Title: Dragon Zakura
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: Tsukamoto Renpei, Karaki Marehiro, Komatsu Takashi
Format: 11 episodes
Dates: 8 Jul 2005 - 16 Sep 2005

Synopsis: Kenji Sakuragi, Esq., a former motorcycle gangster, is down on his luck. After his days as a gangster, he’s reformed and became a lawyer. However, his shady past has come into the light, and he can’t get any clients. When an employer orders him to go to a heavily indebted high school to give them a final warning before being evicted, he sees the destitute state of Ryusan High: Despite being a private school, the kids only have an average score of 36. Instead of giving them their eviction notice, Kenji comes up with plan to bring him back into fame: He will tutor five selected seniors, and get them into Tokyo University, the best university in Japan.

The Highlights
Cast: An all-star cast that works well together.
Story: Not for optimists.
Studying Skills: Useful for cramming.
Similarities to GTO: None.

Dragon Zakura, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

First, we have the cast. The producers of this show cut zero corners during casting; this show features some of the most famous faces in all of Japan. With Hiroshi Abe playing the role of Kenji, Hasegawa Kyoko co-staring as a dim-witted English teacher, young stars Koike Teppei of WaT, Yamashita Tomohisa of NEWS, Saeko and Nagasawa Masami as failing students, and Nogiwa Yoko as the indecisive, hysterical director of the board, Dragon Zakura has one of the most high-profile casts in recent years. That’s good for us viewers, as the professionalism of the cast is immediately evident. Each character is always in character and the delivery of each and every line is absolutely perfect. The characters themselves interact in a realistic fashion; you can never really predict the feelings involved between them. As a result, the chemistry between characters is inextricably complex, and no obvious love/hate pairings occur.

Then we have the story. One would expect something like, “a group of rowdy misfits come together under the wing of a caring, loving teacher.” However, Dragon Zakura delivers exactly the opposite: a group of bumbling, idiotic kids with no distinguishing personalities come together under a sadistic fascist of a mentor. Kenji doesn’t really care for the well-being of his students; he tortures them for no reason other than personal gain and preservation of his pride. During the course of his tutelage, the kids are forced to work and toil for days and days and confess to crimes they didn’t commit. In one case, Sakuragi extorts the director for money, and subsequently bribes a student to join his class. His ruthless nature is a refreshing break from the “softer” teacher dramas of recent years.

This series portrays the social biases against so-called “stupid” kids: the students are frequently looked down upon because of their lesser intelligence, and are sometimes assumed to be delinquents for the sole reason that they have low test scores. Even the kids’ parents look down upon their own children’s attempts to secure a future for themselves. The series reveals the deep social injustice in place in modern Japanese society.

Finally, the study skills introduced in Dragon Zakura are also pragmatic; they are useful for anyone who needs to cram for an upcoming exam. The series teaches viewers how to efficiently manage their time.

In short, the series is driven by Social Darwinism: the weak are trampled by the strong, and therefore, one should become intelligent in order to avoid being destroyed by ruthless society. As Kenji said, “If you don’t like the rules, why don’t you change them?” A heartwarming tale of frustration, endeavor and success, Dragon Zakura will have you weeping, laughing and boiling mad with the cast of the show. If you want to see a “different” school-related drama, this is it.

The Rating: 9

Reviewed by: Akira