"Gokusen" is a Japanese television drama based on the manga "Gokusen" by Morimoto Kozue. This school drama follows Yamaguchi Kumiko (aka Yankumi), a passionate high school teacher raised in the Oedo family, a gang of yakuza. She becomes the homeroom teacher of Class 3-D, which is full of delinquents. The first series, broadcast in 2002, the second in 2005, and the third in 2008, all achieved high ratings.

Originally planned to be 11 episodes long, high viewership ratings led to an extension of the series to 12 episodes after the fifth episode aired, making it the second-highest-rated series of the April 2002 season. The series aired from April to early July, starting at the beginning of the first semester and concluding with the final episode just before the end of the first semester. A graduation special aired on March 26, 2003, depicting the graduation of Class 3-D.

Title: ごくせん- Gokusen
Genre: Comedy, School
Broadcast network: NTV
Episodes: 12 + Special (Graduation)
Viewership ratings: 17.43 (not including SP)
Broadcast period: 2002-Apr-01 to 2002-Jul-03
SP: 2003-Mar-26
Air time: Wednesday 22:00
Theme song: Feel Your Breeze by V6

Main Characters
Yamaguchi Kumiko (23)
Played by Nakama Yukie
Nicknamed "Yankumi," she teaches mathematics.
Homeroom teacher for Class 3-D at Shirokane Academy High School
The story's protagonist. After losing both parents in a traffic accident at the age of seven, she was taken in by her only remaining relative, her maternal grandfather, Kuroda Ryuichiro, the third-generation head of the Oedo Ikka, a gang of yakuza. Although she is the heir to the family, she has dreamed of becoming a teacher since childhood (her late father was a teacher, just like her), and has no intention of succeeding the fourth generation. She is in charge of Class 3-D (hereafter referred to as 3-D), a group of delinquent students, and strives every day to work hard with them, dreaming of sharing her heartfelt passion with them. She is unusually high-spirited, trying to get the class members on their feet, but she never tolerates anything unreasonable, and transforms into a strict character when admonishing them about important human qualities or rescuing a student in trouble. She speaks in a masculine tone with her family, underlings, students under her care, and enemies (mainly villains who have harmed students), but often speaks in a feminine tone with everyone else). Her hobbies and special skills are self-defense (karate and judo), karuta, and karaoke.

Goro Saruwatari (47)
Played by Katsuhisa Namase
Vice Principal of Shirokane Academy High School
He is known for his impressive pompadour hair. Its stiffness is enough to pierce a paper airplane flown by Kurokawa, the chairman and principal of the board of directors, in the second series. He has a very strict personality and does not tolerate any compromise, no matter who the student is dealing with (his own strict personality is due to the fact that his father, the chairman of Shirokane Academy, is a cold-hearted man who cares about the school's reputation and public image, and is also desperately trying to take over Shirokane in the future), so much so that he is willing to expel troublesome students.

The Oedo Ikka Yakuza Group
Ryūichirō Kuroda (70)
Played by Ken Utsui (special appearance)
Kumiko's maternal grandfather and the biological father of her mother. He is the third-generation boss of the Oedo Ikka.
He had a gentle personality and taught Kumiko the importance of duty and humanity and true strength. He did not pressure Kumiko to take over as the fourth-generation leader, but instead wanted her to pursue her own path, and he always watched over her as she worked hard as a teacher with a warm heart.

Wakamatsu Kozo (42)
Played by Anan Kenji
Deputy Wakagashira of the Oedo Ikka.
Married and the father of one daughter. He calls Kumiko the next fourth generation of the Oedo Ikka.

Tetsu Asakura (26)
Played by Ken Kaneko
Oedo Ikka's younger brother. Although older than Kumiko, he is her underling and admires her (in the original manga, he is younger than Kumiko). He runs a shooting gallery with Minoru and operates a takoyaki stand. He has a crush on Kumiko and tries hard to be helpful, but is often ignored.

Tatsukawa Minoru (22)
Played by Uchiyama Shinji
A young member of the Oedo family, Kumiko's younger brother. He's not a bad guy, but his inability to read the situation often angers Kumiko and Tetsu, resulting in them hitting him over the head or using wrestling moves to nearly kill him.

Makoto Sugawara (32)
Played by Hiroshi Ryokuni (his real name, Hiroshi Murata, was used in the first season)
A younger brother of the Oedo family. Kumiko's underling (along with Tetsu, he is older than Kumiko but is her underling). He has a very intimidating appearance, but unlike Tetsuya and Minoru, he is honest and serious. He is an original character for the drama version and does not appear in the original work.

CLASS 3-D
Makoto Sawada
Portrayed by Jun Matsumoto
The leader of Class 3-D. Cool and intelligent, he's the only student in Class 3-D to achieve exceptional academic results (he scored a perfect 100 in English on the midterm exam). He's also a beautiful boy, athletic and the strongest fighter among the students. Until the first semester of his freshman year, he attended the prestigious Chuo Gakuen High School, but was expelled for assaulting his homeroom teacher, who had accused him of smoking. This led to his transfer to Shirogane Academy, where he began to act rebelliously. His presence commands the respect of the delinquent students at Shirogane and he's also well-liked and trusted. He is quiet and blunt, but he cares for his friends, often looking out for those around him and speaking on their behalf. Due to an incident at his previous school, he deeply distrusted teachers and clashed with Kumiko. However, seeing her face-to-face with students influenced him. He gradually develops feelings for Kumiko.

Haruhiko Uchiyama
Played by Shun Oguri
Nicknamed Ucchi.
A hot-blonde, he sometimes takes on the leadership role of Class 3-D in place of Makoto (he was the top first-year student until Makoto transferred to Shirokane in the second semester of his first year). He lost his father to illness at a young age and was raised by his mother alone. As a result, his family is a single-parent household and not very wealthy, but the two live together in harmony. Although he is a very short-tempered and quick-tempered delinquent, he cares for his mother, dotes on a stray dog, and has a strong sense of justice, as seen in his attack on Teradomari for mistreating the dog, even risking expulsion. He hates seeing people he trusts hurt. He's a huge rock fan, and always carries a guitar with him.

Yoichi Minami
Played by: Yuma Ishigaki
He enjoys group dates and loves women. He has a frivolous personality, is short-tempered, and quick to pick a fight, but he is a tough guy who cares about his friends and has a strong sense of duty. He had planned to go to university, but his father's company went bankrupt, forcing him to give up. He kept this secret from Class 3-D (except for Makoto).

Takeshi Noda
Played by Hiroki Narimiya
He is fashionable, and his trademarks are his duck-shaped cell phone strap and neck scarf. He is also good at computers. When he sulks, he sometimes vents his frustrations on his friends, leading to the troubles described below, but he is good at his core.

Teruo Kumai (18)
Played by Tomohiro Waki
Nicknamed "Kuma." He is the only student Kumiko calls by her nickname throughout the entire series (in the first series, she initially calls him Kumai, but from episode 2 onwards, she has consistently referred to him as Kuma). A former student of Kumiko's at Shirogane Academy, he is the only student to appear in every series. His family owns a ramen shop, and he has a younger sister and brother.

Faculty
Shizuka Fujiyama (25)
Played by Misaki Ito
An English teacher and the homeroom teacher of Class 3-C.
A beautiful teacher who was assigned to Shirokane Academy with Kumiko, she is very confident in her looks, long legs, and figure. She is popular with the students, and all the students in Class 3-D (except for Makoto) are taking their English classes seriously. She has no ambitions for her teaching career and views Kumiko's passionate teaching attitude with a somewhat cold eye. In the original work, she is a music teacher.

Kikuno Kawashima (26)
Played by Yuko Nakazawa
A school nurse.
A former delinquent born and raised in the Kansai region, she speaks in a Kansai dialect. She knows all about Shirokane Academy and is a good confidant for Kumiko. This character is original to the TV series and does not appear in the original manga.

Kanji Washio (42)
Played by: Akira Saito
The head of the grade and the Japanese teacher of Class 3-A.
He is Saruwatari's close aide, always sucking up to him and acting as his "sidekick." Like Saruwatari, he wants to eliminate the students of Class 3-D. This character is original to the TV series and does not appear in the original manga.

Osamu Ando (50)
Played by: Osami Nabe
A social studies teacher. Like the other teachers, he doesn't particularly try to curry favor with Saruwatari, but he generally only thinks of himself and is considered useless by those around him. He's timid and inconspicuous, and even when the students of Class 3-D walk down the hallway, they move to the side. He is an original character for the TV series and does not appear in the original manga.

Kohei Iwamoto (35)
Played by: Masahiro Komoto
A health and physical education teacher and homeroom teacher for Class 3-B.
The volleyball club advisor. A timid man, he expels Kurosaki, a former volleyball club member and close friend of Shin and Uchiyama, without being able to protect him, but they later reconcile. He speaks in an old-fashioned, Hiroshima-style accent. bIn the original manga, he also serves as the grade leader.

Hajime Oyama (27)
Played by: Ichiro Okuma
A biology teacher. Like Ando, he only thinks of himself and has a bad personality. He looks down on Class 3-D, treating them like insects. He keeps a pet hamster. An original character for the TV series and does not appear in the original manga.

Shirakawa Gonzo (65)
Played by Tayama Ryosei
Principal of Shirokane Academy High School.
The first person throughout the series to learn Kumiko's true identity. Although he is a generally serious character, unlike Saruwatari, who is vice principal and aiming to become the next principal, he has an extremely gentle personality and shows no dignified attitude toward any teacher or student. He also has a sloppy side, such as when he falls asleep in his chair during the opening ceremony. He also usually wears a jumper over his clothes while tending to the plants and flower beds. In the original manga, his appearance and personality are the complete opposite (he is very small and has an exhibitionist tendency in the manga), and his brother is the chairman of Shirokane Academy.

Saruwatari Kentaro
Played by Hiraizumi Sei
He is the chairman of Shirokane Academy and Goro Saruwatari's father. Because the school already has its principal, Shirakawa, he does not appear until episode 11, but in the final episode, he makes his first appearance after hearing about the uproar caused by Kumiko's true identity being revealed to the public, and he plans to fire her. Due to his cold-hearted personality, which is concerned with Shirokane's honor and public image, he considers 3-D a "disgrace to the world".

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Kanroku Police Station (S1)
Tomoya Shinohara (30)
Played by: Kazuki Sawamura
A detective in the Juvenile Division, Community Safety Division, Kanroku Police Station, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He is a Detective Lieutenant. He is the object of Yankumi's unrequited love.In the original work, he is the legal advisor for the Kuroda family.

Yutaka Kashiwagi (25)
Played by: Satoshi Sakata
A detective in the Juvenile Division, Community Safety Division, Kanroku Police Station, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He wears black sunglasses. He has a crush on Kumiko and actively approaches her, but she ignores him and his efforts are futile. He was a member of the cheerleading squad during his school days.

• • Original work - Morimoto 梢子 "Gokusen" (Shueisha Publishing / YOU Comics)
  • Music - Michiru Oshima
  • Music Producer - Keiichi Ito
  • Theme song

  The first series - V6"Feel Your Breeze (G.S.N version)"

  • Insertion song
  • General Manager - Ken Inoue (1st series)
  • Basketball Coach - Norihiko Kitahara (1st Series)
  • Supporter's Guidance - Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture
  • Chief Producer - Kazuho Masuda (1st series)
  • Producer - Masatoshi Kato
  • Assistant Producer - Tomoaki Watabe (1st series), Kaori Suzuki (1st and 2nd series), Takiyo Kono (2nd series)
  • Works - Nippon Television