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
Junko Saotome
Miu Shinoda
Kyousuke Takakura
Naoki Fujieda
Mai Tsuzuki
Asami Matsumoto
Nami Komatsu
Shion
Ginpei Shiroboshi
Sachiko Kawamura
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_.

⠀
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.

⠀⠀⠀



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.
⠀
</center><img width='420' src='https://i.pinimg.com/564x/38/01/8a/38018ad99f51b2e1f775f1d20ba0c6d6.jpg'>~~~
⠀
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_

Continue on AniList

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.
Continue on AniList