Haruhi Fujioka
Haruhi Fujioka (藤岡 ハルヒ, Fujioka Haruhi) is a fictional character and the main protagonist from the manga and anime television series, Ouran High School Host Club, created by Bisco Hatori. In the manga and its adaptations, Haruhi takes on the role of a male host playing a comical tsukkomi, despite being of female sex, by keeping her gender as female a secret from the host club's clients. While her fellow, all-male Host Club members know the truth, the club's clients do not and mistakenly believe Haruhi to be a male, thus providing the basis for much of the gender-swapping satire embedded in the comedy.
| Haruhi Fujioka | |
|---|---|
| Ouran High School Host Club character | |
Haruhi, in her male school uniform | |
| First appearance | Ouran High School Host Club, Chapter 1 |
| Created by | Bisco Hatori |
| Portrayed by | Haruna Kawaguchi Yuka Yamauchi (musical) |
| Voiced by | Japanese: Aya Hisakawa (2003) Maaya Sakamoto (2006–present) English: Caitlin Glass |
| In-universe information | |
| Relatives | Ranka Fujioka (father) Kotoko Fujioka (mother) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
The character self-identifies as female, while downplaying gender roles to comic effect throughout the series. As explanation, she tells the others that "it's more important for a person to be recognized for who they are rather than what sex they are".
This attitude is reflected in comments made by mangaka Hatori Bisco at a 2019 convention. Haruhi's character was positively received, both because of her down-to-earth personality and disregard for gender roles in society.