Nana Hits the Screen

By: Nicole Donatello

Wednesday April 16, 2008

Manga Comes to Life!
Ah, friendship. It’s been a strong bond for so many uniquely matched buddies in media. Laverne and Shirley. Felix and Oscar. Larry and Balki. And in this case, Nana and…..Nana. A tale of intense relationships and the challenges that test them is the basis for the plot of NANA. It touches on what every good buddy story should; laughter, loyalty, heartache and disagreements.

When two 20-year-old women sitting next to each other on a delayed train start to have a conversation they find that even though they don’t have much in common other than their shared name, they each enjoy the other’s company. Both are on their way to Tokyo, but for very different reasons. Nana Komatsu is bubbly, talkative and a hopeless romantic who is on the move to a new city in the hopes of ending her constant bad luck in relationships and to try and grow more independent and find a purpose in life. Nana Osaki however, is a moody, fiercely independent punk rocker with a serious desire to make it big as the vocalist of her band The Black Stones. Since both women are on their way to the same city and neither has an extensive amount of cash to spend, they decide to share an apartment together. Nana Osaki affectionately nicknames her new friend “Hachi”, which I found to be a smart and much appreciated little detail for artist and writer Ai Yazawa to include. It is because of this nickname that readers can understand which Nana other characters are talking about when neither one of the girls is present.

NANA originally started as a manga and was made into a live action movie in 2005. I felt that the movie was very different from the manga, although I’ve only read volume 9 and none of the others prior to it, so it is quite possible that the plot in the movie does in fact happen in the earlier volumes. However the movie was cast very well. The actors and actresses in the movie look as if they’ve stepped off the pages and onto the screen. Hachi is probably the only one who looks fairly different from her illustrated counterpart but it isn’t something that those who are familiar with the manga would find to be a complete travesty, and actress Aoi Miyazaki captures Hachi’s personality so dead-on that the slight difference in appearance can be completely overlooked even by the insanely critical.

Yazawa did well with making the friendship between such two different people a believable one without watering down their distinctive personalities or providing her characters with one constant emotion. It is because of the different characteristics each woman has that they are each able to aid in what the other lacks. Although Hachi for the most part is optimistic and happy, she does have her moments when the real world comes crashing down on her, causing her great emotion and a loss at how to deal with reality. It is then that she relies on the tougher, more realistic Nana to help her through harsh times. This gives way for an opportunity in which the character of Nana Osaki can shine. Despite her punk rock clothing and her “I don’t give a damn” attitude, she does have compassion and selflessness. She even feels emotions that she herself doesn’t always understand, especially when it comes to her ex-boyfriend Ren who has been recruited by a rival band Trapnest that is much more popular. Nana tries to let him go and live his dream, but both know that they can’t fully get over what they once had and want to make things work. It is then that romance-loving Hachi jumps in to try and help make sense of Nana’s unfamiliar feelings and thoughts.

The film version of NANA is much happier than volume 9 of the manga. It is probably because the film is only covering what the first four or five volumes of the mangas are covering, so really it chooses to focus only on the high point of the friendship at this point. However, NANA 2 was released in Japan in late 2006 and will likely make its way to the US soon. According to IMDB.com, this film is much more heartbreaking and not exactly a feel-good film so in my opinion, it is telling the rest of the story from volume 5 on.

The film version of NANA is not rated, but there really isn’t any content that’s inappropriate for certain ages. But due to more adult issues I’d say it’s probably safe for people in their mid-teens and up, only because the plot may be lost to viewers who are any younger. It is also not necessary to be familiar with the manga to watch the movie, so it’s very viewer friendly to those new to the story as well as the avid fan. As far as the manga goes, the mature rating is appropriate, due to some sexual content and adult situations that the movie doesn’t get into.

Overall, I would recommend NANA to anyone who enjoys a story centered on deep friendship and the perplexity of love. The characters are likeable, and the whole side-story of contending bands and the music industry is a good refresher that gives the reader/viewer another interesting plot to focus on. The manga was a tad bit confusing at first when going back and forth between different bands, but redeems itself by providing a synopsis within the story of WHY it’s going back and forth between different bands. I really have no complaints about the movie, other than it might be a bit long for some reaching just under 2 hours but you just might be so engrossed that time will fly by.