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Great Teacher Onizuka
Tooru Fujisawa
So you like to read manga about many weird and
different things? Well, maybe you do not. If you do, however, GTO (GREAT TEACHER ONIZUKA) is an amusing if
curious story to read. In many ways GTO is probably
rather indicative of many manga currently being written. It deals with a
male protagonist who leads a rather blessed life in his pursuit of
happiness. Along the way he helps many people around him and makes the
world generally a better place. This is despite appearing to be quite the
irreverent punk that his character is based on.
 So
what makes this story enjoyable? GTO is a story
revolving around Onizuka Eikichi. He is a 22 year-old lay-about that has
not discovered his course in life. His favorite word is "great."
Apparently, he has been hanging out Tokyo for six years trying to find
some way to fulfill his dreams. Up until the story begins he has been
running various part-time jobs, hanging out with gangs and a karate club
for whom he is some sort of star.
Onizuka
relates to his buddy why they came to Tokyo in the first place. Onizuka, a
random punk, had wanted to become a "great" guy. Onizuka realizes that he
will never realize his dream if he does not go for a change of career.
While engaged in one of his favorite preoccupations, staring up the skirts
of girls going up the escalator as he tries to appear nonchalant, Onizuka
meets the person who will give him his direction. A young girl stops by
and accuses him of staring up her skirt.
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She is not put off by Onizuka's act and says that
she actually does not mind. That is why she wears such skirts, after all.
However, in exchange for what he saw, she would like to be paid with a
meal. After feasting well at Onizuka's expense she begins to ask him what
he does for a living. Onizuka gives nondescript answers which she manages
to fill in for him, such as being a producer for a TV drama, driving a
Porsche, etc. Erika, as we find out she is named, states that she would be
jealous of Onizuka's girlfriend. Onizuka, totally overcome by his
situation, tries to play along as best as he can, getting himself buried
deeper and deeper. The meal ends with Erika getting Onizuka's pager number
and saying that, the next time they meet, she wants to go for a drive in
his Porsche. Onizuka is left saying himself "What Porsche!?"
Later,
at another karate club meeting, when the boys have managed to bring in
some girls, Onizuka finds enough reason to leave as soon as possible.
While wandering the streets wondering about the story he wove, he gets a
page from Erika saying that she wishes to meet him. Onizuka resolves to
tell her the truth; that he is no producer nor does he drive a Porsche.
However, he finds Erika crying and Onizuka loses all resolve in the face
of her sadness. He immediately spots a young well to-do man driving a BMW,
talking on his cell phone. Onizuka immediately offers the guy his Air-Max
sneakers for his BMW, giving the driver little choice. (You will have to
read the manga to see how he got the pair of Air-Max in the first place.)
He drives suavely by Erika, offering her a ride. In the background the
poor driver is left there, staring with his cell phone by his ear and
Onizuka's Air-Max on his feet. Erika is surprised that he is driving a BMW
instead of a Porsche. Onizuka covers that he actually has two cars.
Erika
enthuses about how Onizuka is amazing in so many ways, and in his mind he
fills in just what those ways are not. After a period of time, Erika
finally says that she had a fight with her boyfriend. She continues to
vilify him, saying that she wishes her boyfriend were more like Onizuka.
Onizuka tries to nonchalantly ask her if she wants to go to this karaoke
place that he knows.
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So,
Onizuka takes Erika to a love hotel where she sings for a while. Onizuka
asks Erika if she knows what this place is. She says that she knows it is
a love hotel. Onizuka prods a little deeper asking if it is all right for
her to be here. Her boyfriend may get angry. She continues saying it is
all right. Erika, while following a song on the karaoke box, asks Onizuka
if he would be her boyfriend. Right as the moment gets intense, though,
Erika's pager goes off. It simply says 'soto de matteru' ("I am waiting
outside.") Erika throws open the window and outside, in the rain, is
waiting this middle aged, balding man. Onizuka thinks that this is Erika's
father. However, Erika leaps out of the 2nd story window into her
teacher's arms screaming 'Sensei!' Her boyfriend is her teacher! Onizuka
is in shock, watching the two lovers reunited.
Talking
to his friend, Ryuuji, Onizuka says that he has found his career. He will
become a great teacher!
With
such a start you may suspect that Onizuka would not exactly make the best
teacher, but in truth Onizuka's heart is gold. The story basically deals
with how he uses his experience in the world to get along best with his
coworkers and students. It is a story filled with humor, some tension, a
good bit of fan service, and perhaps a touch too much misogyny.
The
art is extremely well defined. It goes from clean with very nice lines and
good use of shading to satirical with an extremely raw edge. The
backgrounds are well integrated into the frames, giving the story a good
bit of realism. A number of setting frames, however, lack backgrounds
entirely, giving the characters in them far more impact.
While
perhaps not a seminal work, it is a rather engaging story. It does not
pace itself too fast; the tension tends to resolve itself well, so that
readers can continue to enjoy the story without being in constant angst.
It has a decent amount of action and, although you are sure the outcome
will always be for the best, how things get there can be very, very
surprising.
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