90-Second Trailer for "GTO" Released: For the First Time, the 50-Year-Old Onizuka Is Shown

The 90-second trailer for the new "GTO" series has been released. It shows for the first time Eikichi Onizuka, played by Takashi Sorimachi, in his 50s. The images depict the former bōsōzoku teacher riding a motorcycle over a bridge, enthusiastically entering the classroom of the private Seishin Gakuen, and engaging in casual exchanges in both the staff room and the principal's office. The story centers on a "teacher feedback system" where students evaluate the teachers—and Onizuka receives almost exclusively poor grades. How he faces these challenges will be told in the new episodes.

The series is set in a school characterized by efficiency and digital control: teachers and students communicate via tablets, and an algorithm decides a teacher's suitability. Into this sterilized educational landscape steps the 52-year-old Onizuka as the new homeroom teacher. The new heroine Meru Nomi plays Kashiwa Mio, who becomes Onizuka's partner as the assistant homeroom teacher.

Starting June 20, the behind-the-scenes documentary "Documentary of GTO" will be released on the official social media channels of "GTO" and on the YouTube channel "Kantele Dramania," offering a look behind the scenes of the casting for the student roles. Over 400 teenagers aged 15 to 17 applied for the exceptional "student selection casting." Additionally, on June 22, after the broadcast of the drama series "Ginga no Ippyō," the promotional video for the first episode will be shown for the first time on free TV.

The new "GTO" series is a completely new story set 28 years after the original series first aired in 1998. Back then, the series starring Takashi Sorimachi achieved average ratings of 28.5 percent and a finale with 35.7 percent. In 2024, the special film "GTO Revival" was already broadcast, immediately achieving high ratings and over 4.3 million streams. For the new series, the original creators have reunited: screenwriter Kazuhiko Yukawa, director Satoru Nakajima, and producer Kazuhisa Andō are working again with Takashi Sorimachi.

The series starts on July 20, 2026, and will air every Monday at 10:00 PM on Kansai TV and the Fuji TV network.