Hard to believe it’s been over 25 years since the original GTO~Great Teacher Onizuka aired back in 1998, and yet it’s hard to deny once you’ve checked out the new GTO-REVIVAL” special that aired a few weeks back and see how much everyone has GROWN and AGED since then!
Not sure what prompted this “reunion” special, but you can’t deny the drama’s impact at the time (it was WILDLY successful and besides specials and the like, also gave us a reboot series to boot), and just looking at the stars in the series whom have returned, had a VERY pedigreed cast as well, some of whom have gone on to HUGE stardom! In anticipation of the 2024 Special, I just HAD to dig up the 1998 show and watch some of it again! Such memories!
Back then, actors Takashi Sorimachi and Nanako Matsushima were both enjoying popularity as “hot” names, and FujiTV did well to showcase them in this new drama about a former delinquent who becomes a teacher at an unruly school, but who knew how many others would soon become household names as well?
Nanako Matsushima
Oguri Shun
Ikeuchi Hiroyuki
Yamazaki Yuta
Kubozuka Yosuke
Fujiki Naohito
Of course, the main draw of the series was the kakkoi Takashi Sorimachi as the tuff “Great Teacher Onizuka” and Nanako Matsushima as the pretty, wide-eyed and innocent Azusa Fuyutsuki. Their chemistry was never in doubt, and, as everyone knows full well, the two eventually ended up getting married in real life as one of THE de facto “power couples” of our time!
Taking these screencaps, it reminds me of how much we all were head-over-heels for Nanako Matsushima back then…Knowing her for her svelte and commanding roles as of late, it’s a pleasant surprised to see her so young, vibrant and girly!!
Speaking of which, it also tickled me to see actress Tae Kimura, another actress nowadays more famous for her motherly and matronly roles here as Azusa’s sexy jet-setter best friend Miyuki! Oh my, we all were so young once!!
In GTO Revival, it is now the year 2024 and the still unpredictable and elusive Eikichi Onizuka is doing various odd-jobs like Uber-eats and Takoyaki hawking, until he is called in by a politician for a job involving a school where some shady dealings are going on...
The man is Kikuchi (Kubozuke), and, as a former student of Onizuka’s, knows his unorthodox ways tends to produce results, and asks him to return as a teacher to investigate.
The always antsy Onizuka has no real desire to return to teaching, but after a meeting old, familiar faces, including Yoshikawa (Shun Oguri), Watanabe (Yuta Yamazaki) and Murai (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi), all former students, he finally agrees and goes “back to school”!
Tokuyama Hidenori
Back on a campus and back to CLASS! Seems like it's fate when he sees the room number, but can it be like old times?
Rikako Yagi
Mei Hata
Wataru Hyuga
Momoko Kobayashi
...among others!!!
We also have Sae Okazaki as the harried teacher Miyu Ayahara saddled with bringing Onizuka up to date, and Shinya Kote as the new “blowhard’ principal Goji Fujiyamada who protests Onizuka’s ways as much the same way the vice principal and teachers did in the original!
We also have a couple of cameos, one by Naohito Fujiki as Saejima, now working in government, who happens upon Onizuka pushing his motorcycle downthe highway (where he is drafted into helping!)
anda special appearance by Nanako Matsushima as Onizuka’s now-wife Azusa, who can be seen trying to call him at various points in the show, to no avail! Seems she's still enjoying the stewardess life abroad!
I must say, it was QUITE entertaining to revisit the characters and see what the actors and actresses have been up to- so many of them have become such big stars I’m amazed they got them to appear!
What can you do with a couple like this? Hope it doesn't reflect their relationship in real life, LOL!
One actress I was hoping to see again was Aimi Nakamura, the girl who played Miyabi Aizawa. As some of you may recall, I really liked her and was thrilled when she made a sort-of return to entertainment with a saucy video release in 2012, sadly, she has not done much since 2013. Was really hoping to catch up with her!
Aimi in 2012
All in all a FUN way to spend the weekend!! Now it's time for a LONG VACATION reunion special!! LOLOL Crosses fingers!!!
