Ep 7. What is Mingenhiinaa!?

Yamaguchi Kumiko, also known as Yankumi, is a new teacher at the all-boys high school, Shirokin Gakuen. She is the granddaughter of a yakuza boss and wants to follow in his footsteps, but her desire to become a teacher lead her to become an educator instead. The students in her class are all rowdy and rebellious, but she is determined to help them succeed.

In episode 7 of the first season of Gokusen, titled "What is Mingenhiinaa?!", Yankumi's class decides to use their upcoming cultural festival performance to enter a local music competition. However, they are struggling to come up with a song that will impress the judges. Yankumi suggests they write a song about their school, and the students immediately dismiss the idea, saying that their school is boring and has nothing interesting to write about.

As they brainstorm ideas for their song, several students begin to share their own personal stories about the school. One student remembers how the school helped him overcome his fear of heights during a field trip. Another student recalls the time when his classmates helped him recover from a serious illness. Through these stories, the students realize that their school does have something special to offer.

Meanwhile, Yankumi runs into trouble when her class is assigned to clean the pool for the cultural festival. One of her students, Shin, is afraid of the water and refuses to participate. Yankumi confronts him and discovers that he has a traumatic experience with swimming. Rather than force him to participate, Yankumi offers to teach him how to swim in her spare time.

As the cultural festival approaches, the students put the finishing touches on their song and prepare for their big performance. But when they arrive at the competition, they discover that they are up against a talented girl group called Mingenhiinaa. The group performs an impressive song and dance routine, leaving Yankumi's class feeling discouraged and defeated.

Despite their disappointment, Yankumi encourages her students to perform their best. When it is their turn to take the stage, they surprise the audience with their heartfelt song about their school. The judges are moved by the students' passion and award them first place in the competition.

After the performance, Yankumi reflects on how her students have grown and changed since she first met them. She realizes that even though they are still rowdy and rebellious, they have the potential to be successful in life. Through their experiences together, Yankumi and her class have become a tight-knit family that supports each other through thick and thin.