GTO

Did you despise school during your younger years? Naturally, everyone does for various reasons. Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO) stands as one of the manga world's timeless classics. It centers on Eikichi Onizuka, a former motorcycle gang member turned homeroom teacher, essentially making him the most extraordinary educator ever! While academic performance like SAT scores might not skyrocket under his tutelage, this manga reveals that education encompasses much more than mere studying.

Great Teacher Onizuka offers a side-splitting comedy that’s hard to resist. However, what truly captures readers are the poignant narratives of each student, delving into the myriad social issues faced by young people in educational settings. Through these stories, the manga explores deeper aspects of school life beyond textbooks and exams.

Why GTO is so special to me.
GTO is probably the most impactful manga I have read because of its relatability. Another reason might be that I had a teacher similar to Onizuka when I was young. I was always one of those troublemakers who didn't study, and he was the English Teacher. Getting too personal here, but it's important to know the background. GTO wasn't recommended to me by anyone. I just saw something called 'Great Teacher Onizuka' on Netflix, and it was my third anime after Death Note and Neon Genesis Evangelion. This was the anime that got me into anime as a whole because I didn’t quite understand Evangelion on first watch. I loved the anime and its humor was excellent. However, the ending didn't sit right with me. It felt... incomplete. Like something was missing. I was correct. When I started reading the manga, I found that many events were left out and several scenes were censored. And Onizuka’s true personality shone even brighter. Join me as I talk about my No. 1 Manga.

The Best of 'Slice of Life': The Slice of Life genre in literature and media is often misunderstood. People usually think it is boring, forgetting that Satyajit Ray, Leo Tolstoy, Ritwick Ghatak, and most Ghibli films are famous for this genre. If someone asked me about my favorite Slice of Life media, it would be GTO. It deals with various types of people, their struggles, and their psyches, all revolving around the protagonist, Onizuka Eikichi. There are multiple students, and the adventures primarily occur between him and these students. The story doesn’t contain any dark or gruesome scenes and many plot twists because it doesn’t need them. It isn’t going to do what it doesn’t need. The author knows what the audience and, most importantly, himself wants from this. GTO’s purpose is to uplift you. It will never bring you down. In your darkest times, Onizuka’s adventures with his students will put a smile on your face. It is a classic example of thought-provoking yet entertaining and light Shounen manga, which is rare these days.

Onizuka Eikichi - There is no easy way to say this: Onizuka Eikichi is probably one of the best protagonists in animanga. His philosophy, attitude, and love for his friends and students are some elements that make him cool. Onizuka is the basic definition of how a man should live his life. Without restrictions, with responsibility, with a sense of justice, and never leaving your true self to get something. Onizuka hates one thing—fake people. He despises liars and dislikes people who fake their personalities. But he understands when to be serious and when to be fun. He never lets anyone down if they need his help, be it someone who didn’t respect him before. His philosophy is probably the most unique in all of manga.

Relatability: Without doubt, Onizuka is the most relatable manga protagonist I have encountered. That’s one reason why I love him and his actions so much. The things he does match me in many ways, so I don’t feel lonely in my thoughts. We forget that when we read or watch something, the author’s thoughts are there too. So if you relate to something, if you feel down, perhaps the author feels that too. THAT is what art’s purpose is—to entertain and support the audience. When the audience finishes something, they should feel accomplished. Of course, that is not always the case, but nowadays, people look down on series, books, and movies that aren’t dark. That’s why the recent Lord of the Rings series is said to have a Game of Thrones atmosphere. People forget that not everyone enjoys dark, brutal things. The main reason why GTO is my favorite manga is that it balances deep themes along with comedy perfectly.

Fav characters:
Onizuka Eikichi
Urumi Kanzaki
Kikuchi
Miyabi
Mayu

A friend recommended this to me, and after seeing its score on MAL, I didn't hesitate to give it a try. To my surprise, I found a truly abysmal manga that thrives on making jokes out of sexually harassing or assaulting 14-year-olds.

These acts are often portrayed as jokes, forming a significant portion of the "comedy" within the manga. The rest of the comedy comes from Onizuka making bizarre faces and 14-year-olds acting cartoonishly evil, throwing Molotov cocktails, and getting people raped and sexually assaulted. If this is supposed to be funny or endearing, I am genuinely concerned about the mental capacity of those praising this garbage. The worst part is that these outrageous situations are played off as something normal or funny when they are clearly criminal behavior. The characters cannot be redeemed if their actions are not depicted as wrong.

The art is mediocre at best, with character designs being almost indistinguishable from each other most of the time, except for their hairstyles. It's just barely serviceable, but telling characters apart becomes increasingly painful as the series progresses, making the reading experience horrible.

The plot is nonexistent. A random psycho 14-year-old tries to get Onizuka expelled by doing god knows what, and through very questionable means, Onizuka somehow handles the situation and gains the respect of his students. He saves someone or himself in the process. It's fine the first couple of times, but it gets repetitive when all the side characters are boring as hell. Just as some characters become likeable, they do something unhinged again, reminding you they were just human garbage all along.

Just when you think Onizuka himself is okay, he openly sexually assaults 14-year-old girls or lusts over them like a pedophile. How do people find this garbage human being likeable or inspiring in any way?

The worst part is that if it were funny, I could overlook most of these things and enjoy it for what it is. Unfortunately, it isn't, and even if it were, I wouldn't be able to enjoy it because I'm constantly reminded of the countless sexual assaults and harassments the 14-year-old girls endure in this manga. I respect myself enough not to enjoy this shit.

Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time reading this. If you are going to read it, try not to turn a blind eye to the issues I mentioned. Normalizing these things is terrible for readers and Japanese manga in general. People will tell you it's just how Japanese manga culture is, but that doesn't justify the overt showcase of unhinged sexual behavior and its normalization. Just because these things are part of Japanese manga/anime culture doesn't mean they shouldn't be criticized. Some ecchi content and fanservice can add charm, but there's a line where it becomes too much and harmful.

GTO is an excellent manga, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. To give you some context, I'm a 22-year-old male college student who grew up in the United States. I've been reading manga and watching anime on and off since I was eight years old.

What made GTO such an enjoyable read for me was how incredibly funny it is. I'd rank it alongside series like One-Punch Man, Mob Psycho 100, and Gintama in terms of humor (although their styles are quite different... I'm just comparing how much they made me laugh). The humor definitely reflects the time when this manga was written and wouldn't be considered very politically correct by today's standards if that matters to you.

The story is fun and lighthearted, drawing you in effortlessly. As you progress, it becomes more serious and dramatic as it delves into emotional interpersonal connections. My only issue with the manga was that it became somewhat repetitive and absurd after a while. There were moments where I found myself rolling my eyes and thinking, "Not this crap again" at certain plot points. This made it challenging to empathize with the characters, and I started skimming through to find the funny parts.

Despite these shortcomings, I had a very positive experience reading this manga and finished it in just a few days. It's an inspirational and uplifting story that will have you laughing out loud.

A timeless masterpiece. GTO stands as one of my absolute favorite manga series ever. It's a brilliantly crafted high school comedy that somehow blends lighthearted absurdity with serious contemporary social issues into a whirlwind of high-speed action-packed madness. This leaves readers pondering existential questions about themselves and society, all while planting seeds of hope for the future. There's no holding back in GTO, evident from its bold topics ranging from social bullying to the sexual proclivities of older men. Yet somehow, it manages to pull everything together, delivering a meaningful message amidst the chaos. The artwork is stunning, even considering the age of this manga, and it still holds up against newer releases today.

What truly sets GTO apart isn't its plot or artwork though; it's the characters. You wouldn't typically expect such depth in a comedy genre, but the audacious author pulls it off brilliantly. From genius prodigies with sky-high IQs to teenage prom queens, each character is brought to life with meticulous detail. Their stories are carefully unraveled, revealing the motivations and reasons behind their actions. It's easy to get completely immersed in the world of GTO, forgetting that these are just drawings on paper rather than real-life narratives. The characters feel so vivid and authentic that you find yourself invested in their journeys as if they were actual people.

I just finished the manga yesterday, and I settled on an 8 as the score. However, I'm still wavering between a 7 and an 8.

Regardless, it's a lot of fun.

The humor is frequently twisted, sometimes crossing into questionable territory like pedophilia. I don't have much more to say about it, so that sums it up. You can form your own opinion from the first chapter, even just the initial pages.

Otherwise, the humor (mostly from the main character) is a sort of innocent, free-spirited teasing that's crucial to the characters. The series heavily relies on what it establishes in terms of character relationships through humor, in my opinion.

The main character is Onizuka, a goofy pervert with big dreams who acts irresponsibly most of the time. The author has their fun by making the MC semi-immortal, which didn't take away from the enjoyment for me.

The story revolves around personal growth, what it means to be a "person," and what "school" signifies. I enjoyed it. It emphasizes the philosophy of accepting negative emotions and principles of solidarity.

I'm getting tired of thinking, so I'll list some numbers below.

Characters: 8/10 - very fun and lovable
Story: 7/10 - just living life
Art: 7.5/10 - really decent. No complaints here.

Overall: 7.5/10 but leaning towards 8 just because it gave me a warm feeling. And that's what I came to this manga for.

Great Teacher Onizuka is one of the best manga out there. Why? Because it's very straightforward and relatable to many people's lives. (Spoilers might be included) GTO doesn't follow a linear storyline; instead, it dives into various life stories that are woven throughout the manga. These include tales of betrayal, hurt, distrust, and much more. What makes this manga brilliant is how it changes people's perspectives on life. For instance, Urumi distrusts teachers because she has been betrayed before. But after meeting Onizuka and experiencing his unique "lessons," she starts trusting teachers again and returns to school. Another example is Fuyutsuki, who initially seems like a textbook-reading teacher but struggles with classroom control. Onizuka, with just a couple of sentences, helps her understand how to better connect with her students. While the manga itself is fictional, the situations depicted—rape, betrayal, bullying—are real issues that have driven some people to despair or suicide. This realism allows readers to relate deeply to the characters' experiences. The art style in GTO is decent, though some parts can be somewhat scattered or blurry. Overall, it’s serviceable. The character designs are unique yet still fit within typical manga aesthetics. I particularly enjoy their facial expressions, which add a lot of personality to each scene. What makes GTO such an epic manga is its diverse cast of characters, each with distinct emotions, stories, and personalities. The transformation of characters from those who want to die to those who embrace life is what elevates this work to masterpiece status. GTO teaches us valuable lessons about living, facing pain, and navigating life's challenges. Take Ai Tokiwa for example: invited casually to her boyfriend's house, she is raped by five men. Naturally, she becomes distrustful of all men and acts out violently. However, Onizuka helps her see beyond her trauma and change her outlook. Such scenarios happen in real life, and GTO shows us how to overcome them, how to leave the past behind, and why judging others is harmful. The moral lessons conveyed through these stories are masterfully executed. Initially, I read GTO casually, but as the story grew more intriguing, I found myself reading it more frequently. It isn’t a strictly serious manga; rather, it blends serious themes with comedic elements. GTO isn’t merely comedy interspersed with serious moments—it’s a balanced mix. Often, we see Onizuka goofing around at school, peeking at girls’ panties, and engaging in other antics, but these actions also serve to convey deeper messages about living life to the fullest. As Onizuka says, “If you always worry about the past, it’s your loss because you won’t be able to enjoy the present.” Quotes like these resonate deeply. Another memorable one: “Give a kid a smoke, he'll be happy for a day. Teach a kid to smoke, he'll be happy for the rest of his shortened lifetime.” GTO effectively blends reality with fiction. Overall, Great Teacher Onizuka is one of the best—if not the best—manga I’ve ever read.

Great Teacher Onizuka is an ambiguous manga. It's comical, yet it also imparts important life values. The story is exaggerated, but it effectively illustrates Japanese society and its issues. Initially, many characters are Onizuka's enemies (the skirmishes between Onizuka and Hiroshi Uchiyamada are truly fantastic). Onizuka's adversaries try to suppress him and despise his attitude, but he always persists on his own path. Onizuka is one of the best manga characters. He’s the teacher everyone wishes they had. His silly expressions are great, and his personality is both humorous and mature at the same time. The artwork is good, except for the faces which all look similar. It's an engaging manga, recommended for everyone.