GTO Episode 9

Tomoko's Independence

Tomoko is scouted for an idol talent school! Unfortunately, it's overseas, which means she has to choose between dropping out of school or abandoning her dreams. Naturally, Onizuka would pull all stops in ensuring Tomoko not suffer the regret of giving up her dream, even if it means he has to enforce some tough love on her.

This was a surprisingly endearing episode for me. I'll be honest - Tomoko just isn't that interesting as a character for me, nor is her dream. But the writers here manage to keep me engaged nonetheless with some very heartwarming moments at the end showing the bonds of friendship Tomoko shares with her classmates, especially Miyabi. And to see this once air-headed girl mature into an independent woman confident in herself is inspiring. There are many storylines in both anime and J-drama where becoming an idol is either treated as comedic content or just superfluous in nature, so it's nice to see the issue here being taken seriously, and questions about whether if a student should abandon her duties are being asked.

In fact, that's why I enjoyed the down-to-earth conversation between Miyabi and Tomoko, where the former warns her about the consequences of becoming an idol. I particularly liked what she said about idols becoming successful only because they were trained from a young age instead of starting from older age like Tomoko. For a drama show, GTO has many moments with very grounded and practical moments like this that caught me by surprise.

Also in the spotlight is Azusa. As she help Tomoko reach a decision, she too struggle with her own ambition of being an air stewardess - with a little push from Onizuka's wise words about having more confidence and not waiting for a miracle to arrive. This was quite a significant episode for her as well as she takes yet another step in growth as a character.

As we near the conclusion of the series, you can see the story becoming heavier and more emotional. I feel like the last few episodes are really going to have some serious stakes that would make it difficult to take my eyes off the screen. Here's hoping. :)

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