Nana is the famous 2006 anime series about two girls, Nana Osaki and Nana Komatsu, who become best friends despite their different aspirations and life styles. Nana Osaki is a bold, outspoken, honest punk vocalist who loves wearing heavy make-up and gothic clothes. Even though she looks intimidating, she has a soft heart and takes care of those who are close to her. On the other hand, Nana Komatsu (nicknamed Hachi), is a clumsy, cute and spoiled girl who loves feminine things and who depends on others, while Nana is more independent. Hachi is a person who needs love and easily falls in love in order to function normally, while Nana seeks fame and recognition, mostly because of her tragic past and childhood.
The plot in Nana revolves mostly around their love lives and relationships, and some of the most notable relationships will be covered in this article.
Nana and Ren
Nana met Ren for the first time at the gig in Meguro, their home town. Her high school friend Nobu took her there because he wanted to show her how cool Ren's band was. The moment she saw him she was captivated with his aura and later on, when she was invited to become their band's vocalist and when Black Stones (BLAST) was formed, they started going out and moved in together. Ren was a laid-back and cool type who perfectly matched Nana's bold and direct behavior so their romance was very strong.
However, everything changed when Ren was offered a position as a guitarist in a popular band, Trapnest, in Tokyo. Because he grew up in an orphanage and his dream was to make it big, he didn't want to miss this chance, so he invited Nana to go with him. She refused, not only because of her pride, but also because she had dreams and ambitions of her own and she didn't want to be just a popular guitarist's girlfriend. Even though they still loved each other very much, they knew that maintaining a long distance relationship was pointless, so they broke up.
They meet a couple of years later, thanks to Hachi, who buys the tickets for a Trapnest live show and goes with Nana to watch their performance. Nana and Ren get reunited that night and continue their romance. However, it is hinted throughout the series that Nana has never really forgiven Ren for leaving her behind, probably because her mother abandoned her as a child and she has a huge fear of losing someone close to her again.
They are one of the most sincere and intimate couples in anime.
Hachi and Shoji
Hachi is a person who can be happy only if she is in love, and she is known for falling in love with men quite easily. Her first serious relationship was with Shoji, a handsome and reliable art student. Before meeting him, she'd had an affair with a married businessman, Takashi Asano, who left her heartbroken until she met Shoji. They are both from the same hometown, but he moved to Tokyo because of his studies and part time job. Hachi went after him and stayed with him.
However, Shoji criticized her for being too dependent and that is when she decided to find her own apartment and job. That is when she met Nana for the second time and became her flatmate in the apartment 707 (Nana also means seven). She also manages to find a job. Hachi and Shoji's relationship soon goes downhill because Shoji realizes that Hachi loves him only because he loves her back, and he could not feel her real love for him. He went on and cheated on her with his co-worker Sachiko and that is when they officially broke up. Nana was the one who comforted Hachi that day and let her cry in her arms. Later on, Hachi and Shoji meet for the first time after their break-up and talk normally, deciding that they should move on and forget about the past.
Hachi, Takumi and Nobu
Hachi met Takumi, a leader and bassist of Trapnest, through her interactions with BLAST and Ren. She had admired him even before meeting him, because she was already a fan of Trapnest. Takumi is described as a handsome, powerful and intimidating man, and she was attracted to him the moment she saw him. They began a secretive affair and even though Hachi was aware that he did not intend to become serious or that he did not care about her at all, she was afraid of being alone and decided to be content with their rare encounters that were mostly sexual in nature. Takumi only uses her as his plaything and he knows that she cannot refuse him because she is afraid of loneliness and he is a womanizer. In the meantime, Hachi also gets close to Nobu, a guitarist in BLAST, and finds herself between two men.
Nobu resembles Hachi a lot - he is also innocent and sensitive, just like her. While being attracted physically to Takumi, she gets emotionally attached to Nobu and he really falls in love with her. When Hachi finally realizes that Nobu is the one who really likes her for who she is and that his feelings are sincere, while Takumi's are not, she breaks up with Takumi over the phone and decides to begin a happy relationship with Nobu. It becomes apparent that the two of them are really suited for each other. However, Hachi suddenly realizes that she is pregnant and that the child is most likely Takumi's because they were not protected, so she decides to leave Nobu and starts living with Takumi. This leaves Nobu heartbroken and sad. After that, he begins a relationship with Asami Matsumoto, also known as Yuri, an adult-film actress who physically resembles Hachi.
It is very possible that Takumi only wants to own Hachi due to his possessive nature, and that Hachi prefers having someone else in control since she is a weak-willed person who is rather dependent.
Reira, Shin and Takumi
Shin is the youngest member and bassist of BLAST, but also a wise and cunning boy. He is on bad terms with his family and that is why he ran away and joined BLAST. He works as a male prostitute even though his band members are trying to stop him. That is how he meets Reira, because she calls on him as his client in order to forget about her feelings for Takumi. Shin soon realizes that she is not like his other clients and they quickly become close and fall in love. However, Takumi finds out about them and tells Shin to back off so as not to destroy Reira's reputation. They stop seeing each other, but it is obvious that they still have lingering feelings for each other.
Reira and Takumi have known each other since they were children and Takumi has always treated her like a younger sister. However, their relationship is more complicated than it seems. Reira has always felt possessive of him and it becomes obvious throughout the series that Takumi is not completely indifferent to her advances.
Takumi sees Reira as his solace or sanctuary and the only pure part of his life. He also tells her that she can be one of his lovers, but that they can never be together officially. Reira is jealous of Hachi for being with him and it seems that she cannot control her feelings.
Yasu, Miu and Reira
Miu Shinoda is a 27-year-old actress who starts sharing a boarding house with BLAST and Yuri. She becomes good friends with Hachi and starts a relationship with Yasu. Even though it is implied that they did not start dating because they loved each other very much, their relationship preserves and they become more and more serious. Miu gets jealous easily, especially if Yasu is around Nana or Shion. However, she is usually a quiet and calm person who is good at observing others.
Besides Shin and Takumi, Reira was also with Yasu for a short period of time in high school, when she attempted to forget Takumi, but Yasu realized that and their relationship did not last.
Additionally, Yasu openly declared his love for Nana before meeting Miu, but he decided to never pursue his feelings for her because he is aware of the fact that she and Ren will always love each other. Nana is also aware of his feelings, but she sees him more as a protective older brother and someone who would always be by her side.
Junko and Kyosuke
Junko Satome is one of Hachi's closest friends, having known her since high school. Junko was introduced to her boyfriend Kyosuke Takakura by their mutual friend Shoji (Hachi's ex-boyfriend) and they started living with each other soon after. They are often described as "an old married couple" because of their intimacy and strong relationship. While Junko is very direct and strung-up, Kyosuke is more laid-back and calm. It is interesting to see them bicker and love each other deeply.
