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Nana #1
Nana, Vol. 1
An all-time best-selling shojo title, Nana offers an exhilarating glimpse into Japan's underground punk scene
Nana revolves around two 20-year-old women, both named Nana. One Nana, Nana Komatsu, flees to Tokyo after an emotionally devastating affair with an older, married man, hoping for a fresh start. Nana Osaki, on the other hand, a high school dropout, arrives in the city at the same time, chasing her dreams of becoming a punk rock star. Despite their contrasting backgrounds, the two Nanas quickly bond together, navigating a whirlwind life of sex, music, fashion, and nightlife.
Nana revolves around two 20-year-old women, both named Nana. One Nana, Nana Komatsu, flees to Tokyo after an emotionally devastating affair with an older, married man, hoping for a fresh start. Nana Osaki, on the other hand, a high school dropout, arrives in the city at the same time, chasing her dreams of becoming a punk rock star. Despite their contrasting backgrounds, the two Nanas quickly bond together, navigating a whirlwind life of sex, music, fashion, and nightlife.
192 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2000
1310 people are currently reading
66332 people want to read
About the author
Ai Yazawa
298 books3,180 followersAi Yazawa (Japanese: 矢沢あい, Yazawa Ai) is a Japanese manga author and illustrator. Her pen name comes from singer Eikichi Yazawa, of whom she is a fan.
Yazawa started her comics career in 1985. She specialises in shojo manga (girls' comics). Most of her works have been serialised in the magazines 'Ribon', 'Cookie' and 'Zipper'.
Yazawa's stories focus on young, often rebellious women and their relationships. The characters are always very stylish, and Yazawa herself is known for her sense of fashion. (She even attended a fashion school for some time after high school.)
Among her most famous manga are Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai (I'm No Angel, 1992–1995), Neighborhood Story (1995-1998), Paradise Kiss (1999-2004), and Nana (2000-2009), the latter awarded a Shogakukan Manga Award in 2003. Some of these works have been adapted into anime and live action movies.
Yazawa started her comics career in 1985. She specialises in shojo manga (girls' comics). Most of her works have been serialised in the magazines 'Ribon', 'Cookie' and 'Zipper'.
Yazawa's stories focus on young, often rebellious women and their relationships. The characters are always very stylish, and Yazawa herself is known for her sense of fashion. (She even attended a fashion school for some time after high school.)
Among her most famous manga are Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai (I'm No Angel, 1992–1995), Neighborhood Story (1995-1998), Paradise Kiss (1999-2004), and Nana (2000-2009), the latter awarded a Shogakukan Manga Award in 2003. Some of these works have been adapted into anime and live action movies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,642 reviews
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November 3, 2022if someone asks me for my aesthetic I’d hand them this.
December 30, 2022
i will never be able to articulate what nana means to me...so i will not even attempt to write a cohesive review. just know that at one point in my life i owed a nana mug, a nana bag, a knockoff of shin's necklace & nana's ring, as well as the published volumes (including that 7.8 one).
May 12, 2022
mon premier manga!!! un peu weird et problematic at times.. like… les relations homme femme un peu yikes but tres addictif et l’esthétique est fou, me wants la suite let’s gooooo
August 20, 2008
A review of the entire manga series. No real plot spoilers, but very vague references to future events.
My all-time favorite manga. The story of two girls, punk rocker Nana Oosaki ("big" Nana) and girly Nana Komatsu ("small" Nana, known in the rest of the story as Hachi), who meet on a train to Tokyo and become the best of friends. Nana's dream is to become a famous punk singer, Hachi's to live with her boyfriend, Shouji.
The first volume deals with the girls' past - Hachi's normal, fairly happy adolescence (not counting disastrous love affairs, a character hallmark); and Nana's harder-edged, more tragic existence. It also introduces most of the wonderful supporting cast - Junko and Kyosuke; Yasu!, Nobu, and Ren.
Subsequent volumes highlight how well Nana and Hachi's divergent personalities complement each other, and their growing bond. What I like best about the series is how the characters develop - flighty, shallow Hachi becomes the pillar of emotional strength; and independent, tough Nana is revealed to be extremely vulnerable. Hachi is my favorite character - although not introduced in the most positive light, her strength and positive attitude when karma comes back around is commendable.
Another thing I love is the narration at the beginning and end of chapters, highlighting Nana and Hachi's bond and foreshadowing a tragic future, which is later partially revealed in flash-forwards. Instead of giving plot away, the future hints are played out like a mystery story, giving small pieces to solve like a puzzle. Much like Lost in a way, plot-structure-wise, flashbacks are also used to give character depth, while the flashforwards and the present rush to meet each other.
There's a huge amount of fantasy in their lives in Tokyo, even aside from the connections to the famous group Trapnest. I've lived in a "big" apartment on the outskirts of Tokyo, and the entire place could of fit twice into Room 707's living area. And I don't think there's a single apartment in the city going for a monthly rent of 750 yen, yet alone a giant place like that. (And I'm not buying the whole "no elevator" excuse - you walk a hell of a lot more than seven flights of stairs in daily Tokyo life.) But the fantasy is a big part of Nana's charm - it's life the way you wish it could be lived, not the way it actually is.
The decidedly Western apartment and style of living should translate very well with American audiences. And even the style remains in the translation - it's not just western, it's a beautiful 60's-esque retro. The apartment and most of Hachi's clothing looks straight out of Breakfast at Tiffany's. And Nana always looks like she walked straight off a Vivenne Westwood catwalk. Yazawa's signature fashion and style is on full display here.
Another thing on full display is Yazawa's well-developed characters - but unlike, say, Paradise Kiss, these characters are really likable. You root for them from the moment you meet them. And the plot is heads and tails above previous efforts - you can't stop reading once you start. The only complaint I have is some of the later chapters' over-focus on the Trapnest members - the manga is called Nana , after all.
There's a reason why Nana is one of the most popular shoujo manga of all time in Japan. Even the names are carefully selected, with several levels - "Nana" meaning seven, "Hachi" meaning both eight and the loyal dog Hachiko, and how the bad luck connotation the number seven implies in Japan follows the two girls. That and the "Demon Lord."
I can't recommend this series enough. Although one suggestion - try to locate the scanlations. The English translation is horrible, an abomination. The translators decided to "Americanize" the characters' speech, and ended up with a horrid hip-hopish grammatically incorrect sludge that no American young adult speaks in, yet alone Japanese characters. It's really a shame. Reading the series' English translation might ruin it for you. If you like it, please buy at least a couple volumes to support it - but don't read them.
My all-time favorite manga. The story of two girls, punk rocker Nana Oosaki ("big" Nana) and girly Nana Komatsu ("small" Nana, known in the rest of the story as Hachi), who meet on a train to Tokyo and become the best of friends. Nana's dream is to become a famous punk singer, Hachi's to live with her boyfriend, Shouji.
The first volume deals with the girls' past - Hachi's normal, fairly happy adolescence (not counting disastrous love affairs, a character hallmark); and Nana's harder-edged, more tragic existence. It also introduces most of the wonderful supporting cast - Junko and Kyosuke; Yasu!, Nobu, and Ren.
Subsequent volumes highlight how well Nana and Hachi's divergent personalities complement each other, and their growing bond. What I like best about the series is how the characters develop - flighty, shallow Hachi becomes the pillar of emotional strength; and independent, tough Nana is revealed to be extremely vulnerable. Hachi is my favorite character - although not introduced in the most positive light, her strength and positive attitude when karma comes back around is commendable.
Another thing I love is the narration at the beginning and end of chapters, highlighting Nana and Hachi's bond and foreshadowing a tragic future, which is later partially revealed in flash-forwards. Instead of giving plot away, the future hints are played out like a mystery story, giving small pieces to solve like a puzzle. Much like Lost in a way, plot-structure-wise, flashbacks are also used to give character depth, while the flashforwards and the present rush to meet each other.
There's a huge amount of fantasy in their lives in Tokyo, even aside from the connections to the famous group Trapnest. I've lived in a "big" apartment on the outskirts of Tokyo, and the entire place could of fit twice into Room 707's living area. And I don't think there's a single apartment in the city going for a monthly rent of 750 yen, yet alone a giant place like that. (And I'm not buying the whole "no elevator" excuse - you walk a hell of a lot more than seven flights of stairs in daily Tokyo life.) But the fantasy is a big part of Nana's charm - it's life the way you wish it could be lived, not the way it actually is.
The decidedly Western apartment and style of living should translate very well with American audiences. And even the style remains in the translation - it's not just western, it's a beautiful 60's-esque retro. The apartment and most of Hachi's clothing looks straight out of Breakfast at Tiffany's. And Nana always looks like she walked straight off a Vivenne Westwood catwalk. Yazawa's signature fashion and style is on full display here.
Another thing on full display is Yazawa's well-developed characters - but unlike, say, Paradise Kiss, these characters are really likable. You root for them from the moment you meet them. And the plot is heads and tails above previous efforts - you can't stop reading once you start. The only complaint I have is some of the later chapters' over-focus on the Trapnest members - the manga is called Nana , after all.
There's a reason why Nana is one of the most popular shoujo manga of all time in Japan. Even the names are carefully selected, with several levels - "Nana" meaning seven, "Hachi" meaning both eight and the loyal dog Hachiko, and how the bad luck connotation the number seven implies in Japan follows the two girls. That and the "Demon Lord."
I can't recommend this series enough. Although one suggestion - try to locate the scanlations. The English translation is horrible, an abomination. The translators decided to "Americanize" the characters' speech, and ended up with a horrid hip-hopish grammatically incorrect sludge that no American young adult speaks in, yet alone Japanese characters. It's really a shame. Reading the series' English translation might ruin it for you. If you like it, please buy at least a couple volumes to support it - but don't read them.
September 12, 2022
nana osaki was a punk and hachi did ballet what more can i say?
Read
December 19, 2020if relationship toxic, why couple so sexiii???
(~my mental love letter to nana & ren)
(~my mental love letter to nana & ren)
September 4, 2024
This was an amazing Manga! I loved the anime but was so happy to find that I love the manga just as much. I love the contrasting personalities between the two Nana's! I'm so excited to see how they are going to be once they actually meet and spend more time together.
March 7, 2016
This review is for volumes 1-21, so there may be some spoilers.
I was excited when I found out my library had this series, because that meant I could finally finish it! I'd read volume 1 years ago, but it was right around the time I stopped buying manga, and so I never completed the series.
And then I found out from Kat the series isn't even complete!
This series is about two bands who rise to popularity in Japan and the struggles that go along with fame. It's also about the friendship between two young women named Nana (which ended up being the best thing about this whole story).
I liked this series, but I could have liked it a lot more without the constant drama and the characters making decisions I hated. My main example of this is Hachi's relationship with Takumi. What the actual fuck??? I couldn't tell if Yazawa meant for us to hate him or like him, because he did terrible things yet was shown in a sympathetic light over and over again.
Takumi's relationship with Reira confused the fuck out of me, and I hated it. Takumi can fuck right off with his hot, sociopathic self.
Hachi was my favorite character (with Shin as a close second), although I hate what she went through in order to find the tiniest bit of happiness. Takumi didn't deserve her. I don't prefer Nobu, though. I actually ship Hachi with the photographer! (I forgot his name.)
Yazawa does some of my favorite manga artwork, and I wish more of her series were readily available to me. However, now I need a break from having read an entire manga series straight through without any breaks. *wipes brow*
Making your dreams come true and being happy... Why are they two separate things?
I was excited when I found out my library had this series, because that meant I could finally finish it! I'd read volume 1 years ago, but it was right around the time I stopped buying manga, and so I never completed the series.
And then I found out from Kat the series isn't even complete!
This series is about two bands who rise to popularity in Japan and the struggles that go along with fame. It's also about the friendship between two young women named Nana (which ended up being the best thing about this whole story).
I liked this series, but I could have liked it a lot more without the constant drama and the characters making decisions I hated. My main example of this is Hachi's relationship with Takumi. What the actual fuck??? I couldn't tell if Yazawa meant for us to hate him or like him, because he did terrible things yet was shown in a sympathetic light over and over again.
Takumi's relationship with Reira confused the fuck out of me, and I hated it. Takumi can fuck right off with his hot, sociopathic self.
Hachi was my favorite character (with Shin as a close second), although I hate what she went through in order to find the tiniest bit of happiness. Takumi didn't deserve her. I don't prefer Nobu, though. I actually ship Hachi with the photographer! (I forgot his name.)
Yazawa does some of my favorite manga artwork, and I wish more of her series were readily available to me. However, now I need a break from having read an entire manga series straight through without any breaks. *wipes brow*
Making your dreams come true and being happy... Why are they two separate things?
June 12, 2023
A coming of age about two girls sharing the same name ‘Nana’. I'm in love with the aesthetics reminiscent of the obnoxious 90s low rise jeans, huge gold Gucci belts, faux fur jackets, doc marten boots, vintage Westwood, decadent and yet sensational music, the junkie rockstar with thin waists and ciggies in hand. Some of the panels were relatable and any one in their 20s will enjoy this manga.
June 28, 2024
Powrót po 10 latach sprawił, że kocham tę historię jeszcze mocniej.
October 19, 2025
Un manga très intéressant sur les relations amoureuses, une élève me l’a chaudement recommandé. Il a un côté un cocooning. Et en même, il s’interroge sur les relations amoureuses d’une manière plus mature.
April 8, 2011
I really hope the author gets better and decides to finish this series. Otherwise we will be left hanging forever!
July 18, 2023
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to
I go back to us
I love you much
It's not enough
You love blow and I love puff
And life is like a pipe
And I'm a tiny penny
Rolling up the walls inside
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to
I go back to us
I love you much
It's not enough
You love blow and I love puff
And life is like a pipe
And I'm a tiny penny
Rolling up the walls inside
March 8, 2017
Nana fue uno de los primeros animes que vi.
Y siempre me fascinó la historia de estas dos chicas, aunque a veces hachi me saca de quicio, a través del anime logre entablar una relación.
Elegí este manga para "comenzar a leer manga" porque ya conozco la historia entonces me pareció una buena elección, a pesar de que se separe en algún momento de los eventos del anime y que la mangaka este en un stand by con el manga.
Y siempre me fascinó la historia de estas dos chicas, aunque a veces hachi me saca de quicio, a través del anime logre entablar una relación.
Elegí este manga para "comenzar a leer manga" porque ya conozco la historia entonces me pareció una buena elección, a pesar de que se separe en algún momento de los eventos del anime y que la mangaka este en un stand by con el manga.
September 22, 2023
There is so much I could say about this manga/anime, yet that still wouldn't be enough to express how much i love it
June 12, 2025
read nana in my early 20s and honestly, it broke me and built me back up—messy, emotional, and totally unforgettable. ily nana
August 26, 2025
a little too much heterosexuality in here for me .. but im intrigued!! this was cute and i loved the character designs.
January 27, 2022
I saw a single frame of art from this series posted online, and searching for the artist led me to this manga.
This first volume serves as a prologue, introducing readers to Nana and Nana before they meet in the story. I find them both to be likable and interesting characters and, as mentioned, I like the art. I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes.
This first volume serves as a prologue, introducing readers to Nana and Nana before they meet in the story. I find them both to be likable and interesting characters and, as mentioned, I like the art. I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes.
March 17, 2017
¡AMÉ, AMÉ, AMÉ! Pero todavía no es perfecto... No le doy las 5 estrellas por algunos pequeños detalles que no me terminan de gustar del todo en cuanto a la trama (y ciertos personajes), pero eso seguro solo me pasa con este tomo (ya que al principio del anime me sentía igual y después me terminé encariñando con todos y entendiendo un poco más sus motivaciones.. Pasa que quise dejar de lado eso para centrarme en lo que opiné sobre el primer tomo del manga como algo ajeno a lo que yo ya sé de la historia).
Es el primer manga que leo, lo devoré en un día, me encantó y por supuesto que voy a continuar con la saga (el final inconcluso del anime es INACEPTABLE y parece que la autora va a terminar los mangas en algún momento).
También quiero leer otras cosas, así que bienvenidas sean las recomendaciones(?
NOTA: Sé por qué la autora los había dejado de escribir, lo de "inaceptable" es una jodita nomás jaja
Es el primer manga que leo, lo devoré en un día, me encantó y por supuesto que voy a continuar con la saga (el final inconcluso del anime es INACEPTABLE y parece que la autora va a terminar los mangas en algún momento).
También quiero leer otras cosas, así que bienvenidas sean las recomendaciones(?
NOTA: Sé por qué la autora los había dejado de escribir, lo de "inaceptable" es una jodita nomás jaja
March 24, 2024
Bardzo chcę dalej poznawać losy bohaterek!
March 7, 2025
my world shattered the day i learned that nana and hachi don't actually end up together. i was under the impression that this was a slow burn slice of life between them for an embarrassing amount of time, but apparently, that's not the case🧍♀️
i WILL however continue to read a few more volumes to see if i want to read the entire series, but i'm still sort of (irrationally) disappointed. the art style is really wonderful and aesthetically pleasing.
i WILL however continue to read a few more volumes to see if i want to read the entire series, but i'm still sort of (irrationally) disappointed. the art style is really wonderful and aesthetically pleasing.
August 19, 2022
I'm not going to lie. Although NANA 1 is a little annoying, I adore NANA 2. She is so cool and fierce that I will continue this series in her honour.
January 4, 2020
L’ho amato e odiato tanto, la valutazione è stata difficile perché questo manga mi fa tornare in mente tantissimi ricordi, ho la prima copia comprata nel lontano 2002 insieme a mia sorella!!! Davvero tanti ricordi..se devo votare la mano della disegnatrice, può non piacere a tutti per la particolarità del suo tratto, anche se io ho amato tanto i suoi disegni, le gambe sottili, l’accuratezza, i dettagli del look come in #paradisekiss e #cortilidelcuore che però ho apprezzato di più per via delle trame, secondo me migliori. La trama di Nana mi ha fatto soffrire troppo, tuttavia anche volendo non riesco ad assegnare meno di 4 🌟, sono una sentimentale 😊 amen. Non so neanche se la disegnatrice ha ripreso la serie ma io non penso, magari gli ricorda un brutto momento.
May 14, 2022
me deprimí gracias
September 11, 2022
Probablemente no hay mucho que decir respecto a Nana que no haya sido abordado ya por Rayo Confuso, pero iniciaré esta serie de reviews que no serán totalizadores (eso será cuando llegue al vol. 21) diciendo que tenemos un inicio bastante bueno, sólido, en el que se nos plantea la historia.
No, la historia no inicia con la búsqueda del amor. Nana no se mueve a Tokio para estar con Ren; y el arco de Hachi es más referente a la búsqueda de sí misma y a no dejar que sus emociones la dominen al momento de tomar decisiones, a dejar de centrarse en la búsqueda de "otro" para encontrarse a ella misma, así que aquí nos encontramos con un punto de partida bastante interesante en donde se nos muestra un poco del pasado de las Nanas y las situaciones que las llevaron a unirse a ese tren con destino a Tokio (aunque esa parte aún no aparece, así que me estoy adelantando).
Iniciamos este camino con Nana Komatsu y la narración de sus enamoramientos y el cómo cambiaba de personalidad y hasta físicamente para ser atractiva a los hombres que llamaban su atención; desde su flequillo hasta su forma de actuar, hasta encontrarse con Shōji, al cual trató primero como un amigo, sin pretensión, lo que ella califica como un error dado que ahora "no puede esconderle sus defectos".
Por otro lado, tenemos a Nana, quien ha descubierto en la música un motor y una pasión que nos aclara, no depende de Ren: a ella le gusta cantar. Sí, gracias a Ren encontró esta parte de ella misma, pero no lo hace para darle gusto a él, lo hace porque le gusta; aunque también nos deja ver un poco de sus sentimientos al hablar cómo ambos se apoyaban en la soledad que sentían al estar "completamente solos en el mundo" (algo debatible, pero hablamos de cómo se sentían).
El paralelismo de las Nanas inicia junto con sus caminos, mostrándonos la diferencia de carácter de cada una de ellos así como sus relaciones con amigos y cercanos: Junko, Shōji, Kyosuke (en el caso de Nana Komatsu) y Nobuo, Ren y Yasu, en el caso de Nana Osaki.
También, aunque no tan profundo, hace su aparición "Misato", la cual le regala a Nana su emblemática chaqueta de Vivienne Westwood, algo a puntualizar dado que la mangaka se expresa también a través de la moda; y a diferencia de Paradise Kiss, en Nana podemos encontrarnos esa inclinación a romper los patrones: moda y punk unidos en una historia aparentemente romántica (aparente, en este primer volumen) para contarnos el crecimiento de dos chicas con un nombre en común.
No, la historia no inicia con la búsqueda del amor. Nana no se mueve a Tokio para estar con Ren; y el arco de Hachi es más referente a la búsqueda de sí misma y a no dejar que sus emociones la dominen al momento de tomar decisiones, a dejar de centrarse en la búsqueda de "otro" para encontrarse a ella misma, así que aquí nos encontramos con un punto de partida bastante interesante en donde se nos muestra un poco del pasado de las Nanas y las situaciones que las llevaron a unirse a ese tren con destino a Tokio (aunque esa parte aún no aparece, así que me estoy adelantando).
Iniciamos este camino con Nana Komatsu y la narración de sus enamoramientos y el cómo cambiaba de personalidad y hasta físicamente para ser atractiva a los hombres que llamaban su atención; desde su flequillo hasta su forma de actuar, hasta encontrarse con Shōji, al cual trató primero como un amigo, sin pretensión, lo que ella califica como un error dado que ahora "no puede esconderle sus defectos".
Por otro lado, tenemos a Nana, quien ha descubierto en la música un motor y una pasión que nos aclara, no depende de Ren: a ella le gusta cantar. Sí, gracias a Ren encontró esta parte de ella misma, pero no lo hace para darle gusto a él, lo hace porque le gusta; aunque también nos deja ver un poco de sus sentimientos al hablar cómo ambos se apoyaban en la soledad que sentían al estar "completamente solos en el mundo" (algo debatible, pero hablamos de cómo se sentían).
El paralelismo de las Nanas inicia junto con sus caminos, mostrándonos la diferencia de carácter de cada una de ellos así como sus relaciones con amigos y cercanos: Junko, Shōji, Kyosuke (en el caso de Nana Komatsu) y Nobuo, Ren y Yasu, en el caso de Nana Osaki.
También, aunque no tan profundo, hace su aparición "Misato", la cual le regala a Nana su emblemática chaqueta de Vivienne Westwood, algo a puntualizar dado que la mangaka se expresa también a través de la moda; y a diferencia de Paradise Kiss, en Nana podemos encontrarnos esa inclinación a romper los patrones: moda y punk unidos en una historia aparentemente romántica (aparente, en este primer volumen) para contarnos el crecimiento de dos chicas con un nombre en común.
December 25, 2019
I really enjoyed this first volume of Nana and appreciated the very different personalities of the two namesakes. Looking forward to continuing on with this series :)
Plus the artwork is simply PERFECT!
Plus the artwork is simply PERFECT!
July 26, 2022
He was a boy
She was a girl
Can I make it any more obvious?
He was a punk
She was a punk
What more can I say?
She was a girl
Can I make it any more obvious?
He was a punk
She was a punk
What more can I say?
December 2, 2025
i actually hated hachi so much why was she just like 'meeenn🤤🤤...' the entire time
January 22, 2018
It was the first time I actually read manga. I watched the anime when I was in high school and then again this past month. I decided to read the volumes to see what happens to the characters.
At first I didn't think I will manage to read the text bubbles in the right order but after a volume or two it was a piece of cake. It was fun.
But this series... is a life destroyer! I loved it so much that it hurts to think about it. I still need time to recover from it.
I'm actually in denial, so, I'm going to read it again.
At first I didn't think I will manage to read the text bubbles in the right order but after a volume or two it was a piece of cake. It was fun.
But this series... is a life destroyer! I loved it so much that it hurts to think about it. I still need time to recover from it.
I'm actually in denial, so, I'm going to read it again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,642 reviews