The BEST episodes of Gokusen
Every episode of Gokusen ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Gokusen!
Fresh out of college, Kumiko "Yankumi" Yamaguchi becomes a math teacher at Shirokin high school. Unfortunately for her, she's assigned by the school board as the homeroom teacher for class 3-D, which happens to be the class of delinquent students. When the class attempts to make a living hell out of Yankumi's career, they fail as her persistence and aggression gain her respect. However, little does anyone in the school know that Yankumi is actually heir to the Oedo Group - one of Tokyo's most powerful yakuza clans. If anyone finds out that Yankumi is a yakuza member, her career as a teacher could be in jeopardy.
#1 - You guys are my one-and-only students!! How can I desert you?
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/29/2005
After rejecting an invitation from Kudo, an expelled students from Kurogin, Odagiri and Yabuki find themselves framed for a robbery and arrested. Yankumi, after learning about the arrest, is determined to find the real perpetrators and straightening this mess out.
#2 - High school is a once in a lifetime experience, do not waste it! ...That zealous teacher has returned!
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/15/2005
Yankumi returns again! However, she's now a teacher of class 3-D of Kurogin Academy, which is filled with delinquents. After learning that a student, Odagiri Ryuu, hasn't been coming to school, Yankumi investigates and tries to persuade Odagiri to come back.
#3 - No one is alone
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/26/2002
After some students from class 3-D apprehended a serial murderer-robber, some reporters wanted a 24-hour close-up of how Yankumi's life is. However, things get out of hand when the reporters realize where Yankumi lives. Also, Kuma has a falling out with his father.
#4 - I'll believe my own students!!
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/19/2002
When the Head Teacher's wife sets up an omiai for Yankumi, Yankumi reluctantly goes, knowing that she only has eyes for Shinohara the detective, whose sister is getting married. Later on, while Kuma is taking a stroll, he bumps into a student from a prestigious high school who was shoplifting. Kuma was blamed for the crime and Yankumi, Shin, Uchi, Minami, Noda and Kuma heads to bring the real perpetrator out.
#5 - Don't blame others for your own mistakes!!
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/12/2002
With the Shirokin volleyball team advancing towards nationals, Yankumi decided to form a cheerleading team. However, the event didn't go smoothly because of Kurosaki. Kurosaki holds a grudge against Shirokin because his volleyball coach made him quit. Kurosaki was involved in a violent incident and normally, Kurosaki would get off with a suspension, but the Coach made him quit to preserve the reputation of the team and the school. With such a strong grudge, Kurosaki is out for revenge.
#6 - Goodbye, Yankumi
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 7/3/2002
Yankumi's secret is finally revealed. She was forced to resign, but the students of class 3-D couldn't stand for it. Many students voiced out to the superintendent how Yankumi was able to change all of them and has taught them many great lessons in life, threatening to drop out of school if they don't reinstate her. In the end, when Yankumi manages to convince all her student to stay in school, Sawatari, the vice-principal, comes to the conclusion that Yankumi is a needed teacher in the school.
#7 - Be proud to graduate!! Yankumi and Class 3-D, tearful goodbye
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/19/2005
It's four days till graduation. Can the students from class 3-D keep out of trouble? Especially since Kudo is on the loose again.
#8 - Obtain happiness by your own hands!!
Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/21/2008
Curious about why Yankumi is so strong despite her looks, Ogata and Kazama's group decides to follow her home, and gets the shock of their lives when they discover who she really is. The cheery atmosphere in their family greatly contrasts Ogata's – his father, a strict teacher from the elite Kaitoku School, is very disappointed with Ogata's status as an Akadou delinquent, and blames his irresponsibility for his parent's divorce!
#9 - Don't think you can make it through life alone
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/17/2008
Yankumi talks to her students’ parents about their future during PTC, one of them being Honjo Kengo’s dad, a tofu store owner. When he collapses from over-fatigue, class 3-D fears that Honjo will have to drop out, so they decide to raise money to help him out by trying out different jobs. Honjo, on the other hand, encounters an old senpai of his, Narita, who lends him the money he needs – but with serious consequences.
#10 - Father and son's bond of tears
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/12/2005
Odagiri's father found out that Odagiri has been going to school while he was away and Odagiri's father will have none of this rebellion.
#11 - I will always be your teacher
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/5/2005
Kuma's restaurant is in danger when someone wants to build something on its land.
#12 - Think seriously about your life
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/26/2005
Yankumi wanted every student to think about their future and begged for companies etc. to consider interviewing her students.
#13 - What's important is the strength of your heart!!
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/12/2005
Takeda likes Maki, a student from Kurogin's neighboring female school. Trying to win her heart, Takeda resorts to dirty tactics, but soon learns that it wasn't a way to win her heart. After learning that Maki's boyfriend actually has several other girlfriends, Takeda duels her boyfriend for Maki, knowing that he will not be able to win this match.
#14 - Don't compare your life with someone else's!
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/5/2005
Kurogin Academy has decided to become co-ed, but it starts when the seniors have already graduated. Tsuchiya, a student of Yankumi's, was in a bookstore when he catches a junior high female student attempting to shoplift. Tsuchiya can't leave the girl alone, so he introduces the other side of studying and brought her to an arcade, where she starts to have fun. However, a former homeroom teacher of Tsuchiya catches him and the teacher automatically blames and accuses Tsuchiya of forcing the girl to hang out with him. The situation starts to heat up as Yankumi realizes that Tsuchiya can potentially be expelled from Kurogin Academy.
#15 - A person's power is not decided by his physical strength, there's a much more important thing within
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/22/2005
Odagiri Ryuu used to be friends with the now class leader, Yabuki Hayato. After Odagiri apologized to Ara High before class 3-D fights with them, Odagiri has been deemed a traitor. However, it was all a misunderstanding as the class soon finds out from Takeda, a students who Odagiri helped out.
#16 - Aren't you his mother!!
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 6/5/2002
Kawashima, the school nurse, has to go to a training camp just when her son, Yuta, comes over to see his mother. Because she can't cancel the training camp, Yankumi invites Yuta over for the night and in the morning, until Kawashima came back, Yankumi has Yuta over to her classroom. Little did they know that Yuta didn't inform his grandparents, whom Yuta lives with, that he's visiting Kawashima and that Yuta isn't actually related to Kawashima by blood. Refusing to give up, Yuta runs away and everyone hurries to find him. In the end, Yuta can live with Kawashima.
#17 - Believe in your own child!!
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/29/2002
Everyone found out that Sawada Shin has a younger sister and Shin actually lives alone after bickering with his father. Shin's sister, under a lot of pressure from their parents, decided to go to a dangerous club. Shin found out and tried to help her sister escape, but after police officers came and Shin was determined to make sure his sister wasn't caught, Shin was the one who got arrested. However, the police demands that to release Shin, one of his parents or legal guardians must pick him up.
#18 - To fight is different from violence
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/15/2002
Sawada Shin found out about Yankumi's family. A gang of highscool students have been attacking people with metal poles while Kumai falls in love with a girl named Ami and protects her from that gang. Yankumi teach the students the difference between violence and fighting.
#19 - Think more about your parents' feelings!!
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/19/2005
Hyuga got a job as a bartender's apprentice, but it seems that the bar also has a dangerous business on the side.
#20 - Don't let bullying get to you!!
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/22/2002
It's the sports competition festival. After a deal with the Head Teacher, the students of 3-D were excited to get first place in a sport, but they didn't have enough people until Yankumi realied something: Class 3-D actually has another student in the class! Turns out that the student was a victim of bullying and couldn't bare to go back to school. With determination, Yankumi does everything to persuade the student to take part in the competition.
#21 - Don't judge only by appearance!!
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 5/1/2002
A thief has been going around stealing purses from women and the Head Teacher has been accusing Uchiyama of the crime. Yankumi and a few students decide to capture the real criminal and clear Uchiyama's name.
#22 - If you fail, start over
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/8/2002
The school found out that Shizuka, the English Teacher, was a part-time hostess, and before the Head Teacher could fire her, a deal was made: all students from class 3-D must pass their English midterm with at least 30 points. However, with a class filled with delinquents who were lacking in academically, this might not be as easy as it seems.
#23 - A zealous teacher goes on a rampage!!
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/17/2002
A new teacher, Yamaguchi Kumiko, came to Shirokin and as it turns out, she's the homeroom teacher of a class filled with delinquents who tried to scare her off. However, it's not going to be easy to scare off this teacher because she's actually from the Oedo family, a yakuza family, and her grandfather's the head of the family. Trouble arises when one of Yamaguchi's students, Kumai, is accused of stealing money from the school. As it turns out, he did and Yamaguchi's here to prevent Kumai from getting expelled.
#24 - Don't abandon your friend!!
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/24/2002
The class gave Yamaguchi a nickname: Yankumi. Minami is dating a girl, but troubles arise when it turns out that the girl was seeing another man in a rival school! When Minami was in trouble and his classmates didn't help, Yankumi scolded at the class for abandoning those they claimed were there "friends". However, Shin helped him out.
#25 - That Yankumi has returned. Finally, the revival of the legendary school drama!!
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/19/2008
Sawatari Goro now works at Akado High School as a vice principal. Although the head director of the school board speficically orders him to handle the problematic class 3-D, the students are just too much for him. So Sawatari goes far away to a southern island to search for Yankumi, and convince her to work for Akado. Yankumi accepts the offer, only to find that her class (again) is full of punks, where two rival groups of students are always at each other’s throats. Will Yankumi’s strong belief in students and teaching work this time?