Shonan Junai Gumi

Shonan Junai Gumi (Japanese: 湘南純愛組!, Hepburn: Shōnan Jun’ai Gumi!, “Shōnan Pure Love Gang!”) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tooru Fujisawa. It was published by Kodansha from October 1990 to October 1996, compiled in 31 volumes, and has been re-released in a deluxe edition of 15 volumes, from May to December 2005. Multiple adaptations were established during the series’ run, such as a five-episode anime OVA series released on VHS from 1994 to 1997, a Japanese television drama, and several live action movies. This is the manga that introduced the character Eikichi Onizuka, who would later star in the more popular sequel series Great Teacher Onizuka. Overall, the manga have sold over 45 million copies.

The deluxe edition of the manga has been licensed for North America by Tokyopop, which retitled it GTO: The Early Years, although the editions retain Shonan Junai Gumi as a subtitle. The first volume was released in June 2006. The Tokyopop editions ended with volume 10. Publisher Vertical Inc continued and concluded the series in 2012.