Perhaps the most famous of these gimmicks is the legendary GOKUSEN series, with Yukie Nakama as a bookish and goofy teacher who is secretly the daughter of a notorious Yakuza clan who takes her students problems in class and “solves” them out in the field- BILLION SCHOOL has ALL of those fun and creative elements to it, spicing up the usual and over-used cliches (the first episode already had the “Student who must work a night job because his family cannot afford his tuition” cliche) and turning them into entertaining stories to see!
Rei Kagami (Ryosuke Yamada) is the heir to a multi-million dollar tech empire KAGAMI, and when we first meet up with him, he is demonstrating a business suit using AI technology that gives the wearer inhuman agility and fighting abilities (think the Jackie Chan movie “The Tuxedo” and you get the picture.), a real marvel, but he is currently working on something even bigger!
Rei’s big invention is a completely AI instructional program called TEACH, software which will use a virtual projection of the perfect teacher (here modeled after Yumi Adachi) using a database of all its collective educational knowledge to give perfect lessons tailor made for each individual student. A futuristic program that he believes can change schooling forever!
This might be hard enough for a normal person, but this Rei Kagami is a decidedly eccentric oddball. Because of his sheltered affluent upbringing, he is not good dealing with people and is extremely bristly and arrogant when talking, making him a quirky handful to deal with!
Already used to defying authority,the problem students (Okuno So, Azusa Ohara, Rintaro Mizusawa, among others) cannot make heads or tails of this quirky and BOSSY young gentleman suddenly ordering them around!
The students aren't the only ones who can't figure out Kagami, as the other teachers on the staff seem to have a problem with him, too! Instructors like Mitsui (Mirai Shida) Sakai (Megumi), Uchimaki (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and even Vice Principal Dobashi (Munenori Nagano), they all find his methods rough and unorthodox!
Ichika Serizawa, however, is a smooth, calm and collected sort, able to diffuse any situation and take control. Working behind the scenes, she can fix and rearrange any shortcomings they might have and produce a succesful outcome! She will be an invaluable assistant to Kagami if he intends to take on this plan, and is already on the lookout to find what makes the students tick!
Kagami’s plans are to get the teaching data by teaching at one of the finest schools in Jaopan and teaching only the most intelligent and upright students, however for SOME reason, he ends up saddled with Class ZERO, where every single student there is a problem pupil on the verge of getting kicked out! Right off the bat Kagami is met with students struggling in some capacity, and as they are all part of his AI experiment, must use his skills and connections to help them out of their jams.
Power Suit ACTIVATED!
Making QUICK work of the thugs...
Surely there isn't any teacher badder than THIS!
Back at school the next day, resuming his role as the mild mannered Sensei!
...before they all chicken out and scatter!
Like I mentioned, Billion School is a really fun and entertaining drama to watch! Funny to think I had been mostly avoiding it since I dislike school student dramas so much! Little did I know it might go on to become one of my big faves of the season!!! Can't wait to see more!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
