Great Teacher Onizuka was truly a series from another age. One where a guy could be a teacher and still perv on students a little or gyaru could full-on black face without being canceled on Twitter. While GTO is most remembered for the memes it spawned, unfortunately as an anime of another age, it gets passed up because it shows its age. That’s a damn shame because Onizuka really is one of those top-tier characters that shouldn’t be forgotten.
Alternative Titles:
- グレート・ティーチャー・オニヅカ
Year Anime Premiered: 1999
Animation Studio: Pierrot, J.C. Staff (Prequel)
Number of Seasons: 1 + 5 Prequel OVAs
Source Material Country of Origin: Japan
Source Material Available: Manga
Entry Last Updated: May 12th, 2024
When it comes to picking up the Great Teacher Onizuka manga after the anime, the answer is complicated. First, there are multiple manga series that do work in some for of continuity order, and second, not each of those has an anime adaptation. However, the most important thing to know is that, compared to the manga, the Great Teacher Onizuka anime is a supreme disappointment.
For those that just want the very short answer, I’ll start with the TL;DR.
Where to Pick Up the Great Teacher Onizuka Manga After the Anime – TL;DR
- Great Teacher Onizuka anime – Start the Great Teacher Onizuka manga at Chapter 106
- The GTO anime had a (pretty bad) anime-original ending. So disregard episodes 42 and 43. It also skips more than a few chapters.
- Shonan Jun’ai Gumi anime OVAs – Start the manga at Chapter 242
- As Shonan Jun’ai Gumi only got OVAs, it abridges the story heavily, skipping much.
While the above is technically the answer, there is never a world where I don’t recommend starting both the Great Teacher Onizuka manga and its prequel manga series Shonan Jun’ai Gumi from the beginning. Both anime have poorly aged animation, and worse yet, do a terrible job telling the story.
Getting Into The Great Teacher Onizuka Manga in the Proper Order
Great Teacher Onizuka actually has quite a few sequels as well as prequels following Onizuka in his youth when he was a biker. However, I don’t recommend reading those prequel series first. It is better that you bond with Onizuka’s best version in order to fully appreciate his past.
Great Teacher Onizuka Recommended Manga Reading Order:
- Great Teacher Onizuka
- Shonan Jun’ai Gumi (Also called GTO: The Early Years)
- Bad Company
- GTO: Shonan 14 Days
- GTO: Paradise Lost
You can also read the side story spin-off manga series Shonan Seven and/or Ino-Head Gargoyle as well. You need only to have read at least through Shonan Jun’Ai Gumi since they have relevance to characters and events in those series.
Like I recommend reading GTO before the prequel Shonan Jun’ai Gumi due to you having more appreciation for Onizuka as a character, I also recommend reading Shonan Jun’ai Gumi before Bad Company. Bad Company is a one volume story about how Onizuka and Ryuji met, but it has more impact when you’ve already bonded with both characters. I feel it is better as an epilogue, but that’s just my opinion.
Chronological Great Teacher Onizuka Manga Reading Order:
- Bad Company
- Shonan Jun’ai Gumi
- Great Teacher Onizuka
- GTO: Shonan 14 Days
- GTO: Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is ongoing and was stated to be the last GTO series. That’s probably for the best, GTO fans seem to not love it so much.
