And it’s not like the series dropped too far in quality, but (perhaps for biased sensibility-based reasons) the attention towards PR drama between the two bands I found to be drastically less interesting than the more interpersonal character drama. Maybe that’s because the show was really scratching my itch for a genuinely well constructed soap-opera anime with juicy relationship drama, so once it began to focus on the inter workings of music production; I wasn’t quite as invested.
However, this show’s biggest flaw for me might be a little obvious- in that if you’ve completed the series, then you should be well aware it doesn’t have a satisfying ending. And even though the manga goes a bit beyond where this anime leaves the story, it’s been on indefinite hiatus for years- so chances of a full resolution seem unlikely at this point. And my main issue is, it’s not like the show left me wanting much more. As much as I adored spending time with these characters, I felt the narrative was becoming tired for the last 10 or so episodes. I was ready for the story to wrap up, and it just didn’t.
That being said, I love how unafraid the series is to portray truly flawed characters. Whether likeable or not, they all felt very three-dimensional; even reminding me a bit of people I know in the real world.
Despite its flaws, this is a journey I’m very happy I took and it will likely go on to hold a very special place in my heart. So don’t let the fact it doesn’t have a great pay-off stop you from enjoying the ride.
Is Nana going down as one of my all-time favorites? Only time will tell, but it’s certainly under worthy consideration!
(I originally gave this a 7.5, but after sleeping on it and the show not leaving my brain- I think I’m actually giving it a 9/10. The whole was definitely greater than the sum of its parts.)
