It has been revealed that model and actress Meru Nukumi will play the heroine in the July drama series "GTO" (Kansai TV/Fuji TV, Mondays at 10pm, starting July 20th), starring Takashi Sorimachi. Nukumi, who will play the assistant homeroom teacher of the class taught by Eikichi Onizuka, played by Sorimachi, commented, "When I watched it in my youth, I wanted to play a student, but I never imagined that I would go so far as to play a teacher (laughs)."
"GTO" is based on the manga of the same name by Tohru Fujisawa and is a school drama about Eikichi Onizuka, a former biker gang member turned teacher who tackles student and school problems head-on with his unconventional actions. The TV series, which aired in 1998, recorded high ratings, with an average household viewership of 28.5% in the Kanto region for all 12 episodes and 35.7% for the final episode (according to Video Research), becoming a landmark school drama of the Heisei era. In April 2024, it made a one-night-only comeback with the special drama "GTO Revival".
For this new "GTO," the staff who worked on the 1998 version, including lead actor Takashi Sorimachi, screenwriter Kazuhiko Yukawa, director Satoru Nakajima, and producer Kazuhisa Ando, have reunited. While carefully preserving the worldview and character of Eikichi Onizuka from that time, the new series will be produced as an updated drama that also incorporates elements of the Reiwa era.
The story is set at Seishin Academy, a private high school whose philosophy is "to cultivate future leaders." It depicts an educational environment where both teachers and students carry tablet devices, and information and evaluations of students and teachers are managed using digital data.
Mio Kashiwabara (played by Ikumi), a classical literature teacher who becomes Onizuka's (played by Sorimachi) new buddy, is rational, efficient, and highly capable, but she prioritizes avoiding trouble, keeping a certain distance from students and colleagues, and avoiding showing her emotions. Kashiwabara is assigned to teach the same class as the unconventional Onizuka. One might think she would be Onizuka's "watchdog," but instead, she takes a somewhat cold attitude towards him, saying things like, "Just do what you want. You're his homeroom teacher, after all." Ikumi commented, "Honestly, I feel some pressure in the position of the heroine, but right now I'm more excited than anxious."
◇Comment from Meru Nukumi
I watched reruns of "GTO" when I was a student, so when I heard I could participate in the project, I was surprised and very happy, thinking, "Are you sure I'm the right person?" When I watched it in my youth, I wanted to play a student, but I never imagined I'd go so far as to play a teacher (laughs). I do feel some pressure in the role of the heroine, but right now I'm more excited than anxious.
The character I play, Mio Kashiwabara, is someone who tends to keep a distance and has a unique aura about her, a type of character I haven't really played before. My friends often tell me that they can't tell what I'm thinking (laughs). I think we're a little similar in that respect.
The lead actor, Sorimachi-san, remained "Onizuka-sensei" throughout the filming, giving off an impression of being very understanding, yet also having a boyish charm. The students were all more mature than I had imagined, and I realized I couldn't afford to be shy. I hope we can become closer by the time filming wraps up (laughs).
I'm truly happy that a work I watched during my youth is making a comeback like this. I will put my all into this project, and I hope that people of all generations, including friends and family, will watch it together.
