Alternative Titles
English: Nana
Japanese: ナナ
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 47
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 5, 2006 to Mar 27, 2007
Producers: Madhouse Studios, VAP, Viz Media
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance, Shoujo, Slice of Life, Josei
Duration: 23 min. per episode
Rating: R+ - Mild Nudity
Review
Story -- The plot is very character-driven, focusing heavily on two girls who, by amazing coincidence, are so similar but also very different as they walk their paths of life. It really would be nowhere if it weren't for all the wonderful characters that Yazawa-sensei has created. Furthermore, the story in the anime is so heart-wrenchingly told at certain points. The narrations at the beginning and end of each episode are told as if the future Nana or Hachi are looking back on old memories, reminiscing and possibly regretting, questioning and hoping, leaving you to wonder if Nana and Hachi ever got their happy ending.
Meanwhile, the pacing of the story was very well done. At times, especially near the beginning, I thought it lagged a bit much by going over the Nana and Hachi train meeting, but after that's over and done with, it goes at what I considered a perfect pace. I never felt once that the story was dragging and was always wanting to know what would happen in the next episode.
Art -- The art was done very nicely. The colours were vibrant but never too unrealistic, and the animation and CGI were smooth and never felt cheap. If I had any complaint, I'd say that the characters were often drawn too thin to the point where they looked anorexic or even completely unrealistic, even for anime characters. Otherwise, it was all very good.
Sound -- For anime series revolving around music, I tend to judge the music a little more harshly. Still, I loved all the songs from both Blast and Trapnest. Anna Tsuchiya provides a harsher, rougher tone, that nicely reflect Nana's character and style, while Olivia Lufkin's softer vocals provide a more romantic and feminine tone, which again shows the theme of contrasts. When the OPs or EDs were used as insert songs, they were done very appropriately and suited the situations well, so they didn't feel randomly thrown in for the sake of having music. The other background music tracks were less noteworthy and barely noticeable, to be honest.
The voice acting was done very well and I applaud all the voice actors here because they did a terrific job. They were very believable from when they were laughing and having fun to when they were crying, yelling, or frustrated.
Character -- Like I said, this series is so character-driven it would be nowhere near this level if it weren't for them. The contrast between the two Nanas was done excellently - you really get the sense that they play off each other well and that their friendship is so deep that it's hard to describe in words and is something that can only be felt. Meanwhile, the relationships between all the other characters are complex and tangled, and the ways in which they deal with these complexities is incredibly realistic.
Junko summarizes it nicely in the later episodes when she says, "There really is no right answer to these questions" because in real life, there really isn't. You have to do what you can do and make the best out of a bad situation, even if it means that someone is going to get hurt in the end, and it's these things that Yazawa's characters contemplate and face. They hurt others, get hurt themselves, make mistakes, and as a result, they learn and grow. Or in the end, they might realize it's an "eat or be eaten" kind of world and that "justice doesn't always prevail" (as Yasu puts it). And as they face these problems of life, you can really identify with them and cheer them on to simply do their best. After all, that's all anyone can ask, right?
Overall -- NANA is truly a series to watch, especially if you like shoujo. But it's not your typical shoujo. It's something different and goes beyond your simple clichés, but in order to truly understand it, this is something you have to watch it.
Meanwhile, the pacing of the story was very well done. At times, especially near the beginning, I thought it lagged a bit much by going over the Nana and Hachi train meeting, but after that's over and done with, it goes at what I considered a perfect pace. I never felt once that the story was dragging and was always wanting to know what would happen in the next episode.
Art -- The art was done very nicely. The colours were vibrant but never too unrealistic, and the animation and CGI were smooth and never felt cheap. If I had any complaint, I'd say that the characters were often drawn too thin to the point where they looked anorexic or even completely unrealistic, even for anime characters. Otherwise, it was all very good.
Sound -- For anime series revolving around music, I tend to judge the music a little more harshly. Still, I loved all the songs from both Blast and Trapnest. Anna Tsuchiya provides a harsher, rougher tone, that nicely reflect Nana's character and style, while Olivia Lufkin's softer vocals provide a more romantic and feminine tone, which again shows the theme of contrasts. When the OPs or EDs were used as insert songs, they were done very appropriately and suited the situations well, so they didn't feel randomly thrown in for the sake of having music. The other background music tracks were less noteworthy and barely noticeable, to be honest.
The voice acting was done very well and I applaud all the voice actors here because they did a terrific job. They were very believable from when they were laughing and having fun to when they were crying, yelling, or frustrated.
Character -- Like I said, this series is so character-driven it would be nowhere near this level if it weren't for them. The contrast between the two Nanas was done excellently - you really get the sense that they play off each other well and that their friendship is so deep that it's hard to describe in words and is something that can only be felt. Meanwhile, the relationships between all the other characters are complex and tangled, and the ways in which they deal with these complexities is incredibly realistic.
Junko summarizes it nicely in the later episodes when she says, "There really is no right answer to these questions" because in real life, there really isn't. You have to do what you can do and make the best out of a bad situation, even if it means that someone is going to get hurt in the end, and it's these things that Yazawa's characters contemplate and face. They hurt others, get hurt themselves, make mistakes, and as a result, they learn and grow. Or in the end, they might realize it's an "eat or be eaten" kind of world and that "justice doesn't always prevail" (as Yasu puts it). And as they face these problems of life, you can really identify with them and cheer them on to simply do their best. After all, that's all anyone can ask, right?
Overall -- NANA is truly a series to watch, especially if you like shoujo. But it's not your typical shoujo. It's something different and goes beyond your simple clichés, but in order to truly understand it, this is something you have to watch it.
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