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The first time i watched Nana was back in middle school. I couldn't finish it because I was crying so hard when she broke the news to Nobuo about [you know what]. It totally broke my heart into pieces. Now in my mid-twenties rewatching it (and still crying hard over it), it is such an amazing example of real-life relationships in anime. Some characters SUCK and are horrible people, but their actions always align with their own morality and judgement. Some characters are awesome but have fatal flaws that, if they were real, would make you grip them on the arms, shake them and scream, "What is wrong with you?!"-- But that's so rooted in reality and everyone you come across in life. There will always be directionless girls with low self-esteem who gaga over men while simultaneously not giving a damn about them like Hatchi. There will always be people who think their only worth lies in the one thing they're good at, and who have major abandonment issues like Nana. Sometimes the best characters can act like total fools and it could all be repaired if they would just talk it out, but they won't or can't. It can be frustrating to see multiple characters with good attributes act horribly or make the wrong decision, but again, I think this is the ultimate slice of life and while it's annoying af, it adds to the realism. Even cheaters, mixed up feelings of love when you're dating someone, and longing are well portrayed in this show.
Sure, the downtime can be a total drag, but that's also the appeal at the same time. It's such an incredible slice of life. You are witnessing the characters in what feels like real-time, and in a real way with everyone getting snippets of info slowly from everyone else about the latest gossip/news.
If you're feeling a little directionless in life and have a strong friendship (or multiple) that you're scared of seeing fade away, this show is for you. If you're a young girl/woman who is aimlessly living and hopping from guy to guy, this show is for you. If you love Vivienne Westwood (RIP my queen), love punk/rock and seeing how music industries work, this show is for you.
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Be warned though, in the instance of cheating in this show, Ai Yazawa seems to think that the person cheated on should fight for / try to stay with the cheater. A stance that isn't really OK imo. It can be super frustrating to watch, but Yazawa fleshes out their mixed feelings better later on in the story and it brings some closure to that cruddy plotline. Also, the manga has never been finished and many believe it will never be resumed. Don't go in hoping for a happy ending.
