Yes, we have the heroine who works hard to overcome obstacles, the tsundere male who's cool and impossibly good at things. You have dorky side characters for comic relief, the somewhat contrived villains, the mandatory 'beach' episodes and school festival. Nothing unique so far.
But Gokusen gives all of it such a hilarious twist that if you're a long-time anime watcher who knows the cliches inside and out, few things are more refreshing. Not to mention the comedy in this anime is golden; the jokes on femininity are crass without being offensive, the characters are caricatures without becoming repetitive, and all of it is carried off by one of my all time favourite female leads.
A Yakuza heir who wants to become a teacher? Yeah, we've heard it before, but now it's a woman who's also known as 'four-eyed monkey'. She's a total dork, but also a total badass. She's self-aware whilst also being dense as a wooden spoon. Goodness, don't tell me: Is this an anime character that's COMPLEX?
Yes. Yes it is. This is one of those animes you can watch over and over because it's really got that level of maturity and depth that allows you to appreciate the jokes and the drama in tandem. You'll root for all the characters, including and at times especially the side characters. The 'romance' is really a sideline plot that if you enjoy, you should continue onto the manga for, but it's touching and endearing when it crops up here too.
Gokusen is the kind of anime I would recommend to anyone over sixteen, or anyone whose sense of humour and drama has matured past being endlessly amused by the same old melodrama and implausible extremes. Sure, Gokusen isn't realistic always, but it pokes fun at itself and the world in such a way that leaves you laughing at just what cartoons and anime are able to accomplish in all their nonsensical weirdness.
Gokusen is a golden gem. Maybe it just suits my sense of humour and affection perfectly, or maybe it's perfect in its own odd, goofy way.
Either way, I'd recommend giving it a shot for 3+ episodes and if you're not feeling oddly protective of every character by the end, well, I guess it's just me then.
