February 13, 2005

Bridging the Gap

I found time to start watching the anime that sweatdrop traded to me. As with the title of the post, I finished watching a warm and wacky series: Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO). Its about a legendary 22-year old gangster who had the calling to become a teacher. Using his brute strength, contacts, street-smarts and tons of dumb-luck, he proves to everybody that he is as he proclaims to be, a great teacher.

Eikichi Onizuka is an incredibly consistent character. Consistently insane, deranged, perverted, grouchy, stupid... the list can go on and on. Yet he is always looking out for the welfare of his student far beyond his own.

GTO gets a rank in the "Super Ugly Face" category, right beside Hajime no Ippo (aka Knock-out/Fighting Spirit). So much so that during Onizuka's grouchy moods, I can't help but remember the teacher in "Battle Royale" or Zatoichi.

A notable character is Nomura Tomoko aka Toroko(translated sometimes as Big Tits). As corny as her story goes, I found it quite moving.

Some facts:

Eikichi Onizuka's seiyuu also did "Leap-frog" Aoki(Hajime no Ippo)
Toroko's seiyuu also did Aoi Sakuraba(Ai Yori Aoshi), Mahoro (Mahoromatic), Rurippe (Gatekeepers)

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