GTO Episode 1

A Heartwarming Start

It's been a long time since I saw this series. I was 8 years old when this was released in Japan, and perhaps a few years older when it was aired in Singapore. Couldn't remember a lot, but I did remember liking the unconventional ways Onizuka helped his students a lot. Only after rewatching this do I remember how much I liked it.

Episode 1 sees the introduction of biker/pervert Onizuka played by Takashi Sorimachi. In all honesty, looking at him now, he couldn't be more far off in looking like his manga counterpart. Black hair, tanned complexion, and a pretty bishounen face. He's nothing like Onizuka at all. Even as someone who has never read the manga, this does bother me a little bit, as it would've been more interesting to see someone gruff-looking acting as a teacher (which hopefully, the 2014 drama would provide - if I ever get around to watch it).

That being said, this episode is off to a great start. With mild difficulty, Onizuka manages to get hired as a teacher at a private academy. He begins immediately in helping out his students of Class 2-4. While there were two punks from the class that Onizuka had to get rough with using his underworld connections, the main highlight in this episode is a rich girl named Nanako Mizuki. Her parents are never around because they're fixated on making money in their respective businesses, and this has bred a rebellious streak in Nanako. In this pilot in particular, she and two other classmates tried to blackmail Onizuka (to no avail). Nanako later opens up to Onizuka and talks about her family, and how they barely see or talk to each other anymore.

Despite my earlier complaint about the casting, the writing of the episode easily made up for it. You would usually expect a raunchy comedy full of dirty jokes, but what we have here instead is interesting character developments on not only Onizuka, but also the supporting character of Azusa Fuyutsuki, a somewhat unconventional woman herself (by Japanese standards of how a "proper woman" should act anyway). She's a bit on the wild side, has a feisty attitude suppressed inside, and even partakes in Pachinko on her free time. Fitting partner to Onizuka if I've ever seen one.

More than that, the episode is also focused quite heavily on the drama side of things immediately, particularly Nanako's troubles and how Onizuka helps her out. Even when you take into account the two punks from earlier, the show quickly establishes what kind of teacher Onizuka is and how he's helping the students in a tough love, almost fatherly figure kind of way. As a troubled student back in the day who rarely received this kind of aid from any adult, this was quite a refreshing watch.

One thing I was initially bothered by when I first watched this as a kid was how the teachers and staff were so blatantly one-dimensional and so quick to suck up to the parents. As I grew up learning about Japanese ethics, however, I also learned that politeness is an important aspect of the Japanese culture, so much so that sucking up even in the face of bad parents might not be so unimaginable. Of course, the staff here is probably more concerned with the funding of the school than their national ethic. Still, it's an interesting element that the writers might have coincidentally touched on.

So, as someone who has seen clips of the anime filled with gratuitous ecchi, it's nice to see that the drama isn't as focused on that aspect. I won't spoil how he helps out Nanako (nor would I spoil about his aid of other students), but I'll say that it ends up being quite heartwarming, showing a lot of charm and promise for the future of this series.

Oh yeah, and it has a fantastic opening theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utmewphyYwE

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Another school drama that sounds a little different yet very enjoyable

I am back to older Jdramas' phase; this time around I decided to pick GTO, a school drama that I’ve been planning to watch since forever now. The idea behind the drama is nowhere to be new but in that time, I think it was since Gokusen and other school dramas came after this one.

Instead of comparing this drama to Gokusen and other school dramas made in Japan, I rather compare it to “School” made in South Korea, which once again I believe they took the idea from GTO. An ex-gang teacher who comes to discipline the troublemakers in school isn’t something new or special, it will be an episodic pattern where the teacher will have to take care of his students’ problems and make them love him one by one, to that extent *yawns* because I’ve seen these types of stories so many times before but when I watched the first episode of GTO, I became sure that this is not like any other drama I saw before. It’s going to have its own stamp and make me enjoy it especially since I am pretty much into Onizuka’s character. I don’t find him trying too hard or trying to be the perfect stupid cheesy teacher, he has his own values and problems which I appreciate. when his friend Saejima told him to tie Nanako and take her pictures; I found myself laughing! He’s a cop darn it how can a cop tell his friend that :D

On the other hand, there’s Fuyutsuki who has her own values and she hates her job but I am guessing that Onizuka will make her love being a teacher and love him apparently but I rather not see much romantic lines in this kind of drama.

The acting department is pretty well fitting and I am excited to see the next episode!

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