After guiding the infamous Tokyo Kissho Academy through a crash-course of his unique brand of life-lessons, a battered and bruised Eikichi Onizuka takes a well-deserved trip to his hometown of sorts, a typically quiet surfers paradise called Shonan. Unfortunately, with child neglect and abuse becoming a global phenomenon the self-proclaimed GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) quickly finds himself back in the saddle for what he hopes is a painless two-week long field trip with some teens in need. And while Onizuka's curriculum may not rely on the reading, writing and arithmetic that is common in most classrooms, he has more than a few good lessons in personal development, fisticuffs and fun to teach a new generation of trouble teens.
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Review
"Cracking open Vertical Inc.'s release of GTO: 14 Days in Shonan brought back a lot of manga memories... Most importantly, it reminded me why I used to love GTO so much." - Otaku USA Magazine
“If I had to boil it down to a high concept, I’d probably say that GTO is about believing in yourself enough to have a good time in life. Fujisawa does a pretty good job balancing the more saccharine elements of the series with the knock-down, drag-out, somewhat perverted jokes. It’s clearly a comedy, but when it takes a turn into drama, it doesn’t feel unnatural. 14 Days in Shonan looks like one of those series that can be brutally funny when it wants to be…I’ve got high hopes.”
—Comics Alliance
“While I’ve largely fallen out of manga for a number of reasons, there are certain things that will always draw me back. Discovering that the man behind Great Teacher Onizuka decided to do another series focusing on the character is definitely one of them… The opening volume makes things well connected to the original and adjusts to the new situation with ease in a way that doesn’t detract or impact what has come before… This is a ride I am completely enthused about.”
—Fandom Post
“I thought I was done with Great Teacher Onizuka. All throughout college, I plowed my way through the series… All was well and good, until just the other day, when Vertical dropped the first volume of Great Teacher Onizuka: 14 Days in Shonan in my mailbox… Suffice to say, the first chapter grabbed me almost immediately. It was the same Great Teacher Onizuka humor I remember, and most importantly, I reacted the same to it as I had when I was stuck in my college dorm on those long Syracuse winter nights.”
—Japanator
“As a character explicitly points out, it’s painfully evident that parental selfishness has given [these teens] severe reason to distrust adults and that they’re not about to give Onizuka a second chance if he lets them down. As a result, the manga is dealing with the same Onizuka, but watching him walk a much narrower tight rope… It’s intriguing to consider how the manga might react to the new twist in its careful balance act and how 14 Days might consequently develop in subtly different ways than the original.”
—Ain’t it Cool News
“I have never read a GTO comic before this, so the prospect of reading what amounts to a spin-off was a bit intimidating. Luckily the premise is pretty simple… I liken this book to Columbo. Anyone who has ever watched a Columbo episode knows that Columbo is going to solve the case. The real pleasure comes from seeing how the bumbling detective puts it all together… The figures are strong and confident, and the backgrounds are stunning.”
—Stumptown Trade Review
“If one were to travel into the universe of GTO: 14 Days in Shonan and look up Badass on Wikipedia, I would find the article deficient if a picture of Eikichi Onizuka didn’t appear as the illustration of choice on that page… I walked into GTO:14DiS with admittedly hazy memories of the original story—no plot specifics, just a general understanding of the overall storyline. It took only a few pages to get everything straight.”
—Genji Press
“I loved it… The most surprising thing about 14 Days in Shonan is its ability to address serious social problems without devolving into an Afterschool Special. The hand-to-hand combat and barrage of condom jokes helps mitigate against didacticism, to be sure, but Fujisawa is skillful enough to make the students’ personal troubles a meaningful—and sometimes moving—part of the story, inspiring Onizuka to new heights of creativity (and silliness) in his efforts to reach them. Highly recommended.”
—The Manga Critic
About the Author
Born in 1967, Tohru Fujisawa is a veteran Japanese comic artist and multimillion unit seller. Best known globally for his international sensation Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO), Fujisawa was awarded the 22nd Kodansha Comic Award in 1998 for his work on the hit series. The GTO property would go on to inspire two animated TV series and an internationally distributed live action TV series by the same name. Since GTO, Fujisawa has gone on to thirteen more comic series, with four of those properties (TOKKO, Rose Hip Rose, Rose Hip Zero and Shonan Junai-gumi) landing on American shores. At 44 the Hokkaido native continues to be one of the most beloved manga artists of this generation.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Qoubatcy
Format:Paperback
The storyline and artwork are great , and they have been transferred nicely to the English version , thanks Vertical , the only thing I actually am complaining about is the size , it is not the standard tankobon format ( Therefore only 4 stars ), which does not appeal to purists like me ; but I guess because of the quality of the printing itself , it can be overlooked ..... and thank you again Vertical for picking up Shonan Jun-Ai Gumi .
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This new series picks up right where the original GTO left off, and has the same general storyline and humor as the original series. GTO is still exactly as you remember him: a virgin, a horn dog, a hilarious idiot, a super strong fighter, and a man who will "open your heart". The only big differences are that it's set in Shonan, where Onizuka grew up, and instead of helping his class, he's helping kids at a foster home. The translation is good and the inclusion of the original full color pages in the beginning is a nice touch. It's really funny and engaging, just like the original series. You can't put it down! I highly recommend this book (though, read the original GTO series first, otherwise the first chapter will be lost on you!)
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read several volumes of the original "GTO" series, but while I liked it I've never been a huge fan. Nothing wrong with the series, it just didn't keep my interest enough to keep buying new releases. But I was nostalgic enough that I checked out the first volume of the new series "GTO: 14 Days in Shonan" and I was hooked again.
I was worried that after not having read any "GTO" for so many years that I might be lost in the backstory, but no such problems. Fujisawa Toru jumps you straight into the story, and it is like I haven't missed a beat. As a character, Onizuka Eikichi is straight-forward and likeable; you don't need much continuity or baggage, just wind him up and let him go. Mischief and mayhem are guaranteed to follow.
That being said, there is no setup whatsoever. If you hadn't read at least a few of the earlier "GTO" books then you might be lost. Fujisawa just assumes everyone knows who the characters are, and I wouldn't recommend this for first-time readers.
In "14 Days in Shonan," Onizuka opens his mouth a little wide on national TV, confessing that he once buried a student alive on accident. The public outrage sends him scrambling for a hiding place, and he winds up in the White Swan Children's Home which is a foster home for unwanted kids and runaways. The staff (of course) is all beautiful young women, and this might just be the virgin Onizuka's big chance. But probably not.
Fujisawa has a formula with "GTO," and it gets played out here. Onizuka slowly wins the respect of the hard-as-nails foster kids with his skills at video games and his reckless disregard for decorum. Of course, one of the girls has local gang ties and tries to get Onizuka to quit by sicking local hoodlums on him.... Read more ›
I was worried that after not having read any "GTO" for so many years that I might be lost in the backstory, but no such problems. Fujisawa Toru jumps you straight into the story, and it is like I haven't missed a beat. As a character, Onizuka Eikichi is straight-forward and likeable; you don't need much continuity or baggage, just wind him up and let him go. Mischief and mayhem are guaranteed to follow.
That being said, there is no setup whatsoever. If you hadn't read at least a few of the earlier "GTO" books then you might be lost. Fujisawa just assumes everyone knows who the characters are, and I wouldn't recommend this for first-time readers.
In "14 Days in Shonan," Onizuka opens his mouth a little wide on national TV, confessing that he once buried a student alive on accident. The public outrage sends him scrambling for a hiding place, and he winds up in the White Swan Children's Home which is a foster home for unwanted kids and runaways. The staff (of course) is all beautiful young women, and this might just be the virgin Onizuka's big chance. But probably not.
Fujisawa has a formula with "GTO," and it gets played out here. Onizuka slowly wins the respect of the hard-as-nails foster kids with his skills at video games and his reckless disregard for decorum. Of course, one of the girls has local gang ties and tries to get Onizuka to quit by sicking local hoodlums on him.... Read more ›
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