Nana (manga)

Nana

Cover of the Japanese volume 1, featuring Nana Osaki
ナナ
Genre
Manga
Written by Ai Yazawa
Published by Shueisha
English publisher
Demographic Josei
Magazine Cookie
English magazine
Original run 2000 – 2009 (on hiatus)
Volumes 21
Live-action film
Nana
Directed by Kentaro Otani
Studio TBS
Released September 3, 2005
Runtime 113 minutes
Anime television series
Directed by Morio Asaka
Studio Madhouse
Licensed by
Funimation
(for Funimation Channel)
Network NTV, Animax
English network
Original run April 5, 2006 – March 27, 2007
Episodes 47
Live-action film
Nana 2
Directed by Kentaro Otani
Studio Toho Company
Released December 9, 2006
Runtime 130 minutes

Nana (ナナ) is a Japanese Josei manga series written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, serialized in Cookie published by Shueisha. The manga derives its title from the name of the two main characters, both of whom are called Nana. Nana Komatsu is a small town girl who goes to Tokyo to follow her boyfriend and college friends, with the hope of having her dream life. Nana Osaki was in a popular punk band in her home town. She goes to Tokyo with the goal of making it big as a singer. The two Nanas meet on the train ride to the city. Later, they run into each other again when they happen to check out the same apartment, and the girls decide to become roommates. The series chronicles their friendship and their lives as each chases her dreams.

The author of the manga is sick and is still recovering.[1] It was reported in late April 2010 that she returned home from the hospital and she does not know if or when she will return to work.[2]

Nana is being released in North America by Viz Media. It was serialized in the Shojo Beat until the August 2007 issue, and continues to be released in tankōbon volumes.[3] The manga has also been adapted into a highly successful live-action film with a sequel released on December 9, 2006, and an anime adaptation that premiered on April 5, 2006. The anime adaptation has subsequently been announced as licensed for release in North America by Viz Media.[4] Funimation got the broadcast rights to Viz Media's dub and it premiered on the Funimation Channel on September 19, 2009.[5]

Plot

Nana Osaki is a punk singer who wants to debut with her band, Black Stones (BLAST for short), where she is the lead vocalist and her boyfriend, Ren, is the bassist. Nana and Ren have lived together as lovers since she was 16. When Ren is offered a chance to debut in Tokyo as a replacement member of the popular band, Trapnest (Toranesu in Japanese), Nana chooses to continue on with BLAST and to cultivate her own career instead of following Ren, as she has too much ambition to simply be a rockstar's girlfriend. She eventually leaves for Tokyo at the age of twenty to start her musical career.

Nana Komatsu, the other Nana, has a habit of falling in love at first sight all the time, and depending on other people to help her. When her friends, and then her boyfriend, leave for Tokyo, she decides to join them a year later after having saved enough money at the age of twenty.

The two Nanas meet on a train by chance, both on their way to Tokyo. After a string of coincidences, they come to live together in an apartment numbered 707 (nana means "seven" in Japanese). Despite having contrasting personalities and ideals, the Nanas respect each other and become close friends.

Nana Osaki gives Nana Komatsu the nickname Hachi (after Hachikō, because she is weak-willed and has characteristics that resemble a puppy, and also as a joke since hachi means "eight" and nana means "seven" in Japanese).

While BLAST begins to gain popularity at live gigs, the two Nanas face many other issues together, especially in the areas of friendship and romance. The story of Nana revolves heavily around the romance and relationships of the two characters as one seeks fame and recognition while the other seeks love and happiness.

Media

Manga

Main article: List of Nana chapters

Written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, the individual chapters of Nana premiered in Cookie in 2000 where it ran until June 2009, when the series was put on hiatus due to Yazawa being ill.[1] Yazawa returned from hospital in early April 2010, though has not specified when or if she will resume the manga.[2] The chapters have been collected and published in 21 tankōbon volumes in Japan by Shueisha.

Nana is licensed for English-language release in North America by Viz Media. It was serialized in Viz's manga anthology Shojo Beat, premiered in the launch July 2005 issue where chapters appeared until the August 2007 issue.[6]

Films

Two film adaptations have been made for Nana. The first, Nana, was released on September 3, 2005. The film stars Mika Nakashima as the punk star Nana Osaki, Aoi Miyazaki as Hachi (Nana Komatsu), Ryuhei Matsuda as Ren Honjo, Tetsuji Tamayama (known from tokusatsu followers for having played Tsukumaro Ogami/Shirogane a.k.a. GaoSilver in Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger) as Takumi Ichinose, Hiroki Narimiya as Nobuo Terashima, and Matsuyama Kenichi as Shinichi Okazaki. The DVD edition was released on March 3, 2006. The film did quite well at the Japanese box office, grossing more than 4 billion yen, and staying in the top 10 for several weeks.[7] A sequel, Nana 2, was announced right after the debuted. However, on August 4, 2006, Toho stated that shooting would begin mid-September and that the film was to be released on December 9, 2006. Aoi Miyazaki and Ryuhei Matsuda would not be reprising their respective roles as Nana Komatsu and Ren Honjo; as such, their roles were assigned to Yui Ichikawa and Nobuo Kyou (who also played Isshu Kasumi/KuwagaRaiger in Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger), respectively. Some locations from the manga had been changed for the film, and there also were many plot differences. Additionally, the film's ending is not the actual end of the manga; "Nana" is an ongoing story.[8]

Anime

Main article: List of Nana episodes

Nana has been adapted into an anime series, directed by Morio Asaka and animated by the studio Madhouse. The first and third openings and third ending songs are sung by Anna Tsuchiya for the band Black Stones, and Olivia sings the second opening and first and second endings for the band Trapnest as Reira Serizawa. The first DVD release was on July 7, 2006. The anime series was intended to be equal to the manga and it was adapted until the 12th tankoubon to avoid filler. According to Junko Koseki (editor of Nana in Shueisha) and Masao Maruyama (president of Madhouse) a second season is probably going to be aired once the manga series is finished.[9] Two girls, both named Nana and of the same age, coincidentally meet on a train trip to Tokyo. They soon find themselves living with each other under the same roof because of an even bigger coincidence. Though they share the same name and age, they differ in just about everything else. Even so, through hard experiences in love and life, a strong friendship is born between them, as both Nanas grow through their hardships and struggle to win the odds. [Note: This live-action plot goes up to the equivalent episode 19 of the TV series]. In Italy was broadcast on January 23, 2007, on MTV Italy and on October 24, 2010, on Rai 4.

Albums inspired by Nana

Nana has inspired several studio albums, the most notable being Love for Nana. Several famous artists contributed to it, including Glen Matlock and various Japanese artists. Punk Knight from Nana and Nana's Song Is My Song were albums made up of mostly unknown artists.

Love for Nana

01. BEAT 7 ~The Theme of LOVE for NANA~ / 高見沢俊彦 (Takamizawa Toshihiko of The Alfee)

02. GIMME ALL OF YOUR LOVE !! / Tommy heavenly for BLACK STONES

03. Twinkle / 木村カエラ (Kimura Kaela) for BLACK STONES

04. REVERSE / TETSU69 for TRAPNEST

05. stay away / abingdon boys school for BLACK STONES

06. I miss you? / Do As Infinity for BLACK STONES

07. バンビーノ (Bambino) / 布袋寅泰 (Hotei Tomoyasu) featuring もりばやしみほ (Miho Moribayashi) for TRAPNEST

08. Sleepwalking / Glen Matlock & The Philistines featuring Holly Cook (from SEX PISTOLS) for BLACK STONES

09. Sugar Guitar / Skye Sweetnam for TRAPNEST

10. 黎明時代-レイメイジダイ- (reimei jidai) / ジャパハリネット (Japaharinet) for BLACK STONES

11. BLACK CROW / SEX MACHINEGUNS for BLACK STONES

12. Two Hearts / ZONE for TRAPNEST

13. Cherish / 大塚愛 (Otsuka Ai) for TRAPNEST

Video games

There is a Nana game released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) platform. The PS2 game was produced by Konami and released on 17 March 2005. A PlayStation Portable (PSP) game, Nana: Everything Is Controlled By The Great Demon King!? (ナナ: すべては大魔王のお導き!? Nana: Subete wa Daimaō no Omichibiki!?) was released on 6 July 2006.

A Nintendo DS game, Nana: Live Staff Mass Recruiting! Beginners Welcome (ナナ: ライブスタッフ大募集! 初心者歓迎 Nana: Raibu Sutaffu Daiboshū! Shoshinsha Kangei) was released by Konami in June 2007.

Reception

Volumes 19 and 20 were the third and fifth highest selling (respectively) manga books of 2008.[10] Volumes 1 and 2 were listed on YALSA's "2007 Great Graphic Novels for Teens" list.[11] The first twelve volumes of the manga series have cumulatively sold over 22 million copies.[12] As of 2008, it has sold over 43,600,000.[13] In 2002, the manga won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 "Nana's Ai Yazawa Puts Manga on Hold Due to Illness". Anime News Network. 2009-06-26. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
  2. 1 2 "Nana Manga Creator Ai Yazawa Returns from Hospital". Anime News Network. 2010-05-30. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
  3. ↑ "Vz's Shonen Jump Shojo Beat Shake-up". Anime News Network. 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
  4. ↑ "Viz Media — Comic-Con International 2007". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
  5. ↑ VOD Fridays – FUNimation Channel (9/18)
  6. ↑ "Shojo Beat Details". Anime News Network. February 8, 2005. Retrieved March 7, 2008.
  7. ↑ "VIZ Pictures Brings Shojo to the Movies". Comic Book Bin. Toon Doctor. November 2, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  8. ↑ "[ NEWS ] @ Yui Ichikawa Officially Replaces Aoi Miyazaki". Nana-nana.net. 2006-08-17. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  9. ↑ Noticias
  10. ↑ "2008's Top-Selling Manga in Japan, #1-25 - News". Anime News Network. 2012-12-16. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  11. ↑ "2007 Great Graphic Novels for Teens". Young Adult Library Services Association. Chicago: American Library Association. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  12. ↑ TBS Nana Movie Website
  13. ↑ "[ NEWS ] @ "NANA Volume 19" Breaks 2008 Sales Record". Nana-nana.net. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  14. ↑ 小学館漫画賞: 歴代受賞者 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved August 19, 2007.

Further reading

External links

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