Shonan Junai Gumi!

First off, I want to say that this is a fantastic manga and it's absolutely worth every moment spent reading it.

Shonan Junai Gumi revolves around two guys, Ryuuji Danma and Eikichi Onizuka, known as the Oni-Baku duo. They have a reputation for being the toughest fighters around. While they can definitely fight, their luck with girls is not as good, which is where the story begins. The duo moves to a new school in hopes of finally getting some girlfriends, but instead, they find themselves caught up in drama, action, romance, and most importantly, comedy.

The initial plot is somewhat original yet also a bit cliché. You might think it's just an average show, but what sets Shonan Junai Gumi apart is its lack of a single continuous storyline. Instead, it's a series of various situations that the Oni-Baku duo finds themselves in. This could seem repetitive and boring, right?

Not at all. This manga has the unique ability to make each problem and situation as interesting as the last. This is due to the flexibility of the storyline. It’s not constrained by a singular goal for the characters; instead, these hot-headed high school students don't have an overarching objective. This allows the storyline to go in many different directions without becoming repetitive or boring.

Interestingly, character development plays a huge role and forms the backbone of the storyline. That brings me to my next point: the characters. Like most shounen manga, Shonan Junai Gumi features numerous characters. With every situation the Oni-Baku duo encounters, new characters emerge, and those individuals or their problems become the focus of the duo's beatdowns. After the issue is resolved by the duo's "maincharacteritis," the characters undergo dramatic changes.

We've established that the storyline ties together all the elements that make a story great, and the characters are very dynamic. All of that sounds good, but what truly elevates this manga to greatness is the comedy. Shonan Junai Gumi is one of the funniest manga I’ve ever read, showcasing slapstick comedy at its finest.

So, if you're a fan of shounen, comedy, or love GTO, I highly recommend you give this manga a read.

What can I say? This is the best manga I've ever read in my life. I devoured all 267 chapters in just ten days. Where do I even begin?
Well, if you've watched the anime, you already know how lovable Eikichi is, but discovering his past... his true power as a man, a biker, and a gang leader is simply outstanding.
The character development in this manga is a solid 10/10. Every gang or gang leader who gets beaten by the Oni Baku duo ends up becoming either a good ally or at least a good friend.
This manga has it all: Comedy, Romance, Fights, FEELINGS, and life lessons.
You should also read "Bad Company" and watch the five OVAs of Shonan Junai Gumi. It's worth every second you spend on it.
I would gladly read this again forty times—it's pure gold.
Honestly, I can't say more. You just have to read this.

So only two people have reviewed this masterpiece of manga? In my opinion, this manga should be much more well-known among fans. Before I start, please note that English is not my native language, so there may be some mistakes; I apologize in advance.

Shounan Junai or Oni-Baku might not appeal to everyone, but for those who want a mix of enjoyment and emotional depth while reading, this manga is an excellent choice. The story has a solid plot and follows a clear line without any cliffhangers. It covers themes like true friendship, gangs, love, and more. There are also some great life lessons woven into the narrative!

I initially started by watching the anime, GTO, and I was sad when it ended because there was no second season. I didn't even know there was a manga until I discovered it later, and I'm glad I did. Onizuka's adventures continue in the manga.

Therefore, I can genuinely recommend this manga to everyone. It’s a fantastic read with plenty of heart and action.

How come people go all out when it comes to GTO but don't take the time to read this masterpiece of a manga? Honestly, I don't even enjoy manga that much, but this one was worth every second I spent reading it.

This will be a fairly brief review because I usually only review things I dislike, so I'm not sure what to say when there's nothing to complain about.

The plot, as you might expect, revolves around Onizuka's and Ryuuji's backstory – the lovable delinquent legends no one would dare mess with. They're feared by enemies, admired by their peers, and were "kicked out of school" for their brutal deeds. Or at least that's what they claim in a letter they left behind, while the truth is that these two just wanted to polish their image to finally get some attention in a new school.

These two form the best duo I've seen in any manga. You probably already adore Onizuka, and here you'll learn to love Ryuuji just as much. Their friendship is touching (in a completely manly way, of course) and hilarious, and you watch them grow into young adults...who basically stay the same idiots until the very end! (though Ryuuji does mature a little in GTO).

So, if you can either overlook or even appreciate the old art style (which I do!), you will absolutely fall in love with the action-packed comedic genius of Shonan Junai Gumi!

(SPOILER FREE)

STORY 10/10

I never thought I'd find such an incredible story in a delinquent manga. It feels almost foolish that I watched Great Teacher Onizuka before reading this masterpiece. This series beautifully portrays the entire history of Oni Baku. The narrative flows so naturally from start to finish, and the constant fighting sequences are thrilling, hilarious, and brilliantly executed. There's also a surprising amount of romance that had me laughing out loud. Many manga suffer from unsatisfying endings, but Shonan’s conclusion felt just right – not entirely wrapped up, which is perfect since it leads into its sequel.

ART 10/10

Holy cow! The artwork is stunning with cool bikes everywhere. The art style is superb and distinctly old-school, yet it has aged gracefully for a 90s manga. You can truly immerse yourself in the yankii, sukeban, and bosozoku culture. The artist excels at both goofy, humorous drawings and detailed fight scenes, while also paying attention to scenery and character designs, especially the ladies.

CHARACTERS 10/10

The dynamic between Oni and Baku fits seamlessly into the storyline. I appreciated how the author gave side characters their moments to shine rather than relegating them to one-time appearances. By exploring the personal lives of these secondary characters, the story becomes even more realistic and relatable. It’s rare to see such depth given to everyone, whether they’re classmates or villains, and it helped me understand them better.

OVERALL 10/10

If you've read this far, you really need to dive into this series. What are you waiting for? If you binge it all in a week, don't worry – there are plenty of other delinquent manga out there to keep you entertained.

This is my first review of any manga. I initially wanted to write about the original GTO series, but it's impossible for me to put into words how much I love that manga and how much it taught me, shaping who I am today. So instead, I'll try reviewing Shonan Junai Gumi!

It's an excellent manga. I spent about half a year reading it. There were many good arcs, like "Return Of Midnight Angels," which was one of the best. These arcs reveal the reckless lives of Onibaku, their friendship, and their delinquent ways. The manga beautifully depicts the pure and true friendship between Ryuji and Eikichi. It's interesting to note that chapter 53 of Junai Gumi has parallels with chapter 43 of GTO (with the roles reversed).

The plot is solid, though there were some dull parts. However, Fujisawa knows exactly when and where to add epic scenes to keep you excited.

The humor is top-notch, no doubt. I was laughing uncontrollably from the early chapters. Around chapter 200, Fujisawa started adding classic Onizuka faces (which are also hilarious). The arc where Ryuji's dick gets stuck in the wall is one of the funniest things I've ever read.

I found myself liking Ryuji more because, in the original GTO, he's kind of a side character (which I don't appreciate). But in Junai Gumi, he's as central as Eikichi. Now, whenever I see him in other series, I can't help but smile.

I also liked Abe's character; he was unique. It's unfortunate that Fujisawa didn't develop him further in the manga. It's also sad that characters like Shinomi, Tsukai, Katsuyuki, Makoto, Kamata, Nakojo, and others didn't appear in the original GTO. It would be great if, say, Kamata came from the US to help Onizuka with money or something. I also hope Shinomi takes Eikichi's virginity in the future since there was some chemistry between them in the last chapters.

In conclusion, I recommend everyone to read this manga. I think I'll reread it someday, but I want to read it in print because reading it online sucks (the image quality is terrible). So I need to buy all the tankobons.

When I first glanced at the cover of this manga, I assumed it would be boring and trashy, focusing solely on characters losing their virginity. However, after reading it, my ideal and mindset about life transformed. This manga became a pivotal part of my life, one that changed me and contributed to my personal growth forever. The characters resonated with me deeply, making me feel as if I were living within the story, riding, fighting, and enjoying life alongside them. Needless to say, this is one of my top 10 mangas. The reason I won't give it a perfect score is that after the Midnight Angel arc, the plot accelerated too quickly for me to keep up. Characters who appeared in previous arcs, particularly those from the Onibaku group, seemed forgotten or written off entirely. This detracted from the overall experience, leaving me slightly disappointed despite the profound impact the manga had on me.

This review comes from someone with no prior experience of GTO, either through reading or watching. There’s no pre-existing bias towards the characters or the mangaka. Many might not have heard of this prequel despite the success of its successor, and there's a compelling reason for that.

Reading "Shonan Junai Gumi" (SJG), you encounter a charismatic duo, well-executed dynamic fight scenes, occasional hilarious comedy, and some brilliant moments. However, these positives are overshadowed by numerous abhorrent flaws within the story. Apart from the action sequences, all the positive elements I mentioned are completely negated by the same narrative. It's no exaggeration to say that while this series had some enthralling peak points, it also featured several of the worst storyline and plot developments I've encountered in fiction.

Let's start with my biggest issue: the handling and overuse of rape. Rape is often used in stories to evoke shock or a strong emotional response. The way it's handled in this manga is extremely lazy. Half the story arcs follow the same formula: a girl is introduced, used as a narrative object to vilify the enemy through being raped or abused, then discarded after Onizuka deals with said villain. This repetitiveness was excruciatingly boring, but given that it's a battle shounen, I didn't expect much different. However, following the basic structure of an average battle shounen brought about glaring issues. In many shounen series, protagonists forgive and befriend their enemies later. Despite some antagonists raping or abusing friends of Onizuka, SJG follows this pattern too. Early highs of Onizuka confronting these thugs are ruined when he suddenly becomes friends with them without context.

Minor SPOILERS Ahead!

For a series driven by its protagonist, events that make you dislike Onizuka only add to the frustration. Sadly, this gets worse. There are constant flimsy affirmations of Onizuka being principled and idealistic, albeit an angry/horny teenager. For instance, he believes if a guy gets a girl pregnant, they should support her. Yet, his actions contrast entirely with his principles. One example: a guy sold his girlfriend off to be gangbanged by thugs as payment for beating up Onizuka. After dealing with those thugs, everything was forgiven, even by the girlfriend who forgave him after a few panels of tears. Onizuka thought it was good for her to stay with the guy. While not unrealistic, it remains unsatisfying.

Later, another girl is raped by a gang leader and forced to be his girlfriend. As punishment for leaving, he has 30 men gangrape her. Onizuka saves her at the last minute. The man is completely forgiven by the girl and befriends Onizuka, despite what he did to one of Onizuka's closest friends. By then, it was nearly impossible to empathize with Onizuka. But that wasn't the worst. The moment that ended any attachment I had to Onizuka came very late on when, despite everything he preached, he breaks into his friend's house and tries to rape her while she's sleeping. She luckily woke up and kicked him away. What happened next? She forgave him after screaming and hitting him a couple of times. Former readers of GTO likely tried to laugh this scene off. But why Fujisawa thought it would be funny for the protagonist to lose control and commit such a vile act is beyond me.

You could argue about how women are only narrative objects for men, degraded and stripped of dignity. Or criticize sexual violence leading to characters being stripped before viewers. I won't do either. Targeted at pent-up teenage boys, it's understandable why women are portrayed this way. Though uncomfortable, if Fujisawa wants to set up his manga like this, I wouldn’t begrudge him. Violence, sex, edginess, and cool one-liners sell.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend SJG to anyone. If you enjoyed GTO and can overlook sketchy moments, you might enjoy seeing a younger Onizuka. Towards the end, there are better arcs you'd likely love. One even has no rape scenes! If only that hadn't been an anomaly, perhaps this manga could have gone somewhere.