NANA by Ai Yazawa

Yazawa, A. (2005). NANA. Japan: Viz Media LLC. ISBN: 1421501082

Plot Summary

  Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki are both teen girls who are trying to find their place in life and they both meet while on a train in Tokyo. They meet again while looking for the same apartment and decide to live together and help each other with their dreams. Nana K. is a carefree bubbly love sick teen who usually ends up following her current boyfriend wherever he goes and Nana O. is the complete opposite. She is a strong punk rock teen who lets nothing get in her way of her dreams. Although they are completely opposite, their friendship saves them and together they grow up throughout the volumes but not without the angst of teenage relationships.

Critical Evaluation

  I bought this first volume the day it came out and I own every English copy, movies, soundtracks, and Anime series. This is a great teen Manga series that teens can genuinely relate to. There is drama, music, pop culture, love, and heartache that holds the readers attention and begging for more when it ends.

 

Readers Annotation

  Opposites really do attract.

Authors Information

  Ai Yazawa was born March 7, 1967 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. She started her manga publishing in 1985 after dropping out of fashion school. She has written over ten series in Ribon and most of her manga is published in Japan by Shueisha. She is a huge fan of musician Rumi Shishido and designed the covers for his album.

  Yazawas famous mangas include, NANA, Paradise Kiss, Neighborhood Story, and I'm Not an Angel. Most of her manga is centered around young women and their relationships. The characters are always stylish, unique, rebellious, and carefree. She has also published three art books.

Genre

  Manga

Curriculum Ties

  n/a

Booktalking Ideas

  n/a

Reading Level/Interest Age

  9-12th grade/Young Adult

Challenge Issues

  Sex, drug and alcohol use, language

  If challenges arise, libraries will refer to their Collection Development Policy.

Reason for Selection

  I have been a fan since I first purchased volume 1.