It's time for Manga Mondays! Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. At the moment, I've got sucked into the world of Nana where love is constantly entangled with music, heartache, and happiness. After looking for information about the author, I realized that I was misinformed about the Nana series. The series is not complete, but put on hold as the author recuperates from an illness. Presently, there are no volumes published after volume 21 which is where I got confused. I apologize for the misinformation.
Review: Volume 13 is filled with drama. Lots of things happening all at once. I actually had to read slowly so I wouldn't miss anything. Shin and Reira are having a joint birthday party as their birthdays are a few days apart. On the surface, this setting is suppose to be a happy occasion with great food and friends, but like the whole series, there are complex, dark undersides that lurk beneath the party decorations. Takumi is furious with Nana K. for "crashing" the birthday party or in his view a perfect opportunity to schmooze and network. As you may recall, Nana K. was personally invited by Reira and only came because of her loyalty to Shin, the youngest member of Blast, which was all unknown to Takumi. Takumi and Nana K. have a fight. There was a moment where I thought Nana K. grew a spine and told her caddish fiance to back off and that thing were over. Unfortunately, that passed as quickly as a blink of an eye. After several frustrating volumes, Nana K. finally admits that Takumi is not right for her, but she is afraid of being alone and due to her fear of him abandoning her at any moment, she submits to him and becomes his puppet. Meanwhile Nana O. and Ren can't tolerate a big crowd. They both sneak off into their own room. Nana O. is annoyed that many now think of her as only "Ren's fiance". Though she loves Ren, she hates to have her own individual identity removed. Nana O. is unaware of Ren's drug use. In the previous volumes, we get a hint that Ren has been dabbling into drugs with his occassional use of pot, but now he's getting into serious drugs (cocaine? heroine?). It is unclear, however, if the drugs are requested by him or provided to him by his music label. Another person spiraling down is Nobu. Poor Nobu can't get over Nana K. Their awkward meeting, which is beautifully drawn with close-ups and my favorite part of this volume, got me all choked up. Though he is heartbroken and can't rid of the "what ifs" that haunt him at night, he really wants Nana K. to be happy even if her happiness doesn't include him. After seeing Nana K. for the first time since they split up, Nobu literally launches into a relationship with Asami, the porn star, who isn't all that different from Nana K. Asami is clearly the rebound girl and I don't have any hope that their "relationship" will last. Like Nobu, Shin and Reira are seductively playing with the danger zone. With Shin barely being a legal adult, his relationship with Reira is really, really bad idea especially if the press got hold of his past being a male escort and age. Takumi has advised Shin to stay away from Reira, but of course emotions over ride logic. I hate to admit that I can see Takumi's logic, but he is right. So now, Takumi has enlisted Nana K.'s help to try to separate Shin and Reira. Whenever Nana K. is involved in an important task, things don't go well at all. I have no idea what her plans are, but I know it won't be good. Despite all of these ongoings, we get a tiny glimpse into a possibly budding romance between Miu, an actress who suffers from severe depression, and Yasu. I'm thrilled for a Yasu romance storyline as I think he's a fabulous character who is always reliable, smart, and solid. I have no idea what will happen next in Nana, but it is always an emotional rollercoaster and I wouldn't like it any other way.
Rating: 4 stars
Words of Caution: There is strong sexual content, crude humor, some drug references, and some language. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.
Hideaki Anno Feels Sorry for Those Who Won't Change Their Minds After Rejecting Something When They're Young
- Jan 9 The Simpsons' 'Treehouse of Horror XXXIII' Episode Wins Creative Arts Emmy Award
- Jan 6 Mercedes-Benz Produces Limited-Run PlayStation 5 Car
- Jan 5 AT-X Reveals Anime Rankings for 2023
Press Releases chronological archives
- 17:43 Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Usagi Yojimbo with Stan Sakai and Dark Horse
- 07:25 BACK-ON and FLOW Release New Collab, ‘TV size’ Short Version of ‘Kamen Rider Gotchard’ Opening Theme Song ‘CHEMY×STORY’ Out Now
- 07:14 Japanese Band Atarayo's Opening Theme Song 'I am...' From Anime Series ‘The Dangers in My Heart’ Season 2 Out Now
- 06:24 Makoto Shinkai's Critically-Acclaimed "Suzume" Comes to DVD and Blu-Ray
- 06:05 Setsucon to Welcome Voice Actress Anne Yatco to Upcoming 2024 Convention
- 05:27 FZMZ's Brand New Track "Danger Danger" is Out Now
Views
Features chronological archives
- 08:00 ANN's Most-Read News and Interest Articles of 2023
- Jan 9 Bringing Imagination to the Sengoku Youko Supernatural Action Anime
- Jan 7 Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023
- Jan 4 The Winter 2024 Anime Preview Guide
- Jan 4 An Anime Insider's Take on the Netflix Engagement Report
- Dec 29 Your Anime Rankings - Best of Fall 2023, Dec 17-23
- Dec 29 The Winter 2024 Anime Trailer Watch Party!
- Dec 29 The Best and Worst Anime of 2023
- #### Reviews alphabetical archives
- 04:00 Great Pretender Razbliuto Anime Movie Review
- Jan 9 Pokémon Concierge Anime Series Review
- Jan 8 Dropkick on My Devil!!: Apocalypse Day Anime OVA Review
- Jan 7 Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku Arc Anime Series Review
- Jan 6 Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions Season 1 Anime Review
- Jan 5 Yu-Yu Hakusho Live-Action Series Review
- Jan 4 Liar Liar Episodes 1-12 Anime Review
- Jan 3 Love Murder Basketball Volume 1 Manga Review
- #### Columns chronological archives
- 05:00 This Week in Anime - What Happens When Magical Girls Grow Up?
- Jan 6 This Week in Games - You Can't Keep Shigeru Miyamoto Down
- Dec 15 The ANN Aftershow - Is The Boy and The Heron Miyazaki's Worst Film?
- #### Everything chronological archives
- Features (incl. Interviews and Newtype, and also as Seasonal features like Anime Spotlight, Preview Guide, Weekly Rankings)
- Reviews (incl. Game Reviews)
- Columns (incl. The ANN Aftershow, Anime News Nina!, ANNtv, ANNCast, Answerman, Astro Toy, Intern Annika, Brain Diving, Buried Treasure, Chicks On Anime, Crashing Japan, The Dub Track, The Edit List, Epic Threads, From The Gallery, Hai Fidelity, House of 1000 Manga, Ima Kore Ga Hoshiin Da, Old School, Pile of Shame, RIGHT TURN ONLY!!, Shelf Life, Sound Decision, Sub Culture, Super Plastic, Tales Of The Industry, Tankobon Tower, The Click, The Gallery, The List, The Mike Toole Show, The Set List, The Stream, The X Button, This Week in Anime, This Week in Games, Vice & Luna)
- Editorials (incl. Industry Comments)
- Advertorials
New Anime
- Your Score: Rate the Latest Simulcasts
- Upcoming Anime List
- Upcoming DVD & Blu-ray
- Weekly Rankings: The Best and Worst of the Season So Far According to Readers
Anime Spotlight
- » previous seasons
- #### Winter 2024 Preview Guide
- Fluffy Paradise
- The Demon Prince of Momochi House
- Solo Leveling
- Ishura
- Gushing Over Magical Girls
- Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki 2: Second Stage
- Classroom of the Elite Season 3
- Delicious in Dungeon
- Chained Soldier
- My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered
- Sasaki and Peeps
- The Unwanted Undead Adventurer
- The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic
- Tales of Wedding Rings
- A Sign of Affection
- Mashle: Magic and Muscles Season 2
- Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga
- The Strongest Tank's Labyrinth Raids
- 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life
- The Dangers in My Heart Season 2
- Banished From The Heroes' Party Season 2
- Mr. Villain's Day Off
- Synduality: Noir
- 'Tis Time for "Torture," Princess
- Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!
- The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil
- High Card Season 2
- Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy Season 2
- Villainess Level 99
- » previous seasons
- #### Daily Streaming Reviews
- 16bit Sensation: Another Layer
13
- Dead Mount Death Play
24
- Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
17
- Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2
47
- Migi & Dali
12-13
- One Piece
1089
- Power of Hope: Precure Full Bloom
12
- Shangri-La Frontier
14
- Spy×Family Season 2
37
- The Apothecary Diaries
13
- The Kingdoms of Ruin
12
- Uma Musume Pretty Derby Season 3
13
- Undead Unluck
13
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
10-12
Encyclopedia
Anime
- Top 10
- Latest Simulcasts
- Licensed
- Latest in Japan
- Upcoming TV series, movies, OAVs
- #### Manga
- Top 10
- Licensed
- Latest in Japan
- #### People
- Most prolific cast
- Most prolific staff
- #### Releases
- This month
- #### Companies
- Licensors
- #### Lexicon
- #### Tools
- Search by genre, theme, year
- Comparison tool
- Personal settings
- more »
Forum
Forum Categories
- Site-Related
- General
- Industry
- For Subscribers
- #### Forums
- Talkback
- Anime > Series Discussion
- Manga
- Encyclopedia
- Feedback
- Retail
- Community
- #### Forum Information
- Search
- FAQ
- Usergroups
My ANN
Public
- Public Anime Lists
- Surveys
- Contests & Giveaways
- Newsletter
- ANN:Connect
- #### Subscribers
- Subscriber Forum
- Subscribe »
- #### Personal
- My Anime
- My Manga
- Change skin
- My Anime 2 (beta)
About
- Our Team
- Contact us
- Site news
- Staff openings
- Privacy policy
- Copyright policy
- Other policies
- Advertise with ANN
Help
- FAQ
- Bugs & Technical Questions Forum
Login or Register
- No account yet? Registering is free, easy, and private. Discuss in the forum, contribute to the Encyclopedia, build your own MyAnime lists, and more.
Opinion Question for Nana Fans.
Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> MangaView previous topic :: View next topic Author Messageashlielyn
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 1:29 am
I'm a huge Nana fan. I've watched and read the series multiple times and I've always wanted other people's take on this question. Do you like Takumi's character and the relationship that Nana K. and he have? Do you think that he loves her?
marie-antoinette
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:21 am
I love Takumi. I think he's the most fascinating character in the series and that means he's always interesting to read. And I actually do think that, at least of the men we've seen Hachi with, he's the best choice because he does seem to have the best understanding of who she really is as a person (in contrast, Nobu had her on a pedastal which I think she liked until she realized it couldn't be maintained).
I also do think Takumi loves her, at least as much as he's able to. Reira will always come first though but yeah ... I do like Takumi and Hachi together and I want things to work out for them in the end (provided we get one of course
cl-shojo
Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Posts: 70 Location: New York
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:34 am
Takumi is so hard to read, but that's exactly why he's a great character - I think when he comes into the story Nana becomes a much more interesting series. To some extent, he reminds me of George from Ai Yazawa's Paradise Kiss, because they're both cold yet fascinating. I think his feelings for Hachi really stem from his other relationships, particularly with his mother and Reira. He says at one point that he tends to gravitate to cheerful people because they're so different from him, and we can see this with Hachi and Reira. On another hand, Ren teases him about having somewhat of a mothers-complex because his mom was sick for most of his life. I would say that I do think he loves Hachi, but that he's not in love with her, if that makes sense. But as for his feelings for Reira, those are a lot more complex and I don't think he understands them (or wants to admit them) himself, but at the very least I believe he needs Reira in a way Hachi can't fulfill.
With all of that being said, even though the future looks grim for the couple, I really think Takumi makes Hachi a stronger person, which is why I like them together.
ashlielyn
Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 5:43 am
I feel the same way as you two. Personally I genuinely like Takumi but I always felt people wouldn't like him because of some of the things he does in the series. His character feels like the most well fomulated. His past makes sense of why the way he is, and does the things he does. With that being said, Takumi's realist view on the world and Nana's head always being in the clouds, I really feel like they balance eachother out. As for what you said cl-shojo, I agree with you about Takumi loving Nana but not being IN love with her. I don't think Takumi is the kind of person that would fall in love with someone though, given his past of not ever witnessing or experiencing what true love really is. I feel like him loving Nana is just as big of a step as being in love with someone.
Wiesteria
Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 141
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:54 pm
I do think Takumi loves Nana (whether he's in love with her will always be up for debate, though). And if the only alternative Nana has is a relationship with Nobu, then Takumi is definitely a better choice. They really balance each other out and she's grown so much in the time they've spent together. It is a realistic relationship in contrast to the idealistic one she had with Nobu. Nana and Nobu had puppy love. Nana and Takumi has a family and a bond fueled by mutual understanding.
The only other option better than Takumi for Nana is for her to leave him for Nana O. However, since she has a family to care for and everything, this probably isn't possible.
ashlielyn
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:10 am
Wiesteria wrote:
The only other option better than Takumi for Nana is for her to leave him for Nana O. However, since she has a family to care for and everything, this probably isn't possible.
You're soo right, that would be be so romantic if she didn't already have a family with Takumi.
cl-shojo
Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Posts: 70 Location: New York
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:46 am
Wiesteria wrote: Quote:
And if the only alternative Nana has is a relationship with Nobu, then Takumi is definitely a better choice. They really balance each other out and she's grown so much in the time they've spent together. It is a realistic relationship in contrast to the idealistic one she had with Nobu. Nana and Nobu had puppy love.
I definietely agree. I know a lot of people wanted Hachi to choose Nobu, but I could never get behind them because it was obvious Hachi was more in love with the idea of being in love than actually having feelings for Nobu. Besides, Takumi is such an interesting character that I'd much prefer to see why he is the way he is than Hachi and Nobu being lovey-dovey. And there are many sweet scenes between Takumi and Hachi, like when they make up after their argument at Reira's birthday party in volume 13.[/quote]
Mr. sickVisionz
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 8:51 pm
I like Takumi as a character. He's a dick sometimes, but hey, that's life. I think he loves Nana as much as anyone who's kinda a douchebag can love anyone. I think she provides him with some sort of connection and emotion that he can't get elsewhere and he greatly appreciates her for that. Whether it's love or not, I can never tell.
Are they making new chapters of Nana? The last one I read was years ago and then the writer got sick and the series went on hiatus.
ashlielyn
Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 4:15 am
Mr. sickVisionz wrote:
Are they making new chapters of Nana? The last one I read was years ago and then the writer got sick and the series went on hiatus.
Ai Yazawa still doesn't know if she'll finishes the series, nor has she updated the public about it as far as I know. I think she's still trying to get better and take a break from the pressures of reading a manga. Every now and then I try to look on the Internet for new infomation about her and how she's doing.
lily_evans
Joined: 26 Aug 2015 Posts: 1
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 1:34 pm
I am kind of so so with Takumi because sometimes he can be a total dickhead,and he just pisses me off.I personally am not a big fan of the relationship with them(and probably the only one).I really do get what you guys are saying about Nobu and Nana K. having puppy love, but I kind of thought they had a balance to them.There personality types are quit simlar witch I found a good thing,cause they had more of understanding to each other.I kind of also thought that Nobu was the best for Nana K. because she seemed the most happiest with him. Also I really don't know if Takumi loved Nana or not because he was a pretty hard character to read.So it was like sometimes I thought he did and others I wasn't so sure.