Disclaimer: I'm not very good at articulating my thoughts, so I'm sorry if my writing style seems like a bunch of word vomit, but I hope you enjoy reading this nonetheless! I'll keep this as spoiler free as I possibly can, but any spoilers will be marked as such and noted.
SYNOPSIS NANA follows two very different young women on their independent journeys, bound together by a similar names and by chance happenings as both head to Tokyo to pursue their dreams. Nana Komatsu, a bit of a hopeless romantic, dreams of fairy tale romance and to live happily with her long-term boyfriend Shoji; while Nana Osaki, a vivacious punk rocker, seeks to establish a music career. Though contrasting widely in personalities and aspirations, circumstances cause the two to end up living together, and they end up navigating this next stage of their lives.
STORY Where do I begin with
NANA? Well first off, if you're going into this expecting a "typical shoujo" (as a lot of people like to throw that term around nowadays), you will be in for a surprise, because this series could not be farther from that. Sure, the plot points aren't completely different, people live together, people fall in love, yes, those cases are there, but
NANA completely encapsulates the word "drama". The challenges of navigating adulthood, characters facing the consequences of their actions, showcasing that life really isn’t all sunshine and rainbows; all these aspects feel realistic, yet dramatic, because of how they are presented. It's so unlike other shoujo series because of this, having those raw emotions and truths right out in the open.
My only complaint with the story (though it’s more about the production of the anime really), is that the ending felt a bit abrupt. This could be due to the fact that the manga had went on hiatus and there wasn’t much more to produce.
CHARACTERS The most compelling aspect of
NANA is definitely the cast of characters. Like I said previously, not a single character here is perfect. Everyone has flaws that could deem them problematic, including our two Nanas who you grow to love. But that’s what makes them feel so real, because they feel so human. I’ve seen others refer to these characters as being a reflection of ourselves, and I couldn’t agree more with that statement. Nana Komatsu is just a girl seeking love as a simple form of happiness; Nana Osaki has big dreams of being a famous musician, no matter what. And yes, they do make mistakes. Nana Komatsu particularly made choices that had me staring in disbelief at my screen, but they were in line with her beliefs and her past. I digress though, there’s not one clear good or bad guy. Even Yasu, a character who appears a bit later in the show, and who I would consider the closest person to a “good guy” has his own flaws that can be considered a bit toxic.
This story is definitely driven by the characters.
ART & ANIMATION Ai Yazawa’s art style is very unique, as she draws her characters quite tall and slim, both male and females. Given her background in fashion as well, her characters are also very fashionable, and reflect their personalities. Nana Komatsu wears primarily pink and girlish clothes, while Nana Osaki wears black and leather.
Studio Madhouse also did a great job of animating the series, as they were able highlight the lighthearted moments of the series matching with Yazawa-sensei’s art style as well as using shadows and darker tones to show when things take a turn for the worst.
MUSIC & AUDIO Music plays a big part in this series, so it’s no surprise to me that NANA actually has one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard in anime. It packs strong opening and ending themes across the board, with each one perfectly reflecting the tone surrounding the events those particular songs are used. There are fantastic OSTs sprinkled throughout the show as well, some a bit jazzy, some a bit sad, some a bit happy.
Anna Tsuchiya (Nana Osaki’s singing voice) and Olivia Lufkin (Reira’s singing voice) both have wonderful tones that completely reflect the character they’re supposed to represent.
Regarding the voice acting, I watched this with Japanese audio and I think each character was portrayed pretty well.
OVERALL NANA is a show that I think everyone should watch at one point. Looking for a shoujo anime that isn’t like others? Watch
NANA. Looking for insane amounts of drama and characters that are believably flawed? Watch
NANA. Looking for an anime that is a pretty good representation of what it means to navigate adulthood as a young woman? Watch
NANA.
I have nothing else to say, so I'll end this with a link to my favorite ending theme in the series. Give it a listen!
▶
