to force Umehito to face his fear of light instead which they have some success with when he manages to resist flashlights, but not enough to actually go outside. However, when Kirimi is chased by a cat outdoor, Umehito braves himself to rescue her and reveals his true appearance to Kirimi beneath the black wig and hood, although he immediately collapses shortly after. The two appear to have grown closer afterward when she smiles at Umehito's shy attempt to get her attention through Belzeneff. Later chapters show that Kirimi has also conquered her fear of darkness and begins to tag along with her brother in wearing hood and being "creepy".

text:
Voiced by: Kurumi Mamiya
Portrayed by: Mone Sawada

text: Takeshi Kuze[edit]

text: Takeshi Kuze (九瀬 猛, Kuze Takeshi) is the president of Ouran's American Football Club, the Ouran Orages (the word comes from the French for "Tempest"), referred to by Tamaki as the most talented of all of Ouran's athletic clubs. Kuze has a long-standing rivalry with Kyoya, despite the fact they were once childhood friends, partly due to Kuze's habit of eating oranges with the rind still on. His family holds the largest share of imported produce in Japan. Kuze and Kyoya's rivalry have results in several battles between the Host Club and the Football Club. For example, there is a battle between them to see who can get the prime space at the school's cultural festival, which is decided by holding a race, which the Host Club win.

text: Portrayed by: Tomohiro Ichikawa

text: Kazukiyo Sōga[edit]

text: Kazukiyo Sōga (相賀 和清, Sōga Kazukiyo) is the Class President of 1-A, who suffers from nyctophobia (severe fear of the dark) and a fear of just about anything that is scary. He has romantic feelings for Class 1-A's Vice-President Momoka, whom he has known for years, but he is initially too shy to say anything. Hikaru and Kaoru comment that he is the kind of person with pure feelings who they cannot tease, possibly because he is more emotionally vulnerable than Tamaki. In the manga, he unwittingly caused Haruhi trouble with her scholarship when he ranked as the top student of his grade. Volume 6 reveals that his father is a famous politician. In the volume 18 extras, he is seen as a college student, confessing nervously to Momoka as Haruhi and the twins cheer him on from a distance; he and Momoka are also seen in the July 2011 special chapter, as first-year students in the law faculty along with Haruhi (whom they still call Haruhi-kun, despite knowing her gender).

text: Voiced by: Shigenori Yamazaki (Japanese); Kyle Hebert (English)

text: Momoka Kurakano[edit]

text: Momoka Kurakano (倉賀野 百華, Kurakano Momoka) is the Class Vice-President of 1-A. Originally fond of Haruhi, she is a frequent client of hers in the Host Club. In the volume 18 extras, she is seen as a college student, smiling as Soga confesses nervously to her; she and Soga are also seen in the July 2011 special chapter, as first-year students in the law faculty along with Haruhi (whom they still call Haruhi-kun, despite knowing her gender).

text:
Voiced by: Tomomi Watanabe (Japanese); Carrie Savage[6] (English)
Portrayed by: Nana Seino

text: Arai[edit]

text: Arai (荒井) is Haruhi's middle school friend who lives near Karuizawa, which Haruhi and the Host Club visit during summer holiday. As he completely lost contact with Haruhi after graduation, the two are surprised when they meet in Misuzu's summer house. The two begin to exchange stories and recount their experiences since graduation, inciting jealousy on Hikaru's part, who is discontented and goes mad whenever he sees the two becoming closer. His patience reaches its nadir when Arai stumbles upon Haruhi and Hikaru while they are walking together through a market, and Hikaru lashes out on the two before leaving, assuming that the two would come back home together. However, Misuzu later gets a phone call from Arai who states that Haruhi had allowed him to go home earlier, which means that she is still out there somewhere, hiding from the thunderstorm. Arai and Hikaru then make amends at the end of the holiday.

text:
Voiced by: Kazuki Taketani (Japanese); Jerry Jewell (English)
Portrayed by: Ryutarou Akimoto

text: Yuuko Kousaka[edit]

text: Yuuko Kousaka (高坂 由布子, Kōsaka Yūko) is the lawyer of the Suoh family. She was a junior of Haruhi's mother, Kotoko, back when she was alive, and was close to her enough to know that Haruhi does indeed resemble her mother quite a lot. Haruhi mistakenly assumes her to be her mother at first, suggesting that she may resemble Kotoko as well. As it is revealed, Kousaka is sent by Shizue Suoh to spy on and gather information about the Host Club, especially Haruhi, and report them to her immediately. This is suspected by Kyoya since the time of the New Year's celebration where Kousaka "coincidentally" goes to the same shrine as the Host Club, though he is too distracted by Haruhi's kidnapping at that time to learn more about her. These information persuade Shizue to allow Tamaki back to the main mansion but forbid him to run the Host Club, since according to her, it messes up Haruhi's life and threatens her with danger, including the aforementioned kidnapping. This leads to the Host Club's disbandment and Haruhi and Tamaki's temporary estrangement with each other. However, when Haruhi and Tamaki have reconciled and the Suoh as a whole resolved their differences, Kousaka resigns from her job and moves to a small office, stating to Haruhi that she does not want to be involved in another messy affair like the Suoh family again.

text: Shima Maezono[edit]

text: Shima Maezono (前園 シマ, Maezono Shima) is an old retainer of the Suoh family. She is stated to be 82 years old. She was originally a servant of the main mansion, but as per Shizue's orders she is to serve as Tamaki's personal assistant and tutor in the second mansion. Shima is quite strict on Tamaki and makes him study more to prepare himself as the heir of the Suoh. Shima moves back to the main mansion when Tamaki is allowed by Shizue to live there.

text: Voiced by: Yasuko Hatori

text: Éclair Tonnerre[edit]

text: An anime-only character, Éclair Tonnerre (エクレール・トネール, Ekurēru Tonēru) is the beautiful and shrewd heir to the France-based Grand Tonnerre Group, which in the anime employs Tamaki's mother as a servant in Éclair's house. Having heard a great deal about Tamaki from his mother, Éclair develops a crush on him and Tamaki's grandmother, who detests his mother, concocts a scheme to make him Éclair's husband. She tracks down Tamaki in Japan and convinces him to leave the Host Club, offering him a chance to see his mother if he complies with her wishes. She secures noninterference from the Ootori group by arranging for the Grand Tonnerre Group to buy Ootori Medical so as to control Kyoya's father.

text: She does not immediately recognize Haruhi as a girl, however she does believe that Haruhi is Tamaki's male lover. This leads her to try to drive a wedge between Haruhi and Tamaki, with some degree of success. In the end, Tamaki leaves Éclair in order to save Haruhi's life, but not before leaving a good impression by genuinely smiling at her and thanking her for letting him go. She then asks her driver to head toward the airport without Tamaki, speaking of how wonderful and pure-hearted Tamaki is since he could smile at her after all that she had done. She reveals that Tamaki's mother is now a housekeeper at her house and it is suggested that she may somehow arrange for Tamaki to see his mother again.

text: Her name is French for "lightning thunder". It symbolizes Haruhi's greatest fear, namely her fear of thunder, and thus her fear of Tamaki being taken away from her.

text: Voiced by: Yukari Tamura[5] (Japanese); Colleen Clinkenbeard (English)

text: Reception[edit]

text: This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2009)

text: IGN praised the Host Club characters for being well-animated in the show, as they are made simpler without losing the details. The characters there are not only well-drawn, but also well-written. Haruhi Fujioka is "actually written smart and acts smart", as opposed to other anime protagonists who are claimed to be smart without apparent evidence in the show.[20]


document_title: Cast Away

question_text: how many years was he on the island in castaway

text: Cast Away

text: Plot[edit]

text: In December 1995, Chuck Noland is a time-obsessed systems engineer, who travels worldwide resolving productivity problems at FedEx depots. He is in a long-term relationship with Kelly Frears, with whom he lives in Memphis, Tennessee. Although the couple wants to get married, Chuck's busy schedule interferes with their relationship. A Christmas with relatives is interrupted when Chuck is summoned to resolve a problem in Malaysia. While flying through a violent storm, his plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Chuck escapes the sinking plane and is saved by an inflatable life raft, but loses the emergency locator transmitter. He clings to the life raft, loses consciousness, and floats all night before being washed up on an island. After he awakens, he explores the island and soon discovers that it is uninhabited.

text: Several FedEx packages from the crashed plane wash up on the shore, as well as the corpse of one of the pilots, which he buries. He initially tries to signal for rescue and makes an escape attempt with the remnants of his life raft, but cannot pass the powerful surf and the coral reefs surrounding the island. He searches for food, water, and shelter, and opens the packages, finding a number of potentially useful items. He leaves one package, which has a pair of angel wings stenciled on it, unopened. During a first attempt to make fire, Chuck receives a deep wound to his hand. In anger and pain, he throws several objects, including a Wilson volleyball from one of the packages. A short time later he draws a face in the bloody hand print on the ball, names it Wilson, and begins talking to it. One night, Chuck calculates that in order for the rescue workers to find the site of the plane crash, they will have to search an area twice the size of Texas, making him doubtful he will ever be found.

text: Four years later, Chuck has adapted to the meager living conditions on the island, having become adept at spearing fish and making fires. He also has regular conversations and arguments with Wilson, which has become his only means of socialization. A large section from a portable toilet washes up on the island; Chuck uses it as a sail in the construction of a raft. After spending some time building and stocking the raft and deciding when the weather conditions will be optimal (using an analemma he has created in his cave to monitor the time of year), he launches, using the sail to overcome the powerful surf. After some time on the ocean, a storm nearly tears his raft apart. The following day, as Chuck sleeps, Wilson becomes untethered and floats away from the raft. Chuck is wakened by the spray of a sounding whale, sees Wilson, and swims after him, but Wilson has gone too far to safely retrieve. Chuck returns to the raft and collapses in tears. Later, a passing cargo ship finds him, drifting.

text: Upon returning to civilization, Chuck learns that he has long been given up for dead; his family and acquaintances have held a funeral, and Kelly has since married Chuck's one-time dentist and has a daughter. After reuniting with Kelly, the pair profess their love for each other but, realizing they cannot be together because of her commitment to her new family, they sadly part. Kelly gives Chuck the keys to the car they once shared.

text: Sometime later, after buying a new volleyball, Chuck travels to Canadian, Texas, to return the unopened FedEx package with the angel wings to its sender, a woman named Bettina Peterson. The house at the address is empty, so he leaves the package at the door with a note saying that the package saved his life. He departs and stops at a remote crossroads. A friendly woman passing by in a pickup truck stops to explain where each road leads. As she drives away, Chuck notices the angel wings on the back of her truck are identical to those on the parcel. As Chuck is left standing at the crossroads he looks down each road, then smiles faintly as he looks in the direction of the woman's truck.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland
Helen Hunt as Kelly Frears
Nick Searcy as Stan
Jenifer Lewis as Becca Twig
Chris Noth as Jerry Lovett
Lari White as Bettina Peterson
Vince Martin as Albert "Al" Miller
Geoffrey Blake as Maynard Graham
Michael Forest as Jack
Jay Acovone as Petrov

tag: ul

text: Production[edit]

text: The film's shooting occurred between 1998 and 2000, but was not shot consecutively. Hanks gained 50 pounds (23 kg) during pre-production to make him look like a pudgy, middle-aged man. After a majority of the film was shot, production was halted for a year so that he could lose the weight and grow his hair and beard to look like he had been living on the island for years. During the year-long hiatus, Zemeckis used the same film crew to make another film, What Lies Beneath.[2]

text: Cast Away was filmed on Monuriki, one of the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji.[3] It is in a subgroup of the Mamanuca archipelago, which is sited off the coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. The island became a tourist attraction following the film's release. After Chuck's return, it is identified by Kelly as being "about 600 miles south of the Cook Islands," but there is actually no land between the southernmost Cook Islands of Mangaia and Antarctica.

text: The film essentially begins and ends in the same location, on the Arrington Ranch in the Texas Panhandle south of the city of Canadian, Texas.[4]

text: Music[edit]

text: The film's minimal score was composed by Alan Silvestri for which he won a Grammy Award in 2002. The film's soundtrack is most notable for its lack of score and creature sound effects (such as bird song or insect sounds) while Chuck is on the island, which is intended to reinforce the feeling of isolation.[5] Cast Away contains no original musical score until Chuck escapes the island. However, there is a Russian choral piece heard near the start of the film that was not composed or even recorded by Silvestri, so it does not appear on the film's soundtrack list. It is a traditional Russian song written by Lev Knipper called "Oh, My Field" ("Polyushko, Polye") and it is available on various collections of Red Army hymns. The tracks in Silvestri's score are as follows:

text:
"Cast Away" – 3:44
"Wilson, I'm Sorry" – 1:39
"Drive to Kelly's" – 3:54
"Love of My Life" – 1:47
"What the Tide Could Bring" – 3:39
"Crossroads" – 2:08
"End Credits" – 7:29

text: The official soundtrack CD is an anthology of musical pieces from all films up to that point directed by Zemeckis and scored by Silvestri. The only track from Cast Away itself is the theme from the end credits.[6]

text: FedEx[edit]

text: FedEx provided access to their facilities (Memphis, Los Angeles, and Moscow) as well as airplanes, trucks, uniforms, and logistical support. A team of FedEx marketers oversaw production through more than two years of filming.[7] FedEx CEO Fred Smith made an appearance as himself for the scene where Chuck is welcomed back, which was filmed on location at FedEx's home facilities in Memphis, Tennessee. The idea of a story based on a FedEx plane crashing gave the company "a heart attack at first," but the overall story was seen as positive. FedEx, which paid no money for product placement in the film,[8] saw an increase in brand awareness in Asia and Europe following the film's release.[9]

text: Wilson the volleyball[edit]

text: In the film, Wilson the volleyball serves as Chuck Noland's personified friend and only companion during the four years that Noland spends alone on a deserted island.[10][11][12] Named after the volleyball's manufacturer, Wilson Sporting Goods, the character was created by screenwriter William Broyles, Jr.. While researching for the film, he consulted with professional survival experts, and then chose to deliberately strand himself for one week on an isolated beach in the Gulf of California, to force himself to search for water and food, and obtain his own shelter. During this time, a volleyball washed up on shore. This was the inspiration for the film's inanimate companion. From a screenwriting point of view, Wilson also serves to realistically allow dialogue in a one-person-only situation.[13][14]

text: One of the original volleyball props was sold at auction for $18,500 to the ex-CEO of FedEx Office, Ken May. At the time of the film's release, Wilson launched its own joint promotion centered on the fact that one of its products was "co-starring" with Tom Hanks. Wilson manufactured a volleyball with a reproduction of the bloodied handprint face on one side. It was sold for a limited time during the film's initial release and continues to be offered on the company's website.[15]

text: Reception[edit]

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, Cast Away has an approval rating of 90% based on 154 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Flawed but fascinating, Cast Away offers an intelligent script, some of Robert Zemeckis' most mature directing, and a showcase performance from Tom Hanks."[16] On Metacritic the film has a score of 73 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]

text: Cast Away opened in 2,774 theaters in North America and grossed $28,883,406 with an average of $10,412 per theater on its opening weekend.[18] For the four-day Christmas long holiday weekend, it took in a total of $39,852,075.[19] The film kept performing well and ended up earning $233,632,142 domestically and $196,000,000 internationally for a total of $429,632,142, well above its production budget of $90 million.[1]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Award
Category
Recipients and nominees
Result

73rd Academy Awards[20]
Best Actor
Tom Hanks
Nominated

Best Sound
Randy Thom, Tom Johnson, Dennis S. Sands and William B. Kaplan
Nominated

54th British Academy Film Awards[21]
Best Actor
Tom Hanks
Nominated

6th Critics' Choice Awards[22]
Best Inanimate Object
Wilson
Won

58th Golden Globe Awards[23]
Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Tom Hanks
Won

2001 MTV Movie Awards
Best Action Sequence
Plane crash
Nominated

Best Kiss
Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt
Nominated

Best Male Performance
Tom Hanks
Nominated

Best On-Screen Duo
Tom Hanks and Wilson
Nominated

7th Screen Actors Guild Awards[24]
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Tom Hanks
Nominated

tag: table

text: The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

text: 2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – Nominated[25]

text: In popular culture[edit]

text: A FedEx commercial during the 2003 Super Bowl parodied the final scene of the film, in which Chuck returns a package to its sender. In this version, the woman answers the door, and when Chuck asks what was in the box, the woman replies: "Just a satellite phone, GPS locator, fishing rod, water purifier, and some seeds. Just silly stuff."[26]

text: Media executive Lloyd Braun of ABC Studios first suggested the idea of a Cast Away-type television series at a dinner party in 2003.[27] Thom Sherman later pitched the idea for Cast Away – The Series, but never developed the idea.[27] The concept was later developed and pitched with the title Nowhere, which later turned into the ABC show Lost.[27]