NANA

NANA

MANGA

STATUS
RELEASING
VOLUMES
Not Available
RELEASE
Invalid Date
CHAPTERS
Not Available

DESCRIPTION

Nana Komatsu is a young woman who's endured an unending string of boyfriend problems. Moving to Tokyo, she's hoping to take control of her life and put all those messy misadventures behind her. She's looking for love and she's hoping to find it in the big city.

Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is cool, confident and focused. She swaggers into town and proceeds to kick down the doors to Tokyo's underground punk scene. She's got a dream and won't give up until she becomes Japan's No. 1 rock'n'roll superstar.

This is the story of two 20-year-old women who share the same name. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends. The world of Nana is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip and all-night parties.

(Source: Viz Media)

Note: Winner of the 48th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shoujo Category in 2002.

CAST

Nana Oosaki
Nana Komatsu
Shinichi Okazaki
Yasushi Takagi
Nobuo Terashima
Ren Honjou
Layla Serizawa
Takumi Ichinose
Miu Shinoda
Junko Saotome
Kyousuke Takakura
Naoki Fujieda
Mai Tsuzuki
Asami Matsumoto
Nami Komatsu
Sachiko Kawamura
Shion
Ginpei Shiroboshi
Satsuki Ichinose
Shouji Endou
Natsuko Komatsu
Nao Komatsu
Ryoko Kashiwagi
Matsuo
Ren Ichinose

CHAPTERS

RELATED TO NANA

ANIME DramaNANA

REVIEWS

SEGURIDA

95/100

I made this review as short as possible, but this manga can make me talk for hours on end.

_This review does not contain explicit spoilers, but if you haven’t read it or seen the anime yet, I’d advise you to just go into it blind_.

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I will make the plot summary as brief as possible, as you probably know it already: two girls’ coincidental encounter on a train to Tokyo ends up in a number of new, compelling and complicated relationships.

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The first thing most people point out when talking about NANA's strengths is the dimension of the characters, and rightfully so. It is probably the biggest of Ai Yazawa’s fortes and she puts it to use exceptionally well in this manga. NANA is all about relationships: friendships, romantic relationships, mother and daughter relationships, old friends and new acquaintances and all these entail. The characters have such depth they aren't completely lovable or utterly hated, but inspire a gray feeling that falls somewhere in the middle, where you can list out their mistakes but you also can’t seem to dislike them, much like in real life. Some people you like and some not that much but everyone has their strengths and flaws, and this intricate characterisation gives them detail and nuance, and makes the story all the more realistic. The complex way in which the characters' personalities clash and compliment each other is what makes the manga compelling, angering, heart breaking and heart warming, and what sets it apart from other shoujos out there (By the way, because of its themes and portrayal, NANA is closer to a Josei manga, even though it is serialized in Cookie, a shojo magazine).

Ai Yazawa has a talent for storytelling, which is apparent in the way the story is naturally moved along by its characters. Moreover, NANA's narration, especially in the tidbits at the beginning of most chapters, is heart wrenching, giving us a taste of what’s to come from Nana in the future, looking back on her youth. The dialogue can be witty or silly, or it can be perceptive, frank and fierce. To further prove Yazawa's masterful writing, NANA gives us a novel's length worth of quotes. Have the following one as a little taste:

>"Unable to distinguish between love and hate, or sacrifice either one. 
Despite knowing we'd end up hurting each other,
we willingly ensnared ourselves.
Only when we lean on each other can I face reality.
Such is a tragedy."

Apart from relationships and all their leading-up-tos, and their aftermath, and all the in between, NANA touches on a surprising number of themes, from careers and long-term goals and ambitions, to artistic expression, to drugs, fashion, money, and the logistics of being an independent youth. It basically covers anything that could possibly be on your mind as a 20-year-old, and communicates all of this through contrastingly different personalities, giving the reader a variety of points of view to reflect upon. Every volume brings a topic worth discussing to the table, weaving it into the plot seamlessly.

Additionally, as if all these things weren’t enough, the story is accompanied by a stunning and iconic art style. Stylish illustrations and  atmospheric, photographic backgrounds are the cherry on top of an already perfect cake. Furthermore, NANA also features a long list of cultural references, most remarkably to the English punk current from where it takes strong inspiration for both the plot and characters, and the aesthetic, namely Vivienne Westwood and the Sex Pistols.
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All in all, NANA is an excellently rounded package, and I’m sure a lot of you readers’ cup of tea. If you want to read something that’s so entertaining (who doesn’t want to read about the glamorous lives of punk bands’ members) and will take your heart for a ride, NANA should definitely be your pick. But if you are looking for a story that sparks questioning and discussion, while also giving you unforgettable characters that will grow on you as if they were real people, you will enjoy NANA profoundly.

PD: I didn't give it a 100 just because Ai Yazawa hasnt got around to finishing it yet.

_Revised on: July 3rd, 2023_

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Louistrea
90/100
Arguably the best drama in the medium.
Nana is a masterpiece that gives the reader/watcher a roller-coaster of emotions. Ai Yazawa creates a world with amazing character writing and portrays relationships and the dynamics between the characters in a way that make the characters feel connected with the reader, and by extension support along the way. The dynamic between the two main female leads despite their contrasting backgrounds and personalities is interesting. Nana prides itself in its character development and how the actions and motivations of the characters seem so real. Many plot points might not turn out the way you expect it and many its many plot twists will break its reader.

The show is much more that what the synopsis entails and contains many sophisticated and intricate plot lines. As the synopsis states, "The two girls with the same name but very different aspirations find themselves sitting together on their journey to the city, and, as fate would have it, eventually share the same apartment. A deep and unique bond is then forged, where they will support each other in this saga of love, music, friendship, and heartbreak." The character designs are unique and may not be for everyone but it is not a flaw by any means. The only flaw that this masterpiece will have is that its manga may never continue ever again.

Art: 6/10
This is not the manga's strong point, by far. There are many better in this aspect, however, someone could argue that some characters "look good." Nana Osaki's look is certainly unique among other female leads in the medium. There is a good variety in their designs but that is the most one could ever say about them.

Characters: 9.5/10
As stated earlier, the characters and their motivations are what made this manga amazing. Whether you like some of them or not, the dynamics their varying personalities create are amazing. Nothing more needs to be said, one of the best casts in manga or anime by extension. Nana Osaki is independent and strong willed while Hachi is your typical sweet and naive girl protagonist. The male characters do not pale in comparison as well with Nobuo and Ren being amazing characters in their own right.

Overall: 9/10
It was overall, an amazing read and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre as well to those who have only seen the anime adaptation of this manga. On the other hand, I would not recommend this to people who expect a light-hearted romance with a simple yet sweet storyline.

Personally, I prefer the manga over the anime counterpart. The anime is amazing in its own right but the manga portrayed the themes in a much better way in my eyes. Ai Yazawa proves herself as one of the best mangakas with Nana alongside another of her works - Paradise Kiss, which I also highly recommend to people who especially like Nana like myself.
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TommyBiasi
100/100
The Unfinished but Unforgettable Ai Yazawa’s Masterpiece
SPOILER WARNING: This text discusses the characters, their relationships, and key dynamics in the story. Some details are revealed to talk about the depth of the manga, but no major plot twists or the "ending" are spoiled.

After several months spent reading Nana, I have finally reached the end of this monumental work. There is so much to say about it, but the quickest way to describe it is: “the unfinished masterpiece.”

Even if Nana remains incomplete, it is still one of the most captivating and emotionally powerful stories of its genre. The narrative is characterized by its strong and unmistakable identity: two protagonists whose lives become interconnected, adult characters involved in raw and realistic relationships, and the ever present theme of music, expressed through two bands that reflect and oppose each other. All of this is framed by Ai Yazawa’s elegant and inimitable art.

Nana is a work rich in detail and complexity, and its greatest strength is undoubtedly its characters. Every character has flaws and qualities: there are no perfect people to idealize in this manga; everyone has aspects that sometimes make them negative figures. The main cast consists of young adults in their twenties, with aspirations, dreams, and hopes, but also doubts and fears.

Above all, reading the manga at the same age as the main cast makes it easy to relate to these deeply human and sincere emotions, with doubts that affect everyone: work, social life, family, friends, and love.

The two Nanas are very different and at the same time very similar: together they form a duo that completes each other perfectly, and this duo is probably my favorite in all of anime/manga.

Nana “Hachi” Komatsu is emotional and sensitive, impulsive, naive but sincere, very romantic and idealistic; in terms of appearance she is cute and very feminine. In perfect contrast stands Nana Osaki: strong, rebellious, independent, proud, with a sharp punk-rock look.

Their relationship is wonderful, and it is precisely this incredibly strong friendship between the two that moved me the most. They are very close and always ready to be there for one another, even though their bond is often tested by external factors. It is the struggles they encounter along their journey that make them grow as people and reveal hidden aspects of their personality: Hachi demonstrates remarkable emotional intelligence, able to read people better than they themselves can, while Nana is far more fragile than she wants to appear, with a strong emotional dependence on the people she loves and a constant fear of losing them, due to trauma experienced in her childhood.

The other characters are also incredibly human and layered, and like the two protagonists, they share fantastic dynamics that blend together in a simply perfect way. The two bands, the Black Stones and Trapnest, have a truly unique relationship: rivalry, friendship, and romantic relationships between members that interconnect in a believable and engaging way.

Speaking of characters, I’d like to write a brief thought about one of the most controversial and hated figures in the entire series: Takumi Ichinose. It is easy to hate him: he commits despicable actions and hurts the people around him. And yet, despite this, he is one of my favorites, because these characteristics make him incredibly complex and real. He behaves like a piece of shit: he cheats, manipulates, and is ambitious to the point of being obsessed. And yet he evolves, and he is also capable of taking care of the people he cares about, in his own way. His actions often seem cruel, but they come from a deep need for control and a fear of losing what truly matters to him. This makes him unpredictable and, at the same time, realistic and fascinating.

In my opinion, the romantic relationships are handled excellently: the characters are adults, and their relationships reflect this maturity. There are no endless chapters in which the protagonists hesitate to confess their feelings; instead, the situations are direct, raw, and fully developed. The use of sex is always meaningful, as it deepens the dynamics between the characters. The relationships aren’t idealized: betrayals, abuse, and conflict all make them feel highly realistic and complex.

The themes explored in Nana are numerous and profoundly adult: ambitions, love, work, passion, loss, motherhood, abortion, prostitution, pedophilia, and the use of drugs and substances. The series doesn’t merely present them but it explores them with depth and realism, showing how these aspects are integrated into the characters’ lives and shape their growth, often in painful and unexpected ways.

Nana is certainly not the classic sweet and lighthearted romantic story: it is a drama, a constant stab to the chest. Another essential element is its excellent writing: dialogues that are natural, sharp and never superfluous. Every conversation pushes the story forward or reveals new emotional layers of the characters, and many lines stay imprinted in your mind long after reading. Their words resonate because they are genuinely authentic; at times raw, at times poetic, and they perfectly capture the vulnerability and strength of the cast.

Finally, there is Ai Yazawa’s style, which I personally find fantastic. I love the character design, both for male and female characters; they are all expressive, and so many details are conveyed even without dialogue. I also personally find her approach to fashion, clothing, and hairstyles gorgeous; every character is beautiful, recognizable, and visually expressive of their personality.

Nana was truly a powerful emotional journey, one that I really hope to see completed someday. Unfortunately, there are still important unresolved plotlines, and it would be wonderful to see them concluded with dignity. The chances are low, but if it ever happens, I belive this work would unquestionably reach the status of a masterpiece.

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