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[[Image:Dragon Zakura.jpg|frame|Dragon Zakura]]
==Details==
*'''Title:''' ドラゴン桜
*'''Title (romaji):''' Dragon Zakura
*'''Format:''' Renzoku
*'''Genre:''' School, drama and comedy
*'''Episodes:''' 11
*'''Viewership ratings:''' 16.41
*'''Broadcast network:''' TBS
*'''Broadcast period:''' 2005-Jul-08 to 2005-Sep-16
*'''Air time:''' Friday 22:00
*'''Theme songs:''' 
**'''Opening theme:''' ''[[Realize]]'' by melody
**'''Insert theme:''' ''Colorful'' by [[Yamashita Tomohisa]]
*'''Related TV show:''' [[Angel Bank]] (TV Asahi, 2010)

==Synopsis==
Sakuragi Kenji is a destitute lawyer and one-time member of a motorcyle gang trying to guide failing high school students with an average score of 36 into Japan's most prestigious educational institution, [[Wikipedia:Tokyo University|Tokyo University (Toudai)]].

"If you want to change your life, get into Toudai!"

For no other reason than Sakuragi's personal ambition, he has advertised his intention to produce 5 successful Toudai applicants from the students of a nearly bankrupt failure of a school.

"If you want to change your life, get into Toudai!"
He will get them from this lowest of all schools into Japan's number one!!

Our protagonist, Sakuragi Kenji, played by Abe Hiroshi in his first role as a high school teacher, is a must see in this summer's new show. This third rate lawyer soon becomes the homeroom teacher for the special advanced class aiming for Toudai University entrance. Hasegawa Kyouko costars as english teacher and Sakuragi's opponent, and Yamashita Tomohisa from NEWS and Nagasawa Masami also appear in the role of students. This awaited original work and fascinating world view is brought to you from the popular serialized comic in Shuukan Morning (Kodansha) and has even been updated!

In addition to revealing essential test taking techniques for everyone who wants to know how to get into Toudai, Dragon Zakura will also teach the essentials of living one's life.

==Cast==
[[Image:Dragonzakurachart.jpg|thumb|350px|Correlation Chart]]
<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
*[[Abe Hiroshi]] as Sakuragi Kenji

===Special Advanced Class===
*[[Yamashita Tomohisa]] as Yajima Yusuke
*[[Nagasawa Masami]] as Mizuno Naomi
*[[Koike Teppei]] as Ogata Hideki
*[[Aragaki Yui]] as Kosaka Yoshino
*[[Nakao Akiyoshi]] as Okuno Ichiro
*[[Saeko]] as Kobayashi Maki

===Ryuzan Highschool Faculty===
*[[Hasegawa Kyoko]] as Ino Mamako
*[[Nogiwa Yoko]] as Tatsuno Yuriko (School Director)
*[[Saito Yosuke]] as Vice-Principal Kondo
*[[David Ito]] as Ochiai Masanao
*[[Ando Ryoji]] as Miyabe Umetaro
*[[Tsukiyama Mayumi]] as Asami Kazuko
*[[Aoyama Masaru]] as Inaba Tsutomu

===Special Advanced Class Teachers===
*[[Terada Minori]] as Akutayama Ryuzaburo (Literature)
*[[Kaneda Akio]] as Kawaguchi Hiroshi (English)
*[[Kobayashi Susumu]] as Ain Shutaro (Physics)
*[[Shinagawa Toru]] as Yanagi Tetsunosuke (Mathematics)

===Parents===
*[[Ishino Mako]] as Yajima Setsuko
*[[Miho Jun]] as Mizuno Yuko
*[[Mizutani Momosuke]] as Okuno Jiro
*[[Kato Kazuko]] as Okuno Miyako
*[[Sunaga Kei]] as Ogata Atsuo
*[[Aihara Yuko]] (あいはら友子) as Ogata Mariko
*[[Kurita Yoko]] as Kosaka Megumi
*[[Iketani Nobue]] (池谷のぶえ) as Kobayashi Mitsue

</div>
<div style="float:right; width:48%;">

===Supporting Casts / Guests===
*[[Yazawa Shin]] as Yamamoto Nozomi (Mamako's friend)
*[[Murakami Hiroki]] (村上大樹) as Tanaka Yoshio
*[[Karahashi Mitsuru]] as Sawamatsu Yasushi
*[[Onodera Akira]] as Atty. Okabe (Sakuragi's friend)
*[[Hirota Masahiro]] as a Shuumeikan Student
*[[Ishii Kenichi]] as Saito (the customer of Naomi's mother)
*[[Gunji Ayano]] (郡司 あやの) as Abe Saori
*[[Hori Akari]] as Toda Asumi (Maki's friend)
*[[Hashizume Ryo]] as Kuriyama Shota
*[[Katsura Asami]] (桂亜沙美) as Sakuma Miyu
*[[Ojima Naoya]] as the base player of Ogata's band
*[[Kitamura Eiki]] as a student of Todai
*[[Mino Monta]] (みのもんた)
</div><br clear="all"/>

==Production Credits==
*'''Original writing (manga):''' ''Dragon Zakura'' by Mita Norifusa (三田紀房) 
*'''Screenwriter:''' [[Hata Takehiko]]
*'''Producer:''' [[Enda Kouichi]], [[Shimizu Mayumi]] (清水真由美)
*'''Director:''' [[Tsukamoto Renpei]], [[Karaki Marehiro]] (唐木希浩), [[Komatsu Takashi]] (小松隆志)
*'''Music:''' [[Nakanishi Kyo]]
*'''Narrator:''' [[Kobayashi Kiyoshi]] (小林清志)

==Episode Information==
{| class="wikitable"
!width="50"|Episode
!width="400"|Title<br>(English)
!width="50"|Rating (Kanto)
|- align=center
|01
|Fools and ugly girls, head for Tokyo University!
|17.5%
|- align=center
|02
|Know your own weaknesses!
|16.5%
|- align=center
|03
|Play! Taking an exam is like a sport!
|13.8%
|- align=center
|04
|Don't stop until you hit the wall
|16.1%
|- align=center
|05
|Don't cry! It's your life!
|16.8%
|- align=center
|06
|English Showdown! Fight for Six Fools
|17.9%
|- align=center
|07
|Vengeance! The Tokyo University Mock Exam!
|15.6%
|- align=center
|08
|Tears of Fools... Extracurricular activities for summer vacation
|17.0%
|- align=center
|09
|Believe! Your results will surely improve
|14.5%
|- align=center
|10
|Friendship or the exam? Final decision
|14.5%
|- align=center
|11
|You're not fools anymore! The fateful announcement of the results
|20.3%
|-
|}
Source: [http://www.videor.co.jp/ Video Research, Ltd.]

==Awards==
*'''46th [[Television Drama Academy Awards]]:''' Best Actor - [[Abe Hiroshi]]

==External Links==
*[http://www.tbs.co.jp/dragonzakura Official site]
*[http://jdorama.com/drama.942.htm JDorama.com]
*[http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=196550#196550 Discussion @ D-Addicts.com]
*[[Wikipedia:ja:ドラゴン桜 (テレビドラマ)|Japanese Wikipedia]]
*[[Wikipedia:Dragon Zakura|English Wikipedia]]

{{SeasonRing|TBS|Friday 22:00|Spring 2005|[[Tiger & Dragon]]|Autumn 2005|[[Hana Yori Dango]]}}

[[Category:JDrama]] [[Category:JDrama2005]] [[Category:TBS]]