Gokusen is one of those series that I can best describe as "cozy". It's a relatively low-stakes series where even when the going gets rough, you know that at the end of the day things will work out and the status quo will be restored. Series like this hinge on their characters' charm and chemistry to keep them afloat, especially if they run on the longer side. Thankfully for Gokusen, the characters are easily the best part.

Yamaguchi Kumiko makes for a fun and likeable central protagonist who has an infectiously hot-blooded spirit that never fails to make you root for whatever cause she's fighting for. And fight she will, as a large chunk of this series is watching Kumiko kick people's asses for messing with her students, which never fails to be entertaining.

You also have Sawada Shin, the teen-male side-kick to Kumiko who takes up one of the slots in this series' slow-burning love triangle. He definitely falls in the "pretty boy with a bad attitude" category of male love-interests, but he's got a fun personality that gradually starts to shine more often as the series progresses. He has great chemistry with Kumiko, and it was enjoyable to watch him develop over the course of the story.

To touch on the rest of the cast would take ages as there are quite a few characters featured in this series. For the most part it gives plenty of the individual cast members the spot light and by the end of the series you'll have developed a pretty solid understanding of who most of them are as people.

On the story front, however; Gokusen is a lot less interesting. Most of the story arcs follow a repetitive formula, and it's often very predictable. The repetition didn't become much of an issue for me until the last third or so of the series; where by that point my interest in the plot was starting to wane. Thankfully the final act picked up the pace and ended the story on a fairly satisfying note.

As an aside; later on in the series they introduce these short spin-off stories involving Kumiko's pet dog, Fuji; who is now able to talk. He and Shin go on quirky escapades together where Shin plays the straight man. I personally skipped all of these chapters after the first couple completely failed to crack even a smile on my face. Thankfully there are very few of these chapters, and they have zero impact on the plot. So if you too find Fuji's antics grating, feel free to skip all of these chapters.

On another note; the art in Gokusen will likely be most people's least favourite element of the manga. I personally find that the art style has a certain charm to it ( I've heard some call it ugly... I can see it), though admittedly it doesn't really do much for the material. While it's certainly consistent, it lacks energy and has a tendency of underselling the comedic reactions and fight scenes. For a slice-of-life comedy though, it's serviceable.

If you're a sucker for light-hearted stories about society's outcasts, as well as delinquents/ gangsters with hearts of gold, you'll find something to like in Gokusen. The characters are a bit of fun to read about and the series maintains a consistent level of quality from start to finish.

All-in-all, I give Gokusen a solid 6 to a light 7 and would comfortably recommend the series if you're looking for a light hearted gangster-filled romp.