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Timeless classic that i can always come back to
I remember watching this show ages ago, maybe like 15 years ago or something. It popped back on my radar recently. I rewatched the show because it I remembered that it was funny with silly moments, and ofc the heartwarming moments of her getting to really know the students. Its a lot of older jokes that don't land the same, since nowadays its a bit more cliche. But the action comedy part of her being yakuza and also a teacher just makes the entire show funny. You can tell that she really want this but her quicks of how she grew up makes the teaching part much more difficult.It's a light drama for the most part, its easy to get through and be immersed in, as its got this "we are human, we make mistakes, its okay".
This is really a show that doesn't take itself too seriously but still somewhat serious. You have your silly moments - but you also have your heartwarming and moving moments.
If you want to watch this just keep in mind that this is an old show. So a lot might feel cliche and the archetypes that they play are overused, but this is a timeless classic.
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Unusual Comedy
This series, based on a webtoon, lasted for at least three seasons and a few movies. I sampled a few episodes of the webtoon and while the webtoon version is much more explicit the TV version seems to follow the basic story.The main character is a young woman (nicknamed Yankumi by her students) who is the granddaughter of the head of a major Yakuza family. Instead of inheriting her grandfather's leadership role her heart is set on becoming a high school teacher. Of course, if the school management were to officially learn of her true background she would be terminated.
She isn't just any normal young woman. For reasons that are never explained she has superhuman strength and fighting ability. The viewer is reminded every other episode or so of her unusual strength often when she accidentally knocks someone or something over. She is socially awkward and naive in developing relationships with men.
Her students are the bottom 10 or 20% or so of the senior class and thus less than studious. Her students often commit mistakes and one sin or another, but a frequent story line is one or more being unjustly accused of some crime they did not do but they've attracted blame. Yankumi has to struggle to correct the false accusation and protect her students from unjust punishment.
In pretty much every episode one or more students is getting beaten up and Yankumi runs to the rescue. She shows up and proclaims she's their teacher, lectures about nonviolence and other assorted virtues and then beats the crap out of the current episode's bad guy. There's a seasonal arc. The same pattern pretty much every episode is repeated as is the season arc over three seasons. The creators adapted from the Webtoon, found a formula that worked and repeat that formula with dedication.
In the second and third seasons the Yakuza grandfather becomes a source of wise advice in Yankumi overcoming the current episode's hurdle.
The show leans on comedy and as expected the darker side of the Yakuza is not dwelt upon. Once in the series late in the first season when Yankumi is thinking of quitting her teaching job she remarks that she will assist with the cash collections, i.e. the collection of protection money, but that's it.
In the webtoon version things are more explicit. For one example, the sexually charismatic teacher tells Yankumi that she's going to start a boys' choir club. In her prior job teaching middle school the boys were too young (and she got into trouble), but now that she's teaching high school seniors things are different (she expects to get away with it). She gives Yankumi (and each teacher) a list of three or four boys she regards as cute from Yankumi's class and wants her to ensure they volunteer, and she doesn't care if they can sing or not. Nothing like that appears in the TV version.
I recommend watching a few episodes which will tell you everything you need to decide whether to continue.
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If the manga is a 10/10, the anime is 7/10. If the anime was not good enough, the dorama is even less.
What is good:
The actors. Nakama Yukie looks exactly as Yankumi, and when she needs to appear sweet, she does, but when she has to fight, she looks like a bad-ass. The actors have a lot of chemistry: among the students, between Yankumi and her students, between Yankumi and Shin... The best moments of the dorama were all the scenes where the guys were together. And some of them look so young! Oguri Shun, Matsumoto Jun.. even an unknown Matsuyama Kenichi (who barely opens his mouth).
What was bad:
It is like the scripwriter took only the characters from the manga and nothing else. Everything was different. It seems like a crime to change such a wonderful manga. What was changed:
- Fujiyama-sensei: she lacks personality in the dorama; she is a beauty and nothing else. And she is not even a friend to Yankumi; her closer friend is an invented nurse.
- Shinohara-sensei: in the dorama, he is a detective who is not even close to Yankumi. He is always right in the middle of every fight, festival, party, etc. It was like he was working for the school or something.
- The Ooedo clan: they were a merely comic background. And the Kumicho was just a therapist for Yankumi, always there to listen to his Granddaughter issues and to have sympathy for her problems. Kyo-san is non existent, and Tetsu is "in love" with Yankumi (WTH!).
- Yankumi wants to be a teacher and nothing else. She does not want to be the Kumicho and her Grandpa supports her decision (as if Yankumi would refuse her role!).
-Every student's story: Kuma and his dad; Uchi and his mom; Shin and "his sister"... everything was made up. Honestly, I did not care about Kuma and Uchi, but that special episode, where Shin tells Yankumi that he wouldn't go to college and instead, was going to South Africa! That was such a big crime I almost burst in tears. Since when Shin cares to be a missionary?! Shin, who only wanted to study law to be the lawyer of the Ooedo clan and be beside Yankumi forever.
- The fact that she was a Yakuza is barely important. It is only relevant for her language, nothing else.
- Yankumi: this is not the actress' fault, it was the script. She acted silly most of the times. People who have read the manga know she is somewhat childish and silly, but not all the times. She was also a bad-ass, temperamental. And dorama-Yankumi likes to give looong speeches, which were kind of MEH.
Although I have to admit I almost squeal like the Shinkumi fan I am when Shin reveals he is also a rival in the love for Yankumi =D
Ending song: "Feel the breeze" by V6. Catchy song that fits the dorama perfectly.
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Recommended!
I first watched this a long time ago, then followed by other seasons..plus the movie itself! I really love the storyline, and the actors! It did not just contain or concentrate on 1 genre, but everything. That's why i was drawn to Gokusen! And of course, the strong heroine that made it a blast! I always come back to rewatch Gokusen, and I do enjoy it every time! ✔️✔️✔️Was this review helpful to you?
Unexpectedly love it so much!
I've never watched any other genre apart from rom-com/romance, and this was such a thrilling surprise to me, the fact that I actually enjoyed the entire series so much!This is a really really old series, so you can't expect much from the quality, it's slightly blurry and not very visually appealing, but the acting, the storyline and the overall warm fuzzy feeling just knocks this series right out the park!
I love the chemistry between Yankumi and the entire 3D class, the students all of their own stories, and the teachers have theirs too! Yankumi is a really great teacher, and it was lovely to see her being the only teacher who cares to actually teach the 'bad students' of 3D. The love interest of Sawada Shin was obviously there, but there was 0 romance since he was still underage. But i do know they're a thing in the original manga.
Yankumi can sometimes be seen as being very extra and over-the-top, but only someone like her, completely thick-skinned and shameless and even naive sometimes, can pull off being such a great teacher to the 3D students.
Overall, I have loved this series so much! I'm considering whether to watch s2 and s3, since I've seen that their plots are quite similar and perhaps repetitive, but I'm convinced that I should at least give them a go. So see you guys there!
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There are a lot of things that I didn't like. The story is funny but nothing more than this. Each episodes talk about someone's story but no one has a deep nature. It's just something to watch for pastime.
Just one thing I like of it: Nakama Yukie! She's so cute and funny. A very good actress. The others of cast are good.
I don't think I rewatch it.
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This review may contain spoilers
I love Gokusen. It was my first contact with the asian world. Before I watched this for the first time I didn't care about the asian world. This drama changed my life and is basically the reason why I'm studying translation right now. Although Gokusen 1 is my favourite of all of them I still have 1 thing I don't like about it. This might be a little spoiler though so if you don't want to know stop reading now......
...
...Still here? Ok but don't say I didn't warn you...
The thing is Sawada leaves Japan never to be seen again but during the whole Gokusen 1 it is OBVIOUS that Sawada and Yankumi are in love! So why the hell did he NEVER return? If you read the manga or watched the anime you'll know that they are supposed to get together... So why?? I wish the one who had this stupid idea to never let Sawada return could explain me the reason for it... It has been so many years since I watched this the first time and I still don't get it... Poor Yankumi stays single forever... All of her students come back to meet her one more time... except for Sawada... Why? Because an idiot made him say that he wants to be some kind of profession where you have to leave your home country... The story would have been absolutely doable without making the character leave Japan and not date Yankumi like in the make and anime... And the grandfather? And his buisness? All gone! If Sawada would return he would have taken that business over!
Leaving that aside the actors did a great job and the music was nice too! Thanks for changing my life!
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Misses the point
Ultimately, it says nothing about practicing nonviolence and acting for good against a wicked majority because there is always a superhero teacher who will advocate to the utmost for you, and who can beat any number of armed high school students. Without her intervention, all these kids would probably get killed, expelled, etc. so what does it really say for the value in being good and honest? And she's not like Moses whose powers are given to him by God to enact good and carry out some greater purpose. She just trained a lot and was raised under a Yakuza family. Which makes it really just feel like luck that the strongest person happens to be "good" in this world where the most powerful person gets their way (as opposed to a world where people are innately good, or in which there's an underlying order that's eventually restored, or a world with supernatural intervention).I just don't like how it celebrates force at the same time it tries to promote nonviolence.
Besides that, idk it's pretty standard crap TV. One-dimensional characters, low production value, low brow humor. Ito Misaki is in it though, so definitely check it out for her scenes.
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you will remember this drama
a young and naive woman begins her career as a math teacher in a high school. she is entrusted with the most difficult class. It might be worrisome, but this young woman has a card in her sleeve: she is the granddaughter of a yakuza leader. Throughout the series, she will go through several tests and gain the respect and affection of her students.The show looks a bit like "great teacher onizuka" but at the same time it has its own stamp. If I have to give an appreciation, I would say that it makes the other school series difficult to enjoy because it sets the bar high!
this drama is the first I watched. it was in the late 2000's, I didn't know anything about this wonderful world of Asian's dramas, and I was just searching for a new series to watch. I came across this drama by accident and decided to give it a try... and now I have more than 100 days of dramas watched thanks to this one! know this: it will let an unforgettable taste in your memory!
you can enjoy this drama any time, and with any one. it's really entertaining, joyful and gives hope in humanity. if you are searching for your next drama to watch, stop right here, you have found it!
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