NANA (ナナ) is an anime that aired from 2006-2007 with 46 episodes. It was based on the manga by Yazawa Ai which was serialised in Cookie and eventually published by Shueisha between 2000 and 2009 with 21 volumes. Two live-action movies were also made. The story focuses on two women named Nana who meet on a train, Komatsu and Osaki. Komatsu moves to Tokyo to focus on love, while Osaki moves to focus on a music career. Coincidence leads both women to live in the same apartment, where their lives join and so do their fates.
Why do I like NANA?
I found out about it through a cosplay someone did of Osaki and after doing some searching, I got interested with how the style of the anime looked. It was totally different than anything I'd seen before, plus after trying out the first episode I got really invested. I like the concept of two stark opposites being able to become best friends and NANA is a great representation of that. Plus queer-coding? The way Komatsu talks about Osaki sometimes is a bit suspicious. I can understand a girl saying another girl is beautiful, but when she said "she's so handsome! If I was a guy I'd date her!" that was very gay to me... Then Osaki kissed Komatsu on the lips that one episode and I was like "yeah that's gay!" and THEN when Komatsu cried over Shoji in the other episode and she slept/cuddled with Osaki in her bed I was like "WHY DON'T THEY DATE ALREADY?!"
Favourite things about the anime
The music in this anime is immaculate! I mean there's that one song that sometimes plays with VERY broken English lyrics, but man, that's part of the charm. Just thinking about how the person singing the song thinks the lyrics she's singing sound badass is very adorable. But we'll get to the opening later.
As much as I see myself in Osaki, with personality and love for music, and as much as I don;t want to admit it, I see a lot of myself in Komatsu as well. In the beginning of the series, I could connect my own life situation with hers almost to a tee, with the way that she forced herself to see Shoji as a friend instead of unnecessarily falling in love... it made me cry how much they attacked me. I like to think I also have Komatsu's air-headed-ness with the way she's unable to be frugally responsible, but also tries to have her life set out for her, by moving to Tokyo with the goal of reuniting with Shoji, and trying to become independent and sustain herself. I think it's because with our age similarity, I'm going to get into that situation soon and Komatsu is helpful in helping me understand how to actually go about doing that.
And now, for something more superficial, TAKAGI YASUSHI LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND OTHERS. Proves you don't need hair to be hot. Not only that, he's a lawyer. And he's a drummer. But other than that, I love how he's able to be completely cold and show loving emotion at the same time (I think that's what they call a tsundere, but I don't think he's a tsunder in the traditional sense). That's all, he's perfect.
Soundtrack
- OPENING: rose - Anna Tsuchiya
My favourite part about this opening is it's supposed to be a Black Stones song sung by Osaki, so it's not just an opening. But otherwise just hearing that guitar intro gets me so pumped. - CLOSING: A Little Pain - Olivia Lufkin
Okay, I usually skip the closing just cause I can't wait to get to the next episode, but after having to actually find the name of the song to put on the page and listening to it, I am so upset I kept skipping it. The fact that, as with the OP, the ending is sung by Reira, it integrates the song with the story. I haven't gotten to the point in the anime where Reira and the rest of TRAPNEST come in, but from what I know, Reira doing the ending is so perfect.