CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

I just finished this series today. Who else has seen it and what are your thoughts?

Try watching the Live Version. You'll love the lessons as well as the laughs. GREATOOOO!!!!

Wow, how could I miss this thread?

Have I seen it.... *looks at his signature*

My thoughts.... "Pure genius."

Anyways, GTO is one of my personal favorites. It has everything from comedy to serious life situations. I finished watching this series about.... well a long time ago. Too bad I bought the dvd's seperately, I really want the GTO Box art and the shirt. Darn.

Oh, and I just finished downloading all the episodes of GTO live. TO be honest, it's almost the same as the anime, just real people. The story line is fairly close to each other. But I'm not too surprised because I believe the anime was created after the manga and the GTO live drama.

Like I'ved said, it's one of my favorite animes ever. Guess I like it so much because I can really relate the Onizuka in so many ways. Mr. Onizuka is the man!
*does his GTO point*

*Side Note*

I hate to be the bad guy here, but though there are things that I really like about GTO, this isnt really the type of anime that you would bring home to your folks or want your pastor to watch with you... So before you rush off and pick up a copy, just be warned that its rated OT (older Teen) for a reason.

*goes to see if there is a GTO review in the reviews section*

-kaji

I hate to be the bad guy here, but though there are things that I really like about GTO, this isnt really the type of anime that you would bring home to your folks or want your pastor to watch with you... So before you rush off and pick up a copy, just be warned that its rated OT (older Teen) for a reason.

I doubt a pastor wouldn't want to watch about 99% of the animes out there. Although there are some adult situations and suggestive dialogue; I know my limits.

Personally, I don't think GTO is much worse then most shows on american tv for that matter. I'll be the first to admit it's not for everyone... because it's not. People just need to be aware of what they can tolerate and what they can't.

In my personal opinion, GTO has a good story and a solid cast. If you like animes that are funny yet have a serious side to it... then I would suggest it. If you can't handle a few crude/adult jokes... then I wouldn't suggest it. But yes, it does have a 16+ age rating. Precaution.

I doubt a pastor wouldn't want to watch about 99% of the animes out there. Although there are some adult situations and suggestive dialogue; I know my limits.

Im sorry agasfas, I didnt mean to make it sound like an attack on you, I didnt meant to question your viewing limits. I only wanted to give people reading this a warning of the content (since none was previously given).

But since we are having a discussion I would like to comment on a few things you said. Again I am not trying to attack you in any way, and I can see the fun/humor in GTO.

Personally, I don't think GTO is much worse then most shows on american tv for that matter. I'll be the first to admit it's not for everyone... because it's not. People just need to be aware of what they can tolerate and what they can't.

I agree with you, main stream TV has become pretty trashy over the years (temptaion island, jerry springer, and even some of the humor in regular sitcoms) but it doesnt really do any justice to compare two faults to one another. Just because certain things have become the norm for society does not make them right (or the standard the we as christians should go by). Trying to justify adultry by compairing it to murder doesnt really work. (Exagerated example to prove a point)

Also, it shouldnt really be about what you can 'tolerate', rather what God would think is acceptible (and says is acceptible).

In my personal opinion, GTO has a good story and a solid cast. If you like animes that are funny yet have a serious side to it... then I would suggest it. If you can't handle a few crude/adult jokes... then I wouldn't suggest it. But yes, it does have a 16+ age rating. Precaution.

Yes, I agree, the characters are very likeable and the story was interesting (for the few volumes I read/watched) but the caution is at more then just a FEW crude/adult jokes.

For starters, the 22 year old-exbiker (main character) wants to be a teacher for only two reasons (to start with), he thinks it will be easy and so he can get 'close' to highschool girls. There arent just a few adult jokes, the entire series is full of 'up-skirt' humor, where you repeatedly see people (young woman) in their underware (often up their skirts, in ways that you wouldn’t see on even normal TV shows), sexual advances that include touching woman inapropriately, and sexual situations; such as a student stripping off their cloths to do their laundry infront of their teacher, fain their teacher into thinking they want to have sex, students creating pornographic pictures to frame their teacher, tieing up your female students and pulling down their pants to 'spank them', and other 'strange' situations.

Rarely does a volume go by that some perverted instance (be it a joke or not) doenst goes by.

Im sorry agasfas, I really DO like how herroic Onizuka is at times, and his resiliant-'do anyting for the students' attitude. But there is just so much mud splattered on the rest of this series.

-kaji

Point taken and it just simply goes to show that you have your prefs, level of discertnment and convictions and we have ours. As for showing it to pastors. Now don't get me wrong, unless he's an old hard-lined, traditional stuff-shirt. I don't think pastors in general would go balistic and call you a heathen for watching it.

Agreed, it has a lot of "mud-splatters" and that the hero has a lot to be disired at a Christian standpoint. But then, there are things he did and said which kind of hits our Christian sensibilities like a tons of bricks. And you find yourself asking, "Shouldn't we Christians be doing this...", and the irony of it all its coming from a foul-mouthed ex-biker whose goal in life is to become a teacher and chase skirts.

EX:
Onizuka says: "Don't just call me teacher when it's convinient!"

Jesus Christ is our God and our teacher, I wonder if how many of us is guilty of calling Him our God and our teacher only when it is convinient for us? At the very least Onichi is being honest to himself and others on who he is, unlike his counterparts who put up fake "goody-goody" facade just to save their behinds.

BTW-This also isn't an attack on your sensiblities. In fact I encourage it! It just means that this is one thing we different preferences. You like wienners while I like hotdogs. I just wanted to also show the other side of this series which I hope others with a much more broader discernment can appreciate, especially beyond the worldly, foul-mouth exterior of GTO.

kaji wrote:Im sorry agasfas, I didnt mean to make it sound like an attack on you, I didnt meant to question your viewing limits. I only wanted to give people reading this a warning of the content (since none was previously given).

Oh I know, I completely understand. Sorry if it seemed like I was mad, because I'm not. I was actually agreeing with you for the most part . I was just stating how GTO has its good and it's bad points. And yes, although GTO does have quite of bit of adult jokes, I've noticed it starts to taper off the second half of the anime focusing more on the characters relationship with each other - more of a dramatic feel.

The reason I think GTO is such a hit both in Japan and the US is because it seems like a dose of reality. It's easy to relate to some of the characters]
Onizuka says: "Don't just call me teacher when it's convinient!" ...
At the very least Onichi is being honest to himself and others on who he is, unlike his counterparts who put up fake "goody-goody" facade just to save their behinds.[/quote]
Yeah, that's what I really like about Onizuka; he is true to himself. Sometimes it's hard to see through Onizuka's initial persona, but Onizuka really does have a big heart. He cares for the well being of this students and his friends. Onizuka always does what is right, no matter how difficult the end result may be.

Word of caution. Though it's good that you can decipher this through his rough Unchristian like exterior. Writing a wrong with another wrong doesn't make it right. In the live version Onizuka still goes to jail for the mess he has done. For me it
it's just irony that a foul mouth sinner would begin to preech to us supposed goody-goody Christians (that includes me...)

Cracknut wrote: Now don't get me wrong, unless he's an old hard-lined, traditional stuff-shirt. I don't think pastors in general would go balistic and call you a heathen for watching it.

No, I don’t really even know a pastor that has done that to any one… But I’m sure they would probably leave the room/want to watch something else, and they sure wouldn’t encourage you to continue watching it.

Cracknut wrote: Agreed, it has a lot of "mud-splatters" and that the hero has a lot to be disired at a Christian standpoint. But then, there are things he did and said which kind of hits our Christian sensibilities like a tons of bricks. And you find yourself asking, "Shouldn't we Christians be doing this...", and the irony of it all its coming from a foul-mouthed ex-biker whose goal in life is to become a teacher and chase skirts.

True, I particularly liked the part in Vol.02 where he stands up for the kids that have been ‘written off’ by the schools administration and suplexes the Vice Principle. ^_^
I really am glad that you were able to apply some lesson give in the story to your own Christian walk] EX:
Onizuka says: "Don't just call me teacher when it's convinient!"

Jesus Christ is our God and our teacher, I wonder if how many of us is guilty of calling Him our God and our teacher only when it is convinient for us? At the very least Onichi is being honest to himself and others on who he is, unlike his counterparts who put up fake "goody-goody" facade just to save their behinds.[/quote]
Though you may find some ‘Christian like’ lessons in GTO, I’m sure that you do not watch it because of these. Rather, you probably watch it because you find it very entertaining. Using those few lessons as a cover for the large amount of ‘unchristian’ behavior, sounds a lot like the same excuses some of Onizuka’s ‘counterparts’ make to cover their behinds...

Point taken and it just simply goes to show that you have your prefs, level of discernment and convictions and we have ours.

Deciding whether this anime (or any media for that matter) is acceptable should have little to do with our own preferences, and more to do with God preferences for our lives.

-kaji

I doubt a pastor wouldn't want to watch about 99% of the animes out there.

My dad's a youth pastor and he likes anime.

My friend knows GTO...it doesn't sound like something I'd want to see. She said it can be very bad sometimes...

~~~

When you said mainstream TV's gotten bad...I totally agree. Fear Factor's host says h*** at least three times every episode, Everyone Loves Raymond had an episode about sex...it's so ridiculous.

GTO has a lot of bad stuff in it. . . but it is funny. I hate it but even I laugh at some of the stuff. I am finishing watching the series right now. The thing that lets me actually want to finish the series is Onizuka having a moral spot, even if it only shows up for an instant. The perverted idiot teacher is the one to save the student. . .

kaji wrote:Though you may find some ‘Christian like’ lessons in GTO, I’m sure that you do not watch it because of these. Rather, you probably watch it because you find it very entertaining. Using those few lessons as a cover for the large amount of ‘unchristian’ behavior, sounds a lot like the same excuses some of Onizuka’s ‘counterparts’ make to cover their behinds...-kaji

That's the reason why I posted a word of caution in watching something like GTO. It is definately not for everybody. One could easily exptrapulate the wrong notion if not mature enough. And like I said about Onizuka's personality, two wrongs don't definately make a right. That's the reason why in the live version I applauded the fact he had to go jail because he knew that he was wrong himself. As for those few lessons, sometimes it's those few lessons even we Christian stumble over and the way we react to Onizuka's behavior is very natural we could easily judge and critizize the obvious external sins like being foul-mouthed and violent. But what about being uncaring, self-centered and yes prideful. These are all have the same weight of offense and the danger of these particular sins is that it canbe very subtle. BTW, I like your last statement, very insiteful.

kaji wrote: Deciding whether this anime (or any media for that matter) is acceptable should have little to do with our own preferences, and more to do with God preferences for our lives.

I Love what you said here. The tricky thing about media nowadays is that there is lots of it.(Believe me working for an animation studio you experience a lot of things.) It's like when Paul went to the Greeks and found himself in a marketplace full of ideas. Yes, we should look everything though the eyes of the Holy Spirit. But funny thing when one does is that the Holy Spirit shows many different things to many different people depending on the individual's level of maturity as well as preference. Why? because God created us wonderfuly different. Your preferences are a part of the makeup God has design you. Does it make you inferior, no. Does it make you better definately not. But it does help us teach things other Christians do not know about God and vice versa. No one in our Family has a monopoly on God's wisdom. This is the uniqueness about Christians, though we don't see eye to eye when it comes to certain negotiable issues like anime (or GTO) we could still live in unity.

By the way does not mean you're not my friend? Please be my freiend please, please, please. I'll give you a candy.....*slobber"

Cracknut wrote:By the way does not mean you're not my friend? Please be my freiend please, please, please. I'll give you a candy.....*slobber"

Oooo candy...
Really, we dont need to agree on every thing to be friends. If all my friends completely agreed with me on every thing, it would make for some pretty boring discussions.

-kaji