First look at GTO Revival thrills fans of the classic J-drama
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The sight of Japanese celebrity couple Takashi Sorimachi and Nanako Matsushima together again in a drama after 26 years has thrilled fans.
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The pair â who fell in love on the set of hit J-drama GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka (1998)Â and have been married since 2001 â will reunite on-screen and reprise their roles in GTO Revival, the much-anticipated spin-off set to air on April 1 in Japan.
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In GTO, Matsushima, 50, played teacher Azusa Fuyutsuki, who quit her job in the final episode to realise her dream of becoming a flight attendant. The character gets into a relationship with Eikichi Onizuka, a biker gangster-turned-teacher played by Sorimachi, also 50. In the series, Onizuka has to use creative ways to deal with a class of students facing various issues.
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The producers of GTO Revival have been releasing sneak peeks from the TV special on social media in the past month.
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The latest photo on the showâs social media accounts shows Sorimachi and Matsushima with co-stars Shun Oguri, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Yuta Yamazaki and Yosuke Kubozuka, who played students in the original series.
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Other images feature the new cast members who will play Onizukaâs current students, such as Rikako Yagi, Wataru Hyuga, Ryutaro Imai and Mei Hata.
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Fans of GTO said in the comment section that the latest image showing Sorimachi and Matsushima together was nostalgic and reminded them of their younger days. Others remarked that a âfirst lookâ photo of Matsushimaâs character in a flight attendant uniform was reminiscent of a similar role she played in J-drama Perfect Woman (2000).
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Yan, L. R. (2024b, March 26). First look at GTO Revival thrills fans of the classic J-drama. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/first-look-at-gto-revival-thrills-fans-of-the-classic-j-drama