Gokusen: A manga that I can't help but revisit and read over and over again. I don't know why I love it so much. It's my favorite manga, despite its mediocre art and the strange style in which it's drawn. I'm still trying to figure out how I, being a huge shoujo fan, ended up with a josei as my favorite. Don't get me wrong, I like josei manga too; I just don't read it as often, which is why I'm baffled! What I do know is that anyone who loves a light-hearted story filled with tons of comedy would adore this. Throw in a little romance, some awesome fighting skills/scenes, the Yakuza, a school for delinquent dropouts, and a math teacher, and you have Gokusen. That's right, the Yakuza and a Math Teacher!
Story 8/10
It starts off fairly simple. We meet Yamaguchi Kumiko, the granddaughter of one of the biggest and toughest Yakuza gangs in Tokyo; The Kuroda Family. They're feared and respected in the Yakuza world. Yet the next heir is a woman! And what exactly is her occupation? A rookie math teacher fresh out of university! And where does she choose to work? At Shirokin Gakuen Senior High, a school for delinquent dropouts who have nowhere else to go. Follow her adventures as she befriends and earns the respect of her rowdy second-year class while kicking ass along the way! But who finds out her secret right at the beginning of her career? Sawada Shin, the smartest guy in the class... No, wait, make that the whole grade... Or even the whole school... So as you can see "Yankumi," as she is dubbed by her students, is in a little bit of trouble. But this manga doesn't focus on one plot! We get to learn about some of her students' pasts, her Yakuza family and life, the hilarious situations she and her class end up in, her less-than-perfect love life, and as we do, Gokusen's comedy will surely make you chuckle throughout the ride!
Art 5/10
Now this would have to be Gokusen's weak point. The drawings are fairly simple, with basic backgrounds and easily drawn faces. Some people might think the art is very crude and, well... Ugly compared to their fluffy shoujo art. Once again, don't get me wrong; I'm a sucker for fluffy, cute, and beautiful shoujo art, and I nearly didn't read Gokusen because of its simple art style. Yet I gave it a chance, and I'm so thankful I did. If you don't want to miss out on an awesome manga, just give it a go! Also, you might be happy to hear that the art does improve throughout the manga. The mangaka obviously got better at drawing, and the art changed a little, which is common in long-running mangas.
Characters 8/10
The cast for Gokusen is quite large, so we don't get to find out the history of every character. But the ones we do are done quite well! Also, mangas with large casts are infamous for not developing characters well, but that's not true for Gokusen! Each character has a distinct personality, and usually, an arc or two where they play main roles. The main characters: Yamaguchi Kumiko and Sawada Shin are developed quite nicely, and you can see them grow as the manga progresses. Yankumi is not afraid to fight for what she thinks is right and hates an uneven battlefield. She protects her students and forms wonderful teacher-student bonds with them! She's an easily likable character who can be a little dense and rushes into things, but that's why Sawada's there to help her! He could be the exact opposite of her. Calm, cool, and collected, we rarely see him freak out, and if it wasn't for him helping Yankumi, all her plans would probably fail... So two strong protagonists who are interesting and hilarious!
Enjoyment 10/10
As you can tell from my mostly positive review, I absolutely LOVE Gokusen and its humor, great story with nice plot elements, unique characters, and overall awesomeness make it a highly enjoyable manga. In fact, I'm pretty sure I read all 15 volumes in one day... aka one sitting, so that must have been hours worth of time dedicated to sitting down and reading it! I just couldn't put it down; it was addictive because it was just so much FUN to read! The extra bonus chapters are a blast, and I definitely recommend reading them too!
Overall 9/10
Overall, if you're looking for a light read with some good humor and a great set of characters, this is a must-read! I'd give it a perfect 10, but because of the mediocre art, I'm going to have to concede and give it a 9. Still, I recommend that you give it a go if you're contemplating whether you wanna read it or not because of the art style, because if you do read it, you won't be disappointed!
I've already watched the drama (and loved it, well Gokusen 1 at least, with its fantastic Shinkumi and incredible Nakama Yukie/Matsujun chemistry), so I decided to read the manga as well.
The art is... LOL, but the story is solid. It's a little repetitive with Yankumi always coming to the rescue, saving her class of delinquents from trouble, taking down all the gangsters, etc., but it remains an entertaining read despite the repetition. There's more Shinkumi development in the manga than in the drama, which I really appreciated. I don't care how controversial it is; the Shinkumi is the best part of Gokusen, in my opinion. I adore the two lead characters, the way they irritate each other yet still deeply care for one another.
The art doesn't improve much, although it's endearing in its simplicity. The ending was perfect, though... JUST WHAT I WANTED! Now I need a sequel!
I completed this entire series in just thirteen days, which is incredibly rare for me given how long it usually takes me to finish longer manga. To be honest, I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did at the start, but I gradually realized how much I truly liked it. The story is hilariously funny and has a unique quality that I've never encountered before. We've all come across yakuza mangas, but this one stands out due to its excellent execution. Even though some of the basic plotlines are somewhat familiar, they never feel tired and keep you engaged until you're either exhausted or have finished the entire thing.
The artwork, while not the best I've seen, is by no means bad. Since it's a comedy, it makes sense that the art isn't overly detailed. It also fits perfectly with the yakuza theme. The characters are undoubtedly one of the standout aspects of this series because there are so many, yet very few are unlikeable despite being flat characters. What I mean is that some don't stand out as much, which is understandable, but they still fit seamlessly into the story and everything works well together. The main character is obviously the highlight, and throughout the series, I loved how she managed to accomplish everything on her own without much assistance. I'm not sure why, but I have a soft spot for overpowered characters in manga. There's also significant character development, which is always a pleasant surprise.
My enjoyment of this series is undoubtedly a 10 because the content and characters never grew stale, even after so many chapters. There was always something that made me laugh and cheer internally for the main character.
Overall, although my favorite ship didn't work out, I absolutely love this manga and will definitely revisit it sometime in the future.
One more thing— in the extra chapters after the ending, it felt like the romance was rushed, and the characters suddenly became overly affectionate. While I'm not a huge fan of that aspect, it's still deserving of a 10/10 overall. <p>
The narrative lacks a clear direction. That's the straightforward truth, but it is balanced by its invigorating and extensive array of characters.
The protagonist teacher seems to lack a defined objective, and thus, so does the story, in my view. Nevertheless, there are brief arcs where we witness her growing closer to her class, and by the conclusion, she has essentially become their second mother. Hooray!
This isn't to imply that the story wasn't uproariously funny at times or that it didn't thoroughly entertain me—evident through the 159 chapters showcasing development in every character.
Don't anticipate much from the romance tag at the bottom, though there is a charming, albeit highly amusing confession within the tale.
I would recommend this manga for its humor, just be mindful of its lack of direction.
Hopefully, you found this review helpful.
<p>Gokusen is one of the few manga I've enjoyed that doesn't solely focus on a love story.<br /><br />The plot revolves around a high school teacher who comes from a Yakuza family. Despite her background and exceptional fighting abilities, she aspires to be the best teacher for her students. Her deep connection with her students is truly commendable. And her romance with Shin? It's the cutest of them all! The way things turned out between them is just amazingly sweet!</p>
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Story 8/10
It starts off fairly simple. We meet Yamaguchi Kumiko, the granddaughter of one of the biggest and toughest Yakuza gangs in Tokyo; The Kuroda Family. They're feared and respected in the Yakuza world. Yet the next heir is a woman! And what exactly is her occupation? A rookie math teacher fresh out of university! And where does she choose to work? At Shirokin Gakuen Senior High, a school for delinquent dropouts who have nowhere else to go. Follow her adventures as she befriends and earns the respect of her rowdy second-year class while kicking ass along the way! But who finds out her secret right at the beginning of her career? Sawada Shin, the smartest guy in the class... No, wait, make that the whole grade... Or even the whole school... So as you can see "Yankumi," as she is dubbed by her students, is in a little bit of trouble. But this manga doesn't focus on one plot! We get to learn about some of her students' pasts, her Yakuza family and life, the hilarious situations she and her class end up in, her less-than-perfect love life, and as we do, Gokusen's comedy will surely make you chuckle throughout the ride!
Art 5/10
Now this would have to be Gokusen's weak point. The drawings are fairly simple, with basic backgrounds and easily drawn faces. Some people might think the art is very crude and, well... Ugly compared to their fluffy shoujo art. Once again, don't get me wrong; I'm a sucker for fluffy, cute, and beautiful shoujo art, and I nearly didn't read Gokusen because of its simple art style. Yet I gave it a chance, and I'm so thankful I did. If you don't want to miss out on an awesome manga, just give it a go! Also, you might be happy to hear that the art does improve throughout the manga. The mangaka obviously got better at drawing, and the art changed a little, which is common in long-running mangas.
Characters 8/10
The cast for Gokusen is quite large, so we don't get to find out the history of every character. But the ones we do are done quite well! Also, mangas with large casts are infamous for not developing characters well, but that's not true for Gokusen! Each character has a distinct personality, and usually, an arc or two where they play main roles. The main characters: Yamaguchi Kumiko and Sawada Shin are developed quite nicely, and you can see them grow as the manga progresses. Yankumi is not afraid to fight for what she thinks is right and hates an uneven battlefield. She protects her students and forms wonderful teacher-student bonds with them! She's an easily likable character who can be a little dense and rushes into things, but that's why Sawada's there to help her! He could be the exact opposite of her. Calm, cool, and collected, we rarely see him freak out, and if it wasn't for him helping Yankumi, all her plans would probably fail... So two strong protagonists who are interesting and hilarious!
Enjoyment 10/10
As you can tell from my mostly positive review, I absolutely LOVE Gokusen and its humor, great story with nice plot elements, unique characters, and overall awesomeness make it a highly enjoyable manga. In fact, I'm pretty sure I read all 15 volumes in one day... aka one sitting, so that must have been hours worth of time dedicated to sitting down and reading it! I just couldn't put it down; it was addictive because it was just so much FUN to read! The extra bonus chapters are a blast, and I definitely recommend reading them too!
Overall 9/10
Overall, if you're looking for a light read with some good humor and a great set of characters, this is a must-read! I'd give it a perfect 10, but because of the mediocre art, I'm going to have to concede and give it a 9. Still, I recommend that you give it a go if you're contemplating whether you wanna read it or not because of the art style, because if you do read it, you won't be disappointed!
The art is... LOL, but the story is solid. It's a little repetitive with Yankumi always coming to the rescue, saving her class of delinquents from trouble, taking down all the gangsters, etc., but it remains an entertaining read despite the repetition. There's more Shinkumi development in the manga than in the drama, which I really appreciated. I don't care how controversial it is; the Shinkumi is the best part of Gokusen, in my opinion. I adore the two lead characters, the way they irritate each other yet still deeply care for one another.
The art doesn't improve much, although it's endearing in its simplicity. The ending was perfect, though... JUST WHAT I WANTED! Now I need a sequel!
The artwork, while not the best I've seen, is by no means bad. Since it's a comedy, it makes sense that the art isn't overly detailed. It also fits perfectly with the yakuza theme. The characters are undoubtedly one of the standout aspects of this series because there are so many, yet very few are unlikeable despite being flat characters. What I mean is that some don't stand out as much, which is understandable, but they still fit seamlessly into the story and everything works well together. The main character is obviously the highlight, and throughout the series, I loved how she managed to accomplish everything on her own without much assistance. I'm not sure why, but I have a soft spot for overpowered characters in manga. There's also significant character development, which is always a pleasant surprise.
My enjoyment of this series is undoubtedly a 10 because the content and characters never grew stale, even after so many chapters. There was always something that made me laugh and cheer internally for the main character.
Overall, although my favorite ship didn't work out, I absolutely love this manga and will definitely revisit it sometime in the future.
One more thing— in the extra chapters after the ending, it felt like the romance was rushed, and the characters suddenly became overly affectionate. While I'm not a huge fan of that aspect, it's still deserving of a 10/10 overall. <p>
The protagonist teacher seems to lack a defined objective, and thus, so does the story, in my view. Nevertheless, there are brief arcs where we witness her growing closer to her class, and by the conclusion, she has essentially become their second mother. Hooray!
This isn't to imply that the story wasn't uproariously funny at times or that it didn't thoroughly entertain me—evident through the 159 chapters showcasing development in every character.
Don't anticipate much from the romance tag at the bottom, though there is a charming, albeit highly amusing confession within the tale.
I would recommend this manga for its humor, just be mindful of its lack of direction.
Hopefully, you found this review helpful.
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