AnimeSuki Forums

lensman · 2004-06-29, 08:23

Well, I went through 15 pages in the forum without finding a GTO thread, which means that either it was discussed a loooooong time ago, or that it wasn't discussed, period.

I read the manga and I was literally blown away. From the first page where we get to see the protagonists resume, to the awesome climactic end, this title is gripping, exciting, and at times laugh-out-loud funny!

What I especially liked was that it doesn't pull any punches. It shows society (at least Japanese Society) the way it is. The youths and the adults are all facing very real problems. What I liked even more was Onizuka's approach to solving those problems.

Speaking of Onizuka, I have to say that he is one of the best male characters out there, a street-smart lech with an attitude, impressive martial arts skills and a really big heart. His personality itself is a really necessary shock to system and it ends up improving many of his students lives.

Not that the rest of the cast are not worth mentioning. From the Bullied Yushikawara, to the ultra-conservative and overconscious principal Uchiyamada, to Miyubi, the school b*tch, all of the people in GTO are real, or at least, they feel real. Even the extreme cases, perverted teachers that peep in bathrooms, manically obsessed individuals and stalkers are realistically portraied.

The art of the manga is exceptional as well, even though definitely not manga-like in the traditional sense. The characters very often have small eyes, and there are lots of ehmm... unnessecary details. In fact detail is what characterises the artwork through out.

Anyone else picking up this great title?

snoopy · 2004-06-29, 10:13

I thought the ending of the manga was rather bland. I'm a major fan of everything before volume 15, though. And Shonan Jun'ai Gumi is a great delinquent manga... that reminds me, I still need to finish reading that... gotta find the CD...

Spoiler for manga ending:

Kyuven · 2004-06-29, 10:14

it's "Yoshikawa" and "Miyabi" actually

Yes, Onizuka is awesomeness incarnate, Urumi is one of my favorites

Arwyn · 2004-06-29, 10:35

GTO is one of my all time favorites. Some of the completely off the wall stuff he pulls is just a riot.

While some of the stuff is certainly not anything even close to politically correct, I tend to recommend this manga to most folks who ask me for a good series to read. Anything that can make me laugh so hard so often deserves a good read.

StormD · 2004-06-29, 12:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by lensman

What I especially liked was that it doesn't pull any punches. It shows society (at least Japanese Society) the way it is.

snoopy · 2004-06-29, 13:05

Oh wow, I didn't even see that... I feel so silly. Allow me to comment on that one as well.

Dontcha just hate it when the Yakuza kidnap you and you have to be saved by your genius ex-biker teacher who then goes and makes a perfect score on the hardest national test in the nation with 2 bullet wounds in his gut? It's happened to me like twice, and it just ruined my day both times. I think I'll go and enjoy a whore with my corrupt police officer friend who wants to sell evidence locker crack with me then talk in french to the genius girl who hates the world because her father was used for scientific experimentation.

GTO's about as realistic as SaiKano. Ie, completely not realistic.

Baba · 2004-06-29, 13:59

I'm also a major GTO fzn, and I realy like this serie although it does slightly go down in quality toward the end. Still, it's one of my favorit titles and has some realy amazing parts.
And I'd tend to agree with lensman on the point that GTO does show japanese society pretty well with it's short commings and all. Of course there are some exageration and stuff, but it doesn't take a genius to take apart truth from exageration to get the overall picture. All in all, GTO taugh me more about current japanese culture than any other book/article/manga I have ever read. (and before I get stupid comments, I lived there for 3 month within a japanese family, so I do have first hand experience to compare this info to)

Kyuven · 2004-06-29, 17:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by snoopy

Oh wow, I didn't even see that... I feel so silly. Allow me to comment on that one as well.

Dontcha just hate it when the Yakuza kidnap you and you have to be saved by your genius ex-biker teacher who then goes and makes a perfect score on the hardest national test in the nation with 2 bullet wounds in his gut? It's happened to me like twice, and it just ruined my day both times. I think I'll go and enjoy a whore with my corrupt police officer friend who wants to sell evidence locker crack with me then talk in french to the genius girl who hates the world because her father was used for scientific experimentation.

GTO's about as realistic as SaiKano. Ie, completely not realistic.

that situation is one of the exaggerations
certain characters are very realistic, especially Uchiyamada and his family, Ryuji, Fujiyoshi, Miyabi, Anko, and Noboru (it's rare to see the kind of relationship that Anko and Noboru have pre-Okinawa (i.e., before the Okinawa trip) since not many people like to talk about it, but the fact is there ARE girls who terrorize boys and get away with it)
what makes GTO unrealistic is that it takes characters with a lot of problems and puts them into situations that could never happen in real life.
But, a lot of people don't pay attention to things that are "normal", what series like GTO suffer from towards the end is the idea begins to get old, and you run out of characters to develop. Plus, series like GTO, at least from my perspective, should not have a definite ending, otherwise it ruins the feel of the whole shebang

babbito2k · 2004-06-29, 18:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyuven

...series like GTO, at least from my perspective, should not have a definite ending, otherwise it ruins the feel of the whole shebang

That seems kinda cruel, the big quest is for onizuka to get rid of his virginity innit... can't really see the poor guy going around like that forever and ever...

As far as the thing going on too long, that's the fate of any super-popular manga. Then again, American comics run even longer, and often pay even less attention to the passing of time.

Kyuven · 2004-06-29, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by babbito2k

That seems kinda cruel, the big quest is for onizuka to get rid of his virginity innit... can't really see the poor guy going around like that forever and ever...

As far as the thing going on too long, that's the fate of any super-popular manga. Then again, American comics run even longer, and often pay even less attention to the passing of time.

the big quest is for him to become a great teacher
after winning over one of the biggest class of teacher haters, TWO disgruntled administrators, and even aiding in making an idol out of the slowest girl in his class, i think he's accomplished that.
The only characters GTO never fully develops are Mayu and Ageha, even though it's hinted at about 3 times throughout the series
well, if you want a real ending just imagine the stuff in the last two episodes of the anime happening after vol. 25, even though there would be about a dozen inconsistancies...

Yebyosh · 2004-06-29, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyuven

the big quest is for him to become a great teacher

Uh no... the manga's quest is for him to become a great teacher. His own personal quest is to get a loli to blow and get him off everyday. The great teacher quest was for him only a diversion to get his mind off his frustrations on his inability to fulfill his lifequest.

And that is no joke.

Spyre · 2004-06-30, 00:12

How many volumes are there total?

Kyuven · 2004-06-30, 00:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyre

How many volumes are there total?

25 total volumes, not including the two prequels

ClancyDamon · 2004-06-30, 04:33

This is definately my most favorite manga ever. Insane, overblown, ridiculous, exagerrated nonsense, blending seemlessly with perfect sensible, relatable, understandable, rational drama. ...or something like that. Really, I've gotten more info on life thanks to the philosophical undertones of this series than I have from almost anything else I've ever read. As my friends and I say, GTO is a Psychotically Perverted Noodle Soup for the Soul. Remember the "I'd just squeeze their Tits" lecture to Azusa in Okinawa? Enough said.

lensman · 2004-06-30, 05:24

GTO is as realistic as SaiKano?

Sure there are some REALLY extreme situations in GTO, but unlike SaiKano, there is a major difference... Great Teacher Onizuka FEELS real. You get the feeling that Onizuka is a real guy, that the guys and girls around him are real people and that it could actually happen to you.

OK, so not all of us have a corrupt cop friend, or a black belt in karate, or connections to the yakuza, but that is part of the point is GTO: Putting the most unlikely of individuals (Onizuka) in the most unlikely of positions (a Teacher). Onizuka's approach to the problems is unique and funny... but those problems are very real, and, unfortunately, very common.

The manga definitely has a realistic feel to it... You get the feeling that it could happen somewhere, somehow.

Hi_There · 2004-06-30, 10:16

Going beyond the indepth analysis of its realism, meaning etc etc

I just wanted to say it was just so much fun to read. I loved every minute of reading every page.

lensman · 2004-07-06, 00:11

I guess you are right. To ponder on the realism of GTO is to miss the point...

That this is a very well written and hilarious manga.

Token-Blackguy · 2004-07-06, 13:48

Quote:

GTO's about as realistic as SaiKano. Ie, completely not realistic.

well, shit happens. OF course none of this shite ever really does happen, but thats what keeps you inderested innit?

gto is my favorite, possibly on par with naruto, though i find it hard to compare the two on the same level.

Kanzaki rules!

7thMethuselah · 2004-07-07, 14:31

Yup GTO manga is even better than the anime. I recently started reading it and now I find myself running towards the manga store on a daily basis

Basically Onizuka hasn't changed compared to the anime but he does even more crazy stuff, trashes a certain Cressna even more

and is just plain coooooooool

PS On a side note, Saikano is actually very realistic, if you neglect Chise "condition" . She could've been sick instead of being "you know what" . If you see it that way, all that remains is an anime about a couple which isn't certain about their love, and see their world destroyed around them. Saikano is about dealing with the problems young couples find when faced with an unusual situation. Chise's "condition" just strengthens that feeling a thousand times. Oh and the Saikano manga is even more emotional and beautifully drawn

Baka-neko · 2004-07-07, 14:48

Well I'm a BIG fan of GTO, maybe because it was my first anime serie I watched but I still like, have rewatched it many times, bought the anime DVD's and now reading manga.
I have readed from 1-18 and waiting for more... In my country I can't buy all the mangas, they have only from 1-19 here...

(more will come but later and I'm ADDICTED!)

Well it's sad to see that Onizuka is virgin still

And I think the manga has one of the world pervert-minded characters, Sakurai (that english teacher, some people messes him with the chairwoman).

2004-06-29, 08:23	Link #1
lensman Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: I live in Greece. Age: 45	GTO-Great Teacher Onizuka Discussion Well, I went through 15 pages in the forum without finding a GTO thread, which means that either it was discussed a loooooong time ago, or that it wasn't discussed, period. I read the manga and I was literally blown away. From the first page where we get to see the protagonists resume, to the awesome climactic end, this title is gripping, exciting, and at times laugh-out-loud funny! What I especially liked was that it doesn't pull any punches. It shows society (at least Japanese Society) the way it is. The youths and the adults are all facing very real problems. What I liked even more was Onizuka's approach to solving those problems. Speaking of Onizuka, I have to say that he is one of the best male characters out there, a street-smart lech with an attitude, impressive martial arts skills and a really big heart. His personality itself is a really necessary shock to system and it ends up improving many of his students lives. Not that the rest of the cast are not worth mentioning. From the Bullied Yushikawara, to the ultra-conservative and overconscious principal Uchiyamada, to Miyubi, the school b*tch, all of the people in GTO are real, or at least, they feel real. Even the extreme cases, perverted teachers that peep in bathrooms, manically obsessed individuals and stalkers are realistically portraied. The art of the manga is exceptional as well, even though definitely not manga-like in the traditional sense. The characters very often have small eyes, and there are lots of ehmm... unnessecary details. In fact detail is what characterises the artwork through out. Anyone else picking up this great title?

2004-06-29, 10:13	Link #2
snoopy SnoopyCool.com Join Date: Jun 2003 Age: 41	I thought the ending of the manga was rather bland. I'm a major fan of everything before volume 15, though. And Shonan Jun'ai Gumi is a great delinquent manga... that reminds me, I still need to finish reading that... gotta find the CD... Spoiler for manga ending: Anyway, yeah, I was pretty disappointed with the ending. "He can't be dead, you wouldn't kill this guy even if you killed him". I was REALLY hoping for him to die. That would have been my ideal ending. Instead they had the happy end... happy is really really over-rated. I mean, Onizuka deserves an extremely anti-climactic death to counterbalance all of the shit he manages to survive doing.

2004-06-29, 10:14	Link #3
Kyuven Bishoujo Goodness Galore! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Stuck Between Reality and Fantasy	it's "Yoshikawa" and "Miyabi" actually Yes, Onizuka is awesomeness incarnate, Urumi is one of my favorites

2004-06-29, 10:35	Link #4
Arwyn Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: God forsaken middle of nowhere, Texas	GTO is one of my all time favorites. Some of the completely off the wall stuff he pulls is just a riot. While some of the stuff is certainly not anything even close to politically correct, I tend to recommend this manga to most folks who ask me for a good series to read. Anything that can make me laugh so hard so often deserves a good read.

2004-06-29, 13:05	Link #6
snoopy SnoopyCool.com Join Date: Jun 2003 Age: 41	Oh wow, I didn't even see that... I feel so silly. Allow me to comment on that one as well. Dontcha just hate it when the Yakuza kidnap you and you have to be saved by your genius ex-biker teacher who then goes and makes a perfect score on the hardest national test in the nation with 2 bullet wounds in his gut? It's happened to me like twice, and it just ruined my day both times. I think I'll go and enjoy a whore with my corrupt police officer friend who wants to sell evidence locker crack with me then talk in french to the genius girl who hates the world because her father was used for scientific experimentation. GTO's about as realistic as SaiKano. Ie, completely not realistic.

2004-06-29, 13:59	Link #7
Baba Grouky Freak Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Paris, France Age: 44	I'm also a major GTO fzn, and I realy like this serie although it does slightly go down in quality toward the end. Still, it's one of my favorit titles and has some realy amazing parts. And I'd tend to agree with lensman on the point that GTO does show japanese society pretty well with it's short commings and all. Of course there are some exageration and stuff, but it doesn't take a genius to take apart truth from exageration to get the overall picture. All in all, GTO taugh me more about current japanese culture than any other book/article/manga I have ever read. (and before I get stupid comments, I lived there for 3 month within a japanese family, so I do have first hand experience to compare this info to)

2004-06-30, 00:12	Link #12
Spyre "Soon" Join Date: Nov 2003	How many volumes are there total?

2004-06-30, 04:33	Link #14
ClancyDamon クラシーデマン Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: California Age: 37	This is definately my most favorite manga ever. Insane, overblown, ridiculous, exagerrated nonsense, blending seemlessly with perfect sensible, relatable, understandable, rational drama. ...or something like that. Really, I've gotten more info on life thanks to the philosophical undertones of this series than I have from almost anything else I've ever read. As my friends and I say, GTO is a Psychotically Perverted Noodle Soup for the Soul. Remember the "I'd just squeeze their Tits" lecture to Azusa in Okinawa? Enough said.

2004-06-30, 05:24	Link #15
lensman Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: I live in Greece. Age: 45	GTO is as realistic as SaiKano? Sure there are some REALLY extreme situations in GTO, but unlike SaiKano, there is a major difference... Great Teacher Onizuka FEELS real. You get the feeling that Onizuka is a real guy, that the guys and girls around him are real people and that it could actually happen to you. OK, so not all of us have a corrupt cop friend, or a black belt in karate, or connections to the yakuza, but that is part of the point is GTO: Putting the most unlikely of individuals (Onizuka) in the most unlikely of positions (a Teacher). Onizuka's approach to the problems is unique and funny... but those problems are very real, and, unfortunately, very common. The manga definitely has a realistic feel to it... You get the feeling that it could happen somewhere, somehow.

2004-06-30, 10:16	Link #16
Hi_There Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Canada Age: 40	Going beyond the indepth analysis of its realism, meaning etc etc I just wanted to say it was just so much fun to read. I loved every minute of reading every page.

2004-07-06, 00:11	Link #17
lensman Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: I live in Greece. Age: 45	I guess you are right. To ponder on the realism of GTO is to miss the point... That this is a very well written and hilarious manga.

2004-07-07, 14:31	Link #19
7thMethuselah Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Antwerp area, Belgium, Europa Age: 48	Yup GTO manga is even better than the anime. I recently started reading it and now I find myself running towards the manga store on a daily basis Basically Onizuka hasn't changed compared to the anime but he does even more crazy stuff, trashes a certain Cressna even more and is just plain coooooooool PS On a side note, Saikano is actually very realistic, if you neglect Chise "condition" . She could've been sick instead of being "you know what" . If you see it that way, all that remains is an anime about a couple which isn't certain about their love, and see their world destroyed around them. Saikano is about dealing with the problems young couples find when faced with an unusual situation. Chise's "condition" just strengthens that feeling a thousand times. Oh and the Saikano manga is even more emotional and beautifully drawn

2004-07-07, 14:48	Link #20
Baka-neko Nekosuki Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Finland	Well I'm a BIG fan of GTO, maybe because it was my first anime serie I watched but I still like, have rewatched it many times, bought the anime DVD's and now reading manga. I have readed from 1-18 and waiting for more... In my country I can't buy all the mangas, they have only from 1-19 here... (more will come but later and I'm ADDICTED!) Well it's sad to see that Onizuka is virgin still And I think the manga has one of the world pervert-minded characters, Sakurai (that english teacher, some people messes him with the chairwoman).