Gokusen (Series 1) is an NTV drama that originally aired in Japan from April 17 to July 3, 2002. There are 12 TV episodes plus a recap special that aired in December 2002, and a special that aired in March 2003. It is based on the original manga by MORIMOTO Kozueko. Ending song = "Feel Your Breeze" by V6.
Gokusen (Series 2) started on January 15, 2005 and ran for 10 episodes. It's also an NTV production. NAKAMA Yukie is back as Yankumi, and she is at a new school (Kurogin Gakuen, hahaha), facing a new class of boys in need of her "special" guidance. However there are some returning castmembers, namely the actors for Yankumi's yakuza family (Grandfather, Tetsu, Minoru, etc), and the school vice principal. The ending theme song for Series 2 is "NO MORE CRY" by D-51. There is also an insert song, usually played about 2/3 of the way into each episode during an emotional time in the episode. That song is called "Kizuna" and it's by KAT-TUN (big surprise there...)
Gokusen SEASON 3 began on April 19, 2008. NAKAMA Yukie has returned to her role of Yankumi, the actors playing her Yakuza family have returned as well. NAMASE Katsuhisa is back as the vice principal and WAKI Tomohiro is back as Kuma, a student from Yankumi's class in season 1. (He is now the age Yankumi was back then! LOL). A new group of students has been cast for the new class 3D at Yankumi's new school. The theme song for season 3 is "Niji" by Aqua Timez.
Gokusen drama Series 1 stars:
NAKAMA Yukie as YAMAGUCHI Kumiko (23)
UTSUI Ken as KURODA Ryuuichiro (70)
KANEKO Ken as ASAKURA Tetsu (27)
UCHIYAMA Shinji as TATSUKAWA Minoru (23)
MATSUMOTO Jun (ARASHI) as SAWADA Shin (17)
SAWAMURA Kazuki as SHINOHARA
OGURI Shun as UCHIYAMA Haruhiko (18)
ISHIGAKU Yuuma as MINAMI (18)
NARIMIYA Hiroki as NODA (18)
WAKI Tomohiro as KUMA (TERUO Kumai) (18)
ITO Misaki as FUJIYAMA Shizuka (25)
NAKAZAWA Yuko (ex-Morning Musume)as NAKASHIMA (the School Nurse) (26)
TAYAMA Ryosei as Shirokin Gakuen Principal
NAMASE Katsuhisa as SAWATARI Goro (Vice Principal) (45)
Gokusen drama Series 2 stars:
NAKAMA Yukie as YAMAGUCHI Kumiko (25)
UTSUI Ken as KURODA Ryuuichiro (73)
KANEKO Ken as ASAKURA Tetsu (29)
UCHIYAMA Shinji as TATSUKAWA Minoru (25)
WAKI Tomohiro as KUMA TERUO Kumai (20)
NAMASE Katsuhisa as SAWATARI Goro (48)
KAMENASHI Kazuya (KAT-TUN) as ODAGIRI Ryu (17)
AKANISHI Jin (KAT-TUN) as YABUKI Hayato (18)
HAYAMI Mokomichi as TSUCHIYA Hikaru (18)
KOIKE Teppei as TAKEDA Keita (18)
KOIDE Keisuke as HYUUGA Kosuke (17)
SAKI Toshiya as INUZAKA Taichi (42)
AZUMA Mikihisa as BABA Seiga (35)
Otoha as HAKUCHO Hitomi (23)
MOTO Fuyuki as KAMEYAMA Takashi (48)
Magii as INOMATA Shinji (34)
IKEDA Yukiko as WANIBUCHI Sayuri (37)
INOUE Jun as KUROKAWA Ginji (58)
ANAN Kenji as WAKAMATSU Kozo (45)
TANIHARA Shosuke as KYUUJOU Takuma (30)
Gokusen drama Series 3 stars:
NAKAMA Yukie as YAMAGUCHI Kumiko (28)
UTSUI Ken as KURODA Ryuuichiro (76)
NAMASE Katsuhisa as SAWATARI Goro (51)
ENAMI Kyoko as the Board Chairman (60)
ANAN Kenji as WAKAMATSU Hiro
UCHIYAMA Shinji as TATSUKAWA Minoru (28)
WAKI Tomohiro as KUMAI "Kuma" Tetsuo (23)
KANEKO Ken as ASAKURA Tetsu (32)
TAKAKI Yuya (Hey! Say! JUMP) 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
EPISODE GUIDE WITH SCREENCAPS
There are spoilers in my episode guide, especially in the screencaps, so watch out!
In July, 2009, a final Gokusen movie will hit Japanese theaters. This movie is set to be the final Gokusen live action production, and will serve as a cap to the whole series. While the movie focuses on the students of season 3's Class 3-D, there are some notable appearances from some of Yankumi's previous students from both seasons 1 and 2.
A trailer for the movie can be viewed at the film's Official Site
As for finding the drama? Well, it has been released on four Region 2 DVDs in Japan, with 3 episodes per DVD. (This seems like a pretty good deal to me, Japanese DVDs can be evil and only have one episode sometimes). These DVDs are only in Japanese of course, with no English subtitles. However the acting and plots in this series are often so exaggerated and manga-like, that it usually isn't that hard to figure out what is going on, even without subtitles. In my opninon, anyway ^_^ You can buy these Region 2 DVDs Through Amazon Japan. The covers can be seen below:
| Gokusen DVD 1 4,800yen Episodes 1-3
|
| Gokusen DVD 2 4,800yen Episodes 4-6 |
|
| Gokusen DVD 3 4,800yen Episodes 7-9 |
| Gokusen DVD 4 4,800yen Episodes 10-12 |
|
| Gokusen Special "Sayonara 3-nen D-gumi"
3,800yen
This is the special that aired in March 2003.Class 3-D faces crisis as graduation approaches!
|
| Gokusen Season 2 DVD BOX 13,364yen As well as individual DVDs, they released season 2 as one complete box set. |
|
| Gokusen Season 3
14,895yen
Just like season 2, Season 3 was also released as one big box set.
|
| Gokusen Season 3 Graduation Special 2,925yen The special that aired after season 3 ended. |
There are also some Chinese-subbed VCDs of Gokusen floating around.
There is a Gokusen drama soundtrack for season 1:
"Gokusen Original Soundtrack"
AVCD-17124
2427 yen
19 tracks. Does not include the vocal version of the ending theme "Feel Your Breeze" by V6, however it does have a piano version.
|
|
There is also a maxi-single from V6 of the drama's ending theme, "Feel Your Breeze"
AVCD-30356
1050 yen.
8 tracks. It includes both the full vocal and Instrumental versions of 'Feel Your Breeze' as well as a couple other songs (including a guest vocalist from the group S.E.S.)
|
|
For season 2, we have the new ending theme song, "NO MORE CRY" by D-51:
CD Single, the other song on this is called "BELIEVER".
PCCA-70151 - Release Date: 02/02/2005
952 yen
|
|
Aaaaand, the Original Soundtrack for the drama's second season:
The tracks should be all instrumental, and are probably variations of the songs from the first soundtrack, since a lot of what I hear when watching season 2 sounds similar to season 1. As before, I don't think it contains either vocal song from season 2. You will have to buy the singles for those.
PCCR-423 - Release Date: 02/16/2005
2300 yen
|
|
Gokusen Season 3 Soundtrack
18 more tracks of Gokusen background music goodness! :D
VPCD-81603 - Release Date: 05/28/2008
2375 yen
|
|