SPOILERS
It has a lot of flaws, I HATE the repetition, the simplistic way to address complex problems the teenagers have. He saves the students by fighting somebody like 4-5 times (first school, Murai, feet fetish girl, Miyabi, Tokiwa), a very cheap narrative resource. Also, there are 2 chapters with the same title and revolving around the same metaphor ("metamorphosis", for both Teshigawara and the English teacher). I also hate the plotholes and how weak the final arc is (Angel's saga), or surreal characters like Mayu which felt like the worst type of filler and didn't add anything at all to the story. And some parts of the dialogue, specially the "tough guy" speech doesn't really get to me, maybe a teenager in the 90s might find it cool. I hate action-based manga and Fujisawa uses that a lot. I don't like any of the other Fujisawa's works, not Bad Company, not Shonan Junai Gumi, GTO prequels that are basically about fights, girls and action (well, SJG is a 50/50, arcs like Onizuka's relationships with Misato or Shinomi, or Ryuji's romance with Ayumi, were done tactfully, but I didn't like the general tone of the series). And I absolutely despise Paradise Lost, the continuation of GTO which features none of the original characters except the MC, whose personality is not even close to GTO's Onizuka. 14 Days in Shonan is slightly different because it features the 2 best Onizuka love interests together, Urumi and Shinomi, but I didn't like the overall story either and their development is scarce.
So it comes as a big surprise, that this writer who specializes in more "teen", overly sexist and action-based narratives, would be able to come up with something such as GTO. As someone else said here, GTO could be "a 6/10 manga with 10/10 moments". It has its flaws as I already mentioned, and they are not few. But it also has some stuff that I absolutely loved. And most importantly, it has a SOUL.
I enjoyed the Urumi-Onizuka relationship. She is lovable from the start, and her backstory and development after meeting Onizuka were the highlight of the series for me. It may not be the best written relationship ever, but it has something special in it, these two touched me on so many levels. Their chemistry throughout the whole manga is undeniable, too bad the anime never got to show this. Despite Azusa being depicted as the main love interest, Urumi had a deeper connection with him. After reading SJG though, I have to say that Shinomi's chemistry with Onizuka is just as good, and she also knows him to an extent that no other female in the GTO universe can dream of, since they practically grew up together during their teens. In GTO, Tomoko herself tells Shinomi (during her brief cameo as Tomoko's hairdresser) that she reminds her of her teacher and that they seem to think the same way. If we ever get a happy ending for Onizuka, I hope he winds up with one of these two.
However, despite the romance being nice, it's the feeling of human connection what made GTO for me. But not just with Urumi. Miyabi's arc is also great, and so are Tomoko's or Yoshikawa's. All of them feel real and relatable. You get the feeling that a small family is beginning to form, something that becomes most apparent during a scene where some of the students are having fun in the pool with Onizuka after playing paintball together. He's winning them over and you get intoxicated with their happiness and growth as the story goes on... Urumi says so herself during the pool scene:
"This lightness of being...I wonder how long it'll last"
And Kikuchi knows the answer:
"...as long as he stays here with us".
The comedy is an important part too, and despite not making me openly laugh (OK, it might have), I found it witty and fitting most of the time. Some people seem to have a problem with the "pervert" theme of the series, I didn't really since the MC, when really conflicted, always remains pure at heart and his maturity prevails (specially when he displays superhuman self-control to reject Urumi's kiss).
This is an honest and fulfilling work, something I've very rarely found. And I have a special spot for it, I read this during a terrible time in my life and it brought out emotions that had been buried for years, it took me back to the good moments (albeit few) of my teens, when my future was filled with possibilities and everything was new and fresh. This story made me feel hope again. Innocence. Inspiration. It made me feel part of something, as if I were another member of Onizuka's family.
And for that, I am immensely grateful.
