GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka)
GTO or Great Teacher Onizuka is the manga series written by Tooru Fujisawa and originally appeared in Weekly Shonen Magazine from 1997 to 2002. GTO is a continuation of Fujisawa’s first and second manga series, ShonanJunai Gumi and Bad Company.
The Story
GTO talks about the story of Eikichi Onizuka, used to be a gang member, 22 years old and still a virgin. When a chance to finally sleep with a girl came but was interrupted by an ugly teacher who showed influenced to the girl he was supposed to sleep with (the teacher is her ex-boyfriend), Onizuka decided to be a teacher.
As Onizuka practice reaching, he learned a lot from it, understands the system and pities the student for growing ignorant. Oftentimes, Onizuka is teaching his students with life lessons and deviates from the regular school lessons. He forgot his desire to win girls but rather set out to become the best and greatest teacher. Will he be able to change the life of his students in Kichijoji? See GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) more on wiki at here
GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) Backstory
The story of GTO has been based from the works of KouheiTsuka. According to Fujisawa, it was originally a ten volume story but due to his publisher’s request, the story was extended. There are episodes when Onizuka is not in the story and that is because the writer is having mental blocks. Fujisawa admitted that most part of the story were based on his experience as a student and that Onizuka is a portrayal of what a teacher should be to every students.
GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) Manga and Anime versions
The manga series of GTO was published in Weekly Shonen Magazine with 25 volumes from 1997 to 2002. A second part of the series was produced and published by the same magazine in 2009 and a new series, GTO: Paradise Lost started running in Young Magazine in April 2014.
The anime series of GTO started airing in 1999 and ended in 2001 with 43 episodes. It was released in a 10-DVD pack in North America in 2002 and was rereleased in a 7-DVD pack in 2013.
GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) Famous Character
The famous character of GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) is the teacher himself, Eikichi Onizuka. Despite being a biker, a gang member and 22 years old, Onizuka is still a virgin. Since he is a virgin, what he normally do is peep on girls that are wearing skirts. When he realized that teachers can have influence on girls, he decided to become a teacher. Onizuka became a private school teacher because he forgot to take the civil service exam and became a teacher at Holy Forest Academy where he needs to deal with a problematic class – the class had caused their teachers to go insane while one committed suicide. Will he be able to deal with these students without succumbing to their bullying?
GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) Reception
Most reviews received by GTO are positive. Jason Thompson refers to the series as hilarious while Jonathan Clements said the series is a good one for teenagers and students.
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Gakusen Toshi Asterisk is a Japanese novel series illustrated by Okiura. It was written by Yuu Mizakazi who is Japan based writer. Since September 2012 Media Factory published 8 volumes under MF Bunko J imprint. From January 2013 manga adaptation and art by Ningen began it premier in Media Factory`s seinen magazine Monthly Comic Alive. December 2015 the first half of the anime started airing which is licensed by Aniplex of America. The next will air in April 2016.
The animation has the following characters: Ayato Amagiri, Julis-Alexia, Saya Sasamiya, Claudia Enfield, Kirin Tōdō, Lester MacPhail, Eishirō Yabuki, Kyōko Yatsuzaki, Ernest Fairclough, Ernesta Kühne, Camilla Pareto, Fan Xinglu, Dirk Eberwein, Irene Urzaiz, Priscilla Urzaiz and Sylvia Lyyneheym.
In the start of the series, Amagiri Ayato is the new student of Seidokan Academy who uses the Amagiri Shinmei Combat Style. His first day Julius challenges him into a duel, due to what happened when they first met. During the duel, Julius is attacked with an arrow by unknown attackers and Ayato saves her. The battle is stopped by Claudia.
Ayato meets his childhood friend by the name Saya at school after 6 years of not seeing each other due to Saya relocating to overseas. The next day Julius shows Ayato and Saya around school and the town for saving her life during the duel. Saya claimed that Ayato is so powerfull that none of his opponents lived to survived to tell the tale which Julius does not believe. Saya also claims that he came to Seidokan to examine his sister’s disappearance but a later claim is to protect Julius.
Julius is ranked 5 in Seidokan Academy. She entered the phoenix tournament for the money that she needed for an orphanage at her home.
Saya is Ayatp’s childhood friend. She seems to not to have feelings for anybody but blushes when she is around Ayato.
Claudia Enfieldia the Seidokan Academy Student Council Head is ranked 2nd in the academy.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
After the events of the Calamity War in Gundam, "Iron-Blooded Orphans" continues the story 300 years later. Having enough of the battle, the previous power leaders were overthrown, replaced by new leaders who will rule the new Earth Sphere. The same situation cannot be said for Mars though, where conflicts have arisen, and a new war threat looms over the world once again. Mikazuki Augus, the protagonist, is a member of the security firm Chryse Guard Security (CGS), located in the Martian city Chryse. He has been tasked to protecting a young girl named Kudelia to Earth. Kudelia, as an important figure in Mars, will attempt to negotiate with Earth. However, an elite unit of Gjallarhorn attacks CGS, attempting to kill Kudelia. CGS's officials ordered Mikazuki and his squad to act as decoy and hold off the sudden attack as they escape the facility. Mikazuki's squad instead uses this opportunity to launch a coup d'état. As the threat of Gjallarhorn still approaches, Mikazuki tried to hold back his opponents, stumbling across a scrap from the Calamity War being used as a generator, the Gundam Barbatos.
Like the original Gundam series, Mobile Suit Gundam starts off with a basic plot, involving an independent squad who will try to gain independence from Earth. Mobile Suit Gundam sticks to the simple art found in the Gundam series, something fans of the old series may enjoy. The sound effects are something which are done very well. The sound of scenery, fighting and even dying will make viewers feel like they are actually in the Gundam Suit watching the battles close up. The main characters introduced so far show interesting characteristics, a lot of character development and possible vital roles, but expect to see several die in future episodes as in Gundam. The plot and dialogue has been written to many viewers' liking, engulfing them the moment battles begin and the cliffhangers add to the excitement. Fans of the first Gundam series would really enjoy Mobile Suit Gundam, while those unfamiliar with Gundam can start off right away with this anime as well, as Mobile Suit Gundam is a completely separate story and a great one to begin with.
Tokyo Ghoul
Imagine Tokyo, a city full of murders, horror, and people who looks like normal people but are actually ghouls – merciless and vicious creatures. This is Tokyo Ghoul. It is manga series created by Sui Ishida and was published in Weekly Young Jump from 1011 to 2014. This dark fantasy manga series had a 2-season anime adaptation that run from 2014 to 2015. Watch Tokyo Ghoul more on wiki click here
The Story
The city of Tokyo is being ravaged by “ghouls”, creatures that looks like human but are vicious enough to kill people. They leave murders around the city without any clues for the police to investigate. Tokyo Ghoul follows the story of Ken Kaneki who met and dated Rize Kamishiro, a ghoul. The date ended bad with Kaneki ending at a hospital with a need for transplant from Rize’s. Having some of Rize’s organs, Kaneki realized that he is now half human and half ghoul and in order to survive, he needs to consume human flesh as well. Kaneki was taken in by the ghouls in his neighborhood and was taught the ghouls’ way while keeping his other life from real people around him.
Tokyo Ghoul’s Main Character
Ken Kaneki is the protagonist of Tokyo Ghoul, an 18 year old freshman student who accidentally dated a ghoul named Rize. When his date tried to attack him, he fought. Rize was accidentally hit by a falling I-beam hence Kaneki survived through organ transplant. The problem was, the organs were from Rize Kaneki later realized that he has ghoul tendencies like the need to consume human flesh. As the manga series unfolds, Kaneki will be seen fighting his inner ghoul self to retain his remaining human self, keep his friends and avoid killing people.
Tokyo Ghoul: Manga Series
The manga series of Tokyo Ghoul had 14 volumes released under Young Jump Comics. Its English version was released by Viz Media in 2015. Due to its popularity, a prequel of the manga series was released in 2013 via Jump Live. The prequel happened 10 years before the Tokyo Ghoul story happened.
Tokyo Ghoul Adaptations
In 2014, the first episode of Tokyo Ghoul anime adaptation aired on TVA, TVQ, TVO and AT-X. The first season had 12 episodes. The second season of the anime aired in January 2015.
A video game adaptation was released by Bandai Namco Games for android phone users in 2015. The game involves creating a team of ghouls or investigators and exploring the area via a 3D map. A console game was released by PlayStation Vita in October, 2015, also developed by Bandai Namco Games.
A light novel spin off of Tokyo Ghoul also appeared in June, 2013, written by Shin Towada. The novel talks about the daily life of the characters of Tokyo Ghoul. In June, 2014, a second light novel was released by Towada and in December of the same year, the third light novel was released.
Tokyo Ghoul Reception
Tokyo Ghoul is one of the most successful newer manga series in Japan. In 2013, it was ranked #27 with an estimated sale of 1.6million copies while in 2014, it ranked 4th with more than 6 million copies sold.
Ace of Diamond
Ace of Diamond is a coming of age manga series that centers on baseball. This manga series is written by Yuji Terajima. The first episode of Ace of Diamond appeared in Weekly Shōnen Magazine in 2006. In 2013, the anime adaptation of Ace of Diamond was aired. Watch Ace of Diamond online at here
The Story
Ace of Diamond tells the adventure of Eijun Sawamura, a pitcher for their school’s baseball team. He is known for making unusual pitches. He and his friends planned to play baseball in their local high school team once they entered high school but a baseball scout from Seidou High (a famous and prestigious school for its baseball team) offered Sawamura a scholarship if he will enroll in their school. Aside from playing for the school’s baseball team, Sawamura is also offered a chance to play in the nationals if he will help the team win. Sawamura decided to enter Seidou High; yet, can he really help the team to win a national title?
Ace of DiamondMain Characters
Eijun Sawamura – is the protagonist of Ace of Diamond, a left handed pitcher. With his flexible body and muscles, he can pitch and change its direction effortlessly. Without proper training, Sawamura learned that he got a lot to improve on to become the ace player of Seidou High. He started playing when he was in middle school with a team that always losses. Sawamura was offered a scholarship and a chance to play in the nationals if he will enter Seidou High.
Satoru Furuya – is the right-handed rival of Sawamura. Furuya is known for his strong forkballs and fastballs; too strong that no catcher has caught it yet. That was in his middle school team. When he entered Seidou High, famous catcher Miyuki Kazuya caught his pitch easily, as well as his respect for Kazuya. Furuya is also known as the “monster rookie” in their high school baseball team. With the Tokyo heat that Furuya is not used to (he is from Hokkaido), Furuya cannot pitch that long.
Kazuya Miyuki – is the catcher of Seidou High baseball team. He is known for his warped personality but as well as for bringing out the best in their team’s pitchers. Miyuki’s only dream is to beat the team where Chris the catcher belongs, the only team that Miyuki didn’t beat.
Haruichi Kominato – is the second baseman of Seidou High baseball team. He is known for being small and not so strong looking appearance. He is known for his precision in terms of pointing where the ball lands after batting it and how far it will go. An all-rounder baseball player, Kominato is also known for his skill in catching ball in mid-air and throwing it while still on air.
Ace of Diamond Manga and Anime Series
The manga series of Ace of Diamond run from 2006 to 2015 producing a total of 47 volumes. In 2008, Ace of Diamond bagged the award for Shogakukan Manga Awards (shonen category) and in 2010; it won the Kodansha Manga Award for best shōnen manga. In 2011, Ace of Diamond ranked #25 as best-selling manga series and as of 2015, a total of 22 million copies have been sold so far.
In October, 2013, the anime adaptation of Ace of Diamond aired in TXN (TV Tokyo), AT-X and run for 75 episodes. The first season of the anime was directed by Mitsuyuki Masuhara and written by Takeshi Konuta. The second season continued to run on TXN (TV Tokyo), AT-X on April 2015 and is now on its 75th episode (prior to the writing of this article).
AkazukinChacha
AkazukinChacha is a shojo manga series or a series meant for the girls. It tells the story of Chacha as written by Min Ayahana. The series was published in magazine Ribon for a total of 13 volumes. An anime adaptation was announced and produced in 1994.
The Story
AkazukinChacha tells the story of Chacha, a girl with magical power who lives in Mochi-mochi Mountain. In her village, she is living with the greatest magician, her teacher and guardian Seravy. When practicing her power, Chacha is always making a mistake, saying the synonym of the word that she needs to say unless she is in trouble. Chacha befriended Riiya, a descendant of werewolves hence he is strong. Watch AkazukinChacha more at here
AkazukinChacha Anime Adaptation
Despite having the same character and settings, the manga and anime series differs in its story line. In the anime series, Seravy gave Chacha a pendant called Princess Medallion before she goes to school. This pendant allows Chacha to transform into a magical princess that can fight Daimaō's minions while shouting "Let Love, Courage and Hope -- Magical Princess Holy Up!" On the anime, Chacha and her friends, Shiine, and Riiya as well as Yakko and Orin are all part of her school class. The second season of the anime continued its different plot but on the third season, the anime became in line with the manga series.
AkazukinChacha Characters
Chacha – is blonde, young and has magical power. She has a teacher, Seravy. Her best friends are Riiya and Shiine with Riya as her love interest.
Riiya – Riiya is a descendant of werewolves and can transform into a white wolf anytime he wants. He is superior in strength because of this. Oftentimes, he is mistaken to a dog.
Shiine – is a wizard who loves doing house works. He is the student of Master Dorothy and is better in terms of magic as compared to Chacha.
AkazukinChacha Manga vs Anime Series
Since the two versions have different stories, there are some notable difference as well as to the theme of the stories. The manga series is light-hearted and funny while the anime is more serious, a bit darker. In the anime, Daimao is an additional character and he is not in the manga. The two versions also tell different ways on how Seravy got hold of Chacha.
AkazukinChacha Success
The manga version of AkazukinChacha had a total of 94 episodes compiled into 13 volumes. It was released in 2003 but in 2006, a special edition of AkazukinChacha composing 6 volumes were re-released. A new version of the manga series was republished in 2012 under the new name "AkazukinChacha N".
The anime adaptation of AkazukinChacha has 74 episodes broadcasted for three seasons. The series was broadcasted in Southern Asia, China and Philippines.
There were three OVA’s released as well absed on the story of Chacha plus three video games.
Battle Royale
Battle Royale is a Japanese manga series written by Koushun Takami. The illustrations were created by Masayuki Taguchi. The manga series was based on the novel written by Takami of the same name. Battle Royale is about a class of junior high schools who were forced to kill each other in order to live. Th manga series was serialized in Young Champion Magazine and run from 2000 to 2005 with 15 volumes.
The Story
The story started when a selected class of junior high schools went on a believed to be “study trip”. The students were gassed and woke up in an island with metal collars in their neck. The protagonist of the story is Shuya Nanahara and along with Noriko Nakagawa, they will try to fight back while avoiding killing their classmates so they can live on.
Battle Royale Characters
Shuya Nanahara – known as Shu, he is an orphan who witnessed a lot of real life troubles at a young age. On the island, Shu wanted to show his classmates that he can trust them so they can all live together but it failed. He eventually escaped the battle.
Noriko Nakagawa – is the love interest of Shu and the only person who survived the battle aside from Shu. She was shot in the leg and was brought to the pharmacy by Shu and Shogo. In the manga series, Noriko migrated to the US with Shu after her family rejected her. In an effort to get to her, the police abducted her brother hence her family’s anger towards her.
Shogo Kawada – is a transferee, the new guy in the class and a loner. Shogo was part of the last Battle Royale along with his girlfriend who died and he opted to be part of the current Battle Royale so he can avenge her death. He won the trust of Shu and Noriko and promised to help them escape the Battle.
Battle Royale History
Battle Royale was written first as a novel by Takamiin 1996 but was only published in 1999. Takami entered Battle Royale to the Japan Grand Prix Horror Novel competition but was dis1ualified in 1997. When it finally got published, it became a surprise bestseller with over a million copies sold. When it was adapted for a manga series, the story was kept as close as possible to the novel. The only changes made were the added stories for each character.
Other Battle Royale Adaptation
One of the earliest adaptations of Battle Royal is the English language release by Tokyopop, written by Keith Giffen. The English adaptation was good except when the story line was changed from a school trip turned into a battle into a Reality Show battle. Because of the changes, some of the plots had loopholes while some scenes became bizarre.
Another adaptation was made by Conrad Editora from Brazil where a Portuguese version was released in 2006. In 2011, a Spanish version was also published by Editorial Ivrea.
In 2000, a Japanese live action film adaptation of Battle Royale was released with Tatsuya Fujiwara as Shuya and Aki Maeda as Noriko. The film became a blockbuster in Japan despite being banned and excluded internationally due to its extreme violence contents. So far, the live action adaptation of Battle Royale is one of the ten highest grossing films in Japan.