GTO

Director
Nobuyuki Abe
Production
Fuji TV, Sony, Studio Pierrot
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
43 episodes
Year
1999

GTO

By KRis
5th Sep 04

GTO, (short for Great Teacher Onizuka), is not anything less than what people say it is. It really is that great. Just take a look at any other review, and it'll tell you that. For the other people that need a little more than to be told it's good, I hope this review helps you out.

Onizuka Eikichi, age 22 years old, former motorcycle gang leader, wants to become a teacher. When he was in school, teachers were pricks and he didn't have much fun. Onizuka wants to make school fun (and maybe pick up a few school girls along the way). So we get to see Onizuka's struggles of being a teacher. Onizuka gets assigned to teach one of the worst classes ever. A class so bad that the previous teachers have had mental breakdowns after a few months! Will Onizuka succeed where others have so badly failed? As far as story goes, GTO isn't very much. But what makes this series good is Onizuka and how he deals with everything. Although almost all of the situations are a little far fetched, (especially for a bunch of 14 year olds), GTO pulls you right into it. The characters are well developed; I always say this is one of the most important factors on making a show/movie great. About half way through, GTO gets a little repetitive, but don't worry, it starts to pick up again soon after.

Even after the reason is revealed, I still don't understand why the students hate their teachers so much. It feels as though the creators just made up a quick reason so that they could get on with the series. It doesn't really matter I guess, just bugs me a little bit. After viewing the series, it's amazing at how many things have ripped off the whole concept of "GTO". Some of you might be familiar with the MegaTokyo webcomic, the Largo character is an example. It so happens that GTO was so popular in Japan that they made a Live Action movie and series. I haven't seen either of these, but it would probably be worth checking out if you liked the anime. If any of you are Evangelion fans, Shinji and Asuka make a cameo in the later episodes, (see if you can find them).

Great art, Onizuka's facial expressions are pretty funny. Amazing music/themes! It's been over a year since I've found such a great collection of opening and ending themes. The ending wasn't all that great, could have been done up more, but I liked it. 43 episodes too long for you? I wouldn't worry about it, I haven't watched a series this fast in years, if not ever. How does the anime compare to the manga? I have no clue. We'll just have to wait for someone to review it, won't we? (Hint Hint)

-- KRis 5th Sep 04

GTO Images