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Reviewed by Penny Kenny On her twenty-first birthday, Nana waits for Ren and Hachi to arrive. Meanwhile, the rest of the group learns Ren has been in a horrible accident. I’ve read two volumes of Nana in my life; volume two and this one. That’s all the exposure I’ve had to this fan-favorite series. Yet I was still able to immerse myself in this world and understand for the most part what the characters were going through. That’s a tribute to the believable and strong personalities Ai Yazawa has created Yazawa’s art isn’t pretty. It’s too angular and individualized for that. In many ways it reminds me more of Korean manhwa than the typical shojo manga books that fill the local Barnes and Noble, though Yazawa’s lines aren’t inked as heavily. This sharper style suits the subject matter. Young adults trying to find themselves and define their relationships should look gawky and uncomfortable with their bodies. This isn’t to say the art is unattractive. It is. It’s just not cute. One of the things that really stands out is how her characters’ postures say exactly what they need to to fill in the silences or the emotions beneath the words. The silent panels on page twenty showing Hachi entering Takumi’s room set-up their relationship beautifully. As she pushes open the door, she’s tilted slightly forward, her head is lowered and one leg is positioned behind the other in uncertainty. Takumi sees her before she sees him. There’s surprise, but no real interest in his expression. Throughout the rest of the scene, though she is often shown looking at him, he always keeps his profile or his back to her. This is a couple who aren’t in synch and the art keeps driving that point home. In another scene, Miu and Hachi soak in the tub. Miu asks a question concerning Hachi’s baby. The next panel is a close-up on Hachi’s face. Her eyes are completely blanked out. The next panel pulls back to show both women, with Hachi shaking her head, her eyes closed. That middle panel with Hachi’s blank eyes adds so much to the scene. Readers can put themselves in her position and imagine what’s running through her head. It’s a well-paced and well-drawn moment. Though I’ve been focusing on Hachi, all the characters have excellent moments. The strain of previous events has worn them down, so that in this volume you’re seeing them as they truly are. Even the fact that we see relatively little of Nana and get most of our information about her from others is in keeping with the story. She’s in shock and basically goes blank. I did have a problem with this volume. There’s a flash-forward scene and while it’s nicely done, it confused the heck out of me at first. It’s a fascinating peek at what happens to some of the core group, but I had to read it twice to figure out what was going on. Fans of the series might not have that problem. The volume closes with a “Junko’s Place” segment, featuring characters from her works commenting on everything from the story to Yazawa’s other series. This makes for a light palate cleanser after the drama of the main story. Obviously if you’ve been following Nana, you’re going to pick up this volume; but after reading this, I’d suggest anyone who’s looking for an intelligent, young adult soap opera check this series out. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line!
Charles Webb
Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com
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10 November 2010
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