Gokusen (ごくせん) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kozueko Morimoto. It was serialized in Shueisha's You from 2000 to 2007, with its chapters collected in 15 volumes. The story follows Kumiko Yamaguchi, the granddaughter of a yakuza boss and teacher at an all-male private high school. The manga was adapted into a three-season television drama, with Yukie Nakama in the title role, which was broadcast on Nippon TV from 2002 to 2008, followed by a theatrical film, which premiered in 2009. A 13-episode anime television series adaptation by Madhouse was broadcast on Nippon TV in 2004. The anime series was licensed in North America by Media Blasters.

Plot

Kumiko Yamaguchi is the granddaughter of a yakuza boss, Kuroda of the Kuroda Ikka. Her parents died when she was at the age of seven, and her grandfather had no other descendants, so Kumiko is next in line to head the family business with the title of "ojō" (お嬢). However, her lifelong dream has been to become a teacher. While her grandfather approves of her choice, others in the family want her to become the next boss. Kumiko becomes home teacher of class 4-2 in mathematics at an all-boys private high school, where she is known as "Yankumi". Her class is full of delinquents, but she tries her hardest to teach them not just academically, but also about lessons of life. Though she is forced to keep her family a secret from the public, her yakuza upbringing gives her the strength and the experience to reach out to her students, while also providing comedic situations.

Characters

Shirokin High School

Kuroda Family/Ooedo Clan

Others

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Kozueko Morimoto, Gokusen was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine You from 2000 to 2007. Shueisha collected its chapters in fifteen volumes, released from August 23, 2000, to April 19, 2007. A sequel, Gokusen: Kanketsu-hen (ごくせん 完結編) (or Gokusen 2008), was published in You from December 28, 2007, to August 1, 2009. These chapters were collected in a single volume, released on January 19, 2010.

Drama

The first twelve-episode season of Gokusen was broadcast on Nippon TV from April 17 to July 3, 2002. It was followed by a special episode, which aired on March 26, 2003. The theme song is "Feel your breeze" by V6. The first season was broadcast with English subtitles in the United States on KSCI in 2003. The second ten-episode season of Gokusen, Gokusen 2, was broadcast on Nippon TV from January 15 to March 19, 2005. The theme song is "No More Cry (D-51 song)" by D-51. It also includes an insert song, "Kizuna" (絆), by Kazuya Kamenashi, who portrayed the exclusive drama character Ryū Odagiri. The second season was broadcast with English subtitles in the United States on KSCI in 2005. The third eleven-episode season of Gokusen, Gokusen 3, was broadcast on Nippon TV from April 19 to June 28, 2008. It was followed by a special episode, which aired on March 28, 2009. The theme song is "Niji (Aqua Timez song)" (虹) by Aqua Timez. It also includes an insert song, "Oretachi no Seishun" (俺たちの青春), by Hey! Say! JUMP's Yuya Takaki, who portrayed the exclusive drama character Yamato Ogata. Amazon Prime Video started streaming the series' three seasons in October 2024.

Film

The Gokusen television drama was followed and concluded by a theatrical film, Gokusen: The Movie, which premiered in Japan on July 11, 2009.

Anime

A 13-episode anime television series adaptation by Madhouse and directed by Yuzo Sato, was broadcast on Nippon TV from January 7 to March 31, 2004. The opening theme is "Hontō no Kotoba" (本当の言葉) by Foot Stamp, and the ending theme is "Onore Michi" (おのれ道) by Aki Yashiro. The series was licensed for English release in North America by Media Blasters, who released it on three DVDs, under its Anime Works imprint, from October 12, 2004, to March 1, 2005. The series aired in the United States on Encore WAM in 2006.

Reception

The Gokusen television drama was popular in Japan. The first season had average viewer ratings of 17.4% in 2002, while the second season jumped to 28.0% in average ratings in 2005. The last season had average viewer ratings of 22.8%, the highest average rating among other TV dramas that aired around the time. In The Dorama Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese TV Drama Since 1953, by Jonathan Clements and Motoko Tamamuro, they wrote: "Gokusen begins in the style of GTO, but soon veers off course into a criminal variant of Romeo and Juliet. Though probably rushed into production in the wake of The Sopranos, the series has a local pedigree as well, with resemblances to earlier shows such as Downton Detectives and The Quiet Don". The anime series was frequently compared to Tooru Fujisawa's Great Teacher Onizuka. AnimeNation's John Oppliger wrote that the conflict between Kumiko's "masculine personality" and the Japanese cultural norms, trying to "conform her into a typical contemporary Japanese woman", resulted in an "enjoyable, humorous drama". Oppliger also praised the "subtle elements of yakuza movie", including the ending animation, which "added an additional level of charm to the show".