Gokusen wasn't exactly the style of manga that I typically go for, but in this case, I am glad I made an exception. The thing that did it for me, that made me keep going despite my hesitation, was the subtle complexity of both the art and the story-telling.

The artwork and writing style was strong and seemed to eschew stereotypes. Instead of falling into the typical manga cliches, it somewhat redefined them. The characters where each multifaceted and interesting in their own ways and they had depth, in a way that wasn't thrown around like a gimmick either. In fact, I felt that the mangaka had a lot of fun with nuance. Overall, it was intelligently written and drawn.

As for the content, it was better than average, which is great to me. Average is just so... typical. This manga was downright hilarious at times and had plenty of little bits in there to make the fangirls swoon, yet it never seemed to fall into that this-is-how-mangas-are-supposed-to-go trap. It isn't a shoujo, but it isn't just a shounen either.

What I considered to be its biggest downfall seemed to also be an asset. It stuck to a pretty episodic pattern. Normally, I would find that to be bothersome... but in this case, it was obvious that the stories weren't the point but rather just a vessel for the characters. The characters were what mattered, so the plot was underplayed and sometimes underdeveloped.

The romance was also a bit underplayed as well, though in a surprisingly pleasant way. You saw the real connection between the two love interests, but there weren't all of those classic manga tropes. It was a more realistic and honest representation of affection.

Now, the reason why this isn't one of my favorites is, well, a bit embarrassing. I missed all of the silly gimmicky things that make a manga a manga. I missed the stupidly pretty boys and overly simple arch types; the inane things that most readers take for granted in a manga. Which is why, while I wholly appreciate this manga for what it was, I wasn't completely taken with it. It's inability to take itself seriously, while charming and unique, also prevented me from taking it seriously as a reader.