GOKUSEN: Empowering women and teachers

Gokusen was a well-loved Japanese drama in the Philippines. But if you look closer into it, you'll find out that the drama teaches us life lessons as well as entertains us. 

 

It was adapted from the manga, The Gokusen, aseries by Kozueko Morimoto. The story follows Kumiko Yamaguchi, the granddaughter of a Yakuza boss and teacher at an all-male private high school.

The plot involves Kumiko Yamaguchi, the granddaughter of a Yakuza boss, Kuroda of the Kuroda Ikka. Her parents died when she was at the age of seven, and her grandfather had no other descendants, so Kumiko is next in line to head the family business with the title of Ojou. However, her lifelong dream has been to become a teacher. While her grandfather approves of her choice, others in the family want her to become the next boss.

Kumiko (known by her students as "Yankumi") becomes a teacher at an all-boys private high school. Her class is full of delinquents,

 but she tries her hardest to teach them not just about academics (her subject is Mathematics), but about lessons of life, much like any "dedicated teacher" story. Though she's forced to keep her family a secret from the public, her Yakuza upbringing gives her the strength and the experience to reach out to her students, while also providing comedic relief.

From this, we observe how difficult it is to be a teacher, but they always give their best to share knowledge to their students, and the more dedicated ones even impart life lessons based on their own experiences. 

 

It's great to know that some dramas become tools for social change in society. I hope that through Gokusen, we will be able to appreciate teachers more, and learn to see women as strong-willed people as well. Women can do anything if we are given the chance to prove ourselves and share our skills. And all women deserve to be respected, because like Kumiko proved to us, nothing is impossible, we can make good change and inspire others to live a better life and be better persons :)