10 best anime to watch if you like Great Teacher Onizuka

Great Teacher Onizuka, also known as GTO, is a popular comedy anime series about Eikichi Onizuka, a 22-year-old ex-biker gang member who becomes a teacher to a group of students at a high school.

Onizuka uses eccentric and unorthodox methods to earn the trust and respect of his students while attempting to expose the truth about the faculty.

The anime is known for its crude humor, wacky characters, life lessons, and emotional storylines. For fans who enjoyed GTO and are looking for similar anime series, here are 10 of the best anime like Great Teacher Onizuka.

10 best anime for fans of Great Teacher Onizuka

1. Assassination Classroom

Assassination Classroom (Image via Lerche)

Assassination Classroom follows the students of Class 3-E, a group of academic underachievers and social outcasts. Their teacher is a mysterious tentacled creature who destroyed most of the moon and now threatens to do the same to planet Earth within a year.

This strange teacher makes a deal with the students - he will teach them both academics and assassination techniques to take him down, while the students have to successfully assassinate him before graduation to save Earth.

Despite his frightening speed and abilities, the teacher earnestly supports each student, helping them overcome their weaknesses using unique teaching methods tailored to them. Like Onizuka from GTO, this teacher deeply cares for the growth and well-being of his motley crew of students.

2. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (Image via Brain's Base)

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, also known by its Japanese abbreviation Oregairu, revolves around apathetic and cynical Hachiman Hikigaya, who has a grim outlook on life and interpersonal relationships.

However, through his involvement in the Volunteer Service Club at school, he gets to know the club’s only other members – the independent and level-headed Yukino Yukinoshita and vivacious Yui Yuigahama. The three help various students at their high school solve problems.

Like Great Teacher Onizuka, Oregairu features misfit students helping each other. The anime’s dry humor and focus on character growth also echo GTO’s tones.

3. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (Image via J.C. Staff, Egg Firm)

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. is a supernatural comedy that revolves around protagonist Kusuo Saiki, a high school student who has a wide range of psychic abilities. This includes teleportation, telekinesis, mind reading, and more.

While these powers may seem incredibly useful, Saiki finds them mostly troublesome as all he wants is to live a normal quiet life. But between his nosy classmates always getting into problems and his own unconventional family, he keeps getting dragged into all kinds of crazy and humorous situations against his wishes.

With similarly eccentric characters constantly causing comedic chaos that the stoic protagonist has to deal with, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. should appeal to fans of GTO's distinct humor and weirdness.

4. School Rumble

School Rumble is a delightful romantic comedy anime following the students of Yagami High School, focusing primarily on the tangled romantic interests between Kenji Harima, Tenma Tsukamoto, and various other eccentric students.

The socially awkward Kenji is tough and rebellious but secretly has a major crush on Tenma, who in turn harbors feelings for their other classmate Karasuma. Unbeknown to both, Karasuma likes Tenma. Those are just a few of the many one-sided crushes and unrequited loves at this school.

For those who were entertained by GTO's goofy and lovable characters always finding themselves in silly situations, School Rumble captures that spirit perfectly for a fun watch.

5. Silver Spoon

For a slice-of-life comedy drama similar to Great Teacher Onizuka, Silver Spoon is a great choice. It’s about Yugo Hachiken, a city boy who joins an agricultural high school to escape the pressures of competitive academics.

At Ooezo Agricultural High School, Yugo experiences all aspects of farming life and struggles to fit into his new environment. Like Onizuka, Yugo plays the role of a fish out of water who must adapt to unfamiliar territory.

With eccentric new friends, teachers, and staff, Yugo learns important life lessons about passion, teamwork, and what he truly wants from life. For those who liked GTO for its humor and heart, Silver Spoon offers more of the same.

6. Hinamatsuri

Hinamatsuri is a supernatural comedy focused on a young girl named Hina with psychokinetic abilities, who suddenly appears in yakuza member Yoshifumi Nitta’s apartment. He ends up taking her under his wing and soon more kids with supernatural powers become involved in his life.

With a similar mix of rowdy humor and unexpected heartfelt moments from its cast of mismatched characters, Hinamatsuri echoes the appeal of Great Teacher Onizuka’s weird central teacher-student dynamic. And like Onizuka, Nitta’s move into a parental role to take care of these children leads to plenty of laughs.

7. SKET Dance

SKET Dance (Image via Tatsunoko Production)

SKET Dance follows the Support, Kindness, Encouragement, and Troubleshoot club at school as they get roped into solving various trivial or major problems plaguing students and faculty.

With their penchant for mischief and straight-up comedy, the SKET brigade brings laughs even while helping others.

With another big-hearted protagonist aiding troubled students, SKET Dance matches the zany humor and uncouth yet kind nature of Great Teacher Onizuka perfectly. The lighthearted episodic format also feels akin to GTO’s structure.

8. Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun

Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (Image via Doga Kobo)

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun is an incredibly funny romantic comedy focused on Chiyo Sakura and her crush, Umetaro Nozaki. After she confesses her feelings, Nozaki reveals he is secretly a famous shōjo manga artist.

From then on, Sakura and her quirky schoolmates get caught up in silly situations posing for Nozaki’s manga panels or dealing with misunderstandings in their own budding relationships.

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun mirrors Great Teacher Onizuka’s high school setting and wacky character dynamics. With similar exaggerated humor and a kind-hearted undertone, Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun makes for an entertaining watch for GTO fans.

9. Beelzebub

Beelzebub has a very similar premise to Great Teacher Onizuka, with the lead character Tatsumi Oga having to raise the demon king's infant son. He soon discovers that the baby sticks to him like glue and causes chaos that affects Tatsumi's high school life.

With Tatsumi taking on an unlikely caregiver role while being a delinquent himself, Beelzebub captures the spirit of Great Teacher Onizuka. Tatsumi also helps his friends deal with bullies in the same way as Onizuka aids his students against problematic teachers. The mix of juvenile humor, dynamic characters, and action also align in both series.

10. Cromartie High School

Cromartie High School (Image via Production I.G)

Cromartie High School revolves around protagonist Takashi Kamiyama and the wacky delinquents at his high school, which is notorious for its rowdy students.

Upon transferring, Takashi is quickly pulled into the antics of his eccentric classmates, like robot student Mechazawa and Freddie, who doesn’t actually go to the school but just enjoys hanging out there.

With a similarly absurd premise fueled by nonsensical humor and deadpan delivery, Cromartie High School aligns well with Great Teacher Onizuka’s brand of comedy. The delinquent students getting lectured by teachers also mirrors GTO’s dynamics and episodic format.

Conclusion

Finding another anime series that matches the perfect blend of crude comedy, heartwarming stories, and great characters seen in Great Teacher Onizuka is no easy task. However, the 10 shows discussed here come remarkably close in terms of humor, themes, and overall entertainment value for GTO fans.

Fans of Great Teacher Onizuka should give these eclectic yet similar comedy, slice-of-life, drama, and romance anime series a try. They capture the essence of this anime with their quirky mentors, troublesome students, crude humor, and impactful moments focused on life lessons and friendship. There's something for every Great Teacher Onizuka fan among these highly recommended shows.