The ninth episode of the drama series "GTO" (Kansai TV/Fuji TV, Mondays at 10 PM), starring actor Takashi Sorimachi, aired on September 14th. A scene in which Principal Okubo, played by Takeshi Ukaji, asks, "Is it wrong for former biker gang members to become teachers?" left a strong impression.
◇The following contains spoilers.
Bad rumors about Onizuka (played by Sorimachi) reached the parents. The staff room was flooded with protest calls, and Onizuka was suspended until the situation calmed down.
Principal Nakamaru (played by Yoshimasa Kondo) said to Onizuka, "You should just give up on standing at the front of the classroom. After all, it's impossible for a former gang member to become a teacher." Onizuka retorted, "What do you mean by that?" At that moment, Principal Okubo, who was nearby, stepped in.
"Are former gang members not allowed to become teachers?"
Principal Okubo looked at him with a serious expression and asked in a quiet, low voice, "What's the sudden change?" Nakamaru asked, surprised. Principal Okubo pointed out, "You're saying things like former biker gang members aren't human," and crumpled the printout he was holding in his hand.
When Ukaji was a teenager, he served as the "leader" of one of Japan's most prominent biker gangs.
On social media, people were excited, saying things like, "When Ukaji says it, it's so convincing...", "When Ukaji says, 'Is it wrong for former biker gang members to become teachers?', it's really significant (Ukaji is a former leader of a biker gang)", "The vice-principal who criticizes biker gangs to Ukaji is fearless", and "Since he's a real former biker gang member, that line really resonates."
"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. It is set in Seishin Academy, a private high school that has the philosophy of "nurturing future leaders," and depicts an educational environment where information and evaluations of students and teachers are managed as digital data.
