I am not entirely sure when yakuza comedies were popularized or what was the catalyst all I know is that Im grateful to the series of events that have led to the conception of Gokusen flaws and all. I have not read nor watched GTO though I can assume it was a major source of inspiration for the wacky adventures of Yankumi and co. I first discovered and devoured in its entirety Gokusen as a drama. A charming comedy overdramatic and repetitive at times with low stakes. Despite those shortcomings it still maanged to capture my attention and so both my watching of the drama and my reading of the manga ended up as binges. 220https://i.pin.com/1200x/91/02/3f/91023f5bcc9ab7b7d17fac4c256ca987.jpg Yamaguchi Yankumi Kumiko is an all star protagonist. You cant help but root for her no matter what happens even if you know the low stakes wont allow anything truly bad could happen to her. Its a gag manga first and foremost so her superhumansuperwoman strength is at first glance her most admirable quality. Its refreshing that the narrative allows her to embrace her yakuza side besides strength and see how it affects her when she tries to conform to the school and normal societys etiquette. Gokusen sidelines its romance for better or for worse so her worst moments come up when the romantic undertones become overtones but even then it makes for an amusing trainwreckage. The low stakes and repetitive nature of the story also eventually devalue the badass compilation of her taking care of business but I guess such is the fate of gag manga. Sawada Shin is well whatever he is hes doing a good job at it. As Yankumis foil he works as his nonchalant demeanour perfectly bounces off Yankumis caring and noisy nature. Of course lest he comes off as a heartless asshole we see that he has a soft spot for people close to him his friends and his teacher. As for the rest of the cast its your typical comedy ensemble cast the punching bags the perverts the wackos the gentle giants. Nobody really sticks out not when Sawada exists both from the school and the Yakuza. Even the man Kumiko crushes on 90 of the series Shinohara doesnt hold a candle to him. He felt like a real threat in the drama though. 220https://i.pin.com/736x/41/39/f3/4139f360fd1bfae0ec442e22e1ebbc98.jpg The art of Gokusen is one of my favorite parts. Expressive and not afraid to look ugly. Sometimes its too ugly on purpose although distractingly so. I like the simple lineart and the somewhat empty panels. It works with Gokusens deadpan humour and services its comedic timing. The fights are often impressively drawn but others theyre drawn more like more like transition scenes rather than wellthoughout moments. Yankumi is my favorite character design her iconic pigtails and red I could still see it in the BW manga I swear tracksuit are simply iconic. Its age shows in the casual misogyny and homophobia spread throughout though eventually does show a strong opposition to them even if its in the most bare minimum of ways. I am not reading the Haha Yakuza manga for morality but Yankumi is a double edged sword while shes admired for her strength and avoids making herself smaller to fit feminine standards there is a lot of implications that lean towards that conformity. Not the biggest fan of that. The manga couldve been a bit shorter. A lot of chapters felt like filler that the manga could smoothly do without. Doesnt help that some of them miss the comedy mark. Or drag out a joke that wasnt all that funny in the first place. Or deathly slowly teasing an obvious twist. I wouldnt say it sullies the experience that much though. But still should you read Gokusen? Well I think yes. Yankumi is oneofakind MC so even if the story does not pique your interest she will make you stay maybe just for a volume. Drama is a must too.