NANA

[ SPOILERS AHEAD ]

This was my 2nd rewatch of Nana after a while. I first watched Nana when I was 15, them again at 17 and now at 20 (the same age as the Nanas). The differences with my perspective of the show those ages and now I would say are quite different. For one, I feel my opinions were very similar at 15 and 17 but I do think I have unlocked new perspectives now on both Nana and Hachi. (I'll probably be looking at video essays after writing this)

NANA KOMATSU:
I definitely did not like Hachi at all when I first watched the anime. To be fair, I think at 15, I just took things very literally. I thought Hachi was just a pick-me and her whole personality was just based on men. I was also very annoyed with the fact that she picked TW: Takumi over Nobu and that she just didn't get an abortion.

Now, looking back, some of it might be true but I understand why it is it come about. I think this rewatch, I felt I mostly was finding new things about Hachi. For one, when she lost her job the 2nd time, her thoughts on the bench are the literal epitome of a 20 year old. "I want to achieve this but I have to do this. I should definitely set a goal for this but then I need to this which means I need to do that. I have to do all these things yet I have no strength for any of it." Like genuinely, every 20 year old has definitely thought like this (it was slightly too relatable lol).

It does pain me that she went for this dirtbag Takumi but as disgusting as it sounds, she was determined to have a baby so Takumi was probably the right decision :/. Given that he has the finances and that he took in charge (even though that was out of his selfish choices ew), Takumi did have an upper hand to Nobu.

NANA OSAKI:
My thoughts on Nana weren’t as extensive, but one thing that stood out to me much more during this rewatch is how similar she actually is to Takumi. In many ways, they mirror each other in their manipulative tendencies, especially when it comes to Hachi. Both of them seem to feel a sense of ownership over her, whether they consciously admit it or not, and both hate the idea of Hachi being “taken away” from them by someone else. Nana feels threatened when Nobu becomes important to Hachi, just as Takumi feels threatened by Nana’s presence in Hachi’s life. It almost feels like a constant tug-of-war where Hachi is caught in the middle, even when no one explicitly says it out loud.

The key difference between them, however, is self-awareness. Takumi fully accepts this side of himself and never truly questions whether his behavior is harmful; in fact, he often justifies it as being necessary or practical. Nana, on the other hand, is painfully aware of her flaws and the way she clings to the people she loves. She actively tries to change her ways, even though she doesn’t always succeed. That internal struggle — wanting to love Hachi without controlling her — is what makes Nana feel more human and tragic to me, and it’s ultimately what separates her from Takumi as a character.

All in all, I do say I have gained a new respect for how beautifully and fragile the characters have been written in this anime. AI YAZAWA PLS CONTINUE THIS MASTERPIECE