Asian Addicts Anonymous

Hmm. Not sure what to think about this episode. I mean, it wasn’t bad, but nor was it the best. It falls kind of flat and seems to be more of a filler episode to give some background on the characters. We have a heavy focus on Tamaki, of course, and then we get the background of Honey and Mori finally. We also get to see what Kyoya’s home life is like. Nice to see, but it just felt a little flat to me.

 We open this episode with the newspaper club trying to hand out their latest edition, but none of the students want a copy. Then the host club appears and the girls go gaga. The president of the club is unhappy at the glory and attention the host club receives as they hand out the agendas for their anniversary party. After Tamaki’s announcement is finished, he shows Haruhi a clown costume that he picked out for her as the party will have cosplay in it. Haruhi is not happy with this and Kyoya tells her that she should be used to Tamaki’s ways by now.

Honey is out walking alone looking up desserts on his phone when he overhears the newspaper club discussing Tamaki. The president wants to run a scandalous story about Tamaki’s past, but the lone female member doesn’t want to go that far. Then up pops Honey, innocently wondering what is going on since they mentioned Tama-chan. The president turns and says that Honey has heard something he shouldn’t have and he snaps his fingers bringing out the school’s wrestling team. Meanwhile, cake and flowers in hand, Tamaki goes to visit his grandmother. Will the newspaper club’s diabolical scheme work?

The unsuspecting others go to the club only to find Tamaki gone. They ask Kyoya where he is and Kyoya explains that Tamaki was summoned to visit his grandmother at the Suou company’s main office. At this time, a worried Mori stomps in and breaks down the clubroom doors. Kyoya asks what is wrong and Mori replies that Mitsukuni has gone missing. Duh-duh-dun.

And just how is Honey faring? He’s having the time of his life. He is happily tied to a chair eating a piece of cake. The newspaper club’s president tells him that he just has to stay in that room and enjoy the cake as the club is placing their lives on the Suou article. He then goes over and pulls off a cover from a table showing a huge spread of desserts. Honey’s eyes widen as he looks at all the desserts. He is happy thinking about being able to have all of them to himself. He looks around at all the boys in the wrestling uniforms. He asks who they are and is told they are the wrestling club students that were hired on as bodyguards. Honey counts on his hand and then asks if he can have more cake. Meanwhile, the girl still looks very uncomfortable with what is going on. Can’t say I blame her.

Tamaki waits and waits to see his grandmother who is in a meeting with Mr. Ootori and his eldest two sons. Mrs. Suou congratulates him on his two fine sons – he doesn’t have to worry about an heir. Mr. Ootori points out that she has Tamaki, but Mrs. Suou doesn’t see him as the Suou family heir whatsoever. Mr. Suou brings up how intelligent Kyoya is and Mr. Ootori just waves this off. Kyoya is only the third son, not to mention a high school student. Wow. Neither the Ootori family or Suou family seem like the nicest families to live in. Mrs. Suou is notified of Tamaki’s arrival, but ignores it and continues on with the meeting. She is a bit of a witch. [Ok. She is a MAJOR witch.]

We then cut back to Honey who is still happily eating more cake. He is told that the newspaper club doesn’t want to use violence, but if Honey tries to leave, he will get a beating. He smiles and says he knows and goes back to eating [during this conversation he set his cellphone to record – smart Honey]. Wow. Meanwhile, Haruhi wonders if Honey might have left without Mori to get some desserts. Kyoya says that is impossible as Honey would never go anywhere without first telling Mori. Haruhi then wonders again just what kind of relationship those two have. The twins butt in and say that Honey and Mori are cousins and Kyoya finishes the story by saying that Mori’s family has been Honey’s family’s servant for generations. Probably the reason why Mori feels he always needs to be by Honey’s side.

Kyoya then goes on to say about how the two families are heavily based on martial arts. Mori is an expert in Kendo while Honey is an expert in Karate and Judo. We then learn that Honey was once the toughest Judo instructors until he was recruited into the host club. Because Honey is the eldest son of his family, he must have felt pressure to fit in and be more manly. Then up comes Tamaki with cake and a bunny puppet with his proposal to Mitsukuni. Honey initially refuses, even though he is sorely tempted, as he is a man and must train daily. He had no time for a host club. Tamaki then says that denying himself what he really wants – is that really strength? Isn’t being yourself and showing who you really are a way to build strength as well? Tamaki leaves Honey the puppet and cake and tells him to think about it. We then end the flashback and Mori says he trusted in Tamaki because Tamaki said to Honey what Mori always felt.

The Ootori’s finally leave and Tamaki happily greets his grandmother who immediately cuts him off. Meanwhile, Honey keeps eating and enjoying his cake as the wrestling club loom over him, threateningly. The girl looks at a picture of Mori and seems really conflicted. She notices that the others are distracted while reading over the scoop and she quickly runs out of the room. She passes the black magic club who sense that bad things are headed towards the host club. They go to warn the host club and Mori actually listens to them, shocking the twins. Haruhi tells him everything will be fine, Honey is sure to be all right, when the newspaper club girl comes in and calls their attention. She apologizes and says she can’t take it anymore and tells him where Honey is.

Honey finally finishes all of the desserts – shocking the newspaper and wrestling clubs. He then gets serious, while remaining cute. He easily unties himself and asks them to reconsider publishing that article on Tamaki as he has recorded their entire diabolical scheme. The president then yells at the wrestlers to get Honey and they attack just as Mori enters the room with the other club members [minus Kyoya]. We then get a kick-butt action sequence of Mori and Honey easily defeating the wrestling club. Mori apologizes for being late and Honey, uncharacteristically smiles more manly and says he could’ve handled all of them himself. No kidding. The boy does fight well. No surprise given his background.

Utterly humiliated and terrified of Honey and Mori, the wrestling club runs away soon followed by the newspaper club. The twins trip up the president and Honey grabs him by his jacket and starts off in cute Honey mode. They really like Tama-chan and won’t let anyone hurt him. Then he goes into black Honey mode where his cutesy way of speaking goes away and we can hear Chiba Yudai’s more masculine voice [have to say I like it better than the way Honey normally speaks in this drama]. He lets go of the president and straightens up menacingly and tells the president he won’t let him off easily. The club president runs screaming from the room. Then in pops the girl. Mori goes over to her and thanks her and says she is really brave. The twins then say it looks like another closet fan.

Haruhi then goes over and picks up the article. Needless to say its contents shock her. She takes the article and heads back to the clubroom. Kyoya is doing some work on his laptop and told her that she didn’t have to worry, Honey would be fine. Haruhi says that isn’t it and then holds up the article. Kyoya gets up and looks at it and tells her to forget about it. We then cut to Mrs. Suou ordering Tamaki to do something and he doesn’t like it, but you know he will obey her. Then Kyoya tells Haruhi that the article is 100% true. Tamaki’s father married for business. He then went to Paris where he met Tamaki’s mother and fell in love. Thus Tamaki was born. Then Mr. Suou divorced his wife and wished to go back to Paris and live with Tamaki and his mother, but Tamaki’s grandmother would not allow it.

Mrs. Suou does not see Tamaki as her heir and still to this day, the boy lives in the 2nd house of the Suou family all by himself since his grandmother won’t permit him into the main house. This shocks Haruhi. She cannot believe that Tamaki had such a sad story behind him. All you can see is his outrageous actions – how can he hide the hurt? Kyoya tells Haruhi not to dwell on the story. Tamaki is Tamaki. At least Tamaki’s obsession with family is explained. Kyoya then tells Haruhi that it is easy to sympathize with others, but he feels grateful that Tamaki is Tamaki. He is the way he is because of that experience.

Kyoya then goes home where he finds his father and older brothers drinking wine. His father tells him to make sure that he stays close to Tamaki. Kyoya tells him that he is and that they are very close friends. Mr. Ootori then goes to get more wine and Kyoya’s brothers start in on him. How it must be nice to have no pressure to inherit the business. One brother tells Kyoya that he shouldn’t get too comfortable with the host club and should just give it up. The other brother hushes him up. Yep. Kyoya now suspects something. [I wonder if they will delve more into just what Kyoya has been doing? Sigh. Probably not. I also would have liked Kyoya’s and Haruhi’s “commoner date.”]

The next day Haruhi is in the clubroom alone rereading the article when the others arrive. She quickly hides the article from Tamaki, but he manages to snatch it away from her. Tamaki is completely silent and Haruhi worries about him, but then he turns around complaining about how the newspaper club was using such a photo. If only they had asked, he would have gladly provided some better ones. The other members then snatch the pictures away and begin to draw on them. Kyoya then approaches Haruhi who agrees that she is glad Tamaki is the way he is. Kyoya believes that no one else would be able to bear such pain so well. In fact, Tamaki turns it into power.

We then get to see an example of that power before Tamaki gets all serious and drops the bomb on the club members that he will retire from the club after the anniversary party. Say what?

One more episode and then the movie. What will happen?