Nana

Nana

by Ai Yazawa
VZ Media, 2005
ISBN 1421301082
176 pages

3 (out of 5) stars




Plot Summary
“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” ( Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Nana-1-v-Ai)

Evaluation
The first chapter (pages 3 to 104) is about Nana Komatsu, and the second chapter (pages 105-176) is about Nana Osaki. I definitely feel that I know Nana Komatsu in more depth than Nana Osaki. Not only are more pages devoted to Nana Komatsu, but when I got to the second chapter about Nana Osaki, I was very confused. It took me some time to realize the book is about two different characters in two completely different settings. I wonder if this is a common manga writing technique. Perhaps I don’t “know” Nana Osaki as well because I am a novice manga reader, and I was unprepared for the shift in the story line.
Although the first Nana is very beautiful, she is a shallow character. She has no direction in her
life. She only thinks about boys, and her sole ambition is to have a boyfriend. She repeatedly falls in love with men about whom she knows nothing. Nana’s reality is really quite depressing, although the book seems to glamorize her lifestyle. Perhaps it is this glamour that makes this
type of manga popular among women in their twenties and thirties. I suspect it provides an exciting escape from reality.
The second Nana has some ambition but much of her lifestyle is the same as the first: drinking, music, hanging out and sex. This book reminds me a bit of what would be considered a fluffy, teenage romance novel in America. However, this book targets an older audience and is presented in the manga format.
The thing I like best about the book is the artwork. The illustrations, which are in black and white, make a significant contribution to the storyline. The art changes within the second chapter about Nana Osaki. The lines become thicker and darker and less delicate. While the dialogue does not convey any depth of emotion, the art reveals facial expressions which create an emotional connection between the reader and the characters. I am also intrigued by the challenge of reading from right to left. For me it was an interesting experience.

Extra
The Nanas meet in volume 2. There are currently 21 volumes in the series. In 2010 the author was sick and spent some time in the hospital. Since her return home it is unclear if she will continue working on the series.

Reviews
Cornog, M. (2007). Nana. Library Journal, 132(9), 75-76.
Nana, Vol. 1. (2005). Publishers Weekly, 252(48), 38.