Gokusen

Enter a young, idealistic teacher who believes that if she tried her best, she could change rotten apples.  Her assignment? Homeroom teacher to a classroom filled with deviants.  Little do the students know, she is actually the 4th generation heir to the yakuza clan.

The leader of the bunch of deviants is Sawada Shin. He is portrayed by Matsumoto Jun, who coincidentally plays Domyoji Tsukasa in Hana Yori Dango. Oguri Shun plays his lackey in this drama.

She soon earns their respect and an endearing nickname – Yankumi.  Moral of the story? You will never earn respect with your fists. And time and again, this teacher would stand up for her students because she believes in them, even though the rest of the world judges them by their outward appearances. A heartwarming tale of teacher-student relationship.

Side note: It is from this first meeting that Matsumoto Jun is captured by Oguri Shun’s talent.  When Matsumoto was asked to play the role of Domyoji in Hana Yori, he specifically requested that Oguri Shun be cast for the role of Hanazawa Rui.