Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
tenntenn
Well, well, well, call me a black sheep, but I gotta say, Nana is just soso in my book. I mean, I've heard so many people rave about it, so I thought I'd give it a shot, but by episode 10, I was already like, "meh, should I just move on to something else?" But I held on, I persevered, and I finally finished it at episode 47. And you know what? It's still just soso for me.
Despite my lukewarm feelings towards Nana, there are some things I enjoyed. The music is amazing, and the bands' performances are a highlight. I also appreciate the realistic portrayal of relationships and the struggles that come with them.
Now, don't get me wrong, the plot is actually pretty solid, but the delivery is just so slow. One thing that bothered me, however, is the lack of closure. The anime ends abruptly, le…
Read at the sourceJeff_Spicoli
Nana is definitely not the worst anime I've watched when it comes to art, sound, and the skill of the writers. But it is the only one I've watched that has caused me to feel physically ill due to my disgust with the characters.
I watched this show years ago, and absolutely hated it with every fiber of my being. While finally making my MAL profile awhile back, I was surprised to see how highly rated the show was. Due to this I eventually decided to rewatch Nana since I was semi young the last time, and figured as an adult I would be able to relate to some of the themes better.
After rewatching it I can confidently say that I was not mistaken with my first take on the show. It is likely that adult me hates the show even more than my younger self. Hachi is one of the most irritating charac…
Read at the sourcestarfarts
Nana has tremendous characters, tremendous art, and a soundtrack that's top tier in every way. If only I'd known how this series ended before I sat through all 47 episodes I never would have bothered in the beginning.
It started as a dramatic comedy (different, in my eyes, from a comedy-dramas in that comedy is the primary genre and the drama evolves from there) with attention-catching art and super snazzy music. Nana and Nana were extremely dynamic women with bright futures and mysterious pasts; supporting characters introduced along the way added charm and allowed the Nanas to bounce their personalities around with fresh perspective.
Then, before it really took off, the series tanked hard into drama that no amount of funny expressions or good music could prop up. I realize now that thi…
Read at the sourceFleure
The background of NANA feels like an endless white night. Things seem to be continuously in motion; beginnings and endings wrapped up in an infinite wave of falling snowflakes waiting to melt into each other. The forefront sits in perpetual twilight; characters seem to be eclipsed by their own shadows with barely enough to catch a glimpse of who they are. The entire landscape depicts the frigidity of life rising from frosty gales to a calmer ether, only to revert to stormier lands. Movement here isn’t linear. Nothing is. NANA, as a whole, is pure kinetics; an explosion of emotional energy circling, clashing and always in motion. This is all infused as a careful exploration of fate, transience, and relationships in a modernized setting. NANA as a work fully invokes the power of pathos while…
Read at the sourcesneepsnop
I went into this series with no idea of what to expect. I read the synopsis, and it sounded okay, but it does not do justice to the show at all.
I wouldn't say that Nana is shoujo. It has more sophistication and more intricate plot lines than the average shoujo. It treats the characters as people by acknowledging their feelings, their backgrounds, their motives, and that allowed for you to not only get attached to the characters, but to understand them. The characters developed a lot throughout the show, and your perception of them changed as information was revealed to you.
I would definitely describe the show as beautiful, but it's also a little harrowing. It made me laugh, it made me choke up and almost cry (okay maybe just "cry"), it made me throw the phone that I was watching the sh…
Read at the sourceFlawfinder
Nana is one of those acclaimed anime that everyone seems to know the existence of, but very few people have ever actually watched. The fact that it’s almost 50 episodes long is a bit of a turn-off in of itself, but even the people who have seen it barely discuss the thing anymore. Very few “favorite anime” lists that I’ve read actually include it. It’s up there with Great Teacher Onizuka, Hajime no Ippo, and most of the Major anime in terms of high-ranking MAL darlings that the majority of MAL users will go “oh yeah, I’ve heard how good this thing is. Better put it on my PTW list that I’m never going to clear out” or “that was a really good show. *Forgets about it after a few months*”.
Said lack of enthusiasm along with the fact that it’s a relatively long show directed by Morio Asaka aka…
Read at the sourceReimei-Chan
Nana...
Such a beautiful and unique show among the Shoujo genre. We've all have fallen in love at some point in our lives, maybe it didn't turn out for the best or you couldn't stay in love for long because of other circumstances. Ai Yazawa makes a identifiable world that a lot of girls have been in, the feeling of, "Does he love me?" or "Am I worthy enough for him?" She makes it as realistic as possible and does this in a very subtle way not a lot of Shoujo anime pull off quit as well. It can also be watched by guys as well, it's not just limited to just girls. It's also not a cheesy romantic drama only girls can watch, there are plenty of male characters that men can relate to as well. They have personalities and desires just like the female characters do, so you won't be complaining th…
Read at the sourceGonzyChan
Love triumphs the human soul in ways we can’t fathom, and how we can contain it also remains unexplained. Whether love in a romantic or friendly fashion, it has always been one of the most sought themes in stories in every medium imaginable. We are used to the romantic form of love with many tropes and literary devices, but now we’ve grown to appreciate romance's “realistic” types. I am referring to a romance that tries to portray the reality we live in rather than what we hope it will be. Nana can speak for itself as one anime to be an achievement of perfecting that level of story.
Nana starts as your typical best friend story with opposite personalities; the bubbly, kind of dumb, girly-girl and the no-nonsense rocker girl that meet each other by coincidence. What’s oddly alluring about…
Read at the sourceconnielas
"I need your love, I'm a broken rose." - lyrics from the first opening.
The anime shows aired during 2007 - 2010 were usually the most phenomenal in my point of view. Shows today were lacking the deep sense of plot, enjoyment, drama and the whimsical world of comedy. These days it is hard to look for an anime that will make you re-watch when you have time and remember for a lifetime. Nana is one of those shows that is heart-wrenching, cheerful and life - changing.
Plot: Nana's story would actually be like soap operas in TV but better. You can see how the storyline was put in deep thought and everything was strategically planned. More drama and comedy also more romance.
To tell you the truth, I suspected that this is going to be a music themed anime wherein everything revolves around th…
Read at the sourceBlackOpps_
Nana for me was never a recommendation nor was it and anime I saw discussed on every forum, it was litarilly an anime/manga I stumbled upon one night whilst looking for a cute romantic series. I think that was a really lucky night.
Nana is honestly and anime I love a lot. Its one of the most real series I've seen. I had kinda had enough of the typical high school harems that were all the same. Whist watching Nana I found something completely new and different. It still had the romantic feel I was looking for, but portrayed in a more adult way. And how can I forget the music in the series. When I intitally saw that this was a music series, I was kinda put off, because I did not see my self becoming very into the music of the series, however my percption had completely been changed in the…
Read at the sourcemelonpanfan
FIRST of all-- i dont often write reviews, and to be honest i tend to be picky so you may or may not agree with what i have to say. but im putting this out there as a WARNING for anyone else like me who read the reviews and came to an entirely different conclusion. This anime has an amazing story, crazy good character establishment, and the art and sound are of course up to par. WHY then did i give this such a poor score? because according to reviews, synopses, and even by genre this was supposed to be a perfect story. every perfect story has their tragedies, their tear-jerkers, and their heart wrenching scenes. but in the end, a perfect story leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling. haha ok so i dont need it to be some shallow "the prince and princess live happily ever after" shit. but i exp…
Read at the sourceLeiraSedohr
"Say, Nana... Do you remember the first time we met?"
These words are the introduction of the beautiful world of "Nana". Nana tells a story of two girls who are of the same age and shares the same name, but are completely different; One is a naive dater, who always hooks up with the worst kind of guys, while the other is a bitter musician with a violent temper and a lonely past. Nana Osaki and Nana Komatsu, (later nicknamed Hachi) meet on a train, after moving from their small-town homes, to Tokyo to chase their dreams of love, music, and self-discovery. Nana leaves her band 'BLAST, to become a professional musician, while Hachi moves to Tokyo to be with her boyfriend, Shouji. Once they reached Tokyo, they parted ways. But with in a couple of days, both Nana and Hachi encounter each other…
Read at the sourceTechnetium
Gotta say, this is one of the most disappointing series to show up in the MAL top list. On the one hand, I found most of the characters really boring. Especially "Hachiko" who I couldn't sympathize with at all, and found I felt no pity for her at all in her fate. The other Nana was somewhat better, but overall, all of the female characters come across as being incredibly weak people who have nothing else in life to live for but to succumb to their men. Jun strikes me as the only one with any inner strength but alas she's a side character we never really get to know well.
As an anime, it's important to also consider the artwork, and in this area the series fails even harder. Obviously anime allows a great deal of freedom in styles, but in all cases it has to "look right". It's not successf…
Read at the sourceLicorice
"Say, Nana... Do you remember the first time we met?"
These words are the introduction of the beautiful world of "Nana". Ai Yazawa is probably the most convincing shoujo manga writer ever. With colourful, realistic characters, breathtaking events and just a pinch of music she creates a world in witch every girl can forget about reality and fall into the embrace of romantic fantasies.
One of the best things about "Nana" are the characters - we can actually see the reflection of ourselves in some of them and believe, that someone like that can really exist. This is proof that you can make a good anime without the conventional tsundere, moe or annoying childhood friend.
One thing I didn't like though is Hachi's personality. Her behaviour at times is despicable. Mainly because she has no id…
Read at the sourceLillyness
Shoujo is probably the last word I would use to describe this anime.
NANA is possibly one of the most complicated romances I have ever come across; this complexity is what makes it so amazing, outstanding and fascinating. It is because NANA is not a typical shoujo which makes it suitable for a wider audience; it's far from your average school-life-love-triangle romance. This anime will make anyone laugh, cry and feel a connection with the protagonists by the end of 47 episodes.
Story - 10/10
Can anyone have any more drama in their life than the characters from NANA? In my opinion, the summary above doesn't really do the anime justice. What’s so special about this anime is that it makes you think deeply. You come to realise how small the world really is, two girls roughly the same age, w…
Read at the sourcesabermoon
Yes, I was initially drawn to NANA by Paradise Kiss. After having watched all of ParaKiss in about a day, I was left craving more of that special flavor of drama and the striking art style. However, I was not prepared for the treat I was in for when watching NANA.
Story-
What really struck me about the story was how the two parts of the story are weaved together. The two main characters' lives and personalities are so strikingly different that when they meld, it is truly something beautiful. The span of the story really helps one feel like they go somewhere, accomplish something, while watching this show. Once they intertwine and effect each other, that's when the story becomes something special. The drama, at times, feels like it is just taking soap opera cliches from the book, but for a…
Read at the sourceMaster10K
NANA is a Shoujo, Slice of Life, Romance, Drama about the joys, the pain and the struggles that come with the endeavour known as love and romance. If you enjoy your shoujo or romance then NANA is a must see.
The story itself focuses on two young ladies named Nana and how they came to know each other and connected through the similar experiences they share in life. The first couple episodes introduces the main characters involved and spends an equal amount of time giving us some background on each Nana, then showing how they became acquainted. Then the main story kicks in, which actually feels more like 2 separate stories connected only through the strong bond of friendship between the both of them. Nana Komatsu’s (Hachi) story is about her living her life to attain true love, wherea…
Read at the sourcelovelove
What can I say about this anime...
It was the greatest anime I've ever watched and is THE number 1 in my list.
Very appealing to women specifically as it has a lot of Drama, Romance, Slice of Life, Shojou...
Has very good music as well and all the characters are HOT.
I recommend everyone to try watching at least two episodes before judging whether you'd like to continue watching or not.
This anime competes with Hana Yori Dango [drama] if anyone has seen.
Read at the sourcealgelic
One of the things I like to see the most in anime is how they portray relationships. I’m a sucker for romance, but I hate the cheesy stuff you usually see in typical shoujo anime. Sometimes you’ll find an anime with realistic characters, with the typical flaws of human nature, and usually people love them. We can identify with them. Like in Evangelion many people who have dealt with depression could identify with Shinji (in some levels…).
For those of you who have watched your share of anime about love/relationships, I bet you could identify somehow with “Bokura ga Ita”, “Kimi ga Nozomu Eien” or “Kare Kano”. Or at least you felt connected with its characters. I have watched them all and know what I’m talking about.
Recently, I…
Read at the sourcejet2r0cks
Ai Yazawa did it again.
NANA is even better than Paradise Kiss for me. I love all the elements that make up the plot – Music, fashion, a little (a lot) of drama which goes hand in hand with some comedy and finally, Girl Power! It’s almost as if Ai Yazawa knew what I like to see in an anime series.
The story revolves around Nana Komatsu (Hachi) and Nana Oosaki – how they live their lives and accomplish their goals, how they interact with the various men in their lives and the friendship between the both of them. They go through all of this with a lot of tears and thankfully, a lot of laughs as well. The other characters are great too, especially the members of the Black Stones. Yasu is a bad-ass but altruistic lawyer/drummer, Shin is the adorable, childish bassist and No…
Read at the source