Although it is marketed as "shoujo", Nana surpasses all the superficialities and constraints of this genre, and offers a layered perspective about the nature of love, gender roles and expectations. I love how Ai Yazawa manages to combine romance, friendship, music, celebrity life and punk culture into a manga which is both lightly humourous and deeply emotional at the same time.

What I love most about Nana is its ability to smash the reader's initial impressions and make us see the characters as humans instead of stereotypical constructions. The characters are never static, and they grow along with different situations and experience. This manga also made me realise how I've blindly idealised certain characters, like Osaki Nana, because I was too caught up with her 'cool' appearance of independence and devil-may-care attitude. But actually, Nana has her own flaws, insecurities and hang-ups. Although the two title characters may seem very different in terms of appearance and aspirations, both have a void in them which may never be filled.

To call Nana a "whirlwind world of sex, music, fashion, gossip and all-night parties (according to Viz's description)" would be demeaning and not do justice to this series at all. Nana is a manga which will make the reader look beyond the surface, unlike most shoujo mangas, and is a must-read for all fans of the romance genre!

... Last updated on September 26th, 2008, 1:44pm

I adore her works so much, I have read all the ones I could find.
She doesn't sugarcoat a things and if she makes a bit lighter it isn't to the point of being cheesy.
The characters are all very dimensional and can't be pushed around easily, accept maybe Hachi...
I think this and Parakiss are some of my favorites but this artist. =]

I love Ai Yazawa, and I love NANA.
Hachi is a bit annoying to me, and I really wanted
to kick her puppy-butt at some point. Then again,
I'm an avid HachixNobu fan so you'd probably expect it
coming from me. (Don't understand? Just read!)

Nana is an overall wonderful manga and I love the fashion
and music. It's fun, and serious at the same time.
Best of all it goes deep into friendship as much as it does
into romance!

I put off reading and watching Nana for a long time largely due to the heavy dramatic context. Surprisingly, I really really liked it and this is definitely not your run of the mill shoujo romance series with the usual fairy tale/ happily ever after scenarios. I love the character development and the amount of realism that is mixed within the story. I think one unique signature of Ai Yazawa is that her characters are all flawed (i mean this in a good way) and they make mistakes and I think that's what make them so real and identifiable with readers. This story is not just about love and romance between men and women. Friendship, growth and loss are also predominant themes within the series. While the premise is largely drama, Ai Yazawa has a good balance of humor mixed within the series. Other than a good story and well fleshed characters, her artwork is fantastic as well. I fell in love with her drawings when i read and watched ParaKiss, what I love most is her styling of her characters. Visually each and everyone of them have their own characteristics and personality!

The anime follows very closely to the manga in terms of story and drawing style but the concluding episode leaves a rather unsatisfying end to all the build-up in the preceding episodes. That is my only gripe for the anime series. Despite that, I still think its worth a watch because the story continues in the manga and you would not be left high and dry when you finish the anime. A bonus point is the music, it rocks!

Do give this a go! It will be time well spent!

... Last updated on March 15th, 2008, 7:52am

NANA has become one of the best-selling shoujos in Japan, a phenomenon that has spawned an anime, a live-action film, and an abundance of merchandise. Sure, there are probably some other manga out there that can also lay claim to that same type of success, but in shoujo, NANA is the gold standard.

NANA is the name shared by the two titular characters. Although they share the same name, both characters are opposites in almost every way. Where one is seemingly fierce and independent (Nana O), the other one comes off as a flaky man-chaser (Hachiko). The story starts out simple enough, giving us a brief glimpse into the lives of both Nanas before they eventually embark on their journey to Tokyo.

It’s a simple premise, but as we all know, it’s not in the what, but the how. While we do get more than our fair share of drama, it’s really the characters that keep you reading. They are fleshed out - and flawed individuals. While you may first get the impression that one Nana's personality may overpower the other, it never really happens. Ai Yazawa strikes a nice balance between both characters that never has one Nana out-shining the other.

What's more, Ai Yazawa never falls prey to the terribly overused clichés that's become rampant in shoujo. If she does happen to use one or two of them, it's executed in a fairly convincing matter.

NANA is about love, hope, friendship, and growth. It’s about a time in one’s life when anything is possible and nothing is out of reach as long as you have drive and passion. And of course, there’s a small dose of humor in there too.

NANA isn’t for everyone, though. Most of the complaints I’ve heard about it is due to the abundance of drama, which can be heavy-handed if you’re not into that type of thing. Yet, if you’ve got some time to kill and you want some romance, why not give it a try anyway?

... Last updated on July 15th, 2012, 9:44pm

Oh my gawd. I personally think this is the best manga I've ever read. I love the art, and I love the plot. I love how there is some humor in it also mixed in with sad events. I love how it's so realistic like a person's life story. It is absoutely AMAAZING.

This manga is too realistic and that what attracted me.. the side talking _is that what they call it ._.?_ is wonderful.
blueseeker : I totally agree with you, coz me too, I want to my head on the wall with almost every chapter. Though it’s painful I want to continue reading. But certainly I will take breaks between each chapter.. U_U

... Last updated on March 5th, 2008, 4:55pm

This is an INCREDIBLY GOOD manga, but am i the only one who wants to hit my head on the wall with almost every chapter? The story is great and i have to be honest, i love the art, but the drama is never ending....once one obstable is done, there comes another one. Not to mention that some characters (ugh,Takumi) make me wish that i had the ability to strangle them or at lease see them die in a slow and painful way. On top of everything there are a few chapters where it shows clips of the future issues that are yet to be explained, which really makes me want to jump to that straight away and see how everything will end. Overall i think this mangaka is a genius for making us all unable to stop reading even if it hurts. So unless you can put up with it do not start until all volumes are completed.

This manga is certainly a great manga; however, this it not for everybody. It has ALOT of drama. I remember I was heart broken numerous times, and the angst it gives you is tremendous. You have no idea what is going to happen next. If your into this type, this manga is the best in that area.

I really liked Nana up to volume 7 or 8, but then the plot is getting too tangled and not as exciting after that. All the characters are getting a little too melodramatic, or if not, Komatsu Nana is too capricious. Let's just say I like ParaKiss more.