This quote is a perfect representation of what Nana is and why I know for a fact this will go down as one of my favorite pieces of media especially in anime.
The thing about 10/10s is most of the time I don’t think they’re perfect on an objective standpoint but they have a certain “wow factor” to them that engrains them into my soul almost and such is the case with Nana. The artstyle isn’t necessarily abhorrently ugly but I don’t really like it and sometimes it would take me out of the experience and I think the voice acting could be subpar at times (I watch anime in dub idrc), both Kelly Sheridan and Rebecca Shoichet both do really good as Komatsu and Osaki respectively which is the important thing.
Still even the few basically nothing complaints could never measure up to how good this show is on every other level especially on a thematic and story telling sense.
This is one of the most investing and thematically rich stories I’ve ever witnessed. I went into it thinking it’d just be a “friends we made along the way journey” but by the end of it I ended up questioning the notion of love and relationships and I even reflected on my own relationships in the past.
I could go on and on about how good all these characters are but to save you all the time just know they’re all so good. Each and every one of them are filled with shades of grey and they’re neither good nor evil. Even our titular protagonists have a relationship that is grey in nature. More often than not they make the wrong decisions, completely ruin their lives, and you will be screaming at the screen because you hate that they did it but still you understand WHY they did it. All of these characters feel so real and human, I know for a fact there are millions of people who are just like Komatsu, Osaki, Shin, Takumi, Ren, Yasu, etc. etc. as each episode went on I felt like these characters were my friends too and I became emotionally invested in their lives.
The story + themes themselves are peak for the same exact reasons. Everything feels so real, it feels like a wake up call of some sorts. You’re constantly exposed to the harsh truths of life, relationships, love, dreams, and by the end of it all you are left with this bittersweet feeling knowing these characters got what they wanted but lost what was truly important along the way. Characters make decisions that affect everyone in some way, they all change and grow up throughout the series in a satisfying way. I couldn’t help but binge large sections of the series whenever I had the chance.
At first I was frustrated with the ending since it left things off in a vague note. More questions are raised than answered I understand the writer, Ai Yazawa, had to put the story on hold due to medical issues but upon reflecting I genuinely feel like this is unintentionally a good thing. Life doesn’t really work out, things end up falling apart, but it moves on and those moments end up feeling like chapters and those 47 episodes just feel like a chapter in all of their lives. It also allows the audience to fill their mind with whatever they interpreted the themes and messages to be about which can be sometimes more engaging than stories with a perfect conclusion that wraps up every loose end.
With all of that being said, with all my praises, I still feel like I’m underselling this show. I am being intentionally ambiguous as to not spoil the show so whoever may read this would be encouraged to experience this for themselves and I just generally have a hard time expressing why I like something (it’s easier to describe why I don’t like something). Still, Nana is genuinely just such a beautiful and heartbreaking story that I know I will never forget and will sing its praises for the rest of my life.
