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Nana (manga)
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese shōjo 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 their dreams.
The author of the manga is currently sick and is still recovering. 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.
Nana is presently 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. 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. Funimation got the broadcast rights to Viz Media
's dub and it premiered on the Funimation Channel
on September 19, 2009.
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.
, 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. Yazawa returned from hospital in early April 2010, though has not specified when or if she will resume the manga. 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.
, was released on September 3, 2005. The film stars Mika Nakashima
act as the punk star Nana Osaki, and Aoi Miyazaki
act as Hachi (Nana Komatsu),Ryuhei Matsuda act as Ren Honjo,Tetsuji Tamayama act as Takumi Ichinose, Hiroki Narimiya act as Nobuo Terashima, Matsuyama Kenichi act 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, staying in the top 10 for several weeks.
A sequel, Nana 2
, was announced right after the first 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, respectively.The film "Nana" had changed some places from manga "Nana",and it had cut many plot. the end of the film is not the actual end of the manga.Story about nana is continuing.
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.
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].
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 for TRAPNEST
08. Sleepwalking / Glen Matlock & The Philistines featuring Holly Coock (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
14.Dot com / Secret Secret Dino Club
and released on 17 March 2005. A PlayStation Portable
(PSP) game, was released on 6 July 2006.
A Nintendo DS
game, was released by Konami in June 2007.
The first twelve volumes of the manga series have cumulatively sold over 22 million copies. As of 2008, it has sold over 43,600,000. In 2003, the manga won the Shogakukan Manga Award
for shōjo.
Ai Yazawa
is a Japanese manga author. Her pen name comes from Japanese singer Eikichi Yazawa, of whom she is a fan.-Biography:Yazawa started her manga publishing life in 1985. She studied in a fashion school but later dropped out. Throughout her 15 years of publishing, she wrote over 10 series in Ribon...
, serialized in Cookie published by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
. 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 their dreams.
The author of the manga is currently sick and is still recovering. 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.
Nana is presently being released in North America by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
. It was serialized in the Shojo Beat
Shojo Beat
Shojo Beat is a shōjo manga magazine formerly published in North America by Viz Media. Released in June 2005 as a sister magazine to Shonen Jump, it featured serialized chapters from six manga series, as well as articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty...
until the August 2007 issue, and continues to be released in tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes. The manga has also been adapted into a highly successful live-action film
Nana (2005 film)
Nana is a 2005 Japanese film adaption of the manga by Ai Yazawa, directed by Kentarō Ōtani. The film was released on September 3, 2005. It stars Mika Nakashima as the punk star Nana Osaki, and Aoi Miyazaki as Hachi ....
with a sequel
NANA 2
Nana 2 is the sequel to the Japanese movie Nana, an adaptation of the manga by Ai Yazawa, directed by Kentarô Ôtani. Production for the movie began in mid-September and only one and a half month shootings finished the movie in time for the December 9, 2006 release.-Synopsis:Taking place shortly...
released on December 9, 2006, and an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation that premiered on April 5, 2006. The anime adaptation has subsequently been announced as licensed for release in North America by Viz Media. Funimation got the broadcast rights to Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
's dub and it premiered on the Funimation Channel
FUNimation Channel
The FUNimation Channel is a 24-hour cable network which broadcasts anime series in the United States. OlympuSAT was chosen as the exclusive distributor of the network....
on September 19, 2009.
Plot
Nana OsakiNana Osaki
is a fictional character in the manga/anime series Nana, by Ai Yazawa. She is the titular "Nana" of the series, along with Nana Komatsu.To disambiguate between the girls, the English-language publisher of the manga, VIZ Media, uses Nana O. to refer to Nana Osaki.-Character history:Nana O. was born...
is a punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
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
Nana Komatsu
is a fictional character in the manga/anime series, NANA, by Ai Yazawa. She is the titular "Nana" of the series, along with Nana Osaki.To disambiguate between the girls, she is generally referred to as 'Hachi' by her friends, and the English-language publisher of the manga, VIZ Media, uses Nana K....
, 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
Hachiko
, known in Japanese as chūken Hachikō , was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, even many years after his owner's death.-Life:In 1924, Hidesaburō Ueno,...
, 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.
Manga
Written and illustrated by Ai YazawaAi Yazawa
is a Japanese manga author. Her pen name comes from Japanese singer Eikichi Yazawa, of whom she is a fan.-Biography:Yazawa started her manga publishing life in 1985. She studied in a fashion school but later dropped out. Throughout her 15 years of publishing, she wrote over 10 series in Ribon...
, 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. Yazawa returned from hospital in early April 2010, though has not specified when or if she will resume the manga. The chapters have been collected and published in 21 tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes in Japan by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
.
Nana is licensed for English-language release in North America by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
. It was serialized in Viz's manga anthology Shojo Beat
Shojo Beat
Shojo Beat is a shōjo manga magazine formerly published in North America by Viz Media. Released in June 2005 as a sister magazine to Shonen Jump, it featured serialized chapters from six manga series, as well as articles on Japanese culture, manga, anime, fashion and beauty...
, premiered in the launch July 2005 issue where chapters appeared until the August 2007 issue.
Films
Two film adaptations have been made for Nana. The first, NanaNana (2005 film)
Nana is a 2005 Japanese film adaption of the manga by Ai Yazawa, directed by Kentarō Ōtani. The film was released on September 3, 2005. It stars Mika Nakashima as the punk star Nana Osaki, and Aoi Miyazaki as Hachi ....
, was released on September 3, 2005. The film stars Mika Nakashima
Mika Nakashima
is a Japanese singer, model, and actress. She has achieved five number-one albums in Japan and also embarked on an acting career, most notably in the live-action movie Nana, based on the manga of the same name.- Early life and debut :...
act as the punk star Nana Osaki, and Aoi Miyazaki
Aoi Miyazaki
is a Japanese actress. She is best known for her pure image and roles such as in Nana and Virgin Snow. Her brother Masaru Miyazaki is an actor, and they starred together in the film Hatsukoi. She married Sosuke Takaoka on June 15, 2007, her partner since she was fifteen.-Career:Miyazaki started...
act as Hachi (Nana Komatsu),Ryuhei Matsuda act as Ren Honjo,Tetsuji Tamayama act as Takumi Ichinose, Hiroki Narimiya act as Nobuo Terashima, Matsuyama Kenichi act 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, staying in the top 10 for several weeks.
A sequel, Nana 2
NANA 2
Nana 2 is the sequel to the Japanese movie Nana, an adaptation of the manga by Ai Yazawa, directed by Kentarô Ôtani. Production for the movie began in mid-September and only one and a half month shootings finished the movie in time for the December 9, 2006 release.-Synopsis:Taking place shortly...
, was announced right after the first debuted. However, on August 4, 2006, Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
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, respectively.The film "Nana" had changed some places from manga "Nana",and it had cut many plot. the end of the film is not the actual end of the manga.Story about nana is continuing.
Anime
Nana has been adapted into an anime series, directed by Morio AsakaMorio Asaka
is a Japanese anime director.A graduate of the Osaka Designers' College, he is a member of the studio Madhouse. His noted works include, among others, Cardcaptor Sakura , Galaxy Angel, Gunslinger Girl, Last Order: Final Fantasy VII and Nana.-Directorial style:Asaka has covered a wide range of...
and animated by the studio Madhouse
Madhouse (company)
is a Japanese animation studio, founded in 1972 by ex–Mushi Pro animators including Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, Rintaro, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. It has created and helped to produce many well known shows, starting with TV anime series Ace o Nerae! in 1973, and including western favourites Ninja...
. The first and third openings and third ending songs are sung by Anna Tsuchiya
Anna Tsuchiya
is a Japanese singer, lyricist, actress and semi-retired model.Tsuchiya was born to a Japanese mother and an American father of Polish-Irish descent from Buffalo, New York. In her earliest years, she spoke English and Japanese...
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.
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].
Songs inspired by 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 for TRAPNEST
08. Sleepwalking / Glen Matlock & The Philistines featuring Holly Coock (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
14.Dot com / Secret Secret Dino Club
Video games
There is a Nana game released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) platform. The PS2 game was produced by KonamiKonami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
and released on 17 March 2005. A PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
(PSP) game, was released on 6 July 2006.
A Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
game, was released by Konami in June 2007.
Reception
Volumes 19 and 20 were the third and fifth highest selling (respectively) manga books of 2008. Volumes 1 and 2 were listed on YALSA's "2007 Great Graphic Novels for Teens" list.The first twelve volumes of the manga series have cumulatively sold over 22 million copies. As of 2008, it has sold over 43,600,000. In 2003, the manga won the Shogakukan Manga Award
Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...
for shōjo.
External links
- Official Nana website
- Official Nana manga website (dead link)
- Official Nana anime website
- Official Nana movie website (advertising site)
- official viz media English Nana anime website
- Nana at Viz Media's website
- Review of vol 1 at Anime News NetworkAnime News NetworkAnime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
- Review of vol 15 at Anime News NetworkAnime News NetworkAnime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
- Review of vols 16–18 at Anime News NetworkAnime News NetworkAnime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
- Review of DVD box set 1 at Anime News NetworkAnime News NetworkAnime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
- Review of DVD box set 2 at Anime News NetworkAnime News NetworkAnime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...