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Nanako Matsushima Returns as Azusa in Live-Action GTO Revival Special

The official Twitter account for GTO Revival, the television sequel special to the 1998 live-action series of Tohru Fujisawa's GTO manga, announced on Tuesday that Nanako Matsushima is reprising her role from the 1998 GTO live-action series. She returns as Azusa Fuyutsuki, Onizuka's former colleague who is now a flight attendant.

The new special's story sees Onizuka assigned as a teacher to Sōtoku Academy, which is currently troubled by a popular online influencer exposing secrets of both students and faculty. Everyone at school becomes suspicious of everyone else, thinking that the influencer is someone who studies or works there.

The special will premiere on April 1 on Kansai TV, Fuji TV, and their network affiliates. Takashi Sorimachi returns to the role of protagonist Eikichi Onizuka.

Other cast members include:

• Shinya Kote (top left in image above) as Takeshi Fujiyamada, the principal of Sōtoku Academy
• Sae Okazaki (top center) as Miyu Ayahara, Japanese history and homeroom teacher of Sōtoku's class 3-1
• Kōsuke Suzuki (top right) as Kōichi Ichikawa, Suzuka's father and a politician up for election in the Japanese lower house
• Mei Hata (bottom left) as Rin Endō, a student of class 3-1 whose family has been targeted by an online influencer
• Rikako Yagi (bottom center) as Suzuka Ichikawa, an honors student of class 3-1
• Wataru Hyūga (bottom right) as Haruto Uno, a student who got in on a baseball scholarship but can no longer play due to an injury

Fuji TV previously announced six characters that will reprise their roles from the 1998 GTO live-action series, including Hiroyuki Ikeuchi (top left in image above) as Kunio Murai, Yūta Yamazaki (top center) as Masaru Watanabe, Yōsuke Kubozuka (top right) as Yoshito Kikuchi, Hidenori Tokuyama (bottom left) as Kenji Youda, Shun Oguri (bottom center) as Noboru Yoshikawa, and Naohito Fujiki (bottom right) as Ryuji Saejima.

Meet Eikichi Onizuka, a 22-year-old virgin and ex-biker. He's crude, foul-mouthed, and has a split-second temper. His goal, to be the greatest high school teacher in the world!

Of course, the only reason he wants to be a teacher is so he can try and score with the hot students? Before Onizuka can become a teacher, he's got to work as a student teacher to earn his credentials.

He may think he's the toughest guy on campus, but when he meets his class full of bullies, blackmailers and scheming sadists, he'll have to prove it.

The original manga inspired a television anime, as well as the 1998 live-action series adaptation, various television specials over the years, and a live-action film in 2000. GTO: The Early Years inspired a new live-action series adaptation in February 2020.

Fujisawa launched the GTO: Paradise Lost spinoff manga in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine in April 2014, and it is ongoing. Kodansha USA Publishing also releases the manga digitally in English. Fujisawa stated in 2021 that GTO: Paradise Lost is intended to be the "last" manga in the GTO series.

Sources: GTO Revival Twitter account, Comic Natalie