Afro Samurai of "IGN" listed Haruhi among his 25 "greatest anime characters." Stating that while the reverse harem genre of anime had been "done to death" by the time the "Ouran High School Host Club" anime was released, Haruhi's character went against the established tropes of the genre. Described as "super tomboyish, demure, and not at all moe," Haruhi is considered a good contrast to the eccentric cast of rich boys. In an anime review, "IGN"s D.F. Smith praised both Caitlin Glass and Maaya Sakamoto for their performance as Haruhi in their respective languages, reporting that it is a "tricky role". Sakamoto was nominated for a Seiyu Award in 2007 for her portrayal of Haruhi.