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Answerman - What Are Host Clubs Really Like?


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Blanchimont



Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Posts: 3564
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 1:27 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
While you'll probably interact with most or all of the hosts, your host will sit with you, chat with you, pour you drinks, dote on you, and try to make you feel special in some way. (Note that you probably will need to speak Japanese for this to be very effective.)

Hardly a problem. I very much doubt most of these establishments let foreigners past the entrance no matter how fluent they might be...
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4623
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:12 pm Reply with quote
The Great Happiness Space definitely confirms what Justin wrote. It was screened at my college anime club, but it got a pretty negative reaction, which I think was mostly because it poked a lot of holes in the fantasy that Ouran created.

The fact that hostesses would frequent host clubs was the part that I found most surprising since it seems like there wouldn't be much appeal when you go into knowing the tricks of the trade.
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HeeroTX



Joined: 15 Jul 2002
Posts: 2046
Location: Austin, TX
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:24 pm Reply with quote
If you really want the fantasy, you're almost certainly MUCH better off going to a Butler cafe. The "top" ones at least are less seedy and you're going to get more of the "doted on" experience without the DEEP undercurrent of questionable prostitution. Considering their clientele, I imagine that Maid/Butler cafes emerged somewhat as the more "chaste" variations of the hostess/host clubs. (Not saying that ANY of the 4 "directly" peddle sex, but I imagine that host/hostess cafes are more overtly about the "tease", whereas Maid/Butler cafes are more about the "image")

disclosure: I've only ever been to 1 maid cafe and none of the other options.
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Vibrant Wolf



Joined: 07 Feb 2016
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Location: Canada
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:49 pm Reply with quote
This just made me want to go to one even less.
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GracieLizzy



Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 551
Location: Sunderland, England, UK
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:52 pm Reply with quote
Greed1914 wrote:
The Great Happiness Space definitely confirms what Justin wrote. It was screened at my college anime club, but it got a pretty negative reaction, which I think was mostly because it poked a lot of holes in the fantasy that Ouran created.


I seem to recall Bisco Hatori actually point out in one one of her manga-ka free talk sectionsoon that her readers really shouldn't be venturing into real life Host Clubs as typically they are nothing like the fantasy she created for Ouran.
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Collectonian



Joined: 09 Jun 2004
Posts: 104
Location: Texas
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 3:15 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
As of this writing it's only available from Netflix's mailed-disc service.


It's also available on Amazon Video. Smile
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Lemonchest



Joined: 18 Mar 2015
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 3:17 pm Reply with quote
Had it in my head that hostess clubs are where husbands go to feel important & host clubs are where wives go to feel wanted.
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Shadowrun20XX



Joined: 26 Nov 2007
Posts: 1936
Location: Vegas
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 3:52 pm Reply with quote
I'd make them play some Mariokart or some Mario party. Some fun local two player. The most expensive 2 player ever.
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relyat08



Joined: 20 Mar 2013
Posts: 4125
Location: Northern Virginia
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 4:06 pm Reply with quote
Blanchimont wrote:
Quote:
While you'll probably interact with most or all of the hosts, your host will sit with you, chat with you, pour you drinks, dote on you, and try to make you feel special in some way. (Note that you probably will need to speak Japanese for this to be very effective.)

Hardly a problem. I very much doubt most of these establishments let foreigners past the entrance no matter how fluent they might be...


From the sounds of it, that's not entirely true. This guy has noted that he has foreign "guests" at times.

I really recommend that video for anyone. It does confirm a lot of what Justin says. I couldn't imagine drinking that much. Makes me sick just thinking about it... Sad
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maximilianjenus



Joined: 29 Apr 2013
Posts: 2902
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:42 pm Reply with quote
Lemonchest wrote:
Had it in my head that hostess clubs are where husbands go to feel important & host clubs are where wives go to feel wanted.

that's sexist.
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pluvia33



Joined: 23 Mar 2005
Posts: 196
Location: Dayton, OH, USA
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:44 pm Reply with quote
Geez, that was depressing. Interesting read, though, as usual.

HeeroTX wrote:
If you really want the fantasy, you're almost certainly MUCH better off going to a Butler cafe.


Agreed. That was my first thought as I read the article. If the submitter is looking for something more along the lines of an Ouran style experience, this is likely a much better/safer fit.
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Akane the Catgirl



Joined: 09 Oct 2013
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Location: LA, Baby!
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 6:22 pm Reply with quote
Interesting read! I'm recapping Ouran now, and my friend Gina Szanboti said something along these lines back when I was doing my introduction. To be fair, the Ouran Academy Host Club has far more in common with cosplay cafes than actual host clubs. (Keep in mind that club founder Tamaki has little common sense and wasn't even raised in Japan to begin with...)
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ninjamitsuki



Joined: 15 Sep 2007
Posts: 634
Location: Anywhere (Thanks, technology)
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 6:28 pm Reply with quote
I'm gonna third that if you want something similar to Ouran, a butler cafe would be a better bet. There are quite a few that even have English speaking staff.
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TenCentFang



Joined: 28 Feb 2017
Posts: 31
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 6:46 pm Reply with quote
relyat08 wrote:
From the sounds of it, that's not entirely true. This guy has noted that he has foreign "guests" at times.


Okay, first of all, I just wanna say that "came to Japan as a Mormon missionary, ended up one of the top hosts at a host club" is one of the most amazing stories I've ever heard. Secondly, I wonder if host/ess clubs are at all acknowledging of gay people. Obviously LGBT stuff is a lot more lowkey in Japan but I'm curious if anyone ever came out and said "ah, yes, we accept/refuse same sex clients"
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Suena



Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 289
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 7:10 pm Reply with quote
TenCentFang wrote:
Secondly, I wonder if host/ess clubs are at all acknowledging of gay people. Obviously LGBT stuff is a lot more lowkey in Japan but I'm curious if anyone ever came out and said "ah, yes, we accept/refuse same sex clients"


A few years ago, I was watching a trip vlog of a cosplayer who visited Japan. I don't remember her name otherwise I'd link to the video, but one episode she talked about her trip to a host club.

Firstly, she has a masculine appearance (she did a lot of crossplay) so she had some trouble getting in. I don't remember if they outright banned male clients, or just charged them a lot more, but she was threatened with some discrimination until a friend she was with was able to convince them she was really a girl.

She spent the whole time with her host basically interviewing him about what life was like as a host, and the two major takeaways were that 1) It was very emotionally exhausting, having to fake being interested in strangers, and 2) Alcohol poisoning was a real problem, since the club wanted them to guzzle if the client wasn't drinking enough (since they get most of their money from clients ordering them overpriced drinks). They'd often have to go and vomit after their sessions were over, to get as much of the alcohol out of their bodies as possible.
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