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 - 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.
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#2 - Yankumi's last tearful cry... Cherish life!!
Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/28/2008
It's almost time for the finals, and class 3-D is determined not to fail in order to have a great summer break. Apart from that, they also have to avoid expulsion by not getting into any more trouble, but that appears unlikely when Goda is on the loose again. Swearing vengeance, he raids Akadou Academy and gravely injures Kazama, leading to immense chaos that seems impossible to stop, even for Yankumi herself.
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#3 - 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!
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#4 - Our friends are a lifelong treasure!!
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/14/2008
Class 3-D is awarded for catching a thief during a secret night visit to school, yet their celebration is short-lived when they get into a scuffle with a few classmates who gets themselves involved with a bad crowd. With only a few months left before graduation, Yankumi strives to reunite everyone and restore 3-D's friendship.
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#5 - Become stronger!! The birth of a new life
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 6/7/2008
Ami, Kuma's wife, is approaching her due date. While an excited Yankumi prepares for the baby's birth, one of her students, Kamiya Shunsuke, finds himself frustrated when he gets beaten up by an Ara High bully in front of his girlfriend. Subsequent events with his mother and Kuma take a toll on his temper, and Yankumi races to rescue Kamiya when he picks another fight with a bunch of punks, as well as teach him an important lesson about strength.
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#6 - Don't make excuses for yourself!!
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/31/2008
It's time for Akadou Academy's annual festival, and Yankumi encourages class 3-D to participate. At first, everyone is uncaring, but the promise of girls visiting the school during the event ignites their enthusiasm, and they agree to form a coffee shop named "Hottie Café". Trouble arises, however, when Ogata, Kazama and the others unwittingly piss off Goda Ryuuji, an Akadou alumnus with a notorious reputation, who retaliates by vandalizing the school the night before the festival.
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#7 - 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.
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#8 - A sister and brother's bond of tears
Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/10/2008
Yankumi, the teachers and class 3-D meet Kaoruko, Kazama’s older sister. She visits Akadou Academy, and chastises Kazama upon finding out that he has a part-time job, which is prohibited in school. Amidst the “Springtime Eliminate Delinquency Campaign” organized by Sawatari, Kazama faces the possibility of expulsion for deliberately hitting a police officer, causing him to have a falling out with his sister.
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#9 - Start over anytime!!
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 5/3/2008
The Spring Inter-Class Competition is nearing, and now that Ogata’s and Yamato’s sides have already made peace, Yankumi is more fired-up to have the whole class join and conquer the rugby match. Ichimura Rikiya, Yankumi’s student, meets an old classmate from junior high, Takasugi, who seems to be a quiet, studious boy, but actually has a dangerous side to him.
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#10 - From now on, you guys are my friends!!
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/26/2008
Determined to teach class 3-D the true meaning of comradeship, Yankumi seeks out different ways to relate and get closer to the students, yet all her efforts seem to be thwarted. Meanwhile, the two heads of said groups, Ogata Yamato and Kazama Ren, decide to have a one-on-one fight to finally determine who’s the better boss, but when this turns out futile, they find themselves settling their differences in the most unusual of means.
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#11 - 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?
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#16 - 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.
Watch Now:Amazon#18 - 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.
Watch Now:Amazon#19 - 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.
Watch Now:Amazon#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.
Watch Now:Amazon#21 - 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.
Watch Now:Amazon#22 - 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.
Watch Now:Amazon#23 - 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.
Watch Now:Amazon#24 - 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.
Watch Now:Amazon#25 - 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.
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