GOKUSEN 1

Cast:

Nakama Yukie as Yamaguchi Kumiko
Matsumoto Jun as Sawada Shin
Itoh Misaki as Fujiyama Shizuka
Narimiya Hiroki as Noda Takeshi
Oguri Shunas Uchiyama Haruhiko
Kaneko Ken as Asakura Tetsu

for complete list of cast click here


I’ve done a review for GTO recently, so I thought it would be unfair not to make one for one of the most successful live-action releases in Japan TV’s history.

I’m sure Jdorama fanatics already have the whole series in a nutshell and at the same time, know all the nitty-gritty when it comes to trivia and tidbits of details which are all available in the internet.

If I’m not mistaken, I made it clear that I still choose GTO over Gokusen despite the hype when it comes to Matsumoto Jun and Oguri Shun. Well, I have a compare/contrast sheet in this entry so as to justify what I liked about this drama and why I still prefer GTO after all.

I better compare the two teachers first: Yamaguchi Kumiko/Yankumi and Onizuka Eikichi (Onichi)

Yankumi

• Has never clearly mentioned how’s her academic standing
• Acceptance in the school was formal though only the Principal knew that she was from a Yakuza clan
• Was accused of violence because she’s the 3rd generation granddaughter of a yakuza clan
• Teaching methods are marginalized
• Uses Yakuza language but uses them in place unless provoked; most of the time she tries to show her students courtesy
• Asks help from her family (her grandfather, Minoru and Tetsu) whenever she’s confused about her students
• Principle: “Teachers should not be called teachers if they are afraid of losing their job”
• No closure when it comes to her love relationship
• Regarded as boring, dull and old-fashioned
• Funny but scary
• Shows weakness and compassion in front of her students

Onizuka

• Came from a third rate university
• Acceptance was because of sheer luck and was based on a condition
• Accused of violence and eccentric way of dealing with his students
• Has his own way of teaching without taking note of rules
• Vulgar and nonchalant about rules of the school and society
• Seems to know everything but is gradually guided by his admired teacher, Fuyutsuki-sensei
• Principle: “Teacher is still a teacher even outside the school premises”
• Successful love relationship with Fuyutsuki in the end
• Very attractive and appealing to women
• Cool and unpredictable
• Shows grace under pressure

To graduate!

Students of Shirokin (Gokusen)

• All boys
• Rebel group with different histories (within the school and outside)
• Taken as delinquents because of their looks, manner and academic performance
• Focused on friends and fighting

Students of Seirin Gakuen (GTO)

• Mixed groups (boys/girls)
• Rebel group because of what happened in their class
• Academic performance is never questioned
• Focused on gaining trust and knowing oneself

Co-teachers of Yankumi

• Showed gradual support
• Yankumi gained friendship and trust from them through dealing with them one by one

Co-teachers of Onizuka

• Collective support except for 2 teachers
• Showed full support towards Onizuka only at the end


Yankumi and Shin

Favorite Scenes:

• When Yankumi together with Sawada, Minami, Kumai and Noda were trying to catch a mobster so as to save Uchiyama. Yankumi dressed as a blonde girl who probably lived 20 years ago.
• When Kumai Tedou’s father’s died, he started to waste his life. His friends, in the end, helped him in their small restaurant
• The cute boy Yuta and Sawada Shin staying over at the Oedo’s place
• Still the cute boy, Yuta who went to the playground to practice twirling to meet his mother again
• When the 5 guys: Shin, Noda, Minami, Uchiyama and Kuma were hanging around Shin’s place. The 4 told Shin that he’s lucky to have such a place. They asked him if there had been a girl who came over to his place already. Shin suddenly thought of Yankumi and described her to them as “a quasi-woman”.
• When Shin went to Yankumi’s room to ask her if she’s going to resign
• Shin finally admitted (though probably jokingly) that he likes Yankumi. This happened while Shinohara-san, the other police cop and Tetsu-san were talking about the three of them being rivals. Shin suddenly appeared and said, “Actually, that makes us four.”

Off-putting

• Teachers should have a background check before being admitted to a school (Yankumi being a Yakuza and Fushikama-sensei working at a night-club)
• Are high school students warmongers?
• Scene wherein Yankumi looked for the missing yellow bag in the river
• Is there a valedictorian who was arrested and involved in too many troubles?


Fight-oh, oh!

+++

I don’t know for other people. But I still find GTO more polished when it comes to the sequence of events. And you probably wonder how come I only compared GTO with Gokusen 1. What’s the point of comparing, when I did not like the 2nd part at all? :)


Rebels with a cause