In Japan, there are many young girls named Nana, but none so unique as these two: Nana Osaki, rebellious singer looking to set the underground punk rock scene ablaze; Nana "Hachi" Komatsu, who is tired of heartache and has moved to Tokyo for a fresh start. When they meet by circumstance on a snowy winter night, it sets the scene for the most wonderful yet terrifying friendship the world has ever seen. Here we have two young girls looking to create a new life for themselves while running from the ghosts of their pasts by flinging themselves into the turbulent world of the present. In a life fraught with sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, can these two Nanas survive? Will their relationship stand the test of turbulent romances and the launch of the band Blast into the music world? Or will real life (and the Demon Lord) crush them down?
Highlights:
"I come out of the long darkness today too . . . and I call his name in a low voice. I play music at dawn . . . and awaken the name of a beautiful flower."
Volume twenty of NANA opens with a scene in the future, as Takumi wakes up to find Naoki in bed with him . . . ? Over breakfast, the two of them discuss Nana and Reira, and Takumi's small son Ren tells them that Reira has been singing lately. Back in the present, Ren gives Hachi a gift — a name for her baby: Satsuki. While driving, Takumi and Ren discuss their worries over Reira, as well as how Hachi would react to finding out what was going on. Meanwhile, Blast fan Misato runs away from home and is picked up by someone from the company. While telling Shin the news, Chikage tells him that despite recent scandals he still has fans waiting for his comeback. Ren tells Takumi he is thinking of quitting Trapnest, taking Takumi completely by surprise and spurs him to call Reira. Over the phone, Nana and Hachi promise to meet up on Nana's birthday, which is also the day the two of them first met.
Takumi reveals that he has always known about Ren's drug addiction, and Ren admits that he can't do it alone – that is, go clean. Reira comes over and gets into a fight with Takumi, driving him out of the apartment. Ren retreats to the bathroom and snorts cocaine while Reira begs him to stop and finds she can't even sing Ren to sleep. In the morning, Takumi gives Hachi permission to see Nana in Osaka, and she ends up telling Ren where Nana is. Ren starts to go there, but ends up turning around to protect Trapnest's name. Miu comes back and finds out Yuri has signed on to do another porno film; Yuri becomes anxious and nervous when she breaks the news to Nobu. Reira runs away from the Trapnest building, desperate for some alone time; when he learns about this, Takumi returns home in such a depressed state that Hachi cancels her Osaka trip so she can spend more time with her husband. Misato's mother is cornered by the press and reveals why she abandoned Nana so many years ago. But a greater tragedy is set to rock both Nanas worlds as the unthinkable happens on a snow-covered road one Tokyo night, ending the book on a dark and troubled note.
Overall:
So far, Ai Yazawa has proved over and over again that she is a master of dramatic storytelling, of roller coaster romances and the pains of human emotions. She is truly the modern master of josei, and NANA is her crowning achievement. It should come at no surprise that the twentieth volume of this currently-running series is still as electrifying and thrilling as the ones before it; at a point where most women's comics would be coming towards their denouements, this one is ramping up for a whole new arc of adventures and challenges for the two Nanas to face. At a time in their lives when they need their significant others more than ever, both Ren and Takumi are drawing away from their lovers, looking for something else to make them whole, setting the stage for a tragedy of epic proportions. Meanwhile, the clash of personal lives and the music world is threatening to tear both Trapnest and Blast apart, and no one is safe from the possible aftereffects.
The driving force of NANA has always been the title characters, Nana and Hachi. It is their impossible friendship that made everything possible, and it is their friendship that is keeping them together emotionally even if they can not be together physically. They are both strong-willed women in their own right, each looking out for each other and themselves at the same time. Their relationship rings to us something that can withstand anything, even if the glimpses into Hachi's future from Miss Yazawa tell us differently. The momentary looks into the future are very illuminating considering the current flow of events, but can be off-putting at parts, since they are not as smoothly integrated into the story as some readers would like. And then there is the dialogue: with lines like "I know you're a lonely guy who can only view your comrades as your soldiers" and "You're protecting the castle with your life", it detracts from the realism in both story and dialogue that normally sets NANA apart as a series. Still, despite these setbacks, one thing remains constant in its quality: the art. From the backgrounds to the detail in clothing and music equipment, Yazawa's skill shines on in each panel, the characters coming to life on every page. Even readers who greatly dislike the story will take pleasure in the artwork; it is gorgeous and tinged with a haunting quality sorely missed in current manga styles.
In short: NANA just may be one of the defining series for josei. Its blend of drama and humor and passion will keep its audience reading and re-reading between releases, always returning to the next chapter in the saga of Nana and Hachi.
ComicsOnline gives NANA volume twenty 4 out of 5 strawberry glasses.
