Despite its two additional seasons often seen to “ milk” the storyline , the first season of “ Gokusen” will still stand strong for many J-Drama fans as a “classic” from its later successful and beloved cast ( not least the “rookie” appearances of J-drama actors who would become beloved household names for many fans such as Nakama Yukie, Matsumoto Jun, Oguri Shun, Matsuyama Kenichi and Ito Misaki). Yet, like nearly all drama adaptations based or derived from manga, Gokusen isn’t entirely “ flawless” either...

Gokusen is a little over-the-top and often tried to emulate anime and manga during fight scenes ,character interactions and tropes , which often came comes off as ridiculous and surreal in a fictionalised , yet live-action setting. Ultimately, Gokusen builds up the contemporary and beloved Japanese trope of delinquents; a concept which is waning in popularity in more recent dramas and movies, but still touched upon something a fundamentally classic message of individualism and the problems faced by youths deemed “ bad influences” by society .

Nakama Yukie plays the beloved role of Yamaguchi Kumiko; a female-teacher with a hidden secret of her family being part of the Yakuza, but someone who inflicts “ tough love” upon her students when giving them life lessons.
In all honesty, Nakama Yukie’s inexperience within previous acting roles prior to Gokusen does become evident within her sometimes awkward expressions, reflexes and cheesy line deliverances onscreen, yet she quickly makes up for this within her brilliance of revealing her true-self to her students when the glasses come off and during the more light-hearted moments of the show with adding a touch of deadpan humour to her lines.

Yet, refreshingly for a show where the angle of Shin and Kumiko’s relationship became a minor later subplot of the manga , Gokusen scraps this romantic pairing entirely in order the focus on the more didactic messages of the storyline. On the other hand, the show did have the one unnecessary element of Yamaguchi’s character having a crush upon the handsome police officer in favour of playing out an “ adult romance”. Although this is used for comedy rather than depth ( and later becomes a running gag with Yamaguchi developing a “ new crush” in each season), the pairing between Kumiko and the police officer wasn’t interesting or engaging towards the plot, and should have been cast aside in order to focus upon the main storyline.

Parallel to Nakama Yukie, Matsumoto Jun’s role as a rookie remains prominent within certain line deliverances upon screen, however, his role as the stoic heartthrob and delinquent ringleader Sawada Shin still remains one of his most renowned roles in the drama community and is often seen as kick -starting his successful career of acting, with fellow costars Oguri Shun, Matsuyama Kenichi and Ito Misaki into similar stardom.

Even though there are arching story lines, the episodes were often repetitive at times within their setup;
Kumiko’s students get into some form trouble, Yamaguchi ( or “ Yankumi” as she’s dubbed by her students) sticks up for them and ends up showing off her Yakuza inherited/taught fighting skills, and the students learn something either about life or themselves in the process. It is undeniably a generic formula in Gokusen, yet again all odds, there was something surprisingly heartwarming about nearly every episode taking time for viewers to get to know characters as individuals, rather than merely background characters, making the bond between Yamaguchi and her student surprisingly well-developed and consequently making each episode rewarding for viewers in the process.


Gokusen is undeniably cheesy at times within its line deliverances, cliches and contemporary fashion and outfits, yet,there is something prominently strikingly, entertaining and heartwarming about Gokusen. The storyline tackles many themes which are still relevant today ( delinquency, judgement upon appearance and real-life problems for disadvantaged students), the characters are strikingly engaging and the pacing can easily keep you hooked from beginning to end. Although not realistic and often playing out to the realms of fictionalised fantasy, it is easy to see how Gokusen still captivates audiences years after its original release. Certainly worth a watch if you’re looking for something more comical and light-hearted.