ROOKIES [ルーキーズ] An excellent drama [Rating: 9/10] This drama takes an old cliche-- about a bunch of bad, rebel schoolboys, and their meeting up with a teacher who inspires them to stop being bad. The difference between this and other such dramas (such as Gokusen 3) is that this drama has been very well-scripted, with exceptionally fine acting and also very good direction. The story is not your typical, run-of-the-mill teacher-wins-over-students.
The major characters are well-rounded out and these schoolboys are not pretty boys-- they are the bad, bad ones I remember reading about in Slam Dunk. Their teacher is hilarious, more than anything else, although he comes equipped with an infectious smile. The script is tight, the story is fast-paced with enough turns, and best of all, the story has a grittiness and reality about it that hits pretty hard.
I strongly recommend watching this.