JDrama Review: Gokusen Season 1

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The Gist: Yamaguchi Kumiko (Nakama Yukie) finally fulfills her dream of becoming a teacher when she is hired to Shiroken High School. Two things pose serious danger to her employment: first, her grandfather is head of a powerful yakuza family and second, her students are essentially degenerate thugs. Class 3-D is headed by smart but uncaring Sawado Shin (Matsumoto Jun), who makes their sentiment clear – no adults trust them, so they trust no adults. Yamaguchi, admiring their strong bonds of loyalty and friendship, slowly chips away at the walls they put up by sticking up for them, both verbally and physically. As her students grow fonder of her, nicknaming her Yankumi, it becomes more obvious that she’s not an ordinary teacher and Yankumi struggles to keep her family’s secret.

Love:

1.Sawada Shin

 

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Actually, I really loved the whole core group of this class – Shin, Uchi, Noda, Minami, and Kumai. Still, I will always gravitate towards Matsujun because of HYD. It didn’t hurt that Oguri Shun showed up too. That said, the relationship between them is strong and easily understood. I liked how much Shin got attached to Yankumi for a character who’s defined by his lazy apathetic attitude. Also, in contrast to Domyouji of HYD, Shin leads with a quieter confidence. Shin and Yankumi play well off of each other, well written and well-acted.

2.The Yakuza Family

 

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Yankumi comes home each day to her grandfather and his minions, members of a crime family. Even though the show seriously mutes the danger factor of the yakuza, I find that it works well in this instance. The mirrors between her students and her family are obvious as Yankumi tries to get to the sweet side of the kids, just as she has been able to do with the yakuza members. The unending support she gets from both sides just ooze warm and fuzzy. Also, Utsui Ken’s portrayal of her grandfather. It’s nice to see a guardian not forcing their way of life down their kid’s throat.

3. The Episode Focus

 

 

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I really like that each of the main group of kids gets his own episode. It could have stayed surface level, but it’s nice to get to the backstory of these kids to better understand why they are the way they are. It also really pays off when Yankumi appears because you realize how important it is for them to have someone who has faith in them.

Meh:

1.Formulaic

 

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Even though there are arching story lines, the episodes generally follow a pretty similar pattern. The kids get into trouble, Yankumi sticks up for them and ends up showing off her Yakuza inherited/taught fighting skills. While that leaves little room for surprise, it’s a formula that is rewarding and furthers the story as each kid is affected. Variation is good, but why knock what works I suppose.

2.The Cop

 

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On her way to school, Yankumi often encounters a handsome police officer, whom she quickly develops a crush on. The obvious problem with this is that cops and yakuza aren’t exactly PB&J, but my main issue with this is that the character just isn’t that interesting. Compared to the depth of the relationships she’s developing with other characters, this one seems boring. It makes me wonder if the writers simply put in these overly cheesy romances to dull the obvious chemistry between her and Shin (that’s not just subtext, read the manga).

3.The Vice Principal
 

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Played by Namase Katsuhisa, the vice principal is overly suspicious of Yankumi, constantly looking for ways to get her students kicked out of their school. As over the top and unlikable this character is, he really is a necessary evil. If there was no one to point a finger at the 3D students, Yankumi would never need to stick up for them. I don’t love him, but I get why he’s around.

Hate:

1.Cast Change:

 

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Really my only beef with this series is that each season has a different set of kids. That makes sense as a teacher,  but you spend all this time caring about these characters and then you lose them. I wish more of them made appearances in the following seasons.

So:

So…this drama is a classic. It has three seasons in a genre that rarely gets two, which speaks to its popularity. It’s not super deep, but definitely has a feel good vibe. It might be formulaic, but that formula is good, so I’m not complaining. Cheesy at times, but well cast.

Final Grade: B+