In this prequel to the GTO franchise Fujisawa reveals the origins of the legendary street gang called the OniBaku. Set in the lazy surfers town of Shonan a few miles to the west of Tokyo, The Early Years reveals a lighter side to Eikichi Onizuka. At the same time, it also shows where he got his wild side as the leader of the rowdiest but smallest biker gang in eastern Japan. At its core the OniBaku (Explosive Demons) gang consists of schoolmates Eikichi Onizuka and Ryuji Danma. The two have been attached at the hip since middle school and as their lack of coordination left them lacking on the beach, their attention is generally focused on their friends, their bikes and the many babes that frequent the shores of Shonan. However as there are few things to keep teens occupied in Shonan, many kids who do not take up wholesome after school activities often kill time by getting into trouble. And while the OniBaku did not start off as a gang their solidarity and custom bikes have placed an unwanted target on their backs. While others might thrive in such a position, these two would rather head off into the sunset with dates holding them tightly. But being widely feared, this lifestyle does not exactly endear them to the opposite gender, so they decide to change their ways. However, this is easier said than done. The time has come...High School is almost over and their future awaits. Onizuka must figure out what his relationship with his best friends are and Danma must make his final decision on his romance life. Both have been through a lot over the last 6 years but in a matter of days their entire lives will be decided. So how best to resolve these problems than by doing what teenage bikers do best...Ride the streets with their best buds and settle things with their fists! A quick trip to the shore with Shinomi gives Onizuka a chance to tell this tough girl how he has felt about her all this time (it's a relationship that began in 7th grade). And the OniBaku have their legend come to a formal conclusion as the two brothers-in-arms take on each other before hundreds in Shonan for the first and final time! And when the dust settles the two friends, beaten and battered, leap from a 5-story building to their end... The end of their time as Street Performers! Now they will go their seperate ways - one to Tokyo and one to Yokohama - to make it on their own as adults! It's the Shonan way!