GTO, Vol. 4: The Test (1999)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Based on the manga by Tohru Fujisawa
Directed by Hiroyuki Ishido, Shigeki Hatakeyama, Akihiro Enomoto, Naoyasu Hanyu, and Hiroto Kato

Features:

• Eye-catches
  
• Textless opening and closing
  
• Interview with creator Fujisawa
  
• Character sketches
  
• Motion menus
  
• English and Japanese audio
  
• English subtitles
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• Cursing
• Smoking
• Suicide blonde

Released by: Tokyo Pop
Rated: OT, 16+
Region: 1
Anamorphic: N/A; episodes appear in their original 1.33:1 format

My Advice: Buy it, as with all GTO volumes

When last we met with Great Teacher Onizuka, he was preparing for his test--if he doesn’t get the highest score in the nation, then he’s fired. But on his way to the test, Onizuka foils a kidnapping, making him miss most of his test. Then, notorious teacher-killer, Urumi Kanzaki, returns to school for the challenge of destroying Onizuka. Not only is she gorgeous, she’s a genius, and Onizuka isn’t the only teacher to feel the pain of having her in their class. Will Holy Forest Academy and Onizuka be able to withstand the onslaught of this dangerous student?

The characters in this series continue to get better and better. We learn more about Onizuka’s strengths and weaknesses here, but he continues to grow as a real teacher and a good human being. The addition of Urumi to the mix seems initially like another complication, but it could be Onizuka’s greatest triumph yet if, on future discs, he can tame this self-destructive genius.

The audio and video quality are on par with earlier releases in this series, which is to say that they are solid. The colors are crisp and clear with no shimmering, bleeding, or jagged edges. Even the eye-catches look just fine. The sound is equally good, with the soundtrack an enjoyable mix of rock and ambient.

The voice acting continues to be wonderful. I particularly like the English voice for Onizuka, though they are all dead-on emotionally and with respect to their personalities.

The disc comes with a pamphlet that contains some useful cultural notes to help you fully appreciate your watching experience. For example, it explains the Egyptian references in Episode (“Lesson”) 19, as well as some of the Japanese cultural references, such as the funeral greeting used out of context in the episode. Very helpful for even the seasoned otaku.

The special features list is nice here. We have Part 1 of an interview with the creator of GTO that sheds some light on this series in general--and is entertaining to boot. There is also the textless opening/closing and “Onizuka Gone Wild” (this time, Part IV) we saw on earlier volumes. The original character sketches are a great feature that I wish all anime titles would add.

All in all, this continues to be one of the best titles out there for anime fans and non-anime fans alike. Combining great characters with interesting plots, solid features, and good production values, if you haven’t checked this one out yet, you definitely should. Not just any title can pull off being a drama and a comedy, but this one can and does, with even a little action thrown in for good measure. Besides, at five episodes and some good features per disc, it is even a first-class value. Your high school days were probably nothing like this, but that’s not such a bad thing when you think about it, is it?