Gokusen The Movie

Cast:
Nakama Yukie as Yamaguchi Kumiko
Namase Katsuhisa as Sawatari Goro
Kamenashi Kazuya as Odagiri Ryu
Takaki Yuya as Ogata Yamato
Miura Haruma as Kazama Ren
Ishiguro Hideo as Honjo Kengo
Nakama Junta as Ichimura Rikiya
Kiriyama Akito as Kuraki Satoru
Miura Shohei as Kamiya Shunsuke
Waki Tomohiro as Kumai Teruo
Hayami Mokomichi as Tsuchiya Hikaru
Koike Teppei as Takeda Keita
Koide Keisuke as Hyuuga Kosuke
Oguri Shun as Uchiyama Haruhiko
Ishigaki Yuma as Minami Yoichi
Narimiya Hiroki as Noda Takeshi
Tamamori Yuta as Takasugi Reita

Genre: School Life, Teaching, Juvenile Delinquents, JMovie

Summary: The Gokusen story continues. Yankumi is still teaching at Akadou, although the last batch we saw her with has graduated, and she is in charge of a new class, led by Takasugi Reita. While she is still working on getting the class to warm up to her, she is also supposed to take along the new student teacher and show him the ropes.

To Yankumi's surprise, (and to the fulfillment of her passionate dream which has her even more passionate than usual) the student teacher turns out to be Odagiri Ryu (the pretteh), one of Yankumi's students from Kurogin (back in Season 2).

Yankumi keeps on believing in her students, as always, and they seem to be gradually accepting her, and all seems to be going well. However, one of Yankumi's students from the past year, Kazama Ren, suddenly gets caught up in a drug operation, led by someone who could possibly be Yankumi's biggest opponent yet. Through it all, she remains the same Yankumi that they all love and believe in, and teaches what is most important, once again.

Review: Ahhh, Gokusen, the things you do to me. This is quite possibly the most plot-less, pointless thing ever, and I still love it. I loved the movie to bits too, despite the utter ridiculousness of the timing/situations. After all, like I have stated on previous occasions, you don't watch Gokusen for the plot.

No, it's not for the pretty either, although admittedly, the pretties are very pre-teh. Tama-chan is so ridiculously cute. He was also, surprisingly, quite convincing as a delinquent, at first, but then he ran and I know I used to call Kame all skin and bones before, but seriously, Tamamori, boy needs to eat. Though he is still ridiculously pretty. Also, Takaki still runs like girl. XD Miura Haruma was as pretty as always. It was such a squealy flaily affair to see so many of them looking so ridiculously pretty one after the other.

Ryu gets his own paragraph of me harping on his prettiness because I say so. Damn it, Kamenashi is amazing. While I was waiting for the movie, I watched bits and pieces of season 2 because HayaRyuu are so bloody damn pretty and therefore so much win, and flailed a whole lot and was a general embarrassment to myself. I don't even care about either, because it was all worth it, and kwaaaa~ words fail. Anyway, the point is, Kame, in the movie, was so deliciously Ryu. Now, I do realize this is more foolishness on my behalf, because obviously, he is playing the role Odagiri Ryu, who else would he be, BUT! I didn't think of it, okay? Imagine my utter flail-squeal-melt-dying, when there is suddenly Ryu, Odagiri Ryu on the screen, all grown up, but very much himself. I remember hearing about Kame talking in concerts about Odagiri being this sorta character, where he has incredibly little reactions to things, and its so true. Ryu is indeed a rock. However, unlike the stupid diamond in twilight, he is the very epitome of a rock. The Epic Rock Who Pawns All. <3

It's so brilliant, though. The movie is so movie-like. (Yet another wonderful observation by yours truly.) It's more exaggerated than the drama series(es), Yankumi is freaking awesome, breaking walls and kicking cans through buildings and using Yakuza-ish words and delivering randomly passionate speeches without any regard to her surroundings. All the past pupils showing up had me flailing like mad and tearing up like anything because it's... it's touching, mkay? T__T When Oguri Shun's character Uchi showed up and patted Yankumi's shoulder and then poked her cheek with his finger like she used to do to them way back, I flailed a whole lot (although I was thinking all the while it should be Shin doing that, damn it, whaaaaai. T__T)  The entire movie makes you swim in cheese and I will eternally begrudge this for not even mentioning Hayato and Shin. I was just WAITING for them to make some reference to Hayato in someway, although I knew they wouldn't, and they didn't. *pouts* Though I'll be lying if I said I didn't flail around a whole lot enjoy watching this.

*cough* So I got side tracked for three paragraphs. Like I was saying, you don't watch Gokusen for plot. You watch Gokusen, because it's Gokusen. That's enough.

Music: Plumeria ~Hana Uta ~ by Aqua Timez

Rating: 6/10 [Although purely in terms of enjoyment, the rating could be higher, I will be petty for them not even mentioning Hayato. >3>]

Quotes:

~ Gokusen Quotes at SongStories ~

Note: I am plotting a behind-the-scenes/minor sequel to this. Titled HayaShin's Revenge. Where Hayato and Shin show up, complain about them being completely erased from existence in the movie, and steal their respective leading ladies (Obviously, Yankumi for Shin and Ryuu for Hayato) and run off into the sunset. That, and all is said and done. ^___^

[Ah, I just realized I didn't watch the Season 3 special. ~_~]

AND, call me slow, but it was only after publishing, and seeing the date that I realized I watched this on Kame's birthday. Fitting, don't you think? ^_~

Gokusen 2

Cast:
Nakama Yukie as Yamaguchi Kumiko
Akanishi Jin as Yabuki Hayato
Kamenashi Kazuya as Odagiri Ryu
Hayami Mokomichi as Tsuchiya Hikaru
Koike Teppei as Takeda Keita
Koide Keisuke as Hyuuga Kosuke
Namase Katsuhisa as Sawatari Goro
Kaneko Ken as Asakura Tetsu
Uchiyama Shinji as Tatsukawa Minoru
Waki Tomohiro as Kuma

Genre: School Life, Teaching, Juvenile Delinquents, JDrama

Episodes: 10

Summary: Teacher with unconventional methods of teaching believes in students who happen to be juvenile delinquents and don't trust teachers. Teacher protects them and gains their trust and teach them stuff and get them to graduate. Oh, and the teacher happens to be the fourth generation of a mafia family and if they find out about her family she'll be fired. [Basically you refer to the plot of Gokusen, and then take in a different batch of high school delinquents with two pretty johnnys as ring leaders instead of one.]

Review: Jin is SPARKLY *_*

I COULD just have ended the review with that, coz basically, his sparkliness is worthy of carrying the weight of the entire review. He was DAZZLING. *goes around going 'mabushiii~' like Pi in the making of SUMMARY*

Ahem. I get distracted. Anyway.

As you can tell from the summary, Gokusen lacks a proper plot, or story, or utter AWESOMENESS, which the likes of Liar Game or Nobuta or even Hotaru no Hikari have. The plot is repetitive every episode, there is no REAL story line, and you don't particularly need to watch the episodes in order coz they are most of the time not even that much related to each other. Nothing much happens either, but come on, this is a freakin classic, for REASON. And no, I don't mean the pretties, although they really ARE pretty, and DO play a pretty huge role in me loving this. But it's funny, coz Yankumi is awesome in her own self-contradictory and slightly cringe-worthy yet still funny way.

Also, her suddenly falling in love upon sight with random people and then giving them names like Mr. Burbury is funny too. And the scenarios taking place in her head making her act all dorky And this season had the poor Baba sensei in love with her as well. eh heh.

[Although I will admit that the next time I hear that music and Yankumi going "Me? I'm their/his homeroom teacher" as she takes off her glasses and rubber bands, to beat up the villains/whatever, I fear I will be sick. Hearing it in every single episode for three seasons has that effect on you. -_-']

Now lets go back to talking about the pretties. I DID mention how sparkly Jin was did I not? Coz I cannot stress enough on this point. And he was not ONLY sparkly, but also SO DAMN ADORABLE (I cannot lay off the caps sorry, but it NEEDS to be upper-cased) I love how Jin does his own bunny-peace-sign thing, even in the Hayato character, and all the adorable ways he ended his sentences when he was speaking and stuff. I practically DIED in the episode where he helps out Kuma in his Ramen shop and wears his hair clipped up. I practically DIED again during the interviewing practice episode where they decided to interview Yankumi and Jin wears the OMGHOTT white shirt, with glasses and goes "Dozo~" gesturing with his hand. Jin is certainly hazardous for health, if only from the many times he makes you forget to breathe from his GORGEOUSNESS, and then the times you laugh so much that you hurt from his stupid bakanishiness, and the times he makes your heart break with his adorable songs like Care and Hesitate and Murasaki, or- Ermmm I think I'm going out of topic here, so I shall cut off the Jin fangirling as of now. Let's speak of the other pretties.

I didn't like Kame-chan's character that much here. I mean I do LOVE his Kenshin-ish hair, and he makes the very boring character that is Odagiri Ryu (I'm sorry, but I totally prefer baka-Hayato-ish types over the cool types like Ryu) kinda adorable and cute at times like when he picks on Yankumi or goes along with his friends stupid plans. Or points out flaws in their brilliant ideas bringing them down to earth. And he IS such a pretty girl gorgeous, even when or perhaps specially when he gets beaten up, with Hayato, which kinda happens in nearly every episode. [I also fear that I might be slightly sadistic, because them being SO DAMN GORGEOUS when they are beaten up had me actually looking forward to seeing them all beaten up -__-']

I also love how they have the whole Akame, eternal-rival-bestfriends thing here. I especially adored the scene where they tried to ridiculously out do each other in who recieved more chocolates for Valentines. (until Yankumi popped out of nowhere and interrupted) XD

Now, then there was Tsuchi, who was again, gorgeous. And he was tall! (poor Akame standing next to him *snickers fondly*) And he had this fan which he carried everywhere which was very cool. And who can forget the VERY adorable Teppei. ^_^ And also the guy who played Hyuuga. (since he has already imprinted himself into my brain in Nodame)

This is worth a watch if you can get it from a friend or something. I don't think its worth downloading to watch (although am being really hypocritical here coz I even burned it onto a dvd after I got it from yuae coz I wanted to ogle at Jin's prettiness whenever I want to, and often), and you probably wouldn't have the patience to stream it and watch it either, since it IS pretty repetitive. Although if you can summon patience for the sake of pretty Akame, and adorkableness, douzo~ ^_~

Music:

No More Cry by D-51 [Ending theme]
Kizuna by Kamenashi Kazuya [Insert song] (this is REALLY pretty. Words fail at HOW pretty. Although I think I love Takaki's song in the next season just as much too.)

Rating: 5/10 [For sparkly Jin and the funniness of it all. Kyun~]

Quotes:

As long as you have strength to protect those important to you, that's all you need.

~Yankumi to Hayato

***
Hayato: How many chocolates did you get last year?
Ryu: Donno... About 20
Hayato: Ahh.. I got around 22
Ryu: I see, I think that I got 30
Hayato: Oh I remember, I got 45
Ryu: Thinking about it mine was probably 67
Hayato: I had around 84
Yankumi: Eh, you guys are pretty popular, aren't you?
Or maybe, isn't your level a bit too low?
Hayato & Ryu: ... -___-'
Hayato: Why are you here?
***
More Quotes?
***

Note: Why is Jin so sparkly?

And I will admit I did get a little emotionally touched at the end of this. It was due to Jin and Teppei crying. Pfft. I can't belive I got emotional over Gokusen... -__-' (well I can considering I did, but I shall pretend I cannot believe it anyway coz I like to act that way.)

At this point, it should be pretty obvious that I ADORE Jin's character Hayato and his utter sparkliness, no? Well just in case there IS any doubt, I shall clear it up by stating that he is SPARKLY, and ADORKABLY LOVABLE. ^_^

Gokusen

Cast:
Nakama Yukie as Yamaguchi Kumiko
Matsumoto Jun as Sawada Shin
Namase Katsuhisa as Sawatari Goro
Utsui Ken as Kuroda Ryuichiro
Anan Kenji as Wakamatsu Hiro
Kaneko Ken as Asakura Tetsu
Uchiyama Shinji as Tatsukawa Minoru
Ryogoku Hiroshi as Sugawara Makoto
Oguri Shun as Uchiyama Haruhiko
Waki Tomohiro as Kumai Teruo
Narimiya Hiroki as Noda Takeshi
Ishigaki Yuma as Minami Youichi
Ito Misaki as Fujiyama Shizuka
Nakazawa Yuko as Kawashima Kikuno

Genre: School Life, Teaching, Juvenile Delinquents, JDrama

Episodes: 12 + Gokusen Special

Summary: Yamuguchi Kumiko is the heir to a Yakuza family, but her dream is to become a teacher. However, if she is to become a teacher, she cannot afford anyone to find out about her family's business. She starts her life as a teacher in Shiroken high school, filled with hopes and anticipation.

She is stuck in class 3D, which is basically the class full of rejects and troublemakers, the utterly hopeless ones. And of course there is Sawada Shin (MatsuJun! Yay~), the "ring leader" who is extremely un-figure-out-able. However, she does not judge them based on there appearances, but truely accepts them and promises to see them all to their graduation through all kinds of troubles.

Review: Yankumi's character was perfect. It was utterly dorky and strange at times, then all cool when she switched to her fighting mode, ditching her rubber bands and her glasses.

I absolutely LOVED Yankumi's knack for appearing suddenly out of nowhere when the students are discussing stuff. And her little trick of tapping the shoulder and poking peoples cheeks was so cute too. And her theatrics, and all the sound effects while she moved and was talking and stuff.
The rest of the teachers were quite a bunch of characters as well.

But more importantly, Why is Oguri Shun so damn adorable? ~_~ And also, Matsumoto Jun is HOT in this one. I had to knock myself on the head a coupla times to actually REMIND myself that I am a Yamapi fangirl.

This is a drama with cheesy lines, useless actions, and totally contradictory lessons being taught in it. BUT it sure is funny, so who cares really? AND there is the added bonus of a very pretty Matsumoto Jun AND Oguri Shun, and that guy who looks like a cat.

Yankumi's character is also pretty lovable, and all the 3D guys end up being really good kids AT HEART so you like them, and the cheesiness kinda moves you too. Occasionally. So it's a pretty good drama, and it is kinda a classic in JDramas I think, so definitely worth a watch.

Music: "Feel Your Breeze" by V6 (A song which starts undoubtedly strangely. -__-')

Rating: 6/10

Quotes/Taglines:

Yankumi: Me? I am those guys homeroom teacher.
(mostly in response to being asked who she is after she beats people up)

~Quotes here~

Note: Speaking of "Teachers with unconventional teaching methods" drama's, I personally liked Great Teacher Onizuka better, even if there is more of an abundance of adorable guys here. Although I hear Dragon Zakura is pretty good too, and intend on checking it out. I have high hopes for it, since Fably says it's great AND there is Yamapi and other pretties in it ^_^ *oh ho ho ho ho*