GTO TV Drama (1998)

From left: Yoshito Kikuchi, Azusa Fuyutsuki, and Eikichi Onizuka.

Great Teacher Onizuka was adapted for live action twice (1998 and 2012). In 1998 A 12-episode live-action Japanese television drama adaption directed by Masayuki Suzuki was broadcast from July 7, 1998 to September 22, 1998. The series starred Takashi Sorimachi as Onizuka and had an average audience share of 28.5% with the final episode recording a rate of 35.7%. The final episode was the 8th most watched broadcast in the Kantō region during 1998 followed by a live action movie in 1999.

Cast

Class 3-4. From left: Yoshito Kikuchi, ???, ???, Tomoko Nomura, Miyabi Aizawa, Eikichi Onizuka, Nanako Mizuki, ???, ???, Chikako Oshima, Kunio Murai. Front: Noboru Yoshikawa, ???, ???

• Eikichi Onizuka - Takashi Sorimachi
• Azusa Fuyutsuki - Nanako Matsushima
• Hiroshi Uchiyamada - Akira Nakao
• Yuu Teshigawara -Kunihiko Ida
• Akira Sakurai - Yumi Shirakawa
• Ryuji Saejima - Naohito Fujiki
• Nanako Mizuki - Kirari Toyomoto
• Yoshito Kikuchi - Yosuke Kubozuka
• Noboru Yoshikawa - Shun Oguri
• Miyabi Aizawa - Aimi Nakamura
• Kunio Murai - Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
• Tomoko Nomura - Miki Kuroda
• Chikako Oshima - Minami Shirakawa
• Erika Tsukishima - Chika Hayashi
• Kenji Yoda - Hidenori Tokuyama
• Masaru Watanabe - Yuta Yamazaki
• Yoshiko Uchiyamada - Erika Mabuchi
• Ryoko Uchiyamada - Ryoko Tateishi
• Reiko Aizawa - Reiko Tajima
• Tsubasa Murai - Rikako Murakami
• Hiroko Kotani - Aya Enjoji
• Hajime Hakamata - Masahiro Kobayashi
• Kouji Nakamata - Yoshimasa Kondo
• Makoto Fujitomi - Baku Numata

Episodes

Episode 1: First, I'm a Teacher

Aired 7 July 1998

Onizuka is working as a window-washer when his best friend Ryuji Saejima tells him about a job opportunity at Musashi Seirin Academy, a private high school which does not require a teaching license. He goes to the interview, but Vice Principal Uchiyamada rejects him. Just then, some delinquents break in and head for Uchiyamada and the other interviewers. The woman at the snack bar (Director Akira Sakurai in disguise) suggests Onizuka might get hired if he saves them, but he's so disgusted by Uchiyamada calling the former students "trash" that he beats him up instead. Later that evening, Ryuji comes by and says Onizuka got a message from Director Sakurai that she was offering him a job. He rushes to the school and accepts.

One of Onizuka's students, Nanako Mizuki, talks him into taking her to his apartment, where she and two male accomplices take compromising photos of Onizuka. Later on, the two boys are walking along when they're surrounded by a biker gang, led by Onizuka. The staff are furious the next day when they find out what he did, but the boys come in and say they support Onizuka, despite their injuries. Despite him having foiled her plans, Nanako starts hanging out with Onizuka, since her parents are never home. They go out to a restaurant, which happens to be the same one where Fuyutsuki is on a group date. She becomes suspicious when she sees them, teacher and student, having dinner together. When the school and her parents find out Nanako spent the night at Onizuka's apartment (it's implied he spent the night at the police station with Saejima), it threatens to become a huge scandal, and Onizuka is almost forced to resign. Nanako goes back to Onizuka's apartment and cooks dinner for him, but he tells her to go home to her family. She goes missing, but Fuyutsuki finds her and brings her back home. As Uchiyamada and Fuyutsuki are apologizing to the Mizukis, Onizuka shows up with a sledgehammer and smashes a hole in the wall between the mother's and father's rooms. Later, Nanako tells Onizuka that this has made them closer as a family again.

Just as things seem to be looking up, Onizuka and Fuyutsuki notice a large crowd of students gathered around something. Fuyutsuki pushes through and sees an explicit photo of Onizuka doing S&M, shocking her.

Episode 2: The Pervert Teacher and the Madonna Teacher

Aired 14 July 1998

Picking up where the last episode left off, Onizuka and Azusa have just discovered the fake nude S&M photos of Onizuka. She slaps him and runs away, while he's dumbfounded. He suspects Kikuchi of making the photo, since according to Nanako he's the smartest kid in class and a computer whiz. However, when he confronts Kikuchi, he's forced to apologize. Kikuchi soon leaves the class, since he's bored by school and doesn't consider it worth going. Onizuka visits Kikuchi's house and plays one of his video games, then asks him to make a fake nude photo composite for him. Fuyutsuki gets Onizuka to go with her to Kikuchi's cram school and try to convince him to return to school, but it's no use. When a group of bullies threatens Kikuchi, he asks Onizuka for help, but Onizuka refuses, since Kikuchi had said he "didn't consider him to be a real teacher". Fuyutsuki visits the Kikuchi household again to beg Kikuchi to return, and then Onizuka shows up outside, where it's suddenly raining. He makes an impassioned speech to Kikuchi, at the end of which he tells Nanako and her friends to stop the rain -- it turns out they'd been faking it with hoses for dramatic effect. The next day, Uchiyamada is announcing to the class that Onizuka will be resigning, only for Kikuchi to show up and tell him he doesn't need to quit on account of him. At the end, Kikuchi is heading to cram school in the evening and passes Onizuka, Nanako, and her friends setting off fireworks. They notice Noboru on the roof, and watch in horror as he jumps over the edge.

Episode 3: It's the Problem Teacher

Aired 21 July 1998

Onizuka saves Noboru by catching him on top of Uchiyamada's car. He finds out Noboru is being bullied, but none of the students confess to it. Onizuka and Fuyutsuki spot Miyabi and her cronies bullying Noboru outside of school, and Onizuka brings everyone to the roof of a building. He dangles Noboru over the edge, challenging Miyabi to admit she doesn't want Noboru's death on her hands. Fuyutsuki faints, and Onizuka pulls Noboru back, lecturing Miyabi about bullying someone who can't fight back. He then dangles her over the edge, which is spotted by Uchiyamada. Miyabi threatens to go to her mother unless Uchiyamada can get Onizuka to make a public apology in front of the whole school. Fuyutsuki wakes up in Onizuka's apartment, where he took her after she fainted.

Meanwhile, the literature teacher Mr. Fujitomi has just returned from a leave of absence due to bullying by his own students. He is pressured to quit if he can't handle the job. He notices Onizuka's approach to dealing with bullies and standing up for oneself, and at the assembly where Onizuka is supposed to apologize, he grabs the microphone and says a few words. Onizuka refuses to apologize, and Noboru gets on stage and strips, showing the bruises from Miyabi and her friends' bullying. When Miyabi claims they're self-inflicted, Kikuchi plays a tape of Miyabi mocking Noboru and talking about bullying him over the PA system. Miyabi and her friends are forced to write essays on what they did wrong. Mr. Fujitomi decides not to retire after all, and Fuyutsuki resolves to be more assertive, though she immediately fails to stand up to Uchiyamada and the other teachers. The next day, Onizuka comes to class to find only five students showed up: Kikuchi, Noboru, Nanako, and her two male friends.

Episode 4: Idol Making Money

Aired 28 July 1998

All but five of the students have boycotted Onizuka's class. Director Sakurai tells him his salary will be cut and he will be fired if he can't get them all to return. Onizuka considers various ways of making money, including referring someone to an idol competition, but Nanako can't sing at all. Miyabi and her friends try to get Onizuka in trouble by having Tomoko send him a love letter, but she accidentally puts it in Mr. Nakamata's mailbox instead. Fuyutsuki discovers Onizuka submitted photos of her to a magazine without her knowledge. To make up for it, he takes her out to dinner, and they happen to go to the Nomura family restaurant. The two of them go up to Tomoko's room with her, and find out how much she admires Miyabi and wants to be like her.

At school, Tomoko makes a duck puppet called Dakko in home economics class, and talks to it when she's lonely. Onizuka talks to her and Dakko, asking her to "put her future in his hands". He invites her to his place, where some friends of his dress her up in costumes and take photos for the audition. The other teachers are opposed, but Fuyutsuki and Onizuka support Tomoko and help her sneak out to go to the audition. It turns out Miyabi is entering the same competition. When it's Tomoko's turn, she freezes up until Onizuka throws Dakko on stage and prompts her to talk about whatever she wants -- to "be herself". She gives a heartfelt speech about her friendship with Miyabi, and wins the Speech prize in the competition.

Onizuka makes a lot of money selling merchandise with Tomoko's picture on it, and Fuyutsuki demands her cut for helping. An enraged Ms. Kotani chops the heads off flowers while saying Onizuka's name, while Teshigawara takes photos of Fuyutsuki through a long-distance camera.

Episode 5: It's the Teacher Stalker

Aired 4 August 1998

Uchiyamada asks Fuyutsuki to teach an advanced special class over the summer with Mr. Teshigawara. Onizuka is temporarily assigned to be the school's security guard. It turns out that Teshigawara is a stalker obsessed with Ms. Fuyutsuki, and he drugs her wine after inviting her to his place. Onizuka shows up to ask him about computers, and drinks the rest of the drugged wine. He breaks into the bedroom, where a passed-out Fuyutsuki is sleeping and the walls are covered with pictures of her. He breaks the bottle and cuts his own hand with the glass to stay conscious, and calls out Teshigawara for being a coward when it comes to women. Onizuka carries Fuyutsuki out of the apartment to a park, and drops her in the fountain when she assumes all men are as terrible as Teshigawara. The next day, Teshigawara snaps and storms out in the middle of class, just as Uchiyamada is showing it off to the PTA.

Episode 6: The Dangerous Teacher Who Puts Out His Hand to a Student's Mother

Aired 11 August 1998

With Teshigawara taking time off, Uchiyamada steps in as the interim special advanced class math teacher. Mr. Hakamata, the PE teacher, offers to help Onizuka end the boycott of his class. He challenges Kunio Murai, one of the leaders of the anti-teacher movement, to a series of athletic competitions, but Murai beats him every time. Onizuka tries to talk to Murai, but is almost run over by a dekotora driven by Murai's mother, Tsubasa. Onizuka goes to their apartment, where he learns more about the two of them, and finds out that Murai's dead father was a famous biker who died in an accident. Onizuka and Tsubasa go out to dinner, where they run into Fuyutsuki and Hakamata (who is attracted to Fuyutsuki). Onizuka challenges Murai to a test of courage -- the two of them will stand in a field and Tsubasa will drive her truck at them. The first person to move out of the way loses. Unfortunately, her brake pedal malfunctions and the has to swerve, knocking the truck on to one side. Onizuka technically won, but he doesn't force Murai to tell him the secret of why the class hates teachers, only asking for him to respect his father's memory. The next day, Murai arrives early at school to talk to Onizuka, but meets Hakamata instead, who becomes violent when Murai doesn't want to talk to him and insults him. Fuyutsuki walks in on Hakamata beating up Murai, and stops him. Murai says "this is why I can't trust teachers" in disgust, and soon afterwards Miyabi slaps him, warning him never to betray her again.

Episode 7: The Teacher Who Does Compensated Dating

Aired 18 August 1998

Onizuka talks Fuyutsuki into going out to dinner with him, but they run into Yoshiko, who addresses him flirtily and by his first name, causing Fuyutsuki to leave. Yoshiko takes Onizuka back to her parents' apartment, but they arrive back early, and he flees. Uchiyamada puts together the pieces and realizes who his daughter has been dating.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nakamata is going on enjo kosai (compensated dating) while meeting with textbook publishers, one of whom is the father of student Chikako Oshima, one of Miyabi's friends. At the same time, Miyabi and her friends Erika and Chikako are doing compensated dating for extra money, though they steal cash and run when the man is in the shower. Saejima talks Onizuka into using a telekura service, which leads to him unknowingly setting up a date with Chikako. They go to a hotel, but he realizes the trap when she suggests he take a shower, and tells her that her first time should be with someone she loves rather than for money. As they're leaving the hotel, Nakamata sees them.

Nakamata tries to use this information to get Onizuka fired, but Chikako overhears her father agreeing to give him kickbacks in exchange for buying his company's textbooks. She and Erika go to Onizuka with the information, and when the books arrive, Onizuka dumps them on the ground and burns them. He shows Nakamata the proof of his corruption, but throws it in the fire too to show he's the bigger person. Chikako tries to give back the money Onizuka gave her, but he tells her to burn it instead.

The episode ends with a furious Uchiyamada declaring he'll get Onizuka banned from the entire education system, interrupted by the appearance of Mrs. Aizawa, the head of the PTA.

Episode 8: The Teacher Who Was Fired in the Opening Ceremony of the Second Semester

Aired 25 August 1998

Uchiyamada and Mrs. Aizawa demand Onizuka be fired, and Chikako and Erika be expelled for doing compensated dating. Fuyutsuki tries to defend them, but it's no use. She goes to Miyabi's house, but Miyabi refuses to talk to her. As she's leaving, she runs into Murai, who tells her what happened with their classmate Takeshi -- the principal and his homeroom teacher forced him to transfer schools once he became injured and couldn't play baseball anymore. They blame the adults for the motorcycle accident that Takeshi died in.

Onizuka spends the last day of summer break hanging out with Erika and Chikako, trying to take their mind off things. On the first day of the fall semester, Uchiyamada and the PTA lecture Class 2-4 on what will happen to Onizuka, Erika, and Chikako. Again, Fuyutsuki tries to defend them. Kikuchi gets up to leave, and sees something outside. All the students rush to the window to see Onizuka and the girls walking to school, as if nothing has happened. He heads for his classroom, and Uchiyamada threatens to expel all the students as they take their seats. This angers their parents, who see their children getting expelled simply for mild disobedience, and they start arguing with Uchiyamada. Onizuka pushes them outside, and starts teaching. In the Director's office, Uchiyamada says that Onizuka should still be fired, since Miyabi and Murai have not stopped the boycott. Just then, Murai pops in and announces that Miyabi has called in absent, and that he's going to class.

As Onizuka and Fuyutsuki plan to celebrate by going out to eat, Tomoko comes up to them and announces that she's quitting school.

Episode 9: The Teacher Who Has Students Withdraw from School by Force

Aired 1 September 1998

Tomoko explains that she was scouted by an idol school, but she would have to move to Okinawa to attend. Onizuka pushes her to go, but her parents and the other teachers are opposed, and Tomoko herself is unsure about leaving her friends and family. Fuyutsuki goes over to Onizuka's apartment to find Tomoko there, and they start arguing about what's best for her. Yoshiko shows up, and starts cooking dinner, despite Onizuka not really wanting her there. After Fuyutsuki and Tomoko leave, Ryoko Uchiyamada shows up as well, after a fight with her husband.

Tomoko stays at Fuyutsuki's apartment for the night, where they discuss dreams for the future. Fuyutsuki wanted to be a stewardess, and just then she gets a call from a friend that a stewardess position has opened up. The next morning, Tomoko shows up at Miyabi's house, and asks her advice. Miyabi is unable to give her a definite answer, but Tomoko pleads with her to stop her bullying. When Tomoko shows up in class the next day, Onizuka throws her out, saying she's no longer a student, despite her not having officially dropped out. As she's leaving the school, Fuyutsuki follows her and asks what she wants. Uchiyamada and the other teachers have been preparing for a visit by the Board of Education, and on the day of their visit Director Sakurai, in disguise, suggests that they visit Class 2-4. They arrive to find it empty, with a message that the whole class is at the airport. Fuyutsuki takes Tomoko there and buys her a plane ticket to Okinawa, and Miyabi arrives too but hides from them. Onizuka and the whole class arrive to see her off and support her.

As Miyabi watches the plane take off, she cries silently. Murai tells her to end her bullying already, and that she's not the Miyabi he likes. Onizuka is also crying, though he denies it when his students notice. As she's walking home, Miyabi drops her necklace, which is picked up by an unseen man. She looks at him and says "Takeshi?" Back at the school, some of the teachers approach Uchiyamada with a new way to get rid of Onizuka, but we don't find out what it is.

Episode 10: The Teacher Who Gets Excited Over Staying at Fuyutsuki's Room

Aired 8 September 1998

Uchiyamada and the other teachers lie that some of the parents questioned Onizuka's credentials, so they promised that he could get 400 points on the national scholastic test. Fuyutsuki is determined to help him, and she lets him stay over at her place to study for the week (especially welcome, since Yoshiko and Ryoko have made themselves at home in his apartment). He soon finds that it's not heaven but hell, with every hour planned out for him, having to study constantly and eat gross brain food. Nevertheless, his practice test grades start to increase, and by the night before the exam, he scores over 400 points. Nanako, Kikuchi, and their friends try to steal the test answers, but Teshigawara thwarts Kikuchi's hacking.

Meanwhile, Miyabi has started seeing a young man named Shinichi Toudo, who looks just like her dead boyfriend Takeshi. He goes to a highly-ranked private school, and his father is in the Ministry of Education. Murai is suspicious of him, and follows Toudo and Miyabi on their date to an amusement park at night. He calls Fuyutsuki and asks for Onizuka, but she says Onizuka is busy. Miyabi has a great time, but at the stroke of midnight, everything shuts down, and Toudo reveals it was all a prank called a "Cinderella game". His friends come out of hiding (one with a video camera) and he says they can do whatever they want with her. Murai can no longer wait in the shadows and charges at Toudo's gang, screaming. They easily overpower him and beat him unconscious, while Miyabi flees through the park. Just when she's cornered, the carousel turns on again, to reveal Onizuka riding it. He beats up the gang. and when Miyabi realizes her necklace from Takeshi is missing, helps her look for it for hours. As he finds it, Toudo wakes up and pulls out a knife.

At the school, everyone thinks Onizuka chickened out, but Fuyutsuki believes in him. Fujitomi comes up with an excuse that Onizuka said he'd only need one hour rather than five. Onizuka finally shows up and starts the test, but when time's up he hasn't written a thing. Fuyutsuki pushes him when she gets no response, and he falls over. Then she sees the pool of blood under his chair.

Episode 11: The Violent Teacher Who Was Scolded by a Beautiful Nurse

Aired 15 September 1998

While Onizuka is in the hospital, the teachers (other than Fuyutsuki and Fujitomi) try everything they can to get him fired, especially after the media finds out about the incident at the amusement park. Fuyutsuki tries everything she can, but it's no use. Miyabi asks her mother to stick up for Onizuka, but she betrays her daughter's wishes on TV. Conspiring with Toudo's father and the Director of Jindan Academy, Kamimura, Uchiyamada gets the PTA to vote to fire Director Sakurai as well, which he reveals at the assembly where they announce Onizuka's firing. Also in attendance are Toudo, his father, and Kamimura. Near the end of the assembly, as Sakurai is leaving the stage in defeat, Onizuka strolls in, still slightly injured, and confronts Uchiyamada. He reaches out to his students, remembering what each of them is interested in, calling out as the other teachers force him out of the gym. After witnessing them fire a teacher who cared so deeply about his students, Fuyutsuki resigns in disgust, and takes the test to become a stewardess. The next day, Uchiyamada and the teachers are celebrating their victory, only to find out that there are no students in the school at all. Toudo's father and Kamimura meet at his house and exchange a briefcase full of money, revealing that Seirin Academy will be closed and its students absorbed into Jindan Academy. Shinichi overhears them from the next room.

Episode 12: I'm a Great Teacher

Aired 22 September 1998

At Seirin, the remaining teachers are panicking about the students all boycotting class unless Onizuka is reinstated, when Toudo and Kamimura arrive and inform them that the students will be transferred to Jindan Academy and the school will be torn down. He does not offer the Seirin teachers jobs, though Teshigawara later secures one at Jindan. Uchiyamada's wife asks for a divorce if he's unable to get a new job to provide for his family. Onizuka's students find him and ask him to come back, but he tells them he's become a truck driver now. Miyabi, Murai, and Kikuchi go to the Toudo residence and beg Shinichi to get his father to rescind Onizuka's firing, but he tells them they don't understand what's going on.

As the demolition is about to begin, Onizuka drives his truck in front of the bulldozers and opens the back to reveal Class 3-4. They all go into the school and barricade themselves there. Fuyutsuki comes to visit him at night, with Saejima's help. The other teachers, out drinking, watch the live TV coverage of the siege. The next day, a news camera and reporter go inside the school and film Onizuka and his class having fun, watching a video from Tomoko. As the other teachers wake up and see the footage, Fujitomi tells them how Onizuka inspired him to be a Great Teacher, and this in turn inspires the others to become better as well. They all go to Seirin and stage a sit-in. As a bulldozer is bearing down on them, Uchiyamada joins them. By the evening, Toudo and Kamimura have had enough and order their private security to forcibly remove the teachers. As they're being dragged away, Onizuka sets off fireworks from the roof, announcing the Seirin Academy school festival. He invites everyone inside to experience it, and they break through once Saejima weakens his grip on the police line. The roof is set up with lights and decorations, and Tomoko has returned for the festival. Mrs. Aizawa apologizes to her daughter, and they make up. Meanwhile, Shinichi finds evidence of his father's corruption and sends it to the Tokyo Prosecutor's office, who sends police to take him and Kamimura away for questioning.

Fuyutsuki has passed her stewardess training and is on a flight about to leave, when the pilot asks her to go get Onizuka to move off the tarmac. She runs down to embrace him, and he picks her up bridal-style and carries her off. At Seirin, the newly-reinstated Director Sakurai announces Uchiyamada is the new Principal, and promotes Nakamata to Head Teacher. Nakamata declines in favor of Fujitomi, who is shocked anyone would nominate him, but is unanimously approved. Fuyutsuki strides into Class 3-4, wearing a red leather jacket, and writes her name on the board like Onizuka did when he introduced himself. Onizuka arrives at a new school, with Sakurai's recommendation, and interviews to be a teacher there.

Trivia

• Takashi Sorimachi and Nanako Matsushima, the actors for Onizuka and Fuyutsuki respectively, got married to each other in 2001.
• Sorimachi also sang "Poison", the theme song for the series.
• Kirari Toyomoto (known by her first name) also sang "Last Piece", the first ending theme for the anime series. Ironically, her character Nanako can't sing well at all.
• In the live-action, Onizuka is 26 rather than 22.