Manga Review: Nana Vol. 1 & 2 by Ai Yazawa

# of Pages: 192

Published: 2005

Source: Library Copy 

Nana Komatsu is a young woman who's endured an unending string of boyfriend problems. Moving to Tokyo, she's hoping to take control of her life and put all those messy misadventures behind her. She's looking for love and she's hoping to find it in the big city. Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is cool, confident and focused. She swaggers into town and proceeds to kick down the doors to Tokyo's underground punk scene. She's got a dream and won't give up until she becomes Japan's No. 1 rock'n'roll superstar. This is the story of two 20-year-old women who share the same name. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends. The world of Nana is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip and all-night parties.

Nana was a manga I picked up on a whim and ultimately enjoyed. It chronicles the daily life and journeys of two females both by the name of Nana. Their names are one of the few things that they share in common as they have two distinct personalities. 

This first volume is simply a way to give the reader a back story to each character. You learn more about who they are, what their personalities are like, issues they have, friends, family, etc. I really think this volume set the stage for future volumes and strongly illustrated the differences and even some similarities they shared. I absolutely loved this initial volume and it definitely pushed me to pick up the rest of the series. 

# of Pages: 208

Published: 2006

Source: Library Copy 

This is the story of two 20-year old women who share the same name. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends. The world of NANA is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip, and all-night parties.

If I thought volume one was amazing, volume two was even better. Unlike the first volume, volume two permits the reader to finally see interactions between the two girls. It seems as though they were destined to be a part of each others live. 

What I really appreciated about this volume was the fact that the reader was able to see how the two Nana's complemented each other. They are different, but I think that they add a certain flare to each others lives. While Nana K is more bubbly and free-spirited, Nana O is more reserved. They give each other a piece of their personality to assist them in making it through their issues. This volume is definitely more about character development than plot development. This doesn't detract from the volume in any way and I was still able to enjoy it. If you are interested in a manga that contains a little bit of everything I would definitely check this out.