Takashi Sorimachi's GTO Returns With New Series After 28 Years
The return of GTO after 28 years, with Sorimachi and Matsushima, and the introduction of modern school issues like Generation Z and teacher evaluation systems, marks a significant revival of a classic drama.
Reporting from 2 sources: Cinema Today, Magmix.
The new GTO drama starring Takashi Sorimachi as Eikichi Onizuka premiered on July 20, 2026. It is the first series in 28 years since the 1998 adaptation. Sorimachi and Nanako Matsushima reprise their roles. Episode 1 introduces a Generation Z teacher, a student feedback system, and a truant student. The opening four minutes contain a shocking development.
The new GTO series, which airs every Monday at 10 p.m., began on July 20. The first episode opens with Onizuka fired from multiple schools before landing a job at Private Seishin Gakuen, where the hiring manager is his former student Ryunosuke Miyazawa (Asuka Kudo). Onizuka faces a Generation Z teacher, Mio Kashiwabara (Meru Nomi), who has no passion for teaching, and a principal who prioritizes peace. The students are glued to their tablets, and a teacher feedback system threatens Onizuka's job. He also learns of a student, Kenta Katayama (Rikuto Morimoto), who is not attending school.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.