Nana Highly recommended

Publisher
Viz
Writer
Ai Yazawa
Artist
Ai Yazawa
Country of origin
Japan
Year
1999

Nana V. 3

By David Rasmussen
23rd Jul 06

The recommendations out of VIZ’s lineup just keeps rolling along, doesn’t it.
I think I’m up to half a dozen by now, though I do seem to have stopped recommending new things since my last new recommendation that I was going to check out Skip Beat for review.
Well, there’s still the titles I’m presently raving about to review, like this newest Nana graphic novel.

Originally published in Shojo Beat V. 2 Issue #1 to #4, we continue where we left off in the land of Tokyo, and with the two Nanas (Nana K the lofty extreme personality girl and Nana O the rocker who didn’t appear on any episodes of Rock Star :INXS or Rock Star : Supernova).

After an impromptu jam session in their apartment, then comes the impromptu apologizing to the neighbors you have just woken up (including one who seems to be a “Desperate Apartment Dweller” type who puts the fear of ghosts into Nana K by suggesting that her apartment is… cursed)
(I think she just means the apartment lures in lots of loud music types but that’s just me.)

Anyway as Nana O struggles to bring life back into her old band BLAST (Black Stones), Nana K is about to suffer a setback in her romantic life as her fears of a woman named Sachiko stealing her whiney wussy guy from her (from Nana V. 2) comes to fruitation as a REAL Sachiko shows up and DOES steal away her whiney wussy guy from her… you ain’t missing a thing, girl, forget about him.

With the placement of a new bassist (in an odd but talented 15 year old) and the return of BLAST’s drummer (slash lawyer in training), it looks like BLAST is about to be heading on up the ladder to success… which is good and all since it’ll give Nana K something to hold onto when her lovelife implodes like a collapsing star in the start of Nana V. 4.

Meanwhile Nana K suffers in other ways, from facing the real probability of becoming poor, to losing her old job at that shop she worked from Nana V. 2 (and having to get a new job at a publishing house) and that whole losing lover boy (Shoji) to Sachiko thing which is the big loss of the volume.

All that plays out as the newest chapters to go into graphic novel comes into your hands, and graces you with it’s presence. It should hold you tight until October when Nana V. 4 hits… stay tuned.
Time for the breakdown otherwise.

Nana Breaks down… totally Shoji’s fault there… uh… I mean “the 3rd”.
What’s Hot?
I’ve been going on about Nana for awhile now so I think you know how I think this is hot.
Solid writing, solid artwork (though for some reason this copy seems to have some pages that are faded out for some reason… printer malfunction?) and overall solid read. I’m halfway through Volume 4 already (from it’s content put out in Shojo Beat) so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next (I’m abit behind so some of you already know what’s going to happen next).
Highly recommended read here, check it out.

What’s Not?
Besides the little printer miffing with the pages? Nothing much.

Moments to Remember?
Nana & Nana together make for memorable moments, and that’s just the start. Nuff said.

What to Ignore?
Hmm… wishy washy whiney Shoji comes to mind, but it’s not in a bad way ignore… I just don’t like him (but then again, really, who does? He’s the Syaoran Li of Ai Yazawa works… only without the ultra whiney slash annoying power of Syaoran Li).

Overall?
You know I like it, you know I recommend it, check it out if you have a chance.
Along with Aishiteruze Baby, Crimson Hero, Full Moon O Sagashite & possibly Skip Beat (if you can get ahold of Volume 1). Try it, and see if it’s for you. Nuff said.

-- David Rasmussen 23rd Jul 06