GTO Revival (2024) [Special Review]

GTO Revival; or, A New Lesson
     Even if you don’t have these, you are you. You’re the cutest.
I have to start this review with a big thank you to Rise from Phoenix Talks Pop Culture Japan because without her, I would have completely missed out on the info that FujiTV actually cooked up a GTO Revival special with Takashi Sorimachi returning to his legendary role(!) Indeed, we live in the age where heroes of the 80s and the 90s keep coming for one last hurrah, from Indiana Jones to Batman, but I have never imagined in my wildest dreams that this phenomenon would also impact the GTO franchise.

Release Info

Directed by: Yoshihiro Fukagawa Starring: Takashi Sorimachi, Sae Okazaki, Rikako Yagi

Language: Japanese Original Title: GTOリバイバル Runtime: 91 min

Synopsis
26 years after the start of his unconventional career, and teaching the first class of high schoolers, Eikichi Onizuka works as a… food delivery man. However, he is soon called in by one of his former students who works for the Ministry of Education. Onizuka is asked to investigate a private school which is plagued by an influencer personality known as Judge-or-Laugh. Onizuka steps into action to free students and teachers from cyber-terror.

The Age of Cyberbullying
Honestly, as soon as Takashi Sorimachi appeared together with obligatory cameos from original cast members of the drama, I had a big smile on my face. On top of that, when a remix of the Poison theme tune by Sorimachi and Blue Encount kicked in, it was pure icing on the cake.

That being said, this TV special is not a perfect revival of the drama that manages to capture the lighting in the bottle, and understandably so. It’s been a heck of a long time since we saw Sorimachi’s GTO on the screen, and this episode has a lot of catching up to do to reintroduce the character into modern age.

The main conflict of the story is very interesting because it concerns all the schools across the globe: cyberbullying. It’s very exhilarating and cathartic to see Onizuka’s take on the matter, but his approach is mostly recycled stuff you’ve already seen in the drama episodes and the theatrical movie: With his unconventional approach, Onizuka empowers the victims and makes baddies confront their inner trauma.

Unfortunately, getting to the gist of Onizuka’s modus operandi is repeatedly interrupted by the episodic and disjointed narrative of the TV special that throws lots of new characters and constant exposition at you within the span of 90 minutes. As a result, this episode feels like a pitch for a new GTO season crammed into a movie format. This, unfortunately, doesn’t work well.

With regard to performances, Takashi Sorimachi IS (and will always be) Great Teacher Onizuka. This man is literally “too cool for school”, even when he is 50 years old. I also enjoyed the performances by Rikako Yagi, Mei Hata, Kosuke Suzuki, and Yosuke Kubozuka. Apart from numerous easter-egg cameos, there’s one that particularly stole my heart at the very end of the special, but I refrain from any spoilers.

Recommendations
All things considered, I enjoyed GTO Revival more than the theatrical movie from 1999, but still it doesn’t achieve the level of the classic drama. It’s an okay story for a one-time revisitation of GTO. However, I wouldn’t like FujiTV treat this as a backdoor pilot for a potential continuation of the drama next year. My thanks go to Skeweds Translations for translating this special.Overall score: 7/10

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GTO: The Movie (1999) [Film Review]

GTO: The Movie; or, Canada Village
     I am a teacher with a mission!
A few days ago the school year ended where I live, so (as a teacher) I was in the mood for educational vibes. As a result, I grabbed the TokyoShock DVD of Great Teacher Onizuka: The Movie (1999), the concluding chapter of the popular FujiTV drama of the same name that was based on a manga by Tooru Fujisawa.

Release Info

Directed by: Masayuki Suzuki Starring: Takashi Sorimachi, Norika Fujiwara, Rena Tanaka

Language: Japanese Original Title:  グレート・ティーチャー・オニヅカ ,  Runtime:108 min

Synopsis
Eikichi Onizuka (Takashi Sorimachi) arrives in the city of Horobai in the Hokkaido region. The city used to be prosperous in the 1980s, but it was economically driven to the ground by the local businessman Katsuragi (Isao Natsuyagi). Onizuka teaches a class in which a boy, Seiji (Zen Kajihara), is in love with Katsuragi’s daughter Ayano (Rena Tanaka). The problem is that Ayano is hated by other students for her father’s actions. Onizuka, while being on the run from the police and a local journalist (Norika Fujiwara), steps into action.

GTO on the Road
Allow to me clarify at first that if you haven’t seen anything from the franchise of Great Teacher Onizuka, then this movie is not a good place to start. The best place to begin your journey is the 12-episode drama + special episode. This was my introduction into the realm of GTO and I couldn’t be a better one. Even though the drama is 25(!) years old, it can still grab you by the heart with its engaging storylines, amazing acting, and kick-ass music score.

This brings me right to the disadvantages of GTO: The Movie because it lacks all of the aforementioned assets of the drama that came before it. What is more, it is not a cinematic experience at all. Well, it is at least in terms of technical aspects because it was shot on film and in widescreen format with the neat aspect ratio of 1.85:1. However, in terms of screenplay, the movie feels like yet another rehashed special episode.

For all intents and purposes, GTO: The Movie is a directionless picture that plays things safe so as to grab the cash from fans of the drama. There is not enough character growth to make me care for stone-cold students with whom Onizuka interacts, let alone Onizuka himself who does crazy stuff just because he is cool, not because he has motivation to be the best teacher he can be for his students (as he demonstrated in the series).

That being said, I did enjoy the banter sequences between Onizuka and a local journalist. The action stuff okay, but the lack of Poison theme until the end credits made everything feel stale. In addition, I appreciate the fact that the crewmembers shot the living crap out of this film on actual location.

With regard to performances, no matter what, I will always regard Takashi Sorimachi as the definitive incarnation of GTO. The man was born to play this part. Norika Fujiwara is fine as a comic-relief character, but thankfully she is not a love-interest replacement for Nanako Matsushima. Also, the leads are backed by FujiTV’s finest veterans of the 1990s, such as Masahiro Komoto, Masahiko Nishimura, Ito Toshihito, Kazue Tsunogae, and Keiko Toda.

The DVD version I have also contains 15 minutes of bonus features, including trailers and interviews with the cast and crew. Interestingly, Takashi Sorimachi stated that he was very calm while shooting the picture, even though he was very stressed when making the drama. Norika Fujiwara complained about the amount of running she had to do in the film, and also explained that this was her second feature as Cat’s Eye (1997). Surprisingly, Rena Tanaka spoke very seriously about her role, which makes me wonder whether or not she is a method actress.

Recommendations
All things considered, GTO: The Movie is not a decent film, but it is a so-so conclusion of the drama. You can watch it only if you want to pass the time somehow and you got tired of rewatching your batch of favourite Dragon Zakura episodes. That is it from me at the moment. Stay great like Great Teacher Onizuka. Overall score: 6/10

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The Negotiator The Movie (2010) [Film Review]

The Negotiator The Movie; or, This is NOT a Bayside Shakedown Spin-off!

     What I hate the most are people who subdue everything with strength!

During my search for a police procedural drama, I have found a conspicuously-looking show from TV Asahi called Koshonin (2008). I gave the first episode a go and the drama looks pretty solid; however, it turned out all of a sudden that there’s not only a second season to the series, but also a theatrical film called Koshonin The Movie: The Fight at 10,000 metres! Wait a minute, I think I’ve heard a similar title before... Anyways, I just had to check out the film about Ryoko Yonekura in a hijacked plane! This is my review of The Negotiator The Movie.

Release Info

Directed by: Toshio Terada Starring: Ryoko Yonekura, Takashi Sorimachi, Toshio Kakei

Language: Japanese Original Title: 交渉人 THE MOVIE〜タイムリミット高度10,000mの頭脳戦 Runtime: 122 min

 

Synopsis

Reiko Usagi (Ryoko Yonekura) is a member of the SIT (Special Investigation Team), which handles the most difficult cases as they happen at the crime scene. 260 million yen were stolen from an armoured vehicle. The robbers bust into a shopping mall and take customers hostage. Reiko tries to negotiate, as she was professionally trained to do so, but suddenly, a large explosion takes place. In the moment of chaos, customers rush out of the mall in panic and the criminals blend into the crowd. Only the head of the gang, Mido (Masahiko Tsugawa), is apprehended. Sometime later, Reiko intends to go on vacation. At Haneda Airport, she spots one of the hostages, Yusuke Kimoto (Kento Hayashi). Suspecting that something may be going on, Reiko follows the man. It turns out that the airplane they boarded is hijacked shortly after take-off...

 

“Watashi Shippai Shinai No De”

I have checked out The Negotiator quite spontaneously and without any high expectations. It was quite entertaining and well made, but if you expect to see a non-stop action in the style of Die Hard (1989) then I suggest watching Air Force One (1997) instead. In fact, The Negotiator is a slow burning suspense thriller, and its only fault is the reliance on the overused “hijacked plane” motif.

 

Evidently, the screenplay tries to move away from the standard terrorists-plotline by introducing a whole new subplot with a twist(!) which, unfortunately, is not all that breathtaking. By fiddling with the formula and trying to cram Law Abiding Citizen (2009) into Turbulence (1997), the story of The Negotiator, at best, passes as a mediocre idea, taken out of Security Police's in-joke, which would do better as the special episode of the drama.

 

Apart from this issue, there are only advantages. The cinematography is great, the music score quite distinct and catchy, but the ensemble cast is what makes this particular movie a fun to watch, especially if you are into J-dramas! I spotted so many familiar faces that I just couldn’t help myself and made the “Starring section” inspired by Honest Trailers at the very end of this review.

 

Ryoko Yonekura is wonderful as Reiko Usagi, but in my eyes she will always be the unbeatable Daimon Michiko-sensei. Sadly, The Negotiator to date remains Ryoko’s only theatrical effort. The supporting characters are awesome as well. Takashi Sorimachi deserves the highest praise as the main bad guy who takes over the airplane and keeps his cool at all times. In addition, it’s quite hilarious to see Toshiro Yanagiba and Toshio Kakei back in action together, even though this is most certainly not a Bayside Shakedown spin-off.

 

Recommendations

Safely recommended to anyone who likes the original Koshonin drama. The movie is A-okay to watch for one time, but it won’t leave a lasting impression on you. However, it has a lot of fun stuff to offer, in spite of an underdeveloped storyline. I am secretly hoping for a new theatrical feature with better material for Ryoko to work on. Maybe... Doctor X: The Movie? Please...?

Now, here comes the Starring Section:

AND

Trailer:

Overall score: 6/10