Gokusen: Series 1
I just finished watching one of my first Japanese TV drama's: Gokusen.
Based on a Josei manga of the same name, it also has an anime.
I know little about both manga and anime but I do intend to check into them as well when I have more time.
Synopsis:
Kumiko Yamaguchi is a 23-year-old maths teacher who has embarked on her first proper job at Shirokin Gakuen (an all-boys private school) where she must not only teach but look after her own form as a homeroom teacher. Simple? Not so much. Not only is Kumiko the granddaughter of a once-powerful Yakuza family which she must not let anyone find out about (she would lose her job, right?) but the class she is told to teach AND homeroom is Class 3-D. The WORST class. Why? They're all delinquents with no respect for rules, teachers, and especially adults. It is up to Kumiko to 'protect' her 'precious students' as well as help them to understand the truest things in life (the difference between fighting and violence, friendship and enemies, etc.)
Okay, it's often compared to Great Teacher Onizuka - and I guess it is (although I don't know much about GTO yet) but it's definitely worth a watch if you are a fan of Gokusen or GTO as most people will say.
The humour in it is great - bizarre sound effect accompany the over-dramatic Head Teacher who is the 'antihero', if you will, of the story, whilst classic gags, quick responses, and just plain crazy humour reccur throughout.
Additionally, if you love fanservice there is the occasional giggle related to that and PLENTY of gang fighting, twists, thrills and spills to keep the action fan happy. And if you like a little romance on the side - maybe a few tears along the way? - then this is THE drama for you. Comedic, action-packed, heart-rendering and just plain quirky, if you want a really good J-Drama to start with then this is it.
Wanna know the rating? It's about 13+ probably - at the most a 16+ (12A - 15 if we're talking movie-wise) so no worries there.
Although the manga was a Josei (manga for women) it is still excellent viewing for either male or female audiences, ie: plenty of laughs and fights for the blokes and for shojo-romance lovers its full of pretty cute boys and hints at romance to keep you entertained.
Some people complain and say that the characters are different from the manga - and yes, there ARE storyline tweaks, but it still remains an excellent series to look into. Differentiating from the original a LITTLE has definitely been fortuitous for this series and regardless of what I or anyone says, it's probably a great series for you to at least check out!!
Out of 10? 10/10!! :D
Additional Information:
Each episode is around 40-50mins long so make sure you have plenty of free time (I say this amidst revions... >.>;)
There are three series in total - this is a review of the first (I will look into the other two when I have time).
There are 12 episodes plus an almost-feature-length graduation conclusion.
Some actors that you may have heard of include:
Yukie Nakama as Kumiko 'Yankumi' Yamaguchi
Jun Matsumoto as Shin Sawada
Shun Ogori as Haruhiko 'Uchii' Uchiyama
Additional cast include the two popular actors:
Ken'ichi Matsuyama (Death Note as L, etc.)
Eiki Kitamura (Rock Musical Bleach as Kira Izuru, etc.)
Look out for those two as extra classmates throughout each episode! <3
Happy viewing! (Y)
----
It seems that I am writing a lot of reviews lately! :D
Seems I might do this. Practice IS good and all! :P
*"Gokusen" belongs to NTV and Morimoto Kozueko (mangaka) - this is a fan review for fans!*