Summary
NANA's recent resurgence in popularity stems from the powerful melodrama and is awaiting its conclusion. The series features complex, relatable characters who encounter issues of self-discovery and relationships. NANA delves into themes of vulnerability, relationships and has a strong focus on music and fashion.
Even though it was released almost 20 years ago, NANA has seen a recent resurgence in popularity, partly due to its addition to the Netflix catalog in some territories. The story is famous for being a powerful emotional drama but sadly still awaits a proper conclusion. Its author, Ai Yazawa, fell ill in 2009 and has been unable to continue creating manga since then. Although there is no official ending yet, both the anime and manga are still worth experiencing at the present time.
NANA is a josei anime, which means its target audience is young women. The plot stays true to this label; As the story progresses, many heavy themes are examined in a very frank, raw, and direct manner.
Thanks to the human nature of the situations the characters experience, The story at NANA remains timeless. The journey of self-discovery and relationship problems are stories as old as time.
NANA is a story about two young women of different diameters but very genuine
Ai Yazawa writes amazing three-dimensional narration
The main characters of this series are two young girls named Nana who meet on the train to Tokyo. Nana Komatsu fits the “girl next door” stereotype. She is hopeful, loves romance and cute things, and is moving to Tokyo to try to deepen her relationship with her boyfriend. On the other hand, Nana Osaki has a menacing appearance, has a difficult past, and seeks Tokyo as a declaration of independence from her own relationship. Despite their opposite attitudes, they quickly became very close friends. Nana O. even gave Nana K. the nickname “Hachi,” because she treated her like a pet dog.
With that description, the story could easily be just another slice-of-life anime, but that's not the case at all. The development process that both Nana and Hachi go through is fascinating, brutal, and at times even awkward. It would be easy to see yourself reflected in either of them or any other character in the story. All of the characters feel incredibly human, because The story is unforgiving in its presentation of their flaws. Some of the decisions the characters make at points in the story are infuriating, but that's exactly why NANA is such an incredible drama.
Vulnerability: The uncomfortable truth about creating meaningful relationships
Whether romantic or platonic, NANA identifies what can make or break a relationship
NANA is a character-based story. Of course, the main relationship is the one between Nana and Hachi, but it mainly serves as the backdrop for all the other turmoil going on. Hachi experienced what many other women in their 20s do: idealizing men and being emotionally dependent on them, only to end up emotionally exhausted. Nana is very afraid of settling down because she has never had any stability in her life before, so she refuses the idea of getting married and becoming a mother.
The men in the story also play an important role. They are complex characters who cannot be labeled as “good” or “bad,” and whether they are the manipulative or the manipulated, the psychology behind their actions is presented in the story. Men can be cruel, sincere, naive, narrow-minded or extremely loving. All are shown in the story. Romance is not the only type of relationship depicted in NANA, there are also deep friendships, family affection, professional relationships and general bonds. Any viewer or reader will find something for themselves.
The anime adaptation includes chapter #41 of the manga, which ran for 80 chapters until its permanent hiatus in 2009.
Some of the topics examined in this series were a little ahead of their time. Motherhood is something any young woman has to think about sooner or later, and both Nana and Hachi have to deal with this topic. Nana is in a fairly stable relationship with her boyfriend Ren, who wants to start a family. She does not. She is too focused on her own career and also carries childhood trauma that she needs to deal with. Hachi finds out she's pregnant by the worst man she's ever dated, and her choice to move on aggravates her.
Music and aesthetics: The two pillars of the NANA line
One of the series' greatest strengths is its dedication to its greatest subject
The music provides the best backdrop in the series. There are two main fictional bands in the story: Black Stones and Trapnest. Nana is the main singer of the first season, while Reira is the main singer of the second season. Nana's boyfriend, Ren, also stars in Trapnest. Real-life singers were chosen to perform female voices, different from their usual female voice actresses. Anna Tsuchiya and Olivia Lufkin were chosen to play the singing voices of Nana and Reira, respectively. The band's songs are both opening and closing themes, the Black Stones being more punk rock and Trapnest being a bit more soft rock.
Another notable element at NANA is the art and fashion style. Ai Yazawa went all out when designing the outfits for both women and in Nana's case, The influence of the Vivienne Westwood brand is remarkable. Nana has a distinctly punk yet feminine aesthetic. Traditional Hachi is more feminine, wearing soft colors and outfits. And Reira, another character who joins almost midway through the series, is more on the classic and elegant side. The “NANA aesthetic” has become a popular trend online thanks to the recent popularity of anime.
The manga has been on hiatus since 2009 and to date, There's no news yet on whether Ai Yazawa will continue his most famous story. However, NANA is a mold-breaking anime and manga, and its very realistic depiction of a young man's real-life struggles can serve as a nice change from all that. Both fantasy anime and fighting anime often dominate the industry. Unfinished or not, NANA will go down in history as one of the best TV series out there.